“As I watched them laughing and chatting in the videos, it felt like I was watching a celebrity reality TV show.” #EditedLifeOnSocialMedia #RealLifeInDeletedScenes We refresh our social media feeds multiple times a day, checking others’ posts, hitting the “like” button, and leaving comments. As we scroll through posts of others smiling or boasting about what they bought or where they went, we can’t help but feel that we are living such an uninteresting and dull life, far from a world that seems perfect. But is that really so? Neoreul Wihan Bikeot (Deleted Scenes for You) encourages us to look beyond the selectively deleted scenes and to see through the edited, seemingly flawless portrayal of one’s life. Lee Geum-yi, the author, has firmly established herself as a trusted name in children’s and young adult literature, with a wide range of settings and time periods in her extensive body of work including Heoguui Sam (Life of Heogu), The Picture Bride, Yujingwa Yujin (Yujin and Yujin), and Neodo Haneulmalnariya (You’re Also Lilium Tsingtauense). Through her stories, Lee adeptly captures how young individuals make choices and navigate through the tumultuous periods in their lives, inviting readers into the lives and growth of the characters. Neoreul Wihan Bikeot (Deleted Scenes for You) is yet another demonstration of Lee’s astute understanding of contemporary times. The novel sharply reflects the contrasts of the social media era, where self-presentation can be curated. In the novel, which expands on her short story Pyeonjib (Editing) originally published in the youth-themed collection of short stories Huimangui Jilgam (Texture of Hope) by Munkadongne Publishing Corp., Lee conveys the story she is most eager to share with readers in 2023. Through Sunwoo who is interested in video editing, I wanted to reflect on a world where video editing has become a routine. And I was curious about what might be hidden in the scenes people edited out. I began to question whether the true essence of an individual, or even the true essence of life itself, resides not within the polished final cuts proudly showcased, but rather within the obscured and deleted moments. – The writer’s statement “You believe the lives portrayed on social media are real, even though you’re a YouTube editor yourself?” The story of those who have lost themselves between the edited world and reality. Sunwoo, a middle school student, is the editor behind the YouTube channel “Sseobinlogin.” The channel showcases the seemingly perfect lives of Seobin, the student council vice president, and his friends Taeha, Ahram, and Jeonghoo, who frequently feature in the videos. All four of them are exceptional academically, attractive, and outstanding students. However, for Sunwoo, reality is a tumultuous, unpredictable, and often mundane experience. His romantic relationship is faltering, he feels out of place among his friends, his parents are already pressuring him about his future career path when he’s only fifteen, and a global virus outbreak adds to the chaos. In contrast, the world depicted in the YouTube videos Sunwoo edits appears flawless. Even their disjointed conversations, unfiltered profanities, and abrasive behaviors can be transformed into human charm. At school, Seobin and the group act as if they don’t know Sunwoo, and no one knows that he’s the one who edits the videos. However, within the realm of YouTube, everything operates according to Sunwoo’s intentions. There was a sense of satisfaction in cutting out the parts that could be misleading or unattractive and putting together the compelling scenes to create fast-paced entertaining content. The greater the disparity between the real and the edited version, the more accomplished I felt. (pp.93-94) As Sunwoo edits videos for the YouTube channel, he realizes how distinct people’s lives are on social media from their actual lives. Families that appear close-knit on Facebook may be on the verge of falling apart in reality, and excluding one friend from an Instagram post can make them almost non-existent. Even Seobin, who projects flawlessness on YouTube with his good looks, excellent grades, and eloquent speech, has a dark side. Despite being baffled by the contrast between social media and reality, Sunwoo becomes increasingly skilled at masking and refining the imperfections in the raw videos. He believes this is what a competent editor should do, aiming to gain more views and praise from subscribers. However, an unexpected event shakes up the lives of Sunwoo and the group, shattering the boundary between the edited world and reality in an instant. Now, Sunwoo is afraid to find out what lies in the scenes he deleted in the name of editing. Can I truly comprehend you? A novel that delves beyond the confines of the screen to genuinely inquire about each other’s well-being. Sunwoo believed he comprehended Seobin thoroughly. He had, after all, discerned Seobin’s strengths, vulnerabilities, and even secrets while dedicating approximately 200 hours to editing Seobin’s videos. Similarly, Sunwoo thought he had a sufficient understanding of Taeha, Ahram, and Jeonghoo, knowing what aspects to highlight to make them appealing and what to downplay. Nevertheless, following a certain incident, Sunwoo revisits the unedited footage and stumbles upon an astonishing revelation. He finally perceives Jeonghoo’s authentic facial expressions, which were previously considered to reflect his passive nature. The footage unveils violence, oppressive power dynamics, and masked laughter. Sunwoo realizes that he had been molding both the videos and reality to align with his own preconceptions, prompting him to question, “Did I really not know?” Driven by the desire to safeguard the edited personas and to extend an opportunity to himself, who had turned a blind eye to injustice, Sunwoo musters the courage to confront the truth. Neoreul Wihan Bikeot (Deleted Scenes for You) realistically portrays how the illusion of knowing everything about someone can lead to hasty judgments and isolate individuals from each other in the age of social media. Simultaneously, it conveys, with a warm attitude, the story of how an open heart and the courage to reach out to others can foster profound hope for someone, motivating you to genuinely inquire about someone’s well-being.