From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

"Wooh!" Jangmoon cheered as he sat at the very back of the bus. "I've always wanted to sit here when I was in high school."

"Me too," Casper chuckled.

Jangmoon narrowed his eyes at him. "I bet you always sat at the back of the bus."

"I was homeschooled," Casper said, causing Jangmoon to nod in understanding.

"I've always sat in the back of the bus," June said, sitting next to them. The other four guys looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"So, you were a popular kid?" Jangmoon asked before sighing in defeat. "It must have been nice."

June frowned. Popular kids always sat at the back? He merely sat at the back because other kids didn't want to sit with him.

"Have you guys watched the other field days before?" Daeho brought up. "It had really cool prizes."

Casper chuckled as he looked at Daeho's fiery expression. "Why? Do you want to win the prizes?"

"Yes," Daeho said without any hesitation. "And to get the privilege to choose the genre first. Don't you think that's a great advantage?"

"It is," Jangmoon responded. "But I'm more excited for the prizes. Last year, they gave out those really expensive headphones."

June tuned them out and started scrolling through his phone. He silently brightened up when he saw a compilation of cute animals displayed on his front page. However, as he scrolled down, he suddenly saw a recommended topic underneath a 'black cat' post.

"Is it just me, or is June losing his cuteness?"

June's eyebrows furrowed as he clicked on the topic. As of the moment, it had over 12,000 likes and 2,000 comments. He read the original post, his frown deepening with every word.

Before anything else, I just want to post a disclaimer. I adore June with all my heart! I even vote for him every week. But let's talk about his transformation from "cutie-pie" to"smoldering hunk" in the blink of an eye!

Remember June's adorable antics during the auditions? It felt like he was all about those cute moves, and we were here for it! But lately, it's like he's been performing serious and sexy songs with dark concepts.

Of course, I support the emo in him! I also had that phase, but I do miss his Little Meow Meow era. Am I the only one who feels this way?

- I agree! From Mermaid Melodies to that sad ballad song, then to Tie Me Up. All of them were pretty serious concepts.

- But June really excels in those. I believe I'm speaking for everyone when I say his audition was iconic, but it was pretty cringe! He tried really hard to act cute, but wasn't too good at it.

- Yeah, he suits the serious concept more. It kind of makes me wonder about his versatility. June's very talented, though!

- Well, June's never been cute, to begin with. He has cute visuals, but he doesn't use them well. He's more handsome than cute! Have you all seen Choi Pablo's post?

"I'm not cute?" he muttered under his breath. Then, he quickly left Navel to text Minjun.

June: Hey, am I cute?

Since Minjun was like any other kid in today's generation, it didn't take long for him to respond.

Minjun: Cute? Oh, hell no. A piece of chewed-up broccoli is cuter than you.

June looked at the text with disbelief. Somehow, he felt offended by Minjun's statement.

Sure, he wasn't cute! He had never thought of himself as cute. But to be compared to a piece of chewed-up broccoli was preposterous!

"Hey, we're here," Jangmoon said, nudging his shoulder. "What's gotten you so busy?"

June sighed and looked Jangmoon in the eyes. He wanted to ask Jangmoon the same question he asked Minjun, but his pride didn't let him in the end.

"Nothing, let's go."

***

The sun beat down on the wild field as the idol trainees gathered for Rising Stars' Field Day.

Excited conversations filled the air, and almost all trainees were eager to start the day's festivities.

Whenever Mei Ling would force June to watch Rising Stars, this was his favorite portion to watch since he got to see the trainees make a fool of themselves. However, now that he was in the situation, June felt quite weird.

Based on his memory, Rising Stars always had weird games.

There was a well-made stage at the center of the field adorned with colorful banners and sparkly lights. As the excitement continued to buzz, two beautiful figures suddenly emerged from behind the stage.

The trainees squinted their eyes to get a better look, and their eyes widened in surprise when they saw who it was.

Mimi and Kiera, former members of GIRLS' EVOLUTION, stepped onto the stage, sending waves of excitement through the crowd. The sight of two beautiful women in cheerleader uniforms instantly lifted the moods of the trainees.

"I—I've had this dream before."

"I think my briefs are wet."

"Their skin…it's sparkling!"

June glanced at the other trainees with disgust. Who the fuck wets their pants just at the sight of two women?

Jangmoon, apparently. He was practically bouncing as he looked at the two women on stage.

However, the two women didn't even pay the other trainees any attention. Kiera and Mimi glanced at June, who didn't even bother looking at them as they walked out.

In June's mind—'Too young. They're almost the same age as Mei Ling.'

Kiera nudged Mimi's shoulder and quietly said, "Stop staring," she chuckled.

Mimi shook her head and focused on her task. With a radiant smile and an infectious energy, she grabbed the microphone. "Hello, everyone!" Mimi exclaimed, her voice echoing through the speakers. "Are you all ready for a day of fun and competition?"

The trainees erupted in cheers, sounding like a troop of military men.

"We've got some fantastic games lined up for you today," Kiera announced, her eyes twinkling under the sun. "And remember, there are some major points at stake!"

Mimi nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the crowd of trainees. "That's right! In each of the three games we've prepared, the winner will receive a whopping 10 points, second place gets 8 points, third place 6 points, fourth place 4 points, and, well, the last place gets a not-so-happy 2 points. The points will be tallied in the end, and the team who has the most points gets to win some exciting prizes and the privilege to pick their song genre for the next mission!

Kiera leaned in closer to the microphone, her melodious voice serving as music to the trainees' ears. "Now, trainees, let's get this party started! Our first game is..."

Mimi and Kiera looked at each other before simultaneously introducing the first game. "Protect the Princess!"

Mimi took the microphone once again, her eyes showing excitement. "Here's how it's going to be played, folks. Each team will have two representatives: a knight and a princess. The princess will wear a special princess crown, one that they have to protect at all costs, along with their knight. The princess will get on top of the knight in a piggyback ride, and together, they will attack other teams and take their crowns. The last team standing becomes the winner!"

"Let's choose our representatives for the first round! Choose your fearless princess and valiant knights!" Kiera exclaimed.

The teams instantly started strategizing.

"I'll be the knight," Zeth said, flexing his muscles.

"Dang!" Jaxon exclaimed. "We got this one in the bag, man. Your muscles make me want to be put in a chokehold."

"Jisung!" the other team shouted. "Be the princess. You're the most flexible one here."

Jisung, quite shy to counter his teammates' requests, eventually nodded.

On the other hand, June's team had a hard time looking for a knight since three of their members had athletic builds.

"Jangmoon, you go," Daeho said. "You have the biggest body here."

"But I'm not that strong," Jangmoon scratched the back of his head. "June's probably stronger than me."

"I'll do it then," Casper said. "I've been working out these days."

"Go ahead," Daeho responded. "I'm sure you'll do well. For the princess…we definitely need someone light."

June was still caught up in his conversation with Minjun a while, so he missed most of the team's conversation. However, when he felt their gazes right at his face, he snapped out of his thoughts.

Then, June's eyes widened in horror when he realized what his team was insinuating.

"Oh, hell no!"