From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue across the beautiful beach. The gentle waves lapped at the shore, accompanied by the soft breeze.

June stood waist-deep in the crystal-like water, his milky white skin glistening under the sun.

His white polo shirt, now completely drenched and almost transparent, clung to him like a second skin. The waves gently kissed his body, leaving behind droplets that sparkled like diamonds in the golden light.

The tie, once neatly knotted around his neck, now hung loosely, teasingly draping over his abdomen like an invitation. However, it also covered his abdominal muscles, leaving many things to one's imagination.

June's hair, once meticulously styled, had been drenched by the salty water, making it look wavy. The salt-streaked locks framed his face, making him look more natural.

However, amidst the serene beauty of the beach, June's expression showed annoyance and indifference.

His brown eyes held exasperation—a silent complaint about the sand and water infiltrating his underwear.

'This is going to be a pain to remove later.'

He already felt particles of sand going to places where they shouldn't be.

"Perfect! Oh gosh, I want to keep this for myself," Pablo exclaimed, pleased by the outcome of the photos.

A bemused smile made its way to June's face. At least, it seemed like everything was going well.

Pablo gasped and quickly snapped a photo when June smiled. "This is it!" he exclaimed, looking at the shot with wide eyes.

In the photo, the warm sun cast a diffused light that created a soft glow around June. The illumination enveloped him, accentuating the contours of his form while, at the same time, casting a subtle shadow on the waters behind him.

His face was slightly to the side, but his captivating eyes, which appeared more golden, were locked onto the camera lens. It was as if he could see through the camera and into the soul of the viewer.

Each hair strand appeared perfectly disheveled, only adding to his ethereal charm and making him look like a mythical being that had risen from the depths of the ocean.

June's bemused smile was the cherry on top—it felt like an invitation to join him in this secret moment of beauty—to drown in the enchantment of the sea.

Meanwhile, his teammates silently watched at the side, sitting on the sand.

"Hey," Akira said, breaking the silence. "Isn't it peculiar to silently watch your homie get photographed while wet?"

Jisung looked down at his feet and sighed in relief.

"Good thing I'm wearing socks."

***

The group photoshoot had just finished, and the boys were all exhausted.

"Good job, boys," Chul said, clapping. The other crew members quickly followed. "That is the end of your jacket shoot. We ended later than usual, and since we still need to travel two hours to get back to the city, we decided to book a nearby hotel for you to rest. We'll be going back to Seoul tomorrow—where you'll start recording the songs on your album."

"June," Chul said, making the pink-haired guy snap out of his daze.

"Hmm?"

"Oasis—the producers need it the day after tomorrow."

"Got it," June said. Although, he knew he was fucked since he still hadn't started it until now.

"Well, here are your room cards," Chul said, handing Jaeyong three cards. "You can decide who to room with. There are four beds in one room."

"Dibs on June!" Jisung exclaimed.

"Me too," Casper said.

"Nah, not you," Jisung pushed him away. "We need to separate the snorers from the non-snorers."

"Sweet," Ren said, joining Jisung and June. "I'll stay here then."

"Can I join?" Zeth asked.

"No," the three of them exclaimed, since Zeth was a very notorious snorer.

***

They had now settled in their rooms, and June's three roommates were knocked out in their respective beds. He, too, was tired from all the work they had done, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep.

He brought out the laptop he borrowed from Ren, plugged in some earphones, and listened to Oasis with closed eyes.

Indeed, hearing the song while in the presence of the beach was different. The young producer did a great job encapsulating the essence of a refreshing summer in a three-minute song.

However, June also couldn't deny that there was something missing—like the producer stopped halfway through because of discouragement. June tried to search for the producer's other works and found that he hadn't produced any other music for idol groups. Instead, he was more focused on making instrumentals. They were pretty good, but they gave June nothing.

June wanted to speak with the producer to find the missing puzzle piece, but he could only do so much with his busy schedule.

Even after listening to the song a second time, June couldn't point out what was truly missing. So, with careful movements, he stood up from his bed and left the room.

Fortunately, all of his roommates were very heavy sleepers, so they didn't wake up amidst June's departure.

June mindlessly let his feet take him to a place. Surprisingly, he found himself on the beach—where he had his photoshoot.

Standing there during the night felt more calming. So, June unhesitatingly took a seat on the sand. He closed his eyes and felt the gentle breeze against his skin while inhaling the salty air.

Hey, maybe the beach wasn't so bad after all.

He continued closing his eyes, just listening to the sound of the waves, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming near him.

"Yes, mom. We're okay," she said in an annoyed tone. "I know—I can't swim. I didn't even touch the water at all. You know I'm deathly afraid."

"Yes, we ate dinner well. I was about to go to sleep when you called."

June squinted his eyes to get a better look at the young lady.

"I know. I know. We'll stay safe. We'll go back tomorrow," she continued, appearing to be tired of the caller.

"Yup. Love you. I'm going to sleep now."

June smirked as she ended the call. Then, he spoke, startling the lady.

"Lying to Cindy isn't necessarily nice, you know?"