Episode 1 of "Namib" kicks off with Kang Soo-hyun on a mission to locate Yoo Jin-woo, an aspiring contestant poised to shine in the Star Rise competition, a platform for budding pop stars. Without any prior warning, Jin-woo mysteriously vanishes, but Soo-hyun's perseverance leads her to the rooftop, where she successfully coaxes him back for his eagerly awaited performance.
The narrative then shifts to Kang Soo-hyun's role as the CEO of Pandora, where she scours for fresh talent to embark on their K-pop idol journey. Meanwhile, Yoo Jin-woo, a long-standing trainee at Pandora, displays a nonchalant attitude towards his training, opting instead to supplement his income by selling exclusive snapshots of the company's renowned idols.
Elsewhere, Shin Jin-woo, Kang Soo-hyun's hearing-impaired son, grapples with bullying at school. His father, a former producer who co-founded Pandora alongside his wife, Shim Jun-seok, is increasingly disgruntled by Soo-hyun's autonomous decisions, particularly her unilateral choice to purchase a sock factory for Jin-woo, for which she has already made an initial deposit.
Amidst this turmoil, a shadowy plot unfolds within the company's corridors, aiming to displace Soo-hyun from her CEO position. Pandora has been acquired by Smile Investment, which appoints their own nominee—a former Pandora team leader—as the new helm. This regime change results in the dismissal of long-serving trainees, including Yoo Jin-woo, who now shoulders the additional weight of repaying a 200 million won debt incurred by his mother.
The new CEO, Jang Hyun-chul, confronts Soo-hyun, revealing that the takeover was a vendetta against her. Hyun-chul accuses Soo-hyun of derailing his life. Amidst this drama, Chris, another Pandora employee, extends a job offer to Jin-woo at his club, repeatedly cautioning him to be wary of trust. It transpires that Chris is collaborating with Pandora's new executives.
During this tumultuous period, a company official suggests that Soo-hyun consider recruiting Yoo Jin-woo. Initially hesitant, Soo-hyun eventually agrees to meet with Jin-woo after reminiscing through footage of his childhood performances as a trainee. The episode concludes with Jin-woo proposing to shield Shim Jin-woo from bullying, hoping to bolster his appeal as a prospective recruit.
