Chapter 34: Broken Friendship

Jacob Tibo's feelings toward Evan Bell were actually quite complicated. On the one hand, thanks to Evan, Melancholy Mood was finally getting on the right track and seizing the opportunities they'd always dreamed of.

On the other hand, Evan's exceptional talent left the other three members feeling stuck in place. Evan was both the reason for their success and the source of their frustration. This created a deep conflict within Jacob.

With Warner Records on one side and Universal Music on the other, Evan never seemed to be swayed. Even when faced with these two giant companies, he remained calm and collected.

In contrast, the other three band members clung to this opportunity, fearing it would slip away in an instant. The difference in their attitudes only deepened Jacob's inner turmoil.

Jacob couldn't help but voice his frustrations. Jacob Tibo had always been thoughtful, someone the band teased for being gentle on the outside but passionate within. In reality, Jacob harbored many emotions, though he kept them all hidden, making him seem more restrained.

However, Haas hadn't expected Jacob Tibo to say something so outrageous today. It just wasn't that without Evan, Melancholy Mood wouldn't exist as it did now—there was also the matter of the contract. Everyone had their own aspirations, and they couldn't be forced into anything.

"Am I wrong?" Jacob Tibo seemed ready to tear everything apart, unleashing the frustrations he'd bottled up since the Eagle Rock Music Festival.

"Evan is so self-righteous, always thinking he's better than everyone else. 'Independent musician,' my ass! He really thinks he's some kind of genius."

Evan Bell laughed, though more out of frustration than humor. Just yesterday, the four of them had met with a Universal Music representative in good spirits, but now everything had soured.

Jacob was visibly angry, and while Bruce Stewart stood silently behind Jacob, his presence made it clear where his loyalties lie. Only Haas seemed torn, standing in the middle, caught between Evan and the other two bandmates.

Evan looked at Jacob and began speaking slowly, as if he weren't angry at all. "Of course, I'm not worried. Even if I set up an independent music studio, it'd be fine. Unlike some people, who grab onto any opportunity they see, desperate for fame." Jacob Tibo was left speechless.

Evan had always done things his way. He'd turned down Broadway to play at the Eagle Rock Music Festival, rejected a movie offer just to meet with a professor, and now, he was saying no to Warner and Universal for the sake of his music dreams. His approach to life and people was no different.

Initially, Evan felt a pang of regret. After this confrontation, it was clear his bandmates wouldn't stay together. Their paths were diverging. Breaking up the band after two years of hard work wasn't easy.

So when he spoke to Haas earlier, there was a touch of melancholy in his tone. But now that Jacob had provoked him, Evan wasn't one to back down. He said exactly what he felt.

"Some people will do anything to become famous; they'll abandon their ideals, even their friendships, for it. To me, fame isn't important at all. There are people who used to play rock music who ended up selling their looks. They're no different from those who sell themselves on the streets of Las Vegas."

Evan's words were harsh, hitting everyone in the room like a hammer. But he didn't care. If someone wanted to take it personally, that was their problem.

Since Jacob had ruined any chance of a peaceful breakup, Evan didn't feel the need to be a saint. People with different values couldn't work together.

"Oh, by the way, Haas," Evan added as he packed his things, "congrats on signing with Universal. I'm looking forward to your album." He left the room without so much as a glance at Jacob or Bruce.

It wasn't hard to figure out why Jacob had turned on them so suddenly. It was likely that Haas and the others had met with Craig Cook from Universal that morning to inform him of their decision.

While Evan Bell's absence might have weakened their negotiating position, Universal wasn't as interested in individual talent as Warner Records was.

Universal wanted to create an idol band, so whether Evan was there or not didn't matter much to them.

Evan guessed that Craig Cook had probably lowered the offer, and without Evan's negotiating skills, the band had little leverage. But in the end, they signed the contract.

The three band members had come to Evan, hoping to bring him on board with Universal. Only Haas had approached him initially, as he had the best rapport with Evan.

But when Evan refused, Jacob's resentment grew. He couldn't stand the thought that while he was signing with Universal and releasing an album, Evan was still chasing his "ridiculous" dream of being an independent musician. This was the root of their conflict.

As Evan left the room, he walked with his head held high, calm and composed. His dignified exit only fueled Jacob's anger. After a torrent of thoughts, Jacob finally blurted out, "That extremely stupid fcking man." But Evan didn't even turn around.

Evan returned to his dorm, still feeling uneasy despite the calm front he'd maintained. In his previous life, betrayal by a close friend had made it hard for him to trust anyone.

In this life, he'd been cautious, only truly opening up to his brother Teddy Bell, and later to Eden Hudson and his bandmates. But now, even his relationship with the band had soured.

Evan couldn't help but wonder if he was doomed to fail at friendships. The thought left him feeling discouraged.

Seeing Evan sitting on the sofa in a daze, Eden Hudson guessed that the talk with the band had gone badly. He sat down across from Evan and said bluntly, "So, you've fallen out with them, huh? I told you a long time ago that those guys were unreliable."

Eden's bluntness was sharp, but it had a way of cutting through the noise. Though Evan was used to it, he still found it amusing. Only Eden would try to comfort someone by rubbing salt in the wound. But sometimes, Eden's harsh honesty was more effective than the well-meaning lies others told.

"Who are you trying to impress with that disappointed look?" Eden continued.

"You didn't lose anything here—they did. Look, the lead singer is gone, the most talented member is gone, and their two best songs are gone. Even with a record deal, I doubt they'll go far." Eden was nothing if not direct, never sugarcoating the truth.

Evan suddenly remembered that he'd registered the copyrights for their two songs, "Last" and "Boundless Sky," but hadn't told the others.

He hadn't sent the songs to any record label yet, and the band assumed it was because of the poor recording quality. But Evan had held off for a reason—he wanted to register the copyrights first.

In America, copyright registration wasn't cheap, and since Evan had written the songs, Haas and the others hadn't thought much about it.

But now, things had taken an unexpected turn.

Evan wasn't upset because of the band's breakup. What bothered him was the fight with his friends. Yesterday, they'd been getting along fine, and today they were at each other's throats. This sudden shift left Evan feeling empty. But Eden's words made him laugh despite himself.

'You can't stop the rain,' Evan muttered, using an old saying to push his gloomy thoughts aside. Since that day, he hadn't seen the other three band members. He'd heard they'd gone to New York for training.

Evan called the independent record company "Freedom" to let them know that the band had disbanded, so the contract was no longer an option.

The Freedom agent was understanding and said they'd look forward to working together in the future. But when the agent learned that Evan was the composer of "Boundless Sky," they asked if he was interested in signing as a solo artist.

Although Freedom mainly signed independent bands, they were also keen on talented solo artists like Evan.

Evan didn't reject the offer outright but explained that the band had just broken up and that he was busy with school.

He suggested they revisit the idea later. The agent was straightforward, left Evan his contact information, and ended the call.

Despite the brief conversation, Evan had a good impression of Freedom. He liked their independent spirit, and even over the phone, he could sense their commitment to freedom.