Chapter 980

"S-Soul?"

The moment those words were spoken, Mateo's expression shifted slightly.

Not just him—even those who had been clamoring for Jack to leave froze, wondering if Luca was joking.

Could the handsome young man standing next to Luca really be... Soul? The one who sang "Time", "Heart's Desire", and the even more moving "Youth"?

No way... That was impossible, right? Everyone was skeptical.

Luca nodded, first giving Jack an apologetic glance before speaking slowly. "That's right. He's Soul."

He hadn't planned to reveal Jack's identity, but Mateo had gone too far. And if he stayed silent, there was a real chance Jack would be tossed out by security. He couldn't let that happen, so he spoke up and dropped the name.

But he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from everyone around them. Clearly, Soul's fame was still enormous. Even after stepping out of the spotlight, his influence hadn't faded one bit.

Sure enough, a female fan nearby stammered, "L-Luca... are you serious?"

"He's the real deal. There's no doubt about it."

Suddenly, the crowd, which had been still, erupted in excitement.

"Wait... Is he really Soul? With a face like that, no way he's a fake."

"I don't know... Soul did perform live before. I even traveled from the capital to

Alnewgo to see him. But no one ever saw his real face."

"Wait a second. It all adds up! Remember? It was just revealed that Soul graduated from Alnewgo University. And Luca went there too!"

"Oh, that's right. I remember now! When Lulu won the National College Youth Vocal Showcase, he

mentioned a classmate who looked after him like a mentor. I remember thinking who could possibly be Lulu's mentor? Could it be. Soul? Oh my god!"

"It has to be him! I'm sure of it! The song Luca sang back then had Soul's signature style-I'd recognize it anywhere!"

"Is there anyone else in the world qualified to teach Lulu music besides Soul? I don't think so."

This speculation sent the fan group into an even louder frenzy of exclamations.

"Wow, no way! Could the person right here, chatting so easily with Luca, really be Soul?"

"I must be dreaming. Soul is actually standing right in front of me!"

"I've been looping Soul's "Youth" nonstop these past few days. I admit, I'm completely obsessed with him!"

"It is him! He's really Soul!" one fan suddenly shrieked, unable to contain her excitement.

In an instant, what had been hushed whispers exploded into full-blown frenzy.

Soul's charisma in the music world was unmatched. His song

downloads soared beyond measure-a record-breaking figure that set a new high.

Watching the fans' wild reaction, Mateo was completely baffled.

When NEOX made their entrance, their fans had never gone this crazy. Could this

Soul person really be more popular than him?

NEOX's members were all megastars in the industry. What was Soul compared to them?

Next to a global icon like himself, Soul was nothing.

Fuming, Mateo sneered. "So what if he's Soul? Is he really that famous? I don't think he's ever been on any big variety shows. He hasn't won any major awards either. At best, he's just a self-taught amateur with shady reputation. Luca, aren't you embarrassed to hype someone like that?"