The Girl in the Cylinder / Author's Note

What if I had to wander around in a cylinder?
Science fiction that adds warm emotions to scientific imagination

Nanobots float in the air of the city where the main character Jiyu lives.
Nanobots, a culmination of cutting-edge science and technology and proven to be safe, can help cities purify fine dust and control meteorological phenomena such as droughts and floods.
However, there is an exception who is allergic to these seemingly perfect nanobots: Moon Ji-yu.
When Jiyu's story of having difficulty breathing due to nanobots became known, a company developed and donated a cylindrical vehicle called the 'Protector'.
Jiyu, who rides around in a transparent plastic cylinder, is now famous as the 'girl in the cylinder'.


Even though she was called a "girl" because she looked young, Jiyu didn't know what expression to make whenever people she passed on the street gave her sympathetic looks.
Why is the protector made of clear plastic? —Page 17

Then one day, an unexpected change occurs when Jiyu accidentally destroys public property in the city.
Voices began to speak to Jiyu from speakers all over the streets.
At first, it was a voice that asked, “What if you just leave like that?” (page 12), but before long, Jiyu and I become friends as we share and talk about the little things in our daily lives.
The voice's owner introduces himself as 'Noah'.
However, Jiyu can only hear Noah's voice and does not know where Noah lives.
No matter how many times I ask, Noah swallows his words.
Who is Noah, really?

“I’m someone who shouldn’t be in this city.”
Two imperfect people in a seemingly perfect city

As Jiyu grows closer to Noah, she dreams of the two of them taking walks around the neighborhood together.
But is this even possible? It's impossible for Jiyu to step out of the cylinder and onto bare ground.
Besides, Jiyu doesn't even know who Noah is.
Jiyu, who is growing dissatisfied with Noah's voice that keeps disappearing and reappearing somewhere, asks, "Did you think of me as a friend? Did you feel sorry for me too?" (page 58).
And finally, Noah confesses his secret to Jiyu.
The novel depicts the chance encounter and friendship between Jiyu, who becomes a city celebrity under the name "The Girl in the Cylinder," and Noah, who is a person who should not be in the city.
It may seem like a perfect city, but there are marginalized people there too.
After learning Noah's story, Jiyu realizes the sad truth that there is nothing 'absolutely perfect' in the world.


But there was no such thing as 'absolutely' from the beginning.
Even Jiyu herself is a kind of side effect, isn't she?

―Page 63

“You can go anywhere.”
A brilliant reflection on difference, discrimination, and disability

Jiyu's daily life, where she has to attract everyone's attention because she rides a cylinder, resembles the lives of people with disabilities in real life.
Noah, who hides his identity and is not noticed by people, reminds us of minorities.
These socially disadvantaged youth, however, embark on a powerful adventure toward freedom in their own way, without relying on any help from adults.


The person who gently told Ji-yu, who didn't want to be pitied but thought she had no choice but to live relying on pity, not to do that, that she didn't like it when people thought that way, and even gave her courage by saying, "You can go anywhere." (page 75)
What happened to Noah? Will the two be able to stroll through the city together? After reaching the final scene, which leaves a lasting impression and a lingering feeling, you'll find yourself wishing them long-lasting happiness.


▶ 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.