Hugo woke up with a cold sweat. He had told his mother about the series of events from the previous dream. Hugo wasn’t interrogated about his job, because his mother was really happy that things seemed to be going well with Alicia. They had a happy and hopeful mood for the entire conversation.
Would it have gone that way if he hadn’t evaded his mom’s question? Perhaps if he had exaggerated how nice Alicia had been to him? He sighed. He’d rather face reality than lie in front of his mother. She’d feel better, but she’d also get her expectations up.
These dreams... must just be stress? Hugo sighed again and got up to go to the gym.
The gym was only two blocks from his apartment, so he quickly wore some work out clothes to jog over as a warm-up.
Hugo spent the jog doubting if he was taking the right path in life. His mom was right. Entering the industry wasn’t as simple as a snap of the fingers. He’d have to work his way up from the bottom like a dog if he wanted to reach celebrity status without luck on his side. Was it worth it?
Hugo entered the gym, waving at the receptionist, and went in to stretch. He wondered when he first wanted to be a celebrity. His entire life felt like a forgone conclusion, like becoming famous was a matter of when and not if, whether it was the numerous parents and children complimenting his angelic blond hair and cherubic face growing up or his aptitude in theatre and public speaking.
He moved over to a machine and started his regular core workout routine. The movements of working out were rote and didn’t stop his thoughts. The one thing he did that he enjoyed and considered as an alternate career was gaming. He had always thought it would be a big decision between the two once he grew up, and then streaming became big. He could earn money playing games while increasing his exposure. It was like he was born to take this path. And, for the first time, he doubted.
Hugo acted differently in front of fans and in his streams. He hated his overall youthful cute look, but was also aware it was his selling point. He didn’t think his personality was naturally cute, although his mother and friends would strongly disagree. Instead, he viewed himself as a normal person with a big dream. He had never thought there was anything wrong with this.
Did he one day want a family? Did he want more out of his life? What would he be willing to get it? Would he even be able to achieve anything with a different path at this point? Giving up before he had any major setbacks wasn’t like Hugo. He resolved himself. This was his path, good or bad.
He stubbed his toe and quietly cursed, “Fuck.” Luckily, the room was rather noisy and he went unnoticed in the crowd. He let go of his thoughts and started to focus more on his workout. Hugo still needed to stream again tonight and create some video content for his main channel.
He didn’t dream that night that he could remember, but he still woke up in a cold sweat.
Two young Hugo images since this chapter had him thinking back to the past~
Fun fact: I started working on the chapters out of order, so the next chapter is already half done and just needs properly filled out and structured~!
