"Actually, this text was supposed to start with how much I love good coffee, moonlit walks, and sincerity. But let's be honest: that's not why you're here.

Last Tuesday, I committed the perfect crime. I walked into a bookstore, opened the most expensive cookbook, memorized the recipe for Peking duck, winked at the cashier, and left without paying for this gastronomic secret. That same evening, the duck was cooked, but... eaten in magnificent solitude. And it was at that moment that I realized I...

Because no one saw that evening when I was left with just enough money in my account for a coffee and a ticket home.

No one saw how, a few hours before the first casting, I got a call and was told:
"No one is coming. Cancel it."

I sat in the empty studio. The chairs were set out. Music was already playing. I held the list of participants in my hands, but only one thought filled my mind: "Is this really the end—before it’s even begun?"

Ten minutes passed.

Then the door opened.

A young woman ...