The premiere episode of "Newtopia" unfolds with Lee Jae-yoon immersed in a dreamscape where he is discharged with honors from his military service, eagerly anticipating his reunion with his sweetheart, Young-joo. Alas, reality soon intrudes as Jae-yoon finds himself at the dawn of his mandatory military enlistment, with a lengthy journey ahead. Sharing in this journey is Ra In-ho, whose slumber is punctuated by nightmarish visions of impending conflict, only to be abruptly awakened by their squad leader, Young-man, summoning him to duty.
With a clever sleight of hand, Jae-yoon conceals his phone within his cap and sets off with In-ho towards their nocturnal duty post. As In-ho succumbs to sleep, Jae-yoon seizes the moment to surreptitiously dial Young-joo's number. The phone rings out, disturbing Young-joo's mother, who sharply reprimands her daughter for allowing such an untimely call. It transpires that Young-joo had ventured out that very night, indulging in alcohol until her senses were blurred, and it was another man who escorted her home. Jae-yoon's heart sinks upon learning of this, while Young-joo, still under the influence, abruptly terminates the call as she rushes to relieve herself, leaving Jae-yoon hanging on the other end.
Attempts to rekindle their conversation are thwarted when Jae-yoon is caught in the act by Young-man, who vows to mete out punishment for their incessant misdemeanors. Despite being the eldest in their squad, Jae-yoon and In-ho consistently find themselves at the center of blunders. After the morning roll call, the platoon's collective punishment ensues, exacerbated by another error on In-ho's part. The disciplinary session concludes with Young-man confronting Jae-yoon and In-ho, berating them for their persistent failure to uphold the team's honor.
Elsewhere, Young-joo stumbles into her workplace, where she encounters Jin-wook, a senior colleague who harbors amorous intentions towards her. Though Jin-wook's affections are evident, Young-joo remains wary of his advancements. Meanwhile, Jae-yoon persists in his attempts to reach her, but his calls go unanswered, leaving him to ponder the shifting sands of their relationship.Later, Jae-yoon's platoon was summoned for an urgent Air Defense drill. Once more, In-ho and Jae-yoon's clumsiness led to the entire team being punished. They were ordered to climb a grueling 77 flights of stairs, laden with their heavy luggage. It was during this arduous task that Jae-yoon's military post was revealed to be nestled on the top floor of one of Gangnam's tallest structures, which also housed a luxurious hotel.
As expected, In-ho and Jae-yoon struggled mightily and ended up being the last to finish. Their teammates grumbled, frustrated by the pair's constant mishaps. Determined to improve the platoon's condition, Young-man confiscated all their phones and embarked on a fitness regimen.
Young-joo sent Jae-yoon an apology message, detailing the situation, but Jae-yoon couldn't read it due to the phone confiscation. He offered to accompany Kwak Gye-young to the hotel kitchen to borrow the chef's phone. Chef Jung, ever obliging, handed over his phone to Jae-yoon, who promptly called Young-joo during her lunch break. He nagged at her, and Young-joo tried to explain, but Jae-yoon was summoned away abruptly.
After the call, Young-joo's colleagues started probing into the status of her relationship with Jae-yoon. They were curious to know if she was waiting for him with marriage in mind. Embarrassed and unsure of the answer herself, Young-joo called back Chef Jung to speak with Jae-yoon again, only to find out that he had already left.
Later that night, In-ho deceived Jae-yoon by saying he needed his phone to check on his sick son, but instead, he gave Jae-yoon's phone back to him so he could call Young-joo. During their conversation, they discussed the future of their relationship. Young-joo was frustrated because Jae-yoon had never brought up marriage, and she wasn't sure she could wait for him indefinitely without a commitment.
Jae-yoon, unable to offer her one, was left hurt when she suggested they break up. He was summoned away before they could delve deeper into the issue. Later, he confessed to In-ho that he couldn't promise Young-joo anything because he needed to complete his university studies after his military service and then secure a job. In-ho agreed that it might be unfair to expect Young-joo to wait for Jae-yoon for so many years.
The next day, Young-joo spent the morning gazing at her photos with Jae-yoon, tears streaming down her face as she reminisced about their shared memories. She received a call from Jin-wook, who asked to meet her since he was in the area. They went out for lunch, but Jae-yoon's persistent calls distracted Young-joo. She tried to ignore them, hoping to call him later, but Jae-yoon left her a voicemail, apologizing for being selfish and agreeing to their breakup.
Noticing Young-joo's distress, Jin-wook offered to drive her to Jae-yoon's military post.
Back at the Tower 77A outpost, Sergeant Jung's frustration mounted as their private elevator remained out of commission. Reluctantly, he dispatched In-ho and Jae-yoon on a mission to procure gasoline for their military vehicles. Seeking to lift Jae-yoon's spirits, In-ho resorted to theft, swiping a credit card with the intention of treating them to some doughnuts. Forced to forego the elevator, they trudged down the stairs and navigated through the hotel, their military attire standing out like a sore thumb. Soo-jeong scolded them fiercely, reminding them that their presence in the building was meant to be shrouded in secrecy. It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain their covert status when they kept parading through the hotel in full uniform.
Elsewhere, Jin-wook and Jae-yoon were en route to the military post when Young-joo sent Jae-yoon a text, announcing her imminent arrival. She was eager to speak with him face-to-face. Jin-wook reassured her, vowing to stand by her side through thick and thin. Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when a stranger materialized out of nowhere and collided with their car with such force that one of his eyes dislodged and landed on Young-joo's neck, a harrowing spectacle that left them all stunned.
Concurrently, In-ho and Jae-yoon stood transfixed by the window of the hotel, their gaze locked onto a plane bearing down on the building with alarming precision, the skyline framed by the imminent threat.
