Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 119: Defusing The Bomb

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Click Clack Symphony by RAYE, Hans Zimmer>

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A blurry zoomed-in video taken from the back row of the CalArts auditorium had been posted on social media and spread like wildfire.

It showed Von pulling down his mask on the brightly lit stage. The video didn’t have audio, effectively hiding the exact moment Von called the artist Nana.

What the internet did see was Von, the hottest rising independent artist in the country, dropping fifteen thousand dollars on a single painting.

They saw him wrap a protective arm around the pretty, nervous artist. And they saw the two of them immediately sprint out the back exit together into the night.

The comments were moving at lightspeed.

[NoGrassToucher: Bro just casually dropped 15 bands on his girl’s homework. I can’t even afford a McDouble right now.]

[SimpPatrol_01: @NoGrassToucher; Tf? You’re just poor bro. Idk why everyone’s talking fifteen grand like it’s fifteen million 🫥]

[MusicJunkie178: Wait, hold up. Von has a girlfriend?! Since when?!]

[TheTeaSpiller: Look at how he grabbed her and they dipped! They are definitely together. Does anyone know who she is?! Drop the IG! She’s really pretty]

[Toxic_Watcher: Probably just some industry plant or a gold digger trying to ride his fame wave.ť

[Von’s Former Waifu: @Toxic_Watcher; I’ll nuke you. She’s gorgeous. 😍]

Within an hour, internet sleuths had ripped through the CalArts public registry to find out exactly who the girl on stage was.

Because Naomi had wanted to avoid living in her famous brother’s shadow, she hadn’t registered at the school as Naomi Varley. She had registered under her mother’s maiden name, Vera.

The pop-culture blogs picked it up instantly and began blasting out the headlines.

Drama In CalArts: Von’s Mystery Queen Identified!

Standing on the quiet sidewalk outside the diner, Von listened to Emily narrate everything to him.

"But why..." Von muttered, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "It’s like the internet loves going over me for some reason. Every single thing I do turns into a conspiracy."

"I mean... it’s a good thing," Emily reassured him through the phone. "What you need most as an independent artist is publicity and you’re not lacking too much in that department right now."

It was a valid point.

But Von’s mind was already on how he could defuse the ticking bomb.

Who knew how quickly they could learn more about Naomi? If internet sleuths dug too deep, they might even find out that she was the real reason he had to punch Julian back in the bar. He couldn’t let that happen.

"I’ll just make a post," Von finally said. "I’ll hop on X right now, quote one of the videos, and tell them she’s my sister. End of story."

"Wait, Von, think for a second. If you do that, you kill the dating rumors, yes. But you also permanently out her to the world."

Von stopped, and Emily continued.

"I don’t really know much about how you guys operate," Emily said. "But I guess you want this moment to be all about her. If you just swoop in and say it, it’ll make it seem like you only bought the art because she’s your sister. It ruins her credibility as an artist."

Von went quiet, realizing the logic in her words.

"What I’m saying is," Emily added, "maybe this could be an opportunity for Naomi to make her own name. If there’s anything being tweeted to clear the air, she should do it herself."

"You’re right," Von said.

He hung up the phone and walked back inside the diner. Sliding back into the vinyl booth, Von quickly explained the viral situation to Naomi.

Surprisingly, she didn’t mind the situation at all. Instead, she found it hilarious.

"Wait, they think I’m your sugar baby?" Naomi burst into laughter. "Oh my god, ew!"

"Yeah, well, Emily thinks you should clear it up yourself," Von said with a smirk.

"Oh," Naomi said, her eyes lighting up with realization. "So you’re saying I should create an art page?"

"Exactly."

Naomi didn’t waste a single second. She created a brand new professional profile on X. Then, she leaned across the table, grabbed Von by the shoulder, and snapped a quick picture of the both of them holding their half-eaten burgers.

She uploaded the selfie along with a high-quality picture of her painting.

[Thanks for buying my art, big bro. Thanks for the burgers, too!]

Von immediately opened his own app and retweeted it to his 1.8 million followers.

As simple as that, the rumors were completely defused. The narrative instantly shifted from a scandalous romance to a viral flex of sibling support.

"Done," Naomi smiled, putting her phone away.

Considering the time, they quickly finished their food. Von escorted her to her dorm safely, making sure no wandering students bothered her on the campus grounds.

Walking back to the main road alone, the situation still bothered him.

If things were this crazy with just a single out, he couldn’t imagine how it would be if he became more popular than he already was. He would have a microscope on his every move.

"That’s the life I guess," Von muttered to himself.

He hailed a cab, deciding to return to his hotel. He would be catching a flight back to Miami the next day after all.

***

Four days had passed since Von returned to Miami.

The hype train for the upcoming album had reached such a fever pitch that Emily completely cleared his schedule. He didn’t have to accept any random interviews anymore as the only ones remaining were post-release.

For now, Von prepared for the Late Night With Colin Gork interview.

It was difficult to understate just how big the television show was. One had to both be incredibly lucky and making serious waves in the industry to get an invite.

Back during the release of Masquerade, Julian had grabbed a spot on the show, using that massive medium to call out Von shamelessly for dropping a song without visuals.

But the tables had turned.

Von had already discussed the strategy with Emily. This was a massive moment to promote his album. He was allowed to say whatever he wanted as long as it didn’t cause any PR damage.

Even better, his invitation was for an extended one. That meant he wouldn’t just be doing a quick five-minute chat before a commercial break. He would stay on the couch for two full segments and participate in a game with the host.

A day prior, there had been a pre-interview over the phone. Von had to go over the questions with the producers before the actual day. The heavily scripted nature of it all made him realize just how fake the corporate world truly was. They wanted pre-planned punchlines and manufactured moments.

But Von didn’t care. He was going to play the game his way.

Von waited patiently backstage until the day finally arrived. When his cue hit, he walked out onto the brightly lit stage. He was dressed immaculately in his signature Vanguard streetwear, a dark, structured jacket, loose trousers, and heavy combat boots.

The live studio band hit a jazzy crescendo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have an absolute fan favorite here tonight!" Colin Gork announced to the camera.

"From the vibrant streets of Miami, we welcome rising singer and rapper... Von Varley onto the stage!"