Rock Dog: The Final Call

Chapter 27 - Fighting for Love

Saturday, the Day of the Asia Song Festival 2025

Singapore Indoor Stadium

3pm (5 Hours before the Start)

There was one final dress rehearsal before the live show and Rock Dog, having just completed their performance, headed down to join Ian, Paris and Khampa in the Green Room. Once again, they enjoyed as loud of an ovation as The Sam Willows, putting them neck and neck with the favourites.

Of the 25 participating countries, Rock Dog will compete in the second last spot, 24th, while The Sam Willows will perform 19th, a decent gap between the two favourites.

While Paris and Ian briefed everyone on some final tweaks to make for the live performance, Bodi and Darma, having agreed to an engagement, agreed not to disclose this development until after the contest. Whether they win or not is something they can worry about later.

Paris had completed her feedback on the performance. "Right, that's all from me. Anything from you, Bodi?"

Bodi stood up from the band's Green Room sofa. He began smiling back as he began what he had to say. "I know we had been through a damn lot. MMGP, the funeral and now, this. Tonight, one performance is all that's standing between us and that title. Whether we win or not doesn't matter to me. What matters is that we put in our best shot tonight, ok? Let's make tonight's live performance count!"

"Yeah!" the rest of Rock Dog roared at Bodi in approval. They were now ready for tonight's all-important live show. Rock Dog, after all, had been performing for nine plus years, and giving up... was never even an option for them.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

Cody Cat's Home in Downtown Mengcheng

6pm Mengcheng Time/ 7pm Singapore Time

(1 Hour Before Start of the Asia Song Festival 2025)

Cody had been waiting all year for this moment. He was one of Rock Dog's biggest fans and, together with his sister, owned a dunk tank stand that had been one of the main attractions of temporary carnivals across Mengguo. Now, he just graduated from Mengcheng Polytechnic, but with aspirations of becoming an entertainer/entrepreneur, studying business administration with a minor in show business at the polytechnic.

Cody had decked out in his official Rock Dog T-shirt and was heading to the nearby Oasis bar where the Mengcheng University of Science and Technology's watch party is held. He had just received the news that he got accepted into the university, who was home to some of the top talents in Mengguo, including former alumni James "Swifty" Swift and his SwiftyTV friends. Tonight, he was going to the same bar where the team's songwriter and dumb albatross Lemmy used to perform part-time.

The Dunk Tank Cat, as he was known due to his ever-popular temporary dunk tank stand that appeared in various night markets and carnivals across Mengguo together with his sister Cecilia, was on cloud 9 as he kissed his sister goodbye and bade a temporary farewell to his parents. Proceeding downstairs, he was getting too hyped up for the watch party.