Capítulo 9: A Chance with an Idol
"Hey, watch where you're going!" came an arrogant voice from a short, petite man with blue hair. Even with the mask on, his handsome features couldn't be hidden.
"Huh?" Cain growled, causing the man to flinch slightly.
"W-what? What's with the tone? Don't you know who I am?"
Cain had heard those lines countless times before. They were the typical boasts of opponents before a fight. "I don't care who you are, but your pretty face will end up like trash once I'm done with you."
The man's expression flipped, and he took a step back, pointing at Cain. "Y-you! Did you just threaten my life?"
"What if I did?"
Fifi immediately flicked Cain's forehead, making him gasp and wince in pain.
"What was that for?!" Cain growled, his sudden outburst making the blue-haired man flinch again.
"W-what? I didn't do anything yet!" Is he mental? Isn't he dangerous?
Ignoring him, Cain turned to face Fifi. She pointed at the blue-haired man and explained, "Don't just pick fights wherever you go. The number one rule for idols is to maintain a good image in public. What if a paparazzo nearby took a video of you and posted it online? You haven't even started, and you're already off to a bad start."
Cain wanted to retort, but a man in a flashy suit appeared at the salon entrance. "What's all this commotion I hear?"
The new arrival was tall and bald, with dark skin, and his voice had a surprising high pitch, quite unexpected for someone of his stature and build.
"Oh, it's you, Mikey. Come on in, your stylist is ready to attend to you," Mr. Brent said.
"Hey, Mr. Brent, who's this guy, and why is he loitering outside your salon?" Mikey asked, pointing at Cain.
Mr. Brent looked Cain up and down, his nonexistent brows knitting together. "And who might you be?"
"Cain," he replied.
Mr. Brent and Mikey exchanged a look of confusion.
"Cain?" Mikey rolled the name on his tongue, thinking if he knew someone with the name. "I don't recall any celebrity named Cain."
"I'm not a celebrity," Cain pointed out. "I'm just here to get my hair cut."
"Then perhaps you're in politics?" Mr. Brent inquired.
Cain shook his head.
"Son of a billionaire?"
"No."
"An influencer?"
"What's that?" Cain growled, annoyed by the barrage of questions.
Mr. Brent sighed while Mikey's arrogance soared. He had initially thought Cain was someone important due to his impressive build, and the fact that he so brazenly pick a fight against him. But now it seemed he was just an ordinary guy stumbling into a high-end salon, probably hoping to get his messy hair styled and experience the expensive cut.
"So he's just a nobody." Mikey laughed, jabbing a finger at Cain's chest. "Hey, nobody, you were pretty arrogant earlier. Do you even know who you're talking to?"
Cain raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to know you?"
Both Mr. Brent and Mikey were taken aback, their mouths falling wide open, while Fifi sighed heavily.
We have a very long way to go, she thought to herself.
"You don't know Mikey G?" Brent asked, placing a finger over his thick lips while one of his eyes bulged, the other scrutinizing Cain. "Which planet are you living on? Mikey G is the lead singer of the popular idol group Apex Z."
Cain was taken aback to learn that the short young man was a lead singer. "Is that so?" he muttered, unimpressed. Beyond the flashy title, there was nothing extraordinary about the guy. The gang leaders Cain had defeated in the past had far more presence and command than this so-called idol.
"Be more enthusiastic!" Mr. Brent, Mikey, and Fifi thought simultaneously.
Mikey coughed into his fist, trying to mask his embarrassment at encountering someone who didn't recognize him. "Listen here, nobody. You've been very rude to me, not knowing who you're dealing with. I can end your entire career with just one phone call, you know. Be lucky I'm letting it slide the first time."
Cain didn't like Mikey's tone one bit. No one threatened him and got away with it, but Fifi's poker face came into view, and he unknowingly covered his forehead.
"Just let it slide," she advised. "He's in the entertainment industry, and there will be a day when you'll cross paths again. It's important to forge relationships with your co-workers in the future."
Cain's brows felt like they would stick together from how hard he was frowning. Curses were at the tip of his tongue, and his fists itched to put a black eye on Mikey's handsome face.
Mikey strutted inside, not before smirking at Cain. "Good that you know your place. A nobody should act like a nobody and stay invisible at the side. Mr. Brent, if you let someone like him enter your salon . . ."
Mikey's eyes turned sharp. "Apex Z will no longer come here," he said with finality and entered the salon.
Mr. Brent gasped and immediately glared at Cain. "This is all your fault, you ignorant fool."
"Huh? I just want a damn haircut. This is a salon, right?"
Mr. Brent crossed his arms, his head rising defiantly. "We're not just a salon, you idiot. We're THE salon. The 'Éclat Élégance,' and we don't just accept any customer who needs our service. We have a reputation to uphold. So if you'll excuse me, I have an idol to please because of some arrogant thug who didn't know his place."
The door slammed in Cain's face, and security took up position at the entrance.
Cain was getting annoyed. He just wanted a damn haircut, but it seemed he had come to the wrong place after all!
He quickly flicked a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag before blowing the smoke into the horizon.
The door opened again with a loud bang, and Mr. Brent's angry face growled at him. "You! You're still here! Get out! You're ruining the façade of my store with your tasteless fashion!" He flicked his scarf and harrumph before slamming the door shut again, leaving no room for Cain to retort.
Cain was so angry he wanted to punch something, and his patience was the longest in their gang. This spoke on how annoyed he was.
Fifi only shook her head in disapproval. "Well, we can't exactly fault them. The industry has made it this way. Society only accommodates the brightest stars and discards the unknown."
She then faced Cain with hopeful eyes but an impassive face. "Well? Have you come to realize how great it is to become an idol?"
"Yeah." Cain took the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it in his palm, his face menacing. "It would feels so great to crush them."
Fifi's face was stone hard. "I should have known better than to ask."
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