From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

June thought about it all night long. He had his earphones in, and one song played over and over again. 

He listened to it in his sleep, and he was now listening to it as he woke up. 

June entered the practice room, and he was surprised to see a much brighter atmosphere than before.

Jisung and Leo were polishing their dance routine while the two other vocalists practiced among themselves. 

Zeth, on the other hand, appeared to be in a better mood. However, there was a frown on his face as he listened to the instrumental version of the song. 

Zeth lifted his head, his eyes brightening when he saw June enter through the door. 

“Little brother!” Zeth exclaimed, standing up from the floor and running toward June. 

June raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

‘Little brother?’

When the hell did Zeth decide to call June that? In his past life, June could be his uncle!

Jangmoon already called him ‘big brother,’ and now he has become a ‘little brother?’

Zeth, like a big puppy, hugged June’s arm, squeezing it tight. June groaned and forcefully removed his hold. 

Zeth laughed, slapping June’s back. “It’s nice to see you today.”

“Sure,” June said, trying to get away from him. However, it seemed like Zeth had taken a liking to June after their conversation last night. 

Jisung looked at the two of them with a frown. “Since when did the two of them get so close?” he whispered to himself.

As Zeth continued pestering June, Yuri suddenly spoke. 

“Can you turn the music off? It’s hard to practice our respective parts while it’s on,” he snapped. 

Zeth sighed, finally letting go of June. He paused the music player and stood at the front, his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

“Gather up. We need to talk about something,” he said. 

“Wait, Jisung and I are still syncing some things,” Leo called out. 

Zeth remained resolute. “I said, come here,” he exclaimed louder, causing his teammates to look at him with surprise. 

June smirked. He’s really back. 

June sat in front of Zeth, and the other members reluctantly followed. 

“Alright, let’s talk about this,” Zeth said, sitting down. “I just want to say that we did a good job yesterday. Special thanks to my little brother, June, for helping us understand what the song really means,” Zeth smiled. 

Jisung nudged June’s side. “You’ve become friends?”

June shrugged. Not by choice. 

“The dance has also been revised by the three of us, but there’s still something we need to settle. Tomorrow night, we will be having our performance. However, the song arrangement still hadn’t been settled. Our concept is still unclear. All I know is that we’re performing something contemporary. But it doesn’t have a story,” he said. 

“Aren’t we going to stick with the original arrangement?” Lin Zhi asked. 

“Mentor Hyerin told us that it didn’t suit us. Listening to it, I think it really doesn’t. The dance looks a bit awkward since it only has a piano accompaniment,” Zeth responded. 

Leo sighed and nodded in agreement. “Although it would be such a hassle to arrange the song, I also think it’d be better to add more instruments.”

“But would it be possible to arrange it at this time? Is somebody skilled in arranging?”

Zeth sighed. “If only Ren was here.” 

“I only know how to write harmonies,” Leo said. “I never learned  how to make musical arrangements.”

Jisung scratched the back of his head. “I’m not skilled in that area.”

Lin Zhi raised his hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m an idol, not a producer.”

Leo shook his head. “I majored in dancing.”

Then, the five of them turned toward June with hopeful looks. 

June sighed. He only knew how to play the piano. And although he assisted with the arrangement of Mermaid Melodies, Akira was mainly the one who talked with the A&R team about the changes needed. 

“We’re doomed,” Lin Zhi said. “Can’t there be any premade instrumentals that we can just use?”

“There is,” June said, causing his teammates to look at him. He brought out his phone and went to YouWatch.

Zeth sat next to him. “Did you find a cover on Youwatch?”

“No, it’s not a cover,” June responded. “It’s the original.”

There was a frenzy among the group. “The original?” Yuri asked. “This isn’t Hwan’s song?”

“No,” June said. “The original song is sung by a Chinese singer named Zhang Mi. This came out two years before Hwan released his version.”

Lin Zhi chuckled in disbelief. “I’m the Chinese one here, but I’ve never even heard of this song,” he said. 

“When did you find this, brother?” Jisung asked. “It only has five thousand views.”

“It was a song I listened to when I was young,” June responded. 

Zeth chuckled. “Just when were you born, brother?” he joked. “I swear, it sometimes feels you’re older than me.”

‘Because I am!’

“Just listen to it,” June said, pressing play on the video. 

Honestly, his teammates weren’t expecting a lot. 

However, when the song was played, they were immediately enamored. 

Hwan’s version was already an emotional masterpiece, but the original was even better. 

The start of the song sounded more raw. It’s as if the sound of the pianist’s fingers hitting the piano keys could even be heard. 

Then. some light percussion was heard in the second verse, making Lin Zhi nod his head in approval.

Leo also naturally started moving his body, and he could already tell that the song was better to dance to compared with Hwan’s version.

However, that wasn’t the best part. As the bridge approached, the instrumentals stopped overall, and only the singer’s voice was heard, amplifying the emotions of the song. 

Then, as the high note approached, numerous string instruments — violins, cellos, harps — played in harmony, creating a grandiose atmosphere. 

“Holy shit,” Zeth couldn’t help but curse. He quickly covered his mouth and continued listening to the song. 

As the end approached, the instrumentals dialed down once more, and they were back to the sentimental piano sound from the beginning. 

The room became silent as the song ended, and the team fell into an agreement. 

Zeth wrapped his arm around June and squeezed his neck, causing him to choke. However, Zeth didn’t care and continued smothering him with praises. 

“You’re really the best, little brother. What would we have done without you?”

June elbowed Zeth, causing him to let go with an oof. 

“Do we all agree to use this arrangement?” Zeth bubbly asked. 

It was a unanimous decision. 

“Alright, it’s final. We’ll be using this one,” Zeth said. “Now, we just need to finalize our dance, then we’d practice the entire thing this afternoon.” 

“But wait,” Jisung said. “The outline of the dance routine is already finished. However, it is hard to materialize it without a concept.” 

“Right,” Zeth sighed. “I almost forgot about that.”

“What about we wear all white like contemporary dancers?” Leo asked. 

“Too generic,” Lin Zhi said. “How about a butterfly concept?”

“What the hell is this? Zootopia?” Yuri asked. “The song talks about love, so let’s do a concept surrounding that.”

“Yuck,” Lin Zhi spat. “I ain’t doing a love concept with you, guys.”

As his members continued to argue about their concept, June recalled the lyrics in his mind. 

Truly, the song was beautifully written. 

And June’s favorite parts were the bridge and the outro. Fortunately, after switching parts, June would now sing these lines. 

The last lines resounded in his mind.

“But I see that you’re happier, though I want you to stay.

But now, I’ll smile while watching you from far away.”

…Hmm?

“Are there any other ideas?” Zeth asked. 

June lifted his head. 

“Death.”