From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

June looked at the four people on the stage. He was sitting below them, and although near, he felt like the gap between them was too far.

He didn't know the impact of the past practices they had, but June felt that it was huge—one that put him behind them.

He stared at the music sheet in his hands and read the highlighted parts.

For now, he only had three lines, all with limited words. He wasn't even going to sing in any of the choruses except for the last one, so the arrangement wasn't even altered to a ridiculous extent.

But then again, he was just a newcomer to the group, so he felt like he had no choice but to accept what was given to him. Being invited to a glorious stage was already a great opportunity for a rookie like him.

The music started, snapping June out of his thoughts.

It wasn't the type of song to have a grand beginning. In contrast, it was a song that employed only two instruments—the piano and the traditional gayageum.

Some might argue that the song sounded empty, but for June, the strength laid in its strong, emotional lyrics. The song was perfect as it is. If any other instruments were added, then the lyrics would have been overpowered.

This may also be the reason why 'Father' is Lee Sik's greatest hit, worming its way into the hearts of many.

With the sound of the melancholic piano and gayageum, June immersed himself in the song.

"Oh, the sun would rise, and I saw a world so bright.

Through my innocent eyes, I admired your might."

June immediately got goosebumps once Lee Sik started the song. His voice was warm, rich with emotion, with just the right amount of quiver. He had the power to sing as if he was merely speaking, which touched June's heart on unspeakable levels.

However, he quickly snapped out of his emotions when he saw the pop-up above the veteran singer's head.

[Lee Sik

Vocals: SSS

Visual: C+]

June could have never imagined an SSS stat in this lifetime. He thought he was a big shot for having two S-tiers, but now, he felt like a mere pawn in the veteran's game.

Mimi started the next verse, her high voice contrasting well with Lee Sik's rich and deep one.

She had her eyes closed, also feeling the lyrics of the song.

"In your shadow, I was happy to stand.

I was happy to hold onto your rough hands."

[Mimi

Vocals: S+

Dance: S

Rap: D

Visual: A]

June was once again baffled. He had seen Mimi during their field day in Rising Stars, but he never expected the idol to have such great stats.

The first chorus started with Tres and Nico harmonizing with each other, their voices a perfect blend.

"I love you, father.

You made me wonder.

If I had another life, I would want you again."

[Tres

Vocals: A+

Dance: A+

Rap: B-

Visual: A+]

[Nico

Vocals: S-

Dance: B+

Rap: C

Visual: A-]

June stared at Nico's stats, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He vaguely remembered Nico's stats from when they performed during the Abracadabra Festival.

Nico definitely did not have any S-tier skills back then. However, his vocal aspect was now the same as June's.

June didn't have any time to ponder upon it, however, since Xion began to sing the next verse.

"But clouds did gather, storms did brew.

The father I once loved was not the father I knew."

[Xion

Vocals: SS

Dance: S

Rap: C-

Visual: S]

June felt his heart race as he stared at the three S-tier skills on Xion's status window. It was the very first time he had met a person with three S-tiers, and again, it made him think that the skills he was proud of were nothing compared to these people.

June was just a little shrimp, after all.

As they sang the last chorus together, all of their pop-ups showed at the same time.

June stared at all of their status windows and suddenly felt an impending sense of doom.

Their auras combined felt even scarier than before.

The people before him were powerhouses...immovable forces.

And as their voices harmonized with each other, June wondered if he had a place in this line-up after all.

The song ended still with the piano and the gayageum, the echoes of its string resonating in the room.

There was a moment of silence that followed after the end of the song, all of them appearing to still be immersed in its emotions.

June, too, was speechless and unmoving, touched by the performance he had witnessed.

Was this how his fans felt when they watched his performances?

June clapped, causing the others to snap out of their reverie.

Mimi smiled as she stared at the pink-haired idol on the seats. She was very proud of their performance, and to be able to show it off to the person she liked was a euphoric experience.

Nico smirked proudly as he looked down at June.

"That was good, right?" he asked, boasting a bit since he knew he put on a great performance.

Tres and Xion kept straight faces as they met gazes with June. However, they gave each other curt smiles, to which June furrowed his eyebrows.

Meanwhile, Lee Sik was still lost in the feelings of his own song.

June stared at the veteran singer and felt a newfound respect for him. Even if the idols did a great job emulating his song, no one could compare to him.

Lee Sik sang with the most emotion, and June was the most immersed during his parts.

After a while, Lee Sik finally snapped out of his feelings. Then, he faced June, a challenging smile gracing his lips.

"How was the performance, young man?" he asked.

"It was…good," June said, still a bit speechless.

Lee Sik felt the sincerity in June's voice, causing him to chuckle.

"That's the standard I'm looking for in the idols I perform with. Do you think you got what it takes?"

June paused for a moment, not knowing whether the question was some kind of test.

Ultimately, he thought that being confident was better than being reluctant.

So, he nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said with confidence.

Lee Sik smirked. "Very well."

"Then, why don't you come up to the stage and show us what you got?"