Kim Min-joon was having a good day. He had just finished his work as a software engineer at a reputable company, and he was looking forward to spending the evening with his girlfriend, Lee Soo-jin. They had planned to go to a fancy restaurant and watch the fireworks at midnight to celebrate the new year.
He smiled as he saw her waiting for him outside his office building. She was wearing a red dress that complemented her fair skin and long black hair. She greeted him with a hug and a kiss, making him feel warm and happy.
"Hey, handsome. Ready for our date?" she asked.
"Of course. You look stunning, by the way." he complimented.
"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself." she said, eyeing his suit and tie.
They walked hand in hand to his car, chatting about their day and their plans for the night. Kim felt lucky to have her in his life. They had met in college and had been dating for three years now. He loved her more than anything and was thinking of proposing to her soon.
He drove them to the restaurant, which was one of the best in the city. They enjoyed a delicious meal and some wine, laughing and flirting with each other. Kim felt relaxed and content. He couldn't ask for more.
After dinner, they decided to go to a nearby park where they could watch the fireworks from a good spot. They found a bench under a tree and cuddled up together, waiting for the show to start.
Kim checked his phone for the time. It was 11:55 pm.
"Five more minutes until 2023." he said.
"I know. I can't wait." she said.
"What are your resolutions for this year?" he asked.
"Hmm... I guess I want to travel more with you, maybe visit some exotic places we've never been before." she said.
"That sounds nice." he said.
"What about you?" she asked.
He thought for a moment. He didn't have any specific goals or wishes for this year. He was happy with his life as it was. He had a good job that paid well and gave him satisfaction, he had a loving family that supported him no matter what, he had great friends that he could always count on, and most importantly, he had her - his soulmate who made him feel complete.
He looked into her eyes and smiled softly.
"I just want to be with you." he said sincerely.
She smiled back and kissed him gently on the lips.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you too." he whispered back.
They hugged each other tightly as they heard the countdown begin from somewhere nearby.
"Ten... nine... eight..."
Kim felt something vibrate in his pocket. He ignored it at first, thinking it was just another message from one of his friends wishing him happy new year or something like that. But then it vibrated again...and again...and again...
He frowned slightly and pulled out his phone from his pocket while still holding Soo-jin with one arm around her waist.
He glanced at the screen of his phone and saw an unfamiliar message pop up:
[You have been selected as one of the lucky beta testers for Galaxy Quest: The Ultimate VR Experience! Please confirm your participation by clicking on this link before midnight or your spot will be given to someone else.]
Kim blinked in confusion as he read the message again. Galaxy Quest? What was that? He vaguely remembered playing an old video game with that name when he was a kid - it was an adventure game set in space where you could explore different planets and fight aliens - but what did that have to do with VR?
He looked at Soo-jin who seemed oblivious to his distraction as she continued counting down along with everyone else:
"...five... four... three..."
Kim felt torn between ignoring the message or checking it out further - maybe it was some kind of prank or scam - but curiosity got the better of him as he clicked on the link without thinking much about it.
As soon as he did so, another message appeared on his screen:
[Congratulations! You have confirmed your participation in Galaxy Quest: The Ultimate VR Experience! The Game should soon start we hope you will enjoy it!!]
Kim's eyes widened in shock as he realized what he had done - and before he could cancel his particatpation...