Tycoon Actor C469

The Rewind shoot stretched into its second day, and it still wasn’t fully wrapped.

Many YouTubers—especially those unfamiliar with production—were starting to feel the grind. Acting in front of a camera, it turned out, wasn’t as easy as hitting “record” on a vlog.

“Damn,” a smaller creator muttered while filming himself for his vlog. “I thought acting would be simple. Didn’t expect they’d retake the same shot five times just for me to walk in a straight line.”

There were grumbles from others too, mostly light-hearted. While the long takes and multiple retakes wore them down, most were still thrilled to be part of this year’s Rewind.

Some handled the pressure better—like Jake Paul, who breezed through his scenes with practiced ease. But that wasn’t surprising; after all, he’d started out as a Disney Channel actor.

His brother Logan, while a little rougher, still managed well enough. He had acting experience too, having starred in The Thinning.

Others stood out in their own way—Ryan Higa was smooth and professional, even stepping in to help a few of the struggling creators. His years of YouTube sketches made him a natural leader on set.

Lilly Singh, Shane Dawson, and Anna Akana were also among the more seasoned performers, offering tips and encouragement between takes.

Then, midway through the second day, a late arrival showed up: Penguinz0—Charles.

Some YouTubers were surprised by how easily Charles and Lucas fell into conversation, as if they already knew each other. Even Jimmy (MrBeast), who stood nearby, raised an eyebrow as he listened in.

Later, curious, Jimmy approached Charles as he sipped from a water bottle off to the side.

“It seems like you and Lucas go way back,” Jimmy said. “You were talking so casually… like friends.”

“Friends?” Charles chuckled, shaking his head. “I wish we were.”

Jimmy tilted his head. “Really? I mean, he approached you. And I heard him mention maybe joining one of your streams. That’d be huge—Hollywood star in your Twitch chat.”

Charles grinned. “Yeah, would be crazy, huh?”

He added, “Truth is, we met during the filming of Mockingjay Part 2. I was visiting set through a side gig at the time. Lucas? Chillest guy ever. No ego, no diva energy. He’s basically the Keanu Reeves of our generation.”

Jimmy laughed. “That’s a high bar.”

“Yeah, and he clears it.” Charles nodded. “Honestly, I’d love to have him on my stream sometime.”

He paused, then narrowed his eyes. “Wait… why do you look familiar?”

Jimmy smirked. “Do I?”

Charles tilted his head, thinking—then snapped his fingers. “You’re that guy! The one who drops ridiculous money on random streamers.”

“That’s me,” Jimmy said with a humble grin.

“Dude, that’s insanely generous. You ever land on my stream, I’d lose my mind,” Charles laughed.

Jimmy chuckled. “Maybe. What’s your Twitch?”

As the two exchanged info and laughed, Lucas was already back in the YouTube recording studio, working on polishing the two songs he had performed live for the Rewind: World’s Smallest Violin and Bang!.

Both recordings impressed the production team. Even Kai looked genuinely blown away, listening back through the monitors.

And when Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s CEO, dropped by to check on the mix—she didn’t just nod politely. She stayed, bobbing her head, fully vibing to the track.

“Now that is how you open a Rewind,” she said, smiling.

And no one could disagree.

Wojcicki and the rest of the team were genuinely excited about this year’s YouTube Rewind. Having Lucas on board added something special—not because he was the focus, but because his two original songs elevated the emotion while keeping the spotlight on the creators.

‘This might be the best Rewind we’ve ever done…’ Kai thought to himself as he watched clips playback on the monitor. So far, the YouTubers were nailing their scenes. The energy was real, and it showed.

---

Time flew by. On the fifth day of production, the final sequence was being filmed.

All the creators gathered in the massive studio set, grouped together and smiling proudly. In their hands, they held symbols of their YouTube journey—Silver, Gold, and Diamond Play Buttons. Felix, Markiplier, and other long-time veterans held Diamond ones. Others clutched Gold or Silver. Some had no plaques yet—but that didn’t dampen their pride.

Then Lucas stepped into the scene.

Wearing a sleek, custom YouTube-branded watch, he grinned as he handed out matching YouTube watches to the creators around him—lighthearted tokens to mark the moment. The cameras rolled as laughter broke out and conversations sparked. The scene was easy, natural—nothing felt staged.

Kai raised his hand. “And... cut!”

He clapped loudly, grinning. “That’s a wrap! Thank you, everyone. YouTube Rewind 2017 is officially done!”

Applause erupted from both creators and crew. Lucas clapped along, smiling at the sea of people in front of him. As the energy settled, several YouTubers approached him for selfies and photos. He took the time to chat, sign a few things, and pose with anyone who asked.

When Jimmy finally got a chance, he raised his phone for a quick picture with Lucas. After the photo snapped, Lucas smiled at him and said casually, “I’ll look forward to seeing you again, MrBeast.”

Jimmy blinked. “Y-you will?”

Lucas gave a small nod and moved on to greet someone else.

Jimmy stood still, a little stunned—but slowly, a smile crept across his face. ‘He said he’s looking forward to seeing me again… maybe I still have a shot at that collab.’ His heart lifted. He had been quietly losing hope. Lucas hadn’t said much since the first conversation, and Jimmy assumed he’d been forgotten.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Chris.

He’d noticed Jimmy’s silent disappointment the past few days. “Maybe you can try again next time,” he said, watching Lucas walk off. ‘Though… he’s a Hollywood star. Not exactly easy to reach.’ He kept that last part to himself.

But Jimmy shook his head. “No,” he said confidently. “I think I will see him again. He said he’s looking forward to it. That has to mean something, right?”

Chris blinked. “He really said that? Looking forward to seeing you?”

“Yeah.” Jimmy nodded, eyes lit.

Chris was quiet for a second—then smiled, letting the hope hang. “It’d be awesome if that happened. Not every day a YouTuber gets to collaborate with someone like Lucas Knight.”

Jimmy nodded, his resolve firm. “Then I better make it count when the time comes.”

---

Weeks had passed since the YouTube Rewind wrapped filming. Christmas had finally arrived.

Across the world, families gathered under twinkling lights, laughter filled living rooms, and kids tore into gifts wrapped with bright paper and clumsy tape. It was a day of joy for most—though not for everyone.

In a small suburban home, a 13-year-old middle child named Raymond sat quietly in his room, the holiday spirit far from his mind.

Earlier that morning, his family had pulled a prank on him—wrapping a large box and hinting it was a PS4. Heart pounding with excitement, Raymond had torn it open… only to find crumpled paper and rocks.

The disappointment hit hard. But what made it worse?

They filmed it.

And posted it.

The video, titled “Middle Child PS4 Prank Gone Too Far”, was already making the rounds on YouTube and Vine, quickly surpassing 100,000 combined views. His parents clearly modeled the prank after viral videos they’d seen before. Except in those, the punchline ended with a real gift.

Not for Raymond.

He didn’t get a console. Just the humiliation.

Now, curled up in his room, he clenched his fists, face flushed red.

“Bastards,” he muttered. “Even my classmates saw it. They’re already making fun of me…”

Trying to distract himself, he reached for his laptop, hoping YouTube might offer a temporary escape.

He opened the homepage—and immediately saw something in the recommended section.

YouTube Rewind 2017 – Official Video

He blinked. “Wait… there’s actually a Rewind this year?”

He’d seen plenty of videos from creators speculating there wouldn’t be one. Some even declared it dead. Yet here it was—posted just a few minutes ago and already sitting at over 50,000 views.

“They hit views that fast?” he muttered, clicking the thumbnail.

The video began.

A sleek camera pan revealed the back of a blonde man sitting confidently at a desk. Raymond squinted.

“Hold up… is that Lucas Knight?”

Then the man turned—and started singing the opening lines of Viva La Vida.

Raymond frowned. “Wait… that’s not Lucas.”

Right on cue, the music cut and the familiar meme soundbite played:

“Wait a minute… who are you?”

He chuckled. “Okay, that’s kinda good.”

Then came another meme:

“Why you always lyin’?”

Raymond raised an eyebrow, amused. “They’re actually using Vine audio now? YouTube really went all in.”

The scene continued with Ray—the Lucas lookalike—interacting with the Vine star Nicholas Fraser and DramaAlert’s host, Keemstar.

Then the tone shifted.

A soft melody began to play.

The camera cut to three figures, all facing away, blonde hair catching the light. As they turned and began to sing in harmony, Raymond leaned closer to the screen.

His eyes widened.

“That’s… that’s actually Lucas,” he said aloud, voice rising in disbelief. “Holy crap. YouTube really got Lucas Knight for this year’s Rewind?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth for the first time all day.

Maybe this Christmas wasn’t entirely ruined.

As the song played, Raymond found himself completely taken in by the melody. Without realizing it, he hit the replay button—just so he could sing along.

“He was such a noble dude
I can't even finish school
Missed my mom, and left too soon...”

He tapped his foot in rhythm, fingers snapping subconsciously with the beat.

“His dad was a fireman
Who fought fires so violent
I think I bored my therapist
While playing him my violin…”

Raymond paused, then noticed the small “CC” icon at the corner of the video. “Oh, there’s subtitles?” he muttered, quickly enabling them.

Now able to read the lyrics as he sang, his voice grew louder and more confident. It didn’t even matter that his singing was off-key—he was having fun.

As the song continued, the video cut to different YouTubers going through their own struggles and quirky routines. Raymond noticed Lucas didn’t have much screen time after the intro. But he didn’t mind. The song was his, and it gave the spotlight to the creators. That felt... respectful.

“I can’t believe PewDiePie is actually in this,” he mumbled, blinking at the screen. “After all the stuff that happened? They really let him back in?”

Before he could think too much about it, another song kicked in.

“I get up, I get down and I'm jumping around
And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now…”

Raymond’s eyes lit up. “Wait, is this a new song? Another one?”

Lucas’ voice soared again—this time in a playful, upbeat tune that made Raymond bounce slightly in his seat.

“Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinking it's time to grow...
Bang! Bang! Bang!”

He laughed, joining in with the chorus. “Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The second verse hit, and he sang along:

“So I got an apartment across from the park
Put quinoa in my fridge, still, I'm not feeling grown…”

And again—

“Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Raymond bobbed his head with the beat, fully immersed.

As the music faded into its final chorus, the camera panned out to a final sequence: YouTubers gathered on a hilltop, each holding their Play Buttons—diamond, gold, silver, and some empty-handed but proud.

Then came a wide aerial shot. Lucas stepped forward, handing out YouTube-branded watches to the creators. As the drone zoomed out further, the camera revealed they were all standing beside massive hillside letters styled like the Hollywood sign—but it spelled:

YOUTUBE REWIND

The music faded.

The screen cut to black.

Raymond sat back, wide-eyed. “That was amazing,” he whispered. “Amazing songs. Amazing video. No crazy celebrity cameos or globe-hopping fluff. Just… a rewind that feels real.”

He scrolled down to the comments section, eager to see others’ reactions. Most echoed his thoughts.

Then he spotted one at the top.

MrBeast: “Whoever replies to this comment gets a chance to win a PS4 and $1,000. Merry Christmas.”

Raymond blinked. “Wait… what? Who is this guy?”

He clicked on the profile. It had a verified badge.

“Is this real?” he asked aloud, then bit his lip. “Ah, screw it. I’ll try my luck.”

He hit reply and typed one word:

“Hi.”

Then he crossed his fingers.

---

Bang! - AJR