"I'm resigning."
In the narrow CEO's office, a fairly tall man muttered the words with quiet determination.
"I've organized everything I was responsible for, so there won't be any issues. This is where I stop."
His voice was calm, his expression unreadable. His short hair added to his composed and serious demeanor. His name—Kang Woo-jin.
Across from him, the company president, a man resembling a bloated toad, let out an incredulous laugh.
"Hah! Are you seriously quitting? You fool! Do you think the design industry in Korea is that easy? This place may be small, but do you really think switching jobs will be a walk in the park? Huh?"
The boss's voice dripped with irritation and sarcasm as he spat out his words. But Kang Woo-jin remained unfazed, standing there blankly without a response.
'Finding a new job or doing nothing—it's none of your business anymore, you damn toad.'
At this point, all he wanted was to go home as soon as possible.
The company he was leaving was a small design firm with around twenty employees.
A truly terrible company, even by small business standards.
Kang Woo-jin had been immersed in design his entire life, from high school through college. He had now spent four years working at this hell-hole of a company. And He was now 27 years old.
'When I think about it, I don't have a single good memory from this place.'
Although it was supposedly a design company, small business realities meant handling all sorts of menial tasks on top of actual design work. Overtime was frequent, yet overtime pay was practically a myth.
And weekends? More work.
Paid leave? What's that? Some kind of ancient relic?
Woo-jin had finally reached his breaking point. And today—Monday morning—he burst into laughter the moment he laid eyes on his toad-like boss.
'Oh, I don't know. I just want to end this.'
To be honest, Kang Woo-jin had written his resignation letter two years ago. It's probably the same for everyone.
Anyway, CEO Toad, who was glaring at Woo-jin, waved his hand dismissively.
"Ha... this is ridiculous. Fine, just go. Go! There are plenty of people who can replace you. Don't bother showing up tomorrow."
Woo-jin responded as if he had been waiting for those words.
"Understood. Also, please make sure to send me the overtime pay and severance pay I haven't received yet."
"······Hey, What!?"
"I did the calculations. I don't want to make a big deal out of it, boss. That's all."
"Hey!--Kang Woo Jin!--Hey! You jer-!"
Once he made up his mind, the words flowed naturally. Muttering to himself, Woo-jin gave a brief farewell and left the office.
As soon as he stepped out, a wave of support and encouragement poured in from his coworkers.
"Well done."
"I envy you."
"Wish I could escape too."
Among them, his closest colleague patted him on the back.
"I'm so jealous of your freedom. But what now? What's your plan?"
What now? Well... honestly, he was worried. How was he supposed to make a living from now on? But today, he decided to set aside his worries. Leaning back in his chair, he answered casually.
"Honestly, I don't want to do design anymore. But there's a grad school program, so I thought I'd try that."
"program? Where?"
"Australia."
.
A Few Minutes Later–
Woo-jin rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at his monitor. Now that his resignation was official, a crushing wave of loss and emptiness set in.
And then—he sighs.
With a defeated expression, he picked up his phone. The screen displayed unread messages and the time.
[February 3, 2020]
[10:22 AM]
Only 30 minutes had passed? Time flies so fast.
At that moment—*BANG!*
The office door slammed open grotesquely, and a red-faced toad of a boss bellowed.
"HEY!! KANG WOO-JIN!"
Of course, the shout was directed at him.
"Get out of here right now! I don't want to see your face even for a second longer!"
At that moment, Woo-jin could hardly contain his joy.
'What a blessing. Thanks, boss.'
.
A Week Later in Woo-jin's Apartment–
It was around noon in Suji,Yongin, where Woo-jin lived. His studio apartment was surprisingly neat—clothes hung in perfect order, everything in its place. He had always been good at organizing.
And in the middle of the room—A complete mess of a man lay sprawled out, fast asleep.
Of course, it was Woo-jin.
Despite the clean apartment, he looked like a wreck. The padded jacket he wore yesterday was still draped over his mouth, his once-styled hair now a disaster.
Even worse, every time he exhaled, the air thickened with the stench of alcohol. He had gone out drinking with his friends the night before, celebrating his newfound freedom.
An hour passed.
"······Ugh, damn."
A groggy moan escaped from the heap on the floor.
"Ugh, my head's about to explode."
Holding his head in both hands, Woo-jin looked around in confusion.
'Eh? Home? How did I get here?'
"I remember... up until the second round."
Everything after that was blank. His memory had been completely wiped. He tried to recall the events of last night but quickly gave up. It had been a long time since he drank that much. With a deep sigh—one reeking of alcohol—he surrendered.
"Hah, whatever. I must've made it home somehow."
Feeling the effects of his hangover, Woo-jin immediately reached for his phone and opened a food delivery app. He was craving cold noodles (naengmyeon).
At that moment—His phone, still displaying the delivery app, vibrated with an incoming call. The caller ID read: [Kim Daeyoung].
His friend. One of last night's drinking buddies.
Still lying down, Woo-jin put the phone to his ear.
"Uh—"
Hearing his half-dead voice, Daeyoung burst into laughter.
["Hah! Listen to you. You sound like you're about to die. You made it home alive, right?"]
"Dude... how much did we drink? My body feels paralyzed."
["You don't remember?"]
"Nope. My memory's completely wiped."
At that, Daeyoung cursed.
["You idiot. You disappeared for about 30 minutes last night! We almost called the cops on you. What the hell were you doing then?"]
'What!? I disappeared?' Woo-jin frowned, scratching his chin. He had no clue.
"Seriously, why are you even calling?"
Daeyoung clicked his tongue.
["Wow... so you really don't remember anything, huh? Not even what we talked about?"]
"What are you talking about?"
["You decided to go to an interview together with me."]
'...Interview?' Woo-jin blinked in confusion. He had no recollection of this.
"What interview? You're doing fine at your job. Are you thinking of switching? Are you crazy? You work at a mid-sized company!"
["No, you idiot. I'm talking about the Super Actor auditions!"]
Woo-jin paused. 'Super Actor?'
The program Daeyoung mentioned was an upcoming entertainment show on SBC, a major broadcasting station. The show was an audition-based competition designed to discover hidden acting talent, and it had already been heavily promoted for a month.
Processing this, Woo-jin frowned at his phone.
"'Super Actor'? Wait, you're seriously thinking of becoming an actor?"
Daeyoung Kim cursed again through the phone.
["No! You idiot! Ugh, this is so frustrating. I told you yesterday... Ha— Never mind. Should I just show you the documents and the video? I signed up as a joke, but somehow, I got through the first round."]
"Oh! Really?"
Kang Woo-jin's friend, Kim Daeyoung, had a hobby—acting. On weekdays, he worked a regular job, but on weekends, he was part of a theater club. Of course, Woo-jin knew all about this.
"Looks like someone just randomly submitted your application."
["Shut up. Anyway, the first round interview is tomorrow morning. It's not an official filming or anything, but I'm nervous, so I asked you to come with me."]
'So... I actually said OK to this yesterday?'
'Oh, this is insane.' Woo-jin immediately tried to backtrack.
"I was drunk, man. The person I was yesterday wasn't me. And why would I even go? What would I do there? Don't you have work tomorrow?"
["I'll handle that. You just have to come with me and be my moral support. They said contestants can bring family or friends. Just wait outside while I do my interview."]
"...I don't really feel like it."
["Hey, come on! You're unemployed now! After we finish, I'll treat you to pork belly and soju. You can eat and drink as much as you want!"]
"Hm—" Woo-jin hesitated slightly.
["Hong Hye-yeon will be one of the judges tomorrow!"]
Pause—.Woo-jin froze. His eyes flickered with sudden interest.
"...What? Who?"
["Hong. Hye. Yeon! You might see Hong Hye-yeon in person."]
"Are you serious?"
["Dead serious. I swear on everything."]
Hong Hye-yeon. A top actress. The woman in every man's dreams. And Hong Hye-yeon as a judge?
Daeyoung, sensing Woo-jin's wavering, quickly pressed on.
["'Super Actor' has different judges for each episode."] Daeyoung explained.
["One of them this time is Hong Hye-yeon. Apparently, she agreed to do it because of a famous drama producer she's working with. But she's only judging for one episode, so whatever."]
"How do you know all this?"
["Idiot, just search online, and you'll find the article. Anyway, come on, man. We're friends, right? Just come with me."]
At that point, Woo-jin sat up, suddenly serious.
"You should've led with friendship in the first place." Then, with a completely changed attitude, he asked, "So, my dear friend, what time are we going tomorrow?"
.
The Next Morning: Wednesday, February 12th
Around 10 AM.
The location? the SBC headquarters' art center in Mok-dong.
Bundled up in their padded jackets, Kang Woo-jin and Kim Daeyoung stepped into a five-story building that looked like an annex. For reference, Daeyoung was built like a tank. He was about the same height as Woo-jin—over 180 cm—but his upper body was on another level.
Anyway, "Whoa, there are a lot of people here," Woo-jin muttered, taking in the sight.
And it was no exaggeration. The art center lobby was already packed. Dozens of event staff were stationed at the entrance, directing the constant flow of contestants. At a glance, there had to be at least 200 people. And this was only a fraction of the total.
Daeyoung smirked. "This is, like, 30% of the total? They're running multiple screening rounds today."
"So that means over 600 people are coming?"
"Obviously. You should watch some TV once in a while, man."
"Eh, it doesn't concern me."
After checking in with the event staff, Woo-jin and Daeyoung followed the signs and hand gestures directing them down a long hallway, crowded with participants. Eventually, they arrived at a room labeled [Waiting Room 1].
Inside, rows of tightly packed plastic chairs filled the large space. More than half of them were already occupied.
At that moment, Woo-jin spotted an empty seat and casually pointed at it with his index finger.
"Hey, let's sit over there."
"Alright."
As soon as they took their seats, Kim Daeyoung clutched the number tag on his chest and took a deep breath.
"Whoo—whoo—oh man, this is crazy. I'm shaking like a leaf."
Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin nonchalantly adjusted his jacket and crossed his legs.
"Come on, you've been in that theater club for, what?, three years now?"
"Yeah."
"But you're still nervous? Doesn't your club put on free performances and all that?"
"Dude, that and this are two completely different things!"
"What's the difference? Acting is acting. Who knows? Maybe you'll make it big through this show and become a top actor."
At that, Daeyoung's imagination kicked into overdrive.
"Damn... I just got chills thinking about it."
Still fidgeting, he scanned the room filled with participants and clutched his stomach.
"Ugh, I think I need to take a dump. My stomach's acting up."
Woo-jin scoffed. "Seriously? Is this an audition or a survival challenge? When does this thing even start?"
"They'll call our names when it's our turn."
"Then go ask. And while you're at it, make sure you don't 'get emotional' in there."
Unable to tolerate his own nerves any longer, Daeyoung jumped up and ran toward a female staff member at the entrance. After a brief exchange, he dashed out into the hallway.
Watching his friend disappear, Woo-jin muttered, "Pathetic."
He slouched deeper into his chair.
Ten minutes had passed. Woo-jin frowned, checking his phone.
"What's taking that idiot so long?"
Just then—"Kim Daeyoung, Kim Junsu, and Kim Taejeong!"
A male staff member at the front of the room called out names.
"Kim Daeyoung, Kim Junsu, Kim Taejeong!"
First name up—his friend, Kim Daeyoung.
Woo-jin blinked in confusion as the other two participants stood up and made their way forward.
"...Hey." Raising his hand, Woo-jin called the staff member over.
"Uh, I'm Daeyoung's friend. He, uh... ran to the bathroom. I'll go get him right now."
"The bathroom?" The staff member paused, then spoke into his intercom. A moment later, he chuckled—one of those mischievous grins typical of TV production crews. Like he had an idea.
He turned back to Woo-jin.
"Well then, why don't you go in first?"
"...Huh?"
"Yeah. If your friend doesn't show up in time, he'll be automatically disqualified. Just step in for now. When he gets back, I'll guide him in."
'So they just wanted a warm body to fill the spot?'
Woo-jin sighed. This was stupid. But for his friend's sake, he gave in.
"...Where do I go?"
.
After a while.
Kang Woo-jin arrived at the end of the hallway.
Two other participants were already seated on simple chairs outside the door. A staff member gestured for him to enter.
Inside—'Oh—'
Woo-jin let out a quiet breath of admiration.
Unlike the crowded waiting room, this space had an air of professionalism. A sleek desk stood at the front, engraved with the Super Actor logo. Two large cameras were positioned to the left, while several smaller cameras were discreetly mounted on the ceiling and along the walls.
Around fifteen staff members moved efficiently, preparing for the next audition.
A woman, likely in her late 30s, with short hair and an impish smile, approached Woo-jin.
"You must be Kim Daeyoung's friend, right?"
Woo-jin, still taking in the scene, nodded absentmindedly.
"Yeah. I'll call him right now."
"Sure. But in the meantime, take this and have a seat over there."
She handed him a thin stack of papers and gestured toward a single chair in front of the desk.
"It's a scene script. Today's audition is for impromptu acting. Read through it while you wait for your friend. Who knows, you might even give it a shot."
"...Ah, okay."
"Oh, and the judges will be here soon."
At that, Woo-jin perked up.
"Wait, is Hong Hye-yeon one of them?"
The woman's grin widened.
"Yes. She'll be here shortly. But no autographs or pictures, understood?"
'Awesome!.'
Woo-jin's excitement spiked. He quickly smoothed out his expression, trying to act casual, and took the seat.
As he dialed Daeyoung's number, his gaze drifted downward to the script resting on his lap. He wasn't particularly interested, but his eyes skimmed over it anyway.
The phone rang. No–answer.
"Why isn't this guy picking up—"
Then, he froze. "...What the hell?"
His gaze wasn't on the script anymore.
It was just beside it. A strange sight unfolded before him.
A swirling, black-and-gray square hovered in the air, roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
Woo-jin's breath hitched. "What is this?"
Something about it tugged at his instincts—an eerie, inexplicable pull.
His hand moved on its own.
Slowly, cautiously, he extended his index finger.
Just a little. Just to see what would happen.
The moment his fingertip touched the swirling center—*phuk*
"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Everything warped.
Woo-jin was sucked in.