241-243

Chapter 241: Embracing the Challenge 

"Yes!" 

Jimmy didn’t even realize it himself—he clenched his fist tightly and gave an enthusiastic pump in the air. The joy that erupted from deep within him burst out without restraint. 

Maybe the song Chasing the Light had affected Jimmy too, awakening the spirit of adventure buried deep in his soul, compelling him to take the leap. 

“But I still need to check with the rest of the band,” Ronan said. “I don’t want to make the decision on my own and leave them out.” Jimmy nodded repeatedly in agreement. “And I also need to talk to my label. Remember? I’m broke. I really can’t afford to pay any breach-of-contract fees. I don’t want to end up in that kind of mess.” 

“Haha,” Jimmy chuckled again, genuinely amused by Ronan’s honesty. “Of course, no problem. Then I’ll look forward to welcoming you at my studio!” 

The two exchanged a few more words before hanging up. 

Jimmy remained seated on his couch, deep in thought. 

At first, inviting One Day King was simply because he liked the band—and Ronan, this new friend he’d made. But Jimmy had been in the industry for over 20 years and knew very well that personal preference couldn’t compete with business interests. 

But as time went on, Jimmy grew more convinced it was a good idea—not only because it fit the current cultural moment, but also because of Ronan’s charisma. From a production standpoint, this proposal had real potential. 

Now, after the call, his thoughts shifted again. Maybe… just like Ronan, he too was chasing the light. To be honest, he hadn’t felt this excited about a guest in a very long time. The feeling was… wonderful. 

The melody swirled in his mind, the song lingering naturally in the air. His throat began to hum, almost involuntarily. 

“Everyone’s chasing the light…” 

A smile curled at the corner of his lips, rising with the rhythm of the tune. He turned his head and looked through the night-filled room toward the twinkling lights of Manhattan. Behind each tiny light was a story. 

Life’s hustle and bustle forces people to give their all in the daily grind. They get trapped in routines, feeling irritated, numb, exhausted, and joyless. Everything within sight boils down to chores and trivial matters, and in that endless repetition, the meaning of life and the value of dreams fade away. And they forget—that once, they too chased the light with reckless ambition. 

“Do you still remember the you who once chased the light?” 

Jimmy sat quietly. The whole world seemed to settle around him as the melody of Chasing the Light gently flowed through his mind. Now, he could finally understand the storm that had taken over social media. 

He paused, picked up his phone, found the song, and hit play. 

The melody softly filled the night. 

Jimmy knew he should talk to the producer. The show should show more sincerity to Atlantic Records. They needed to nail this down for real. But… he’d wait a bit longer. At least until the song finished playing. Yes. Once the song was over, he’d make the call. 

Meanwhile, after Ronan hung up, he stood still, gazing across the Hudson River at the bright lights of New York—still lively and vibrant. Behind him, New Jersey had quieted down, save for a few night owls still buzzing from the night’s show. 

On either side of the gently flowing river, two contrasting worlds: one noisy and glamorous, the other hushed and dim. Just across the Manhattan Bridge was a whole new world. Could The Jimmy Chicken Show be the bridge between those worlds? 

Another challenge was on the horizon. Ronan was ready, arms open, ready to embrace all that lay ahead. 

He turned and walked toward Alice and Jeremiah. The wind carried the excited voices of fans: 

“Ronan! You were amazing tonight! You’re the most gorgeous man in the world!” 

Ronan’s lips curved into a smile, eyes gleaming. He gave them a polite nod, but still wasn’t used to such over-the-top compliments. His shy response only made the crowd burst into even more laughter—someone even whistled. 

Awkward. 

Was he… being flirted with? Ronan could only laugh and shake his head, walking away from the wild laughter behind him. From a distance, he spotted Ollie running toward Alice and Jeremiah. 

He didn’t rush. Watching them laugh and joke made him smile. Then he noticed Ollie open a brown paper bag and pull out a burger—suddenly it hit him: 

Burger! 

He broke into a jog and shouted from afar, “Save one for me! You guys didn’t eat them all, right?” 

Once he got close, he didn’t even greet Ollie. He dove straight for the bag, sighing in relief when he saw the burgers were still neatly arranged. Then he looked at Jeremiah and said, “You’re way too honest! I was gone for so long, and you didn’t even sneak a bite?” 

Jeremiah rolled his eyes dramatically. 

Ollie chimed in immediately, “You think everyone’s like you?” 

Alice shook her head with a deadpan look. “So you do know you were gone a while?” She figured something must’ve happened—but instead of explaining the call, his first concern was… the burger? 

Ronan didn’t answer. He just took a big bite, eyebrows relaxing as the taste hit. Then he grinned and said, “Jimmy invited us to be on his talk show.” 

“What?” 

The first "what?" came from Jeremiah—Ronan had food in his mouth, so his words were unintelligible. 

The second came from Alice and Ollie—Alice was surprised, Ollie was confused. The emotions were totally different. 

Munch munch. 

All they got in return was the sound of chewing. Thankfully, Alice and Jeremiah were used to this by now. They waited until Ronan swallowed, and he finally said, “Jimmy invited our band to appear on his talk show. The company hasn’t responded yet. I told him I’d check with you all first.” 

No detours, no sugar-coating—just straight to the point. But the sudden announcement hit like a bombshell. No warning. No build-up. 

“What?!” 

This time, all three shouted in unison. Their combined voices practically shook Ronan’s eardrums. 

“Huh?” came Cliff’s voice from behind them. Before he could say more, Maxim and Wesley chimed in—one furious, one in hysterics. 

“Ronan Cooper! You sneaky bastard, you ran off with food! I almost had to sacrifice my face to get out of there!” 

“Hahahaha! Ronan, oh man, you’re something else!” 

Great—everyone had gathered now. Perfect timing. 

Chapter 242: Unanimous Consensus 

Bustling crowds, constant chatter, the rustle of movement. 

Noise filled the air. 

People popped up one after another like moles out of their holes—perfect. They all gathered in one spot, saving Ronan from having to repeat himself. He could communicate with everyone at once. Still, there was no rush. Ronan continued slowly chewing his burger, casually casting his gaze at the passionately chattering group around him. No need to hurry—let them vent their emotions and calm down a bit. Meanwhile, he could keep savoring his burger. 

Maxime stormed over, completely unaware of Ronan’s laid-back attitude. He was full of bluster, shouting, “And you guys drove off with the car and left us to walk back?! There are no cabs in New Jersey after 8 PM! I couldn’t even flag down a truck!” Just as he was fuming, he crashed straight into Cliff. 

Cliff stared at Maxime, puzzled. “Weren’t you with Ronan and the others getting food? Why are you all sweaty and looking like a mess?” 

Bad move. Maxime was already fuming, and that question almost made him explode. Especially when he saw Ronan nonchalantly munching away at his burger—it nearly drove him over the edge. He stammered, unable to even form a coherent sentence. “You! Him! Me! Ronan Cooper!” 

“Maxime, your head is smoking,” Ronan said calmly between bites, perfectly interrupting Maxime’s impending meltdown. 

“What?” Maxime blinked, then instinctively pulled out his phone and used the screen as a mirror. It was too dark to see clearly, so he turned on the flash and took a selfie to check his hair—completely forgetting he was in the middle of an angry rant. 

Wesley burst out laughing, loud enough to rival Ollie. 

Ronan finished off another burger and, just before Maxime could erupt again, took the lead in the conversation. He explained the purpose of Jimmy Kimmel’s call. “Of course, we’ll need to check with the company. But before they ask for our thoughts, I think we should share our opinions among ourselves first.” 

Maxime was caught off guard again, his brain unable to keep up with Ronan’s pace. He had been gearing up to explode, but now his mind was drowning in question marks. His fury stuck in his chest, completely eclipsed by confusion. 

Wait, what just happened? What’s going on? 

His handsome face might as well have had the words "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?" written all over it. But no one had time to answer his internal questions. Everyone’s eyes had turned to Ronan, their attention intense enough to make even the biting cold wind seem to boil. 

Maxime wasn’t the only one caught off guard. 

Everyone else was equally stunned—including Alice, who had somewhat mentally prepared herself. But even she wasn’t ready for that kind of bombshell. Her heart started pounding, and all of them were temporarily frozen, exchanging confused looks, unable to find their voices. 

What is happening? 

More question marks. Still no answers. 

Which made Ronan’s composure all the more striking. He calmly turned to look at Ollie first. 

To his slight surprise, Ollie—after a moment of shock—quickly regained his calm, even more so than Maxime or Cliff. He gave Ronan a questioning look, as if to say: Is this for real? 

After Ronan gave a subtle nod of confirmation, Ollie nodded back in agreement without much hesitation. 

That was unexpected. Ronan had thought Ollie, who wasn’t great with strangers, would resist the idea. And with talk shows being such a high-pressure environment, it seemed unlikely Ollie would be comfortable. But the reality was different. 

Ollie could sense Ronan’s doubts and explained, “I want to see what a show taping is really like.” 

“You know, Warner Bros. has this special program at their Hollywood studios. Fans can apply to be part of the audience for sitcom tapings—like The Big Bang Theory. They even record real audience laughter to use in the show. I always wanted to apply, but never had the chance. Now I can finally be in a real studio. Honestly, I’m kind of excited.” 

Ollie even clapped his hands in anticipation. 

Ronan wanted to explain that they wouldn’t be going as audience members but as guests—totally different experience—but before he could, Ollie added, “Besides, I’ll have you guys with me, right? It’s not like I’m doing the show alone. You all can handle the talking parts.” 

The words Ronan had been about to say were swallowed back down. After thinking it over, he agreed with Ollie’s perspective. Even if Ollie was seated as a guest, he could still act like an audience member. As long as the others handled the conversation, there was no pressure. Besides, a TV show was just another kind of stage—maybe Ollie would take to it after all? 

So Ronan smiled encouragingly at him. “You might want to start practicing your self-introduction now.” The teasing undertone was clear: Don’t tell me you’ll freeze on that too. 

Ollie scratched his head and grinned, his eyes lighting up with barely contained excitement. 

Ronan then turned to look at Cliff and Maxime, waiting for their responses. 

Wesley jumped in enthusiastically. “Of course we’re going! Why would we pass up a chance like this?” Jeremiah gave him a look, trying to signal that this was a One Day King band thing, and as friends, they should just cheer from the sidelines. No need to get involved. 

But clearly, Wesley didn’t care. He even shot Jeremiah a glare and added, “It’s not like there’s a rule that says indie bands can’t go on talk shows. Honestly, if they weren’t worried I’d say something crazy, I’d want to be on the show too.” 

📌 patreon:belamy20 

Jeremiah facepalmed. At least he knows he talks too much. One of the main reasons their band Shining Lights couldn’t do TV appearances was because Wesley couldn’t keep his mouth in check. One slip and he could start a PR fire. 

Cliff finally spoke up. He looked at Ronan and said cautiously, “I think it’s a great opportunity. Jimmy really looked out for us at that party. Don’t you think?” 

He sounded thoughtful, though he was still leaving space for Ronan’s opinion. 

Maxime had also recovered by now and was rubbing his chin. “You guys think I’m camera-friendly?” But he didn’t wait for an answer. “Of course I am. With a face like this, how could I not be? I think the audience deserves a little visual treat.” 

After his little self-monologue, Maxime suddenly remembered someone hadn’t spoken yet. He looked at Ronan with Cliff and asked, “Wait, what about you? What do you think?” 

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Ronan. 

Ronan’s lips curled into a small smile. “I think it’s a great opportunity too.” 

Chapter 243: First Time on the Charts 

Time passes differently in the mountains — one can easily lose track of the years. 

Though Ronan wasn’t tucked away in some remote forest, the constant hustle between recording sessions and a packed tour schedule left the members of One Day King barely able to catch their breath. Add in Alice’s still-developing grasp on how vital information-gathering could be, and the band gradually found itself somewhat out of sync with the world. 

But a lot can change in just three short months. While it may not have been an earth-shattering transformation, things were undeniably shifting — One Day King was gaining momentum, their name steadily rippling out across the music scene. They were picking up right where The Shining left off earlier in the year, except their growth trajectory hinted at something even more promising. 

In September, their digital single Chasing the Light officially dropped. Among the ocean of countless releases, it barely made a splash — no marketing, no promos, not even a ripple. It quickly sank beneath the surface, just another lost melody in a sea of music. Like most indie bands, One Day King seemed destined to rely solely on relentless touring and word-of-mouth to build their reputation. 

But that... wasn’t the end. 

Late September saw the first unexpected wave of momentum — YouTube lit up. A video titled “A Performance That Stopped the World” began circulating, drawing eyes and stoking heated discussion. The traffic floodgated into One Day King's official channel as curious viewers dropped by to peek behind the curtain. 

Then, in early October, American radio stations caught the wave. Across cities and genres, DJs found themselves flooded with requests. Suddenly, Chasing the Light was everywhere, stealthily carving out a place among the airwaves. 

Behind the scenes, Atlantic Records seized the moment. On the surface, they stayed quiet — no flashy moves, no press releases. But subtly, they removed radio restrictions and let the momentum speak for itself. Requests and rotations skyrocketed. Awareness and accessibility started to build — slow, steady, powerful. 

Then, the surge looped back to YouTube. The band's channel was hit with a second wave of traffic. The video views for “A Performance That Stopped the World” spiked again, breaking past its earlier peak. Likes, shares, and engagement numbers exploded. From there, it spread across social platforms — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram — until one particular hashtag took on a life of its own: 

#IAmAlsoChasingTheLight 

And just like that, the movement entered its second phase. 

What made this special wasn’t just the music anymore. Under that hashtag, people weren’t only talking about Chasing the Light. They were opening up — telling their own stories, their own moments of chasing light in a dark world. The music became a mirror, and fans reflected their lives through it. 

— Maybe someone saw a double rainbow while surfing the north shore of Hawaii and snapped a photo. #IAmAlsoChasingTheLight 

— Maybe a nurse, after 18 grueling hours at the hospital, grabbed a fresh loaf of bread on the way home — a small act of self-care. #IAmAlsoChasingTheLight 

— Maybe a fourth grader finished their science fair model after a week of trial and error and smiled with pride. #IAmAlsoChasingTheLight 

— Maybe a mother of four, who’d forgotten her identity outside of “wife” and “mom,” got her hair done and had afternoon tea with friends for the first time in fifteen years. #IAmAlsoChasingTheLight 

Every story, every experience gave new meaning to the same hashtag. Some were personal. Some profound. Some simple. But each one struck a chord. In a digital world hungry for connection, this became a spark — and the flame began to grow. 

Bit by bit, this organic wave fed back into the song itself. It wasn’t just YouTube and radio now — platforms like iTunes and Spotify also began registering the climb. The ripple was becoming a tide. 

Of course, let’s be clear — this so-called “surge” was still modest in the grand scheme of things. Compared to global pop stars and mainstream hits, One Day King was still a tiny blip. But for an indie band with no gimmicks, breaking through even a little was a massive achievement. 

And that ripple had a result. 

Friday, October 19th — Billboard Chart Day. (Billboard’s weekly tracking period runs from Friday to Thursday, which is why most artists drop new releases on Fridays to maximize their chart performance.) 

On this week’s Billboard Hot 100, Chasing the Light made its debut — at No. 97. 

Even though every track on the Hot 100 deserves celebration, the industry and fans alike tend to focus on the top 50. Lower chart entries often go unnoticed — that line between 50 and above is a crucial milestone. After that comes top 20, then top 10 — each level a steeper climb than the last. 

So, while Chasing the Light entered quietly at No. 97, it didn’t make waves yet. 

October 26th: The song crept up to No. 90. November 2nd: A bigger leap — No. 77. November 9th: Still climbing — No. 69. 

By then, it had been ten full weeks since the single dropped. Four weeks since its chart debut. Slowly but surely, it was proving it had staying power. 

Critics might still dismiss the song’s progress as “indie hype in the shadows,” since it hadn’t cracked the top 50 yet — the bare minimum for mainstream media buzz. But what made Chasing the Light special was how it got here. 

With Atlantic Records providing only minimal support, the success still came down to the song’s quality and the band’s relentless grind — from opening acts at Bruno’s concert, to street performances, to viral videos. Every step mattered. Every foot of ground earned, not gifted. 

And just like their single’s title, One Day King was chasing the light — fearless and unshakable. 

That’s the most beautiful part of all. ✨