Noen stood in the center of a vast, sterile room, framed by a seamless white background. Powerful studio lights beat down on him from every angle, making his skin glow under the high-definition lenses. He held a small pack of gum aloft, looking at it with a profound sense of boredom.
Some women ran in last minute do do the final touches on his makeup he got done just before that.
"Alright, Mr. Cain," the director's voice echoed through the studio. "Whenever you're ready, if you could just flick one piece of gum into your mouth... you remember your line afterward?"
"I know it," Noen said, his voice flat and demotivated.
"And... Action!"
Noen tossed a piece of gum into the air, caught it effortlessly in his mouth, and held the packaging toward the lens with a practiced, hollow smile. "With this fresh taste," he said, his tone dripping with irony, "Women will even want to kiss me, the System's Mockery!"
"Cut!"
The director stepped out from behind the monitors, rubbing his chin. "That was good, really, but it needs more... motivation! Don't you think? Sell the dream, Noen!"
Noen rolled his eyes, the fake smile vanishing instantly. "But come on, do I really have to say that? It's beyond corny. It's painful."
"You just have to get through it, Noen," Ignaz called out from the sidelines. He didn't even look up from the tablet he was tapping away at. "Contractual obligations. Focus."
"Yeah, yeah..." Noen muttered, adjusting his collar.
The director retreated back to his chair, waving his hand for the crew to reset. "And Act—"
Suddenly, the heavy studio doors burst open with a violent bang. The director let out a yelp of pure terror, nearly falling out of his seat. He spun around, face flushing red with anger. "What now?! We are filming!"
"Noen!"
Noen rubbed his eyes, recognizing the voice instantly. "M-Mom? What are you doing here? I was going to be home in a few hours anyway."
His mother didn't answer with words. she simply sprinted across the polished floor toward him. In her rush, her foot caught on a thick power cable snaking across the ground. "Woahh...!"
Before she could hit the hard floor, Noen blurred. He jumped down the few small stairs of the platform and caught her mid-fall, steadying her effortlessly. "Everything okay?"
She didn't let go, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace as she sank to her knees, pulling him down with her. "I missed you so... so much."
Noen felt the eyes of the entire crew on him. He awkwardly patted her on the back, his face heating up. "I wasn't even gone that long, Mom... you're embarrassing me," he whispered, though he didn't pull away.
The director gripped his forehead, looking like he was on the verge of a migraine. "C-Could you please..."
"Oh! Right! Sorry!" She scrambled to her feet, wiping a stray tear and quickly scurrying out of the camera's line of sight, though she stayed close enough to watch. "Do your best honey!" Noen rolled his eyes.
"Women will even want to kiss me, the System's Mockery!"
"CUT!"
The director burst into applause, a wide grin spreading across his face. "That was much better! We're taking that one."
Noen let out a massive sigh of relief, his shoulders finally dropping. Over on the sidelines, his mother was clapping like a wild fan at a concert, her eyes beaming with pride. But Noen felt like what his mom was putting up right now, was just a fassade.
After what felt like hours of soul-crushing paperwork, Noen, his mother, and Ignaz finally emerged from the studio into the cool night air. Ignaz slid his tablet into the inner pocket of his suit jacket with a mechanical efficiency.
"As agreed, Noen," Ignaz said, looking at the boy. "You'll sleep at your mother's place tonight. I'm going to check into a hotel just around the corner from here. I'll be in touch early tomorrow."
"Alright," Noen replied, his voice trailing off into a wide, jaw-cracking yawn. He was beyond exhausted.
His mother had brought the car. Noen climbed into the passenger seat, the familiar scent of her perfume and old upholstery wrapping around him. For a moment, it felt like he was just a normal kid again, being picked up from a long day at school.
As they pulled away from the curb and began the drive home, the silence in the car grew heavy.
"How are you doing?" she asked softly, her eyes fixed on the road. "Honestly, Noen?"
Noen stared at his reflection in the dark window. "Honestly... not really great. Way too much going on, and being made fun of on a daily basis is not that cool. What about you?"
"Well, I'm worried sick about you!" her voice cracked slightly. "Especially when you only tell me half of what's actually going on!"
Noens eyes wander downward, his hands intertwining in themselves.
"Apparently you were in a plane crash, got forced into a contract, and so so.. so much more! And what do i know? What did you tell me?" She bursts out crying, tears running down her face.
Noen looked at her, with a expression no words can describe.
"Im..im sorry."
He starts tearing up, but doesn`t want his mom to notice that, so he looks out of the window at the passing streetlights and glowing billboards, some of which now featured his own face.
It felt surreal, but not in a good way. He turned his head to look at his mother again ready to say something, but his heart stopped instead.
She was shaking. Her hands were barely gripping the steering wheel, vibrating with a violent, nervous energy.
"Mom.. slow down please."
She didn't answer. Her grip on the wheel loosened further, and the car began to drift. The steering wheel jerked as the vehicle started to veer across the white stripes.
"MOM! YOU'RE DRIVING US INTO ONCOMING TRAFFI—"
KRNKKK!