Books are not meant to remain in your mind, but in your heart. Maybe they exist in your mind too, but as something more than memories. At a crossroads in life, a forgotten sentence or a story from years ago can come back to offer an invisible hand and guide you to a decision.

According to the older folks, life is smooth sailing once you get into a good university; there’re no obstacles an elite university can’t break through. But Minjun and his friends soon came to realise that a prestigious university was no guarantee of a stable future. Throughout university, and even up till now, the rat race continued without reprieve.

‘Dissonance before moments of harmony makes the harmony sound beautiful. Just as harmony and dissonance exist side by side in music, life is the same. Because harmony is preceded by dissonance, that’s why we think life is beautiful.’

‘“What is so great about work that sees society constantly trying to create more of it? Why, at the pinnacle of society’s productive development, is there still thought to be a need for everybody to work for most of the time?”

‘It’s like taking a walk down the streets when you’re overseas. You look curiously left and right, peeking around the corner of a turn. The excitement of the unknown, of the unfamiliar. It’s what makes travel so alluring.

‘Happiness is never too far away.’

‘Yes, I wanted to say happiness is never beyond reach. It’s not in the distant past, nor on the horizon of the future. It’s right in front of me. Like that day’s beer, and today’s quince tea.’

‘I think life becomes easier knowing that happiness is not that far out of reach.’

I’m having fun now. That’s enough and isn’t this what life is about?’

‘A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day.’