Peninsula: Starting with the nation's first love, the white moonlight

Late August, Incheon International Airport.

Li Luran returned to this land once again. He dragged two suitcases to the roadside and hailed a taxi.

"Master, to Seoul National University."

The next few years would be spent on the peninsula. Facing an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar people, far from his familiar hometown, Li Luran felt both excited and uneasy.

However, unlike the last time when he was in a hurry, this time he was well prepared.

"Wow, young man, your Korean is really good! Are you an overseas Chinese? It's amazing that you got into Seoul National University." The driver from Peninsula was as enthusiastic as ever.

Li Luran smiled politely, offered no further explanation, and looked out the car window.

The familiar Han River, the familiar Yeouido.

A few months ago, he experienced a terrifying elevator ordeal here, as well as a first love that ended before it even began.

But now, his state of mind is completely different.

Perhaps, when he sees Suzy again someday in the future, he will be able to face it with great composure.

As an international student, the admission procedures at Seoul National University were somewhat complicated, but Lee Lu-ran handled them with ease.

Although there are student dormitories at the university, Li Luran is used to being alone and decided to rent an apartment outside.

Then, over the next three days, he began his journey of finding a place to rent.

In Seoul, renting an apartment is a matter of both financial resources and luck.

The Peninsula offers two rental options: full rental and monthly rental. Full rental requires a large deposit upfront, so Li Luran opted for monthly rental.

He went with the agent to many apartments around the school, but none of them met his requirements.

"Li, your expectations are way too high."

The real estate agent said helplessly, "You need good security, quiet, and a private bathroom. There are almost no apartments like that near university campuses, unless…"

"Unless what?" Li Luran handed him a bottle of ice water.

"Unless it's a high-end apartment in Gangnam District or Cheongdam-dong. But the rent there is not something that ordinary international students can afford." The real estate agent looked Li Luran up and down. He was dressed simply and didn't seem like someone who could afford such high rent.

Li Luran pondered for a moment.

Although he retired from the entertainment industry a long time ago, the money he earned from his acting career and endorsements during those years was still quite considerable.

His parents have been keeping the money in a separate account for him, and it has now grown to a considerable sum.

Although he wasn't a rich kid, he could easily afford to improve his living conditions with his own money.

In addition, with ample free time after entering university, he could easily go out to work or do internships to earn money.

"Let's go check out the Gangnam district. As long as the houses are nice, money isn't a problem," Li Luran said calmly.

The real estate agent hesitated for a moment, but still led Li Luran to a high-end apartment in the Jiangnan District.

The environment here is completely different from that of the university town.

The community is very quiet, with security personnel patrolling at all times, and even the apartment building's elevators require a card to use.

After some searching, Li Luran chose an apartment on the 21st floor.

This is a 120-square-meter fully furnished apartment with a living room featuring floor-to-ceiling windows.

The room has excellent natural light, and standing in front of the window, you can overlook most of Seoul.

"The developer of this building is very concerned about the privacy of its residents, and many celebrities who don't want to be disturbed by paparazzi live here," the real estate agent said enthusiastically. "The apartment next to yours is also a long-term rental, but the tenant is often not home, so it's very quiet."

"This is the one."

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Luran swiped his card on the spot to pay the deposit and six months' rent.

Although it hurt a little to spend the money, he was still very satisfied with his living environment.

The real estate agent was all smiles and kept bowing to Li Luran.

After settling everything in, Li Luran's university life officially began.

Compared to universities in China, universities on the peninsula have a more relaxed academic schedule, giving students a lot of free time.

Because Li Luran was unfamiliar with the area, he spent his days attending classes, going to the library, and going home, leading a very regular life.

A month passed peacefully.

One afternoon in November, Seoul experienced its first autumn rain.

Li Luran sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his apartment, drinking hot coffee and looking at the gray sky outside. Suddenly, he felt a little empty.

University life is so much freer and so much more leisurely than his three years of high school.

He didn't know any friends in Seoul. If he were in China, he would have Zhang Kai to play games with, but here, he either spent time in the library or just stayed at home.

"I should find something to do. I'm already here on the peninsula, I can't just waste my time like this." Li Luran turned on his computer and logged into the peninsula's largest job search website.

The entertainment industry in the peninsula is very developed. Given his status as an international student at Seoul National University and his previous experience, finding a related part-time job should not be difficult.

After entering relevant keywords, a bunch of random job postings popped up on the webpage.

Li Luran quickly browsed through the listings when suddenly a job posting caught his eye.

[LOEN Entertainment Job Posting]

Position: Intern, Overseas Business Department/Artist & Planning Department (Part-time available)

Requirements: Fluent in Korean and Chinese, with preference given to those who are fluent in English. A thorough understanding of popular culture and the film and television market in both China and South Korea is required.

Possess excellent writing skills and the ability to appreciate content. University students are also welcome, but must be able to work under pressure.

Li Luran did a quick search for information about LOEN:

This company is currently one of the largest music distributors in the Peninsula region, with its most well-known music streaming site being MELON, and its subsidiary, the rising solo female singer IU (Lee Ji-eun).

LOEN is currently in a period of rapid expansion, and its overseas business and planning departments are in dire need of personnel.

More importantly, the job requirements seemed tailor-made for him.

Li Luran snapped his fingers: "It's you I choose!"

three days later.

Li Luran was in the middle of a macroeconomics class when his phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced down and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

He bent down, quietly slipped out of the classroom through the back door, and then answered the phone.

"Hello, is this Mr. Li Luran?" A woman's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, this is me. May I ask who you are?"

"This is the HR department of LOEN Entertainment. We have received your resume and are very interested in you."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Would you be available for an interview at the company tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM?"

"I have time," Li Luran said calmly, leaning against the wall in the corridor.

"Okay, please bring your relevant documents. We look forward to your arrival."

The call ended quickly, and Li Luran hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

For some time now, his daily life has been routine and utterly mundane.

He came to the peninsula seeking change, and perhaps this is the first step in starting a new life.