Los Angeles, the City of Sound.
Early in the morning, birds perched on branches, singing cheerfully. The morning rush hour hadn't fully begun, with only occasional roars of engines breaking the silence, making the world feel even more peaceful.
"Hey, Harry, spent the night here again? Is Anson still pulling an all-nighter?"
"Screw off!"
In response to a colleague's probing, Harry Percy flipped the middle finger, which made the few paparazzi who had just arrived at the scene burst into laughter and start teasing him.
"Come on, Harry, how long has Anson and his little band been holed up in there? Two weeks? Three? They're practically rotting inside. All of Hollywood knows by now, it wouldn't hurt to share some info."
"Yeah, yeah. How's the recording going? Any fights? Screaming matches? Did someone storm out?"
"They didn't stay in there all night again, did they?"
A barrage of taunts followed.
Harry rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"Anson's not in the City of Sound anymore."
Huh?
For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent, as if someone hit the mute button. One by one, everyone stared at Harry in shock.
"I said, Anson's gone. Not just from the City of Sound, he's left L.A. altogether. I tried following him last night but got ditched."
Half true, half false—
Last night, Anson did leave L.A., and Harry did try to tail him, thinking it wouldn't hurt to be a little sneaky. He had agreed to help Anson throw off the other paparazzi, but he never promised not to follow Anson himself.
The result?
He got pulled over by two traffic cops for a DUI check, but Harry swore he saw Edgar's car pass by, and Edgar exchanged a glance with the cops.
Like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Damn it!
Harry would never admit that he, a seasoned paparazzo, got outwitted.
Anyway, Anson had left L.A. and disappeared into the vast crowds of North America. Harry had no leads for now.
If he couldn't find Anson, neither could the other paparazzi. So, he figured he'd help Anson out a bit and score an exclusive scoop later.
And so, here they were.
Blurring the lines between truth and falsehood.
Harry knew that if he told the truth, his colleagues wouldn't believe him. They were all sharp as tacks, and the more he insisted Anson had left L.A., the more convinced they'd be that he was still in town.
See—
"Yeah, right."
"We'll believe that when pigs fly."
"What are you rambling about?"
Naturally suspicious, the paparazzi's first reaction was to think Harry was trying to throw them off, shifting their attention so he could get a better lead on Anson.
Harry remained calm, shrugged, and said, "If you don't believe me, go check the City of Sound yourselves. Anson and the band are gone. They said they needed a break to clear their heads."
The truth was right there.
But no one believed it.
"Then why are you still here?"
"If they went off for a break, why didn't you follow?"
"Did they leave one by one or all together?"
A flurry of questions followed.
But Harry wasn't planning on answering. He needed to keep sparring with his colleagues.
Now Harry was starting to understand what Anson meant—
Toying with the paparazzi could actually be pretty fun.
Harry ignored the others, turned on his car radio, and started listening to the broadcast, enjoying himself while the other paparazzi exchanged puzzled looks.
Harry couldn't help but wonder, where was Anson now?
...
Portland.
Anson was in Portland.
Actually, he hadn't gone far; he was just in Oregon, right above California. After shaking off his tail, the world had returned to silence.
Originally, Edgar had planned to get Anson an assistant. Now that Anson's career was taking off, especially with the exposure from "Spider-Man," managing everyday tasks was getting harder, and he really needed an assistant.
Recently, Anson had been holed up in the recording studio day and night, so he didn't need an assistant. But now that he was back in acting, an assistant would come in handy.
However, Anson refused—
Judging by various signs, Gus didn't like a big entourage. Plus, all the other actors in "Elephant" were just regular high school students. If Anson showed up with an assistant, it would mess with the filming atmosphere.
Since this was an indie film, he'd go indie all the way.
So, Anson set off on his own.
Since the "Spider-Man" promotion tour, Anson hadn't breathed the fresh air of freedom in a long, long time. Usually surrounded by crowds, he was finally back to being alone—
It felt like a weight had lifted.
The noise and chaos gradually faded, and his shoulders relaxed.
Portland's city streets had a cool, distant vibe. Whether it was the wide streets, the low-rise buildings, or the city's 1970s aesthetic, everything felt like it was held at a distance.
Anson couldn't help but wonder if this was why Gus chose Portland to film the movie.
Was it because of this atmosphere?
It seemed expansive and open, yet it actually distanced people from each other. The subtle chill and oppression silently enveloped everyone.
Of course, it could just be Anson's preconceived notions. He was just a visitor, and first impressions were often deceptive.
So, Anson deliberately slowed his pace, taking in the city streets. At the end of his leisurely stroll, he arrived at the film's shooting location—
A high school.
Just an ordinary high school, with students running around the playground and hallways. The noisy break-time atmosphere was the same for teenagers everywhere.
In small groups, they hung out together. A group of pretty girls discussed fashion, while passing jocks eyed them and whistled. Nerds, hugging their books, tried to cross the playground to the library as inconspicuously as possible. Under the shade in the corner, a group of top students discussed math problems. Meanwhile, pranksters chased each other, startling birds into flight with exaggerated laughter as they zoomed by...
A few simple strokes painted a picture of everyday high school life.
The "Elephant" crew would film on location at this very ordinary high school, and most of the students in the movie would be real students from this school—
Filming a narrative film in a documentary style.
It was a brand-new experiment, and just imagining it made Anson excited.
Then, Anson noticed a figure.
A student quietly crossed the playground, trying to avoid the bustling areas, heading towards the classrooms. He seemed cautious, constantly glancing around, watching the carefree students with a mix of envy and wariness, but he never slowed his pace.
Wait, was that...
Was he seeing things?
A wave of joy surged through him, and Anson quickly followed.
"Jack!"