Arc 1: A new world – Korea Calling
Chapter 1: A Dream Offer

This is a fictional story. Any resemblance to real people, places, companies, or events is entirely coincidental.

[Current Time] 

[South Korea – Near KIC office – April 14th, 2025 — 11:32:00 AM]

“Such an amazing offer, and yet I'm hesitating.”

“Move to Korea... and become a star?”

On a chilly spring day, when the remnants of winter are still present, Nina left the "KIC" office and headed towards the temporary accommodation rented by the company for her.

As Nina arrived at the house, an overwhelming flood of emotions hit her, and tears welled up in her eyes. She gradually recalled how she got to this point. How she received the first offer via a phone call:

[flashback] 

[Georgia – Nina’s apartment – April 1st, 2025 – 11:14:00 AM]

“Hello, am I speaking to Ms. Nina?”

“Hi, yes, this is Nina.”

“I’m calling from KIC. We’re one of Korea’s biggest multi-functional companies—covering social media, publishing, talent agencies, and more. To be brief, we’re interested in you. Could we talk?”

“That sounds interesting, I’d love to hear more. What made you interested in me, such a global company?”

“Honestly, it’s a lot of things. We’ve tried to contact you before, but it wasn’t easy to find you. It took us a while to reach you.”

“I don’t have such a narrow specialty. What specifically about me are you interested in?”

“We’re particularly interested in your comic, ‘Supervisor Corp.’”

“Really? That’s surprising—you probably shouldn’t have been easy to find me.”

“We work with a Thai publisher who released your manhwa first. They helped us locate you, though they published it in Thai before we could.”

“Your call is very exciting, but are we within legal bounds?”

“If you’re referring to Thailand releasing your information, I assure you it’s completely legal, as we are their official partner here in Korea.”

“Alright, since you found me, I won’t dive into the details and won’t take your time. I’ll listen to your offer...”

“Unfortunately, our offer is not something we can discuss over the phone. Would you be able to come to Korea in the near future?”

“What? Where? Korea?”

“Yes, I understand you might be very busy, but it will only take a few days, considering the flight and meetings. Of course, the company will cover all the expenses.”

“You know, that’s a big ask. I’ll need time.”

“We understand, but if you could get back to us by tomorrow, if not very soon, it would be great.”

“Alright, I’ll think about it. Talk to you later.”

“Talk to you later, we hope to work with you.”

On the way, she was so scared that she might be deceived. She couldn’t believe everything was happening to her. 

[flashback] 

[South Korea – KIC office – April 14th, 2025 — 10:30:00 AM]

“We want to publish your manhwa in Korea, in Korean. The electronic version, just like in Thailand, has received a lot of interest. There’s a group of people eagerly waiting for the printed version in their native language.”

“We believe this will be a very big and successful project.”

“Of course, if you agree, all rights to the work will be transferred to us, but we won’t interfere with the content.”

“Probably you understand that we want to work from here and move to Korea.”

“You won’t have to worry about the costs. The compensation will be reasonable.”

“You’ll become famous, and Korea will love you.”

[Current Time] 

[South Korea – Nina’s Apartment – April 14th, 2025 — 02:00:00 PM]

“Moving to Korea? They’ll take care of everything. Am I dreaming? Me, famous? 

“I should be thrilled. Anyone else would’ve screamed ‘yes’ without thinking. but all I feel is panic. Fame? Cameras? People recognizing my face? No, thank you. I just want to draw in peace...”

“No, I can’t. I don’t want people to see my face. I don’t want them to know... And then, maybe they won’t even like my characters.”

“And What about my work? I love my profession... I studied so much and sacrificed so much to reach this point, do I have to leave it all behind?”

The emotional intensity was higher for Nina than ever before. She thought about her own life, leaving everything behind, and becoming “famous.”

“And what about Saba? What will Saba think about all this? He’s always been by my side, he probably won’t object, but recently, we’ve drifted apart. Would he leave everything for me? No, I can’t think like that... I’ve never had such a hard time making decisions...”

“…”

Caught between fear and fantasy, she hardly registered where she was—her dream city, in the heart of a dream she never dared voice aloud.

“No, I can’t waste time like this, I need to go out into the city. Even if I don’t agree with this, I’ll at least have some memories... It will make it easier to decide later.”

She pulled open her suitcase and stared at the clothes, then at herself in the mirror. 

“What does one even wear to make a life decision?”

A few minutes passed as she changed clothes, brushed her hair, and checked her phone. No new messages. She hesitated, staring at the glowing city through the curtain.

[Current Time] 

[South Korea – Nina’s Apartment – April 14th, 2025 — 05:08:00 PM]

By the time she stepped to the window again, the sky had dimmed to violet. 

“Ugh. Already dark?”

“Maybe it’s better to just have a Korean evening. I’ll go to a karaoke bar, they seem to have fun like this in the dramas... Then maybe I’ll drink a little... I still have one more day to decide before I give my final answer to KIC.”

[Current Time] 

[South Korea – Seoul Club – April 14th, 2025 — 07:22:00 PM]

The street was bustling with people. 

The music in the club was so loud that it could almost be unbearable, and the atmosphere was filled with flashing lights. 

Neon lights flickered like heart monitors. The bass thumped like a second heartbeat beneath the floor. Couples danced as if no one else existed. Nina slipped past them, heels clicking against floor, drawn by the club’s glow like a moth to flame.

Nina sat at a table surrounded by four soft armchairs and started drinking vodka with lime and soda. 

Soon, several empty glasses were added to the table.

“This is definitely better than karaoke...” - a thought crossed her mind, and she smiled.

Then she felt it — a stare. The guy across the bar was watching her, calm and confident. She recalled all the rumors about Korean guys paying extra attention to foreign girls, only with one goal in mind: to get them into bed. This made her laugh.

While drinking, she kept sending photos to her friend back in Georgia, trying to share her unexplainable emotions with the pictures.

Nina’s laughter didn’t surprise the guy who was staring at her. He quickly got up and started walking towards Nina, but Nina didn’t notice because of the alcohol and intense craving for a cigarette

The guy was stopped by a group of girls on the way and at this time Nina managed to sneak out for a cigarette.

Outside the club, in a narrow alley, Nina lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, trying not to wobble in her boots. She looked club-ready in her mini skirt and top, but the cold? Not part of the dress code.

“Ugh, it’s so cold,” she muttered, pulling her jacket tighter. “Fashion really is pain.”

“Cold, huh?” - a voice responded in Korean.

“Yes, it’s too cold...” - she replied instinctively in Korean to the voice coming from the darkness.

“I never thought you’d speak Korean. You’re not really Korean, right?”

“No, I’m just a guest here for a few days.” - after answering, a tall, handsome silhouette appeared. He stepped out of the shadows, sharp jawline glinting under the alley’s dim light, eyes like they’d read every secret she didn’t want to tell.

“Nice, so as a host, is there anything I can help you with?” - his voice became warmer as he approached Nina. Soon, Nina noticed that it was the same guy she had seen a few minutes ago at the club.

“Honestly, I don’t think you can help me with anything.” - Nina’s voice froze with the stereotype she’d heard about Korean guys. – “Hmm, players...”

“You shouldn’t have said that.” - the guy seized the opportunity – “You really think all Korean guys are the same?” he asked, stepping closer, just enough to make her heart race. She was about to snap back when he leaned in — too close — and pinned her against the wall. 

Nina’s breath caught. Her mind screamed warnings, but her body froze. Was it the vodka? The loneliness? Or just the idea that someone saw her — the real her?

Her fingers twitched at her sides. She could push him away. She should.

And yet...

“You’re very beautiful, you know? - I don’t usually say things like this, especially in public spaces, but...” - he suddenly stopped and, after a few moments of silence, ...he leaned in as if to kiss her, pausing just long enough for her breath to catch. Then, without waiting, he did. Gentle, but wild. Unexpected. A line crossed too quickly. 

Nina quickly freed herself from his arms.

“Your reputation’s pretty bad, and I don’t want any Korean drama nonsense. But seriously, don’t be a jerk — some might call that sexual harassment. Oh, and hi, I’m Nina, from Georgia.” - and tried to shake his hand from a safe distance. The guy smiled.

“I told you, you’re strange, or rather, amazing. I’m Yoon from the Republic of Korea.”

“Nice to meet you, Yoon. Do you want to drink? I thought of something you can help me with tonight. Be my partner.”

“I think I can do that.” - and with a smile, they both returned to the club.

As they stepped back into the lights and noise, Nina whispered to herself, “Just one night. One drink. And tomorrow... I’ll decide who I really want to be.”

— To be continued.