Déjà Vu

"Are you experiencing an illusion, an illusion regarding memory? Everything before your eyes feels familiar; those tactile sensations, perceptions, and sounds seem like a replay of the past. You might mistake this for the emergence of past-life memories, or perhaps proof of the soul's existence..."

"Déjà vu was first proposed by the French philosopher Emile Boirac in 1876. Carl Jung viewed it as a concrete manifestation of the collective unconscious, believing that certain memories are passed down through generations like genes. Medical research indicates that paramnesia and temporal lobe epilepsy can induce this phenomenon frequently..."

Perhaps it also includes transmigration, Ryan Shaw Rivers thought to himself.

Ever since he transmigrated into this "Music City" a week ago, he had been plagued by this sense of familiarity.

As a college student, he didn't know much about America, having only occasionally watched some abstract short news videos from there, let alone the Western music scene. This left him feeling lost about the future, especially after being eliminated from a talent show.

The original owner had become a laughingstock during the first round of the Nashville Season 6 finals. The comments from judge Billy Ray Cyrus (Miley Cyrus's father, a famous country singer) still rang in his ears: "Perhaps your singing is fine for a lingerie model, but as a country singer, you can't just have a handsome face and abs. Sorry, I can't give you a pass."

The science segment about déjà vu continued on the car radio. Ryan turned his head and saw, outside the passenger window, a red, curved sign for an AMC theater next to a poster for the movie The Other Boleyn Girl. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson were visible in their period costumes, and the release date of February 29 flashed by.

"Boring mystery show." The middle-aged woman driving reached out to turn the knob, and the radio's tone shifted to something more upbeat.

"Good afternoon, Nashville. The cold winter is completely behind us. Are you ready to shed your thick coats and change into light spring clothes? Today in Nashville, the sun is shining, and the average temperature is 61 degrees Fahrenheit..."

"Relax, Ryan. I notified the other party last night. You'll audition as usual, but it's just a formality. She has already agreed that you will be the male lead in the music video," Trey Fanjoy, who was driving, reiterated.

"Got it." Ryan nodded, watching the row of music bars that had just opened along the street outside the window.

"...Let's take a look at the latest news for country artists this month. Kenny Chesney had his foot crushed by a hydraulic lift on stage during his tour in Columbia, South Carolina, yesterday. It took him thirty seconds to break free, and he continued to perform while limping. X-rays later showed several crushed bones in his right foot, but he didn't cancel any shows due to the injury."

"Keith Urban, who is currently on the 'Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Carnival Tour' with Carrie Underwood, has officially announced that the lead single from his fifth studio album will be titled 'Sweet Thing'. It remains to be seen if this song can become his tenth hit to top the Billboard Country Chart, especially with new artists eyeing the spot."

"That's right, I'm referring to Taylor Swift, who just won the CMA (Country Music Association Awards) Best New Artist award last year. As the youngest country chart-topping singer in history, country radio released the final lead single from her self-titled album last week—'Should've Said No'."

"She stated that it only took her five minutes to write the chorus, and many of the lyrics were based on the actual words she used when facing her ex-boyfriend. Similar to the previous lead single 'Picture to Burn', both are indictments of exes. Compared to the simple expression of anger in burning the other person's photo, this song carries a hint of resentment toward an old lover."

"Counting Drew from the first single 'Tim McGraw', another secret crush in 'Teardrops On My Guitar', Jordan from 'Picture To Burn', and Sam from the new song 'Should've Said No', four men have already appeared in this newcomer's debut album. Facts prove that this 'ex-boyfriend marketing' has clearly been a success. The new song hit number one on the Billboard country sub-chart this week and successfully broke into the HOT100, making it her second chart-topping single..."

"Better think twice before dating her," Ryan scoffed.

"Don't say that to her face. She might just become a benefactor in your career," Trey Fanjoy reminded him. The person she contacted last night was exactly Taylor.

"This teenage girl?" Ryan asked back.

"A teenage girl with two country chart-topping singles. I remember you're the same age as her. Has your 'original song' uploaded to YouTube reached 5,000 views yet? Big star!" Trey Fanjoy began to expose his shortcomings.

As an MV director who had struggled in the industry, she showed no mercy when lecturing her friend's son.

"Why must I be a country singer?" Ryan said, leaning back and resting his head against the headrest.

According to the plots in novels, transmigrators would use the advantages of their appearance and physique to find a wealthy and gentle older lady or something similar. He would soothe her weary spirit, and in turn, she would fund his impoverished life. It would be even better if she looked like Elizabeth Hurley or Sofia Vergara...

"Exactly, you can't put all your chips down easily. Your paperwork for returning to school will be ready soon—Hendersonville High School, just over ten minutes from my house," Aunt Trey interrupted Ryan's daydream.

"I don't have to start over from the ninth grade, do I?" Ryan's expression twisted as if he were having a nightmare.

"I don't have the money to put you through four more years of high school! At most, you only have a little over a year," Trey parked the car on the side of the road.

As he got out, Ryan watched Trey, who was wearing a thin white tank top, put on a coat. He felt that she lived up to her name—Trey, a "big thunder" (a disaster).

Ryan followed Aunt Trey into the courtyard. What came into view was an ordinary gray-white wooden house. He noticed a wooden sign next to him that read "Big Machine Records," with a logo of a monster truck with flaming wheels.

Trey went up and knocked on the door. After a while, the door opened, and a girl with golden curly hair poked her head out.

"Welcome! Trey, congratulations on winning the CMT Video of the Year!" The girl wore a standard Western polite smile, opened her arms, and hugged Trey.

The CMT Music Awards were the equivalent of the VMA for the country music world, aimed at honoring country music videos.

"My lens could only capture one percent of your beauty, dear. I should be the one saying thank you," Trey immediately responded with a smile.

Ryan listened to the two women exchanging compliments and pleasantries. Trey had won the award precisely because of the 'Our Song' MV for this girl named Taylor Swift.

Trey and Taylor's collaboration had started from Taylor's very first MV, and now all four of Taylor's MVs were directed by Trey. It was because of this relationship that Ryan was able to pull strings with Taylor.

Then it was Ryan's turn. But as he stepped forward, before he could even introduce himself, the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up, followed by a strong, scalp-tingling sensation.

An unprecedented, intense sense of déjà vu washed over him.