Nikitha’s Reviews > Shoko's Smile: Stories > Status Update

A song from afar - wasn’t until the very end that I realised what brought Julia and the Soeun together. They lost the thing that had once made them happy, which made them come together and realise what made them happy again.

Hanji and Yongju - I was heavily invested in this friendship that was building up to something. I was so invested in why she looked upon this relationship like it ended - still no clue. The pattern I see is that this seems to be a collection of sad short stories about relationships that were once assumed to contain happiness.

Sister, my little soonae
What a confusing set of feelings. Moving from knowing someone like your own sister to feeling disgust, sorrow, and helplessness for the state they end up in, to feeling guilty that you feel that way, to feeling comfort in your own life, and in death to feel forgiven and that no love was ever lost

Xin ciao - Sometimes opinions are not worth having. The regrets from uttering them are so harsh

Halfway through I realised this was going to be sad. I think one of the worst things in both life and stories is misunderstanding the people you love and those who love you.

I already know this is the writing style I enjoy even in my own work. Every sentence leaves you surprised. You never know where the story is going. It doesn’t have to be in a sinister, plot-twisty way, but you leave the reader guessing.