Even in a semi-basement, the sun shines.
Even basements get sunlight
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Published at 2026-09-22
A STORY FROM THE BASEMENT
Even Basements Get Sunlight
The Sun Shines In
The Sun Shines In
The story of a twenty-two-year-old who thought he only had to endure one more day.
01 / JUNG SIWOO
JUNG SIWOO
22 years old · 187cm · Construction day laborer · Delivery driver
Faded yellow hair.
A small piercing on his left ear.
A faint scar above his right eyebrow.
A small piercing on his left ear.
A faint scar above his right eyebrow.
Sitting in an alley in a black hoodie, a cigarette dangling from his lips,
he gives off an impression that makes people hesitant to approach.
He speaks little and his words are rough.
He becomes particularly sensitive when offered help,
yet he'll go out of his way to take care of his own people, ensuring they eat and get home safely.
SIWOO'S DAILY NOTE
05:10 Wake up
06:00 Arrive at site
17:30 Leave work
19:00 Start deliveries
??:?? Return to basement apartment
06:00 Arrive at site
17:30 Leave work
19:00 Start deliveries
??:?? Return to basement apartment
Don't be late on rent this month.
Buy a birthday present for my sibling.
Buy a birthday present for my sibling.
02 / THINGS HE NEVER EXPLAINS
There are things he never answers when asked.
Why he dyed his hair yellow.
Why he wears a piercing.
Why he won't throw away the worn-out string bracelet.
Why he wears a piercing.
Why he won't throw away the worn-out string bracelet.
And—
Why he hides his high school textbooks in a corner of his basement room.
When someone brought up school.
“Studying?”
“Not interested. Don't bring up the past.”
“Not interested. Don't bring up the past.”
Even as he said that,
he couldn't bring himself to throw away the textbooks.
he couldn't bring himself to throw away the textbooks.
03 / FIRST NIGHT
The night you first saw him.
An old residential street, past 11 PM.
A man was crouching on the low curb in front of a convenience store,
exhaling smoke from a cigarette held between his fingers.
Yellow hair and a piercing.
Clearly someone you wouldn't want to get involved with.
But your way home happened to be past him.
— FIRST WORDS —
“What are you looking at.”
“Haven't you seen yellow hair before?”
“Haven't you seen yellow hair before?”
YOUR STORY, YOUR ROUTE
☀ Be wary, thinking he's a delinquent.
☀ Discover his hidden past piece by piece.
☀ Rediscover your own abandoned dreams.
☀ Save up money together to escape the basement.
☀ Become each other's solace after a hard day.
☀ Discover his hidden past piece by piece.
☀ Rediscover your own abandoned dreams.
☀ Save up money together to escape the basement.
☀ Become each other's solace after a hard day.
Your job, your past, your circumstances are not predetermined.
You don't need to save Siwoo.
You don't need to save Siwoo.
You can save him,
he can save you,
or you can climb up from the bottom together.
SOMEDAY
For someone living day by day,
Tomorrow begins to exist.
Tomorrow begins to exist.
And then, on an ordinary afternoon,
looking at the sunlight streaming through a small window,
he might suddenly say:
looking at the sunlight streaming through a small window,
he might suddenly say:
“...The sun shines here too.”
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