prolog
Moon and cinnamon tree
Garden of the Gods
Classics for Cats
Epilogue

Author's Note

The cat knows all the sadness reflected in those quiet eyes
A cute and affectionate comfort to you who is lonely and wavering

Lee Pil-won's novel series, "Chaos, Cheese, Tuxedo" (Changbi Youth Literature 141), which has captured the hearts of young people with its affectionate imagination, has been published.
Street cats Chaos, Cheese, and Tuxedo tell stories about the special encounters they had in their past lives before crossing the rainbow bridge after completing their ninth life.
The stories of 'Yeon-woo' and 'Seung-gil' who were separated from their beloved families, 'Jeong-won' who lived in loneliness because she could not find her place, and 'Mo-ho' who had her dream future taken away are heartbreaking, and the cats' seemingly indifferent and affectionate comfort brings a smile to your face.
As you follow the stories told by these three cute neighbors, the kind you'd expect to encounter on a street corner, you'll feel the delicate and gentle support they convey.
When you want to ask yourself, “Is it okay to become an adult like this?” (page 147), when it feels like no one understands your loneliness and sadness, this novel is like a cat quietly staying by your side, breathing warmth into your tired heart.


Like a cat that jumps up and gently overcomes sadness
A small step taken with grace and courage

In a dark alleyway in a quiet city, cats Chaos, Cheese, and Tuxedo chat about life before meeting the cat god who will lead them to their final death.
In that magical time between life and death, they pull out their sweetest memories.

The first story, "The Moon and the Chestnut Tree," is Chaos's memory of a child who does not cry.
Yeon-woo, who lost her mother in an accident, doesn't feel any sense of reality and doesn't shed tears even at the funeral.
While Yeon-woo is confused by the sadness that doesn't come on time, she meets Chaos, a calico cat with an injured eye, and Seung-gil, who is feeding Chaos.
Yeon-woo, who cannot ignore the injured cat while thinking of her mother who fed stray cats, decides to rescue Chaos, and they become closer as they talk about cats with Seung-gil.
Coincidentally, two people in the same school and class shared similar experiences of the death of their mother and grandfather.
In the midst of missing his family, he decides to follow an old school legend told to him by his club senior, Jeongwon...
For Yeon-woo and Seung-gil, who needed “an event that could distance them from their sadness” (page 36), Chaos becomes a “soft and warm rock” (page 55) that presses down all their sadness and anxiety, giving them the strength to move forward in their daily lives without sinking, and giving them someone to rely on.
The novel reminds us of the importance of sharing our pain together and encourages us that it is okay for each person to go through the time of mourning at their own pace.
If you have ever experienced the pain of losing a loved one, if you are grieving in a time of endless mourning, this novel, whispering to you that you share the same feelings, will be a warm comfort.


“Is it okay to become an adult like this?”
Encouragement for you as you take uneasy steps

"The Garden of God" depicts a delightful conversation between Jeong-won, a high school student who doesn't want to live long, and Shin, a cat.
Jeongwon, who was climbing the mountain where his grandparents were buried alone, discovers the corpse of a small cat while walking along the road.
Jeongwon, who is afraid of cats but feels sorry for the cat lying alone, decides to bury it and climbs the mountain again. He meets a yellow cheese cat who guides him as if telling him to follow her.
At the cemetery where he arrived with Cheese, there was someone welcoming him to the garden as if they had already known he would come.
The woman who gives off a strange aura as if she is not human is none other than the cat god.
The cat god, who takes care of the cats living in his territory, sees through the heart of Jeongwon, who is always lonely and unable to find his place.
What quietly wraps around the heart of such a garden is the swaying tail of cheese.


A small but significant gesture of pleasure to meet you.
The feeling of soft fur that seemed to welcome me completely brought tears to my eyes.
Page 101

In "Classical for Cats," we hear the story of Moho, who heads to the concert hall instead of the testing center on the day of the college entrance exam, when everyone is running towards the same goal.
Moho, who had to give up on going to college, which everyone else was preparing for, due to difficult family circumstances.
He decides to spend that day just for himself and goes to see a piano concert.
The luck that follows Moho all the way to Seoul, stopping at the bookstore and ice cream shop he's been wanting to visit, feels strangely unfamiliar.
At the concert hall he had been waiting for, Moho encounters a tuxedo cat walking confidently on stage, seemingly unconcerned with the gaze of others.

For teenagers who feel like they haven't found their place, and sometimes want to ask anyone what to do or whether "it's okay to grow up like this" (p. 147), the novel gives them a space, makes eye contact, and listens to their stories.
When there is someone who silently stands by our side, we grow stronger even when we are shaken.
This is a warm and elegant novel that conveys the magical comfort of being together, like a warm, cozy cat that sits next to you without a care.


Today is just one day among many days in your life.
I support you.
Page 117