He made a brilliant debut by winning the 2nd Wisdom House Fantasy Literature Award.
Rookie author Noh Ryong's first book, "Elementary School Student Exile Republic"
Now more than ever, children need a republic of elementary school exile!

New writer Noh Ryong made a splendid debut by winning the Excellence Award at the 2nd Wisdom House Fantasy Literature Award, where the final winner is determined 100% by the choices of children readers.
The author demonstrates his long-time expertise in children's fantasy literature through a story about children who, unable to be free due to the desires of adults, overcome that reality with the help of a magical gift from Masuri Mart.
Anyone who opens the book will surely understand how liberating the story of four children who establish the "Elementary School Exile Republic," a country where children can go into exile, after a strange adventure and growth journey gifted by fantasy, brings us.
The author, who is completely on the side of children, is already eagerly awaiting the next book to see what kind of fantasy world of adventure and growth he will create.

The first semester report card was full of 'average' or 'needs more effort'.
The only thing that received a 'very good' rating was morality.
I saw on my report card that I was incredibly moral last semester.
Yeah, that's it too.
But mom and dad were different.
“What good is being just good? You have no desire to win.” “I wish you were a little more ambitious...” It seems like he wants me to try anything.
Work, etc., what is that?

--- p.26

My future dream is to become a doctor.
It's been like that since I was little.
My mom and dad told me that if anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I should say I wanted to be a doctor, so they told me that I had to study hard.
I did as I was told.
From the first year onwards, no other words were included on my report card other than 'very good'.
After school, there are after-school classes, four academies that alternate between English, math, essay writing, and science, and finally, a study guide class.
Is there anything I can do as my heart tells me to do?
--- p.37

“Hey, what are linear functions, quadratic functions, and all that?” asked Taksu.
Before I knew it, he came up next to me and was looking down at my school textbook.
“Go away.” “You can’t go.”
"What is that? If you don't know what it is even after studying, then just quit!" Taksu stood firm.
And he snatched the textbook.
What he said is true.
“If you don’t teach me, I won’t give it to you!” I put my pencil down on the desk.
How do I explain something I don't even know to this guy? "If you're lucky and get punished a fraction of the time when you make a mistake, or if you're unlucky and get punished a fraction of the time when you make a mistake, that's called a linear function. If you get punished a fraction of the time when you make a mistake, that's called a quadratic function." It was the universe.
The universe continued to solve the problem without looking back.
"There's a saying, 'inverse proportion.'" "The more mistakes you make, the less you get scolded." "Does that make sense? No! It might make sense if Dad just gave up on me.
“It’s a quadratic function now, but it could be inversely proportional in the future, hehe.” Taksu quietly placed the textbook on my desk and chuckled.
Unlike him, for me, if my dad's nagging is a linear function, my mom's nagging is a quadratic function.
No matter how you look at it, the universe is close to genius.
How can you explain such a difficult function so easily?

--- p.41

“What are your hopes for the future?” we asked each other as we entered the classroom after a leisurely lunch.
"hmm.
“I’m thinking about what I hope for in the future.” “So what do you hope for?” “So I’m thinking about it in the future.
“Isn’t that what you want to think about in the future?” “My hope is not to become like my father.” Taksu answered without me even asking.
"What's wrong with not being like Dad? Didn't Dad say he was a prosecutor? Tak-su must not like his dad's job."
I don't like my dad's job either.
Taksu asked back.
“And you? Are you a doctor?” I didn’t answer.

--- p.49

"mom.
“I don’t want to be a doctor.” These words set my mother’s heart on fire.
Mom spewed out harsh words.
“Do you know how much I struggled to send you to medical school? Your dad’s salary was so low that I had to work part-time at a convenience store since your freshman year to pay for your academy, and I also worked at a pork belly restaurant across the street! Now I’m working at a mart cash register! My back is broken from all that standing! Even though my back hurt so much it felt like it was going to break, I gritted my teeth and held on, thinking about your academy fees! Do you think it’s only my back that matters?” Mom put her legs up on the living room table and rolled up her pants.
“Look here.
My calf! See those bulging, blue veins on my calf? It's called varicose veins.
"It's because I stood too long! I need surgery, but I'm worried about the cost of surgery and the long recovery time, which will reduce my income, so I'm not getting the surgery! If my income decreases, how are you going to pay for your tuition, huh? But… … ." "So…
I don't want to be a doctor.
So, Mom, you can stop now too… … .” “No! But you can’t! Do you want to live your whole life like Dad, working late into the night for a low salary, always on edge, never knowing when you’ll get fired?” “There are more than just doctors in this world! There are nurses, teachers, engineers, civil servants, office workers, and soccer players.
“Other people who aren’t doctors can live happily.” “No! If you want to be treated well and live well, being a doctor is the best!” I picked up the Real remote.
What happens when I press this? I pressed the red button that said power.
Has the world disappeared? Have I disappeared? It's dark.
does not exist.

--- p.57

I have to say it now.
I'll say it someday.
"mom.
I'm going to quit going to school.
You studied hard until the 4th grade.
The grades were all 'very good'.
But, it wasn't fun.
I was also tired.
"Do you remember your grades from the first semester? They'll keep happening." "Were you on strike?" Mom asked.
I nodded.
“I used to do it because I was told to, but now I don’t want to do it.
I hate being a doctor even more.
I'm going to play soccer.
And I just want to play.” “Even if I play soccer, I still have to study, right?” “I do it at school, right?” Mom closed her eyes.
He nodded as if he knew a day like this would come someday.
"good.
Then don't go.
Instead, a secret.
“Okay?” Mom winked.

--- p.75

We sat in silence for a long time beside the ruined fortress.
“Hey, wake up.
Can't you play these days because you don't have any? You can't play because you don't have time.
“The wolf has left anyway, so it’s okay.” I fiddled with the stopwatch in my pocket.
I plan to play until I die of old age.

--- p.90

After school, I went to piano academy.
I learn piano on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Swimming is something my dad told me to learn.
He said that even if I become a doctor later, I have to be healthy.
My mom told me to learn piano.
He said that although he is not going to be a pianist, he should have at least one art as a liberal arts education.
He also said that it might help him with college entrance exams later.

--- p.101

Until last week, we learned about quadratic functions, which is a first semester subject for third-year middle school mathematics.
Starting this week, we will begin learning trigonometry, a subject that is taught in the second semester of the third year of middle school.
According to the teacher, I will finish all of my third year of middle school math before the break, and then I will learn high school math in a preparatory class for medical school during the winter break.
He also said that this was too late.
He said that there are already kids our age who have finished high school math.

--- p.102

"no.
I just turned it off for a moment.
"Turn off the power of this world." Turn off the power of this world for a moment? Oh, that's a pretty cool word.
“It was really just a moment.
I went to a mountain covered in forest, met Zico, chatted briefly, slid down fallen leaves, and then pressed the power button again.
Then I went back to where I was at first.
But when I came back, more than five hours had passed. Zico said that this wasn't the human world, but our world." "Sliding on fallen leaves?" Taksu's eyes sparkled.
The guy must want to try sliding down the fallen leaves.
I was curious about our world.

--- p.120

The world stopped, but we had fun in our own world.
I had to go through some unnecessary hardships because of that guy Taksu, but it was still fun.
The universe said that the owner of Masuri Mart said that the magnifying glass should be used brightly, but it seems that he actually meant that the magnifying glass effect would disappear when it gets dark, so use it when it's bright.
As expected, the universe is a genius! Just as the universe said, my thousand won came back to me in a useful way.
We decided to meet here again tomorrow.
Now that I've experienced it once, I think I'll be able to have more fun this time.
As long as that guy Taksu doesn't cause any accidents.
“But wasn’t it a bit thrilling?” Woo-joo nodded at Tak-su’s words.
Bangrangi and I shook our heads.
Taksu took out a stopwatch.
The eagle that had been frozen in the sky began to fly.
I thought I heard the sound of wheels rolling on the road, but soon the sound of the car honking rose like thorns.
The human world began to turn again.

--- p.139