If you could swap your life for a better one, which would you choose? On the outskirts of Rainbow Town, there is an old, abandoned house. They say that if you send a letter detailing your misfortunes there, you could receive a ticket. If you bring this ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you'll be granted entrance into the mysterious Rainfall Market—where you can choose to completely change your life. No one is more surprised than Serin when she receives a ticket. Lonely and with no real prospects for a future, Serin ventures to the market, determined to create a better life for herself. There, she meets a magical cat companion named Issha and they search through bookstores, perfumeries, and fantastical realms while Serin tries to determine what her perfect life will look like. The catch? Serin only has one week to find her happiness or be doomed to vanish into the market forever. And all the while, a shadow follows quietly behind them… " The Rainfall Market is a warm and wondrous story about the pursuit of that most elusive of treasures: a perfect life. Gentle, affirming, and utterly transportive, this book will leave you with gratitude for the small things that matter most–and also, the urge to hug your cat.” — Julie Leong , USA Today bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes "With all the fantastical magic of a Studio Ghibli film, the world You Yeong-Gwang creates in this short and moving novel will enchant readers. This is a perfect story to share with the whole family. For fans of Diana Wynne Jones or anyone who loves fables and fairy tales." — Booklist "A satisfied smile surely awaits readers of The Rainfall Market. The feel-good, magical narrative features a teen's self-discovery quest with (slightly) softened reminders of universal, contemporary societal challenges. The Rainfall Market 's undeniable antidotal qualities will surely soothe minds and warm hearts." — Shelf Awareness "A delightful story of friendship, found family, and the knowledge that happiness may merely require a change in perspective. Fans of cozy magical realism, such as The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee and Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, will love this." — Library Journal Yeong-Gwang You was born in Seongnam in 1984. He wrote this story during breaks while delivering food for a living. He felt truly happy while writing this story and wishes for all readers to find healing and courage through it so that they may go out and find their own happiness. The StRange RumoR Somewhere far outside the big city was a place called Rainbow Town. And somewhere in Rainbow Town was a run-down, abandoned house. Rumor had it that if you sent a letter about your misfortune to this house, you would receive a mysterious Ticket. If you brought that Ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you could completely change your life. "No way." "That's absolutely ridiculous." Everyone treated it as a fantasy at first. But somehow, the story spread like wildfire. And each time it was told, it became more and more elaborate. But though the details were different, they all had one thing in common: the Dokkaebi. "I swear, I saw them with my own eyes!" The people who claimed to have visited the house insisted that behind its doors was a secret magical world with beings who called themselves Dokkaebi: people who looked human but weren't. "Don't make me laugh." Naturally, people didn't believe those stories so easily. But Serin wasn't the only one who wanted to know more. Most people snickered when they heard about these Dokkaebi and their Tickets, but Serin would pause with her spoon halfway to her mouth so she could learn more from the rumors. She even borrowed Secrets of the Rainfall Market at the school library, which was no easy feat considering how popular it was. Serin skipped lunch that day and, with the precious book finally in her hands, rushed to a corner of the library. Even the cover of the book was special. The publisher had obviously spared no expense, from the way the cover changed color when Serin held it up to the light at different angles. She stared at the cover for what seemed like forever. There was the heart-stopping quote, The truth behind the rumors finally revealed! and, most importantly, the bright red BESTSELLER mark stamped on the front. Serin hated books, but she couldn’t pass this one by. She could tell other people thought the same, because the book was already badly worn, even though it had just been published. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly opened the book. "Ugh, really?" Printed on the front flap was a picture of the author. He was smiling like a robot, and someone had drawn glasses over his eyes and blackened some of his teeth with a permanent marker, so it was impossible to tell what he actually looked like. The rest of the book wasn't much better. Serin found doodles, of course, and even phone numbers a