[New in Korean] Time-slip fantasy explores love, friendship and choices

"Shaker"

By Lee Hee-young

Rabbit Hole

Bestselling author Lee Hee-young of "Paint," which sold over 400,000 copies, has released has released "Shaker," a time-slip fantasy.

"Shaker" follows 32-year-old Na-woo, who, after a fateful encounter with a stray cat, finds himself reliving the most painful memory of his 19-year-old self. The unexpected plunge 13 years into the past sets the stage for a poignant exploration of love, friendship and consequences.

Na-woo is confronted with a heart-wrenching dilemma: He has the chance to save his friend I-nae, who died in a tragic accident, but doing so might mean losing his current girlfriend, Ha-je, because Ha-je was dating I-nae at the time.

As the clock ticks with only five days remaining until the impending accident, Na-woo makes the bold decision to travel even farther back in time to his 15-year-old self, hoping to untangle their intertwined destinies. Na-woo believes everything can begin anew if he, instead of I-nae, goes to the place where I-nae and Ha-je first meet.

Author Lee intertwines past, present and future, crafting a narrative with “what-ifs.” Through five time-traveling journeys, Na-woo’s adventure becomes more complicated but his good intentions make readers root for him.

By following Na-woo’s choices, readers come to understand that each day is tomorrow's past and that the only chance to alter the past is through actions in the present, as Lee writes in the author’s notes.