Chapter 3: Chapter 3
"Hey, how is it?"
"It's good; no way, it's you."
"Hehe, yes, are you sure it's good?"
"Yes, I believe it's good; I never imagined you could sing so well."
"Haha, it's okay. It's okay."
Edward had a goofy smile as he showed his video to the neighbors on their street.
I have to say, it felt quite good to be praised for something for which you've worked hard.
It's been half a month since he started shooting a song cover.
During that time, he had lost count of how many times he had sung the song 'Your Song.'
He had sung it to the point that every line of its lyrics was engraved in his mind and cells, sometimes making him feel like vomiting.
Every day, he dedicated five to six hours to recording the same song repeatedly, producing thousands of versions. Of those thousands, 99% were discarded, and the remaining 1% were compared to each other until the best version was selected.
Until today, he still felt a bit doubtful.
After all, most of the time, what you feel good about yourself is actually terrible to others.
Fortunately, after he showed it to his neighbors, everyone said it was good, and after having them rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, most of them gave it a 9 or 10, with the rest rating it an 8 or 7.
With a bright smile on his face, Edward found that it was still 3:00 in the afternoon.
After locking the door of the apartment, he hurriedly headed towards the Internet cafe, paid an hour's rent, and began transferring the video from the phone to the computer.
Next, he opened a video editor software, and with experience of previous time and space, he edited the video, making the video color and quality brighter, adding subtitles, and adding a watermark on the upper-left part: @EdwardM.
The whole process of editing took 32 minutes to complete, and after making sure that everything looked pleasing, he began uploading it to his newly created YouTube account.
After naming the title 'You're Song: Acoustic Guitar Cover', he also added various descriptions below, such as disclaimer, copyright, and various key words such as guitar, song cover, opm, etc., to make the website's algorithm program distribute more traffic to his video.
It took a while, but fortunately, the uploading was completed on time.
After watching the video a few times and making sure that nothing was wrong, he logged out of his YouTube account and headed back home to wait until tomorrow to see the effects.
...
Quezon City, Manila
In a certain high-rise condominium, a twenty-year-old young man could be seen sighing as he scrolled down YouTube.
His name is Andrew, and he is a veteran music lover.
Recently, Andrew has been grappling with loneliness. He had explored an extensive array of music online, consuming songs and covers of various genres. Yet they all began to meld into a monotonous blur. He longed for a spark—something new—to rekindle his love for music and chase away the solitude that weighed on him.
Andrew sighed and continued scrolling down.
"Why does everything sound the same? Don't they have something new?" he complained.
"Huh? A new uploader?" Andrew's eyebrows perked up in curiosity as he scrolled through the video platform.
There, he spotted a video that had been uploaded mere minutes ago and had garnered a mere three views.
A sense of intrigue washed over him, and without a second thought, he eagerly clicked to play it.
The video commenced with a black screen, and then, like a crescendo in the darkness, a simple yet bold font appeared, centered on the screen. It read, "You're Song, Acoustic Guitar Cover, by Edward Morales."
An ordinary introductory routine in most YouTube videos.
Three seconds later, the screen underwent a transformation, and the mellifluous strains of strumming guitar strings gently graced the airwaves.
The melody was anything but ordinary; it flowed with an effortless ease that seemed to wrap around Andrew's senses. He couldn't help but experience a spine-tingling surge of excitement—the kind that danced up your back when you stumbled upon a musical gem.
Such sensations weren't foreign to him; they were the hallmark of discovering a truly exceptional song.
Initially, Andrew had approached the video with skepticism, expecting yet another run-of-the-mill, uninspiring song cover. However, the moment those guitar strings began their symphony, his eyes illuminated with an unexpected spark.
Before long, a young man donning a white shirt and jeans made his appearance on the screen, cradling a guitar with care. His fingers moved with a graceful precision, coaxing a melodious rhythm from the instrument.
Beneath the cooling embrace of a majestic tree's shade, a backdrop of boundless grasslands painted in the warm, golden-orange palette of the setting sun unfolded. The scene, in all its simplicity, washed over Andrew, offering an unexpected sense of renewal.
In due course, the young man at the center of the video began to serenade the lyrics of the song. Just as Andrew was regaining his composure from the initial shock of the music, he was once again swept away—this time by the enchanting voice of the young performer.
It couldn't be. Andrew was no stranger to the song "You're Song" by Parokya ni Edgar; it was one of his all-time favorites, a tune he'd savored countless times.
Andrew had tirelessly combed through the internet, seeking different interpretations of the song, yet this young man's performance was undeniably unique.
The strumming was impeccably executed, each note resonating with an enchanting precision. The voice, a delightful blend of feminine grace and subtle huskiness, carried a unique allure that transcended gender boundaries, captivating Andrew in its melodious web.
Despite being of the same gender, he couldn't deny the magnetic appeal of this performance.
Four minutes later...
As the song concluded, Andrew found himself still entranced, as though in a dream.
"Hiss... it sounds incredible!" he exclaimed, hitting the replay button.
Four minutes later...
"Wait, how old is he? He seems so young, maybe 14 or 15?" Andrew mused aloud, admiration clear in his voice. He played the video once more, and time seemed to slip away unnoticed, with an hour having flown by before he realized it.
Andrew was astonished to discover that he had replayed the song numerous times in succession, each time falling deeper under its spell.
"Hiss, this song is unbelievably addictive!" Andrew exclaimed, his gaze shifting to the view count of the video. To his amazement, it had already reached 530 views within just an hour.
While this was undoubtedly a fast at this time, Andrew couldn't help but feel it deserved even more recognition.
He thought of the low-quality videos on YouTube that garnered tens of thousands of viewers in mere minutes, and in comparison, the video before him seemed far more deserving.
Suddenly, inspiration struck him, and he made a swift decision. With the aim of assisting the content creator in garnering more views, he resolved to promote the video across various platforms and social forums.
...
The next day.
After completing his usual routine, Edward headed towards the internet cafe right after he finished his morning run.
Turn on the computer and sign in to his YouTube account.
Originally, he didn't have much expectation, but what greeted him were 99+ notifications.
"???" Edward's face was a canvas of question marks as he tried to make sense of the situation. It all felt so surreal, but soon he managed to grasp the truth.
In a single day, the video he had uploaded had amassed an astonishing 13,000 views, and his subscriber count had skyrocketed from 0 to 430.
This outcome was nothing short of mind-blowing.
One must know that in his previous time and space, Edward had also dabbled in posting YouTube videos. However, during that time, the platform was already dominated by established content creators.
No matter how impeccable the quality of his videos had been back then, he could only muster a meager few hundred views in a month and a meager subscriber count trickling in over the course of a year.
Eventually, he made the difficult decision to abandon his YouTube aspirations.
To realize that he had now garnered thousands of views and hundreds of subscribers in a single day left Edward profoundly moved.
Opening the comment section, he was greeted by a variety of comments:
@Midori435: "Nice voice; it's beautiful."
@Bushi_4: "I've lost count of how many times I've listened to it. It's so addicting."
@Pantsu69: "I suggest the creator join a talent show; with such talent, you could easily make a fortune."
@UndertakeMe: "It's one of the best song covers I've heard in years. God bless, and I hope for more content."
@MusikaLover: "The guitar skills are average, and the voice quality is average. However, the unique singing style that complements the guitar rhythm brings something new and refreshing.
Ps. It's okay; some parts are flawed. I suggest the creator attend voice lessons. Please contact me if you're interested 09×××××××××."
@AngryBird20: "Meh, average."
Edward scrolled through the comments, taking in the praise and constructive criticism alike.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone