The first episode of "Nice to Not Meet You" commences with Lim Hyeon-jun, a man working at a print shop called Imperial Print, experiencing a sudden burst of displeasure when his colleague and close friend assigns him a particularly irksome task—delivering a freshly printed movie script to his ex-girlfriend, the renowned actress Se-na. Fifteen years ago, Hyeon-jun and Se-na were both actors gracing the silver screen on a film set. When the news of their romantic entanglement threatened to create a media storm, Se-na begged Hyeon-jun to take the fall by claiming he had threatened her, effectively shielding her from the public's ire while his career nosedived.
In the present, Hyeon-jun presents the script to Se-na and two other film professionals at a lavish hotel. Later, they meet, and she admonishes him for his visit, assuming he sought her out to elicit feelings of guilt. Meanwhile, at the same hotel, political reporter Wi Jeong-sin engages in a fiery encounter with the secretary of congressman Ha Gee-wan. She accuses them of covering up the death of Ha's aide, Woo Young-suk, who was about to reveal crucial information to Jeong-sin before abruptly "committing suicide." The secretary attempts to bribe her, but she dumps his champagne over the note and then drinks it from a bowl before storming out.
As Hyeon-jun departs, he realizes that Jeong-sin is unknowingly in the backseat of his car, reeling from the champagne-induced haze. She assumes she's been kidnapped, but they end up at the police station where their misunderstandings are cleared. In the end, Hyeon-jun even offers her a drink to help her regain her composure.
The next day at work, a man named Park Byeong-ki arrives at the print shop to point out a few errors in his printed movie script for his college project—a film titled "Good Detective Kang Pil-gu." Later that night, Park returns, having recognized Hyeon-jun from his past film with Se-na. He now implores Hyeon-jun to be the lead actor in his indie movie. Over the next few days, Park persists in his efforts to convince Hyeon-jun to join the project, confident that he will deliver an exceptional performance.
In the final chapter, Hyeon-jun's resolve wavers. Following the initial table read, the director dishes out a slew of notes, exposing Hyeon-jun's acting shortcomings and pushing him to the brink of exhaustion. As the shoot wraps up in a celebratory haze, Hyeon-jun mutters under his breath, hoping for a never-ending separation from the director's strict gaze. However, a sudden turn of events sees Hyeon-jun accepting an award for Best Actor, signifying a meteoric rise in his acting career as Good Detective Kang Pil-gu secures not one but multiple film and TV seasons. His once-friendly acquaintance has transformed into his manager, now known as CEO Hwang, and together they've forged a seven-year journey that Hyeon-jun begins to feel stifling, weary of reliving the role of Kang Pil-gu.
Meanwhile, Jeong-sin, the company's ace political reporter, has unearthed evidence in major murder cases and even covered a war. In the same club where Hyeon-jun and CEO Hwang meet with Park Byeong-ki and CEO Son, the production company's CEO, Jeong-sin sneaks in to gather intel. But her cover is blown when she's spotted by the staff, forcing her to make a desperate escape through the men's bathroom. Climbing over Hyeon-jun in her haste, she scampers through the vent, leaving Hyeon-jun stunned.
Back home, Jeong-sin gazes at a wall adorned with Woo Young-suk case details, visiting his grave to reassure his widow of her relentless pursuit of truth. But her quest for justice is not without its obstacles; a shadowy figure in a car orders Jeong-sin's editor to "take care of that reporter," prompting the editor to transfer her to the entertainment desk. Jeong-sin refuses to accept this change without a fight, so much so that she storms the red carpet at an awards ceremony to confront the company's chairman, Lee Dae-ho.
As she prepares to reveal her findings on a flash drive hidden in her jacket, Hyeon-jun, also present at the ceremony, mistakes her move for an attack on the chairman and intervenes. In a moment of clumsy comedy, she pushes him away, causing him to tumble down the red carpet, exposing his underwear to the waiting reporters and fans.
