"And the third place in our competition is given to someone who fits the title of a 'young star' the most, for he is young, but definitely a star—Evan Delgado! Please, come to the stage!"
Evan was a Hispanic American teenager, accompanied by his mother, since he was too young to participate without a legal guardian.
Tristan had missed his performance entirely because of all the things that happened during the competition, but he still applauded the teen together with the other people in the audience.
Evan beamed at the audience, thanked everybody in a voice that was shaking with emotion, jumped and waved the award certificate given by the host, and eventually went off the stage.
The host pulled out another award certificate and made a show of reading it.
"The second place today belongs to the most creative and wild performer of this round of the contest. A person who stunned the juries with his pure talent... Nelson Mayar!"
Nel gasped and jumped in his seat to the sound of applause. His eyes became round and big as dinner plates.
"No way! That's—That's me! No waaaaay..."
Tristan poked him in the side.
"Wake up! Go on stage and show off some more while you are allowed to!"
"Right!"
Nel hurried to the stage, and Tristan watched him with a grin and his own applause.
But not everybody was happy for the guy.
Jane sat tense in her seat.
With the third and second place taken... Will that mean that the first spot was hers? Or Tristan's?
Both options didn't satisfy her! She was fine with having one of the two honorary spots, as long as Tristan also had one. Then they'd be on equal footing.
They'd have something in common to start a romantic relationship with.
Now she wasn't sure who was going to win, and whom she WANTED to win.
Other women in the audience had a similar reaction when they saw Tristan's confident appearance. Although Tristan wasn't as handsome as Hollywood stars, the confident and alluring aura he exuded made up for it.
And not only women, men couldn't look away from Tristan too, caught up in that aura. They were smiling and cheering for him even more than for Nel.
Tristan took the award certificate from the host, and the second microphone from the stand on the stage.
"I'm so happy right now, and no one can say that I have little to be happy about, ha-ha! Now I wish other participants to not give up just from this loss and keep striving toward their goals, whatever those are. Eventually, luck will shine on you, too!"
Although Tristan had prepared his speech to make a good impression on the audience, the sentiment was genuine.
The luck had shined on him, after all. And when it did, he didn't squander that chance.
When Tristan left the stage, he felt as jittery as Nel looked.
However, the host wasn't done yet.
"And the last, but not exactly the least... is the Audience Choice Award. To the most beautiful, most charming and most soul-catching singer of the competition—Jane Greenpawl!"
Tristan's mood dampened a notch.
Jane, however, brightened. Shining like a coin, she walked to the stage and took her certificate.
"I deeply thank everybody who voted for me! To know that your presence leaves an impression on someone else is the most heady feeling. And I hope that all the people who impressed and inspired me know that feeling, too..."
Jane's eyes fell on Tristan and she smiled dazzlingly.
She was doing the acting trick that made it look like she was looking at everybody at once, but Tristan knew she was looking directly at him.
His eyes widened when he saw the adoration in Jane's gaze.
Even before this, Tristan planned to meet with Jane after the award ceremony.
But not knowing it, Jane just gave him a sharp dagger to wield.
He couldn't wait.