Chapter 34
After the video finished playing, many trainees who had been wondering whether to just pick Alicia’s team or not, didn’t hesitate anymore. They weren’t sure if Alicia was good at dancing, but her singing was definitely solid.
Chase turned to Alicia and Darren, asking, “It’s your turn to counter-pick.”
Darren looked at Alicia as if she were calling all the shots. Alicia, knowing Darren’s personality, looked foward Sean and said, “Welcome to join us.”
Sean smiled, “It’s an honor.” He walked behind Alicia and Darren and took his seat.
After that, the remaining eight trainees in the top ten continued picking teams. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth- ranked trainees joined Nicolas’s team. The seventh and ninth picked Alicia’s team. The tenth chose Simon’s team.
With the top ten trainees done selecting, Felicity’s eyes were filled with disbelief. Even Nicole, still smiling, was barely able to keep her expression in check.
Felicity and Nicole both thought, ‘Not a single one of the top ten picked our team? Have these trainees lost their minds? It would be one thing if they all went to Nicolas’s team and we could accept that.
‘But three of them picked Alicia’s team? That just doesn’t make sense. Could it really be only because they played that one song Alicia sang? That’s absolutely not enough of a reason.
It wasn’t just Felicity and Nicole who couldn’t believe it. Viewers watching the livestream were also stunned and flooded the comments.
[Not a single one of the top ten picked Felicity’s team. This is so awkward.]
[Felicity looked so confident earlier, like at least a third of the top ten would pick her team. Who knew it would turn out like this?]
[Felicity’s fans were just mocking that no one would pick Alicia. Alicia must have felt so embarrassed, and now look at this.]
[Oh my god. Talk about instant karma.]
[I’m also confused. Why didn’t any of the top ten pick Felicity and Nicole’s team?]
[Yeah. Even if Felicity seems a bit off-putting, her skills are still solid.]
[Nicole had debuted as a singer too, and last year she had a hit song.]
[Alicia’s performance was really good, but it shouldn’t be enough to make everyone pass on Felicity’s team]
It probably isn’t. After all, some people still picked Simon’s team.]
[Felicity looks pissed.]
[Of course, she would look furious in such an awkward situation |
Marley hadn’t expected this outcome either. He leaned toward Ross: The Idol Journey and whispered, “What’s going on?”
Ross knew exactly what he was asking and replied, “Before you arrived, the trainees were watching your show’s livestream
Marley understood immediately and chuckled wryly. Looks like Fiona brought this on herself. Poor Nicole, She just got dragged into this mess.”
Ross nodded in agreement. “Exactly.”
Next, the trainees ranked eleven to twenty made their picks. Each team would have eight trainees plus two guests, so Nicolas’s team filled up first
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Alicia’s team filled up right after. The remaining trainees went to Simon’s team. Still, not a single trainee picked Felicity’s team.
Simon and Hannah exchanged glances, both a little stunned, thinking. What’s going on?’
Alicia, however, stared at Felicity and spoke up. “You call yourself a professional mentor? Ms. Sterling, I’m genuinely curious which academy you graduated from, or whether you actually hold a professional teaching title. Has any show ever actually invited you to be a mentor before?”
Felicity hadn’t expected Alicia to openly mock her. Felicity’s expression darkened with anger as she looked at Alicia. “And what about you? What kind of mentor do you think you are?”
Alicia spread her hands. “I’m just a former girl group member who quit. I never claimed to be a professional mentor. I’m here as a guest performer, not a mentor. So I’m asking you, who appointed you as a professional mentor?”
Alicia added, feigning surprise, “It wasn’t self-proclaimed, was it?”
Her words made a few people nearby quietly snicker. The trainees all thought, ‘Exactly. None of our show’s mentors ever said anything that harsh, and none of them ever claimed to be that professional. Who does Felicity think she is?”
Felicity was momentarily speechless, her face flushing with anger as she trembled and pointed at Alicia. “What did you just say?”
But she couldn’t think of anything to fire back with. After all, she had left school before finishing middle school to train as a trainee in Hocem and had never even gone to college
Felicity had only received systematic training in singing and dancing and had never studied under a famous professional instructor. She thought, ‘Alicia is mocking me for my lack of formal education and professionalism. This is outrageous.’
Alicia, however, showed no mercy. She questioned, “Ms. Sterling, do you think your singing and dancing in that video was professional?”
Felicity responded confidently, “I believe it was professional.”
Alicia shook her head with a smile. “Sorry, but I disagree. Your transitions between high and low notes weren’t executed properly. Once at thirty-nine seconds, again at one hundred thirty seconds.
“There are also two dance moves that were off. The first at forty-five seconds, the second at sixty-eight seconds. If you don’t believe me, ask the production team to replay the video and check for yourself.”
Her words left everyone present and the audience momentarily stunned.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast (Alicia Delaney)