Hugo found the world truly fascinating. The mysterious music student who lived on the fourth floor turned out to be the same drummer he had met at the Rock Night event—Hugin.
His full name was Droupnir Hugin Reinhard, though everyone called him Hugin for short. Clearly German, he was in Los Angeles to study music. He and Hugo were about the same age, and Hugin had already been studying music back in Germany. Yet, driven by his dream and passion for music, he had packed up and come to America—the heart of the music industry to see the broader world.
Currently, Hugin had his own band called "A Brand New Day." They were fairly well-known in the underground rock scene. When he wasn't attending classes, he was either performing or hanging out with friends, rarely spending time at home. That was why Hugo hadn't met him until now.
"So, planning to show off tonight?" Hugin asked after just two sentences, instantly steering the conversation toward music. The fire in his deep eyes revealed his burning passion—a clear sign that he was eager to challenge Hugo again.
Ever since their first meeting at Rock Night, Hugin had been deeply impressed by Hugo's talent, yet not completely convinced. After all, Hugo had only shown a glimpse of his ability that night. Hugin couldn't wait for another showdown—not to prove who was better, but to explore the endless possibilities of music itself. That thought alone made his blood race.
Hugo couldn't help but laugh at Hugin's intensity. "Oh, no—not tonight. Tonight belongs to New Year's Eve. It belongs to everyone, not to any one person or special performance." After such an exhausting day, all Hugo wanted was to relax completely. "But of course," he added with a grin, "you know where I live."
Hugo's humor made Hugin chuckle. The German slapped Hugo heartily on the shoulder. "Then I'll look forward to next time—don't let me down."
Hugo raised an eyebrow, smiling. "You'd better hope the one disappointed won't be me." That made Hugin burst into laughter.
Soon, Alex dragged Hugin off to play darts, while Joseph and Kal went to watch. Leonardo and Tobey had gone to line up for beer. Charlize, holding her own beer, walked over to Hugo and took a long sip. "Where's your beer? You're not exactly blending in with the party mood."
Hugo had only just arrived and hadn't even had time to grab a drink. He smiled at her. "I'm pretty sure you're not old enough to drink yet. Where's your driver's license? Show it to me so I can check!"
Charlize was only eighteen—not yet of legal drinking age—but she wasn't flustered in the slightest. She rolled her eyes. "Talking about the law at a party? That's the worst way to kill the vibe, don't you know?"
Hugo couldn't help but laugh.
"And that outfit," Charlize went on, shaking her head, "you're practically begging people to call you an idiot."
Almost everyone else at the party was dressed casually, so Hugo's black suit looked completely out of place. For some reason, that made him think of his earlier conversation with Uma about what to wear tonight. He took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside, and pointed to his chest. "Didn't you notice the highlight of this outfit?"
Charlize spotted the mistletoe pinned to his lapel and burst into laughter. "Don't tell me you wore that because you were hungry?"
Her unexpected joke made Hugo laugh heartily. The red berries on the mistletoe were edible, which made the comment even funnier.
After laughing together, Charlize fell silent for a moment. She noticed Uma hadn't shown up but wasn't sure what had happened or whether she should ask. After hesitating for a bit, she finally said, "So… how did things go tonight?"
Earlier, when Alex and Kal had greeted Hugo, they'd been too excited to mention "The Firm." Now that Charlize brought it up, Hugo's smile faltered for a moment. Then, trying to sound casual, he said, "Not great. My part's over." He even pulled a funny face to lighten the mood—but it didn't really work.
Charlize gave him a look full of mock disdain. "So, you're disappointed. Heartbroken?"
Her words caught Hugo off guard, and irritation flickered across his face. She had no idea what had happened that day. His disappointment wasn't just about The Firm—there were many reasons. He opened his mouth to argue but couldn't find the words. There was simply too much to explain.
Charlize kept going. "Was missing out on that project your fault?"
Hugo froze, thought for a moment, then shook his head. Charlize nodded. "Exactly. Some idiot once told me there are a lot of things in this world we can't control—like earthquakes, or hurricanes. Life's the same way. As long as we've done our best, that's enough. The result? Let it be. Especially when failure isn't your fault—there's no point in feeling disappointed. If it is your fault, fix it, pick yourself back up. If not, learn from it and move on with a smile."
Hugo looked at Charlize's defiant expression and couldn't help but laugh. The "idiot" she mentioned earlier was actually him. Not long ago, he'd told her almost the exact same thing when she'd spent months struggling to find work. Back then, he'd told her to focus on honing her acting skills, so when an opportunity came, she'd be ready. Sure enough, not long after, Charlize landed her first role.
He hadn't expected that tonight, she'd be the one throwing his own advice back at him and it genuinely amused him.
"That idiot didn't tell you," Hugo said, smiling, "that sometimes we all know the right thing to do but when it really happens, it's hard to follow our own advice. Like musicians—we know chasing a dream can be foolish. We may never be Michael Jackson or The Beatles, yet people still keep chasing that dream anyway."
Charlize took another sip of beer. "That's why we need friends. Friends remind us, guide us—so when we lose our way, we can find the right path again."
Hugo laughed—a deep, genuine laugh from the heart.
Seeing that, Charlize understood something too. She and Hugo were simply friends. There was no need to avoid Uma or act awkward around her. Just like earlier that afternoon, when Uma showed up, Charlize didn't need to hide or feel nervous. There was nothing between her and Hugo that couldn't stand in the open.
"So," Charlize said with a teasing smile, "where's your girl?"
Hugo kept the same easy smile on his face and shrugged. "She stayed behind."
"Hey, man, she probably wanted you to stay with her," Charlize said with mock irritation. "You're so not considerate. Not gentlemanly at all."
Hugo gave a dry chuckle. "If I remember correctly, you're supposed to be my friend, right?"
"But I'm a girl," Charlize said, shrugging playfully.
"And I need a friend," Hugo shot back through gritted teeth, glaring at her in mock frustration.
Charlize sighed dramatically, pretending to give in. "Alright, alright, poor big guy. But seriously—why did you leave her there alone?"
"Because I think my friends need me," Hugo said, pausing for a moment before adding softly, "not those… directors and producers." He sighed again. "Besides, I need my friends too—not fake smiles and calculated small talk."
Charlize blinked at him, slightly surprised, then smirked. "You're not much of a boyfriend, you know that?"
That made Hugo bristle instantly, his expression tightening but before he could retort, Charlize added quickly, "But you are a good friend… and a good man. A loyal one."
Hugo stared at her, caught between annoyance and embarrassment, his expression a mix of defiance and resignation. Charlize couldn't help laughing at the sight. "Alright, then. Forget about everything else for now. Let's welcome the New Year with your friends. What do you say—want a drink?"
Hugo looked around. "Still waiting on my first beer."
Just then, Leonardo and Tobey came over, each carrying four glasses of beer, grinning from ear to ear. They passed them out to everyone who didn't have one, and Hugo was the first to get his. He raised his glass high and shouted, "To the New Year! To friendship!"
The small crowd around him—friends and strangers alike—instantly lifted their glasses, laughing and echoing, "To the New Year! To friendship!" Then, all together, they drank.
Hugo felt the cold beer slide down his throat into his stomach, the refreshing chill making him shiver. Tilting his head back, he decided to finish the whole glass in one go. He drank so fast that some of the beer spilled, trickling down his neck and soaking into his shirt. When he finally slammed the empty glass down on the table with a satisfying bang, he grinned, peeled off his wet suit jacket, and tossed it aside.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you guys are stopping after one sip—that's pathetic!"
Provoked by Hugo's challenge, Leonardo was the first to crack. "Who says I'm stopping?" he yelled, and immediately tilted his head back to chug. The rest followed suit, unwilling to be outdone. Even Charlize refused to back down—she downed her whole glass in one go, matching the men shot for shot.
Hugo's grin widened as he lifted his right hand high. "So," he shouted over the cheers, "who's ready for another round?"
...
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