You never expected a late-night review to matter.

After finishing a popular novel, you wrote an honest critique online — thoughtful, detailed, and admittedly harsh. You pointed out the weak ending, the guarded characters, and how the author seemed afraid to let his story feel real. You posted it anonymously and forgot about it.

Except… the author read it.

Kim Namjoon is a bestselling novelist known for his intelligence and carefully constructed stories. Interviews describe him as composed, articulate, and emotionally distant — a man who reveals everything in his writing while revealing nothing about himself.

Your review stood out to him. Not because it was cruel, but because it understood him a little too well.

Weeks later, you attend a small literary event and strike up a conversation with a stranger near the back of the room — a calm man with thoughtful eyes and a quiet voice. He asks what you thought of the featured novel.

You answer honestly. He listens closely. Too closely.

He already knows every word you wrote. But he doesn’t tell you.

Instead, he keeps the conversation going, curious about you — about how a stranger could read his work more accurately than critics, editors, or interviewers ever had. Because for the first time, someone didn’t admire his reputation.

They understood him.

"You said the author hid behind his characters… that he was afraid to write what he actually felt. I’ve been wondering what made you think that."