The opening panel of the prologue drops us straight into Elliot’s new flat—a clean, almost too‑perfect replica of the online listing. The artist lets the empty rooms breathe, using wide vertical scroll space to linger on the cheap carpet and the faint hum of the building’s old wiring. This is classic Korean manhwa pacing: the story doesn’t sprint; it lets the environment tell a part of the narrative.
When Elliot tosses his keys onto the kitchen table, the subtle clink is audible even through the silent scrolling. That tiny sound becomes a beat that tells us he’s trying to settle, to ignore any warning signs. The next few panels show him arranging a single plant, a nod to the “new‑start” trope, but the plant is placed just a breath away from a thin wall that we later learn is shared.
Reader Tip: Keep your phone or tablet in portrait mode and scroll slowly through the first ten panels. The pacing here is intentional—each beat is meant to be felt, not rushed.
The real hook lands after midnight. A muffled laugh seeps through the wall, followed by a second, more subdued voice. The panel frames Elliot’s startled face in close‑up, the thin wall rendered as a faint line of gray that suddenly feels like a barrier between worlds. The laughter is an auditory cue that the building isn’t as empty as it seemed, and the second voice hints at another unseen tenant. This moment is the prologue’s cliff‑hanger, a single line of dialogue that says more than any exposition could.
How the Prologue Handles Second‑Chance Romance Tropes
Even before any romance blooms, Hole 2 My Goal plants the seeds of a second‑chance romance. The trope usually relies on characters who have known each other before and are now forced to confront past wounds. Here, the “second chance” is metaphorical: Elliot’s fresh start is already being challenged by the unexpected presence of others.
The thin wall acts as a visual metaphor for emotional distance. In many Korean romance manhwa, a thin wall or floor often separates lovers who must communicate through whispers or knocks before they can meet face‑to‑face. By giving us the laugh first, the author flips the trope—Elliot hears the other side before ever seeing the other person, creating a sense of curiosity that fuels the romance before it even begins.
Trope Watch: The “laugh through the wall” is a soft version of the “mysterious neighbor” trope. Expect the series to gradually peel back layers of these unseen characters, turning the wall into a narrative bridge rather than a barrier.
Visual Storytelling: Art Style Meets Korean Webcomic Culture
The line work in the prologue is clean but not overly stylized, a hallmark of many Korean webtoons that aim for readability on small screens. Background details—like the tiny crack in the plaster or the flickering hallway light—are rendered with minimal shading, letting readers focus on character expressions.
Notice the panel rhythm: each major beat takes three to four vertical panels, a pacing choice that mirrors Korean drama episode structures, where a scene is given time to breathe before cutting. This differs from many Japanese manga, which often compresses beats into a single page. The slower scroll encourages the reader to linger on Elliot’s uneasy smile after hearing the laugh, making the tension palpable.
Did You Know? Most romance manhwa on free‑preview platforms compress a full story arc into a 10‑minute read for the first episode. That’s why the prologue packs both world‑building and a hook without any filler.
The Role of the Prologue in a Vertical‑Scroll Format
In vertical‑scroll webcomics, the prologue isn’t just an introduction; it’s a test of the series’ ability to keep a reader scrolling. The layout of Hole 2 My Goal uses the screen’s height to its advantage. The first half of the prologue fills the screen with quiet, almost meditative panels of Elliot unpacking boxes, while the second half drops the tension with the sudden laugh.
This contrast mirrors the “slow‑burn” romance pacing that Korean manhwa fans love. By the time the reader reaches the final panel—a close‑up of Elliot’s eyes widening—the scrolling momentum is already in motion, urging you to swipe down for more. The prologue’s structure is a masterclass in how to use the vertical format to build anticipation without relying on dialogue‑heavy exposition.
Expert Tip: When reading vertical scroll comics on a desktop, zoom out slightly. This lets you see the panel flow and appreciate how the artist spaces the beats, which can be lost when each panel fills the entire screen on a phone.
Why This Prologue Is the Perfect Sample for Busy Readers
If you’re the type of reader who decides on a series within the first ten minutes, the prologue of Hole 2 My Goal gives you everything you need to make that call. It introduces the main character, establishes a lingering mystery, and showcases the art and pacing style that will define the run. There’s no heavy exposition, no love triangle introduced on page one, just a single, unsettling laugh that promises more.
The free preview is hosted on the series’ own homepage, so you won’t need to create an account or hit a paywall to experience this moment. That accessibility is rare these days, and it means the author intentionally crafted this episode to stand alone as a taste of the entire story.
Reader Tip: Read the prologue and the first paid episode back‑to‑back if you can. The transition from the quiet setup to the first major plot twist will give you a clear sense of the series’ rhythm.
Jump Into the First Ten Minutes
The fastest way to decide if you want to follow Elliot’s unsettling new life is to read the opening itself. If the thin wall, the midnight laugh, and the slow‑burn promise of a second‑chance romance intrigue you, the rest of the run will likely keep that tension alive.
If you only have ten minutes for a webcomic this week, spend them on Prologue — Prologue — it is the cleanest first‑episode in this corner of romance manhwa right now. By the last panel you’ll already know whether the series clicks for you, and you’ll have a solid feel for the art, pacing, and emotional tone that make Hole 2 My Goal feel unmistakably Korean.