In the heart of Gangnam, where glass skyscrapers pierced the smoggy sky like ambitious dreams, stood Nexus tech, a mid sized fintech startup clawing it's way towards unicorn status . It was 2024 ,and South Korea's economy hummed with quite disperation- youth unemployed at 7% ,housing prices devouring salaries, and the relentless pressure to climb the corporate ladder before 30. Kim Ji - hun , the 38- years - old ceo, embodied that climb , tall, with sharp features honed by years of boxing at a private gym in Apgujeong, he wore tailored suit that screamed old money, though his was self -made. Orphaned young , he'd bootstrapped Nexus from a dingy Hongdae basement during his Kaist days, fueled by ramyeon and all -nighters. Now ,with 200 employees and venture capital from silicon valley,Ji-hon was the golden boy of korean tech media . But his life was a sterile penthouse in Hannam - dong, microwave dinners, and dates they fizzled under under his workaholic shadow.
Enter Park Soo- min ,28, a fresh- faced product manager hired straight out of Yonsei University. with her bob haircut, oversized glasses ,and a wardrobe of thrifed Uniqlo she was the epitome of " nugudae" - the comfortable, relatable girl next door.Soo- min had grown up in Incheon's working - class appartments , her single mother a factory seamstress who's sacrifice everything for her daughter 's education ." Study hard, or you will end up like me" . Eomma would say, stirring jjigae late at night. Soo-min aced her interviews, landing a job