Preface · Dreaming of a relationship filled with warmth

Baek Su-rin · Quiet incident
Lee Yuri · Cheese Moon and Biscotti
Kang Seok-hee · Utta
Kim Ji-yeon · Oyster Drive
Cheon Seon-ran and Shadow Play
Kim Sa-gwa, the artist and his bohemian friend
Kim Hye-jin · Wishing you blessings

Baek Su-rin, Lee Yu-ri, Kang Seok-hee, Kim Ji-yeon, Cheon Seon-ran, Kim Sa-gwa, and Kim Hye-jin present
Stories about friendship and friends

『Novels We Walk Together』, a collection of seven short stories on the theme of friendship, has been published.
Seven young writers who are good friends of readers, Baek Su-rin, Lee Yu-ri, Kang Seok-hee, Kim Ji-yeon, Cheon Seon-ran, Kim Sa-gwa, and Kim Hye-jin, tell stories about friendship and companionship through seven works.
Often, we narrow the scope of our friends to 'people of similar age'.
Because of this, friendship is also often thought of in a narrow sense.
However, the works in 『Walking Together Novels』 depict friendship in various forms, such as memories of adolescence, empathy between slightly odd people, solidarity and growth in a racist environment, new relationships that begin with unforgiveness, decades of longing for a friend, longing and despair for someone, and camaraderie among working people.
This book will be a reliable companion for teenagers who are going through a period where they prioritize their friends above all else, and for readers in their 20s and 30s who will be meeting many new people in society.


This book is the seventh in a series of themed novels published by Changbi Education, and is a sequel to 『Sweaty Novel』 on the theme of labor, 『Heart-Pounding Novel』 on the theme of love, 『Remembering Novel』 on the theme of disaster, 『Breathing Novel』 on the theme of ecology and the environment, 『Traveling Novel』 on the theme of travel, and 『Waving Novel』 on the theme of separation.


Some friendships make me breathe
Some friends help me grow

When we think of friendship, let's think of a scene that many people think of.
Children from different backgrounds meet, become close, and get through their time safely thanks to each other.
And as time goes by, the children disperse.
Baek Su-rin's "Quiet Incident" contains such a story.
The story, which begins with “I can’t talk about my time at Salt Pass without mentioning Haeji and Muho” (page 14) and flows to “I’ve known for a long time that in just a few years we would be walking completely different paths and that our lives would no longer overlap” (page 35), is a fairly familiar memory of friends from school days.


People who are considered 'abnormal' come to understand each other and become friends.
In Lee Yuri's "Cheese Moon and Biscotti," there is "I" who talks to stones and "Cooker" who likes the animation "Wallace and Gromit."
I, who had no intention of becoming close to Cooker, think that I can “understand Cooker a little” (page 75) after Cooker’s confession that he flies to the moon whenever there is a full moon, perhaps because “for the first time in my life, I met someone who said he believed in me” (page 71).
This is a scene that shows that understanding and empathy are the beginning of friendship.


Kang Seok-hee's "Utta" depicts racial discrimination that exists like air in a prestigious school in Paris, France.
'I' want to become friends with 'Utta', but the reason is closer to human affection than racial affinity.
“Utta moved concisely and gave off a nice scent.
“These body movements were so captivating that I couldn’t resist liking Utta even though we sat next to each other for just a day, or even just a few hours.” (p. 83) Soon after, Utta caused an incident that shook France.
I want to become something better.
I want to grow by chewing on the words of ‘Utta’, “Let’s meet then” (page 98).
This shows the possibility that we can grow through our friends.


Stories that show the meaning of being with friends, even if it can sometimes be hurtful.

Many people have memories of being hated by their friends for no reason during their teenage years.
Kim Ji-yeon's "Oyster Drive" tells the story of what happens when "I", who visits my hometown, reunites with the "class president" from my high school days.
The ‘class president’ suddenly asks ‘me’, “I hated you so much when I was in high school” (page 124), and asks if I can “forgive you” (page 124).
‘I’ do not accept the apology, saying, “The class president was too obvious.” (page 124)
But as I leave my hometown, I keep thinking of the 'class president' and sending him messages.
The ‘class president’ replies, “You don’t have to forgive me, just come.” (page 130)
Even if time has passed, the person who hurt you can apologize, and the person who was hurt doesn't necessarily have to forgive you.
Because that's where new friendships begin.


Cheon Seon-ran's "Shadow Play" depicts the final moments of 'Do-ah', who returned from space "with only a few days left to live" (p. 160), and 'Ira', who waited for him on Earth.
After 'Doa' leaves, a surgery that makes people "incapable of empathizing with the emotions of others" (p. 135) spreads on Earth.
Doa, who met Ira who had changed after the surgery, says, “This was not the reunion with you that I had imagined all along the way back here” (p. 152).
'Ira' tries to understand him as well, recalling 'Doa' who would follow her every time she was having a hard time and say, "If you do this, I think I will understand a little bit how much you are in pain." (p. 162).
The friendship between the two seems to be deeper than expected.
'Ira' ultimately says, "One of the most powerful feelings between us might be the one that will return everything to its original state" (p. 172).


On the other hand, because you have a strong yearning for your friend, the direction of your life may change or you may be disappointed in his or her true self.
Kim Sa-kwa's "The Artist and His Bohemian Friend" tells the story of these friends.
“Lee Su-yeong was impressed by Han Bi’s radicalism.
Hanbi was surprised by Lee Soo-young's realism.
“The two were thrilled to discover an unknown world so close by.” (p. 186) Their friendship, which started off so noisily, escalates into Lee Su-yeong’s exclamation, “What kind of crazy people are there!” (p. 209).
“If it weren’t for Hanbi, would Lee Su-yeong have become a respectable civil servant and had a wonderful, responsible husband?” (p. 199) The reader is left to decide.


Even if life is unpredictable, the strength of a friend on my side

Many people say that they can't be 'real friends' with the people they meet as adults.
But the camaraderie felt by people who met at work is also friendship.
Kim Hye-jin's "A Heart Praying for Blessings" contains that story.
'Inseon' doesn't like 'Kyungok', who he happens to work with.
But I think you have a real talent for this.
Thanks to Gyeong-ok, who says, “I was really surprised last time” (p. 223), In-seon “strangely didn’t feel irritated” (p. 224) and “didn’t get as angry as usual” (p. 224) while working. And when In-seon hears Gyeong-ok say, “You have to give me extra allowance” (p. 225), which is different from her own, she begins to “evaluate the effort and cost of the work she had taken for granted until now” (p. 226).
After that, 'Inseon' works together with 'Kyungok'.
Neither of them likes what they are doing now, but on this path they walk together, they become each other's comfort zone.


Among the seven works, I would like to see one that captures the friendships you have experienced and the friends you know.
It's okay if it's not there.
Because your story may help you create new friendships.
No matter when, where, with whom, or how you met someone, if you shared a piece of their heart with them, they are your friend.
I hope that this path you walk will be more peaceful with your companions by your side.


Editor's Note

“If the goal of life is to ‘live as myself,’ then cultivating friendships that help me discover who I am is a very important thing in life.
I hope that through the stories contained here, you can feel the preciousness of spending time with friends.
Although you may be hurt at times, I hope you will also find that you can salvage a few shining stones without being swept away by the river of tears.


One novelist says that I can describe myself as 'the correlation between myself and my interests.'
Because delving into the things I like is no different than writing about myself.
If one of our many interests is friendship, he will already be like you.
I hope you can continue to build relationships with precious friends who call you by name and offer you a "just a glance," and that you can grow in your ability to recognize new friendships.
I hope that the various encounters in this book can serve as an alternative for readers who long for true friendship.”