“That would be great, Choi Ah-hyun, because you write good novels!”

Commonly seen around us
Stories of the most ordinary people

“Everyone’s life is different and their experiences are different.
“There were many more things that I couldn’t fully understand, no matter how hard I tried.”

“This book is a record of the answer to the question, ‘Why did people have to live like that when life was nothing special?’
Choi Ah-hyun has proven that human life exists between ‘separate’ and ‘like that.’ _Lee Eun-seon (novelist)

“I look closely at the wounds and cracks hidden beneath the calm expression, and at the signs of reconciliation and recovery.
We linger for a long time in the scenes of life that we might easily pass by as nothing special, and weave them into a story.
I believe that is the job of a novelist.” _Lee Joo-young (novelist, producer of KBS’s “Novel Theater”)

Our stories in our ordinary daily lives
Warm comfort and empathy for lonely lives and relationships
Insights into the closest people, family

Author Choi Ah-hyun's first novel collection, "Minky," has been published.
This collection contains eight stories that have been written consistently since his debut with “Morning Conversation,” which won the 2018 [Jeonbuk Ilbo] New Year’s Literary Contest.
The title work, "Minky," and the other included works, "Morning Conversation," "Living Point," "Independence," "Daewon's Wish," "Enough Mistakes," "Do You Have Horns?", and "That Happened," sharply capture and describe the cracks in life and relationships that can be suddenly discovered in everyday life, using simple and restrained sentences, and the stories of the most ordinary people we can easily overlook in everyday life.
In particular, it delves into the complex psychology hidden behind family and relationships and densely depicts the absence of communication.

"Minky" runs through the themes of alienation, disconnection, and emotional isolation of characters who appear ordinary but live quietly in their own places.
As the reviewers noted, the complex psychology and relationships of the characters are portrayed through “carefully written” and “powerful” development, evoking deep empathy.
It also provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on our lives and our relationships with others.

“Do you remember when I said I didn’t like hardtack? I say that every year, and every year, Mom only buys hardtack.
Other things too.
Remember when I said I needed a math academy more than an English academy? And when I said I wanted to learn baduk? And I told you not to get distracted by that.
I just remember that my mom always asked.
Do what you want to do, and don't tolerate injustice.
If I do what Mom says now, I will have to disobey her again.”
--- From "Morning Conversation"

I decided to name the money bag Minky.
Before closing the ceiling, I also called Minky along with the old man.
Tall and gentle.
He called out a couple more times and patted the bag of money.
I closed the ceiling lid and let out a relieved breath.
My own world was created.
My money bag became Minky and my world became Minky too.

--- From "Minky"

After the nightmare, I felt listless and lonely, but I didn't feel any pain or aches.
Yeong-rye turned away, trying to imagine Ji-soo's suffering.
I wanted to completely empathize with Jisoo, but that wasn't possible.
Because everyone's life and experiences are different, there are many things that we cannot fully understand no matter how hard we try.

--- From "Living Point"

However, there are times when I feel unfamiliar with life while working and living alone.
A time I never thought about.
It's because I've always only imagined what I wanted to do and become.
No one taught me that there are so many things I need to do at home to survive and be ready for work the next day.
I didn't want to be a mom or a dad, and I didn't want to live with either my mom or my dad, but in the end, the studio apartment I was left in had all of that.

--- From "Independence"

I felt heartbroken.
Somehow, I felt a pang in my stomach.
The strange and peculiar feeling seemed to be slowly taking on a name.
I wanted to seriously disrupt Mom's smooth start with her new family.

--- From "Independence"

Of course, both events were the days that Daewon had been waiting for.
I've been eagerly awaiting both my daughter's wedding and the concert, so I'm dizzy that the two events overlap.
I was just thinking about saying something sharp, but I ended up saying, of course, that's okay, in response to my daughter's words.
Daewon couldn't ask if the date could be changed, even if it meant saving face.
Above all, at that moment, I was so flustered that I had no idea how to handle the situation.

--- From "Daewon's Wish"

It was a completely different feeling from the exercises I used to do alone.
It was especially difficult to keep up with the people I was teaming up with.
I kept touching people I saw for the first time today.
I bumped into my body and kept running as long as my movement allowed.

--- From "Enough Mistakes"

I hung up the phone and was overcome with emotions I had never felt before.
I thought that talking about my worries would help me solve my problems and worries, but no one offered me anything helpful.
In the end, all I had left to worry about was my grandmother, my aunt, my uncle, and my father.

--- From "Do you have horns?"

There was no place or time for this family's fight.
Once the sparks fly, it starts.
It was important to keep a close eye on the fight to prevent it from starting in the first place, as once a conflict occurs, the fight will not end easily.
Above all, the fight between David and Goliath, who were of a different weight class, was bound to be messy.
But there was no lesson or emotion like the fight between David and Goliath.
As everyone guessed, it wasn't a story about David defeating Goliath, and even if he won the fight, there was nothing to be gained.
It was a fight without any joy or glory of victory, without any accomplishment.

--- From "That Happened"