NOVEL NEXT Chapter 184: Something to remember
The moment Luna stepped out of the house, the door closing softly behind her, Dayo exhaled a long, steady breath. It felt like the entire room exhaled with him. The quiet that followed wasn't empty—just heavy, warm, and painfully familiar. The kind of silence that sits in your chest.
He stood still for a few seconds, hands hanging loosely at his sides, eyes fixed on the door Luna had just walked through. For a moment, he almost expected her to come back inside, even though he knew she wouldn't.
He ran a hand over his face and turned toward the corner of the room where his guitar leaned against the wall, waiting patiently. A small sigh escaped him—part exhaustion, part acceptance—as he picked it up. His fingers brushed the strings, testing the tension. The wood vibrated just slightly under his touch, the way it always had.
He sat down and adjusted the strap over his shoulder. The house was quiet now, truly quiet. Even the city noise outside felt muted. The stillness settled around him like an old sweater he hadn't worn in years.
It's been a long time…, he thought.
Since he really played. Since he allowed himself to sing without holding anything back.
With a small, almost reluctant smile, he tuned the guitar, plucking each string carefully. Then he sat back, pressed his thumb to the edge of the sound hole, and inhaled deeply.
The first chord he played settled in the air like warm breath against cold glass—soft, steady, and full of a quiet strength he didn't realize he'd been holding in.
He thumbed the button to activate the livestream.
"Hey, everyone," he said, voice low but steady. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Let's… just relax today."
His gaze flicked briefly toward the door, not knowing Luna was still outside, only a few steps away, listening. The thought of her out there—somewhere, maybe still within reach—made the corner of his mouth lift just slightly.
"I've got something special for today," he continued softly. "Something I've been carrying for a while."
He strummed again. And this time, he let his voice follow.
The words flowed out of him as if they had been waiting at the edge of his throat for years:
"The memories come, but they don't go
I hear the echoes pounding in my head
As long as I keep my eyes closed
You're lying right back in my arms again."
His voice cracked gently on the last line. He didn't fight it.
> "I moved out, but I never moved on
So tell me now… where did we go so wrong?"
As Dayo sang this part, memories rushed him all at once—Morocco, their stolen days together, the laughter, the quiet nights, the arguments, the breakup, the pain. His eyes burned red, not from the lights, not from fatigue—just emotion.
He kept singing, his voice rising and falling with raw honesty:
> "I was your something once, the picture on your dresser
When did I become your something to remember?"
Each line was heavy, pulled straight from the part of him he never let anyone see. Not even Luna.
Outside, Luna stood frozen just a few steps from the door, arms wrapped around herself as she leaned slightly against the railing. She had intended to walk away immediately, but the moment she heard the guitar—their guitar sound—she stopped.
The moment his voice followed, she couldn't take another step.
She listened with a stillness that hurt.
Inside the chat, the reactions started flooding instantly:
"Whoa… the emotion in his voice is insane."
"I can't believe he's doing this live. Legendary."
"Dayo… this hits differently."
"This feels like a heartbreak song."
"Yeah dayo are you good ?"
"OMG look at his eyes they are red."
"Dayo i am vrying!!!."
"I am crying soo much."
"JD IS BACK."
"WHO IS SHE???"
"JD YOUR HEARTBREAK IS BREAKING MY HEART."
"This feels too real."
"This isn't just a song, this is a confession."
"JD PLSSSS ARE YOU OKAY??"
"Bro is in pain, I can FEEL IT."
"This is the realest thing he's ever done omg."
"Forget mysterious girl—this is a MYSTERY PAIN."
"RELEASE THIS OR WE RIOT."
Luna's gaze never wavered. She could feel every emotion he was channeling: the longing, the regret, the love he hadn't admitted, the pain of being apart, and the subtle joy of reconnecting in a moment like this. She stepped closer to the edge of the doorway, letting herself be fully absorbed in the sound, letting it fill every corner of her mind.
He played the final chorus with a renewed energy, hitting every note precisely, letting the last chord linger longer than usual. His eyes closed, he allowed the emotion to wash over him, feeling the culmination of everything he had been holding back. The song ended on a sustained note, his fingers gently lifting from the strings. He exhaled, the silence in the room almost deafening after the intensity of the performance.
Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and glanced at the camera. The chat exploded:
"I can't… this is perfection."
"Dayo just broke the internet with this one."
"I didn't know he could make me feel this way through a livestream."
"JD RELEASE THIS SONG."
"OMG DAYO HAD FALLING IN LOVE."
"Who broke JD heart."
"I CAN'T BREATHE."
"This is perfection."
"JD JUST BROKE THE INTERNET AGAIN."
"THE EMOTION IN HIS VOICE????"
"DAYO PLEASE DROP THE SONG."
"He's in love with someone fr."
"BRO WHO BROKE HIS HEART???"
"WHOEVER SHE IS, FIX IT!!!"
"JD I AM SOBBING."
"This might be his best song ever."
He smiled faintly, satisfied but thoughtful. This wasn't just for the fans—it was for him.
Outside, Luna lingered at the doorway, a mix of awe and emotion etched across her face. She didn't move immediately, letting the final notes settle in her mind. She understood what he was saying through the music, what he had never been able to fully explain in words, and for a moment, she just let herself feel it, the weight of the years, the connection, and the unspoken truths.
Dayo set the guitar down gently, running a hand over the strings, lost in thought for a moment. The room was silent except for the faint echoes of the last chord. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes briefly, letting himself breathe, letting the emotion sink.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he opened his eyes again, the livestream comments were still streaming. Fans were amazed, emotional, and supportive, each one sharing how deeply they had felt the song. Dayo allowed himself a small, private smile.
This wasn't about performance or fame. it was about closure, understanding, and the quiet reconciliation of years of unspoken feelings. And for the first time in a long time, he felt that something inside him had shifted.
Luna finally stepped back, letting herself disappear into the shadows outside, leaving Dayo to the quiet glow of the room and the guitar that had carried everything he couldn't say. A faint smile lingered, and he whispered to himself:
"Something to remember… indeed."
A/N: Name of the song is Something to remember by Matt Hansen