From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

June warily walked through the living room. Chul was seated on the couch, holding a bag of peas on his bruising temple, and he subtly glared at June whenever he passed by.

It was already 5:30 AM, and the boys were almost ready. Some of them were already in the car, while June just had to place his shoes on.

He had already prepared his socks the night before, but when he reached inside his shoes, he frowned when he noticed that one of his socks was missing.

June frowned and checked once more. However, his sock was really missing. Jisung stood beside him and had the same dilemma.

"Bro, do you know where my sock went?" he asked.

"I also lost mine," June said.

"Weird, I'm missing a sock too," Zeth said, already putting on his shoes. "But I don't think it's weird since I lose my socks all the time."

"True," Jisung said, putting on a new pair. "Socks disappear for some reason."

June sighed and went back to his room to get a new pair. They were yet to receive their first paycheck, so June was poor with socks. Most of them were in his dirty laundry, too. So, he decided to wear different pairs instead.

***

The sun cast its golden rays upon the coastal paradise with the clear, blue water that shined like a radiant Apatite along the shoreline. The sand, almost as white as snow, glowed like silver, rivaling the brilliance of the sun itself.

The smell of salt hung in the air while the sounds of the waves served as serene background music. The air was thick with humidity, wrapping around rookie idols like a warm, loving embrace.

"Wooh! We're on the beach," Akira rejoiced, jumping around and kicking the sand with his feet. Jisung quickly followed him, and the two of them chased each other around on the warm sand.

Jaeyong sighed and shook his head. "Sometimes, I feel like those two absorbed Jangmoon's and C-Jay's personality."

Casper looked at them with horror. "Oh, please, no."

June shook his head and looked around the beach. It had been a while since he went to the beach. Actually, it felt like he had never gone to one before.

So, this was his first time.

And he actually didn't like it.

You know how June doesn't like the cold? Aside from being cold, June, too, doesn't like the feeling of wet heat and pesky sand.

He was already sweating despite not doing anything, so he went under the shade while his members played around.

Chul gestured for them to follow him to a tent, and June sighed in relief when he saw an air conditioner inside. He sat on his seat while Chul briefed them on what they were going to do.

"Alright," Chul started off. "Oasis had been approved by the higher-ups to become the title track..surprisingly," he muttered the last word under his breath. "So, they have decided to employ a beach theme for the album that symbolizes your beginning."

"There would be solo shoots and group shoots. These photos will be posted by the first week of November after your music video shoot. You've received the timetable, right?" Chul asked.

Jaeyong nodded. "We've already gone through it. The comeback will be on the third week of November."

"Yes," Chul said. "BOYMYSTIC and two other decent boy groups are going to be coming back in the same month, so make sure to do your best. Rising Stars already gave you good leverage, so you just have to live up to their expectations."

"Got it," Zeth enthusiastically said. "We'll definitely blow them away."

"Good," Chul nodded. "Now, go ahead and get changed into your outfits. I'll be seeing you outside so you can meet with the crew and the photographer."

With that, Chul left the tent. The eight members excitedly went to their clothes rack, where their respective outfits were hung.

"I really like this concept now," Zeth said. "And my outfit's really cool, too."

Their outfits were all variations of white. Zeth had a loose white tank top with light-wash denim jeans and an embroidered scarf. Meanwhile, Casper had a loose white shirt, linen shorts, and a beret.

Just looking at their outfits was already refreshing. However, when June got to his, he immediately frowned. It was a long-sleeve white button-up with a navy tie and navy shorts that had the same material as work trousers.

It wasn't a bad outfit. However, compared to the others, it was a little bit out of place. June would look like an intern if he wore this outfit.

The others excitedly put on their clothes. Meanwhile, he already felt suffocated when he tightened the tie around his neck, so he loosened it a bit.

'Still handsome,' he thought.

The members stood in front of the large mirror, observing themselves. At least June didn't look too far out of place since his outfit was still white.

"Let's go," Jaeyong said, gesturing for them to go outside.

The members followed after him like little chicks, and the crew members all turned toward their way as the eight of them walked.

"Dazzling," Rei, a newly hired employee in the Creative team, whispered as she looked at all of them. "Too dazzling."

Chul pursed his lips when he saw them. "How is he still so handsome?" he whispered

The other crew members couldn't help swooning, too. Azure had definitely hit the jackpot with these boys. They already looked straight out of the magazine, even without getting their hair and make-up done.

"Boys," Chul called them over. They walked to where Chul was standing. "Before you go to hair and make-up, let me introduce you to the crew members. These are the boys," he said, gesturing to the eight handsome men.

The members bowed while the crew members continued to gush at them.

"Where's the photographer?" Chul asked.

Rei looked around. "He was just here seconds ago."

June looked at the crew members and didn't find anyone familiar. That was until he caught a glimpse of a black aura standing in the very back.

Wait…that girl actually looked familiar.

"Esther?" he muttered.

However, before June could even confirm his thoughts, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a big, heavy dog.

"My muse!"

June's eyes widened when he saw the big dog gazing at him with bright eyes and a wide smile.

"Pablo?"