The morning sun was already climbing in the sky as Hye-su and Hae-won stood by the roadside, waiting for their ride. They exchanged a glance, the familiar sense of exasperation simmering between them. Jin-ho was nowhere to be seen, as usual. It was like their final year project all over again—he had a knack for vanishing when things were most important. But they had agreed this time. If he didn't show, they would go without him.
Their ride arrived, a sleek black sedan pulling up to the curb. Hye-su checked her watch and sighed.
"We should just go," she muttered, already tired of waiting.
"Yeah," Hae-won agreed softly, her voice betraying her nervousness. "If he wanted to come, he'd be here by now."
Hye-su nodded at the driver, who began to ease the car forward. But before they could even make it ten meters, Hye-su spotted a figure sprinting down the sidewalk, hand waving wildly in the air. Jin-ho, with his usual carefree grin, was dashing towards them, calling out for them to stop. "Wait up!"
Hye-su rolled her eyes but quickly instructed the driver to pull over. As Jin-ho approached the car, panting and still waving, she lowered the window just enough for him to speak.
"Sorry, I thought we were meeting on the other side of the street!" he huffed, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Had to run over here when I realized."
"And we're supposed to believe that?" Hye-su raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"Believe what you want, but I'm here now," Jin-ho straightened up, flashing his signature grin.
The two women exchanged a look of disbelief but didn't press further. It wasn't worth it, and besides, they'd never know if he was telling the truth or just pulling one of his usual stunts. They shuffled in the backseat to make room for him, and once he was in, the car finally took off toward the meeting spot.
Jin-ho leaned back in his seat, still catching his breath but unbothered by the tension in the air.
"So," he said casually. "What's the plan?"
"Let's just get there and sign the agreement, since we already accept the term. Plus we've already wasted enough time," Hye-su sighed.
The car pulled up to the meeting spot, and as it slowed to a stop, Hye-su, Hae-won, and Jin-ho peered out the windows to take in the view. The building before them was sleek and modern, all glass and steel, towering over the surrounding area. It wasn't flashy in an ostentatious way, but there was a certain grandeur to it—a statement of quiet, confident power. The kind of place where serious deals were made. One thing was certain, and this building was not the building they got brought to that first time.
"Definitely not a shady back-alley deal," Jin-ho remarked, his tone light, though the slight tension in his voice didn't go unnoticed by the others.
The three of them stepped out of the car, the soft hum of the city around them. The building had a private, almost exclusive feel to it. As they entered the glass-fronted doors, the atmosphere shifted, becoming cool and polished. The lobby was minimalist, with clean lines and muted tones, everything arranged with purpose. It screamed of wealth and professionalism without needing to say a word.
A well-dressed receptionist greeted them with a courteous nod and directed them to the elevators. The ride up was silent, the elevator's glass panels offering a stunning view of the city skyline. But Hye-su's thoughts were focused inward, still mulling over what this meeting could mean for them.
As they stepped out onto the top floor, they were led down a long corridor by another attendant. The walls were lined with abstract art, and the air was filled with a faint, calming scent of lavender. Every step echoed softly, adding to the sense that this place operated on a higher plane than anything they'd ever been involved in before.
Finally, they reached a set of double doors that were opened for them, revealing a spacious meeting room with a panoramic view of the city. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the table that dominated the centre of the room.
Seated at the far end of the table were the four entrepreneurs they'd come to meet: Evie Chow, Daniel Flores, Prince Tarif Afzal, and Matthieu Chevrolet. Each of them was dressed sharply, their postures relaxed but their eyes sharp, exuding a quiet confidence.
Evie stood up first, offering a warm but professional smile as she extended her hand. "Welcome. I'm glad you could make it."
Hye-su shook her hand first, followed by Hae-won and Jin-ho. Daniel Flores, the Canadian tech genius, offered a nod in greeting. His sharp suit did little to soften the calculating glint in his eyes. Prince Tarif, with his regal composure, simply smiled as he exchanged pleasantries. Matthieu, the French entrepreneur, leaned back in his chair, his expression neutral but observant.
The room had a sense of anticipation hanging in the air as if everything was perfectly orchestrated to convey just how important this meeting was.
"Please, have a seat," Evie gestured to the chairs opposite them.
As they sat down, Jin-ho gave a small, appreciative nod.
"Nice view," he muttered under his breath, earning a side-eye from Hye-su.
Evie smiled again, clearly the one leading the conversation for her group.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we're ready to answer all of them. But first, let's talk about what's at stake here," She folded her hands on the table, her gaze steady. "This is a unique opportunity, and we want to make sure you understand just how far we can take your creation."
Hye-su sat back, her mind racing with questions, though she kept her face neutral. They had finally arrived, but now came the hard part—deciding if this was truly the future they wanted for their invention.
As Evie finished her introductory remarks, she gave a nod to Matthieu, who slid a sleek, leather-bound folder across the table toward Hye-su, Hae-won, and Jin-ho. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air as the three students exchanged glances before Hye-su finally reached for the folder, her fingers brushing against the cool leather.
Inside, the papers were crisp and neatly arranged, the official contract spanning several pages. Hye-su skimmed over the top sheet, which outlined the broad strokes of the agreement. Jin-ho and Hae-won leaned in, their expressions turning serious as the details came into focus.
"This is a lot more than I expected," Jin-ho whispered, clearly taken aback by the formality of it all.
Hye-su was already deep into reading, her eyes flicking over key terms.
"Funding—handled by Prince Tarif's family," she muttered under her breath. "Research—guaranteed by Daniel's tech firm. Legal protections—handled by a team of experts." She paused for a moment, scanning the clause about intellectual property rights. "We still retain full ownership of the technology. They're offering us a stake in a joint venture, but the core invention remains ours."
"That's good," Hae-won said, visibly relieved. "I was worried we'd be giving away everything."
Evie watched them intently from across the table, her calm demeanour never wavering. "We understand the importance of intellectual property, and we're here to help you develop it, not take it from you. You'll have full creative control, and we'll provide the resources to take this to the next level. Our goal is mutual success."
Hye-su flipped to the next page, which detailed the funding plan. Her eyebrows rose slightly as she read through the figures. The amount of money being offered was staggering, far beyond anything they could have ever dreamed of raising on their own. The research budget alone was more than what many startups could hope to secure in their first few years.
"This is insane," Hye-su breathed, her mind racing. "They're really offering everything we could need."
Jin-ho leaned back in his chair, his usual carefree attitude replaced with an air of contemplation.
"I don't see any major red flags," he said after a moment. "The terms are generous. They're not trying to control us—just partner with us."
"Still, it's a lot to take in," Hae-won added, chewing her lip nervously. "But… it feels right, doesn't it?"
Hye-su nodded.
"It does," she flipped to the final page, where their signatures were required.
The pen hovered over the paper for a moment as she glanced at Jin-ho and Hae-won. They both gave her a reassuring nod. With a deep breath, Hye-su signed her name in smooth strokes, followed by Hae-won and finally Jin-ho.
Evie's smile widened slightly as she gathered up the paperwork, sliding the folder back toward Matthieu.
"Congratulations," she said, her tone warm but professional. "You've just taken the first step toward something extraordinary. NexaCorp is officially born."
The three students exchanged looks, a mix of excitement and trepidation in their eyes. This was it—their invention, their dream, was no longer just a project between classmates. It had grown into something much larger, something that could change the world.
As they stood to leave, Evie extended her hand once more, sealing the deal with a firm handshake.
"We'll be in touch to discuss the next steps," she said. "For now, enjoy the moment. You've earned it."
The trio walked out of the room, stepping into the future as founders of NexaCorp, the next big name in gaming technology.