Still love
Author's Note

A society where "anti-love" is encouraged over the right to love.
“What are you going to do? Have you made up your mind?”

"Still Love" depicts a future society where love and romance are discouraged due to resource shortages caused by the climate crisis.
In the world where the protagonist lives, if you implant an 'anti-love chip' that makes you perceive love as pain, you can be exempted from various taxes and duties, including exemption from living environment burden fees.
'I' am troubled by the consent form for the anti-love chip implant at school.
When I think about my mother and father who abandoned me before I was even born, love seems to only make life difficult.

Phew, I just sighed.
My circumstances were no less than Jihye's.
It was hard to make ends meet with my mother's income and the huge amount of taxes she paid.
That was also the reason why I chose a vocational school that was advantageous for employment.
Of course, it was right to implant the anti-love chip, but… …it was also true that I kept hesitating.
(Page 23)

Many of my friends have decided to get a chip implant, but not everyone agrees.
My friend, Junseo, is a representative 'love advocate' who opposes chip implantation.
I can't completely agree with Junseo's words that there is nothing more precious than sharing one's feelings, but for some reason, I don't hate Junseo for constantly showing his affection to me.

Love is difficult for everyone
Still, I will believe in love

Junseo, who knows even the smallest habits of the protagonist, gives him a sweet plum coat as a gift for 'me' who hates sour tastes.
The thought of someone's warm gaze upon you makes your heart race, but the thrill of it all is overshadowed by the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

Meanwhile, 'I' was looking through my mother's email account to see if there was even a small clue to my father, whose name and face I don't know, and I saw a suspicious email addressed to my mother.
The protagonist, who had a bad feeling about this, sets out with Junseo to find the truth hidden behind the email.
As I take a step closer to the truth about my father that has been buried for a long time, 'I' gain new insight.
The protagonist learning to rely on those around him, like his mother and Junseo, shows what true emotional growth is.

I burst into tears so hard I couldn't hold it back.
Without caring about what others thought, I hugged Junseo.
I didn't dislike Junseo's broad chest or the sour smell of sweat.
(Page 72)

We already live in an age where there is a lot of debate about love.
How can I find the path to mastering my emotions? "Still, Love" is a lovely novel that offers a lighthearted and heartwarming answer to this question.

Series Introduction

The first path to encountering a novel
A welcome reading for those who have grown distant from books, a first encounter with a novel.

'First Encounter with a Novel' is a thin and beautiful paperback book decorated with a new sensibility.
A literary masterpiece, this short story is richly illustrated.
With engaging stories, short volumes of less than 100 pages, and captivating illustrations, it allows even those who lack time or are unfamiliar with reading to easily access excellent contemporary works.
For adolescent readers who have stopped reading at fairy tales, it will serve as a stepping stone to novels.
To pump water from a deep well, you must pour a bucket of water from above.
The "First Encounter with a Novel" series will serve as a welcome aid to those who have become increasingly distant from literature, helping them reconnect with books and inject fresh vitality into our reading culture.


Author's Note

The first message into space was sent from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in 1974.
It's about humans living here on Earth.
There is something majestic and moving about thinking that a message scheduled to arrive in the globular cluster M13 around 27,000 AD is still flying through space.
This article is also a message of love.
I wrote this with the hope that you will tilt your head and think about what love is.