Chapter 37

Jasmine couldn't help it.

The expression on the robber's face made it seem like he had everything under his control.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm watching a video. It's hilarious."

"Really? Can I take a look?"

"Sure," Jasmine said, shifting her position to give the other person a better view, then returning her attention to the ongoing video.

On the screen,

The waitress appeared completely oblivious, not understanding the other person's reference.

However, upon seeing the gun pointed at her, she nervously tried to explain.

"Sir, I don't know what game you're talking about; I don't play games."

"Heehehe, you don't want to play games? Is that some kind of code? Fine! I'm in." The robber chuckled slightly, his voice lowering as he noticed a bald guy not far away glancing their way.

A while later,

After ensuring no one was watching, the robber resumed his intimidating tone.

"What was I saying?"

"Uh, the secret code?"

"That's right! The code? Is that how you wanna play? Very well. It doesn't matter what you think! I can see through you! Like an open book, I can read your every thought in that little head of yours..." The robber glanced at the name card on the waitress's chest, but it was written in cursive, causing him to pause.

"... It's Angel, sir." The female waitress, seemingly understanding his intention, hesitantly replied.

"Oh, Angel, is it? How lovely, how pure, how gorgeous fufufu-" The robber halted his monologue again as the same bald guy from before glanced at their location once more.

A few seconds later, after the guy turned away from them,

"But anyway, you believe I can't control you without a gun, right? Why do you think so?"

The robber asked with a knowing expression.

"B-because... I won't feel threatened without it?" The female waitress, Angel, hesitated, but seeing the gun pointed at her, she gulped and answered honestly.

"Oh, you think I can't shoot from a distance?"

"W-well, I'm not saying that, sir-."

"Heh, I can see through your lies, like an open book."

"..."

"But, what if I told you I could aim the gun at your head even from a distance?" The man smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"B-but others can see you if you point the gun at me, right?"

"If I hide it under my clothes, no one can see it!" The man replied confidently, miming the action of concealing a gun beneath his shirt. Then, with a confident expression, he proceeded to say, "See? That's how you play mind games! Use your mind!"

"B-but, c-can you shoot me with it hidden underneath your clothes?" The waitress believed it and felt nervous, but she mustered the courage to ask.

"Well, I don't know, but I know it's either you die or I miss my shot. And apparently, I have five shots, so I can fail once, but no one can say if I could fail five times."

"..."

"..."

The two locked eyes, and the screen transitioned to show close-ups of their faces, while the background sounds grew increasingly intense.

Until the waitress finally broke the silence, causing the two girls watching the video to burst into laughter as they couldn't contain their amusement at the absurdity of the conversation.

Jasmine, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

In her opinion, the whole thing should be just an ordinary scene.

It was silly and even corny, but somehow, the way they delivered the lines, their expressions and tones, the atmosphere, the background music, and the camera's angles made it very cinematic and hilarious.

"Oh, god, what did I just watch?" Jasmine couldn't help but ask as she wiped tears of joy from her eyes.

"Pfft! It's so funny, I swear. How can they say those lines with a straight face?" The girl beside her laughed as well while clutching her stomach...

...

Back on the screen.

"I'm sorry, I don't get it," the female waitress said as she broke the silence.

"It doesn't matter. Just do what I say!"

"Fine, I'm doing it!"

As tension gripped the restaurant, Angel, the waitress, hesitated, her anxiety palpable.

Unbeknownst to the oblivious diners engrossed in their meals, she carefully made her way toward the cash register, her steps measured and cautious.

Behind the counter, Denice, her coworker, continued her routine with a genuine smile, completely unaware of the unfolding drama.

Angel's footsteps seemed to echo softly on the tiled floor as she approached the cash register.

Her trembling hands gripped her apron's edge as she fought back her fear.

Denice looked up, her cheerful demeanor unshaken. "Oh, Angel, what can I help you with?"

Angel took a deep breath, her throat dry with apprehension. "Denice, give me the money from the cash register," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"..." 

On the screen, the smile on the face of the cashier froze, and then all of a sudden, the screen darkened.

In a darkroom, a certain duo could be seen bound in a chair as a bright spot light was directed at them.

Behind the spot light, a vague figure could be seen behind the table, tapping his finger from time to time as he read the documents before him.

"Okay, let me get this straight. Did the two of you really rob the restaurant?" The voice sounded skeptical while he looked at the two suspects.

"No!" 

"Yes!"

The screen abruptly turned black and the word "the end" popped in the middle, leaving both girls hanging.

"Wow, is that the end?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Maybe there's a part two?"

"Hmm, let me see," Jasmin said as she checked the video description and found that there was a link that was directed to Youtube. "I'm not sure if it's part two, but it says, whole video?"

"Oh, then hurry and play it immediately!"

Complying with her request, Jasmine clicked through it and soon was redirected to a YouTube channel called 'Nouveau Studio'

The channel was relatively new, and there are only a few hundred subscribers and a single video on its upload lists.

So far, it has only had several thousand views, and the video title was "Episode 1: Restaurant Skits."

"Skits and sketches are the same, right?" The girl couldn't help but ask.

"Technically yes, but skits are on the screen and sketches are on the stage," Jasmine briefly explained from what she remembered.

Soon after clicking the video, the screen turns black, and like before, the familiar logo and title appear on the screen.

Soon, the video began, and they found themselves once again watching the same skit, unable to resist its humor despite having seen it before.

However, their anticipation for a second part was met with disappointment as the video smoothly transitioned to another skit. Nonetheless, they continued to watch.

The setting remained in the same restaurant.

In this new skit, a man took center stage with a nervous proposal, but the woman's reaction was far from expected. Instead of laughter or exaggerated rejection, she surprised everyone by calmly admitting that she was transgender.

This revelation sent shockwaves through the restaurant, causing the man's eyes to widen in fear. He scrambled away in comically exaggerated fright, adding a unique twist to the scene.

Amidst the chaos, the woman called out to the fleeing man, her voice tinged with sincerity, "Wait! Can you accept me, even now that you know my secret?"

Her heartfelt question added an unexpected layer of depth to the humorous scene, making it all the more memorable.

The video continued with one skit after another, each delivering its own brand of humor. Laughter filled the room, and they lost track of time.

In total, there are five different skits, each lasting four to five minutes, making the entire video 23 minutes long.