Hugo had always thought that film fans in America were relatively rational. At least, the fans he had encountered had been so. Most of the time, they chose friendly hugs, polite greetings, and joyful photos, rarely screaming, jumping, and acting wildly. Even at premiere events, encountering more enthusiastic fans usually only meant expressing excitement through shouting, and nothing more.
Previously, watching news coverage of fans of Justin Bieber or Robert Pattinson, it was clear that these were mostly young girls chasing idols, often reaching levels of almost irrational obsession. Combined with his own experience—whether with Dead Poets Society or Scent of a Woman, neither of which established idol standards or attracted fans merely for the actor—Hugo had assumed that only idol fans would behave so frantically.
But today, Hugo clearly witnessed another side of movie fandom. Any actor could have passionate fans, and in the globally mature Hollywood film industry, professional film fans' fervor could rival that of music or idol fans. Professional fans were not less crazy; they simply had not yet encountered occasions worth losing their composure over. Thinking back to premieres featuring Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, icons of their eras, the enthusiasm of film fans could make even the most frenzied music fans pale in comparison.
However, faced with the screams of this young female fan, Hugo was clearly unprepared and did not know how to respond. All he could do was hug her and gently pat her back, trying to comfort her. But before the girl could calm down, Hugo quickly realized something was wrong.
Because of her shouting, all eyes around were drawn toward them. Soon, ordinary moviegoers entering the cinema noticed Hugo's presence, and a swarm of girls surged forward. In less than thirty seconds, more than twenty people had surrounded Hugo and the other four tightly.
"Hugo, you're really so handsome!"
"Such a brilliant performance, Hugo, absolutely brilliant!"
"Oh God, it really is Hugo!"
These overlapping voices encircled Hugo and the others. Joseph and Kal immediately assumed the responsibilities of agents—even though Kal wasn't actually Hugo's agent—positioning themselves on Hugo's left and right to prevent the crowd from tightening the circle. Charlize and Alex noticed the commotion as well and, coordinating with Joseph and Kal, stood in front and behind Hugo, beginning to move toward the exit, attempting to escape the encirclement.
But obviously, it was already too late.
At first, a few steps of movement were possible, but it soon became increasingly difficult. What had initially allowed a view through the crowd was now completely obscured; layer upon layer of onlookers compounded the encirclement endlessly. Kal tried to leverage his height to see around, but all he saw were heads, nothing else. He vaguely glimpsed the ticket counter not far away and estimated that they were now surrounded by nearly a hundred people.
A hundred people might not sound like much, but imagine a hundred people forming concentric circles, ten per circle—that would be at least ten layers, easily encircling five people at the center. Standing in the middle was practically immobile.
Hugo was at the very center, with no time to gauge how many people surrounded him. He only felt voices calling to him from all directions, countless hands reaching out. It was overwhelming. He could only follow the voices passively, smiling and shaking hands, then turning to repeat the gestures—smile, handshake.
"Thank you. Thank you." This was all Hugo could say. He responded to every fan's support with his brightest smile. At this moment, Hugo felt happiness—not only because of the support surrounding him, not only because A Few Good Men's premiere seemed more successful than expected, but also because the overwhelming support was so real and fervent, more intense than any previous occasion. The calls, the smiles, the praise made Hugo tangibly feel what popularity and success truly were.
So, no matter how large the crowd, no matter how crowded and noisy, Hugo remained completely patient. He continued to display his brightest smile, responding to each call, using the simplest etiquette to thank these supporters—even those just observing the scene.
Melanie Dikson had not expected to meet Hugo Lancaster today. Previously, she had no strong impressions of Hugo, had not seen any of his works, and even the Golden Raspberry Awards were only something she had heard about. At just sixteen, she had no deep familiarity—but A Few Good Men completely captivated her.
Originally, Melanie had no intention of watching this movie. In her view, courtroom dramas were synonymous with boredom, annoyance, and sleepiness. But because it was her father's choice and she needed an excuse to skip class, she followed him into the cinema.
The result completely overturned all of Melanie's assumptions. Courtroom films could be so passionate. Serious films could be so thrilling. The lawyer profession could be so charismatic. Hugo Lancaster, playing the lead Daniel Kaffee, held her gaze entirely, effortlessly winning her heart. She realized that a man's charm could be so strong and compelling that she almost had no resistance to falling entirely under his spell.
Even more astonishingly, when Melanie walked out of the theater, she saw the lead actor, Hugo. She thought she must be imagining it, unable to believe what she saw. She lost control, screaming wildly like a six-year-old child.
As other viewers surged forward, they not only encircled Hugo and the other four, but also kept Melanie within the middle. She adjusted her steps with the movement of the crowd, but her eyes could not leave Hugo's face.
Today, Hugo wore casual attire: a white T-shirt paired with jeans, looking like any ordinary college student, finishing with a backward blue baseball cap. Yet this Hugo completely captivated Melanie. His clear forehead, sculpted features like marble, soft dark-golden hair pushed back by the cap, revealing an elegant, youthful hairline; brow ridges spanning like mountains, a sharply defined nose, eyes that rolled like ocean waves, and soft, sensuous lips framing an impossible smile.
Just one glance, and her heartbeat instantly stopped. Melanie knew she was utterly captivated—not because of Daniel Kaffee in A Few Good Men, but because of the real-life Hugo Lancaster. She felt no resistance, nor did she want any. She simply surrendered to the smile in front of her.
More importantly, Hugo showed no impatience at all. Even as wave after wave of surrounding crowds surged forward, he maintained that smile, radiant and refreshing as always, without a trace of annoyance. Time passed, yet the brilliance in his smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, rendering all surrounding noise colorless.
Melanie had never known a smile could be so beautiful.
Suddenly, Melanie began to regret her actions. She regretted that her impulsiveness had dragged Hugo into this continuous trouble. She knew he was tired, yet he couldn't leave. She felt irritated by the endless crowd and wished they would disperse, giving Hugo some peace. She didn't want to see that handsome brow creased with fatigue.
Although reluctant, Melanie turned and left, inching her way out of the crowd, watching from afar as the encirclement, like a giant fluffy cotton candy, persisted. She couldn't persuade the others to leave, but at least she could depart, allowing Hugo a bit of relief.
For a long while, Melanie stood there, waiting until her father came over, and until the crowd began to thin. Only then did a smile return to her lips.
Hugo felt as if he might evaporate entirely. He felt like he had been pulled out of a swimming pool, his sweat having dried once only to soak him again. He could even feel beads of sweat trickling down his back—this was December, yet he had no solution.
It wasn't just Hugo. The other four fared no better; they fully experienced what it meant to be in the midst of extreme popularity.
After nearly twenty minutes of inching forward amidst screams and cheers, Hugo and his group finally reached the entrance of the Universal Cinema. Only then did the crowd gradually disperse. By the parking lot entrance, it was finally peaceful, leaving five people, drenched in sweat and disheveled, panting heavily.
Though they didn't know what it was truly like for top-tier superstars to be surrounded, today's terrifying encirclement was enough to leave Hugo and the others with lingering apprehension. The twisted, excited faces remained vividly in their minds. Hugo tugged at his jeans and sighed in frustration, "Ruined a pair of underwear."
The words left the other four frozen. Hugo looked up at their puzzled expressions and helplessly explained, "I don't know who it was, but someone kept trying to pull at my underwear…"
"I think what you should be worrying about isn't the underwear, but rather…" Alex said, trailing off, glancing toward Hugo's crotch. The three others immediately stifled their laughter, including Charlize and Joseph.
Hugo grit his teeth and glared at Alex, "Relax, if there's a test, it won't be you." This sent Kal into a burst of laughter, echoing through the empty parking lot.
Who could have imagined that a simple trip to the movies would end in such a messy scene? Yet for the first full public screening of A Few Good Men, this was a promising start.
...
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