Kai's Choice
Author's Note

Can't shed tears
special children

What if you were born with a special superpower? While it might seem like a thrilling and joyful experience, that's not the case in "Kai's Choice."
In the novel, 'Kai' is a child born with special abilities.
Kai's abilities are diverse, including the ability to see the movement of waves in the open sea, the ability to know the exact time without looking at a clock, and the ability to read the movement paths of cockroaches.
The protagonist 'Maha's' older sister 'Banya' can sense death.
Even as he witnessed countless deaths, from small, invisible insects to kittens, Banya had to swallow his grief inside.
Because Kai can't shed tears.

Maha is a Kai who can predict the future 3 seconds in advance.
Maha is a talented basketball player who plays well on the team, but he is accused of using his skills to commit corruption and is kicked out of the team.
Kai 'Nagi', whom Maha met at the counseling center, can read other people's minds.
So, as a child, Nagi had to be locked in a room with his eyes covered with a handkerchief.
In this way, Kai is discriminated against and suffers because of his abilities.
It's different from the superpowered people we usually think of.
The narrative, which feels quite unique, creates a lyrical atmosphere and leads readers into the world of the novel.

“We had to choose.
“It was because of the abilities we had.”

In the novel, Kai is an 'object of management'.
Children diagnosed with Cairo must attend a counseling center every Saturday to answer questions about their school life, relationships with friends, sleep, and appetite.
While adults discriminate against Kai, treating him as a caregiver and a treatment target, other children of his age ostracize him, viewing him as a mutant.
Maha is bullied by his classmates, gets water poured on him, and ends up wiping himself dry with toilet paper in the bathroom.
Then, someone hands Maha a handkerchief.
Kai and Nagida, mind readers who met at a counseling center when they were young.

Kai must make a 'choice' on his seventeenth birthday.
Should I undergo surgery to implant a chip in my brain and lose my abilities, or should I not undergo the surgery and continue living as Kai?
Maha's older sister, Banya, left home three years ago without undergoing surgery.
As his seventeenth birthday approaches, Maha, who is struggling with what choice to make, goes to see Nagi.
Nagi, who is a year older than Maha, already made his choice last year.
Did Nagi actually get the surgery? And what choice will Maha make?

To those who are concerned about 'me'
Affectionate comfort and support

"Kai's Choice" is set in a virtual world, but it makes us reflect on the reality of the here and now.
It is not unfamiliar to see Kais being discriminated against and called 'deformed' for being different from ordinary people.
People who are discriminated against based on their sexual identity, race, disability, etc. are often subjected to false stereotypes and forced to adopt an identity that is considered “normal.”
Additionally, the diverse dreams and career paths of young people are often abandoned or frustrated by the gaze of adults.
In this respect, Kai's story of finding his own life comes as a warm comfort to those who are struggling with their own identity in the eyes of those around them.
"Kai's Choice" is a precious novel that offers warm encouragement to all who explore and grow within themselves.

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 name Kai is taken from Kai, the boy who cannot shed tears in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen."
The story of the child who was locked under a seven-layered floor mat, his eyes covered with seven layers of towels, appears in Zacharias Topelius's "The Starry Eyes."
Both are fairy tales that I like very much.
This story began with the desire to write about what I like.