It’s really subtle, but look how touched Hector is. In the novelization, he’s said to be happy because he thought of Ernesto as a brother and didn’t want to lose his friendship.
He was happy because he thought Ernesto was still his friend.
I actually mostly missed how affectionate Hector is with Chicharron the first time I saw Coco, but the second time I was paying more attention and… it’s one of the first signs we get about what kind of character Hector really is. That scene just punches me right in the feels.
Hector goes in there trying to be all charming and yacking a mile a minute. He’s obviously trying to bluster his way into getting this guitar, despite having lost a bunch of stuff he’s already borrowed, and knowing full-well Chicharron is going to be pissed off at him. …But as soon as he realizes that his friend is fading, he drops the act immediately, and his tone does a 180. We instantly see his face go from the ‘I’m being super charming’ grin to this sad, knowing little smile, and his voice goes from fast-talking wheedling to being really gentle and soft. Hector could’ve just picked up the guitar and walked off with it at that point, since he knows Chich can’t really do anything to stop him. The character we’ve led to believe Hector is so far might just do that – playing the loveable scoundrel card. Maybe Miguel would guilt him into going back to return it… but this Hector doesn’t do that. He clearly doesn’t want to play, and even says as much – but he does it anyway, burning time he’s not sure either he or Miguel have, because Chicharron is dying, and this is important. He looks so damned heartbroken after Chich disappears… and not just because he knows it’ll happen to him too soon enough.
It’s the first time we really begin to see Hector for who he actually is, rather than all the goofy bluster and con-man antics, and it still breaks my heart every time I watch this movie.
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 