Taeju, who is still in a state of wandering, struggles between the life she wants to live and the life that appears admirable to others. She often contemplates life and death seriously, even flying all the way to Minnesota to attend the 'Death Society.'
One day, a close friend suddenly passes away, causing a shock that leads Taeju to resign from her job and set off on a journey. She travels through Europe, visiting Nazi concentration camps in Germany and other places connected to death. This journey prompts her to reflect on her life up until now.

I am fool.

How should I live this foolish and delinquent life?
The deep illness that makes me feel sad at a whim,
The sudden anxiety that comes without warning,
The long, endless nights even when I indulge and indulge,
How should I spend each day, tormented by these feelings?

I am fool.

Feeling indifferent to the things that would be good to have,
But constantly pursuing the things I would be better off without.
I am still a foolish idealist, with zero sense of reality.
Yet, living without a sense of reality, as a fool,
It feels like I am happier in my own delusion.
This piece is a short record for all those who identify as fool.

Sometimes everything feels empty.
Eating, going to work, pursuing hobbies, getting married, having children, dreaming.
Moments when all the elements that make up life feel like burdens.
After faithfully executing these "tasks" in those moments,
I wonder what awaits me next.
"What is the purpose of this sometimes monotonous daily life?"
The author always delves deeply into such whimsical ponderings.
Even though there may not be clear answers or someone giving rewards.

One day, she has to bid farewell to a precious friend.
After that, she leaves everything that feels uncomfortable behind and sets off on a journey.
Up to this point, it seems like the prologue of a typical road movie.
However, there are no thrilling romances, exciting thrills, or profound realizations on this journey.
Only the knowledge that once this moment passes, the mundane everyday life will be waiting.

Yet, as we accompany her on this journey, we come to realize.
All the vulnerable and foolish beings in the world, like the author who calls herself a fool, an idiot,
In other words, all the "fools" in the world, are fighting their battles in their own lives.
This book is a hymn for the "fools" who have survived on that arduous battlefield without dying.

Taeju Um

I studied education at Korea University.
I admire the universe, but I am just an Earthling barely reaching beyond the planets of the solar system.
I often get lost, sometimes cry, and laugh a lot.
For a long time, I have been recording everyday moments on a hidden blog that has fewer than ten visitors a day.

As I write, I often contemplate empty spaces.
Perhaps all existence becomes complete by becoming an empty space.
While my place is still warm, I will keep writing without stopping.
Now, I dedicate this writing to all those who are passing through this era and to the friend who has found a place in my heart, giving me constant warmth.