Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

353  Sunshine Days

Sierra listened intently to Lila's performance on stage.

She thought the song sounded beautiful, but more than that, it felt like the lyrics were speaking directly to her heart.

The first line of the song took her back to when she had just arrived in this city. Back then, wasn't she wandering alone in this vast metropolis, feeling like the whole world had abandoned her?

And it wasn't just Sierra who was moved by the song.

In a dimly lit bedroom of a high-end apartment, a brown-haired girl lay on her side, staring blankly at her phone screen, watching the live stream.

As the young singer on stage reached the chorus, the girl heard the familiar lyrics:

"Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see

I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy

Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low

Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me."

The powerful voice seemed to stir something within the girl watching. Her usually indifferent eyes flickered for a moment, like ripples on still water.

Then, as if she had made some kind of decision, her gaze became resolute.

Back at the concert.

Serena's eyes sparkled as she watched the stage.

It's her!

Serena recognized the guest performer as the girl she had met earlier—the one who had claimed to be her fan.

Serena loved cute things, and she loved anything that shone brightly.

Now, she was starting to love the girl on stage!

Unlike Serena's cheerful excitement, Damian was caught completely off guard by this unexpected reunion. His expression was serious, to say the least.

Right now, he felt a bit uneasy—maybe even afraid of her.

In front of that mysterious girl, his usually sharp adult mind seemed to be suppressed, like he couldn't think straight.

If Ethan were here to see him like this, he'd probably make some snarky comment.

"See? Adults really do have heavy souls. Even when they're kids, they can't be happy."

Meanwhile, Damian's little sister had already climbed onto their guardian Fiona's shoulders, waving her glow stick along with the crowd, completely lost in the excitement.

Now that was what a kid should look like!

But if anyone was the most shocked by "Lila" at this moment, it had to be the real Lila herself.

From the moment the performance started, Lila had been in a state of disbelief, her eyes wide like saucers.

It made her look a bit ridiculous, and even though Ethan was ridiculously good-looking, not even he could pull off this level of absurdity.

Because the person on stage was... her.

And Ethan had kept his promise—he was wearing a black mask that covered the upper half of his face, adding a mysterious vibe to the whole thing.

But when Lila finally took in Ethan's full outfit, her composure completely shattered.

"Wait, seriously, dude? You're not even gonna change clothes for the performance? You're just gonna wear our Westbrook Academy uniform on stage? Who are you fooling?!"

Yep, Ethan, who was standing in for Lila, hadn't bothered to change. He'd just tied his school jacket around his waist.

Ethan knew it was basically the equivalent of trying to cover your ears while stealing a bell, but hey—it was rock and roll!

For the first time in her life, Lila found herself mentally ranting so hard she was practically out of breath.

But the moment Ethan sang the first line, Lila forgot all about it, throwing herself completely into the performance that was, in a way, hers.

She watched as her on-stage self moved freely, the waves of light from the audience's glow sticks rising and falling with the rhythm of the song, like a vast ocean of stars.

This was the scene she had once dreamed of—something that had only ever existed in her fantasies.

Lila's eyes sparkled with emotion, and her heart was filled with a deep longing for that light.

Could I really do something like this? Could I really shine like that?

She couldn't help but ask herself.

But the answer seemed obvious, because hadn't Ethan already shown her the truth?

Who was the girl shining on stage?

That was Lila!

In that moment, it felt like Lila's soul transcended the physical distance, resonating with the version of herself on stage.

Right now, we are one!

On the live stream, the atmosphere at the venue was electric. Almost everyone in the audience seemed to find something in the song that resonated deeply with them.

No one had expected the most breathtaking moment of the night to come out of nowhere like this. Some people were even discreetly wiping away tears.

As Sierra stood there, soaking in the song, the lyrics—so poetic and full of imagery—left her in awe.

Whose song was this? Was it something prepared by Jack o'Lantern Japan?

No, that couldn't be it.

Sierra quickly dismissed the idea. She trusted Lil Bunny, who had told her she wasn't planning to debut. And this song? It had hit written all over it. There was no way a song with this kind of potential would be given to someone who wasn't even planning to go pro. It just didn't make sense from a business perspective.

So, there was only one possible explanation: this had to be an original.

Sierra's eyes sparkled with amazement. Could her beloved Guitar Queen teacher really be this talented?

This was her first live performance, and she had opened with a showstopper.

And yet, Sierra couldn't quite wrap her head around it. With this level of skill, why wasn't she out there making a name for herself? Why was she just a small-time creator on a video platform?

The song was nearing its end.

When it finally concluded, the stage lights came up fully. This was usually the part where the performer would say a few words, maybe interact with the audience a bit.

Ethan waved to the crowd and spoke into the mic, "The song I just performed is called Bohemian Rhapsody. I hope you all enjoyed it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in applause.

He could hear some of the people in the front rows shouting questions, most of them asking about his identity—who he was, where he usually performed, and if there were any ways to follow him.

But Ethan remembered his friend's instructions: no revealing his identity. So, he didn't even mention the "Guitar Queen" account. Instead, he just smiled mysteriously and said, "That's a secret."

This only made the crowd even more excited. After all, mystery is always alluring—especially when it's coming from a talented and enigmatic young woman. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Since this was the anniversary celebration for Jack-o'-Lantern, and he was being paid for the gig, Ethan followed up with a well-rehearsed congratulatory speech.

His eloquent words left the audience stunned, their jaws practically on the floor.

After that, most of the stage lights dimmed.

Ethan was preparing to sing the next song, so he announced, "Up next is the final song of the night. It's a song by someone I really admire—Sunshine Days."

As soon as he finished speaking, the intro to the song began to play.

This wasn't a cover of a famous song from another world. It was a track that already existed in this one.

Meanwhile, Lila, watching from her screen, was completely floored. Sunshine Days was a song she had loved since she was a little girl.

She couldn't believe it—she and the Commander had the same favorite song?

But then Lila remembered what Ethan had said earlier. He didn't say it was a song he liked,he said it was a song by someone he liked.

Sunshine Days was a signature track by a once-national idol, Stella Summers. So, did that mean the person Ethan admired was her?

Of course, Lila had adored Stella Summers when she was younger too. She had even dreamed of becoming an idol just like her one day.

But now, Lila's brow furrowed. It wasn't because her childhood dream had been crushed. It was because she had the strange feeling that she had seen Stella Summers somewhere before.

And then, in the next instant, it was like a jolt of electricity shot through her brain.

Lila suddenly jumped up from her seat, her movements clumsy as she scrambled out of her bedroom.

She had remembered. She knew where she had seen that person before.

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