Gangster to Idol

As dawn broke, Cain was already up and hustling to kickstart his day, determined to earn those Idol Points to repay Fifi.

He couldn't shake the annoyance of having to spend his hard-earned points on her instead of boosting his stats. It felt like he'd be stuck in this cycle for months if his situation didn't improve.

He realized he needed to tackle more tasks to rack up points faster. Luckily, the task list was constantly updating, providing him with fresh challenges and daily missions.

At least with this steady flow of opportunities, he wouldn't have to worry about paying off his debt to Fifi.

After having breakfast at Freshly Bake — on Mimi's tab, of course — Cain retreated to his room, ready to face the moment of truth. He and Fifi checked his social media to see if his late-night efforts had gained him any followers.

To his dismay, his InstaPic account hadn't attracted any attention. The few views it had were underwhelming, and his follower count remained at zero. Realizing he needed to up his game, Cain considered stepping beyond simple selfies.

"Maybe a unique hairstyle tutorial linked to my BuzzVid could spark some interest?" he mused.

"That could work," he muttered to himself.

Fifi was unbothered by the lack of overnight success, and shrugged. "We just set this page up last night. You can't expect followers to pour in immediately. It could take weeks or even months. Just keep posting aesthetically pleasing content and use that pretty face of yours to your advantage."

Cain grumbled under his breath, then decided to post a picture of the day. This time, he styled his hair differently, capturing a video of the process with the help of his Celestial Comb. The styling was seamless, appearing natural as if he'd done it without the comb's magical aid. Yet, his hairstyling skills stubbornly refused to improve.

Feeling a bit unsettled, Cain turned his attention to BuzzVid.

"Oh!" Fifi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally, some good news this morning. Your video has garnered over a thousand views and more than a hundred new followers overnight! See? I told you following the latest trends would get you results! Now you just have to keep it up!"

Fifi's enthusiasm was infectious, but Cain's focus was elsewhere. His eyes narrowed as he read the comments on his laptop screen, his brows knitting together.

"What's wrong?" Fifi asked.

"This guy . . . This fake profile is trying to pick a fight with me," Cain growled.

Fifi floated over to Cain's side, glancing at the comments on his video where he danced to Kalista's moves and Apex Z's music. She wasn't surprised by the mix of responses.

"What's this?" she murmured, scanning the rows of hateful and negative comments. Despite some of the positive feedback, Cain was fixated only at the negativity.

"You shouldn't let a few bad comments get to you," Fifi advised, "There will always be haters, but your skills speaks for itself. Focus on the positives and keep pushing forward."

Cain didn't commented and just continued to read the comments.

|| C O M M E N T S ||

User1: This new guy is just a knockoff. He's got zero talent and can only copy others. What a joke.

User2: Seriously, watching him try to dance so hard was cringe. He has a handsome face though. Mostly the reason why he got views.

User3: He's all about the looks, no substance. Just another pretty face who likes to copy others, like all the people in here. LMAO.

User4: The internet doesn't need another poser like this. Time to find something else to do."

User5: You're all just jealous.

User6: Don't mind them C.C! You're hot when you dance!

User7: He's got this strong, masculine vibe, but he absolutely nailed the feminine parts of the dance. Impressive!

User8: You all just defend him because he's handsome. Bet he can't even create his own moves and resorts to copying. Pathetic.

User9: Enough already! If you don't like it, why are you still here?

|| E N D ||

"Everyone sure has a lot of free time," Fifi commented. "But this is good. Whether the comments are good or bad, it's all publicity. You can never escape haters — there will always be someone out there ready to tear you down. But in return, you'll find people who will support you and defend you to the moon and back. Ah, such is the life of an idol."

Fifi delivered her emotional speech with an impassive expression, but Cain was paying her no mind. He was busy typing away on his laptop.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Cain kept his focus on the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Replying to these idiots."

"You're the Idiot!" Fifi exclaimed, alarmed. "You can't lash out like that, especially not when you're just starting out!" She paused then continued, "Well . . . even when you're at the top, it's forbidden to lash out at your fans or haters because it would only escalate things. The best response is silence.

No matter what happens!"

"Don't worry. I'm using another account," Cain said, still grinning mischievously at the screen.

"Heh, is that all you've got? Let me show you how it's done!" Cain cracked his knuckles and began to type mercilessly, relishing the verbal sparring match with his detractors.

"Wow, your negativity is so impressive — almost as impressive as your lack of brain cells. It's clear you've spent a lot of time perfecting the art of trolling. Too bad you didn't invest that time in developing a personality and skills!"

"Keep running your mouth from the safety of your screen. You're all bark and no bite. I bet the only fight you've ever won is against a typo. Come back when you've got the guts to stand on your own two feet, not just hide behind a screen."

"You might as well save your pennies for brain transplant because it's clear you've got no brains left and a wallet as thin as your excuses."

Fifi watched with a detached gaze as Cain traded barbs with his haters. "Well, he's using an alternate account, so I suppose it's fine. Actually, it's good to see he has the mental toughness for this," she mused.

The most challenging part of being an idol, after all, was enduring the relentless criticism the world hurled at you every single day.