Chapter Text
The story of the Ugly Duckling drifting in the middle of a vast ocean.
Has everyone heard the tale of the Ugly Duckling before? Of course-I'm sure everyone has read it at least once. A classic bedtime story that people all over the world use to lull their children to sleep, sending them into sweet dreams.
A little duckling was born among a large flock of ducks. Yet it hatched looking different from all the others-so different that even its own mother could hardly believe it was her child.
It wasn't pretty.
It was ugly.
It was hideous.
It couldn't even swim.
In the end, that little duckling was bullied. It became the target of everyone's hatred. Different, strange, rejected-no matter what it did, it could never be happy where it was.
Eventually, it decided to set out on a journey. It walked and walked, and no matter where it went, there was no happiness. It kept telling everyone it is met-shouting out loud-that it was a duck, but no one believed it. No one cared. They kept looking at it with eyes full of pity and disgust.
The sorrowful little duckling was heartbroken. It tried to fit into every group it encountered, trying to find a place where it belonged.
At last, it had the chance to look down at its reflection in the water. And the truth was revealed—it was never a duck. It had never been one. Staying in a place that wasn't meant for it was bound to hurt.
But... when it looked more closely, its true self wasn't ugly at all. When it finally accepted itself, it realizes that it had never been ugly. It had grown into a beautiful swan, now living among its own kind. Lost time was restored by happiness and fulfillment, overflowing to make up for all the years it had suffered—granting a wonderfully beautiful ending to the former Ugly Duckling.
It could not choose how it was born, but it could choose the future it wanted to become. That is the message of the story.
Don't lose yourself just because someone dislikes you.
Be yourself
There will always be a place for you somewhere in this world.
But that is only a fable, a moral story. Its ending exists to comfort and heal the hearts of children everywhere.
To every Ugly Duckling who is facing a place where they do not belong—one day, they will grow up and prove the truth f all this for themselves. They will discover where they truly fit.
Yet finding oneself may be difficult, painful, far from simple like in an Aesop tale. It might be even harder. It's not as easy as merely looking at one's reflection and instantly seeing the truth. Sometimes you must ash it again and again, wipe it over and over, before the real self becomes clear.
Sometimes you might wonder if the place you're in is truly yours.
Don't be afraid to search for your own space.
As long as it exists, I believe it is worth seeking.
Finding something invisible to the eye is hard. Exhausting, even. But one day, you will surely find the pond that suits the best.
And when that day comes, you may not be a beautiful swan.
You may not be a majestic peacock. You may not be a powerful eagle soaring across the sky.
Even if, in the end, you really are nothing more than an ugly duckling—always remember this: even an ugly duckling floating peacefully in its own pond has nothing to be ashamed of.
Because in truth, Ugly Ducklings don't exist in this world.
What exists is only human prejudice.
Sometimes, being strong and resilient for your own sake is necessary.
I want to remind you of that.
Alright—everyone must be tired of this pointless rambling, right? Of course you are. Telling a children's story might not be clear enough to illustrate what I truly wish to explain. So I thought that if I wrote another story, one that helps everyone understand this truth better, it might be good.
A story of two Ugly Ducklings—or maybe five. Perhaps even many full-grown ducks who believe they are already mature—swimming around in search of a place where they belong, without realizing that the world around them feels too big only because they themselves are too small.
Ugly Ducklings drifting in waters both deep and vast, unable to see any destination. One little duckling swims in circles, crying loudly, feeling unbearably miserable.
But time passed. Seventeen seasons came and went. And finally, it understood—the waters weren't too vast. It was they, themselves, who were still too small. They simply needed time for their courage and wisdom to grow enough to match their bodies.
In the end, they realized that the place they had been in all along was nothing more than a small pond.
The following story is about an Ugly Duckling trying its best to grow—trying its best to catch up with the fastest thing in the world: Happiness
----------------
''Look at that...poor thing.''
''No father, no mother...and now even the grandmother is gone. Who will he live with now?''
''I heard he'll be moving in with his uncle.''
''His Mother passed away?''
''Ah, yes. She died when he was five.''
''Oh, dear...''
''She died of AIDS.''
''...''
''And it seems...he carries the virus too.''
All those conversations reached the ears of a seventeen-year-old boy. His hands, which were arranging glasses onto a tray, paused for a moment. But he shook his head to chase away those meaningless words and continued handing out drunks to the guests.
A faint smile remained on his face and never faded—not even today, tough this was the sorrowful funeral of his beloved grandmother. Yet not a single tear fell.
Because he had made a promise to his grandmother: No matter what happens, from now on he will be happy.
He grew up surrounded by whispers, suspicion, and fear. His mother died of AIDS when he was five. His father—he never knew, never saw, knowing only the name.
He was raised in the arms of his grandmother, who was like a second mother. Now both of his mothers were gone. He didn't know which direction he should drift toward anymore.
So he packed his belongings, left his old home, and moved to live with his mother's younger brother—his uncle.
From childhood until today, he never had a single friend. Everyone was afraid of him. Even if some children weren't afraid, their parents were. No one dared approach him. No one dared play with him. No one even sat near him.
Everyone treated him like he was a disease. They all said he could infect others. He grew up with at least a one-meter distance between himself and everyone around him. And if he even grew closer—once he told them what he carried inside him—that distance always widened to a meter again.
He was used to it, though he never wanted to be. He simply had no choice.
He use to feel hurt, feel upset, but what could he do? Crying wouldn't change anything.
His grandmother's final wish before she passed away was simple:
She wished for him to be happy—just that.
She wished for him to find at least one good friend.
Until now, he had never found such a precious thing. He could only hope that starting a new life in this small town would finally bring him to his destination.
The first Ugly Duckling's name was Marn.
The pain of childhood—the suffering caused by something he never chose—was hurting him. Yet even so, Marn was an Ugly Duckling with a strong and courageous heart. He never feared facing cruelty with a smile. He was a small duckling with a heart much bigger than anyone else's.
--------------------
''Not here?''
''Mm''
''...''
''He ran off already.''
The dining table felt desolate today. The two siblings sat at opposite ends. The eldest brother had just arrived home, slowly removing his shoes and socks and placing his bags on a chair. Then he stood still, sweeping his gaze around the house.
His younger sister stood there with her hands tightly clasped together, her face clouded with sorrow. The older brother walked toward her, pulled her into an embrace, and gently rubbed her back in comfort.
Everyone was here—except that one person.
Whenever the eldest bother returned to this house, the youngest brother was nowhere to be found.
How many years has it been since their family became like this?
The three siblings lived distant from one another. The house was quiet, gloomy—no matter where one looked, there was only coldness. The warmth of the past had vanished. Laughter had disappeared...Who knew since when? The playful noise of children running around had long been gone. How long had it been since they last heard it?
That picture lingered in the mother's eyes as she stood hesitantly by the window, watching the endless rainfall. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall, weight by worry. She recalled the last image of a seventeen-year-old boy's back—running far, far away after hearing that his older brother would be joining them for dinner that night.
The eldest brother's heart felt heavy, just like the gloomy sky outside. The house was drenched in darkness. He slowly turned around to look at the pictures hanging on the wall. Trophies from competitions filled the cabinet, medals overflowing. All of them came from one single sport-swimming.
They twenty-six-year-old man stood still, starring at one photo with deep sorrow. The last memory of happiness before misery overtook everything.
He had a younger brother named Than.
The two of them had once been close, full of warmth and affection. He loved and cherished is youngest brother more than anyone. They grew up together, shared the same dream. Both wanted to become greatest swimmers. They set goals, hoping to go further than their father ever had. They wanted to compete nationally— and eventually internationally—without shame.
And just as the day of success drew near, when their lofty dream was about to become reality, misfortune struck—on the very day they became careless. A single mistake...childish foolishness turned yesterday's memories into a nightmare that haunted them to this day. Many years had passed, yet neither of them could forget.
That young boy drowned in guilt and fear.
He ran from his own brother, refusing to see him ever again. Because of that one incident... he blamed himself. He believed it was his fault that his brother lost his dream. And so, he tied to atone for it by abandoning his own dream as well.
From then on, Than became someone else— distant, no longer the younger brother he once knew.
The second Ugly Duckling's name as Than.
The foolishness of youth had created a burden of guilt. He grew into a duckling who was timid and afraid of the truth. His life became a constant attempt to run from the sin of his past. Unable to find a place he belonged, he clung tightly to his pain—becoming dirtier, more muddied, than ever. On the outside he seemed tough and rough, but inside his heart was wilted, bruised, and shattered beyond repair.
And these two are not the only Ugly Ducklings.
There are many more whose stories will be woven into this novel—crafted into faint-colored scenes that portray foolishness, loneliness, hopelessness of youth, as well as happiness, warmth of friendship, and the gentle feelings that appear when a heart opens to someone.
Every child grows a little each day and never stops growing. Of course, once they reach a certain point, others may call them adults—may insist they should have everything figured out. But deep inside, a voice still cries out every night. They are simply children...only a little older then they were yesterday.
I wish for this story to be a gift—one that is suitable to give someone you care about.
Please look forward to the journey of these two Ugly Ducklings.