Model to Holywood

"Wow~ so many people!"

The concert hall was packed with people. After passing through the ticket checkpoint, the crowd grew even more dense. The four of them held hands as they walked forward, careful not to get separated by the surging crowd.

After moving through a passageway, they reached the seating area. The crowd began to spread out and everything became more orderly.

The walls of the passage were lined with massive posters of Britney Spears. She was dressed in a stunning, diamond-studded, sexy short dress, standing on a stage surrounded by thorns. She looked dazzling and breathtaking.

The posters also listed many of Britney's recent achievements: the world's top-selling female artist, the youngest female artist ever to achieve diamond album status, and the best-selling teen artist of all time.

"Britney is amazing!" Ryan exclaimed.

Luca nodded in agreement.

At just 22 years old, Britney had already achieved so much. Even for someone like Luca, who had lived two lifetimes, achieving this level of success at her age would be difficult.

"Ryan, back when you, Britney, Justin, and Christina were all in the Mickey Mouse Club, how come they became singers and you ended up becoming an actor?" Luca asked as they walked.

Ryan smirked. "You won't believe this, but I have stage fright."

"What?" Luca looked surprised. "But you don't seem nervous at all when you're performing on set."

"It's true!" Ryan shrugged. "Back in the club, I was the best at everything—singing, dancing, performing. I outshone all of them.

"But when I was 12, we had our first big performance on a stage with over a thousand people. That's when it all went wrong. As soon as I stepped on stage, I froze. I got so nervous I couldn't move, let alone perform.

"I tried everything to overcome it afterward, but nothing worked. I can handle small performances with dozens or even a few hundred people, but put me on a stage in front of thousands, and I start to panic. I can't breathe. It's something I just couldn't get past, so I couldn't be a singer. I had to become an actor instead."

"That's such a shame. You'd probably be a huge star by now," Luca said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Am I not a big star already?" Ryan shot back, a little indignant.

"Alright, alright, you are!" Luca chuckled, thinking Ryan was being a little too full of himself.

"Hey~ you two, hurry up!" Rachel and Fanny called from up ahead.

"Coming!" Ryan and Luca quickened their pace to catch up with them.

Their seats were in the middle of the front rows, close to the stage. Aside from the VIP boxes, they had the best view in the house.

"Hey~ Ryan, long time no see!"

As they were finding their seats, a young man in a white shirt and tie stopped Ryan.

"Justin! You're here too!" Ryan smiled and gave him a hug.

"Hey~ Ryan! Don't forget about me. It's been a while!" A girl wearing a hat stood up and hugged him as well.

"Is that Justin and Christina? Why are they here at Britney's concert?" Fanny asked, surprised.

"Maybe their relationship isn't as bad as the tabloids make it out to be," Luca smiled. The guy was Justin Timberlake, Britney's ex-boyfriend, and the girl was Christina Aguilera.

The news always claimed that Justin and Britney were on terrible terms, and that Christina and Britney didn't get along either. There were always stories about the two fighting, portraying them as rivals.

In reality, Britney had once said it was all just a marketing strategy. They were all from the same company and big stars, and the so-called rivalry made for better headlines.

Christina wasn't as popular as Britney, so this rivalry gave her a chance to ride on Britney's coattails.

"Hey~ Luca, let me introduce you," Ryan said with a grin, pulling Luca by the arm. "Luca, this is Justin. Justin, this is Luca. Have you two met before?"

Rachel quietly tugged at Ryan's sleeve, trying to keep things from getting awkward. After Luca's infamous car scandal with Britney, there were rumors that Luca had come between Britney and Justin, causing the pop world's golden couple to break up.

A reporter once asked Justin if he knew Luca, to which Justin had dismissively replied, "Who's that?" It hadn't been a friendly response. Now, seeing them face-to-face, what if things escalated?

"Mr. Timberlake, nice to meet you. I'm Luca Kelly," Luca said with a polite smile, extending his hand.

Justin looked him over for a moment before slowly shaking his hand. "Hello."

Rachel chuckled quietly; the tension in the air was palpable.

Both men were good-looking, but Luca was slightly more handsome, taller by two inches, and more physically fit. He looked more grounded and confident.

But Justin was a superstar, and his fame gave him a stronger presence.

"Wow, our seats are right next to each other! What a coincidence. How about we grab a drink at a bar after the concert?" Ryan said, slinging his arms around both of them, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Sorry, Ryan, I have plans tonight," Justin replied with a cool smile before sitting back down.

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe next time," Ryan shrugged, flashing Luca a mischievous wink.

Luca shook his head and took his seat next to Christina, who was sitting between him and Justin.

"So, you're *that* Luca?" Christina leaned over, adjusting her hat as she eyed him.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Aguilera," Luca greeted her politely. Christina hadn't put on any weight yet and was still quite beautiful.

"Ha! Justin, Luca's better-looking than you, and in better shape too. Britney made the right choice dumping you," Christina teased with a smirk.

Justin ignored her, taking a sip of water and focusing on the stage.

"Luca, mind if I ask, when did you and Britney start hooking up? Wasn't she still with Justin at the time?" Christina continued with a sly smile.

Luca's lips twitched—she was obviously trying to stir things up.

"Sorry, my English isn't great," he replied, trying to deflect.

"Oh, don't play dumb. Britney told me you two hooked up. She even said you were, like, way bigger than Justin," Christina said with a smirk.

"That's enough, Christina," Justin said, his face darkening.

"What? I'm just saying," she teased, still smiling. "Hey, Justin, I heard Luca's packing a full three feet. You got that beat?"

Justin said nothing.

"Haha, guess not!" Christina laughed, turning back to Luca. "By the way, that car video with you and Britney was wild! Was that after you two shot her music video? I bet it wasn't your first time together. Britney's not the type to jump into bed with someone she just met.

"So, based on my calculations, you guys must've hooked up sometime last winter. That was when Britney and Justin were still together, right? Wow, Justin, looks like you were getting played."

Justin snorted in frustration and stood up to leave.

"Relax, Justin, I'm just joking!" Christina laughed, pulling him back into his seat. She turned back to Luca, but he had already swapped seats with a white-haired girl.

"Tch, what a boring guy," Christina muttered, unimpressed.

At 2:30 p.m., the big screen lit up with a *Check-In* performance introduction. After that, the lights on stage brightened, music began to play, and a stunning figure slowly rose from the center of the stage. The concert had begun.

(End of chapter)