The Beginning She Didn’t Expect

Hana’s phone buzzed just as she finished tying her shoes.

> Seoyun: I’ll be there in 10! We’re going to my sister’s office.

Her heart jumped. It’s really happening, she thought, slipping her bag over her shoulder.

Outside, the air smelled like rain, though the sky was still clear. Seoyun waved from a small silver car parked on the street.

“Ready?” she grinned.

“Kind of,” Hana said, getting in.

“You’ll be fine. She just wants to meet you in person.”

They drove across the city until tall buildings started to rise around them. Billboards with glowing idol faces flashed past the windows. Hana stared, quiet, nervous.

Finally, Seoyun pulled up in front of a tall glass tower.

Hana read the sign:

SG Entertainment.

Her breath caught. “Wait… your sister works here?”

“Yep,” Seoyun said casually, already getting out of the car. “Come on.”

They took the elevator to one of the upper floors. The hallway was quiet, lined with framed photos of award-winning idols and dim overhead lights.

Seoyun led her into a clean, glass-walled meeting room.

Inside, a woman in a fitted black blazer sat at the table, flipping through a folder. She looked up and smiled.

“Hana, this is my sister, Jihye.”

Jihye stood, her voice calm. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things.”

Beside her sat a quiet man with a tablet in his hands — Manager Kang. He nodded politely.

“Thanks for coming in,” Jihye continued. “We’re looking for a new assistant backstage. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important work. Clothes, schedules, timing — helping things run smoothly.”

“No personal photos, no asking questions, and no talking to artists unless necessary,” Manager Kang added. “Professionalism is everything.”

“Of course,” Hana said quickly, trying to hide how fast her heart was beating.

Jihye handed her a folder. “This is just a basic agreement. Go ahead and read it.”

Hana flipped through the contract. It looked simple, standard — but something caught her eye.

There was no company name listed. No SG logo. Just blank spaces.

Her brow furrowed for a second. That’s strange…

Then she glanced around the room — the polished walls, the view of the SG logo from the window, the way Jihye and her manager moved like they belonged here.

Well, she thought, it’s obvious I’m going to work for SG Entertainment. Maybe they just use standard forms.

She picked up the pen and signed her name.

Jihye took the folder back with a smile. “Great. We’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. 10:30 sharp.”

---

Back home, Hana sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

SG Entertainment, she kept thinking. This is real. I’m going to work there.

She looked at her reflection in the dark window.

What if I mess up? What if they regret hiring me?

She had never been this close to something so big. Her world had always been small, quiet, safe.

Now everything was shifting.

She curled up under her blanket, the signed contract tucked in her bag, her heart racing.

Tomorrow, it would begin.