Unaware of the commotion, Dayo brought the meal out, noticing his family gathered around. He stepped closer, baffled by what he saw.
"Wow, Janet, you're a star now. I guess I'll have to rely on you from now on, baby sister," he teased, blowing her a playful kiss.
Janet folded her arms, pretending to be shy but failing to hide a smug smile. "Uh… well, it's because of you," she said, glancing up at him. Her eyes roamed over his healthy, vibrant skin and body—until she understood why everyone had reacted the way they did earlier.
"For me?" Dayo asked, confused.
"Yeah. I streamed you singing, and this is the result."
Dayo blinked in surprise, a small laugh escaping him before a slow smile spread across his face. He stepped closer to the camera and gave a small wave.
"Hello guys, thanks for the gifts. But me and my family need some family time, so don't worry—I'll meet you again tomorrow. Have a nice night."
He cut the livestream. His family stared at him, puzzled.
"If you want to keep the hype going," he explained, "you have to give the audience just a little—make them crave more. That way, they'll probably drag a friend or two into the excitement. And also… thanks, Janet. I never thought of making a video."
"Yeah… 'thank you' alone might not work," Janet replied, lips curling into a mischievous grin.
Dayo chuckled. "Alright, I get you."
"Anyway, the meals are here and it's getting late—dig in," Dayo said. He lifted the lids, and the delicious aroma immediately filled the room. Jeffery's eyes widened, his mouth watering.
The first bites drew a chorus of surprised hums. Dayo told them he'd learned the recipe while in the U.K., and their impressed looks made him smile.
For the first time in a long while, the whole family sat together, enjoying a peaceful night. It felt… whole again.
Since tomorrow was a workday, they finished quickly. Everyone headed upstairs except Jason, Dayo's father, who remained in the sitting room.
"Hey, Pops?" Dayo called.
Jason looked up from his seat. "Hmm. Dayo… you've changed a lot since I last saw you," he said, scanning his son from head to toe.
Dayo knew that gaze. The old him was withdrawn, carrying invisible weight. Now, he just smiled and passed his father a cold beer.
"Yes, Dad. A miracle happened. So, indeed, I changed."
"Oh? What miracle is that?"
"My spasmodic dysphonia is gone."
Jason froze. "WAIT… WHAT? HOW???"
Dayo shrugged. "I don't really know. It just… happened. One day I felt light in my throat. I went for a check-up and was cleared of any trace of spasmodic dysphonia."
Jason's eyes welled up. That cruel disease had robbed Dayo of his dreams, changed the boy he knew, and hurt the family in ways words couldn't measure. He quickly looked away, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling. "That's good news, son. Now you can pursue your dreams."
"Yes, Pops. Anyway, it's late—let me help you upstairs."
After getting his father settled, Dayo returned to the living room and opened his laptop. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before he started typing a plan.
He needed exposure. Traffic. Momentum. The answer? The Global Stage competition.
It was the biggest music event in the world, a platform for raw, upcoming artists. The path was brutal—first the national stage, then regional, and finally the global finals. But it was already at the regional stage, which meant the only way in now was the wildcard selection—an audience-voted slot for one outsider.
The problem? It was almost always rigged. Big labels used it to push their own newcomers. And worse—this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If you failed, there was no second try.
Still, Dayo's mind was set. He had a card to play—Urik owed him a favor. But before he could call it in, he had to raise his public profile. No one would vote for an unknown.
With that in mind, he created new social media accounts under the name JD, carefully linking them to no past record of himself.
Then he remembered—the system still had a pending notification.
"STATS," he said softly.
DING!
[STATS]
Name: Jason Dayo
Age: 20 years
Status: A nobody
Singing Level: C-
Writing Level: B+
Acting Skill: C-
Visual: B+
Instruments:
Guitar: SS+
Flute: A+
Piano: S-
Violin: A-
Music Production: SSS+
Video Editing: B+
Potential: SSS+
Skills: –
System Level: 1
[System Notice]: Mission "Gain your first 1,000 fans in 30 days" – Completed!
Reward: Skill Upgrade Card (Random) – Claimed.
Penalty Avoided.
Dayo leaned back, grinning faintly. "Huh. So it wasn't just hype. They really counted as fans."
He flipped open the reward tab. The Skill Upgrade Card shimmered briefly before disappearing into his inventory.
[System Notice]: Skill "Singing" upgraded from D+ to C-.
He chuckled to himself. Not bad. He had thought leveling up his singing would take forever, but this was proof that progress was possible—and fast.
Of course, being a skilled producer in his past life gave him an edge. He knew exactly what made a song good, how to polish it, and the training needed to push beyond limits. Now, with the system backing him, failure wasn't an option.
He closed the laptop and glanced at the dark window, his reflection staring back at him.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let's make the world remember my name."
With that, he headed to bed, mind buzzing with the steps to come.