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"Do you have a moment you regret and wish you could turn back? If so, please come to 'That Time Bathhouse.'
We will wash away the stains of that regret for you."

Jeong Yu-so-young, who won the children's literature category at the 9th Kyobo Bookstore Story Contest with her work Amunae Store, presents her new children's novel, That Time Bathhouse.

For children who regret things that happened in the past, the door opens to a mysterious space called 'That Time Bathhouse' where they can go back and wash away their regrets cleanly. Open only from sunset to dawn every Thursday, this secret bathhouse can only be entered by children who have received an invitation.

One day, Eun-ha, the protagonist who is blamed by everyone for suspecting a friend, picks up an invitation and heads to the bathhouse to wash away her regrettable 'that time.' Can Eun-ha go back and set everything right? Discover a story of comfort and encouragement that warmly embraces a regretful heart.

A Heartwarming and Fantastical Time Travel to That Time Bathhouse

That Time Bathhouse is a fantasy children's novel that uses the metaphor of "dirt" (or grime) to represent a regretful heart, set in a bathhouse where you can scrub that "dirt" away. The story sprouts from regrets everyone has had at least once, such as "I shouldn't have said that back then" or "If only I could go back to that time." In That Time Bathhouse, humans turn into animals, and animals turn into humans. Cows and tigers become scrubbers, welcoming guests stained with regret. Moreover, the place is filled with unique things not found in real bathhouses: the 'A-ee Pool' for facing regret, the 'That Heart Pool' for soothing emotional wounds, the 'Fight Pit' for confronting memories of regret, the 'Eat-Go Store' selling神奇 (wondrous) food, and the 'That Time Scrubbers' who send you back to the past. This unique space, which sparks anyone's curiosity at first glance, stimulates readers' imaginations. A time travel journey begins at That Time Bathhouse, where you scrub away the dirt of regret and meet a new version of yourself.

"I'm going back to that time to change it. So I won't regret it again."
The 'That Time' full of regret, which you can return to by receiving a scrub from the 'That Time Scrubber'.

Eun-ha, who runs a YouTube channel called 'Together Verb TV,' suspects that a classmate, Kang Ha-jin, is the one leaving malicious comments on her channel. While trying to find evidence, she gets caught by her friend Go Min-ji snooping through Ha-jin's phone. However, Kang Ha-jin was actually a devoted fan who left supportive comments, not bad ones, and Eun-ha is branded a 'bad kid' who suspected her friend and even snooped through her phone. To make matters worse, a video of Eun-ha suspecting Kang Ha-jin spreads, and Eun-ha faces criticism not only from her friends but also from countless strangers online. Desperate to turn everything back, Eun-ha suddenly remembers 'That Time Bathhouse.' Following an invitation that rolls to her feet, she goes to the bathhouse and remembers that she can only go back to the past by receiving a scrub from the 'That Time Scrubber.' But because she has already visited once, she only has two chances left. This time, will she be able to set everything right as she wishes?

That Time Bathhouse is a story that makes the current generation, who获取 (obtain) information and express themselves through YouTube and various SNS, think about the 'responsibility of recording' and the 'weight of words.' It makes readers realize that a single comment can either destroy someone's day or lift them back up. Through the story of Eun-ha and her friends, it shows the light and shadow of the digital world we face every day.

"It's okay. There's no perfect person in the world.
We learn by making mistakes, doing wrong, and feeling regret."

Everyone makes mistakes and regrets them. But if you don't admit your mistakes and only try to avoid regret, nothing will change, and you will repeat the same mistakes. True growth begins only when you acknowledge and face your feelings of regret. At first, Eun-ha also tries to erase the past. But she eventually realizes that it is important to admit her fault and correct her actions. And she comes to face herself, growing through regret.

That Time Bathhouse conveys the meaning of growth through the process of resolving misunderstandings and conflicts between friends, facing wounds, and recovering. The author's message, "It's okay to make mistakes, just don't forget that time," teaches us how to take one step further through regret. Eun-ha's sincere apology and self-forgiveness offer warm comfort and courage to young readers.

"I hope regret becomes a stepping stone for your growth as well. To do that, you mustn't stay trapped in that regretful time. You need to reflect on what you did wrong back then and try not to repeat the same mistake. If you have reflected and realized enough, shake off that 'time' that weighed you down and move forward. As you take one step at a time like that, before you know it, you will have grown into a wise and wonderful adult." — From the Author's Note

Text: Jeong Yu-so-young
She graduated from the Department of Child Studies at Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School. She won the Grand Prize in the Planning category at the 15th Changbi 'Good Children's Book' Contest, and also won the Children's Book category at the 9th Kyobo Bookstore Story Contest. Her written works include Do You Know What I Used to Be?, 4 Cards, the Amunae Store series, and the Seemingly Similar but Different: Our Language in Textbooks series.

Illustrations: Morutori
He works as an illustrator, doing illustration and animation work. His illustrated books include I'll Wait for You in the 6th Period, Bubble Gum, and Butterfly Guidebook.

Returning to That Regrettable Time
Ajichi Angel (Guardian Angel)
I Want to Turn It Back
That Time Bathhouse Invitation
The Strange Old Man's Identity
Let Me Scrub Away That Regrettable Time
Don't Go Just Yet, Stop by the 'Eat-Go Store'
A Second Chance
A Child Like a Wildflower
The Real Culprit
One Strange Thing After Another
The Truth Revealed
That Time Bathhouse for You (Geudae Bathhouse)
Our True Hearts
It's Okay to Make Mistakes
Author's Note