The bus ride back from the arena was quiet. Nobody joked or laughed much—everyone was lost in thought. Some contestants leaned against the windows, headphones in, pretending to sleep, while others whispered about the teams that had just been formed. Dayo sat with his arms folded, staring straight ahead. His mind was stuck on one thing: what song are we going to do, and how am I going to manage this team?

When they arrived at the hotel, the staff quickly guided each group into their assigned practice rooms. Dayo's group was the last to enter.

The studio wasn't flashy, but it had everything they needed—drums, guitars, keyboards, microphones, even a trumpet stand pushed into the corner. A few producers and cameramen adjusted equipment, clipped mics to their shirts, and then left, leaving the five of them alone. The door closed with a heavy thud.

Dayo clapped his hands once. "Alright. Let's get started."

Everyone looked at him. Emily leaned casually against the piano, Maya already had her notebook out, Tyrell twirled his drumsticks in his fingers, and Frank sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, wearing a look of contempt.

Dayo kept his tone steady. "We've got five people, one performance. Rules are simple—the song must use more than one language, and at least one live instrument. Let's figure out what each of us is good at—vocals, instruments, or any skill that could help the team."

Emily nodded and answered first. "I'm mainly vocals. I can do harmonies and some lead. I also play piano if we want a base melody."

Maya lifted her head. "I'm good with writing and lyrics. I also play violin—not the strongest, but it could add layers."

Tyrell grinned and said, playful as usual, "You all already know me. Drums, that's my thing. But don't sleep on my voice either—I can do backing vocals."

Then, slowly, all eyes turned to Frank. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Trumpet. And I can sing if I need to. Just don't expect me to play background for anyone."

The air tightened a little at the jab, but Dayo let it slide. "Alright. Good. That's four instruments already—guitar, drums, piano, trumpet, and even violin if we want. We've got options."

He waited a beat. "As for me, you already know. I'll handle vocals too, but I'll also bring in guitar. And I can help arrange everything so it doesn't sound messy."

There was a small pause, then Emily asked, "What language are you thinking?"

Dayo didn't hesitate. "Korean and English. We're in Korea—it respects the stage, and it also reaches fans outside."

For a second, the room froze.

Tyrell blinked. "Wait… you can speak Korean?"

Dayo nodded like it was obvious. "Yeah. I can sing in it too."

Emily's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You've been hiding that the whole time?"

Even Maya looked impressed. "That's… unexpected. It could actually give us an edge."

Frank scoffed and muttered under his breath. "Great. Mr. Perfect knows another language. Shocking."

Dayo ignored the tone. "It works for us. I'll handle the main Korean parts. Emily, you take English lead. Maya, you can back both of us—since you know a bit of Korean too, right?"

Maya nodded quickly. "Yeah. Not perfect, but I can handle it."

"Good. Tyrell keeps the rhythm tight, and Frank—you'll handle the trumpet sections. We'll make sure you've got a space that stands out."

Frank didn't reply, just leaned back deeper into his chair, his expression unreadable as he was thinking if the arrangement suited him best.

"Alright," Dayo continued. "Next step—what kind of song?"

Maya tapped her pen against the notebook. "Something emotional works better with two languages. Love, heartbreak, memories. That type of thing."

Emily chimed in. "Or something uplifting. Something that connects."

Dayo closed his eyes briefly. He quickly used his system skill to check what would connect with fans.

Upcoming Trend (Next Week):

Genre: R&B

Theme: Echo / Memories

That was all he needed. He opened his eyes and looked at his team.

"Let's try R&B. Something with echoes. Something about memories that won't fade. It feels right—it can capture all of us. Smooth but powerful."

Maya's pen started moving. "R&B works. Two voices alternating, chorus repeating in both languages. It could fit."

"Alright," Dayo said. "Let's dig for songs that fit that vibe. Something we can rework into our own."

For the next half hour, they shuffled through instrumentals and references in the system's library. Some were too heavy, others too plain. Finally, Maya found one that caught attention—a soft R&B track with space for harmonies and instrument solos.

"This one," she said, pressing play. "We can adjust it, but the foundation is strong."

Tyrell nodded immediately. "Drums will sit nice on this. I can already hear it."

Maya scribbled furiously. "The lyrics can shift to memories, like voices that keep echoing."

Dayo smiled. "Perfect. Let's try it."

The first rehearsal started rough. Dayo strummed the guitar softly to set the tone. Emily came in on the English verse, her voice smooth and steady. Dayo followed with a Korean line—his pronunciation was clear, adding soul to the music. Tyrell added a beat, slow and driving.

Then Dayo looked at Frank. "Your turn."

Frank sighed but lifted the trumpet. A sharp, golden note filled the room, cutting through the melody. For a brief second, everyone froze—the sound transformed the vibe instantly.

Emily's eyes lit up. "That works."

Tyrell grinned. "Wow, that's fire. I can already hear the fans scream."

Even Maya nodded. "It adds tension. Drama."

But Frank lowered the trumpet too soon. "Nah. This arrangement's weak. You're just trying to bury me under backup noise. I'm not here to be your side player so better cime ip with something else."

The energy dropped instantly with each member having different reaction. Tyrell's grin faded. Emily frowned. Maya kept writing but glanced up.

Dayo put his guitar down slowly. "Frank, listen. Without you, this group sounds like every other group here. With you, we're different. That trumpet is the sound people will remember. You want spotlight? That's your spotlight so let us play our parts."

Frank sneered. "So one little solo and I should clap for you? Please this would only get me eliminated and i didn't come here to get eliminated."

The room tensed again.

Emily stepped in softly trying to ease the tension. "What if… the trumpet isn't just a solo? What if Frank leads the bridge? Right before the final chorus. Everything quiets, trumpet carries it, then we all come back in together."

Tyrell slapped his knee. "Yes! That would kill."

Maya tapped her pen as she looked at the lyrics, seeing that it could work she looked at Dayo and have a nod. "Bridge works better—it gives the trumpet meaning, not just a moment."

Frank tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Fine. Bridge is mine." He looked down, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Dayo as he looked at Frank he exhaled as he visualized the sound in his mind as a producer and nodded back at Maya. "Good it would wokr fine. Then let's run it again this time with Frank doing the bridge."

They worked for hours. The track started to shape into something real. Emily handled lead English lines, Dayo filled the Korean parts while Maya backed up, Dayo tied it together with his guitar and harmonies, Tyrell's drums locked the rhythm, and Frank's trumpet was the final piece that cut through when needed.

It wasn't perfect yet, but it was something.

By midnight, exhaustion weighed on them. Tyrell packed his sticks with a yawn. Emily rubbed her throat. Frank stayed in the corner, silent.

"Alright," Dayo said. "That's enough for today. Go get some rest. We'll polish it tomorrow."

As the others started to leave, Dayo touched Maya's arm gently. "Wait. One second."

She looked up, curious.

He lowered his voice. "Do you feel like something's still missing? I don't know… the lyrics. They don't feel locked in yet."

Maya hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I thought I was the only one feeling that. It's good, but it's not there yet."

"Exactly," Dayo said. "Let's tweak it. Just the two of us. We don't need to tell the others yet. We'll work through the lines and make it stronger."

Maya's eyes softened. "Alright. Let's do it."

Dayo gave a small smile. "Good. Then tomorrow morning, we'll give them something better."

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