Alice, holding her ice cream cone, looked somewhat comical, but her eyes, expressions, and gestures exuded an extraordinary formality, conveying a profound sense of sincerity.
"I hope to be able to truly capture the essence of indie bands," Alice said.
"I understand that the band is currently facing a dilemma—a dilemma where dreams clash with reality. Clearly, dreams can't fill your stomach, but they provide the courage to persevere in life. They make life potentially more fulfilling. It's a dilemma everyone faces—whether to follow the established norms and rules in the workforce or embark on a journey pursuing the freedom of their dreams."
"A dilemma with no definitive answers."
"Whether you choose to persist or give up, no one can tell you if it's the right answer, because everyone has their own path."
Initially, nobody took Alice seriously except for Ronan. They still saw her as "Ronan's sister," "another Cooper," or "the untouchable best friend's sister."
It was challenging to shake off these impressions quickly and genuinely engage with her professional proposal. To them, it seemed like Alice's project was merely a high school science fair experiment—a tech show.
However, as Alice continued to speak, their expressions grew progressively more serious.
Cliff and Maxim had immersed themselves in the scenario Alice described, and their slightly downturned faces betrayed a deep concentration. Ollie, on the other hand, looked at Ronan with surprise, as if silently asking:
"Do you know about this?"
Ronan glanced at Ollie but didn't respond. Instead, he followed Alice's words and found himself lost in thought, his emotions gradually settling.
Alice, sensing the change in the room's atmosphere and rhythm, remained unruffled and continued to articulate her thoughts smoothly.
She exuded a professional and dedicated demeanor, with a glint in her eye that seemed to echo Ronan's features and disposition.
"What I aim to present isn't a definitive answer but rather the state of perplexity that everyone encounters in life—a state of anxiety, confusion, hesitation."
"Faced with this predicament, the One Day Kings persist—they continue with their bar tours, they keep traveling on the road. Nobody knows what awaits them after the tour ends, just as no one knows what the next day of the tour will bring. Everything is uncertain."
"Perhaps you should continue to persevere, and if you do, you might become the next Beatles or Nirvana; maybe you should choose to move on and discover new goals, possibly creating an incredible world in a different field, much like how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook."
"Who knows?"
With these words, Alice turned her gaze to Ronan. Her usually playful eyes now held no trace of jesting. They shone with a radiance that illuminated her entire face.
This version of Alice seemed somewhat unfamiliar to Ronan, but after the initial strangeness, he found it to be comforting. Even though they had only met for less than fifteen minutes, he was already growing fond of having a sister.
"If you're waiting for me to reveal what I hope to capture ultimately, I'm sorry, I can't tell you, because I don't know myself. I can't predict the answer until I've used a camera to capture those images. But I can say that I hope to capture this state."
"Not only the state of numerous independent bands but also the state of every individual grappling with the dilemma of dreams versus reality. It may be loneliness, freedom, confusion, or joy. That unknown is my wellspring of inspiration, and I hope to have the privilege..."
Alice's voice trailed off momentarily. "When the filming is done, I hope everyone can watch these images and find their own insights. After all, you're all under thirty, like the rising sun; your lives have just begun. This is my initial conceptual framework."
At this point, Alice paused and swept her eyes around the room. Then, she noticed that Cliff had raised his head.
Cliff voiced his question, "So, you chose us because... we're unknown?"
His tone was somewhat contradictory, suggesting a hidden, sharp critique along with a hint of fragile uncertainty. He wasn't entirely sure himself. In the vast sea of information, Cliff had temporarily lost his way, causing discomfort to fester and grow, eventually erupting.
Ronan suddenly looked up, his gentle gaze turning sharp and intense.
Alice didn't perceive any hostility in Cliff's query. She smiled warmly, "Firstly, it's because of Ronan. Your band is the one I'm most familiar with. You can completely disregard my camera and be your authentic selves, which is incredibly valuable. That's why the inspiration struck me in the first place."
This response brought smiles to both Ollie and Maxim's faces.
"Secondly, it's because of the band's current situation. You're all in the same boat as me and thousands of ordinary people worldwide, navigating the crossroads where dreams and life choices intersect. We're all faced with choices, and perhaps, seven years from now, you could be me—or perhaps not."
"What the answer is, I'll only find out after I've captured it through my lens."
Alice playfully winked, promoting herself once more, before her gaze finally landed on Ronan.
Aware of Alice's gaze, Ronan, having withdrawn his attention from Cliff, felt his tense emotions gradually ebb away. He snapped out of his daze and realized his fists had been clenched.
He relaxed them, which felt like an instinctive reaction from the heart, leaving him slightly uncomfortable. He needed some time to come to terms with this unfamiliar feeling.
Facing Alice's earnest gaze, Ronan lowered his eyes briefly in embarrassment, quickly recalibrated his thoughts, and then met her gaze once more.
This time, Ronan could see the sincerity and appeal in Alice's eyes. She genuinely hoped that Ronan would agree to her filming request, not just for her graduation project, but also to capture his youth. She eagerly anticipated having the opportunity to film Ronan with her own camera.
Ronan's eyes flickered, and he sensed the enthusiasm in Alice's words—passion, fervor, not just for her dream but for life itself. Such sincere and untainted emotions were rare and precious.
They often went unnoticed in the harsh realities of life, and Ronan hoped to do his best to protect the fire burning in Alice's heart.
Although they had just met, Ronan could already feel the unique bond that came with being a Cooper sibling gently tugging at his heartstrings.
It made him uncomfortable, yet this sensation... wasn't unpleasant.