Hye-su sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the business card lying on the desk in front of her. The faint hum of her laptop filled the quiet of her room, but it didn't distract her from the thoughts swirling in her mind. The four entrepreneurs' proposals had been rolling around her head since they left the meeting. The phone number on the card felt heavier than it should, as if it represented not just an opportunity, but the future itself.
She sighed and leaned back against the headboard, rubbing her temples. On the surface, their proposal seemed straightforward enough. The four had funding, experience, and connections—everything she, Jin-ho, and Hae-won lacked. But it wasn't that simple, was it? Things rarely were.
Hye-su prided herself on being cautious. She was always the one to ask the hard questions, to look at the fine print, to consider what might go wrong. This situation was no different. There were so many factors to consider, and she knew they couldn't afford to rush into anything.
Her first concern was trust. Could they really trust Evie and her partners? Sure, they presented themselves professionally, with smooth answers and polished smiles, but that didn't mean they were trustworthy. These were businesspeople, after all. Entrepreneurs with their eyes on the next big opportunity. And the Realm device was that opportunity. A technological breakthrough that could revolutionize the gaming industry—or, if mishandled, end up as just another abandoned idea, shelved and forgotten.
Hye-su wasn't naive. She knew that once the tech was out there, once it was in the hands of others, control would slip away from them. Evie and her partners had made it sound like a partnership, but how much control would they really have? Would they even have a say in what happened to their invention, or would it be taken over by larger corporations with deeper pockets and more resources?
Then there was the question of ownership. The Realm device was their creation, their idea. Would signing up with these four mean handing over their intellectual property? The thought of their work being controlled by someone else sent a shiver down her spine. The very idea of seeing their innovation taken from them and possibly used in ways they never intended was horrifying.
Hye-su bit her lip, her mind racing. On top of that, there was the issue of money. Sure, Prince Tarif's family had billions, but that didn't mean she trusted him. Wealth didn't equate to ethical behaviour. And while they desperately needed funding, she wasn't about to sell out their project for a blank check. She wasn't naive enough to believe that money would solve everything.
What if they were pressured into decisions they didn't agree with? What if their vision for the Realm device was compromised by outside influences? She could already imagine boardrooms filled with corporate executives wanting to push the product to market before it was ready, or worse, wanting to modify it in ways that went against their original concept.
And then, of course, there was Jin-ho. Hye-su sighed. She trusted him—sort of. He was brilliant, no doubt about that, but he was also impulsive. Jin-ho had a knack for diving headfirst into situations without thinking things through. If it were up to him, he'd probably say yes to the deal tomorrow and figure out the details later. But Hye-su wasn't like that. She needed to think, to plan. She wasn't willing to throw caution to the wind just because it seemed like a good opportunity.
As for Hae-won... well, she was more of a follower than a leader. Hye-su knew Hae-won would probably go along with whatever decision the group made. That meant the responsibility of this decision would fall on her shoulders, as usual.
The weight of it all felt overwhelming, and Hye-su leaned forward, placing her head in her hands. Was this really what they wanted? Was it worth the risk?
She knew they couldn't develop the Realm device on their own. They lacked the resources, the time, and the infrastructure to take it beyond the prototype stage. If they wanted it to become something real, something more than just a brilliant idea trapped in the confines of a university project, they would need help. But at what cost?
The truth was, Hye-su was scared. Not of failure, but of success. What if this was bigger than they ever imagined? What if the world wasn't ready for the kind of technology they had created? And what if, in the pursuit of making it a reality, they lost control of it completely?
Her eyes flickered back to the business card on her desk. The answer wasn't clear yet. But one thing was for certain: this decision would shape the rest of their lives. And whatever choice they made, there would be no turning back.
The thought sent a chill down her spine as she finally rose from her bed, and walked over to the desk. She picked up the business card, running her fingers over the smooth surface. One phone call. That was all it would take.
But for now, she would wait. Hye-su wasn't ready to make that call yet. Not until she had weighed every possibility, every risk. And until she felt certain that whatever decision they made would be the right one.
Hye-su was still staring at the business card when the door to their shared room creaked open. Hae-won stepped inside, rubbing her arms as if warding off a chill. She looked tired—well, they both did, after the whirlwind of a day they'd just had. But there was something else in her expression, something that Hye-su hadn't expected to see.
Hae-won's eyes flicked to the business card in Hye-su's hand, and without a word, she dropped onto the bed opposite her. For a moment, there was silence between them, the unspoken weight of the decision they had to make filling the air like a thick fog.
"You've been thinking about it too, haven't you?" Hye-su finally asked, breaking the silence. She tossed the card onto the desk, its smooth surface glinting under the dim light.
"Yeah. It's hard not to," Hae-won nodded.
"I'm still not sure. There's so much we don't know about these people. It could be a huge risk," Hye-su sat down beside her, frowning.
"I know. But… maybe it's a risk we should take," Hae-won shifted uncomfortably, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Hye-su blinked, genuinely surprised. It wasn't like Hae-won to voice strong opinions, especially not about decisions as critical as this. Usually, she was the quiet one, content to follow Hye-su or Jin-ho's lead. But this time, there was a quiet conviction in her voice that Hye-su couldn't ignore.
"You really think we should go for it?" Hye-su asked, her tone more cautious than ever.
"Yeah, I do. I mean, think about it. The Realm device… it's not just some random invention we cooked up for a class project. It's real. It works. And people are excited about it. The fact that those four even approached us means it's bigger than we thought," Hae-won hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Hye-su opened her mouth to argue but stopped short. Hae-won was right in that sense. Their invention had exploded into something none of them had anticipated, and there was no denying its potential. But that didn't mean rushing into a deal was the smart choice.
"But what about the risks?" Hye-su pressed. "We don't know what they want. They could take everything from us—the Realm, our control, our ideas. Once it's in their hands, we might not even be a part of it anymore."
"I've thought about that too. But… what choice do we really have? We can't do this alone, Hye-su. You know that. We're students. We don't have the money, the resources, the connections. We barely have time between classes. If we try to do this by ourselves, the Realm will just end up collecting dust. Maybe not today, but eventually. We'd run out of steam," Hae-won exhaled slowly, looking down at her hands.
Hye-su clenched her fists, the knot in her stomach tightening. Hae-won's words struck a chord, one that resonated with the doubts she had been trying to suppress. She knew they were in over their heads, but hearing it spoken aloud made it feel more real.
"It's just… so much is at stake," Hye-su muttered, almost to herself.
"I know," Hae-won said softly, her voice carrying a rare strength. "But I think we have to trust that this is a good thing. Maybe they're right. Maybe this is our chance to make something bigger than we ever imagined."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Hye-su stared at the business card again, its presence in the room somehow larger than life. Could they really do this? Could they really trust strangers with something so precious, something they had poured their hearts and minds into?
But then, Hae-won's quiet words cut through the storm of doubts swirling in her head.
"You know… it's kind of exciting," Hae-won said, a small smile creeping onto her face. "The idea that something we created could change the world."
Hye-su glanced at her friend, seeing the spark of hope in her eyes. And for the first time since they left that meeting, she felt a flicker of something other than fear. Maybe it was excitement, or maybe it was just the realization that, no matter what happened, they weren't in this alone.
"You really believe that?" Hye-su asked, her voice soft.
"Yeah. I do. I think… I think we're onto something huge. And maybe this is the only way to make it real," Hae-won nodded.
Hye-su let out a deep breath, her tension easing ever so slightly. Hae-won's conviction was contagious, and while her cautious nature was still screaming at her to be careful, a part of her—just a small part—was starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, this could be the opportunity they'd been waiting for.
"Okay," Hye-su said finally, her voice steadier than before. "We'll think about it. But no rushing into anything. We'll take our time, make sure everything is on our terms."
"Deal," Hae-won smiled, relief washing over her face.
As Hye-su lay down that night, her thoughts were no clearer than before. But there was one thing she knew for certain: whatever decision they made, they would make it together. And somehow, that made the unknown a little less terrifying.