From A Producer To A Global Superstar

Chapter 82: No comment


The days that followed were nothing short of hell for Dayo.

Everywhere he looked, his name was there, be it online, on TV, in blogs, and on gossip broadcasts.

The attention he was getting from this scandal was even bigger than when he performed at the FIFA World Cup. Back then, people praised his talent and energy. Now, those same people were dragging him through the mud, twisting every piece of his past into something ugly.

More than ninety percent of media outlets had a story about him. Some said he had "finally shown his true colors." Others called him "the fallen star." The internet was flooded with clips, photos, and false stories. Many of his fans — the same ones who used to cheer for him — had turned their backs, believing every rumor.

If it were someone else, they might have broken down by now. The pressure to post a public apology or at least make a statement was enough to crush even the strongest celebrity. But Dayo did neither.

He stayed silent.

No social-media post.

No interviews.

No comments.

His silence only made things worse. People said that silence meant guilt. They said, if he was innocent, he'd defend himself.

But Dayo didn't care.

What hurt him most was that this week was supposed to be one of his happiest. Lois' album had just dropped and was doing great for a rookie release. Youssef's single was finally set to help him break into the Moroccan market. This week was supposed to be full of celebrations.

Instead, Dayo couldn't even step outside without being surrounded by reporters shouting questions or strangers whispering as he walked past. Even in the hotel, things were tense. People who used to greet him warmly now looked away. The atmosphere around him had changed completely.

Still, Dayo stayed calm. He didn't raise his voice or lose his temper once.

The days were hard, yes, but he pushed through them quietly. A small part of him even found dark humor in it — despite all the hate, his popularity was climbing like crazy. His social-media followers doubled. His name was everywhere. His music streams skyrocketed.

He cursed Michael under his breath for turning up the heat, but he also knew this chaos would pass. It always did.

Michael, meanwhile, was sitting comfortably in his large office, leaning back in his chair. His assistant stood across from him with a tablet in her hand, nervous but prepared.

"So," Michael asked lazily, "how's he taking the whole ordeal?"

The assistant hesitated before replying, "Sir… he's been awfully calm. Almost too calm."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

The assistant took a breath. "He hasn't made any attempt to clear his name. No posts, no statements. Even when reporters surround him, he just walks away. No reaction, no anger, nothing."

"In simple terms, sir," she said carefully, "he seems unaffected by everything."

Michael frowned. For the first time in a while, he didn't have an immediate response.

He hated unpredictability, and Dayo's calmness bothered him. Most people would've cracked under this kind of pressure — maybe cried on camera or made a public apology. But Dayo was just… still.

That made him dangerous.

After a few seconds, Michael smirked. "Keep the pressure on him. He'll break sooner or later. And tell the production department to ask the right questions during interviews."

The assistant nodded quickly. "Understood, sir."

Michael leaned back again, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It's only a matter of time."

***

It was now just one day before the next round of the competition, and the tension among contestants was heavy. Everyone was rehearsing nonstop, practicing vocals, checking sound setups, and going over lyrics again and again.

This round was special. Each contestant had to create and perform an original song — something completely new, never heard before. No covers, no samples. The judges wanted pure creativity, something that would define their identity as artists.

The pressure was sky-high.

That same day, contestants were also called one by one for their production interviews — a routine pre-performance session where the media department asked questions about their preparations and experiences.

When it was Dayo's turn, he already knew something was coming.

The start was normal — questions about his writing process, what inspired him, and how he felt about performing in Morocco again. But soon, the questions took a sharp turn.

"Dayo," the interviewer, who was not the usual face, started, "many fans say your silence means guilt. What do you say about that?"

Dayo's face stayed blank. "No comment."

"Vivian said you manipulated her emotionally. Is that true?"

"No comment."

"Some sponsors are reportedly pulling out because of your image. Any message for them?"

"No comment."

"What if the Global Competition decides to disqualify you over this scandal?"

Dayo looked directly at the interviewer. His eyes were calm but sharp — almost warning. The question was meant to provoke him, but he didn't flinch. He knew Michael's hand was behind this.

He smiled faintly. "No comment."

The room went silent. The interviewee exchanged glances with the producer, who normally asks the question, who shrugged, clearly frustrated that her job had been done by someone else just to cause issues. They wanted drama, a reaction, anything they could twist into another headline — but Dayo gave them nothing.

When the interview finally ended, Min-Jae caught up with him outside the door.

"Bro," he said, patting his shoulder, "that was rough, but you handled it perfectly."

Dayo gave a small nod. "I'm not giving them anything else to twist."

Later that evening, the contestants gathered in the hotel lounge for a light dinner. The air was awkward. Some people whispered when Dayo walked in. Others just avoided eye contact altogether.

Only Emily, Maya, Misha, and Min-Jae sat with him.

Emily smiled softly. "Don't mind them. The ones who matter know who you really are."

Misha nodded in agreement. "They'll all change again when the truth comes out."

Dayo smiled faintly. "People switch sides faster than lights turn on. I'm not surprised."

He sounded calm, but deep inside, he could feel the isolation. It wasn't anger — just a quiet understanding of how fickle people could be. He had seen this before, just not at this level.

After dinner, he headed to his room. The hallway was quiet until he heard someone call his name.

"Dayo."

He turned around and saw Frank leaning casually against the wall, hands in his pockets.

"What do you want?" Dayo asked, his tone flat.

Frank glanced around before stepping closer, lowering his voice. "Look, you know you can end all this, right? Just accept what you've been offered. The whole thing will disappear — the headlines, the hate, everything."

Dayo looked at him without speaking for a few seconds. His expression didn't change. "Offered by who?"

Frank gave a short smirk. "You're smart. You already know. Just think about it — this is your only way out."

Dayo let out a quiet laugh, the kind that wasn't out of amusement but disbelief. He shook his head slowly.

"You know, Frank," he said calmly, "I know you don't really want me to accept anything. So quit pretending like you care."

Frank blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Dayo stepped a little closer, his voice low and steady. "Stop the act. You're here because someone sent you. Tell whoever it is that I don't bow to pressure."

Without waiting for an answer, he walked past him, leaving Frank frozen in the hallway.

Back in his room, Dayo sat on the bed, the city lights flickering faintly through the curtains. He rubbed his face and sighed.

The hate. The lies. The whispers.

All of it pressed on him like a weight — but still, he wasn't broken. He had survived worse things before.

"They think they can crush me with lies," he said softly. "Let's see who really breaks first."

Then —

Ding.

Dayo looked at the screen upon seeing the notification a smile formed on his face.

"Hehe this changes everything." He said as he layed back calmly and started to improve his already made plan

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.


Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter