Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

On her way home, Yeongju thinks of her ex-husband, Chang-in. The two were introduced by the mutual friend who came to the shop, Taewoo, when all of them were working at the same office. Yeongju was charmed by Chang-in’s resolve to court her, and they married within a year of their first date.

Although they had plenty in common and were respectful of each other’s needs, the rift between Yeongju and Chang-in coincided with Yeongju’s burnout at work. One day before work, she experienced an emotional breakdown, which startled Chang-in. He advised Yeongju to go to the hospital, where the doctor prescribed anti-anxiety medication and encouraged her to take a break from work. The kindness of the doctor moved Yeongju to tears once again.

Yeongju yearned to share her exhaustion with Chang-in, but he was always too busy to give her his attention. This drove Yeongju’s resentment of him, causing her to realize that she and Chang-in were never affectionate with one another. As she stepped back from her job, she realized that she developed anxiety in high school when she started to absorb her parents’ disappointment in their own lives. Afraid of experiencing the same fate, Yeongju pushed herself to overperform in school, and later, at work.