Chapter 86 The Fork in the Road
Upon arrival in Genoa, the director and other members of the film crew were already waiting for them on set.
The director was a capable Englishman, young and a bit balding, which fit Fino's stereotype of the British.
"Hello, Mr. Pirlo, Mr. Cabrini, it's a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with both of you star players."
The director shook hands with each of them, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then began to explain the filming content and process.
The plot of this advertisement is not complicated and is easy to understand.
Fino and Pirlo played themselves, the two AC Milan stars, who traveled to Genoa together during their holiday.
They strolled through the streets of Genoa, and when they passed an ice cream shop, they bought different flavors of ice cream and continued their walk while eating them.
Pirlo wanted to try Fino's ice cream, and Fino reached out to feed him, recreating the scene depicted in the photo taken by the Italian newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport." When Fino tried to taste Pirlo's ice cream, Pirlo reached out and then pulled his hand back, leaving Fino with nothing.
Then the two of them started chasing and playing around.
Just then, a robber was snatching a woman's backpack. The woman screamed for help, which caught the attention of Fino and Pirlo.
Pirlo took a soccer ball with the brand's logo on it from the shelf next to him, tossed it into the air, and Fino kicked the ball with a spinning kick, hitting the robber squarely on the head and knocking him unconscious.
The ball slowly rolled to a person's feet and was stepped on by a black leather shoe. The camera gradually moved up from below, revealing a fierce-looking face. It was the leader of the robbers, followed by a group of black-clad henchmen.
The robbers approached the two men, arm wrestling them. Fino and Pirlo immediately joined hands and began to run. A fan wearing an AC Milan red and black jersey recognized them and realized their predicament. He cleverly tossed them a motorcycle key.
The logo will be displayed in slow motion on the key.
Pirlo caught the motorcycle and started it, carrying Fino as they sped along the Genoa coastline, leaving the robbers further and further behind.
Finally, they stopped at the port of Genoa. It was already sunset. The two leaned against the railing by the sea and smiled at each other, with the Suzuki scooter parked beside them.
Neither of them had a single line of dialogue throughout the entire performance.
After the director finished explaining the advertisement, Fino stroked his chin and began to ponder, "Something seems a bit strange!"
He expressed his doubts to the director: "Are you sure you're not mistaken? This advertisement seems to have a romantic couple vibe. Andrea and I are players, don't we seem mismatched?"
"It's a perfect fit! There are football elements in the middle, right? We arranged for you to showcase your skills, and there's also an AC Milan jersey on display," the director explained with a smile.
"But the scene of feeding each other ice cream, the subsequent drive along the beach, and the shared smile... it all felt a bit ambiguous..."
Fino stopped abruptly, glancing instinctively at Pirlo.
He never felt there was anything wrong with his relationship with Pirlo; in fact, his interactions with Pirlo were even less than those with Kakado.
That's the Milan locker room culture: arms around each other, hugging, kissing, patting heads, chasing and playing around... Mendes complains every day that there are too many gay people in Milan.
But now, when the advertisements featured many clips of him and Pirlo's summer trip, from an outsider's perspective, he suddenly realized that these interactions seemed a bit ambiguous!
Upon reflection, he realized that this way of getting along with Pirlo had naturally become a part of his life without him noticing anything amiss, and he had long since taken it for granted.
Just now in the car, he was holding Pirlo's arm and sleeping with his head on Pirlo's shoulder.
"Hahahaha!" The director burst into laughter. "Don't overthink it. This is just normal interaction. Besides, the combination of handsome men is the current trend in the art world. We Englishmen have always kept up with the times."
Is this normal? Fino was a little unsure. He looked at Pirlo with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Pirlo immediately understood the meaning behind Fino's eyes.
In matters of the heart, Fino was rather oblivious. He was often oblivious to the subtle nuances in words and actions. Unfortunately, just as he was beginning to experience romantic feelings, he encountered Inzaghi, a shameless and blatant scoundrel. Under Inzaghi's deliberate seduction, he unwittingly walked into Inzaghi's trap, ultimately ending up heartbroken.
After his experience with Inzaghi, Fino became more passive in relationships. Unless he was direct, he would subconsciously rationalize those ambiguous relationships to avoid getting into intimate relationships again.
That bastard Inzaghi has added another wall to Fino's already difficult emotional journey.
Fino's slowness and passivity made Pirlo both relieved and upset, especially since Fino had now fully integrated into Milan's locker room culture and would naturally kiss and hug... This was really a test of his willpower.
Now, thanks to this advertisement featuring the two of them, Fino, from an outsider's perspective, has finally become aware of the ambiguity in their relationship.
Pirlo felt he was standing at a crossroads, with two paths ahead: either be direct and confess his feelings before Fino even realizes it, or dispel Fino's doubts—it was simple, Fino was easily persuaded, but once Fino was persuaded, it meant that the hope was completely dashed.
He hesitated for only a second before choosing the second path.
He couldn't get over this hurdle in his own mind.
“That’s perfectly normal, Finney. Isn’t that how it is when people interact in the locker room every day? The ads might exaggerate it a bit more.”
Fino breathed a sigh of relief, completely at ease. Pirlo was the smartest; since Pirlo said so, there was no problem. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of his overthinking and presumptuousness.
Where Fino couldn't see, Pirlo's clenched fists remained tightly in place, his nails almost piercing his palms.
After the camera was turned on, the filming did not go very smoothly.
Fino had never filmed an advertisement that required acting skills before. His previous advertisements were all very simple, just showcasing the product and his good looks, and reciting a few advertising lines. But his acting skills are superb, so it's no problem for him.
The problem is with Pirlo.
The first shot is simple: Fino and Pirlo pretend to be walking and chatting, and then slowly walk to the ice cream shop at the corner and stop.
In such an ordinary scene, Pirlo frequently seemed distracted, as if he was completely out of it.
The director was exasperated. This was the simplest shot, requiring no acting at all; he could have just walked in naturally. What was wrong with Pirlo, this superstar? Did he have camera phobia? Wasn't Nesta the one in Milan with camera phobia?
After several takes, the director called a pause, letting Pirlo take a break and get back into the swing of things.
"Andrea, what's wrong?" Fino patted Pirlo's upper arm.
Pirlo stared blankly at Fino, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He remained silent for a few seconds before finally shaking his head.
Fino was puzzled. Pirlo had been in a good mood in the car, so why was he suddenly so downcast?
He gave Pirlo a light hug: "Did something upset you remember?"
Pirlo tightened his arms, buried his head in Fino's neck, took a few heavy breaths, and then released Fino.
"It's nothing, it'll be fine in a little while."
Fino didn't know what had happened to Pirlo, but since the other didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to pry. He could only stay by Pirlo's side, holding his hand, hoping to give him some strength.
After resting for about fifteen minutes, Pirlo seemed to have calmed down and told the director that they could start.
The subsequent filming went very smoothly. They filmed almost all the shots in one go, leaving only the final wrap-up at the port of Genoa.
It was not yet dusk; they needed to wait for the sunset.
During their free time, the director did a rough cut of the footage to see if any reshoots were needed, while Fino and Pirlo took a walk near the port of Genoa.
A gentle sea breeze blows, and you can hear the sound of waves crashing against the breakwater and the whistles of cargo ships about to set sail.
Pirlo was overwhelmed with emotion. This duo advertisement, which he had been looking forward to, had turned into a slow torture of his heart.
As he drove Fino along the Genoa coastline, Fino, as instructed by the director, wrapped his arms around his waist. He could hear his own heart pounding again. He wished time could stand still at this moment, instead of spending the rest of his life reliving this stolen happiness.
Fino knew nothing of all this; he simply stayed silently by his side, walking back and forth along the portside sidewalk.
After the director finished the rough cut, Fino watched the footage with great interest around the camera, while Pirlo nervously juggled a ball a short distance away.
As the video played, the director pointed to the screen and explained to Fino what special effects to add here and what effects to create there.
The final product is quite good. If you ignore the highly prominent brand logos, this advertisement is more like a travel vlog, with sunshine, the sea, ancient cities, delicious food, friends, and dramatic conflicts.
Fino found the filming experience very interesting. At first, he was still acting, but he gradually forgot about the camera and interacted with Pirlo naturally, as if he had returned to a summer trip.
Moreover, I look genuinely happy in the picture.
He then turned his gaze to Pirlo in the picture, who, as always, exuded the charm of a mature man and was so handsome that it was impossible to look away.
Fino sighed inwardly. He shouldn't keep praising a man's appearance, even if only in his heart; it would make him seem like a looks-obsessed person. But Pirlo was just too handsome, with outstanding looks and a charming demeanor. Even the golden strands of hair fluttering in the wind seemed to tell a story.
As the sun set, they finally finished filming the remaining shots.
Even at dusk, the weather was perfect; the clouds were bathed in a golden glow, as if ignited by the setting sun, warm and vibrant.
In this picturesque setting, Fino and Pirlo leaned against the railing by the sea and smiled at each other, which became the last shot of this advertisement shoot.
After finishing their shift, Fino and Pirlo remained seated, leaning against the railing, watching the staff cheer before packing up their equipment.
Fino pondered for a moment, then asked, "Andrea, are you feeling any better?"
Pirlo gave a slight smile and nodded.
Fino patted him on the shoulder: "Remember what you told me in Coverciano? You're not alone, you can always rely on me. We're friends, aren't we?"
Pirlo paused, the forced smile on his face vanished, and after a moment of silence, staring into the distance, he softly said, "Okay."
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