Actor in Hollywood

James and Seth were both the playful types.

Even though Seth didn't understand the full context, it didn't stop him from joining in on the prank.

With a serious expression, Seth looked at the "villain" and spoke to the only unfamiliar face, Edgar. He straightened his posture and mimicked the motion of throwing salt at a demon.

"Back off!"

"Back off! You shouldn't be here trying to deceive my brothers."

Then, Seth struck a bizarre pose, balancing on one leg like a rooster while his upper body mimicked a snake-style martial arts move. His balance faltered, and he wobbled precariously.

Edgar, who had just managed to regain some control of the situation, found himself surrounded again. But even now, he didn't panic.

Not only did he remain calm, but he also smiled, playing along with Seth's words. "Hollywood is hell. Instead of hoping for superheroes to save you from the flames, why not fight alongside the supervillains and carve out your own path? Trust me, Hollywood doesn't believe in goodness and justice anymore."

Brilliant.

Simply brilliant.

Edgar was, without a doubt, a clever man.

In the slightly flickering eyes of the crowd, Edgar once again pulled out the business card from his shirt pocket. "Whether or not to sign is entirely up to the actor. If the actor isn't willing, no one can force it. But having an extra option never hurts, don't you think?"

He extended the card toward Sam—

He was actually observing Anson's reaction, but from all the signs, it seemed Anson already had an agent, and given the current situation, it wouldn't be wise to push further. So, Edgar turned his attention to Sam.

But Sam didn't move.

The air grew a little quiet—

The surroundings were still noisy; you could still hear the laughter from Judd Apatow and the others, but the small circle around them fell into a brief silence.

The scene was like a game of "Red Light, Green Light," with everyone watching for cues, yet no one willing to break the stalemate.

Sam was somewhat tempted, his eyes darting rapidly between different faces and the business card in front of him. He tensed up, forming multiple layers of chins in his nervousness, but ultimately, he didn't reach out.

Edgar was slightly disappointed.

But honestly, not surprised.

Agents choose actors, and actors also choose agents. It's a two-way street. Finding the right partner often requires trial and error.

The idea of an actor and agent pairing up for their entire careers is almost a fairy tale in Hollywood.

In fact, it's rare in real life, too. Relationships, like all things, go through cycles of coming together and falling apart. The law of conservation applies to different situations and different relationships.

Edgar wasn't interested in signing an actor just to neglect them afterward, wasting their career. Dreams are one thing, but livelihood is not something to joke about.

And by livelihood, he meant his own.

He just didn't expect that he wouldn't even be able to hand out a business card.

Does that count as failure?

Edgar's mouth curved up slightly. It was awkward, but he didn't mind. Just as he was about to retract the card that was left hanging in the air, a voice spoke up.

"Why so serious?"

All eyes turned toward the voice.

It was Anson.

His smile was relaxed, carrying a hint of ease, seemingly unaware of the intense attention from those around him. Anson took the card from Edgar's hand, examined it closely, and then held it in his palm—

A hot potato.

James was a bit frustrated, having been trying to help. "Anson!"

Anson met James's gaze with a smile and shrugged lightly.

"It's just a business card."

"Maybe it'll come in handy, maybe it won't. But since it's already printed, there's no harm in keeping it. After all, we've probably chopped down half the Amazon rainforest to make these business cards, so it'd be a shame to waste them. I think there's still some space left in my cardholder."

A small joke, but it did wonders to ease the tension.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Edgar couldn't help but give Anson another glance.

But Anson didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he turned to James and said, "Buddy, today's performance—two and a half hours. I slept for a solid two hours and fifteen minutes, peacefully and sweetly. Although the remaining fifteen minutes of noise did affect my sleep quality, I still have to sincerely thank you."

His deadpan delivery only made the joke land harder.

James immediately lunged at him. "You jerk! I'm gonna kill you! Seth, come help me, quick, quick! Ah, ah! I'm about to get beaten, help, help…"

The group dissolved into a playful scuffle, the air filled with laughter and camaraderie. Just like that, the young men wrestled and joked together.

The focus of attention subtly shifted.

Edgar, who had just been in the eye of the storm, could feel the pressure lifting. He quietly slipped into the background and noticed something—Anson had managed to break away from the group's scuffle, and instead of discarding the business card, he carefully slid it into his cardholder alongside his credit cards.

He didn't toss it away or just shove it somewhere thoughtlessly; he took the time to place it securely in his cardholder.

It was a small gesture, but it gave Edgar a different impression.

Yet, Edgar didn't say anything further. He simply turned and walked away.

This time for real—Edgar didn't think he had any reason to linger.

When exactly Edgar left, no one noticed. Not even Anson, because Edgar was no longer the focus, and besides, the other attendees were also starting to leave.

Producers, journalists, James' agent, and other audience members—after the customary post-show small talk, they too began to trickle out. The once noisy Haworth Theater gradually returned to its usual calm.

The cast and crew were no exception.

Tonight was just the premiere. "The Hole" would continue its run at the Haworth Theater for another month, and it was the show's ongoing performance that they'd need to focus on.

In small groups, the cast gathered in the backstage dressing room—a small, intimate group of the closest and most familiar friends.

They were waiting for James and the others to remove their makeup and change, so they could head to a bar together—

To celebrate.

Or rather, it was an excuse to drink and drown their sorrows.

The abrupt cancellation of "Freaks and Geeks" was a blow to these young actors. Even James, who was always carefree and reckless, didn't show it on the surface, but the frustration was there. Especially for someone as proud as James, it couldn't be ignored.

They had thought their acting careers were finally taking off, that their talents and abilities were finally going to shine. But then, after only three short months, their show was abruptly canceled, and they were left to face Hollywood's cold, harsh reality for the first time.

Despair is terrifying.

But what's even more terrifying is having hope kindled only to see it snuffed out. Having felt the warmth and brightness of hope, it's that much harder to return to the darkness.

All this time, James hadn't spoken about it, hadn't shown it, so everyone assumed he didn't care.

But when you think about it, James and Seth creating a play like "The Hole," dark, despairing, and nihilistic as it was, already spoke volumes.

After "Freaks and Geeks" ended, James and Seth threw themselves into "The Hole," pouring all their energy and thoughts into the theater.

Now that the premiere was over, though it wasn't yet time to relax completely, they could at least take a breather.

So, they needed an excuse to get drunk.

To really unwind.

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