[The Typing Baker] Wishing Children Happiness Even in Their Dreams

Recently, the Milyang middle school girl sexual assault case has resurfaced. In 2004, a female student in the third year of middle school was sexually assaulted by 44 male high school students in the Milyang area over the course of about a year. As videos showing the perpetrators, who committed such heinous acts, living normal daily lives have surfaced on YouTube and other platforms, public criticism has poured in. Beyond the issues of Korea's level of punishment and the appropriateness of private sanctions, people share a common sentiment behind their intense reactions. The victim must have endured unbearable pain all this time.

Quest, Nightmare deals with social issues that minors might face. The protagonists struggle to eliminate the nightmares experienced by those suffering from school violence, neglect, and child abuse. Since the primary audience is children or adolescents, the solutions are presented in a way that is accessible to them. Like a role-playing game (RPG), the protagonists use items obtained in their dreams to resolve the nightmares. For example, wearing sunglasses or glasses allows them to see things invisible to ordinary people. Students who enjoy gaming may find reading this book feels like playing a game, making it easy to read.

Looking at the protagonists of this book, one can also catch glimpses of a shonen manga style. Like manga where the main character faces sudden hardships but gradually grows, the protagonists are quite enterprising. Although the tasks might be difficult for high school students, they jump directly into the field to find solutions. The dreams of neglected students, whose families have broken down due to divorce and other reasons, are depicted so brutally that even adults would feel nauseated. However, the protagonists approach and solve the core issues even in scenes drenched in blood. Moreover, while each protagonist has a difficult background, they heal themselves as they solve problems. For example, a protagonist raised in a single-parent family reconciles with their parent by the end. Adults watching these protagonists might unconsciously feel proud of them.

The downside of this book is that it leaves a bittersweet feeling. It evokes a sense of helplessness that the only way to help children suffering from structural social problems is by entering their dreams. According to the Youth Protection Activity Platform Youthpolnet of the National Police Agency, the number of school violence arrests last year was 15,438, a 7% increase from the previous year. After dropping to about 11,300 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the numbers have been rising steadily. Meanwhile, in 2022, there were 27,971 cases of child abuse. Considering the difficulty of reporting child abuse, it can be inferred that many more children are suffering at home. Additionally, numerous challenges such as youth mental health, runaway cases, and sexual issues are widespread. Examples include not only the Milyang middle school girl sexual assault case but also the 'Jo Doo-soon case,' where a girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted, and the 'Daegu middle school group bullying case,' where a victim committed suicide after enduring school violence.

This book reveals the author's warm heart wishing that, despite the thorny reality faced by children and adolescents, they find happiness at least in their dreams. If you are interested in recent issues concerning children and adolescents, this is a book worth reading at least once.

Quest, Nightmare | Written by Jerian | Easybook | 218 pages | 12,600 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.