Zeno stood behind the line that marked the edge of the performance area, watching Sangwon’s team file off the stage.
Meanwhile, teammates huddled nearby, glancing at Zeno like he had eaten a live squirrel in front of their eyes.
Everyone waited, muscles tensed like springs. Normally, a team with as little experience as theirs would bide their time, pick apart the mistakes of the veterans, and come in last.
But Zeno knew they all expected that. It was too obvious.
Every other group had heavyweights—seasoned actors, idols-turned-stars, men and women with years of credits. Their mistakes would be scrutinized, their shortcomings amplified because they were the benchmarks everyone measured against.
Going next was the best way to go, especially since the expectations had been recalibrated due to the lackluster performance from Sangwon’s team.
“Introduce yourselves, please,” Gene PD said.
First was Jiwoon, who gave a sheepish smile. “Uh, I’ve been acting in commercials since I was a kid,” he said. “My first one was for milk. Then a bathtub ad, and a recent ramen commercial. I take extra roles mostly… but I’m trying to land something bigger these days.”
Youngmi bowed slightly. “I’m a theater actress specializing in musicals. I’ve always wanted to try screen work, so this is my first step. Thank you for having me.”
Shelly smiled despite her nervousness. “I used to be an influencer making POV content on various social media sites… then I landed a role in a YouWatch series,” she glanced at Zeno for a moment, “and it ignited my passion for acting.”
Then came Daniel, appearing the most confident of them all. “I think I don’t need an introduction,” he smiled. “I’m Daniel Byeon.”
A few contestants pursed their lips to hide their laughter.
Finally, Zeno stepped forward. The light seemed to cling to him. The camera adored him. Ryeo Wang couldn’t help but smile.
Zeno had once looked better in person than on screen, but now the camera loved him as much as the fans did.
Jonas Kim leaned back, a smirk tugging at his lips. He’d monitored Zeno’s metrics, but this was the first time seeing him live. “Let’s see,” he murmured.
Ari grabbed the mic and asked a question. “Has anyone here ever done improv before?”
All hands shot up—Jiwoon, Youngmi, Shelly, Daniel—except Zeno.
Zeno shook his head. “I haven’t.”
Daniel’s smirk deepened, and he whispered right next to him. “You haven’t done this? You volunteered to go first without improv experience?”
Zeno met his gaze. “Yup.”
Billy whispered to Sangwon, “He’s going to tank it.”
Shin grinned. “You clearly don’t know Zeno all too well.”
“Alright then,” Ari muttered. “Please step back to the performance area.”
They took their marks centerstage. The cameras panned.
“Choose a number,” Ryeo said.
“One,” Daniel said without a second of hesitation. Although he wasn’t asked the reason, he still elaborated, wanting to hog more screentime.
“I’ve always wanted to be number one. And let’s be honest—in this team, I am number one.”
There was a scattered scoff from behind the cameras. Some laughter from the back. Daniel thrived in it, though, so it didn’t matter to him.
The screen behind them glitched and then displayed a title in bold white letters.
SCENARIO 1: THE LAST FLIGHT
Zeno tilted his head slightly. The moment the words settled on the screen, he felt the theme creeping in.
“The Last Five Standing,” Zeno mumbled. “The Last Flight…”
They were really pushing the whole final moments idea. The desperation of the end. The ache of survival. The burden of unfinished lives.
The screen blinked again, this time showing the roles.
Pilot
Co-Pilot
Flight Attendant 1
Flight Attendant 2
Civilian Passenger
And below that was the plot note.
The plane crashes. The characters must act out what happens next as they try to save others—or themselves.
“Oh, that’s difficult,” Risa said, capturing the attention of her teammates.
The others nodded in agreement. Hero, still clueless, turned to them with wide eyes.
“Why, though?” he asked. “It seems pretty fun.”
Risa chuckled. “Because being a pilot requires the use of jargon, I guess. I mean, you can opt not to use them, but I feel that this is the essence of the scene.”
Hero’s mouth hung open before he, too, nodded in agreement.
“Pilot’s mine,” Daniel said before anyone else could speak. He turned and flashed a grin at the rest of them, taking the role as their leader. “Jiwoon, you’re the co-pilot. Youngmi and Shelly—flight attendants. And that leaves…”
He turned to Zeno with a glint in his eyes.
“Zeno as the civilian.”
Zeno just stared at him.
He knew exactly what Daniel was doing.
Making him the least powerful character. The one with the fewest excuses to lead or command. A random passenger who’d have to cry, scream, or beg for attention to get screen time.
Zeno narrowed his eyes. “Do you even know the technical terms?” he whispered low enough for only Daniel to hear.
Daniel shrugged and adjusted the cuffs of his jacket. “I dressed as a very handsome pilot for Halloween once,” he said with a wink. “I think I’ve got it down.”
Zeno scoffed. “You’re going to fly a crashing plane with Halloween trivia?”
“It’s improv,” Daniel muttered, clicking his tongue. “It’s not like the judges know the controls either. Just do your part, will you?”
Zeno clenched his jaw before shaking his head.
He turned slightly away, biting down the urge to snap back.
Because Daniel didn’t know.
He didn’t know Zeno had been a pilot in one of his lives.
[Mission #16. Manila, Philippines. Save Flight 5J301.]
That was one hell of a mission for him because he transported into his host’s body in the middle of a flight school demonstration. Imagine the fright of his instructor.
Once he was assigned this specific flight, he made sure that every part of the plane was at its best, but even then, the external conditions led him to call Mayday and force to save the lives of more than a hundred.
“Actors, take your places,” the voice called from the tech booth.
Zeno sighed and stepped into position. Well, this was improv, so he could just make a new scenario that would throw everything into chaos.