Academic Rivals: A Collision of Hearts

chapter XXXXVII

Gianna's POV

My gaze locked onto Catacutan, who stood frozen in place. Her brain seemed to be struggling to process my words. It was clear she hadn't expected me to be the judge.

A sly smile played on my lips as I crossed my arms. "Why are you just standing there? Why don't you show us the talent you've been hiding? Right here, right now, in front of me," I said, my tone serious but concealing the playful smirk within.

"Why would I show you? Are you even a judge?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in challenge.

I didn't waste my breath arguing. Instead, I pointed to the table where I was supposed to be sitting. Her eyes followed my finger, and I saw a flicker of surprise register in them as she saw my name on the table.

"Yes, I'm one of the judges. I'm not here to audition. I'm already a member. I'm here to judge. You said you'd show off your dancing skills, remember? So why not show me? You go first, and it'll give everyone else some motivation," I said, my voice calm and steady. I then pointed to the stage. "It's free, you can start now."

I returned to my seat, my expression neutral.

I watched as Catacutan remained rooted in place, like a statue. Then, the audition room door swung open, and my fellow judge entered.

I stood up to greet them, shaking hands with our dance instructor and giving the dance club president a quick hug. "Sorry we're late," the president apologized, taking her seat.

"It's fine, we haven't even been waiting for 20 minutes," I said, my voice lacking enthusiasm. I returned to my seat.

My attention drifted back to Catacutan. Her earlier words echoed in my mind, and a mischievous idea sparked.

"Okay, so before you guys arrived, a brave student volunteered to be the first to perform. She even made a bold statement, saying we'd be speechless once we saw her dance," I said softly, my eyes fixed on Catacutan.

"Really? Then why isn't she performing?" the instructor asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

My lips curled into a smile. I stood up again, drawing everyone's attention. I scanned the room until my eyes landed on Catacutan, who was still standing by the side.

"Alright, since the judges are all here, we can begin the audition. Thanks to one brave student, the rest of you get a free pass to perform later. So, let's give a warm round of applause to our first contestant, Miss Catacutan!" I announced, clapping my hands.

The room erupted in applause, all eyes on Catacutan, whose face was a mixture of shock and disbelief. I saw a flash of emotion cross her features as she met my gaze. She shot me a sharp look before heading towards the stage.

"Is your music ready? Just let us know when you're ready, and we'll start the music," Jas, the dance club president, said with a smile.

Catacutan let out a sigh, taking a few deep breaths before giving a thumbs-up, signaling her readiness.

Her music began, the intro a bit long, requiring us to wait. But the moment the music kicked in, I was captivated by her performance. She went all out from the start.

"Wow," I heard the instructor whisper beside me, her eyes wide with amazement. "I'm impressed. She wasn't lying when she said we'd be speechless," she chuckled.

I couldn't deny her talent. The way she moved her body, the fluid movements she executed with such precision, everything was perfectly in sync.

"Wow, that's one of the best performances I've seen this year," Jas complimented, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you for the amazing performance, Miss Catacutan. You can take a seat now."