CHAPTER 121: THE MYSTERY OF THE CENTURY

The days following the album release were beyond anything anyone could have imagined not even for the calculative Dayo.

By the next morning, The Other Side wasn’t just a U.S. success — it had become a global event talked about like it was the elections.

It started on social media, then slowly grew beyond screens until it turned into word of mouth.

Every platform, every country, every feed was talking about one thing — Dayo and his album.

From New York to London, Lagos to Seoul, São Paulo to Toronto — people were playing his songs.

Clips flooded the internet.

Fans sang, cried, laughed, and argued.

Even people who didn’t usually listen to music were talking about him.

It was everywhere.

"Who is this Dayo guy?"

"How does a new artist pull this off in two weeks?"

"How is this even possible?"

"This is the mystery of the century!"

"I am not goona lie this feels scripted as hell"

"Yup you can said that again"

"Bro is a fing protagonist"

"This feels like it was brought out of a novel man"

"There has to be something wrong — I just turned on my phone after work and this is all I see."

"Bro above, this is a mystery to everyone."

"And to believe he made this album in two weeks? Impossible."

"He did. He was in the Global Competition four weeks ago, do the math."

"No need to explain to clout chasers — JD all the way!"

"Haha, yes! And boy is so fine!"

"Dayo i want your baby inside me."

The comments flooded from every corner of the world — Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, New Zealand — you name it.

All eyes were on Dayo.

It wasn’t just hype anymore. It was history in the most bizarre way imaginable.

Music journalists admitted they hadn’t seen such a reaction in decades.

Not even established stars had taken over the world this fast.

The craziest part? Dayo was still a rookie.

The album’s songs were now charting simultaneously in over twenty countries — and it was only the second day after release.

The whole media was in total frenzy.

That only brought up more questions, because most people had never even heard of Dayo before.

They woke up one morning and their FYP, homepage, and explore feeds were filled with him — like he had hacked the entire internet or something.

#TheOtherSideChallenge was trending on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and everywhere else.

It was so infectious that not only fans but also celebrities joined in with covers, duets, and dance challenges.

Different versions of his songs spread across languages and continents.

Dancers choreographed routines. Choirs performed Say Something (with Luna) live in French, Korean, and Spanish.

By the third day, The Other Side had hit No. 1 in 42 countries.

And it wasn’t slowing down.

This sudden rise made several artists panic. Many who planned to drop albums that same week began rescheduling their releases.

In the United States, it debuted at:

#1 on Billboard 200 (Albums)

and #1 on Billboard Hot 100 (Singles) with Say Something (with Luna).

Analysts called it "a phenomenon that shattered every marketing rule in music."

Articles poured out nonstop:

The Harmony Post:

"A new era begins — Dayo’s album takes over the world overnight."

Billboard Global:

"He’s now officially the youngest artist to debut at No. 1 in 42 countries."

Music Watch US:

"No label trick, no scandal — just raw connection. Dayo’s rise is rewriting the playbook."

TuneCore Today:

"Question of the week: Can he break the record for the most albums sold in a week?"

"Questions are being asked — how did he achieve this?"

---

JD Records’ phones never stopped ringing.

News outlets wanted interviews.

TV shows wanted appearances.

Brands wanted deals.

Inside the label, chaos mixed with celebration.

Even their system crashed twice from the traffic overload of live sales tracking.

Outside, fans camped around the JD building holding posters, speakers, and handwritten signs that read "The Other Side saved me" and "Dayo for life."

And Dayo himself?

He hadn’t spoken a word since release day.

He sat quietly with his team, staring at the endless notifications on the screen.

He hadn’t expected this — not even close.

He knew the spotlight card worked, but this?

This was beyond belief. He couldn’t even process the amount of attention he was receiving.

He wanted to go out and promote, but it was overwhelming.

He couldn’t step outside without being ambushed by flashing cameras.

The world had found him again — and his house was surrounded by media outlets.

Thankfully, security kept them away since he lived in a private estate.

As the chaos continued, people began making stories about him.

Everything about his past was being dug up by both friends and foes.

Influencers made conspiracy videos — some claiming he had made a deal with the devil, others saying he was part of a secret group.

Each theory was crazier than the last.

Streaming platforms crashed again from heavy traffic.

Physical album orders couldn’t meet demand — JD Records had to contract other producers just to keep up with the sales.

Then his phone buzzed.

He looked at it and smiled.

Min-Jae.

"Hello, my brother," Dayo said immediately after picking up.

"Hmph, you call me your brother and haven’t called me since," Min-Jae laughed from the other end.

"Haha, nice try, Min-Jae. I know you’re still preparing for the Global Competition."

"Yeah, yeah. You already know why I’m calling, right?"

"Haha, can I say I don’t?"

"You can try," Min-Jae replied, making them both burst into laughter.

Then another voice came from Min-Jae’s background.

"So, Dayo, you’re too popular now to remember your friends, huh?"

"Oh my — is that her royal highness Emily and her grace Maya?" Dayo teased.

The three of them laughed loudly.

"Dayo, I can’t rest without seeing your face. Every time I scroll TikTok, it’s your annoying face again!" Misha said playfully.

"Oh really? Is my face that annoying, Misha?" Dayo asked in a calm but teasing tone.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The three on the other end froze for a moment, feeling a strange shiver and goosebumps run through them before Min-Jae broke the silence with a cough.

"Cough The reason we called was to congratulate you."

The two ladies quickly joined in, smiling into the camera.

"So tell us, Dayo," Misha asked, "how did you do it? Don’t say it’s luck — no one’s buying that."

Dayo smiled lightly. "I really don’t know. Everything just... clicked."

Min-Jae laughed. "Haha! I told you he’d say that. Alright ladies, pay up!"

Apparently, they had made a bet about what Dayo would say.

If he claimed it was luck, Min-Jae would win — and of course, he did.

They all laughed again, talking a little longer about random things.

It reminded Dayo how much he valued these friendships — they didn’t change how they treated him, even after all the fame and madness.

After the call ended, he pulled out his small notebook, scribbled down a few lines, then stood up.

He looked toward the window and whispered,

"Now let’s go and make this count."