CHAPTER 11 –Possible Rival?
"I told you," he said, standing slowly, "I'm only this smooth when I see an angel."
Eva just stood there, blushing so much she felt like she might pop. This was the most she had ever blushed in her life. "Oh… Dayo, are you like an artist?"
"Yes, but not debuted," he said, glancing at Misha. "But very soon, I want to compete on the Global Stage—so please vote for me when the time comes."
"Oh, wow… what a coincidence," Eva said as she pointed towards Misha. "Misha is also on the final stage to go to the world stage…"
The moment she said it, Eva felt a glare burning into her. She turned to see Misha's cold, sharp expression and immediately realized she had messed up. "Oops…" she muttered under her breath before quickly waving at Dayo and running off like a scared cat.
Dayo slowly turned to Misha. He knew he had seen her somewhere before, and then it clicked—he had come across her profile while researching potential competitors. She was better than he at singing right now. But before he could say anything, Misha broke the silence.
"You are planning on competing for the Global Stage?" she asked, her tone steady but curious.
"Yup, I am," Dayo replied with a confident smile. "And I have to say, you're really good. I watched your clips—you sound amazing."
Misha raised a brow. "You do know the competition has already started, right?"
"Yeah," Dayo said casually. "So I'll be going for the wildcard."
Her lips curved into the faintest smirk. "The wildcard?" she repeated. "You realize that's even harder than the main qualifiers? Only a handful of artists in the world get that shot. With your current skill… I'm not sure you can pull it off."
Dayo just smiled, completely unfazed. "Good thing I'm not aiming for 'current skill.'"
She studied him for a second longer, almost like she wanted to say something else, but instead just sighed and gestured toward the counter.
"So, I'll take these," Dayo said, pointing toward the instruments he had picked earlier.
Misha nodded, still watching him with that unreadable expression.
Dayo decided to check her on his system:
[Misha]Status: Rising Star
Singing Level: A+
Writing Level: C-
Acting Skill: E-
Visual: A+
Instrument Level:
Guitar: A+
Piano: A-
Potential: S+
Skills:
[Resonance]: Ability to project sound that deeply connects with the audience, amplifying emotional impact..
Dayo was surprised at her stats. They were glowing. With numbers like that, she was almost mid-tier already, and an S+ potential meant she could become a global star.
She caught the small smirk on his face, like he knew something, but didn't comment. Instead, she handed him the machine for his card.
Seeing her expression, Dayo was amused. He didn't care much either way—he just wanted to make acquaintances. If the other party wasn't interested, he wasn't going to force it. He could acknowledge her talent without fawning over her. When it came to writing, instruments, and raw potential, he knew he wasn't lacking.
Besides, he preferred more mature women. Maybe it was because, in his head, he was already over forty, but his taste leaned toward refined beauty.
"This is the address for the piano delivery. I'll take the guitar myself," Dayo said flatly. He didn't wait for her response. Instead, he walked toward the door, waved at Eva, and called a taxi.
Misha stood there for a moment, confused. She couldn't believe he had just ignored her. Most men she met went out of their way to impress her, but this guy acted like she didn't even exist.
If only she knew that the man she was dealing with had decades of experience hidden behind his youthful face.
She shook her head, then remembered something. Picking up her phone, she called someone. "I have someone interesting for you. Look him up—be quick about it."
Meanwhile, in a small corner of the internet, a storm was brewing.
It started last night after Dayo went live, singing a new song. Fans began asking about the origin of the track and whether they could find it.
Then just today, he sang another song differently. Many recognized it.
The real surprise came when people realized the song was a recent release—barely a month old—by top U.S. pop star Luron Vale. The track was already in the Billboard Top 10 with over 278 million streams. Vale was famous for his unique tone, minimalist lyrics, and emotional delivery.
And here was Dayo—not only nailing the tone and emotion but also rewriting the lyrics without losing the soul of the song. It wasn't perfect—his voice still had room to grow—but the emotion and piano playing carried it.
What sealed it was the fact that Dayo could also rap, something rare among artists who could deliver slow, impactful ballads.
Luron Vale himself reposted the video, captioning: "This guy aced the tone. Where's his handle? I'd like to meet him."
For an artist with over 60 million followers across platforms to acknowledge Dayo? That was huge. The repost pushed Dayo into the spotlight overnight.
Of course, Vale's move wasn't entirely selfless—it also revived hype for his song, which had started to slow down. But still, for Dayo, it was a win.
Unaware of all this, Dayo was in the restaurant kitchen, helping out. He sliced ingredients like a pro, chatting with the staff and making quick friends. His years of communication skills and easy charm worked effortlessly, and his good looks didn't hurt either.
When he asked to help out, head chef Temari Jerry, a Frenchman in his mid-fifties, was skeptical. "You have to prove you can cook first. Make something, and then I'll decide."
Dayo grinned. "Challenge accepted." He handed his phone to a nearby worker. "Record this for me."