The movie Scent of a Woman began. When Hugo saw the words "Hugo Lancaster" appear on the big screen, he didn't react at first. Although he had completely gotten used to this new name by now, the familiarity that struck him in that moment didn't hit him immediately. It wasn't until the name disappeared that Hugo realized it was referring to himself. The feeling was magical and subtle.
The school scenery full of classical charm, the tranquility and solemnity of early winter could be seen in every corner of the campus. As the class bell rang, students dressed in suits and ties instantly filled the school corridors. Then, Hugo's tall and upright figure appeared on the big screen in front of the bulletin board. He was checking the information about Thanksgiving job postings, and he quickly confirmed his target.
With defined features, intense eyes, red lips and white teeth, a straight nose, handsome and slender figure, and a gentle elegance almost flawless. Hugo stunned quite a few people with his appearance alone.
Four idle students were chatting on the lawn bench, one of them even smoking. When they saw the dorm supervisor driving a Jaguar onto campus, they were full of complaints and disbelief. They suspected the supervisor had gotten the luxury car by sucking up to others. Clearly, they disdained his every move.
The ringleader, Harry, was planning a Thanksgiving vacation. They saw Charlie, who was looking for a job, and jokingly invited him to join them, like a little charity from the rich during the holidays. Charlie, being a scholarship student, couldn't afford any kind of vacation.
Following the information from the job posting, Charlie arrived at the Ross residence. He needed the job to earn money for a plane ticket to go home for Christmas. That was when he first met Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, the man he would be looking after for the weekend. Frank hadn't even shown up yet, and his reputation alone already terrified the young and inexperienced Charlie.
"Sir?" Charlie stepped into the room, knocking on the wooden hallway.
"Don't call me 'sir'!" Frank's voice reminded Charlie of Mrs. Ross's earlier warning.
Charlie became nervous at once. "I—I'm sorry." His eyes darted around anxiously, "I meant 'sir,' Colonel."
"Oh, they sent me an idiot, didn't they?"
Such blunt words made Charlie immediately flustered. He turned toward the door, as if hoping Mrs. Ross, who had already left, would come to his rescue. "No, sir… Uh, that is…" He nervously pulled out the job posting from his pocket, trying to find the right title on it. "Uh… Lieutenant, yes, sir, Lieu…"
"Lieutenant Colonel! Served twenty-six years, never been demoted four ranks in one breath." Frank's rebuke made Hugo lower his gaze, revealing confusion and helplessness. He slightly pursed his dry lips, standing there awkwardly. "Get in here, moron!" Frank's angry voice prompted Charlie to step inside.
Frank, sitting on the sofa, had a cigarette ashtray in his left hand and whiskey in his right. Even without moving, he exuded supreme authority. It was obvious he wasn't easy to deal with. Indeed, Frank was once a war hero, but he went blind due to an accident. This led to a strange transformation he became irritable, foul-mouthed, moody, cynical, and constantly mocked and shouted at Charlie. Even toward his own family, the Rosses, he showed no mercy, which left Charlie at a complete loss.
Charlie didn't think he could handle the job, but was eventually persuaded by Mrs. Ross to take it for the three hundred dollars.
That night, Charlie worked at the library. Right before closing time, George was still there working on a report due the next day. After borrowing his books, George and Charlie left together. They unexpectedly saw the other three students, led by Harry, hanging a balloon filled with white paint above the dorm supervisor's parking space, clearly planning a prank.
Just then, Mrs. Hunsaker, a teacher, walked over and spotted George and Charlie. To keep their friends from being caught, George distracted her. Still, the noise Harry and the others made while leaving caught her attention. But George managed to smooth things over with his slick words again.
The next morning, as the dorm supervisor arrived and just parked his car, the school broadcast aired a sarcastic message mocking him and implying he got the Jaguar by "selling his ass." The entire student body gathered to watch. Meanwhile, the balloon above the parking space was being inflated, wobbling over the car. Enraged, the supervisor climbed onto his car and tried to pop the balloon with his keys. He succeeded and the white paint inside poured all over him and completely ruined the Jaguar.
The crowd of students burst into applause, cheering and thrilled. But this completely infuriated the supervisor. Mrs. Hunsaker had already told him that Charlie and George were eyewitnesses, so he began interrogating them. Out of loyalty, both refused to cooperate. The supervisor then declared that on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a school-wide meeting would be held. If there was no resolution by then, Charlie and George would be expelled.
After the threats, the supervisor kept Charlie back. Unlike George, who was a slacker, Charlie was a top student. So the supervisor tempted him, offering a full scholarship to Harvard if he revealed the truth hitting Charlie's greatest weakness directly.
On one side were the rich kids who looked down on him; on the other, revealing the truth meant a full Harvard scholarship, while staying silent meant expulsion. The choice seemed obvious. But Charlie still said nothing. The supervisor told him to think it over during the Thanksgiving weekend.
Afterward, George immediately found Charlie and made a pact: "We'll never sell out a friend, and we won't tell our parents. Everyone keeps their mouth shut. Most importantly, never, ever abandon a teammate." George said to give him a few hours to think of a plan, and asked Charlie to call him later.
Weighed down by thoughts, Charlie returned to the Ross home. After sending the Ross family off, he went to Frank's cabin and was met with a string of baffling instructions. Then Charlie was told they were going to New York. This threw him into panic. He thought he'd just spend a weekend watching over a grumpy blind man, but now they were heading to New York, the biggest city in the world. Charlie was completely caught off guard, and before he could respond, they were already at the airport.
In first class, Frank sipped on fine Jack Daniel's and began showing off his remarkable skill of identifying women by their scent. He could name every perfume, even describe a woman's appearance just from her scent and accent. This left Charlie dumbfounded, and the audience too. Frank, leisurely and with a hint of melancholy, said,
"Women… what can you say? God is one hell of a genius."
"Hair. Hair is the most important part. Have you ever buried your nose in a cloud of soft curls and just drifted off to sleep? And lips, when they just brush against yours like the first sip of water after crossing a desert. Nipples, ha—big ones, small ones, staring right at you like secret searchlights. And legs, whether they're perfectly proportioned or like a second-hand Steinway piano between them lies… the passport to paradise."
Frank was immersed in his reverie. Charlie, shy and restrained, couldn't hide the blush on his face and neither could the audience.
"There are only two syllables in this world that sound the most beautiful: pu-ssy." Frank's bold words left Charlie completely at a loss, and all he could do was let out an awkward smile. Charlie said, "I guess you really like women."
"Oh, more than anything," Frank confirmed without hesitation. "A distant second to women is Ferrari."
After arriving in New York by first class, the two checked into a luxury suite at the Waldorf Hotel. All of this made Charlie feel particularly out of place. Charlie felt that since he had already escorted Frank to the hotel, he had completed his task. He now needed to return to deal with the trouble coming up next Monday, so he took the initiative to say he wanted to leave.
But Frank insisted that Charlie stay for dinner before heading to the airport, and Charlie agreed. On the way to the Oak Room, Frank noticed Charlie's heavy mood, and Charlie told him what was going on. However, Frank dismissed it entirely, thinking it was no big deal.
Seeing a hamburger priced at twenty-four dollars on the menu, Charlie began to feel something was off and started pressing Frank for answers. That's when Frank began to toy with him turns out he had lied to Charlie. Charlie had already missed his flight, making it impossible for him to leave tonight. Frank finally confessed that he needed a guide to carry out his plan: "It's more like a little pleasure trip stay at a first-class hotel, have a great meal, drink a fine wine, visit my brother—family always comes first, you know and then, make love to a lovely lady. And then…"
"I'm going to lie in the Waldorf's luxury bed and blow my brains out." Frank dropped a bomb on Charlie's heart, then casually continued ordering from the menu, but Charlie could no longer stay calm. He stared at Frank, a mix of anger, fear, worry, and helplessness on his face, not knowing how to react.
Charlie finally realized the gravity of the situation. This trip to New York was Frank's last enjoyment before ending his life. But Charlie had no way of changing Frank's mind. It left him completely at a loss, anxious and deeply unsettled.
Unknowingly, fifty minutes of the movie had already passed, and for the first time, the audience in the cinema felt a wave of shock. What direction would the story take next?
...
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