Hollywood: Lights, Ink, Entertainment!

….

[-Same Day-]

....

People poured out of the theater hall.

Groups drifted together, some in pairs, others alone, all moving in different directions, some lingering to discuss, others already onto their next plan for the evening.

Since the theater was housed inside a sprawling mall, distractions were abundant.

Bright storefronts beckoned, neon signs flickered, and the faint hum of background music mixed with the steady murmur of the crowd.

Near the theater's entrance stood a coffee shop.

A handful of moviegoers stepped inside, some seeking a place to sit and unwind, others already there, stirring their drinks as they dissected what they had just watched.

As time passed, the faces changed.

New waves of customers cycled in, fresh from their screenings, while others trickled out, their conversations lingering in the air. But no matter how often the seats emptied and filled, the topic of discussion remained the same for most of the time.

Near the counter, two men in their late twenties leaned against a tall table, their voices rising above the clink of cups. 

"Okay, what the hell, man. I am still trying to wrap my head around that ending. Cobb wasn't even real?!" - one of them rubbed his temples.

The other laughed, shaking his head. "Bro, that came outta nowhere. I was convinced Cobb was the villain. He did everything, crime, murder, and then BAM. It's all in the guy's head. The protagonist was Cobb. I nearly dropped my popcorn." 

"That last scene…" - the first man trailed off, shaking his head. "The mirror shot. His face - ugh." 

A group of college students had claimed a corner booth, surrounded by empty coffee cups and half-eaten muffins.

Their conversation was louder, the table shaking under their collective energy. 

"I don't care what anyone says." A girl in a leather jacket declared, leaning back with a smug grin. "Following is the best movie of the year. Period." 

"Nah, that ending fried my brain." The guy across from her replied, his fingers tapping nervously on his cup. "I swear I sat there for ten minutes after the credits rolled, just staring. Like, 'Cobb's not real?!' How do you even think of something like that?" 

"It's so smart, though!" another girl chimed in, her eyes gleaming. "Think about it, Cobb was just his guilt given a face. He did everything, but his mind couldn't take it, so it made Cobb up. That's... that's dark." 

The fourth member of the group, who had been quiet until now, pushed up his glasses. "Honestly? I felt like it was trying too hard. Don't get me wrong, the twists were good, but it felt like it was being clever just for the sake of it. Two twists in five minutes? Little bit." 

"What?" - the first girl snapped back, incredulous. "That's what made it brilliant." 

"You can still question things without being smacked over the head with two reveals." He argued, shrugging. "But hey, I am in the minority here. Clearly."

….

At a corner table, three friends sat together - two of them lounging lazily in their seats, scrolling through their phones, while the third was practically vibrating with excitement. 

"You guys have got to watch [Following]." The one in the middle leaned forward, elbows on the table, his voice animated. "I am serious. You don't know what you are missing." 

One of the other two, without looking up, sighed. "Dude, you have said that three times already." 

"And I will keep saying it!" He shot back, undeterred. "The ending alone is worth it. It's insane. I can't even tell you how good it was." 

"You are not telling us. That's the point." The second friend chimed in, eyes still glued to his screen. "You are just ranting." 

"Fine, fine. I won't spoil it. But listen - after the credits, they dropped the title card for [Following] Part II." He paused for dramatic effect, grinning ear to ear. "A sequel. Can you believe that? The theater went nuts. I thought people were gonna lose it." 

The first friend raised an eyebrow, unamused. "Cool. Another movie to not watch." 

"Come on, man! I am telling you, it's gonna be huge. I haven't been this hyped for a movie since, well, ever." 

Just then, another person approached their table, a smirk already playing on his lips. "Yo." He greeted, pulling up a chair. "So, you also watched Following, huh?" 

"Yeah, man!" The moviegoer straightened up, practically glowing with enthusiasm. "Have you seen it?" 

"Yeah. But…" The newcomer leaned back, pulling his phone out of his pocket with a sly smile. "Did you catch the recent interview with the actors?" 

His excitement faltered slightly. "What interview?" 

"Oh, you are gonna love this." With deliberate flair, he tapped at his screen and set the phone down in front of them. "Here. Watch this." 

Curiosity piqued, the two nonchalant friends finally looked up from their phones, leaning in just a little.

The screen played a clip of the cast being interviewed, the actress grinning as she addressed the camera. 

"There has been a lot of buzz about the end-credits scene teasing a second part." the actress said, her tone teasing. "But actually… There is no sequel. The director added that as a joke to make people leave the theater hyped. It's a one-off movie." 

The clip ended, the phone screen going dark. 

The friend who had seen the movie froze, his expression a mix of disbelief and betrayal. "No… no way. You are lying." 

The newcomer smirked, clearly enjoying this. "Felt the same way, man. That's why I wanted to share the pain." 

The other two friends, who had been disinterested only moments before, exchanged looks.

Then they burst into laughter. 

"You have been hyping up a sequel that doesn't even exist?" The first friend said between laughs. 

"Damn, that's rough." The second added, grinning as he leaned back in his chair. "But you know what? Now I have to see what got you so worked up." 

The moviegoer slumped in his seat, staring blankly at the table. "I feel like my heart just got ripped out." 

"Sounds like it." The newcomer tucked his phone away, still smirking. "At least we are all sad together now." 

As the laughter faded, the two who hadn't seen the movie glanced at each other again, their mild amusement giving way to curiosity. 

"Alright, fine." One of them muttered. "I might actually go check it out."

"Yeah." The other agreed, grinning. "If it messed you up that bad, it's gotta be worth watching." 

The friend who had been so excited a moment ago groaned, shaking his head as the others laughed again. The hype he had tried so hard to sell had backfired, but at least now they were on board - even if it came at his expense.

….

Keanu, Grace, and Andrew stepped into the room, fresh from the talk show.

"Grace, you nailed that interview." Keanu shot her a thumbs-up, dragging a chair over with a scrape and flipping it around to sit backward, arms draped over the backrest.

Despite the casual stance, there was a hint of irritation in his voice.

Andrew and Grace took their seats beside him.

Regal, catching the tension, asked. "Huh? What happened?"

Andrew sighed. "Keanu's sulking because the interviewer called the movie a fluke."

Regal's reaction was immediate - a loud, carefree laugh. "Ha! That's all?" He turned to Keanu with mock concern. "Tell me you didn't lose it on live TV."

Before Keanu could retort, Andrew cut in. "Thankfully, he didn't."

Regal nodded in approval. "Good."

The door swung open just then, and a sharply dressed man strode in, phone in one hand.

He was the person that was appointed as the PR manager from the Red pictures.

Regal turned to him. "So? How did it go?"

The man gave a small nod, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. "It's done. The interview is scheduled for this evening."

Regal's expression shifted slightly, approval flashing across his face. "Nice work."

He turned back to the trio. "You heard him. We have got work to do."

The man suddenly pulled a tablet from under his arm and handed it to Regal. "Before that, you need to see this."

Regal took it without a word, tapping play.

At first, his expression remained neutral. Then, out of nowhere, laughter erupted from him, his shoulders shaking as he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh, you guys have to see this." He said between chuckles, sliding the tablet toward Grace.

Grace hesitated, eyeing him warily. "What am I looking at?"

Regal grinned, still recovering. "Just watch."

Grace held the tablet steady as the three of them leaned in, their reactions unfolding in real time.

On the screen, a fan sat on the floor, gripping his head like his world had just crumbled.

"What do you mean there is no second part?!" He wailed at the camera. "No sequel?! I have been hyped for nothing?!"

Behind the camera, the person filming snickered. "Dude, you were so ready. You even gave a speech about watching it twice."

The fan shot a murderous glare at the lens, his voice cracking. "I hate you. I am seeing it again today. Alone."

Andrew let out a short laugh. Grace remained perfectly composed, though the corners of her lips twitched ever so slightly.

Keanu exhaled through his nose, arms crossed, but there was no mistaking the faint smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth.

Regal leaned back, setting the tablet on the table with a smirk still plastered on his face.

"Well." He said, turning to the man beside him. "Looks like we just found our next promotional clip."

.

….

[To be continued…]

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