“I’m going to tell you a story that I haven’t told anyone—a story kept between just you and me.” The return of Kkoch-nim Lee, the author of best page-turners in YA literature Kkoch-nim Lee, the author who never fails to impress her readers and whose work receives enthusiastic responses every time, returns with her new book, “Of Course, I.” Her previous works range from touching and heartwarming stories like “I Will Cross Time For You” to more provocative stories like “Killing Your Friend” that delve into the dark abyss of everyday life and relationships experienced by teenagers. This time, she comes back with another masterpiece that keenly investigates ‘the feeling of love.’ A meticulous plot with nerve-wracking twists, irresistibly immersive A breathtaking story that pulls you in immediately The story unfolds when one night, a girl’s white sneakers are found neatly placed by a reservoir, and on the same night, the boy who was with the girl goes missing. This is the story of Hae-rok, the boy who goes missing, and Hae-joo, the girl who no longer wants to get hurt. With growing questions and deepening suspicion, the great secret is finally revealed. Kkot-nim Lee’s style of meticulous plot puts the readers in a breathless reading experience where the moment they open up the book, they cannot help finishing it to the end. It’s been heard countless times in schools, libraries, and bookstores, that “Killing Your Friend” is a piece that steals the heart of even the teenagers who detest reading. That is the power of Kkoch-nim Lee, the author—she is capable of convincing those who have thrown away their books to give reading another try. The author’s power is none other than the power of her story itself. In the same manner, “Of Course, I” provokes the readers with endearing questions and astonishing plot twists through a story of a missing child case. Those who have read the book should be careful to keep the plot ‘no spoilers.’ Best described as a psychological mystery fiction, this novel prompts our young readers who have finished reading the book to go back to the beginning and flip through the pages to search for the foreshadowing they have missed. “I had to write about a feeling of love and what lies beneath it—the other side of the story, so to speak.” A sharp message from the author regarding the way teenagers form relationships An ordinary girl meets an ordinary boy in an ordinary classroom. Even in a relationship that is seemingly affectionate and devotional, there lies an ugly mind with never-ending desire and obsession for one another. Meshed up with a mysterious incident, these untamed emotions explode with thrills and suspense. Loneliness, longing, obsession, possessiveness, psychological manipulation, emotional violence… Why is it that for some teenagers, ‘the feeling of love’ is something so fragile and painful compared to others? The author poignantly shows how the distorted depiction of ‘real love’ in today’s world affects the teenagers who have just begun to express their feeling of love like a firework, causing them to scratch and wound each other in their ‘first love.’ How far can we intrude into another person’s life, using love as an excuse? The mysterious narrative with a dark romance undertone is combined with the author’s honest and provocative message, resulting in the birth of a thought-provoking masterpiece, “Of Course, I.” It is impossible not to fall in love with this unique story; like a light casting a shadow in the darkness, it will surely touch something deeply buried in the hearts of the readers. Reference: Support from Woorischool