"And now, there's just one left," Jammy said, finally pausing after speaking continuously.
When Max heard that one friend was left, he raised an eyebrow, wondering who the fifth friend could be, and asked, "Who's the fifth one?"
"Idiot, it's you! Who else would it be? Use some common sense. I said you have four friends, I gave explanations for all of them, and you're the fifth friend!" Jammy scolded Max, like scolding a kid who made a silly mistake.
Max laughed awkwardly, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Jammy, hahaha," he chuckled softly.
Jameson, seeing his friend with such a completely different personality, was a bit shocked but found this change refreshing. Watching Max laugh, he remarked, "You were always the odd one out among us. You never shared what was in your heart—not even with me, or at least that's how it seemed. But compared to others, you did share a little with me. Every time you spoke, though, there was always this sense of fear and lack of confidence in your voice. You used to be so introverted and We all tried to help you change this, but it never worked . Now, seeing this new side of you, you really changed it's great, Max."
Hearing all this, Max thought to himself, "What kind of mental struggles was the old dude living with to have such a bad personality? I'm shocked these guys were even his friends."
"You were always confused, with no real goal in life, and there was no motivation in your eyes," Jammy continued.
"Ahh... stop already. Listening to this is demotivating me, and why is this damn memory still not coming back? After hearing all this, at least something should've come back by now," Max thought, feeling frustrated.
"And in the end, we both decided to become directors and make movies together. We joined the Director Guild at the same time, and that same month, Alex and Lisa joined the Actor Guild, while Rox joined the Singer Guild," Jammy said, and Continued .
"For nearly a year, we both took acting classes together. Just a few months before you went into a coma, we finished those classes. I earned a D-Rated Director certificate, and you got an E-Rated Director certificate. Alex got a B-Rated Actor certificate, Lisa received an A-Rated Actor certificate, and Rox earned a B-Rated Singer certificate. A year later, we all met up for a party, laughing and talking about our classes. I had to leave suddenly due to some urgent work, so I got up and headed home… and after that…" Jammy stopped talking, hesitating, with a trace of regret visible on his face.
Max noticed this and asked, "Tell me, what happened after that?" His curiosity grew as he thought, "Did something happen at that party? Is that why Old Max attempted suicide?"
"After that, I didn't see you. Two days after the party, I found out you had attempted suicide and had fallen into a coma. I always wonder why I wasn't there with you that night. It's a regret that's stuck in my heart, but I'm really happy you've come back, buddy," Jammy said, getting emotional.
Seeing Jammy like this, Max felt a bit bad. "Sorry, Jammy. I don't remember why I tried to end my life, and sorry for making you worry," Max replied.
"It's okay. It's actually good that you don't remember the reason. And no need to apologize," Jammy said, switching back to his usual humorous self.
"Okay," Max said, looking at Jammy, thinking, "You've made a great friend, Max. He truly values you, and I'll always honor this friendship." The new Max found Jameson's character endearing.
"Alright, that's enough of the past. Let's think about the future now," Jammy said with a smile, putting his hand on Max's shoulder.
"Like what?" Max asked, a bit confused since he didn't have any goals at the moment.
"You always used to talk about making movies ,Well I doubted and that's why you got your Director Guild certificate," Jammy reminded him.
"Ehh... Me, directing a movie? I haven't even dreamed of that. I just want to enjoy watching movies in this world—relaxing with popcorn and a cold drink. Wow, it still makes me happy thinking of my old life. I'm just waiting for the day after tomorrow to watch TRY-ME. Hehee," Max (John), the crazy movie lover, started reminiscing about his days on Earth.
"Max… Max…!" Jammy called out, noticing that Max had drifted into his own world.
"Ahem… I haven't really thought about it. We'll talk about the future later," Max said, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Alright, take your time," Jammy replied, understanding Max's confusion and not pressing the issue.
"So, Jammy, do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow?" Max asked, curious.
"I've got a meeting that day. Why?" Jammy replied, then asked Max why he was inquiring.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about watching the movie TRY-ME, which releases on October 30th," Max explained.
"Oh, really? I was thinking of watching it too. Let's catch the night show together!" Jammy suggested.
"Okay," Max replied, feeling genuinely happy that he had someone to watch a movie with in this world. Back on Earth, he used to go alone, with no one by his side. After watching a movie, he couldn't even discuss it with anyone. He'd just analyze everything in his head: whether the movie was good or bad, how the actors performed, how much it might earn at the box office, and what the second part could look like. Days passed with him talking to himself about these things.
Now, he finally had a companion to share all of this with, and Max felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
"I'll book the tickets. This movie has a huge buzz, so there might be a chance we won't get them. But don't worry; I've got some connections. I'll make sure we get two tickets, hahaha," Jammy said, getting up with a grin.
"Thanks, Jammy," Max said, feeling even happier now that Jammy was arranging the tickets—meaning free tickets, along with free popcorn and cold drinks! But then, his mind drifted back, and he felt a twinge of annoyance at himself. "Ahh... Fu*k. Was I that poor on Earth? Even now, I can't seem to shake off that mentality,"* he thought with mild frustration.
"There's no need to say thanks," Jammy replied. "Anyway, My mom came to see you, but she must've gotten caught up chatting with her friend ( Helen), hahaha... I'll go remind her. I've got a meeting to attend and I'll pick you up on movie night."
Jammy checked the time on his phone—he seemed to be running late.
"It's alright, Jammy, you can go," Max said, understanding that even with a busy schedule, Jammy had taken the time to visit him. Max didn't mind at all.
With that, Jammy left, and Max watched his friend's back as he walked away. A moment later, Jammy's mother, Jessica, came running up to Max, slightly out of breath.
"Sorry, Max, I completely forgot about you," Jessica apologized.
"Aunt Jessica probably doesn't know how to lie," Max thought in surprise.
"It's alright, Aunt Jessica. Just you coming to see me is more than enough," Max replied, genuinely happy that both Jammy and his mother had made the effort to visit him.