From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

EVE took the stage, and the audience cheered in anticipation. It was definitely not as loud as their cheers during the Abracadabra Festival, but it was still decent.

Nonetheless, Jia and her friends cheered loudly, compensating for the others who weren't cheering.

The members assumed their positions, their silhouettes being the only things seen under the unlit stage.

"Have you seen this formation before?" Wei asked as she gazed at the stage.

"No," Jia shook her head. "I've watched every performance of EVE more than ten times now. I've never seen this formation."

"Shit," Bora cursed. "Is it an unperformed song on the album?"

Their question was quickly answered when a loud bass sound was heard through the speakers, reverberating through the audience's heart.

The stage finally lit up, showing the group's outfits.

"LEATHER?" Jia exclaimed, not believing her eyes. That seemed to capture the other audience members's attention in their area, causing them to focus on the stage of the rookie idol group.

The leather-clad heartthrobs stood on the stage with an aura of confidence, each outfit carefully chosen to accentuate their individual styles. Having Jay as their manager was definitely a positive shift. Even the stylists were doing their job better!

June, with his rebellious charm, sported a leather jacket that hugged his frame with a white tank top underneath. Paired with it were ripped leather jeans that added an edgy flair to his ensemble.

Jisung, their youngest, wore a tight-fitting, long-sleeved v-neck that emphasized his toned physique, making the fans in the audience question whether he was the innocent chick they once knew.

And then there was Casper, the member with the most developed body, pushing boundaries with a leather tank top that left little to the imagination.

Screams of excitement were heard in the crowd, undoubtedly louder than before.

As the powerful intro played through the stadium, red lights bathed the stage—similar to an eclipse. Smoke screens were behind them, adding an ethereal yet eerie quality to the performance.

The stadium transformed into a surreal realm as bat sounds echoed around. Simultaneously, bat effects danced across the large LED screens, casting shadows that seemed to come alive.

"Red Moon," Casper started the song, his biceps flexing under the red light.

The artists watching in their respective rooms were taken aback by their introduction. EVE, who sang a cheerful, beachy song for their title track, was showing something entirely different!

They had provided a new meaning of 'red' for the holidays—it was now sexy and dangerous!

Meanwhile, Lee Sik, who had just arrived and was getting his make-up done, gestured for the make-up artist to stop for a moment.

"Is there anything wrong, sir?" the make-up artist asked.

"Wait a moment," he smiled, his gaze fixed on the screen. "I just need to watch this performance."

"In shadows deep, where darkness swoons,

A crimson orb, the red moon looms."

Zeth sang the first lines, causing his army of Zetherealists to scream.

- Gosh, I love Zeth so much.

- Zeth, please let me have just a piece of your hair!

- I love Red Moon so much. I'm so glad they're performing this song!

"Nocturnal hero, dark and free,

A symbol of justice, in shadows he'll be."

Akira sang the next lines, doing a body wave as he moved across the stage. Fans and non-fans alike exclaimed at the grace of his movements.

They had never done a stage like this together before, so they were eager to show their new side to the public.

When they were choosing a song to perform for the year-end show, they all collectively agreed for it to be Red Moon.

Zeth was insistent on using the werewolf concept they had come up with during the album preparations, but he quickly lost with the complaints of his teammates.

Now, June, being the master of concepts, employed a similar concept to theirs.

As he read the lyrics, it seemed like its meaning was more inclined to bats rather than wolves.

And that's how they came up with a 'Batman' concept, where they were all dark superheroes of the night.

"A guardian prowling through the night,

In the city's shadows, where wrong meets right.

A savage beauty under the light.

In the red moon's glow, a fearsome sight."

Jaeyong rapped the next verse, his explosive voice ringing through the ears of the audience.

Most of the old people in the audience, who were fans of Lee Sik and similar singers, covered their ears as the chorus approached. The song was definitely on the experimental side, so it was understandable that it might not be other people's cup of tea.

Nonetheless, the fans loved it, capturing every moment of EVE's synchronized dance with their phones.

Jisung stood at the center, leading their dance like the pro he was. June watched him from behind, a small smile appearing on his lips as Jisung busted out his best movements.

"In the pursuit of right, shadows persist,

And the red moon observes, a silent witness."

June started the bridge, the camera zooming into his murderous glare.

Lee Sik leaned back against his seat, surprised to see the sudden shift in June's persona.

The young idol was great at singing ballads, so Lee Sik was sure he would have a harder time singing more intense songs such as this. However, he executed it very well!

"As expected from my student," Lee Sik smiled, feeling satisfied with their group's performance.

Lee Sik had watched plenty of idol performances in his day, and he could confidently say that EVE was on the better spectrum. Even as rookies, they were already at par with those who debuted for one to two years.

Lee Sik also believed this wasn't their full potential, which felt a bit scary considering the amount of talent the group was already holding.

"A city's sins etched in the scarlet hue,

As the red moon roots for the misguided few.

In the crimson reflection, a truth unfurls,

The red moon weeps for a fractured world."

They ended the song with a powerful dance, causing the stage to shake. The people in the front row were in awe, and Jia, who was watching June and the entire team, felt strange since she wanted to go on stage and get stepped on.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm turning into those crazy fangirls."