Someone had recorded the livestream of Dayo and Lois singing Best Part and posted it online. It went viral almost instantly. Clips spread across socials with captions like "Who are these two??" and "This is pure magic."

The way their voices blended made it look effortless, almost unreal. Even people who had never heard the song before started asking for its title. By the next morning, the effect was clear: streams shot up across every platform.

In just a day and a half, they had crossed 1.7 million streams — Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube all combined. For a debut single from a newcomer like Lois, even with Dayo featured, the numbers were massive.

Dayo leaned back in his office chair, scrolling through the stats. Notifications wouldn't stop buzzing. Fans were posting edits, reaction videos, and dance covers. The buzz was growing.

Just then, his phone lit up with a call from Vale.

"JD, my brother!" Vale's voice boomed the moment Dayo picked up.

"Haha, Vale! I was about to call you myself."

"Don't bother," Vale cut in. "I just wanted to remind you — tomorrow is the show. Don't be late. The crowd's going to be crazy. And that track with Lois? I've got it on repeat, bro."

"Haha, thanks for the support," Dayo replied with a grin. "I'm ready already. And since you gave me two slots, one will be the song with her, and the other will be used as we both planned."

"Good. That's all I wanted to hear," Vale said before hanging up.

As the line went dead, a knock came on the door.

"Come in," Dayo called.

Valery stepped inside, holding her tablet. Her expression was unreadable at first, then a small smirk appeared. "JD… have you checked?"

Dayo frowned. "Checked what?"

She tilted her head. "Just check. Twitter. Now."

He grabbed his phone, opened the app, and froze.

Darren — the Darren. The global superstar whose song Dayo had performed for the Global Competition stage. Darren is Equivalent to Ed Sheeran in this world.

A verified repost sat at the top of his feed:

> "I've heard many versions of my song… but honestly, this one by @JDayoJason might just be the best yet. Man did justice to it in ways even I didn't. Respect. And if you haven't voted for him in the Global Competition, do it. I think we're in for a surprise this season."

The room spun for a second. Valery crossed her arms, watching his reaction like she'd been waiting for it.

"JD," she said quietly, "do you know what this means?"

Dayo was stunned. He didn't even know Darren personally, yet here he was, openly backing him. Darren had over 80 million followers online and nearly 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. For someone of his status, this kind of endorsement was insane.

Almost instantly, Dayo's phone started shaking with notifications. Fans, blogs, and even mainstream outlets were reposting Darren's words. Hashtags were trending globally: #JDayoXDarren and #BestVersionEver.

Within hours, the voting numbers shifted.

Global Competition – Wildcard Top 30 Rankings (Updated)

1. Frank Kane (USA) – 20.3M votes

2. Aisha Kimura (Japan) – 19.1M votes

3. Lucas Rivera (Brazil) – 17.8M votes

4. Dayo Jason (USA) – 17.2M votes (+2 positions)

5. Sophia Zhang (China) – 16.9M votes

6. Daniel Carter (USA) – 15.7M votes

Valery slapped the back of Dayo's chair. "From sixth to fourth in less than a day. Do you understand? Darren just handed you a rocket booster."

Dayo stared at the screen, trying to process it all. He finally exhaled slowly. "So this is what it feels like… to be a global star."

Valery grinned. "Better get used to it. Because from now on, nothing about your life is going to stay the same."

"Damn… you're right."

Still, something about it nagged at him. Darren's endorsement felt too direct, almost strategic. If he had only praised the performance, Dayo wouldn't have thought much of it. But the way Darren plugged the Global Competition, too? It made him wonder if someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.

But for now, he didn't care. What mattered was momentum — and pushing himself into the top three.

---

But this rise did not go unnoticed.

Frank, sitting comfortably at number one, felt the pressure immediately. Watching Dayo leapfrog two positions in less than 24 hours was unsettling. He started calling his agent and pushing his team to ramp up campaigns. Outwardly, he stayed calm. But inside, panic brewed.

Because Frank knew something others didn't — if he slipped, if he lost that top spot, Michael would lose interest in him. And Michael wasn't someone you could afford to disappoint.

---

The Day of Vale's Show

On the drive over, Lois could hardly sit still. She kept glancing out the tinted window, her lips curving into a smile she tried to hide.

Dayo finally turned to her, brow raised. "Uh-uh… why are you this excited? It's like you swallowed fireworks or something."

Lois shrugged quickly, trying to play it off. "Nothing. Don't mind me. It doesn't really concern you."

Dayo chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, no problem." He didn't press further, but he made a mental note of it.

They arrived in New York City for Vale's long-awaited show. The venue: Barclays Center, one of the most iconic arenas in the U.S., packed to the brim with fans.

Even before their car pulled into the private lot, they could already hear it — the distant roar of the crowd, a wave of chants and screams rolling out of the building like thunder.

Lois peeked through the tinted window and gasped as this was her first time in front of such a huge crowd. "JD… are they screaming like this for real?"

Dayo adjusted his cap, his chest tightening in disbelief. "They're not even inside yet… and they're already this loud."

As soon as they stepped out, Vale's assistant hurried over, ushering them past security and down the corridor lined with staff and equipment. "You're on in fifteen minutes. Soundcheck is already set. Don't worry, just focus on the music."

Dayo nodded, but his pulse quickened. This wasn't the World Cup, where the stage was distant and the crowd came for football first, music second. This was different. Thirty thousand people had come here, from different states, just to lose themselves in music.

And tonight, he was part of the reason they were here.

Inside, as they peeked from backstage, Lois suddenly froze. Standing just a few steps away, laughing with one of the coordinators, was Vale himself.

"Oh my God," Lois whispered, clutching Dayo's arm without even realizing. "That's him… that's Vale. I'm such a huge fan."

Dayo smirked at her reaction. "Ohhh. So this is why you were excited."

Lois bit her lip, trying not to squeal. "Maybe. Don't worry about it." But her eyes gave her away — she was starstruck.

Vale finally turned and walked over, his presence commanding but warm. "So you're Lois, right? I've heard about you."

Lois's breath hitched. "Yes— I mean, oh my God, yes! I've been following you for so long. Your music is amazing. I literally listen to your last album every night. I can't believe I'm even talking to you right now."

Vale chuckled, then turned to Dayo with a grin, pulling him into a quick handshake-hug. "JD, my brother. Glad you made it."

"Wouldn't miss it for anything, and thanks for the push," Dayo replied with a smile to which Vale nodded.

Lois's grin widened until she could barely contain it. "Thank you so much, really. You don't know what this means to me."

Vale smirked. "Good. Keep that fire. You two are up soon."

---

Moments later, the stage lights dimmed. The crowd screamed even louder as Vale's voice thundered through the speakers.

"New York! I know you've been waiting," he roared, pacing across the stage. "And as promised, I brought some special artists tonight. You've heard the buzz, you've seen their names trending — now it's time to see them live. Make some noise for JD and Lois!"

The crowd erupted, thirty thousand voices merging into one deafening roar.

Lois squeezed Dayo's hand tightly, her nerves buzzing, her fangirl excitement now blending with pure adrenaline. Dayo took a steadying breath, gave her a quick nod, and together, they stepped into the spotlight.

The crowd roared, and as the first notes hit, it felt like they owned the world.

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