Gangster to Idol

"Don't play dumb with me," Cain growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I know you have a leader. The one posing as Silver Serpent. Now, tell me where he is, or you'll regret it."

The thug's eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but there was no escape. He knew he was trapped.

Cain's reputation preceded him—this was no ordinary street fight. The man swallowed hard, trying to muster up enough courage to defy him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," the thug stammered, but his voice cracked, betraying the lie.

Cain grinned, a cold, cruel smile that sent shivers down the thug's spine. "Is that so? Guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

With a swift motion, Cain twisted the thug's arm behind his back, forcing him to his knees. The man screamed in pain, his bravado crumbling as fear took over.

Cain leaned in close, his voice a deadly whisper. "Now, I'll ask you one more time. Where's your leader?"

The thug gasped for breath, eyes wide with terror. He had seen Cain's strength firsthand—how effortlessly he had taken down the others.

And now, trapped in Cain's grip, he realized there was no escape. The smart thing to do was cooperate.

"H-he's . . . he's hiding at the old warehouse near the docks!" the thug finally blurted out, his voice shaking. "That's where Silver Serpent is! Please, just let me go!"

Cain released his grip, letting the thug collapse onto the ground, clutching his injured arm. "See? That wasn't so hard," Cain muttered, dusting his hands off as if the thug was nothing more than a nuisance.

"Th-thank you . . ." the thug gasped, crawling away from Cain, clearly eager to disappear into the shadows.

But Cain wasn't done yet.

"You tell your friends," Cain said, his voice low and menacing, "that if I catch any of you causing trouble in my territory again, you won't get off this easy."

The thug nodded frantically, scrambling to his feet and disappearing into the dark alley, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

Cain watched him go, his expression hard and unreadable. This wasn't over—not by a long shot.

This Silver Serpent posers was the real threat, the one hiding in the background, pulling the strings. Cain's eyes narrowed as he thought about the warehouse near the docks.

The funny thing was, that warehouse was close to his secret training spot—the one he hadn't had much time to visit lately, thanks to RRR.

It seemed almost ironic that he'd be heading back there now, but for a different reason. He'd missed that place, the isolation it offered, the way he could work out his frustrations in peace.

Now, it looked like he'd have the perfect excuse to swing by again.

But not tonight. Cain glanced at the sky, the moon barely visible behind the clouds. He didn't have time to deal with Silver Serpent's crew personally, not with the pressure mounting for RRR. No, this would have to wait.

Or better yet, maybe he wouldn't need to lift a finger.

Cain smirked at the thought. "Bones and Joker could handle this," he muttered to himself. His top enforcers—both ruthless, efficient, and always eager to clean up loose ends.

The Silver Serpent posers and his gang would never see it coming.

As soon as he got home, Cain would let them know. His crew had been itching for some real action after months of nothing but idling by over HQ. They'd been restless, growing bored without any serious threats to handle.

Bones, Joker, and the rest of the guys—they thrived on chaos. Cain knew they were practically begging for something like this, a chance to remind everyone why CROSS ruled the streets. They'd love it.

"They're probably going stir-crazy by now," Cain thought, a smile tugging at his lips.

The Serpents wouldn't know what hit them. This was the kind of action his crew craved. Yeah, this would be just what they needed to get their blood pumping again.

For now, though, Cain was too tired to deal with it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking home, the adrenaline from the fight already fading.

Tomorrow, he'd be back to training, pretending to be the up-and-coming idol C.C.

As Cain happily made his way back home, he was blissfully unaware that his entire fight with the thugs had been caught on camera.

Three gossipers, hiding in the shadows, eagerly planned to unleash the footage to the world, a storm brewing just out of his sight.

=====

The next morning, Cain woke early. Fifi was still sound asleep, so he slipped out quietly, deciding to head to RRR before anyone else.

Today, they were going to practice for next week's show, and Cain knew how critical this session would be.

When he arrived at the studio, the air was already filled with the low hum of anticipation.

Dylan and Rhea were the first ones there. Dylan, as usual, was immersed in perfecting his dance routine, his movements precise and sharp, while Rhea sat on the far side, scrolling through her phone, pretending not to notice him.

But the moment C.C. walked in, Rhea's expression shifted—her previously bored face immediately brightened, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

"Good morning," Rhea greeted with a warm smile, standing a little straighter.

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"Morning," Cain replied casually, but his eyes drifted to Dylan, who hadn't even glanced in his direction.

Dylan was the type who never wavered. Always serious, always focused. Cain admired his dedication.

The guy was the leading trainee for a reason—he was talented and relentless, yet never arrogant or boastful. He worked hard and kept to himself, a silent force within the competition.

Cain made his way to his corner, silently observing the atmosphere. Dylan was spinning effortlessly, his rhythm impeccable, while Rhea hummed a tune under her breath, clearly thinking about today's practice.

One by one, their other group members started to arrive.

First was Lina. She was part of Sapphire, a popular group under Lunar Wave Productions, with a reputation for being both ambitious and sharp in her performances.

She radiated professionalism and experience, already familiar with the cutthroat nature of the idol industry.

Han arrived next. This was the first time that Cain got to know him closely—an independent trainee like himself, but while Cain had been thrown into this world through sheer will and force, Han was all business.

If Dylan was serious, Han was stoic to the point of being unsettling. His face never changed; no smile, no frown—just a perpetual poker face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. His presence always carried an air of intensity.

Cain sighed inwardly, taking in the group dynamics. This was his team. Great.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

He could already feel the weight of it—a serious, silent perfectionist like Dylan, an overly intense and emotionless Han, and Lina, who was clearly just as focused on winning. Rhea, at least, seemed a bit more approachable, though there was an edge to her as well.

"Alright," Lina spoke up, pulling out her phone to share the next track, "let's go over the song choices for this week."

They gathered around, listening to a few potential songs. The first track was Heartbeat, a high-energy dance track with a sharp, addictive beat.

Dylan nodded in approval. The rhythm matched his precise dance style perfectly, a track where his movements would dominate.

"Yeah, this one's got a strong vibe," Dylan commented, his voice flat.

Next came, Echoes of Us," a more emotional, ballad-like song. It had depth and raw vulnerability, the kind of track that would showcase vocal talent over complex choreography.

"This one has potential," Rhea murmured. "We could really do something unique with it." Her eyes sparkled at the thought, clearly envisioning the performance in her head.

Finally, they played Black Flame, a haunting, dark melody that was more intense, something that demanded both strong vocals and intricate, dramatic choreography.

It was moody, powerful—exactly the kind of song that could either break them or make them stars.

Cain listened quietly, his eyes narrowing as the music flowed through him. Each song presented its own challenge, but Black Flame stood out to him. It had that edge, that intensity that he craved in a performance.

"I like this one," Cain said, breaking the silence as the song ended.

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Black Flame? It's one of the hardest tracks. The choreography's going to be insane."

"Exactly," Cain replied, his voice cool and confident. "We need something that's going to push us. Something that'll make us stand out. If we want to win, we have to go all out."

Rhea nodded in agreement, while Dylan gave a slight shrug. "I'm up for it. It'll be a challenge."

Han, of course, said nothing. He simply gave a curt nod, his face unreadable as always.

"Let's choose something simple, one that we could master within a week," Lina argued.

Dylan nodded again. Han nodded as well.

Cain sighed. This was going to be a long day, he thought.