Early the next morning, Hugo woke up and, still bleary-eyed, headed towards the bathroom, only to find the door locked; he couldn't help but knock, and Charlize's voice immediately came from inside, "I'm in here."Hugo's sleepiness vanished by more than half as he realized that all three rooms in the house were occupied, and the third tenant was a delicate guest: none other than Charlize Theron.Hugo gave a light cough and said politely, "Take your time, I can wait."He then leaned against the doorframe, folded his arms across his chest, and began to wait.A moment later, the door to the room opposite the bathroom opened, and Alex stood there with bedhead, looking at Hugo with a blank expression; it took him a while to realize that Hugo was also here to use the bathroom but someone had beaten him to it, so Alex pointed at the bathroom, frowning, though his eyes were still half-shut, projecting a questioning look of unclear meaning.Hugo understood Alex's silent question, nodded, and pointed his right thumb toward the inside of the bathroom.Facing this gesture from Hugo, Alex actually understood as well, so he just leaned against the doorframe and closed his eyes to rest.The sound of water could be heard intermittently from inside the bathroom, and soon the sound of wastewater flowing into the drain followed; the rushing water sounded somewhat strange to his ears, and Hugo immediately felt the swelling in his bladder begin to stimulate his brain; he opened his eyes and looked at the bathroom door, but there was still no sign of it opening.Hugo couldn't help but pat his head; how could he have forgotten that women always take an exceptionally long time in the bathroom?Unable to hold it any longer, Hugo walked straight to the sofa in the living room and sat down; without the sound of running water bothering him, he felt much more comfortable.Alex had originally insisted on standing at his bedroom door, but he didn't last too long either, and he walked over in a hunched-over, awkward manner before collapsing onto the sofa like a corpse.After a while longer, Alex finally couldn't take it anymore; he jumped up, ran to the bathroom door, and knocked, "Charlize, are you done yet?""Sorry, sorry, almost done," Charlize's voice came through urgently; she was likely in a rush inside.Alex stood at the bathroom door for about another thirty seconds, but he couldn't hold it, so he slunk back to the living room; this time he didn't lie down, but sat obediently on the sofa.Alex said to Hugo with a depressed look, "Are women always this troublesome?"Hugo spread his hands, "You shouldn't be asking me."Alex became dejected, "Then is it going to be like this every day from now on?"Hugo nodded, feeling equally dejected; the bathroom usage was indeed a problem, "Or are you planning to set up a bathroom schedule?"Alex curled his lip, showing no respect, and a look of disdain actually appeared in his eyes—a situation that hadn't occurred during their interactions over the past few days; it seemed that even an idol had to take a backseat to physiological needs."Click," the sound of the bathroom lock echoed, and Hugo and Alex both rushed toward the bathroom at once, but as the door opened, they both slammed on the brakes; they then saw Charlize's flushed cheeks as she poked her head out with an apologetic and shy expression, "Sorry, I took some time in there, from now on...""Don't bother with the pleasantries; I'm not sure I can keep waiting," Hugo interrupted Charlize, looking depressed; Charlize dazedly stepped aside, and Hugo darted in ahead of Alex, closing and locking the door behind him, leaving only Alex standing at the door, growling angrily, "Hugo!"Charlize couldn't help but laugh seeing Hugo's disheveled state and Alex's frustration, but when that smile met Alex's resentful gaze, she immediately restrained it and quickly said, "Today was a special case; I promise it won't happen again."Last night, she had only done a quick rinse, but after waking up today, she had taken the time to freshen up, which did take a bit longer.Alex couldn't really say anything; after all, he had just met Charlize yesterday, and even as roommates, he had to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, "I'll pray for it," Alex's plaintive words made Charlize laugh again.At this moment, Hugo's voice came from inside, "Alex, how about I brush my teeth first?""Hugo!" Alex was immediately anxious; it was obviously much faster for a guy to take care of his physiological needs, and Hugo had finished his business instantly, yet he was actually teasing Alex.Hearing Alex's anxious voice, Hugo immediately laughed, the muffled sound audible even from outside, "Alright, I'll at least wash my face. After all, there's a lady present, I still need to maintain my appearance."Charlize looked back at Alex's messy bedhead and, in the end, couldn't help but burst into laughter.But Alex truly had no energy to worry about his hair right now, and could only beg toward the bathroom, "Hugo, I really can't hold it anymore."Before Alex could finish, the bathroom door opened, and he rushed in violently, intending to take care of his business even before Hugo could fully exit.Hugo hurriedly stepped out, pulled the bathroom door shut, and looking at the smiling Charlize beside him, he couldn't help but laugh as well.At this moment, Hugo didn't look much better; his slightly wavy hair was curlier than usual due to his restless sleep, styled in a messy, chaotic fashion on his head, and the oil on his face from sleeping hadn't been washed off either, making him look quite disheveled.However, Hugo was quite open-minded, smiling at Charlize and saying, "Anyway, we're roommates now, so you were bound to see this side of me eventually; today is just a bit earlier. As for the issue of the impact being too intense, I believe you can handle it well."His calm and composed manner almost made Charlize laugh until her stomach hurt.Because Charlize had woken up and freshened up first today, she looked refreshed.In fact, when Hugo first met Charlize, she had been wearing no makeup, and one could clearly see her natural beauty.It was the same today; her delicate features matched with her smooth skin, her long golden hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a simple white T-shirt and grey sweatpants, with a white towel draped over her shoulder, yet none of this diminished Charlize's beauty in the slightest.Hugo quickly withdrew his gaze; since they had decided to be friends, there was no need to let his thoughts wander.Charlize also sensed Hugo's composure; this way of interacting reminded her of when they first met—a little raw, a little awkward, but also a little comfortable and a little pleasant; indeed, friendship was suitable for the two of them."What time are we going to Burbank?"Hugo looked around for a clock, only to realize he didn't have a watch and there was no clock in the house, which made checking the time quite troublesome, "They said to arrive at ten; what time is it now?"Charlize was wearing a watch, so she checked the time, "Five minutes to nine.""Oh, God." Although it was only twenty miles from here to Burbank, a thirty-minute drive, nine o'clock was the peak of the morning rush hour, and who knew how bad the traffic would be; Hugo immediately turned and pounded hard on the bathroom door, "Alex, hurry up, I'm going to be late."Alex immediately opened the bathroom door, still holding his toothbrush, clearly in the middle of brushing his teeth.But Hugo didn't care; he rushed straight in, quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, and even took the opportunity to give his hair a quick rinse.During this process, Joseph finally came downstairs; Charlize opened the door, and seeing the busy Hugo, Joseph didn't just stand around either, heading straight to the kitchen to take out the toast, bacon, and other items they had bought yesterday from the refrigerator.Charlize wanted to step in and help, but after all, she wasn't familiar with Joseph yet, so she didn't interfere, instead going to the side to start brewing coffee, hoping she could be of some small help.Hugo hurriedly changed into a shirt and slacks; last time at the audition, he had worn something simple because he hadn't unpacked his luggage, which had coincidentally fit the restaurant's atmosphere, but today he was meeting the crew members, so he naturally couldn't be sloppy; finally, grabbing his tie and suit jacket, Hugo rushed to the living room, "Joseph, let's go!"Joseph had been pouring coffee, but he was rushing and couldn't keep up; Charlize immediately said, "Take the coffee." She then deftly took out some plastic wrap, packed up the sandwich Joseph had just made, and handed it to Hugo.Hugo draped his jacket and tie over his arm, took the sandwich, flashed a smile at Charlize, and then walked quickly outside.Joseph followed closely behind, holding a cup of coffee, and the two of them left in a rush.Charlize and Alex stood at the door, stunned for a moment, then walked together to the living room window, watching Joseph and Hugo climb into the car; Hugo threw his suit and tie onto the back seat, holding the sandwich in his right hand and the coffee in his left, then carefully climbed into the passenger seat.Hugo seemed to notice the gaze from above, and looking up, he saw the figures of Charlize and Alex; the two of them waved at Hugo, and Hugo flashed a smile, gently raised the coffee in his hand, and shouted loudly, "Good morning, roommates!" before ducking into the passenger seat.Joseph quickly started the car and drove off.Charlize and Alex, left by the window, finally breathed a sigh of relief; Alex then realized he was still biting his toothbrush, and with his teeth only half-brushed, the foam dookie on the corner of his mouth was about to dry, so he hurriedly ran toward the bathroom, his bedhead fluttering stylishly in the wind.Charlize looked around the slightly empty living room; there was a pot of coffee on the dining table, and the toaster had just finished toasting two slices of bread, which popped up right on cue; looking at the door, she saw the slippers Hugo wore around the house, discarded messily on the floor, and faint water stains were even visible on the floor from the door to the bathroom.Charlize couldn't help but stretch, and at this moment, the reality finally hit her: her career as an Actor had just taken its first step.
