★ A new work by author Kim Ha-yeon, whose previous novels such as “The House That Crosses Time” and “The Black Book” have earned the trust of young readers.
★ A heartwarming fantasy novel that tells the story of Dong-chan, a boy who can see ghosts, as he confronts true farewell for the first time.
★ With a tightly woven plot, startling twists, and tender, gripping prose.
★ To help a ghost earn its ticket to heaven, Dong-chan takes on the task of finding the last person a female high school student killed in an accident wanted to see—only for the events to unfold in ways no one could have anticipated. The novel delicately portrays a teenager who has yet to learn how to say goodbye, guiding him through a bittersweet, poignant parting as he learns to sincerely wish the other well.

Dong-chan, possesses a unique ability that sets him apart from others—he can see and converse with ghosts. Whether it’s raining or snowing, the middle-aged man leaning against the lamppost in front of the church, or the classroom-bound spirit, Gyeong-mi, who cannot leave her schoolroom, all are part of Dong‑chan’s everyday life, familiar to him as the passing hours. Yet at the age of five, he realized that even his own mother, who loved him most, did not welcome this gift. From then on, he resolved to live as an ordinary boy, hiding his secret from the world.

But fate had other plans: Choi Young-sim, the recently deceased head of the “Young-sim Detective Agency,” and her assistant, Park Sang-gu, happened to uncover his secret. When Dong‑chan agreed to help these novice ghosts earn their passage to heaven in exchange for one million won—just so he could buy a new phone for his unemployed father—the task seemed straightforward enough. His mission was to find the person that Jin-won, a high school girl who perished in the gas explosion at “Miyung Plaza,” had wanted to see one last time. What began as a simple case soon took an unexpected turn, forcing Dong‑chan to confront truths he had long tried to avoid…

“I only ever wished you well—how could I bring myself to say the final goodbye?” A boy who never learned how to part must face his first farewell, both the most painful and the most tender.

Though Dong‑chan knows that all goodbyes are inevitable, he finds it hard to accept this reality. For someone like him, who can see the dead, death is not truly an end—they remain by his side, speaking to him just as they did yesterday. Dong‑chan has witnessed countless deaths, yet he has never truly experienced a “real parting.”

That is, until he becomes entangled in a mission to help Choi Young‑sim, the late director of the Young‑sim Detective Agency, and her assistant, Park Sang‑gu, ascend to the afterlife—to guide spirits less than a year gone to their final rest. His target is Jin‑won, the high school girl who died in the gas‑explosion fire at “Miyung Plaza,” still waiting for someone within its ruins. At first, it seems like nothing more than helping others: listening to the ghosts’ requests, briefly stepping into the story of someone whose life is no longer his own. But as he delves deeper into Jin‑won’s case, fragments of her past, which once seemed unrelated, gradually intertwine with his own.

This novel quietly follows a boy who has always fled the fear of loss as he takes his first steps through the process of saying goodbye. The feeling of making promises for tomorrow even when you know it’s the end, the desire to keep someone close because you cherish them so deeply, and finally, the gentle wish for their peace—all these complex, poignant emotions are rendered with exquisite finesse by author Kim Ha-yeon.

Yet the story does not stop at accepting farewell. Dong‑chan does not linger in sorrow; instead, he carries those who have left in his heart and goes on to live his own life. Truly seeing someone off means not only letting go but also moving forward, carrying their well‑being in your heart. “No Goodbye Is Ever Too Late” offers a gentle yet steadfast comfort and courage to those who carry the weight of separation and loss—even in the midst of grief, we can learn to smile again.

Our lives are finite, and none of us can escape the pain of parting. As time passes, the people we hold dear will eventually leave us, and we will find ourselves alone. But the ache of loss is also the most certain proof that we once loved deeply. So let yourself hurt, let yourself cry—it’s all right. For those moments will, in time, lift you up once more. May you cherish the life before you and carry on. I believe that is the most beautiful way we can honor those who have gone. —From the author’s note

In life, we all face moments of choice. When we witness injustice, do we look away and walk past, or do we confront the truth, even if it brings discomfort? Do we shield our own peace by turning away from others’ suffering, or do we reach out, knowing it may leave us bruised?

Behind the fire that claimed Jin‑won’s life a year ago lies the shadow of relationships that anyone might encounter in adolescence: jealousy and selfishness, bystander indifference and lies, all snowballing until they push a child toward tragedy. Even more heartbreaking is what comes after the accident—the very classmates who drove Jin‑won into danger, ignoring the voice deep within and hiding behind excuses like, “It wasn’t our fault,” or “Jin‑won was just unlucky.”

Dong‑chan stands at a crossroads, choosing a path different from theirs. Turning away would be easier; he could pretend he never saw it—but in the end, he does not stop. Even if the truth is revealed, it will not heal every wound. Still, Dong‑chan refuses to look away from what he must do, because he cannot ignore the voice of kindness that calls to him from within.

This book does not easily label anyone as evil, nor does it preach swift retribution. Instead, through characters caught between regret, guilt, forgiveness, and responsibility, it shows what choices can bring about. Even at the end of a relationship, when faced with the need to confront the truth, the courage to take that one step—“No Goodbye Is Ever Too Late” gently reminds us that even the smallest, kindest act of bravery can save someone and help us become better people.

“No Goodbye Is Ever Too Late” portrays a boy who has yet to learn how to say goodbye, and the first farewell he faces—one both excruciatingly painful and profoundly tender. It is the story of a heart that keeps making promises for tomorrow even though it knows the end is near, of a longing to keep someone close forever, and finally of a soul that, in the end, willingly and wholeheartedly wishes the other peace—a journey told with the author’s signature warmth and delicacy.

Kim Ha-yeon

She studies modern literature at Lyon 3 University in France. She began her writing career by serializing a long children’s fairy tale in the magazine “Dog Poop Playground” and now writes both fairy tales and young adult novels. Her works include the fairy-tale series “The Superpowered,” the series “Dr. Kim Sang-wook’s Mystery Lab,” and “I Hate Poo School!”; as well as the young adult novel series “The House That Travels Through Time,” along with “The Truth Only You Don’t Know” and “Ji-myeong Girls’ High School Mystery Novel Writing Club,” among others.

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Epilogue
Author’s Note