A loud, repetitive beeping filled the room before a hand reached out to silence the alarm. Leon groaned as he got out of bed and got ready for work. He stepped outside and walked along the sidewalk, his breath visible in the chilly morning air.

  As he made his way down the street, he noticed groups of people running at incredible speeds—faster than cars. Some were leaping onto rooftops. They were all heading in the same direction.

  Curious, Leon pulled out his phone. A notification about a monster stampede from a newly opened rift flashed across the screen. Sighing in relief when he saw it was farther ahead, he tucked his phone away and continued walking to work.

  Once at the grocery store, Leon began his usual tasks—attending to customers and cleaning the aisles. The hours blurred by until evening when he clocked out.

  “Hey, Leon-ssi, did you see the news?” a coworker called out before he could leave.

  “No, what happened?”

  “It’s about the rift this morning. Check this out.”

  The coworker showed him a video on his phone. It featured a group of people with powers fighting monsters spilling out of the rift. Soldiers were also there, firing guns and lobbing grenades as they defeated monsters as well.

  “Pretty cool, right? The Silver Guild showed up first and took care of the monsters in just an hour. Man, I wish I could awaken and go around killing monsters, exploring rifts, and so on.”

  Leon handed the phone back, unimpressed. “If you want to kill monsters then be a soldier.”

  “I don't want to be a soldier I want to awaken so I can explore inside the rifts and go-”

  “You already told me a bunch of times about this, I'll see you tomorrow I'm going home.” Leon interrupted him, he waved as he walked out, leaving the coworker annoyed but quickly continued watching the video excitedly.

  The chilly air greeted Leon again as he made his way toward the hospital. Inside, the usual hum of activity filled the halls, punctuated by snippets of conversation.

  “Another case of awaken syndrome,” a nurse said to a passing doctor.

  “Another one? It's been a while since-”

  Their voices faded as they turned a corner. Leon sighed at the mention and continued walking until he reached a room.

  Inside, his mom was chatting with his older cousin, Park Dae-Hyun. They both turned when Leon entered.

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  “Leon, you’re here!” his mom greeted warmly.

  He walked over, hugged her, and kissed her on the cheek. She returned the gesture before he turned to Park Dae-Hyun.

  “What brings you here, hyung?”

  “You’re still not used to calling me hyung, huh? Just call me how you used to, I don't mind.” Park Dae-Hyun said, laughing lightly.

  “It’s only been a few months since we moved here. It still feels weird, but I want to get used to the culture here,” Leon replied with a small shrug.

  “Fair enough.” Park Dae-Hyun smiled. “My parents couldn’t make it, so they asked me to come visit instead.”

  The three of them chatted until the sky outside began to darken. After saying goodbye to his mom, Leon walked out with Park Dae-Hyun. Just as Leon was about to leave, Park Dae-Hyun stopped him.

  “Hey, can we talk for a second?”

  “Sure.”

  They stepped outside into the cold night air. Park Dae-Hyun spotted a bench, and they sat down.

  “Uhh, Leon, I need your help with something,” Park Dae-Hyun began hesitantly.

  Leon raised an eyebrow. “What kind of help?”

  “You know I run an acting agency, right?”

  “Yeah, didn’t you say you were doing well a few months ago? You had three rookie actors or something?”

  Park Dae-Hyun scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. “Had three actors. They all awakened—one after another—and left to join guilds. Last month, the last one left. Now I’ve got no actors.”

  “All three awakened? That sucks, but how does this involve me? I don’t know anything about the entertainment industry.”

  Park Dae-Hyun took a deep breath, looking Leon straight in the eye. “I need you to be a temporary actor at my agency.”

  Leon blinked, caught completely off guard. “Huh?”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but without actors, I’m losing connections I’ve worked years to build. No one takes an agent with no actors seriously.”

  “But I’ve never acted in my life!” Leon protested. “Wouldn’t it be worse if people found out you hired a fake actor?”

  Park Dae-Hyun grimaced. “Look, I just need someone on paper to keep my agency afloat. You wouldn’t need to do much—maybe take on a few minor or extra roles. Just enough to make it look like you’re an actor.”

  Leon frowned. “And why the rush?”

  Park Dae-Hyun hesitated. “I managed to get in touch with a big director. I had a script lined up for one of my actors—a minor supporting role—but with them gone, I’ve got nothing to show and I might lose this great opportunity to make huge connections. They just sent me the date for the audition and it's almost time for it.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better to find a random aspiring actor for this?”

  “I’m trying, but it’s hard to convince anyone to join an agency where three actors left recently, which made my agency look bad. That’s why I need you, it's only temporary.”

  Leon sighed, rubbing his temples. “And what about my job? And if, and I'm saying IF I manage to get a role I'll need to take time off for it. I don't know much of the industry but I know they don't have flexible schedules."

  “I’ll pay you more than your current job, and if I find an actor later on I'll still pay you until you find a job,” Park Dae-Hyun said quickly.

  "How? Aren't you having a hard time right now?"

  “I have enough money because the actors who left broke their contracts are paying settlements. I’m covered for at least a year and I have some extra savings to keep the agency even after they pay up. Please, Leon, just until I can find real actors.”

  The night stretched on in silence as Leon weighed his options. Finally, he sighed deeply.

  “Fine. I’ll do it, but don't get mad at me if I never manage to get a role.”

  Park Dae-Hyun shot up from the bench, grinning ear to ear. “Thank you! I’ll draw up a contract and send you the address for the agency. Be there tomorrow!”

  Before Leon could respond, Park Dae-Hyun dashed off into the night.

  Leon leaned back on the bench, staring up at the dark sky. “Act as an actor... how ironic” he muttered.