It took weeks, but I finally figured out how to open this. There’s a black stud holding everything in place. Use a screwdriver to pull it out, and the plastic flap will loosen. Simply find the metal string and yank it. The hood should pop right open.
Oh, and also, it throws a low battery warning while you're opening the hood. It's just a temporary glitch in the system. Everything goes back to normal once you close it.
Thanks for the step by step instructions on how to do it. I've been overthinking lately because there's a weird noise in front of my car and I am curious what caused this. Keep up the good work man!