#Baekmang8thAnniversary This post was written with the help of Google Translate🫣

Hello, Author.

I’m a reader living in a neighboring country. Yes, the land of cherry blossoms and hot springs—that’s the one. Coincidentally, the protagonist created by the author has the exact same name as me, haha.

Yes, my name is Kale. (I’d really appreciate it if you’d read my letter. I do know some Korean, but I mostly used a translation tool. By the way, I’m not very good at writing, haha.)

Happy 8th Anniversary! I can’t believe it’s already been 8 years. I’ve been reading your novels since I was in high school, so quite a bit of time has passed.

I enjoy reading books in foreign languages, and recently a friend recommended this novel to me. They said the main character’s name and personality were similar to mine. At first, I hesitated to read it because I’m not Korean and can’t read Hangul, but my curiosity got the better of me, and since my friend kept urging me to give it a try, I ended up reading it. I bought a few volumes and read them with the help of a translation app. (Now I understand Korean and am studying various things.)

The more I read this novel, the more I found myself getting drawn into the story, and I’d often catch myself smiling shyly without even realizing it. My friend was right. I think I was drawn to it even more because the main character’s personality is so similar to mine. Every time I read it, I can’t help but think, “Wow, the author is truly amazing.” It’s almost as if the author has telepathy, haha. I loved every part of the story, but I especially loved the protagonist, Kim Rok-su. Every time the author described Kim Rok-su’s personality, it felt like I was looking in a mirror (I’m serious). It was truly amazing, and I loved it so much.

So, the protagonist, Kim Rok-su,

No, Kale,

I wrote a letter to Kale Henitus. I’ve been reading your stories since high school, and this past spring, I graduated from the top university in our country. So much time has passed. It’s been a really long journey.

One of Kale’s lines came to mind: “I’m going to live. No matter what happens, we’re going to live. All of us.” Those words kept echoing in my head.

Kale,

I’ve been through the same thing as you. I lost two friends and several family members to illness. After losing them, I felt completely empty inside. I used to get depressed whenever their birthdays or summer festivals came around. Back when we used to go to summer festivals together, they’d say, “You need to grow up now—you have to survive.” But now that I’m alive and able to grow, I have to keep living. And now I have people I need to take care of. They might be a little weird and loud, but they’re my reason for living. Since then, I’ve been spending every weekend with my friends. (I’ve even made plans to buy a big house in the countryside to use as both a base camp and a place to live.)

People of all different personalities and nationalities come to me. They’re always by my side. They’re the ones who brought me back to reality. To be honest, I hate crowded places and am pretty introverted, but my world is filled with way more people than I ever imagined. Roksu, don’t you think so too? Outside the world in your head, the people around you want you to live well. When I’m sick, the people around me—especially my friends—are always worried about me. Isn’t that true for you, too? It might seem like they worry a bit too much, but they care about me like family and make sure I’m okay. They even call me a workaholic or a tsundere.

That's right.

The best thing is to eat well and live comfortably while we’re alive. We’re still young, and we’ve got a long way to go. I’m going to be rich someday, too!

And I really hope Kale doesn’t get a nosebleed. (I really hate nosebleeds, too. I get them often when I’m overworked, and I hate them so much. I wish I were immortal.) Doesn’t it annoy you every time you get a nosebleed? We’re all human, after all!

Happy 8th Anniversary!

Thank you so much for creating the protagonist, Kim Rok-su. “Thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it! You’re truly amazing, Author. Truly, truly amazing. I sincerely admire you for continuing to write such a wonderful story even now, eight years later. Actually, I recently bought a used copy of Volume 1! It’s a rare treasure that’s really hard to find, so I’m so happy to finally have it in my hands! I’m thinking about buying other editions later, too. Author, please keep writing a long, never-ending story like *One Piece* for years to come.

And to Kim Rok-su, I hope you always stay cheerful and keep that warm heart. Thank you for everything—enjoy lots of delicious food, and please be sure to come visit Japan!

(P.S.: Kim Rok-su, I also have friends who look like Lee Soo-hyuk and Choi Jeong-soo. Is that weird? I’m not really sure myself, but they’re my favorite friends.)