Gangster to Idol

"Y-you shouldn't have done that, C.C.! You shouldn't have slapped him!" Riku stammered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Cain's lips curled into a dangerous smirk, his sharp canines just visible. "You're right," he growled, his voice low and simmering. "I should've punched him instead."

"No! That's even worse!" Riku was practically panicking now, unable to fathom C.C.s quick resort to violence. "The cameras caught everything! You could get painted as the villain. Blaze Entertainment has connections here and they could edit that part — this could ruin everything!"

Cain didn't waver. He glanced at the cameras. "Let them watch," he muttered. "I've never been afraid of playing the bad guy."

Riku stared in disbelief. He knew he should warn C.C. to be more mindful of his image, but . . . why did he look so cool right now?!

"W-what's with that look?" Cain asked, noticing the sparkle in Riku's eyes.

"You're just so cool, C.C."

Cain flicked Riku's forehead. "Don't waste time fanboying. Let's go."

"Right!" Riku answered, energized.

The two made their way to an empty room for some extra practice, but they quickly realized they weren't the only ones with that idea.

Inside Hall D, a group of four trainees was already gathered — each with a score higher than 30 points. They weren't just any trainees; these were the ones who dominated the rankings.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken competition.

"This place is full. Find somewhere else," EJ dismissed, arms crossed, his gaze sharp. He held the highest score among the group, together with Dylan, and with that knowledge came a sense of authority.

Cain scanned the wide hall, unimpressed. There was more than enough space for at least ten more trainees.

"Full? What're you talking about? There's plenty of room here."

Riku immediately grabbed C.C.s hand, his voice laced with hesitation. "C.C., let's just go. We can find another spot."

But Cain didn't budge. The other halls were crammed, and this was the only one with actual space. Why back down now?

"We were here first," EJ repeated, his voice dripping with arrogance as he tilted his head up, daring C.C. to challenge him.

Off to the side, Dylan, the quiet one, hadn't even looked up — completely absorbed in his training.

Meanwhile, Jinwoo and Lexter stood firm, blocking Cain's path with crossed arms and smug expressions.

Cain's eyes narrowed. This wasn't about space anymore — it was a challenge.

"Hoi! What are you doing? Stop making trouble and just leave! This isn't the time to fight," Fifi reprimanded, her voice sharp in Cain's ear.

Cain didn't flinch, his gaze locked on EJ and the others. "You don't own this place. Every trainee has the right to practice here."

Lexter let out a loud, mocking laugh, while Jinwoo grinned with a condescending sneer.

"We were here first," Lexter said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "And let me tell you something — no matter how much you practice, you're not gonna make the cut in the end."

Cain raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Huh?"

Seeing their reactions, EJ stepped forward with a smirk, arms crossed over his chest. "Since you're so clueless, let me enlighten you. Your dancing might be decent, but your voice? It's mediocre at best. And in this world, what really matters is your voice. Without that, you're nothing."

"So why even bother practicing?" Jinwoo taunted, his grin widening. "Might as well give up now. You'll save yourself the time and humiliation. It's only a matter of time before you get eliminated anyway."

His words dripped with arrogance, each one meant to cut deeper than the last. The smugness in his tone echoed through the hall, as if he was already writing C.C. and Riku off.

The words hit like a slap, the arrogant tone stinging more than the message itself.

Riku clenched his fists, his face twisting with frustration at the insult. He was used to facing hostility, but something about this felt more personal.

Riku felt a knot in his stomach, and even Cain's usual calm faltered for a split second.

EJ and the others wasn't just trying to push them out of the room — he was questioning their entire future here.

Cain's eyes darkened, a storm flickering behind them. His fists itched to knock the smirk off their faces, but he held back.

Fifi was right — raising a hand would be the end. And maybe that's exactly what they wanted, for him to slip up, to get eliminated for something as reckless as violence.

He wasn't about to give them the satisfaction.

Let them taunt. He'd heard worse from the street kids down the block. A few cheap words weren't enough to rattle him.

Instead, Cain exhaled slowly, letting the tension roll off his shoulders as he stepped away. Cool, unfazed — he wasn't succumbing to their level.

Instead, he glanced down at Riku, who was fuming at his side. He could tell Riku wanted to stay, to fight back.

But Cain? He wasn't about to waste his energy on fools.

Their roles had flipped. Cain had always been the one ready to throw punches, while Riku was the one urging restraint.

But now, it was different. Riku looked ready to charge in, fists clenched, while Cain, calm and collected, held him back.

Cain stepped back, his lips curling into a faint smirk as he turned toward the door.

"Let's go," he said, his voice calm, as if none of this even phased him.

"C.C.," Riku hesitated, but Cain only shook his head, giving him a look that said it all — this wasn't the time to start a war over something like this.

As they left, EJ's group watched with smug satisfaction. But Cain wasn't retreating. No, this was just a tactical step back. He wasn't going to be dragged into their petty games. Not today. Not like this.

"Yeah, go away. There's no room here for you." Ej, Jinwoo, and Lexter laughed before sneering, "loosers."
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Fifi cast one last glance at EJ and the others, her eyes narrowing. "I know I'm not allowed to interfere with their singing and dancing . . . but this is just practice," she muttered with a mischievous grin.

Her eyes gleamed with a wicked spark as she casually flicked her hand.

Suddenly, the lights in the hall flickered, the sound system crackled, and everything malfunctioned in an instant. EJ and the others cursed under their breath, glaring at the equipment as it sputtered and died.

Fifi's grin widened. "Oops. Looks like no one is practicing here, after all."