Gangster to Idol

Cain remained completely unfazed, his expression calm as always.

He had simply borrowed the concept from Big Daddy, and it worked even better than he expected. His voice, though . . . he knew it was still mediocre. He had only mimicked what he'd heard, nothing more.

But that didn't matter. He was confident his score would improve tonight — not from his voice, but from the way he captivated the entire room with his charisma and stage presence.

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Cain's fashion was impeccable — sleek, calculated, and safe. There was no way he would score low this time, not with how well he'd played his cards.

For a brief moment, his eyes locked with Felice's. He could've sworn he saw her smirk, a mischievous glint flickering in her gaze that sent a chill through him.

What was she thinking?

He shook off the thought. It didn't matter what games Felice played, as long as she didn't sabotage his path to becoming an idol.

"I like your voice," Evelyn said, leaning forward slightly, her tone carefully measured. "But I can't really hear you in it. It feels like you copied the tone of the original singer. That said, your overall performance is superb, and your charisma is undeniable. Since we're judging more on stage presence tonight, I'll be lenient and give you 7 points."

Cain nodded, unsurprised but relieved. At least she wasn't harsh.

Mitchell followed suit. "Seven from me too," he said with a nod, his expression unreadable.

It was clear they were giving him some slack, and Cain was thankful. This wasn't his best vocal performance, but he had made up for it with his stage command.

Kalista, as expected, flashed a wide grin and didn't hesitate to hold up a perfect score of 10. "You bring something new every time you step onto this stage," she said, her voice ringing with approval. "Keep it up."

Cain let out a breath, grateful for her consistency. He'd expected these scores. It was his performance, not his voice, that had carried him tonight.

But then, all eyes turned to Jaxon.

The room held its collective breath as Jaxon glanced at C.C., his expression unreadable. He took a deep breath, and slowly raised his scorecard — a stark [6].

The audience erupted into whispers. Some even began to boo.

It was one thing to score C.C. low in the first two episodes, but this time? It was obvious to everyone that among the performers so far, C.C. had outshone them all, especially in the dance category.

"What the hell?! A 6? Is he blind?"

"I swear, Jaxton's got something personal against C.C. No way that score's fair."

"What does C.C. have to do to impress this guy? Perform magic tricks?"

"If C.C. can't get a good score for that performance, then what's the point?

"Seriously? A 6? C.C. danced circles around the others, and Jaxton still won't give him credit?"

"This is starting to feel personal. Jaxton's being shady as hell."

"That score was so petty. Jaxton's got some serious issues with C.C."

It couldn't be clearer — Jaxton had a personal grudge against C.C., and he wasn't hiding it anymore.

"That guy . . ." Fifi muttered, her eyes narrowing into a sharp glare at Jaxton. "This isn't funny anymore. Once or twice, fine, but three times? This guy's gone too far."

Even Cain felt the anger bubbling up, a heat rising inside him that he struggled to keep in check. His glare slipped, his frustration creeping onto his face before Fifi caught it.

"Hey, hey!" Fifi's voice was a low warning. "Don't let him get to you. You want to be turned into a meme again? Your expression's being recorded, so keep cool. No matter what, stay calm and rational. Always.

Keep a smile on your face."

Cain clenched his jaw, forcing his muscles to relax. "But this guy . . . I need those scores."

"I know," Fifi whispered back. "Leave it to me."

Despite the blatant unfairness, the show went on. But now, all eyes turned to Felice. The tension in the room thickened as she tilted her head slightly, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table as she gazed at C.C. with that same mysterious smile.

What would she do next?

Cain swallowed hard, and it seemed like the entire audience mirrored him, the palpable tension spreading through the arena like wildfire. All eyes were glued to Felice as she slowly raised her scorecard. The room fell silent, waiting.

Then, Felice smiled, her eyes sparkled as she held up her card.

"Ten."

The audience erupted in a collective gasp, followed by deafening cheers.

"OoOoOoH!"

The noise echoed across the venue, the excitement overwhelming as people jumped to their feet. Applause thundered through the room, and for a split second, it seemed like the whole place was about to collapse under the sheer energy.

Felice winked, her eyes locking onto C.C. from across the stage. It was a brief, playful gesture, but enough to send the crowd into a frenzy. The audience exploded in a mixture of cheers and surprised gasps. Instantly, rumors began to spread like wildfire.

"Did she just wink at him?!"

"Are they a thing?!"

"Felice never winks at anyone — what's going on here?"

Romantic squeals and excited chatter filled the air. Whispers of an undeniable chemistry between Felice and C.C. spread through the audience like gossip at a high school dance.

Fans leaned into the idea, many swooning at the thought of the two together. The subtleness of her gesture had the crowd spinning in their seats, their imaginations running wild.

However, not everyone was on board. The jealousy was just as palpable, and murmurs of discontent rippled through certain sections of the crowd. Jaxton, along with a few other trainees like EJ, Lexter, and several from rival groups, scowled in their seats, their envy clear as day.

They didn't need to say anything — the frown on their faces said it all.

But Cain? He was unfazed. He simply bowed his head in thanks, offering a polite nod before making his way back to his spot, his steps calm, collected.

Still, the reality of his situation weighed heavily on his mind. The gap of his scores just kept widening from the others.