Gangster to Idol

As the trainees waited in the hallway, the tension could be felt by everyone.

They were on edge, fidgeting and pacing nervously. Meeting the Queen herself, Raneisha, one-on-one was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Most people would kill for this chance, and they knew how lucky they were — but the pressure was enormous.

"I swear, I've used up all my lifetime's worth of luck just for this moment!" Leo exclaimed to C.C., his eyes wide with excitement. "You know one of the reasons I wanted to become an idol was so I could meet her?"

"You're over venerating her," Cain replied with a deadpan expression, unfazed by Leo's enthusiasm.

Leo's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You don't have a crush on her, C.C.? Everyone I know likes her! Even women are in love with her!"

Cain crossed his arms, his face stony. "The only thing I care about right now is making it to the next round."

Leo's face fell as reality slapped him in the face. "Why'd you have to remind me? Here I am, floating on cloud nine because of Raneisha, and you're ruining the vibe."

"Next week, we'll be judged on our voices alone. No tricks, no performance gimmicks — just our voices. That's what'll decide if we make the cut," Cain said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Leo squirmed, putting his hands over his ears. "Argh, stop it! I don't want to hear it!"

"It's important we step up this week, or we're getting eliminated. If we can't win the judges over with our voices, it's game over."

"I can't hear you! I can't!" Leo shook his head, trying to drown out Cain's voice.

As the minutes ticked by, trainees emerged from their one-on-one sessions with Raneisha looking completely drained — dejected and exhausted, like they had been through an intense battle. Each one that walked out only added to Leo's anxiety.

"I-Is Raneisha that harsh?" Leo gulped, his nerves creeping up on him. "Look at them . . . they're like zombies! What happened in there?"

But when Leo's name was finally called, all his worries vanished and jumped outside of the window. His face lit up, and he practically skipped into the room, twirling and grinning like a fanboy.

"What an idiot," Fifi muttered, watching Leo disappear into the room.

"Should a goddess really say something like that?" Cain asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fifi chuckled, her tiny form floating beside him. "I'm just calling it like I see it."

Fifteen minutes later, Leo stumbled out of the room, looking like he had aged five years. His face was pale, his eyes hollow, and his lips cracked as he forced a weak smile. All the joy and excitement from earlier had been sucked out of him.

"I wonder what happened in there . . . Don't you find it curious?" Fifi asked, her tone a little too playful for the situation.

"We're about to find out," Cain muttered as his name was called. He squared his shoulders and stepped forward.

Just before he entered, Leo grabbed his shoulder, his grip weak but desperate. "G-good luck," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

Cain gave him a puzzled look but didn't say anything. He simply nodded and pushed the door open, stepping inside the room to face Raneisha.

The atmosphere in the room shifted the moment he crossed the threshold.

Raneisha was sitting calmly, her presence commanding despite the simplicity of her appearance. The way she sat, the way she looked at him with those piercing amethyst eyes, made Cain feel like he had just stepped into the court of a queen.

The weight of her gaze was heavy, yet not intimidating. There was something behind it — something assessing, as if she could see right through him.

The silence stretched for a moment before she spoke, her voice low but powerful.

"Charles Corn, right?" she asked, flipping through a folder with his name on it. "And you want to be called C.C."

For the first time in a while, Cain felt a flicker of nerves. Not fear — but the kind of excitement that came before stepping into a challenge.

Cain didn't know what to expect, but he was hopeful — hopeful that Raneisha, the Queen herself, would be the one to help him find his voice.

"You can start now," Raneisha said, her voice steady.

Cain frowned, his gaze darting left and right. "Start with what?"

Raneisha closed the file in her hand and locked eyes with him, her gaze intense. "Singing."

"What do you want me to sing?" he asked, feeling lost. Experience more tales on m v|l e'-NovelBin.net

"Anything."

Cain hesitated. Shouldn't there be some background music or something to set the tone and rhythm starting?

"You can freestyle, sing a song — anything that comes to mind. I don't care," Raneisha said, her voice edged with impatience.

Cain pressed his lips together. His mind was a total blank. His [Sharp Mind] ability was bombarding him with song ideas, but nothing felt right. He couldn't string the lyrics together; it was as if every tune slipped away the moment he thought of it.

"What's wrong? Start," Raneisha ordered, her tone now cold and sharp.

Cain took a deep breath, pushing past his nerves, and sang the first thing that popped into his head. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G . . ."

Raneisha paused, her eyes widening in surprise as she stared at him. Was he . . . singing the alphabet?

Fifi groaned, smacking her tiny hand against her forehead. "You're an idiot."

Cain finished the song, standing there waiting for a reaction. Raneisha hadn't moved. She hadn't spoken. The seconds dragged on as she continued to stare at him with her mouth slightly open.

"So, how did I do?" Cain asked, genuinely curious.

Raneisha cleared her throat, maintaining her cool exterior, but there was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Cain noticed it — a small crack in her icy demeanor, a glimpse of warmth he hadn't expected. She was trying hard not to laugh, and it caught him completely off guard.

For a moment, Cain had thought she was untouchable, ice-cold, and indifferent. But now, seeing that smile — those dimples — it was like the entire room brightened.