Actor in Hollywood

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Before heading to the audition for "Spider-Man," Kristen had been pondering:

Why does she want to become an actress?

Having started as a child star, she never had the time or opportunity to consider this. She stumbled into this bizarre world of fame and fortune, navigating her way through it without needing to make decisions or think about the future. Everything had already been decided by her parents, and no one ever asked for her opinion.

After all, she was just a child.

But this year, she finally turned eighteen, finally became an adult, finally had the chance to think about her own life:

What does she want? How should her future unfold?

Confusion. Uncertainty. Anxiety.

In fact, after successfully landing the role, Kristen had briefly regretted it. The cheerleader image from "Bring It On" had already become an impression, and she worried that by playing another decorative role in a commercial movie, she might never escape this stereotype in her career.

But now, Kristen was grateful she took on this role—

All because of this moment.

In those eyes before her, Kristen found her answer: her dream, her pursuit, her perseverance. Those qualities that belonged to her wouldn't disappear just because the roles she played were similar. On the contrary, she would use her performance to give the same role a different uniqueness.

She wants to be an actress.

"Like achieving an impossible dream, yet feeling completely unprepared."

This sentence gently but sharply broke down all of Kristen's defenses, and tears once again began to fall.

Unconsciously, Kristen looked at the man before her.

So simple, so pure, so sincere.

He stood there, unarmored and unshielded, exposing his vulnerability without reservation—

A true heart, the strongest yet most fragile thing in the world.

Kristen noticed his eyes were also slightly red, a faint glimmer of tears.

But he still didn't dodge, didn't hide, didn't run away. He forced himself to stay where he was, head held high, chest out, facing all scrutiny openly.

So vulnerable, yet so brave. So shy, yet so bright.

So this is Peter Parker, the truest Peter Parker.

Little by little, her heartbeat began to race.

Kristen looked at Peter confidently, without wiping away her tears. "Did you say that?"

The sight of the tearful, rosy face in front of him snapped Peter out of his confession mode. It took him a moment to realize what he had just done.

A wave of regret instantly swallowed him, and he instinctively avoided eye contact, his hands and feet curling up involuntarily, shifting from his knees to the armrests—

Completely at a loss.

If he could, Peter wanted to leave the scene immediately; but the problem was, his legs were completely frozen in place, refusing to follow the commands of his brain.

"Ah-hem."

Peter lowered his eyes and cleared his throat to cover up his embarrassment.

"Maybe. Probably. Just about."

Peter nodded slightly, like a child being scolded, trying to hide the panic in his eyes and the heat on his cheeks. His gaze carefully traced the snowflake patterns on the hospital room floor.

Around him, everything was silent—eerily silent, so much so that even the sound of breathing had vanished.

Then, Peter noticed a hand reaching out from the direction opposite him—

Slender, fair, and soft.

It was Mary Jane's right hand.

Huh.

Peter suddenly held his breath and lifted his head, only to find himself accidentally meeting Mary Jane's gaze. He hurriedly looked away in another direction.

But his gaze couldn't help but drift back toward the chair's armrest, where his left hand froze in place, quietly waiting.

Kristen didn't understand the situation. She simply wanted to pat Peter's right hand to express her gratitude, as those words had meant a lot to her.

But what was going on with Peter's expression?

Before Kristen had time to react, her right hand had already landed on the back of Peter's hand—

A jolt of static.

Her fingertips tingled, and reflexively, she pulled her hand back. But to her surprise, that hand quickly turned over and firmly grasped her right hand.

Zzz.

The tingling spread across her skin, causing goosebumps to rise.

In an instant, Kristen saw her right hand completely enveloped by that broad, slender palm. The warmth of his palm felt like it was about to burn her fingertips.

Instinctively, Kristen tried to pull her hand back. Her heart pounded like a drum, her thoughts tangled in confusion, but she couldn't succeed. She looked up involuntarily.

Their gazes collided in the air.

Peter released his left hand, and Kristen finally managed to withdraw her right hand. The gentle yet firm grip loosened, but Kristen felt a sudden emptiness, an unprecedented void. The motion of withdrawing her hand slowed, and she hesitated, softly brushing against Peter's palm.

The friction of skin against skin sent ripples across the surface of her heart.

Kristen instinctively looked up at Peter, only to find him also looking at her. Their gazes briefly met and then quickly darted apart.

Yet, her heart skipped a beat.

Involuntarily, Kristen looked back again, almost as if by instinct. And Peter, too.

But this time, neither of them looked away. They silently exchanged glances, and the shyness and awkwardness, the panic and nervousness, gradually faded. Their eyes grew calm. The left and right hands that had parted earlier now fidgeted slightly, feeling the lingering warmth and tingling on their skin.

Pfft.

A smile crept up on their lips.

"Cut!"

Sam announced the end of the scene, pleased with how Anson and Kristen had handled it.

According to the script, Mary Jane was supposed to hold Peter Parker's hand at the end, just as Harry Osborn walked in to visit.

That would have worked, but Sam always felt it was too much like a teen drama.

Now, it was different.

Here, Mary Jane simply felt her heart race but hadn't really sorted out her feelings. Their physical contact felt more like a small accident; their eye contact and shared smile added layers of meaning—an understanding, a calmness, a connection, and also a bit of shyness.

For a scene as emotionally complex and multi-layered as this, both the characters and the audience need a moment to process.

Leaving a bit of space, without saying too much, can be a good thing.

And this moment, seen through Harry Osborn's eyes, could achieve the same effect as the hand-holding and wouldn't disrupt the plot's progression.

Everything was just right.

Even Sam felt refreshed, unable to resist applauding Anson and Kristen. Their performance in this scene was nothing short of perfect. Not only did they complete the task, but they also delivered an extra surprise.

Sam let out a long breath.

A beat later, Sam realized there was total silence. The set was completely still, with everyone frozen in place, staring in awe.

Sam had to call out again, "Cut!"

Finally, the tense atmosphere relaxed, and the sound of heavy breathing filled the room.