Raneisha chuckled softly, shaking her head.
She'd never met a trainee like this before. No . . . scratch that. She'd never met anyone who had the guts to sing the ABC song to her with a straight face.
It was so unexpected that she found herself laughing, a genuine laugh, one that she hadn't experienced in ages.
The smile transformed her face, making her look younger, more approachable. And in that moment, Cain thought that she was really pretty.
"Agh. Your mouth is open," Fifi remarked, floating lazily beside him.
Cain snapped his jaw shut, irritation flaring. "Mind your own business."
"You are my business," she shot back with a smirk.
"You've got . . . guts, I'll give you that," Raneisha said, finally regaining her composure. Her eyes gleamed with a trace of amusement. "In that short moment, I made a few .
. . observations about your voice."
Her tone was calm, but there was something powerful behind it — like she had already sized him up, dissected him, and come to a decision before he even realized it.
Raneisha's eyes narrowed, her amusement vanishing in an instant. She leaned back in her chair, her voice suddenly cold and direct. "Let's be real, C.C. Your voice? It's pretentious."
Cain blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her tone.
"You're straining so hard to sound nice, so hard to hit the right notes, that it's painful to listen to." She didn't bother softening her words. "You're pushing your voice beyond its natural range, and it's obvious. You're not singing — you're forcing it."
Her eyes locked onto his, unflinching. "If you keep this up, you'll damage your vocal cords. Permanently. Your throat isn't built to handle that kind of abuse."
The harshness of her words stung, but Raneisha didn't care. "You need to stop pretending you're something you're not, or you won't just lose this competition — you'll lose your voice entirely."
"Whoa, she could tell all that just from you singing the ABCs?" Fifi whispered, her awe evident as she gazed at Raneisha with a newfound respect.
Cain, however, wasn't shaken. Instead, he stood firm, eyes narrowing in thought. "So . . . what should I do? Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e'-novelhall.net
As you can see, I'm having trouble finding my voice," His voice was steady, but beneath it lay a flicker of something else — hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could really help him.
For the first time, Cain felt like he was standing before someone who could see past the surface — someone who might actually push him to be better, even if it stung.
You can leave now."
Cain stood there, still dazed, clutching the papers in his hand as he slowly walked out of the room, his groin still aching as he muttered under his breath, "Still . . . you didn't have to kick me in the groin. A slap would've worked."
Raneisha, hearing his grumbling, smirked. "It's the most painful area and will surely bring out your real voice. Effective, right?"
Cain turned back to glare at her, the irritation clear on his face, before he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Just as he was walking down the hallway, he heard her call out, "By the way, you might want to get that checked. Just give me the receipt, and I'll cover it."
FUCK OFF! Cain wanted to say but held himself in the last moment, unless he wanted to be a meme again.
Outside, Leo immediately noticed C.C.s pale, sweating face and rushed over. "Are you okay? You look like you're in pain. I get it — she's way harsher than I thought, right?"
Cain shot him a deadpan look. "Did she . . . kick you in the groin?"
Leo blinked, baffled. "Huh? What? No! What are you talking about?"
"Never mind."
"Wait, wait, what's this receipt she mentioned?" Leo asked, thoroughly confused.
"Mind your own business!" Cain growled, storming off.
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|| A/N ||
We're about to hit 100 chapters, but somehow the reviews are still shy of 10. I mean, come on—there are more stray cats everyday in my house than that! ????
So, if you're enjoying the chaos, drama, and maybe even the occasional groin kick, do me a solid and drop a review. Pleaaase? ???? I'll owe you big time (and so will my characters, who could use the moral support).
Thanks a ton! ???????? You're the real MVP!