Sitting near the back of the theater, watching the movie while also observing the audience's reactions, was a truly magical process. Seeing the viewers gasp, murmur, or cheer in sync with the unfolding plot—especially when his own performance tugged at their emotions—brought a sense of fulfillment like the cream on top of rich coffee, laced with sweet, smooth honey that melted slowly on the tongue and flowed straight into the heart. But at the same time, whenever someone's noisy chatter disrupted the screening, or when a disdainful "tsk" of scorn sounded, a wave of irritation surged up so strong he nearly wanted to march over and argue face-to-face.
As the trial in the film pushed step by step toward its climax, a man to Hugo's left suddenly stood up and began moving toward the aisle on the right. This instantly set Hugo, Joseph, and the others on edge. Was he leaving early? Could A Few Good Men really be so boring that an audience member would walk out? That was too terrifying to even imagine!
So, when the man reached Joseph's seat, he gestured for Joseph to let him by. But Joseph shot up immediately, lowered his voice, and growled, "Sit back down!" The man froze, dumbfounded, and said gloomily, "I need to go to the restroom." But Joseph didn't believe a word. He glared, teeth clenched, forcing out each syllable, "I said—sit back down!"
Joseph stared at the man, still standing there awkwardly, and barked, "The movie's almost over. The best part is coming next! Sit back down!"
Faced with Joseph's near-murderous expression, the man dared not say another word and obediently returned to his seat. Only then did Joseph sit back in satisfaction.
Hugo was stunned, and whispered, "Joseph?"
Joseph pressed his lips tightly, waved irritably for silence, and gestured for Hugo to keep watching the film.
Hugo looked at Joseph's taut, rigid face. He understood: though Joseph never showed it, the tension and anxiety burning inside him were even greater than his own. And with A Few Good Men's box office on the line, the pressure Joseph carried on his shoulders was far heavier than anyone could guess, despite his calm façade.
Hugo said no more, just gave Joseph's shoulder a light pat, then turned back to the big screen. Box office—it was enough to drive anyone restless.
The movie soon ended. As the credits began to roll, audience members gradually stood up to leave. Alex shot upright, pointing at the dispersing crowd, and exclaimed to Hugo, "That's it? Just like that? Where are the cheers? The applause?"
"Idiot, this is a theater, not a premiere," Joseph muttered irritably. Seeing Joseph's nervous posture actually made Hugo relax, and he burst out laughing.
At that moment, the same man from earlier passed by again. When he reached Joseph, he paused, casting a questioning look as if to say, "Now can I finally go to the restroom?" Joseph, helpless, slapped his own thigh, then stood up and stepped aside to let him through.
Hugo looked ahead, noticing plenty of viewers still in their seats. He shrugged and speculated aloud, "At least not everyone rushed out immediately. Maybe that's a good sign?"
Following his gaze, Joseph and the others saw that indeed about one-third of the audience remained, still watching the screen. This wasn't surprising—many films placed hidden scenes after the credits, little "Easter eggs" for the fans, and plenty of cinephiles enjoyed staying until the very end. It was also, in a way, proof of continued interest: if a film were truly awful, not even an extra scene could make people care enough to stay.
"Music," Charlize suddenly said, drawing all four men's eyes to her. She tilted her chin toward the screen. "They're waiting for the end credits song. Checking the credits for the composer."
Sure enough, when the closing song Next Time You See Me began, the lingering audience let out cries of joy. Faintly, one could hear whispers like "This is it," "Hugo's singing," spreading among them.
A smile curved across Hugo's face. "I think just for this alone, I've earned myself a good mood today." Creating the theme song for A Few Good Men had been an unexpected bonus, and now receiving this recognition was another form of affirmation. His spirits soared instantly.
Not just Hugo—even Joseph, who had been tightly wound the whole time, eased a little. Hugo let out a long breath. "All right, I think we can leave now. So far, we've gotten more than enough out of today. I'd rather not stay to hear the audience's direct feedback—that would be a grueling ordeal."
Reading sharp, cutting critiques from professional reviewers was already tough enough. If actors were also to personally monitor every single viewer's reaction, they might as well give up working altogether. Hugo understood this all too well.
Especially because in the twenty-first century's internet era, the vast web of social media gave every ordinary person a voice, and the anonymity behind the screen made those voices unrestrained. If you really took every comment to heart, you'd only be tormenting yourself.
The five of them slipped quietly out of the auditorium. Alex was already chattering excitedly about what to eat for dinner. The official opening had gone smoothly—definitely worth celebrating. Hugo's first thought was Chinese food. The longer he stayed in Los Angeles, the more he missed the flavors of home. With Chinatown so close to Universal Theater, it seemed the perfect choice.
"Oh, Hugo, almost every time we order takeout it's Chinese. For today's celebration, can't we try something different?" Alex clearly only associated Chinese cuisine with kung pao chicken, moo shu pork, and other takeout staples, unable to grasp what Hugo truly longed for in his heart.
"Alex, if we go to Chinatown, the food will be completely different. Chinese cuisine is far, far richer than you imagine." Hugo was still arguing his case. Even though he had never been to Los Angeles's Chinatown, he could easily predict that the dishes there would be adjusted to local tastes and not nearly as diverse as back home, yet he still wanted to go take a look.
"Hugo! You're Hugo!" A voice suddenly interrupted Hugo's attempt to elaborate on the vastness of Chinese cooking. Instinctively, Hugo and the others turned toward the sound. It was a teenage girl, about sixteen or seventeen, her face glowing with excitement, her bright eyes sparkling, unable to contain her joy. "Oh God, it really is Hugo."
Since the release of Scent of a Woman, situations like this had gradually become more common, so Hugo wasn't as startled as he once might have been. Instead, he broke into a smile and waved at the girl. "Hey, girl."
"Hugo, your movie was absolutely wonderful, absolutely perfect." The girl bounded forward in two big steps until she stood right in front of Hugo, staring at him without blinking. The excitement shining from her eyes, brows, and lips radiated unmistakably. "Do you know? Your courtroom argument was so incredibly handsome. Watching you leave that damned Jessup speechless—it was just fantastic."
Feeling the girl's passion and more importantly, hearing direct praise for A Few Good Men—set a light joy dancing across Hugo's brow. "If you liked it, then nothing could be better."
Kal glanced at the noisy, crowded theater entrance and originally meant to signal Hugo to move along quickly. Encounters with fans were fine with a greeting, a hug, and maybe a photo, but there was no need to stop and chat as if they were old friends. Especially in such a noisy public setting, it was far too easy to draw in other onlookers, and then things could get troublesome.
But when Kal patted Joseph, Joseph responded with a look that clearly said, "Don't rush." Kal immediately realized—maybe today was special. Letting Hugo interact a little with a fan might actually be a good thing. They needed the support of fans to help ease some of the box office pressure.
The girl looked up at Hugo's sunny smile, and her voice lost control, climbing higher and higher, nearly breaking into a scream. "Oh God, you really are just too handsome! Do you know? When you appeared in that naval uniform in court, I nearly stopped breathing. God must have spent so much time creating you—you're perfect, you truly are perfect. Hugo, I…I love you!" Finally, the girl's voice cracked into a scream, releasing it fully.
Confronted with her sudden shriek, Hugo felt awkward and clumsy. In the past, when fans had screamed, he had always been on the job and able to walk away quickly. All he needed to do was wave and smile. But now the girl was right in front of him, stomping her feet, clutching her face, and screaming wildly. Hugo suddenly didn't know what to do with himself.
He looked helplessly left and right. Charlize rolled her eyes, raised her arms, and made a hugging gesture. Hugo instantly understood, and quickly gave the girl a big hug. But since he had little experience, it wasn't a light embrace—it turned into a full bear hug.
The girl felt Hugo's warm breath envelop her in an instant, and it was as if she had ascended to heaven. Her emotions completely spiraled out of control. "Hugo, I love you, I love you, I love you! Ahhhhhh…"
"Zzzzz…" Hugo felt as if his eardrums were nothing more than thin paper windows trembling in a tornado, rustling violently, threatening to shatter into pieces at any second.
....
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