[3RD POV INITIALLIZE]
Upon waking up, Einsamer still felt dizzy. Shan approached him and supported his balance by wrapping Einsamer's left arm around his own neck. It was clear that Einsamer couldn't walk on his own yet.
Stella became curious about the white-haired man mentioned by Einsamer. She asked him who the man was while signaling Bridget to finish packing up their band's equipment.
Einsamer had a feeling that he might appear dramatic, as he vaguely remembered having a conversation with the white-haired man earlier but now it felt like a dream, as if the conversation never happened in reality.
"Maybe it was just a dream, but I did see the white-haired man," Einsamer pondered. He turned his gaze towards the street lamp where the man had been leaning earlier, but the man was no longer there.
Interrupting his thoughts, Setsuna's decisive voice brought him back to the present. "As a leader, you know how to make everyone concerned about you," Setsuna stated.
"I'm sorry that I let you guys down," Einsamer could only say in that moment.
To Einsamer, it wasn't a matter of failure, but rather regret that Stella might leave the band after hearing about her plan. He felt like he hadn't given his all yet and even lost consciousness for a moment. This pushed him to give his utmost effort during their performance, but he still felt it wasn't enough.
Stella reassured him, "We didn't fail, look at the audience who came to support us."
The band looked at the smiling and excited crowd, who were touched by their performance. Einsamer now realized that what truly mattered was the audience in front of them. If he could bring a smile to their faces and make them excited, then he had succeeded. However, he wanted to show Stella some progress and make her feel that her time with the band wasn't in vain.
From the crowd, someone shouted Setsuna's name, a girl called out to Shan, and a few girls tried to approach Bridget near the stage but were stopped by Ginevra's piercing gaze. It was clear that Ginevra claimed Bridget as her own and warned others not to touch him.
Meanwhile, no one knew Stella's true name as she never revealed it to the audience. They simply called her the "masked Diva," a nickname given by her small fanbase on the island. Among the crowd, a few people shouted her nickname. Despite finding it embarrassing, Stella understood that it was her fanbase's passion that supported her, so she let it slide.
In any case, as Einsamer turned to see Stella's slight smile, he was reassured that she didn't feel like the band was holding her back. She even acknowledged their progress. Now, it was his turn to thank her.
Just as he was about to express his gratitude for her involvement in the band over the years, another male voice shouted at them from a distance.
"Your time is up, kid. It's time for another band. Don't get caught up in the moment!" the fat man said in an annoying tone as he approached the band.
The crowd booed at him, but he didn't care. After all, he was earning coins from the live stream, not from the audience. The live stream was filled with various chats, some applauding Renegade 3's performance, while others who had just discovered the band became instant fans, particularly impressed by Stella and Setsuna's captivating voices.
The live stream audience, watching the performance on their tablets or VR headsets, were eager to learn more about Renegade 3. However, the majority of viewers were there to see the next band, as Renegade 3 was not their primary focus. Nevertheless, the majority of the live stream audience recognized Renegade 3's potential.
The live stream audience even spiked to 15,326 people, the highest it had ever been for this gig, albeit still below the once-famous band Zenithx, who had become an international sensation in the vibrant city.
None of the band members said anything, knowing it would be pointless to argue with the fat man. His income came from livestream donations, so he didn't care. All the bands performing at this venue had to adhere to his schedule, as he held the official rights to establish stages on the tower.
It took them several minutes to pack up their equipment and bid farewell to the audience. As they were about to leave, Einsamer noticed a group of four people wearing stylish black jackets approaching the stage with their instruments and equipment.
Walking at the front of the group was Zane, the well-known celebrity from Zenithx. She had a tall and sleek body, with her black hair tied in a ponytail and a captivating eye patch. Her blue eyes seemed to radiate the beauty of the ocean itself, adding to her allure. Despite her stunning looks, she exuded a mature and cool aura.
"Einsamer murmured, "Zane from Zenithx!"
The crowd also gazed at the black-haired woman with one eye patched, filled with amazement and excitement as they shouted her name, "Zane! Zane!"
The crowd rushed towards her, but the security guards in black suits quickly appeared to fence them off.
Suddenly, most people in the garden rushed towards the stage, causing the live stream to crash from 10k viewers to 50k viewers in an instant as news spread about Zane's appearance at a small gig event.
The cool-looking woman arrived before Einsamer and his band members, giving a remark, "I can see your potential, keep doing your best." Her voice was charismatic, possessing the same quality as Stella's.
Just by hearing her voice, one could tell she was a professional vocalist. It held both femininity and masculinity, a perfect blend of coolness and beauty. Einsamer and his band members felt as if they were under her spell when they heard her voice.
After delivering her remark, she glanced at Stella and continued walking past her with a smile. Once on stage, the crowd erupted in cheers.
As Einsamer and his team made their way toward their vehicle, Setsuna suggested that after loading up their equipment, they should head back to enjoy Zenithx's performance. It was rare to encounter Zane in person, and the band members were inspired by her, which was why Einsamer, Stella, Shan, and Setsuna had formed their own band.
After loading up their equipment into the van, they returned to the area with fewer people, still able to view the performance from afar. They couldn't get close to the crowd due to their growing recognition, but they still enjoyed the show from a distance, relishing in the music.
As they leaned against the wall, Bridget brought out a bucket with an automatic cooling process, similar to a small fridge. Inside were bottles of orange and apple juice. He placed the bucket before everyone, and they each took a bottle, slowly sipping the cool juice instead of rushing to finish it.
Listening to the distant jazz and alternative rock music blending with Zane's charismatic and beautiful yet cool voice, Setsuna couldn't help but feel amazed.
"She is so talented," Setsuna said, looking at Stella. "Do you think you can reach her level?"
Stella replied with a neutral tone, "It will take time, but I think I can do it."
Everyone in the band knew that Stella was very good at imitating the voices of others, so they weren't surprised by her reply and confidence.
Meanwhile, Stella glanced at Einsamer, who stood nearby with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were closed, and his feet tapped with the rhythm of the music. He seemed very happy, despite having lost consciousness a moment ago.
Stella still asked him, "Are you okay now? If you don't feel well, let me know."
Einsamer replied, "I'm fine. I feel my energy recovering as I listen to Zenithx." His eyes remained closed, his mind and body focused on Zane's singing.
"I see," Stella murmured in response.
Then, Shan raised his voice and expressed his thoughts. "No wonder that fatty old man only let us play three songs. Zenithx coming to perform here, even though this tower is meant for small bands like us to gain recognition. I wonder what they're thinking?"
Shan stood between Setsuna and Bridget, who were standing next to Ginevra, while Setsuna was standing next to Stella, who was standing next to Einsamer.
Stella replied, "Well, who knows!"
As several songs passed by, Bridget and Ginevra held hands while listening to the music. Meanwhile, Einsamer couldn't shake off the restless feeling from what had happened. He remembered seeing the white-haired man and having a conversation with him, but he couldn't recall any of the details, similar to the dream he had that morning.
Doubtfully, Einsamer said to Stella, "What if everything was just a dream?" He opened his eyes and looked at the performance, filled with light from a distance surrounding the stage. He couldn't believe that just a moment ago, he was standing on that stage with his friends.
Stella took a deep breath and replied with a giggle, "Then I will dream of myself as the best and coolest side character ever, the side character that supports the main character."
Einsamer looked at her with amazed eyes. "That's not what I mean..." he exclaimed.
Their conversation was interrupted by someone else. Setsuna interjected with a suspicious tone, asking, "What are you guys talking about?"
Stella responded coldly, "Nothing."
Meanwhile, Shan and Bridget discussed their future plans to improve the band, but no one mentioned Stella's intention to quit. It was a sensitive topic that should be left untouched until Stella herself brought it up. They had already agreed on this as one of the rules within the band.
After chatting and spending half an hour listening to the performance, it came to an end. Zenithx had managed to gather thousands of audience members, leaving Einsamer to reflect on how his band could only attract a couple of hundred people at best.
But this was expected. Renegade3 was only well-known within the island and on some parts of social media, while Zenithx had a nationwide presence in the Singa sanctuary.
The crowd continued to chase after Zane and her band members even after their performance ended. Unexpectedly, Einsamer noticed that she was heading their way. Many security guards rushed in to stop the crowd from getting too close, and multiple black SUVs hovered above the tower, deploying more security guards around Zane.
As Zane arrived before Stella, she smiled at her. Her blue eyes locked onto Stella's, ignoring the other members of Renegade3. Einsamer looked at Zane with disbelief, as they had never expected to see her up close like this, causing them to freeze in place.
Zane finally spoke up, raising her voice. "Aren't you Stella?"
Despite wearing a mask, Zane could still recognize Stella.
Moreover, Stella had put in a lot of effort to change her voice to suit a powerful and cool style, different from her usual idol voice. She was caught off guard when Zane called her name upon meeting her in person.
For the first time, Stella felt that her talent and skills were truly being challenged.