Naturally, I Love You - Our School's Book Reading Time

Author Lee Kkot-nim · Publisher Urihakgyo · Publication Date 2023-03-14 · ISBN 9791167550972

About the Book

"I'm going to tell a story I haven't told anyone.
A story only you and I know."
The return of Lee Kkot-nim, the strongest page-turner in young adult literature.

Lee Kkot-nim, an author who has never disappointed her readers and whose works consistently receive enthusiastic responses from teenagers, has released her new novel, "Naturally, I for You."
From works that gently touch the heart like "I'll Cross the World to Reach You" to powerful works that intensely explore the absurdities of everyday life and the depths of relationships that clearly exist in the teenage world, such as "The Child I Want to Kill," Lee Kkot-nim has returned with another thought-provoking work that sharply delves into "the feeling of liking someone."

Intricate plot, chilling twists, overwhelming immersion
A precarious story that makes you hold your breath and get lost in it

Late at night, a girl's neatly placed white sneakers are found in a reservoir, and the boy who was with her goes missing... Hae-rok, the missing boy, and Hae-ju, the girl who no longer wants to be hurt. Beyond the accumulating questions and deepening suspicions, a surprising secret is finally revealed. Author Lee Kkot-nim's distinctive intricate plot drives readers into a breathless reading experience that races to the ending the moment they open the book.
Countless stories have been heard in schools, libraries, and bookstores about how even teenagers who refuse to read any book finished Lee Kkot-nim's previous work, "The Child I Want to Kill." The power of author Lee Kkot-nim brings teenagers who have thrown away books back to reading. That power is none other than the power of the story itself. "Naturally, I for You" is also a work that combines provocative questions that deceive the reader until the very end of a mysterious disappearance case with chilling twists, so readers who have already read it must be careful not to reveal spoilers. This novel, which is on par with a psychological mystery, makes teenage readers who have finished the book go back to the beginning to search for clues to the ending.

"I had to write the story hidden within the feeling of liking someone.
The story behind it."
The author's sharp message to how teenagers form relationships

The encounter of an ordinary girl and boy in a normal classroom. However, even in a relationship that seems tender and wholeheartedly devoted to each other, a deep-seated desire and obsession often hide beneath the surface. This raw emotion explodes with tension as it intertwines with a mysterious incident.
Loneliness, desperation, obsession, possessiveness, psychological manipulation, emotional abuse... Why is the "liking" of some children so precarious and bitter, unlike that of others? The author painfully shows how the distorted "real" love of a skewed world is directly transferred to the world of teenagers who are just beginning to experience their "first" love, causing them to scratch and wound each other.
How far can we invade another person's life just because we like them? The mysterious plot and dark romance atmosphere, combined with the author's honest and unconventional message, have given birth to the thought-provoking work "Naturally, I for You." No one can help but be drawn into this special story that vividly touches something buried deep in the heart, much like how light carves patterns into darkness.

From the book

Do you remember?
When we went to the reservoir. It was unusually dark that day. It was the darkest and loneliest night I had ever experienced in my life. Just as I can't forget that night, you won't forget that day either. But do you know? There's one more person who can't forget that day. _Page 7

"Alright, I'll ask again. What happened at the reservoir?"
"Nothing happened."
The police officer stared at me intently. And then, almost whispering, he said,
"You must think I have too much time on my hands to come all the way here."
"..."
"Hae-rok last met you right before he disappeared. He met you, went to the reservoir with you, and then went missing. We've also secured the CCTV footage of the bus you two took to the reservoir." _Page 23

Everything I wished for came true, so everything was perfect. If only that annoying laughter hadn't followed right after.
"Hehehe."
"Shut up, you bastard. I can hear it."
I still vividly remember the goosebumps that ran down my spine when the laughter and murmuring reached my ears on the wind. How could I forget that eerie feeling when the fresh and cool wind suddenly turned unpleasant? _Page 57

'A leopard never changes its spots, do you still do that?'
'Do you still do that?'
Still do that...
The phrase "still do that" is only used for people you knew in the past. I only realized that now. Chae-ho's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out, and I closed my mouth to suppress the bitter taste that spread from the tip of my tongue. _Page 109

I don't know how or where to begin. There's so much I want to tell you, but what can I say that will make you believe me? Yes, our story would be better.
I'm going to tell you the story I never told the police. A story only you and I know. Everything that happened to us, from before we went to the reservoir until the day you went missing there. _Page 193

Author's Note

Several years ago, while writing the novel "Good Fortune is Coming Your Way," which dealt with the painful topic of child abuse, I came across a shocking story during my research. Among the many children experiencing child abuse, some were unaware they were being abused, and the reason was the phrase "I love you." They had accepted the horrific abuse inflicted upon them as their parents disciplining them out of love. For the first time, the words "I love you" felt terrifying and cruel.
"Naturally, I for You" began here. That chilling emotion, which had plagued me deep in my heart, has now come out into the world.