Nothing

Hugo stood up and stretched lazily, as if he had just awakened from a deep sleep. He expelled all the negative emotions from his heart and felt the soreness brought by the stretching of his muscles and bones, exhaling a long breath in relief. At this moment, Hugo finally completely emerged from the role of Sam. The surging emotions in his mind calmed down, and he could clearly feel the chilling cold wind blowing from the lake, accompanied by the laughter of the crew members.

Hugo walked downstairs quickly and asked in a relaxed voice, "Is there any left for me to enjoy the midnight snack?"

"Hurry up, hurry up, it's almost all gone, only bones left," someone responded with hearty laughter, and everyone expressed their welcome to Hugo with excitement.

In the room on the second floor, the telephone sat quietly next to the bedside table, as if nothing had happened.

Joseph watched Hugo come downstairs and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had noticed that something was wrong with Hugo earlier, and although he had given Hugo some space to think quietly, he couldn't help but worry. Now seeing the smile return to Hugo's face, Joseph's tense shoulders relaxed.

Joseph approached and handed a bottle of beer to Hugo. Hugo widened his eyes and looked over, saying, "We have a shoot tomorrow."

"It's fine, get drunk occasionally, it won't have a big impact," Joseph still handed the beer to Hugo, "Have a drink, get drunk, and everything will be better afterwards."

Hugo's gaze fell on the beer bottle in his hand, and he couldn't help but smile. "Don't you worry about a situation like New Year's Eve happening again? It would delay tomorrow's shoot."

"Are you talking about you getting drunk and shouting Uma's name all the way like a madman, going to bars one by one to find her? That kind of thing?" Joseph said with a teasing tone, but then he saw Hugo's face instantly darken. "Did I really get like that when I was drunk? You guys didn't stop me, oh my God!"

Hugo anxiously covered his cheeks. He didn't have much memory of what happened after getting drunk that night, just some fragmented pieces. Now, being reminded by Joseph like this, Hugo finally realized how embarrassing he was that night. Alcohol truly caused trouble!

Hugo's expression of remorse and annoyance didn't show much sadness. It could be seen that he no longer minded bringing up those past events. Joseph originally thought he had said too much, but after seeing Hugo's reaction, he finally felt completely relieved. "Karl and I tried to hold you back, but we couldn't stop you. Alex and Charlize were laughing uncontrollably beside us. You ran like a crazed ostrich, and only Leonardo managed to keep up with you. After that, you two disappeared."

Hugo also remembered that night when all his friends were by his side, comforting him constantly and celebrating together. A smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Leo and I went to find Uma... Hahaha." Hugo remembered their sorry state and burst into laughter.

"Hugo, you were outstanding today. I really appreciate it," Nora walked over, holding a bottle of beer in her hand and raised it towards Hugo. "And thank you for the midnight snack." Then Nora tilted her head back and took a big gulp of beer.

Hugo chuckled, "Nora, the shoot has just begun. People who don't know might think it's a wrap." Hugo's words made everyone burst into laughter. "Since we have the director's permission, drinking is not a fault."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hugo aimed at the beer bottle and tilted his head back, pouring the beer directly into his stomach. He initially intended to take a sip, but by the time he realized it, he had already downed more than half of the bottle. Joseph stood by without stopping him. He knew that Hugo had just recovered, and perhaps getting drunk could really leave all the history behind and welcome tomorrow with a fresh start.

Seeing Hugo drinking so boldly, Nora exclaimed, "Hey, I didn't allow you to get drunk. We have a shoot tomorrow!"

The crew members immediately started cheering, "Nora! It's rare to have a drink, one bottle is not enough!" Someone on the side kept shouting, "Hugo! Bottoms up! Bottoms up! Bottoms up!"

Hugo had an average alcohol tolerance, but he drank decisively without hesitation. So he raised the beer bottle and poured the remaining one-third into his mouth, then turned the bottle upside down over his head. "Hoo, so, who's next?"

"Oh, oh! Hugo has thrown down the gauntlet. Quick, quick, we can't back down," the crew members, whether seasoned veterans or young ones, loved to stir things up, especially during drinking occasions. The atmosphere quickly heated up.

Nora had originally wanted to stop it because they had a lot of filming tasks the next day. But she noticed that Joseph didn't stop Hugo either. She also couldn't help but recall the scene that just ended, where Hugo seemed to be too immersed in his role. After the shoot, Hugo disappeared from her sight, and Joseph had been anxiously looking at the second floor. Although Nora was not an actor, she knew that adjusting one's state of mind was difficult. So after careful thought, she remained silent.

After drinking three bottles of beer in a row and drinking too quickly, Hugo started to feel a bit dizzy. He wasn't the type with a high alcohol tolerance, and chugging down whole bottles of beer suddenly made his stomach churn. If he hadn't sat down and adjusted himself in time, he would probably have vomited on the spot.

Lying dizzily on the sofa, the surrounding crew members spontaneously started a late-night party. Someone rushed out to buy more alcohol, and Hugo could clearly hear the distant and approaching noises and commotion in his ears. The people in front of him began to sway, which made Hugo realize that he was getting a bit drunk.

Closing his eyes, Hugo could feel a light and ethereal sensation of soaring through clouds and mists. Subconsciously, his right hand gently flicked on the armrest of the sofa. To others, it might seem like a mere bending of fingers, but if someone observed carefully, they would notice that Hugo was actually making the motion of strumming guitar strings.

Within the hazy fog in his mind, Hugo could sense a melody flowing like a chilling spring.

[

Am I better off dead?

Am I better off a quitter?

They say I'm better off now

Than I ever was with her

As they take me to my local down the street

I'm smiling but I'm dying trying not to drag my feet

]

All the mixed emotions turned into lyrics, performed through the sound of guitar strings. The lyrics, filled with despair, seemed to reflect the true feelings of Hugo and Sam, flowing along with the melody, releasing all the negative emotions from within. The sadness and pain in their memories dissolved bit by bit, as if erased by an eraser, melting away into the melody.

[

They say a few drinks will help me to forget her

But after one too many I know that I'll never

Only they can't see where this is gonna end

They all think I'm crazy but to me it's perfect sense

]

Hugo's smile emerged along with the melody, in the cathartic release of emotions. In that moment, the dull Hugo was fully aware that everything had truly come to an end. There was no melodrama, no turning back, no other possibilities. It just ended like this.

[

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down

'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town

I'm swearing if I go there now

I can change her mind, turn it all around

And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words

And she'll listen this time even though they're slurred

So I, dialed her number and confessed to her

I'm still in love but all I heard

Was nothing (nothing, nothing, nothing)

]

Hugo lay on the sofa, closing his eyes, feeling the ups and downs caused by alcohol. The noise and chaos around his ears made the melody in his mind even clearer, like a bright sunlight breaking through the clouds and gently shining down.

[

So I stumble there, along the railings and the fences

I know if we're face to face then she'll come to her senses

Every drunk step I take leads me to her door

If she sees how much I'm hurting, she'll take me back for sure

]

Unconsciously, memories of the past began to replay in Hugo's mind. The blurry memories from New Year's Eve gradually became clear. The first encounter between him and Uma at the premiere of "Final Analysis", their accidental reunion, and Uma's initiative to visit him... All the images of memories were so vivid but were slowly shattered within the cold sound of the guitar strings, turning into a burst of smoke and becoming the soil of memories.

[

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down

'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town

I'm swearing if I go there now

I can change her mind, turn it all around

And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words

And she'll listen this time even though they're slurred

So I, dialed her number and confessed to her

I'm still in love but all I heard

Was nothing (nothing, nothing)

]

This straightforward and unadorned lyric, under a desolate interpretation, carried a shocking impact on the soul. The excruciating pain was fully released in the gradually soaring vocals, as if a dagger had been thrust into the heart, bleeding profusely. This vivid scene was painted through Hugo's singing, forming a picture before his eyes.

[

She said nothing (nothing, nothing)

Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing

Oh, I got nothing (nothing, nothing)

I got nothing (nothing, nothing)

Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing

Ohh, sometimes love's intoxicating

Ohh, you're coming down, your hands are shaking

When you realize there's no one waiting

]

The chorus melody continued to rise, tearing the lyrics apart completely, like a broken doll, with its pieces drifting down like flying snowflakes, shredding all the sadness, pain, struggle, and entanglement in the depths of the heart.

[

Am I better off dead?

Am I better off a quitter?

They say I'm better off now

Than I ever was with her

She said nothing (nothing, nothing)

Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing

Oh, I got nothing (nothing, nothing)

I got nothing (nothing, nothing)

Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing

Oh, I got nothing (nothing, nothing, nothing)

]

Hugo lay quietly on the sofa, his chest heaving rapidly, as all the negative emotions transformed into melodies and dissipated completely. This sudden realization made Hugo abruptly open his eyes, completely sober. He realized like never before: this was the end.

This newly created song, "Nothing", perhaps portrayed the most authentic depiction of him and Uma. Perhaps there was something before, and maybe there would be something more in the future if everything went smoothly. But the reality was that they had nothing between them now, absolutely nothing.

So, this was the end.