Gangster to Idol

Just then, Tank emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of steaming hot soup. He made his way toward Cain's room with careful steps.

"Hey, fatty! Where are you going with that?" Joker called out, eyeing the soup suspiciously.

Without even turning around, Tank replied, "The boss is exhausted. He needs something hot and light to keep his strength up. I'm giving this to him."

Joker's lips twisted into a pout. "That fatty is stealing my position," he mumbled, watching Tank ascend the stairs.

Bones chuckled. "Let him be, ohohohoho."

Joker's playful expression faded, replaced by something more serious. "Aren't you worried about Cain?" he asked. "He looked exhausted and thin."

Bones leaned back, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Yeah, I am. But didn't you notice that fire in his eyes when he walked in?"

Joker paused, replaying the moment in his head. Cain had looked beaten, sure — but there was something intense behind his exhaustion. A fire, burning brighter than before.

"Yeah," Joker said slowly. "I haven't seen that look in a while."

Bones nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "The last time I saw that fire was when we were first establishing our gang. Back when we had everything to prove, and nothing to lose." He chuckled, the memory of their old days bringing a warmth to his voice. "Looks like the boss found something he's passionate about beside this gang. Ohohohoho!"

While the CROSS HQ was celebrating Cain's return, even though it would only be a week, elsewhere, something was also happening between two women.

Mimi was hunched over her desk, buried in textbooks, cramming for her exams when her phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was her friend, Sheryl.

"Mimi! Have you seen the teaser for RRR's first episode?! They'll be airing the first episode tomorrow!" Sheryl's voice was practically bursting through the phone.

"RRR?" Mimi blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"It's that popular idol show! You know, Rising Radiance Revolution!"

Mimi's brow furrowed further. Sheryl knew better than anyone that idol shows weren't her thing. The last time Sheryl had made her watch one, Mimi had cringed the entire time.

She didn't want a repeat on that one again.

"You know I don't like those kinds of shows," Mimi replied, already feeling exhausted by the conversation. "I'm not into idols."

Sheryl giggled mischievously on the other end, and Mimi could practically hear her friend's smirk through the phone.

"Are you sure? Not even a little curious this time? You might regret it if you skip this one."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mimi asked, even more confused now.

There was a brief pause, followed by a squeal so high-pitched that Mimi thought Sheryl was either losing her mind or being attacked by someone.

"It's C.C.! He's on RRR! Can you believe it?! My hero, my knight in shining armor is in my favorite idol show!"

Mimi froze. C.C.? On RRR? Her mind raced. She had been so caught up in her studies that she hadn't been keeping up with social media or the latest buzz.

"What?!"

"I know, right? That handsome C.C. is actually on the show! Who would've thought he wanted to be an idol? It's like a dream come true for me! He's practically doing it just for me!

Like he knows I love idols!" Sheryl gushed, her excitement bubbling over.

Mimi clenched her phone, feeling an unexpected surge of irritation. "He doesn't even know you," she snapped, her voice sharper than intended.

She was also baffled as to why that was and quickly controlled her temper.

Sheryl, oblivious to Mimi's tone, just laughed it off. "Haha! Who cares? A girl can dream, right? Besides, these days, idols are the only thing keeping me sane."

Mimi grabbed her phone, her fingers moving faster than her thoughts. Sure enough, as she scrolled through BuzzVid, there he was — C.C., in a clip from RRR, looking as intense and cool as ever.

Sheryl's voice broke her trance. "So, are you still not going to watch the first episode with me?"

Mimi bit her lip, her heart doing a flip as C.C.'s face stared back at her from the screen. She could feel a tug at her resolve, but—

"I'm swamped right now," she said, trying to sound firm. "I have exams tomorrow."

"What? Exams will always be there, but the first episode of RRR only airs once! This is huge!"

Mimi hesitated, feeling the pull even stronger now. "Maybe we can re-watch it after my exams?" she bargained.

There was a pause on the other end before Sheryl squealed again. "Fine! I'll come to your restaurant, and we'll re-watch it together—with popcorn and snacks! I can't wait!"

.net

"Oh, I've got it!" Sheryl suddenly shouted, her voice brimming with excitement like she'd just had the best idea in the world. "RRR always has a live performance with an audience every season. We have to go watch it no matter what!"

Mimi's heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing C.C. in person. The idea of him up on stage, performing live, sent her thoughts spiraling. "I . . ."

"It's settled then!" Sheryl cut in before Mimi could even finish her sentence. "We're going, no excuses! We need to grab those tickets before they sell out. See you the day after tomorrow!"

Before Mimi could protest, the line went dead, leaving her staring at the phone, her pulse racing. The thought of C.C. on that stage, in front of her, was too thrilling to ignore.

I could meet him in person again. Mimi thought and quickly shook off the thought. She was only going because she wouldn't hear the end of it from Sheryl.

As the call ended, Mimi stared blankly at her phone, still processing everything. Slowly, she scrolled through the snippets of RRR, her textbooks forgotten.

The teaser had already dropped, and instead of focusing on her exam prep, Mimi found herself hypnotized by the clips of C.C.—his face filling the screen, that familiar intensity drawing her in.

Her heart raced, and despite herself, she whispered, "Maybe just a quick look won't hurt."

What was supposed to be a 'quick scroll' turned into a full-blown binge session. Before Mimi knew it, the sun was creeping through her window, and her books sat untouched.