Four days after the incident, 7
The night it all began 13
Was it a coincidence? 28
The Dark Side of the Moon 45
Quiet Base 58
Michael Collins's Moon 73
Black Cat Apollo 96
Orbital Deviation 115
Space Mia 131
Direction of Manpower 147
Planets and Stars 168
Planetarium 186 at Midday
Pale Blue 193
The Beginning of Exploration 209

The 13th Munhakdongne Youth Literature Award Grand Prize Winner, "Quiet Coincidence"
“We saw the fragile dignity of human beings in this novel.”

Following 『I'll Cross the World to You』 『Cherry Shrimp: It's a Secret』 『If You Fall in Love with Dokgo Som』 and 『Hulhul』, the 13th Munhakdongne Youth Literature Award Grand Prize winner, which will once again evoke deep sympathy from young readers, has been published.
This is a novel called "Quiet Coincidence," which depicts the small but sparkling power possessed by extremely ordinary people.
The story depicts a universal character torn between wanting to help someone in a difficult situation, but also fearing that stepping forward might incur the disapproval of others, and “delicately portrays the inner self as if one were working with glass or pottery” (Lee Seon-ju).
Although she is sometimes disappointed with her own cowardly ways, the protagonist, Su-hyeon, never stops cautiously approaching people both online and offline.
This narrative of the heart's growth, which begins with interest and curiosity, progresses to understanding and empathy, and even to small but not trivial acts of goodwill, "proves firsthand how small efforts ultimately protect this world." (Jin Hyeong-min)

Author Kim Su-bin won the grand prize at the 16th Munhakdongne Children's Literature Award for "Summer Sparkles" in 2015.
Having won the title of double winner for children's novels and youth novels, he was praised for his beautiful portrayal of "the power of things as fragile as soap bubbles" at the time of his first award.
His keen gaze, which picks out the slightly more sparkling grains of sand among countless grains of sand, remains the same.
『Quiet Coincidence』, which captures the “fragile dignity of human beings” (Lee Seon-ju) expressed through interest and goodwill, was honored with an award with the comment that “the way they strive, agonize, and move forward, even if only in small steps, shows the true achievement of young people living in the present.”

How much strength do ordinary people exert in places that are not visible?

Even though we miss each other, we meet again, and we explore sincerity even in the midst of misunderstandings.
I found it trustworthy and lovable that he never gave up on his good intentions, even when the consequences were unintended.
_Reviews

“I became curious about you.
“A lot.”

'Goyo', a child who shines alone in the high places like a noble crescent moon, and 'Jeonghu', a kind class president who seems to have no shadow at all.
At the end of Su-hyeon's gaze, there is always an object of longing and admiration.
I watch those kids all day long, but even though we're in the same space, they never touch each other, as if they belong to different dimensions.
But one night, a dream suddenly comes to him and a chain of inexplicable coincidences sends the story's canvas into a new direction.
It was when an unexpected person entered Soo-hyeon's field of vision that he first encountered those who had remained in the realm of observation in an online space.
‘Wooyeon’, whose presence in the classroom is faint, but somehow catches the eye.
Why on earth am I so curious about that kid? The terrain begins to change as Soo-hyeon's intense curiosity takes over.
Secrets that were almost hidden forever, like the dark side of the moon, are revealed one by one, including the truth that the object of one's admiration, who appears to shine brightly, actually harbors feelings similar to one's own, and the surprising fact that there was someone who had always looked at me, whom I had always considered insignificant.


“People only think about looking up at the moon,
It seems like it has no idea that the moon is looking at the Earth.
“It is the moon that looks at the Earth without missing a single moment.” _From the book

Very ordinary hearts that are not special
Is the moment we touch just a coincidence?

What is particularly noteworthy in "Quiet Coincidence" is the respectful portrayal of contemporary youth who open up about their difficult feelings on social media and form special relationships with anonymous people.
As spaces where genuine goodwill is exchanged, chat rooms, classrooms, and neighborhood parks hold equal weight in this novel.
Critic Song Su-yeon said, “This writer does not easily evaluate or criticize the online world.
“The author’s perspective and attitude of not judging anything easily led to a trustworthy ending,” he commented.
Furthermore, regarding the novel's ability to capture hidden emotions that are not easily revealed through its development that crosses real and virtual spaces, author Jin Hyeong-min commented, "The final scene, where the experience of being connected online transforms into the strength and courage to solve real-world problems, resonates deeply for a long time."

“The relationships between characters, which unfold differently offline and online like the front and back sides of the moon, accurately portray the reality of today’s youth.
“The author’s ability is further highlighted by the fact that he breaks away from the familiarity of everyday stories by using ‘space’ and ‘moon’ as the main subject matter of the story.” _Lee Geum-i (Children’s and Youth Literature Writer)

The image of children getting to know others they didn't know well naturally overlaps with the image of astronauts exploring the unknown.
"Quiet Coincidence" reminds us of astronaut Michael Collins, who was on Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong but did not land on the moon.
While Neil Armstrong was leaving the first footprints on the moon, the astronaut was left alone, looking at the far side of the moon, without any communication with Earth.
Ultimately, 『Quiet Coincidence』 is also a story about the process by which Soo-hyeon raises Michael Collins from the position of an ‘unnoticed person’ to that of a ‘person who is watched.’
All stories could begin because the main character, Su-hyeon, looked at someone with affectionate eyes for a long time.
Most of what connects us is coincidence, but perhaps it is the small power of ordinary people that creates that coincidence.