Tears

After Hugo finished performing this newly created song, "Home", he felt a gradual calmness in his longing heart. When he called his father this morning, it awakened Hugo's yearning for home. Then, after experiencing the unexpected incident at Joseph's home, although Hugo never showed it, deep inside, he still carried a heavy burden.

But now, all his emotions were poured into this song, "Home". After Hugo finished singing, he felt a bit overwhelmed with emotions. He couldn't help but lower his gaze, allowing the sadness and nostalgia in his mind to slowly settle down.

This song, "Home", was spontaneously created by Hugo just now. Originally, he intended to compose a soothing jazz-style love song, but as the melody took shape, it incorporated some elements of rhythm and blues.

Rhythm and blues, originating in the 1940s, had gained a certain level of recognition after years of development. However, it was never truly embraced by the masses until the late 1980s after the end of disco music. It was in this era that rhythm and blues, blending African-American soul, funk, pop, and hip-hop, finally took shape and gradually gained a place in the music market. Throughout the 1990s, rhythm and blues occasionally produced excellent works and became an indispensable part of popular music. After entering the 21st century, it experienced a complete explosion and became the most important component of pop music.

For Hugo, the influence of rhythm and blues music was undeniable. So, when he was composing in a jazz style earlier, the styles of pop and rhythm and blues permeated the endings and note transitions, making the entire song filled with indescribable romantic vibes. Even without intentionally stirring up emotions, it created an incredible emotional effect.

Compared to the several rock-style songs he had been creating continuously, today's creation of "Home" undoubtedly brought richer rewards to Hugo, giving him a further experience in music composition. However, such opportunities are rare and cannot be sought. The consecutive unexpected incidents today suddenly sparked inspiration in Hugo's mind, and the final composition came together effortlessly. But if he were to continue creating another song, he would lack the motivation. Nevertheless, the understanding of "Home" in this song would be enough for Hugo to savor for some time.

Hugo's restless emotions finally calmed down. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Charlize's teary-eyed expression across from him. Hugo had originally wanted to remind Charlize, "You're playing the role of a passerby, and it won't end well if you start crying, let alone consider makeup." But then Hugo realized it wasn't just Charlize; even in the dazzling sunset around them, he could see tears glistening.

Looking up, Hugo noticed that the crowd surrounding them had grown to over thirty people. They encircled Hugo and Charlize, each person wearing a different expression—longing, moved, reminiscent, thoughtful, and sorrowful. Home held a different meaning in each person's heart, but undoubtedly, it was the deepest secret in everyone's heart. And at this moment, awakened by Hugo's singing, people's nostalgia for home was inevitable, and a surge of emotions followed.

The sentence "I wanna go home" was so sincere and genuine, blooming into the most touching bouquet of emotions.

Every tear sparkled with beauty, shaking Hugo's soul. Although he was the one performing this song, he couldn't imagine how his singing touched the crowd before him. The impact of their shimmering tears was no less powerful than the emotional intensity of the song "Home" itself. This was the first time Hugo firmly believed that music had the power to move people's hearts.

And all of this was caused by Hugo himself, something he had never dared to imagine before. Even though he had sung the theme song for "A Few Good Men", Hugo still didn't have much thought about being a lead singer. However, today, the audience's reactions made Hugo believe that he could become an excellent singer, that he had such capability.

Neil applauded, almost unable to control the surge in his heart. He continued to rhythmically clap his hands, using this direct gesture to express his admiration for this singer. As a street performer himself, Neil had seen many talented singers in the streets and alleys of Los Angeles. But the singers who truly captured Neil's heart were rare, perhaps due to the competition among peers or the confidence and pride in his own profession.

However, today, Neil was truly impressed by this singer, not because of how outstanding his vocal skills were. In fact, during the performance of the song "Home", the singer had been avoiding showy techniques and instead conveyed the most genuine emotions of the song in a simple and plain manner. But it was precisely this that highlighted the singer's excellence. He understood how to interpret music in the most authentic way, rather than merely pursuing technical prowess. This was a fact that many professional singers had failed to grasp.

What was even more remarkable was the singer's indescribably enchanting voice and incredible rendition, which fully showcased the emotions in the melody and lyrics. It was a talent, flawless talent, that left people no choice but to applaud.

Wiping away the tears on his cheeks, Neil looked misty-eyed at the lively scene before him, unable to contain the surge and excitement in his heart: he wanted to get to know this singer!

With the first round of applause, followed by the applause of the other onlookers, it resounded warmly. At this moment, it felt as if this place had turned into a grand stage, and everyone was offering their sincere respect through applause to the performers. Perhaps the applause of over thirty people couldn't be described as earth-shattering, but this scene became the most brilliant moment on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as the sun set.

Streetlights illuminated the scene with a warm glow, shining upon the wanderer and the young man—Charlize and Hugo. The first elderly lady who had stepped forward exclaimed, "Worth every penny!" After saying that, she burst into laughter, and laughter echoed around.

Subsequently, more people came forward and dropped five dollars into Hugo's open guitar case. The crowd gradually swarmed around, expressing their appreciation for Hugo while leaving Charlize with a fierce look. It had to be said that Hugo and Charlize's performance was spot-on.

Charlize successfully portrayed the image of a beggar trying to extort money, intentionally playing tricks. It wasn't easy to pretend to accidentally reveal one's true emotions in a performance. It could easily come off as fake or insufficient. To truly make the audience understand the intricacies, it was not an easy task.

Hugo's performance was even more impressive. His portrayal of a vulnerable yet determined young boy effortlessly gained the sympathy of the crowd. And with the song "Home", he awakened everyone's longing for home, stirring up their emotions as Thanksgiving approached.

Looking at the slowly accumulating bills and coins in the guitar case, Hugo couldn't count them precisely, but he was certain that it was at least over four hundred dollars. He had seen several twenty-dollar bills, so it was possible that the total could even exceed five hundred dollars. The overflowing guitar case showed the support people had for Hugo. This level of gratitude was difficult to express in words.

Hugo and Charlize exchanged glances, both showing satisfied expressions. Then Hugo gave two police officers a nod before standing up with his guitar. The onlookers immediately started cheering, "Go on, young man, go on, don't give up!" Everyone expressed their support in this way, hoping that the "injured" passerby's plan would not succeed.

Hugo felt a bit embarrassed by these calls because everything that had just happened was a performance. To put it nicely, it was art, but to put it bluntly, it was deceiving everyone's emotions. "Thank you, thank you," Hugo spoke first, causing the voices of the crowd to ease. "I'm very grateful for everyone's support, allowing me to feel a hint of warmth in this city."

In the beginning, the crowd had been indifferent, but step by step, they were moved by the interaction between Hugo and Charlize. In the end, they succumbed to the touching song "Home". Despite everything, the crowd extended a helping hand, showing that warmth still existed in this city.

Hugo paused for a moment, then gestured towards Charlize, who was still sitting beside him. With Hugo's action, Charlize stood up, instantly causing a stir among the crowd. It was evident that Charlize had truly attracted countless hatred. Hugo couldn't help but smile. "I have to be honest. Actually, both of us are young actors in training. I am Hugo Lancaster, and this is my friend Charlize Theron. Everything that happened just now was a self-directed performance. We wanted to test our acting abilities in front of the public, but we didn't expect the result to be so unexpected and receive everyone's support. Thank you all for your affirmation."

Hugo's words silenced the surrounding crowd, leaving everyone dumbfounded as they stared at him. Meanwhile, Neil, who was standing among the crowd, was completely confused. He began asking people around him what was going on. At the same time, Hugo started explaining the whole story to everyone, occasionally eliciting sighs of realization from the crowd.

After finishing the explanation, someone in the crowd raised their voice and asked, "What about the police officers?"

Hugo turned his head to look at the two police officers and smiled. "We explained the situation to them and asked for their assistance. Thank you very much!" Then Hugo waved to Charlize, who walked over to his side. The two of them stood side by side and bowed slightly in apology to the audience. "We apologize for our actions here and also express our gratitude to all of you."

Afterward, Hugo pointed to the guitar case next to them. "As for these funds..."

"Keep them," the old lady exclaimed, causing the crowd to chuckle. "What's the name of that song again?"

"Home," Hugo replied. Such a simple word, yet it contained so many profound emotions.

"Hey, are you the handsome high school student who acted beside Al Pacino?" someone in the crowd raised their voice and asked.

Hugo laughed lightly. "Yes, I am that handsome high school student." His self-praise elicited another burst of laughter from the crowd.