The movie had taken a serious turn.
The main character, a charming but reckless guy who thought he could play with people's emotions without consequence, was now cornered.
His flirty, carefree lifestyle had backfired in the worst way possible, and now he had to make a choice.
He could choose to fix the mess he had created or run from it like the coward he had always been.
The music swelled, the dramatic lighting cast heavy shadows over the protagonist's devastated face, and Hugo, of all people, actually felt his heart clench a little.
Wait. What?
Hugo blinked, momentarily forgetting to chew on the popcorn in his mouth. Was he...relating to this dude?
The same guy he had been cursing at for the past hour?
Hugo had spent the whole movie roasting this fool, calling him every insult in his vocabulary, yet now, as the guy stared at his reflection in the mirror, questioning his own actions, Hugo felt something...deep.
Was this a warning from the universe? A cinematic slap to his soul?
Hugo shifted in his seat, rubbing his chin like a wise old sage. Maybe...just maybe...he needed to slow down a little.
He had been feeling himself a little too much lately, thanks to his glowing-up journey. It wasn't intentional in the least, but it was true nonetheless.
Just because he had become a bit more handsome didn't mean he could go around like some untouchable romance god.
Flirty Karma was basically telling him, "Relax, bro. Or else."
Hugo sighed. 'Alright, message received.'
He would take things slow for now. After he solved the monthly mission, that is.
After all, he needed to at least smell good if he wanted to have any chance if completing the death mission in 3 months time.
He reached for more popcorn, still contemplating his life choices, but just as his fingers brushed against the buttery goodness—he touched something else.
Something soft. Something warm. Loli's hand.
For a second, both of them froze. Hugo's body tensed.
He could practically hear a tiny version of himself in his head, running in circles, screaming, "WHAT NOW?!"
Loli moved first. She tried to pull away from him.
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Not happening!
Hugo reacted on instinct, gently wrapping his fingers around hers, holding her hand in place.
Not too tight, just firm enough that she wouldn't escape so easily. He turned his head toward her, his gaze steady despite the pounding in his chest.
"Still mad at me?" he whispered, his voice soft but teasing.
Loli stiffened, but she didn't pull away again. Instead, she scoffed lightly. "Who said I was mad?"
Hugo smirked. "Oh? So you ignore my texts for days just because you were busy?"
She huffed, eyes still fixed on the screen. "Maybe."
Hugo didn't let up. He leaned in just a little, his voice dropping lower. "Loli, come on. We both know you're mad. And we both know why."
For the first time since he grabbed her hand, she turned to face him.
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable—anger, hesitation, maybe even...vulnerability? Hugo's smirk faded a little.
"You disappointed me," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hugo felt that.
Not "you annoyed me." Not "you pissed me off." Disappointed. That stung in a way he wasn't expecting.
Okay, this was getting a little serious!
For the last time, they weren't even dating!
He swallowed. There was no point trying to lie anymore. It was better to simply own up like a true man.
"I know. And I'm sorry."
Loli's fingers twitched under his, but she still didn't pull away. She looked back at the screen, but Hugo could tell she wasn't really watching anymore.
"It's cool?" she muttered. "I'm not mad anymore?"
Hugo exhaled. "I want to know something, though. Why did it make you so mad? I mean, I know I messed up, but... were you really that hurt?"
Loli's jaw clenched. Silence. Then—
"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, still facing the screen. "It's not just about what you did. It's about—" She hesitated, then sighed, her voice smaller now. "It's about how and who you did it with."
Hugo's heart did a weird little flip. "Who did it with?" he echoed, watching her closely.
His first thought was that she knew Celine before and they were enemies, but upon thinking about it deeper, he realized it was something else.
Loli finally turned to him again, this time with something intense in her gaze. "You're so frustrating, Hugo."
Hugo blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in her voice. "Uh...thanks?"
She huffed, shaking her head. "No, I mean—you just—ugh! You act like things don't affect you!
"Like you're just going through life, flirting and joking and—just—being you, and it's like nothing ever means much to you! But it does, doesn't it? It has to!
"Because if it doesn't, then what the hell are we even doing here? What am I doing here?!"
Hugo opened his mouth, but Loli wasn't done. She kept going, her words coming faster, like she was venting out thoughts she hadn't even realized she was holding in.
"And the worst part? You're too smooth! Like, it should be illegal to talk the way you do! You say things and do things like—like you have the whole world figured out, like you already know how everything is gonna play out, and it's not fair, okay?!
"Because I don't! I don't know anything! I don't know why I let you talk me into things, I don't know why I agreed to come here, I don't know why I spent time getting ready when I was still mad at you, and I sure as hell don't know why I'm even telling you all this right now—"
Hugo watched her with raised brows, resisting the urge to smirk. "You done?"
Loli groaned, covering her face with her hands. "No! Because—ugh! I don't even know how to explain it! It's just—you make me feel things, Hugo. Stupid things.
"Things I wasn't supposed to feel. And I don't even know if I'm mad about what you did or mad about the fact that I cared so much!"
Hugo's smirk slowly faded as he watched her struggle with her words. He could tell this wasn't easy for her.
Loli wasn't the type to spill her emotions like this. It wasn't her style. But here she was, trying.
He tilted his head, voice softer now. "Loli."
She tensed.
"Do you like me?"
Loli froze.
For a second, she just stared at him like he had asked the dumbest question in the world.
Then, her expression turned into something more stubborn, like she was gearing up for a fight she knew she wouldn't win.
She scoffed, crossing her arms. "So what if I like you?"
Boom.
Hugo's brain stopped working for a second.
She realized what she just admitted and immediately looked like she wanted to punch him and run away at the same time.
"It doesn't mean anything!" she added quickly, as if that would soften the impact of her words.
"I mean—ugh! You're annoying! And stupid! And—and you make me mad! And now you're smiling, which is making me even madder, so just—ugh! Forget it!"
Hugo barely heard the rest. His mind was still stuck on the first part.
She. Likes. Him.
Oh, this was it. This was the moment!
He didn't think. He didn't hesitate. He moved.
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Hugo leaned in and kissed her!
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