Gangster to Idol

The first light of dawn didn't wake everyone, but the voice blasting through the speakers sure did.

"Good morning, trainees! Time to wake up!"

Cain jolted upright, bleary-eyed, and glanced at the glowing clock on the wall.

[5:00 AM]

"You're kidding me," Cain groaned, his head pounding like someone was playing drums inside his skull.

"Ah, shit. Drank way too much last night."

"C.C., you're awake! Time for the daily jog!" Riku, already fully dressed in workout gear, was stretching with the energy of someone who hadn't downed a single drink.

"Jog? At five in the morning?" Cain muttered, still half-buried under his blankets.

Riku grinned. "Yep! Every day, we get trained in physical exercises and other activities. Didn't you check the schedule?"

Cain let out a deep groan, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Dude, you can't skip!" Riku warned. "Miss training and lessons, and you'll get hit with point deductions."

That caught Cain's attention. He sat up, rubbing his temples as the headache intensified. He could usually handle his liquor, but last night was rough.

"You sure you didn't drink too much? I told you not to overdo it," Riku said, shaking his head.

Cain squinted at him, barely able to focus. "You didn't tell me anything," he grumbled.

Riku let out a snort. "I did. You were too busy being best friends with the booze to listen. Here," he dug through his bag, tossing Cain a packet. "Take this. Medicine for your headache.

It'll help."

Cain caught it, surprised by the gesture. "Thanks," he mumbled. Why didn't he think to bring his own meds?

"Because you're an idiot," Fifi chimed in, floating lazily beside his bed.

Cain ignored her, downing the medicine before dragging himself to the bathroom. Leo was still passed out like a log, while Damien's bed was already empty.

"Damien left ages ago," Riku said. "Think we should wake Leo up?"

Cain yawned, stretching his arms before shrugging. "Yeah, wake him. Last thing we need is our roommate losing points for being late."

Riku nodded and leaned over Leo, shaking him gently. "Hey, Leo. Wake up, man."

Nothing. Leo didn't even stir.

"Uh . . . C.C.?" Riku turned, eyes wide with panic. "I can't wake him up. Do you think he's—"

Cain sighed, grumbling under his breath as he marched over. Without a word, he kicked the frame of Leo's bed with enough force to jolt it.

"C.C.! Be gentle!" Riku yelped, glancing nervously at the cameras.

But it worked. Leo stirred, eyes fluttering open, groaning as he rubbed his face. "W-What? Did we get hit by an earthquake or something?"

"Get up," Cain said bluntly. "Cameras are watching, and your fans are gonna love knowing their idol sleeps like a rock and looks like shit."

Leo's eyes snapped wide open at the mention of cameras, any lingering alcohol effects vanishing instantly. He shot a glance at the cameras before bolting to the bathroom, emerging a minute later looking fresh and crisp, like nothing had happened.

Riku, watching in awe, muttered, "I wish I could clean up that fast."

Cain rolled his eyes, pulling on his jacket and jogging pants. "Let's go."

The trainees gathered outside, the crisp morning air biting at their faces. The entire production field was their training ground, cameras lurking everywhere, capturing their every move.

Cain's lips curled into a frown. A jog at the crack of dawn? With cameras in every corner?

This wasn't going to be fun.

"Alright, trainees! Ten laps around the field, then you can hit the showers and grab breakfast. Be in Hall A by ten!" Ralph, their host for the day, barked out the orders, his voice ringing across the field.

"T-Ten laps?" Riku's face went pale. "That's insane! This field's gotta be a few hundred meters around. That's like . . .

a whole kilometer!"

The other trainees groaned in unison, sharing Riku's disbelief. Leo was struggling to keep his cool, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. Cain, on the other hand, barely reacted. This was nothing. Running a few kilometers was part of his daily routine back in Zone A. Ten laps around the field wouldn't even break a sweat.

"Isn't rapping supposed to require, like, extreme lung power or something?" Cain asked, raising an eyebrow at Riku, who was panting before they'd even started.

Riku wiped his brow, trying to catch his breath just from the thought of running. "Yeah, it does, but it's not the same as this! Rapping's all about controlling your breath, you know? You gotta be able to spit verses without running out of air, but that's different from running laps around a field like this."

Cain shook his head, smirking. "So you've got the breath control down for rapping, but when it comes to physical stuff, you're out of steam?"

Riku nodded, still looking a bit embarrassed. "I'm not built for this kind of thing. My stamina's decent when I'm performing, but running . . . man, that's another story."

Cain chuckled, stretching his arms above his head. "You've got to work on both, man. Rap might be all about breath control, but if your body can't keep up with the physical demands, you're gonna struggle."

Riku sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. It's just . . . running?

Ugh."

Cain smirked, giving him a nudge. "Come on, let's just get it over with. You'll survive."

"I know already!" Riku dragged his feet and went after C.C.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!" Leo yelled, sprinting to catch up with C.C and Riku.

Cain pointed ahead at a few trainees tearing down the track, running at full speed. "What's up with those guys?"

Riku glanced over, eyebrows raised. "Looks like they're racing each other."

Cain snorted. "Idiots. They'll burn out before they finish the laps."

"The important thing is we cross the finish line," Cain added, maintaining his steady pace.

Leo, already struggling to keep up, shot him a worried look. "Yeah, but at this rate, we're gonna miss breakfast."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Cain asked, confused.

Riku slapped his cheeks, his eyes widening in sudden realization. "Oh crap! Breakfast ends at eight, and it's already six! If we keep this slow pace, we'll be stuck starving!"

Cain didn't wait for Riku to finish. The second "breakfast" left Riku's lips, Cain bolted forward, his legs pumping as he shot ahead, leaving Riku and Leo in his dust.

"C.C.! Wait for us!" Riku cried out, but C.C was already too far gone, focused entirely on one thing: food.

The morning became a race against time, the trainees sprinting as if their lives depended on it. The field echoed with the sounds of panting, feet pounding the ground, and the occasional desperate shout.

Cain led the pack, driven by hunger, while the rest of the trainees pushed themselves to the limit, unwilling to be left without breakfast.

By the time they reached the finish line, exhaustion was evident, but the thought of missing a meal had spurred everyone on like nothing else could.