Riku followed C.C. out of the hall, fuming quietly. "Ugh! Those guys are the worst! And here I thought they were good guys!"
His fingers flew furiously over his phone.
Cain raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"I'm unfollowing them," Riku muttered, his face scrunched up in frustration. "That'll teach them a lesson!"
Stay connected with m-v l|e-NovelBin
Cain let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure losing one follower will crush their souls."
Riku pointed accusingly but kept his mouth shut, unable to argue.
Cain glanced over his shoulder, his expression calm yet focused. "Save your energy, Riku. Let them think they won for now. We'll show them what really matters when it counts."
Riku's frustration faded, replaced by determination. "You're right. The show has only began! We will show them!"
Competition was essential for being an idol. It was the fuel that sharpened their focus and reinforced their belief in themselves. It wasn't just about beating others — it was about pushing past their own limits, proving they had what it took to rise above the rest.
Eventually, Cain and Riku found their way to the indoor rooftop — a quieter space, far less crowded than the rooms below.
A few trainees were scattered around, but there was enough room for Cain and Riku to practice in peace.
Without access to proper sound systems, they used their phones to play the music, a makeshift solution that didn't faze them one bit.
Riku took the lead, teaching Cain how to freestyle to help him loosen up and improve his vocal flow.
Meanwhile, Cain showed Riku the dance moves, though his method was far from traditional.
Cain relied heavily on his skill, [Sharp Mind], to mimic dance steps, but when it came to explaining the basics, he found himself a bit lost.
Teaching wasn't his strength, and Riku could see that C.C. wasn't the most patient instructor.
Yet somehow, they made it work. Riku picked up the rhythm while Cain pieced together the choreography, and despite the rough edges, they began to sync.
The sound of their phones filled the rooftop, their energy growing as they practiced.
It wasn't perfect, but they didn't need perfection right now. They needed to keep pushing forward, one step at a time.
|| SPECIAL MISSION ||
Get <30 points in the next round of the competition. [200 Idol Points]
Get <35 points in the next round of the competition. [500 Idol Points]
Get 40 points in the next round of the competition. [1000 Idol Points]
|| END ||
Cain felt a flicker of excitement when a special mission came in, but this time, the pressure was on. The difficulty had been cranked up, and he wasn't sure if his dance moves alone would be enough to push him past 30 points.
"You need to spread your legs more."
The sudden interruption pulled both him and Riku from their practice. They turned to find the source of the voice — Lina from Sapphire, her signature golden hair styled into cute pigtails. Dressed in a crop top and joggers, she looked effortlessly stylish even in her workout gear.
"Uh, excuse me?" Riku stammered, noticing that Lina's eyes were focused on him.
She smiled and walked over, taking him by surprise as she gently placed her hands on his knees, adjusting his stance. "Widen your legs a bit more, it'll give you better control for the dance steps."
Riku's face turned crimson, his words coming out in a flustered jumble. "L-like this?"
Lina nodded, her grin widening. "Exactly! Now try snapping your hips with the movement. Feels smoother, right?"
Riku mimicked her advice, his eyes lighting up. "Wow! You're right! Thanks a lot, Lina!"
Lina waved it off casually. "No problem. We're all here to help each other get better." She stretched her arms, glancing at the time. "Well, I'm done for the day. It's getting late, and I'm starving. See you guys around."
"Bye!" Riku called out, waving as she and her friend, Rhea, left the room giggling to themselves.
Rhea, the girl with dark skin and curly black hair, with a round cute face and big cat-like eyes, threw a few glances back at Cain before disappearing around the corner.
Riku was still recovering from the encounter, while Fifi whispered to Cain's ears, "Looks like that girl, Rhea, has a thing for you. She's really pretty, don't you think?"
Cain, unbothered, shrugged. "Not interested."
Fifi giggled. "But it's your chance to practice with girls, Cain! It seemed that girl, Rhea, would jump at the chance to partner with you. Her singing isn't bad either. You could learn something from her and who knows, she might cure your ailment."
"Still not interested," Cain dismissed without a second thought.
"She's really sweet," Riku murmured, his eyes still on the door where Lina had left. He was obviously still flustered by her kindness.
Cain glanced at the clock. "Come on, kid. I'm starving. Let's hit the cafeteria before it closes."
Riku blinked. "Ah. Right." Sometimes C.C. would speak like the bullies in his school for some reason.
Later that night, as the contestants rested, the editing team for RRR was busy compiling footage for the next episode. One particular scene made its way into the cut — C.C. slapping Damien across the cheek.
Just as Riku had warned, the editors had sliced and diced the footage, ramping up the drama. They cut out Damien's provocation and framed the moment to make it seem like Cain was the aggressor.
The next morning, Cain woke up to find that the clip had gone viral — turned into a meme that was spreading across social media like wildfire. Fans were divided. Some condemned him, saying he was a bully, while others defended him, calling Damien out for instigating the altercation.
But the damage was done. Cain had lost a handful of followers overnight, while his core fans fiercely defended him, claiming Damien deserved it. Unfortunately, most people didn't care about the truth. They latched onto what they saw, and what they saw was C.C., the "bad guy," slapping Damien.