Illustrator: Song Ji-won

The Reason for Writing This Book
I try to make non-disabled individuals realize that disability-related themes are not exotic but universal. By doing so, I hope to give alarm bell to one’s perspective through a certain frame..
Life is unpredictable, and I want readers to recognize, through various characters, how one deals with fate that changes irrespective of personal will. It would be great if the book could help break stereotypes about happiness and unhappiness.

Plot Summary
Mongdo, Jini, and Ruby. The story of love and conflict unfolds as three teenagers meet through dance.
Mongdo, a 16-year old boy, suffers a leg injury in a car accident and reluctantly starts wheelchair dancing at his mother's suggestion, with low expectations.
Ruby, his first dance partner, encourages him strongly, but her forceful approach makes Mongdo want to quit. Luckily, they won a gold medal in their first national competition. Mongdo, however, does not feel joy. 
Jini, his second dance partner, is kind and gentle but overwhelms Mongdo with her teaching style, leaving him feeling suffocated. 
Mongdo and Jini ride a hang glider, but both crash in an accident. When they fall to the ground, Mongdo deliberately shields Jini underneath, resulting in a complete loss of his lower body function. From then on, Mongdo can only use a wheelchair.
The unharmed Jini dedicates herself to caring for Mongdo and fall in love.

1. First Encounter with 'Wheel Dance'

On TV, amidst flashing lights on stage, a wheelchair dancer and a standing female dancer were gracefully harmonizing their movements.
The scene shifted, and the man in a tail coat waved his hand while sitting in a wheelchair, and the woman wearing a dress in a wheelchair smiled brightly.

2. Why Does the First Experience Make Your Heart Flutter?
"What's the purpose of dancing?"
"Because dancing looks cool."

"It's not that there are many geniuses among people with disabilities, but they're geniuses who happen to be disabled."
"Do you really have to make that distinction?"
"I'm not making a distinction, I just said it because of your misunderstanding.“

3. Winning the Gold Medal in the First Competition
Once the competition started, I wasn't much nervous. Instead of focusing on the medal, I just wanted to enjoy the dance itself, so I didn't feel nervous. 
While waiting, I held Ruby's hand which was cold. It seemed like a real competition because Ruby was also nervous.

4. New Partner Jini
"Is this the first wheelchair dancing you’ve done?"
Why am I always curious about this?
"Yes, it's my first time.“

5. Someday, I'll Do Creative Dance Like That Too
With the change of music, a spider woman climbs onto the wheelchair from behind. After performing a choreography of shaking her head from side to side, the spider woman leans over the waist of a man in the wheelchair dancer and lies down on his back.
The wheelchairs spin in place three times. With a sharp change in music, they separate and move away from each other.

6. I Just Wanted to Wipe the Sweat
After taking a spin in the tango rhythm with Jini, I noticed that Jini had sweated a lot. The exhaustion of phyiscal strength between dancing in a wheelchair and dancing on foot was significantly different.
Jini's arms were sticky with sweat, the upper part of her shirt was wet, and sweat was dripping heavily from her face. I wanted to wipe away Jini's sweat.

7. Yearning Is God's Command
"Mongdo, do you like me?"
Jini's sudden question caught me off guard. Was this question an attack on me, a test, or confirmation? What did Jini want to hear in response?

8. Change Your Partner
Jini continued the same movement without saying a word, expressionless. Then, in the next spin, she exerted too much force, causing me and the wheelchair to fall to the ground.

Other team members were startled and turned to look at us.

9. Feeling Like Riding on Clouds
"It feels like riding on clouds."
"It feels like flying to the moon.“

10. Titanic with Ruby
"How about choreographing to the Titanic?"
I asked Ruby, even though I had planned to do it with Jini. As soon as I spoke, Ruby enthusiastically responded.
"Wow! That sounds cool. I enjoyed the movie too."
"Then shall we try the Titanic?“

11. From Now On, I'll Speak Casually
"Why is that person staring at us?"
"Well, it makes me feel bad."
Jini seemed genuinely upset.

12. I'm Good at Hanging Laundry Too
"I loved it when you hung the laundry for me."
"I'm good at hanging laundry. When I feel lonely, when I'm angry, I hang laundry. Then loneliness and anger disappear. I don't think about anything and feel happy.“

13. Wanting to Lie Beneath Jini
I grabbed Jini in midair and went underneath her. Although it was just a very brief moment in reality, it felt like a very long time to me.
Jini tried to hold me and go underneath, but I became stronger. It felt like God had made my strength stronger, so this is God's command for me to lie beneath.

14. I Sleep Well When I'm by Your Side
The six months in the hospital weren't boring with Jini by my side. Without Jini during the day, my activities were limited and boring, and I felt gloomy seeing only sick people. But as soon as it was time for Jini to come, I regained my vitality and waited eagerly for that time of day.

15. Korea's La La Land
"What's your dream?"
Jini asked me about my dream.
"I have many dreams. But right now, I just want to keep dancing.“

16. Wheelchair at a Dance Party for the General Public
After finishing dancing with Jini, we embraced deeply, feeling the warmth and excitement.
Then we all came out together and danced together. People were packed so tightly that our bodies bumped into each other slightly.

17. Do You Want to Become an Angel for Everyone?
"Just a moment!"
Without looking back, Jini took a step forward and spoke.
"I'm leaving today. I'll contact you again."
I shouted loudly, fearing I might never see her again if she continued like this.
"Are you just coming and going as you please? I'm just a scarecrow. A scarecrow sitting on wheels.“

18. Living is Like Riding a See-Saw
"Don’t you think life is like riding a see-saw?"
"Yeah. Sometimes you go up, and sometimes you go down."
We agreed to talk about what we each want to do whenever going up.

19. Writing Poetry with the Body
Like a fish swimming in the water, feeling some emotion that makes the waves of my heart ripple, as if I were a fish.

Dancing to the poems I wrote brought me twice as much joy as simply reading them alone.

The end.