From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

June told the girls they shouldn't be too scared, but with his firm yet handsome expression, they couldn't help but feel anxious about his words.

They felt like they didn't do such a bad job—especially since they didn't make any technical mistakes. It was definitely pitchy in some parts, and maybe they were also a bit unsynchronized during the tough dancing moments, but aside from that, everything else was fine.

However, from a mentor's perspective, June knew exactly what was going on.

"I don't think you guys are aware of the problem," June continued while the trainees remained silent.

Then, he let out a small sigh, sounding disappointed.

Back when he was participating in Rising Stars, initial evaluations were always harsh. June thought that the mentors were being too tough on them, especially since they'd only started practicing for a day or two, but now he felt like he understood.

However, he still believed that Gun had an irrational anger toward him at the start of the show.

The girls were going in the wrong direction—and they weren't aware of it.

In fact, if they had made some technical mistakes or maybe even forgotten a line, then June wouldn't pay much attention.

However, their problem ran deeper than he thought.

If he doesn't speak up now, then their performance will only get worse as time passes by.

At first, when he got the mission saying that he should help Mei win the round, he decided to skip it and take the loss. However, Fu took the extra mile to make all of his skills degrade if she didn't win.

Fortunately, Fu still had his flaw, and he didn't clearly specify how Mei needed to win.

Fu didn't say that her subteam had to win. She just had to win in one way or another.

So, in the end, June settled with leading her entire team to victory. He felt like they had a big chance of winning against the other teams, but after seeing their performance, he couldn't help but feel worried.

"You're acting like two teams right now," June finally revealed, making the girls confused.

Ara hesitantly raised her hand and said in a respectful tone, "But we are divided into two teams, mentor."

"Technically, you're a single team with two subteams. However, that doesn't negate the fact that you guys are still a team."

"You're performing one song on one stage. Don't you think the audience deserves a cohesive performance?" he asked.

The girls, who were initially confused as to why June was criticizing them, were finally getting his point.

"The girls on this side lack in skill," he objectively said. "While I feel that you guys are trying to overpower them with your skills without really thinking about the song's message," he said to Mina's subteam.

"You've created an obvious barrier between the two, and it feels like I'm watching two different performances on just one stage. You know what that means, right?" he asked, turning to Mina.

Mina pursed her lips before responding.

"We look messy," she muttered.

"Exactly," June said. "You're going in the wrong direction. Maybe you're confused since the mission has deliberately set up a competition within the team. However, at the end of the day, you guys are still a team."

"You can win greater benefits if you show a good performance as a team—not just with your subteams."

The girls started nodding in agreement. Meanwhile, Mei stared at June and pursed her lips.

She reminded her of someone she knew but didn't at the same time.

His words felt familiar, or maybe she had gotten used to his mini-speeches when she watched the show.

Nonetheless, Mei saw June's passion for his job at that moment.

She realized that June was not a mere weirdo and actually knew what he was talking about.

"So," June continued, a small smile now gracing his lips to lighten up the atmosphere a bit. "I suggest you start practicing as a team first before focusing on your subteams. Not the other way around."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "We'll take note of that, mentor."

June smiled. "Good," he said.

"Now, let's go in your technicals. I can teach you how to sing with more stability while you're dancing."

***

"Wow!" the crew exclaimed as they watched something on their phone.

June, who just finished removing his makeup, curiously went over to where they were and peered over their shoulders.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

Hana, Taehyun, and Roni, the actor who replaced Lin Zhi in his role, all turned to June as soon as he spoke.

"There you are," Hana said. "We're watching some of your reels."

June looked at them with confusion.

"My reels? What for?" he asked.

"People are saying that they miss EVE's performances. We did, too, so we decided to watch some of your fan cams," Taehyun said.

June sighed as he sat next to them.

"You guys are weird."

Taehyun didn't mind June's comment and showed him the screen.

"Look. You have more than three million views on your individual fancam," he said. "Your other members only have around half a million to a million views each."

June frowned as he looked at the view count of his video and confirmed Taehyun's statement.

"Well, EVE is, no doubt, the most popular idol group right now. Even my little cousins are asking for your autograph," Roni said.

Taehyun nodded in agreement. "Indeed. My mom called me after a long time, and all she said was that I should befriend June."

Hana shook her head. "My mom scolded me for letting June go when we were younger. She told me that I should have dated you," she said with red cheeks.

Taehyun and Roni looked at each other with knowing looks before simultaneously nudging Hana's shoulder, squeezing the pretty actress between them.

"Stop that," Hana muttered.

"What do you say about that, June?" Roni asked.

However, June was busy staring at the thumbnail on Taehyun's phone. He scrolled through some clips and found that his fancams had the most views out of all the members—not just with one video but with ALL other videos.

He tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Why was there such a big discrepancy between their views?

"June," Taehyun said, making him snap out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" June asked, finally paying attention.

"What do you say about dating Hana?" he bluntly asked.

Hana's cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Yah! Don't say that," she said while glaring at Taehyun. "You don't need to answer it," she said as she turned to June; however, deep inside her heart, she was secretly hoping for June to answer.

"Why do I need to refrain from answering it?" June suddenly asked, surprising the three of them.

Hana's heart raced inside her chest.

"It's not a big deal, right?" he quickly added.

"It's not like we'd date. You're like a sister—wait, you're older than me by a few years."

"You're like an aunt to me."