From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

June thought hard about it.

During Rising Stars, he sang a lot of RnB-inspired songs. His voice had always leaned toward a more RnB and acoustic sound. However, after a while, he had grown to sing pop and ballads better.

For this particular stage, he somewhat wanted to use his voice as an advantage. It was pretty agile; however, its agility wasn't really shown much in their songs and title tracks because they were quite pop-heavy.

Plus, what Akira told him definitely urged him to choose a song that he usually didn't sing.

He believed it would add to the surprise factor of his performance, too.

As the spotlight illuminated Tongman's vibrant figure, the audience fell into a hush.

Then, the opening chords of 'Sugar Kiss' resonated through the auditorium, sending wavelengths of shock across the audience. The soulful yet sweet instruments left the audience confused—Tongman was actually going to sing this song?

"What the heck? RnB? Isn't this a very recent song, too?"

"Yeah, and it's very trendy in clubs and all that. A veteran singer is actually going to sing such a risque song on this program?"

Guitarman leaned his elbows against his knees, waiting for Tongman to utter the first words of the song. He had been trying to figure out his identity from the beginning, and although a lot of people had made their assumptions, Guitarman believed that none of them were right.

"Her lips like honey, so sweet and divine,

A taste that lingers, like aged red wine.

With just one touch, I'm lost in a trance,

A prisoner of her intoxicating romance."

As June finally began to sing, a loud gasp was heard from the audience, surprising many of them for the sudden shift in his voice.

From the very first syllable, it was clear that this was not the same performance as before. There was a newfound sexiness to his voice, a richness that bloomed with each passing moment. His tone, though unmistakably still his own, was able to take on the genre of RnB without any trouble.

"Are we still listening to the same person?" Ji-Hyun asked Mimi, who was equally as confused right by her side.

Mimi frowned as she closed her eyes and listened to his voice.

"Her kiss, a drug, I can't resist,

A bittersweet addiction that I can't dismiss.

Lost in the moment, I surrender all control,

Caught in her sugar-coated soul."

June smiled, enjoying how his voice sounded through the expensive microphone. He played with the melody, adding subtle runs and flourishes that spoke well of his vocal skills. His phrasing was also impeccable, every word dripping with intensity.

Sunshine Lady, despite being his competitor, couldn't help but feel amazed by how Tongman tackled the unexpected genre. It also made her realize that her guess about his identity was way off.

Most people, especially the panel, felt the same way. With how Tongman was singing, he sounded like a genuine Korean RnB artist. Were they mistaken about him being a veteran, a trot singer, or a balladeer?

Then came the chorus. Tongman's voice soared effortlessly, his head and chest voice transitioning seamlessly to falsettos, one line after the other.

"Sugar kiss, oh how you tempt me,

With your saccharine lips, so dangerously sweet.

Every time she leans in, I feel the rush,

A wave of euphoria, a feverish crush.

Her kiss, a curse, yet I can't break free,

Enslaved by desire, lost in ecstasy.

Blinded by passion, I stumble into the abyss,

Haunted by her sugar kiss."

In this round, the challengers were only given a chance to sing up until the chorus. So, the performance ended abruptly after the first chorus, the final notes fading as the stage lights were once again illuminated.

Yet, at that moment, it seemed like the people were still waiting for Tongman to continue singing—one, because the sound of his voice was as addicting as the sugar kiss he was singing about, and two, because they wanted to find out his real identity.

Jia heard confused questions around her, all wondering who this talented man was.

It made her realize that not a lot of people had the privilege of getting to know June, which made her proud that she was able to discover him even before his rise to stardom.

And now, more people were getting to know him. However, they still had to endure the suffering of oblivion before they got to know who he truly was.

Honestly, Jia also found it hard to believe that the person who sang just now was June. She was aware of his impeccable vocal talent. Yet, it seemed like he improved every time he performed on stage.

If an average fan heard this particular stage, they, too, would be stumped on his identity. They would probably find his voice familiar, but it wouldn't be enough for them to conclude that it was, indeed, June.

Jia was just another breed. She felt like she knew everything about June—without crossing the boundaries, of course.

As their applause faded into the silence, the judges began discussing among themselves, setting chaos within the panel. They were all visibly stunned, their expressions showing awe As their applause faded into the silence, the judges began discussing among themselves, setting chaos within the panel. and confusion.

Just who was this masked marvel, and where had he been hiding all this time?

"Calm down, judges!" Kim Sanexclaimed as they started discussing Tongman's identity.

"We'll go with your comments a while later. For now, let me interview these two contestants again."

"Tongman!" Sansaid, walking over to where June was. "That was an unexpected song choice."

"Yeah," Tongman nonchalantly said, earning some chuckles from the audience.

"Ah, you're really much more charming than I initially thought," Sansmiled. "How could you sing an RnB song right after a rock song?"

"Well, the rock song wasn't my choice; it was just given to me by my manager. I believe the production crew was the one who assigned the song," he honestly said.

"Goodness," Kim Sanlaughed out loud, tears welling up in his eyes. "You're an honest lad, aren't you? You even exposed our production crews' secrets!"

The audience and panel, too, laughed since this was the first time they heard a contestant being so blunt and straightforward.

"I know that a lot of people are curious about your identity. Tell me, are any of our guesses correct?"

"What were the guesses again?" Tongman asked, honestly not paying much attention to their comments regarding his identity.

"Well, there was a trot singer, a balladeer, a rock artist, an actor, and now, I believe you might be an RnB artist."

June pursed his lips before shaking his head.

"None of those?" Sanasked. "Is there anything remotely close?"

It suddenly hit June that he had acted before. However, he hasn't really considered himself an actor yet.

"Uh, yeah, I guess? Some of them fit."

"I see. You must be a multi-talented artist then," Kim Sansaid.

"Speaking of multi-talents," he started off. "This segment has been pretty helpful to the panel and to the audience in guessing the challengers' identities. Why don't we conduct a talent portion for Tongman?" Sanasked the audience.

The audience cheered enthusiastically, even raising their fists in the air as an enthusiastic agreement.

"Well, the people have spoken," Sansaid, turning to June, who was currently in a dilemma since he didn't know he had to perform again!

"Umm, do I just have to sing again?" June asked.

"Oh no!" Kim Sansaid. "That's one thing you cannot do in Disguise Surprise Singer's talent show! For this segment, you are only allowed to show a talent that isn't related to singing. For example, Guitarman over there prepared a short guitar performance during his first week."

June pursed his lips and thought of a talent he could do at the moment.

"So, Tongman, what are you going to show us today?"

"I guess, a dance?"