From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show Chapter 1039: Yearly Interview

A sudden, heavy silence fell over the practice room for a few moments before Mei broke it with a disgusted outburst.

"Oh, absolutely not!" she cried. "You cannot possibly believe that! I distinctly remember you stating you had no desire to perform this track in the first place."

"Me? In love with you? You must have lost your mind. I feel the need to go vomit immediately."

"Ugh," she gagged, clutching her throat and nearly retching. "This is terrible. Retract every word."

June made a clicking sound with his tongue and pulled her hand away from her face. As their gazes locked for a brief moment, Mei braced herself for another wave of nausea. Surprisingly, however, the expression June wore held no hint of romance; it felt… oddly warm.

Her lips pressed together, causing her to question if perhaps her dramatic reaction had been uncalled for.

June exhaled deeply and stepped back, releasing his grip on her arm.

"I didn't intend it in that manner, you fool," he said with a flat expression, shaking his head. "I would honestly prefer to fly to America, carjack a nun, exceed the speed limit on some remote road, collide with a stray animal, and feast on raw roadkill without a single bit of hygiene than sing this love song with you."

Mei’s eyes widened at the vividness of his description.

"Dang," she muttered. "Was that level of detail really necessary?"

"In any case," he sighed. "A great love does not necessarily have to be rooted in romance."

"But the lyrics are inherently romantic," she countered. "It explicitly says here, 'I would sacrifice my life for you. In another lifetime, I would seek you out.' How exactly are we supposed to frame this as platonic?"

"True, it isn't platonic," June admitted. "But it could represent another form of devotion—the love between family."

Mei was silent for a beat, her eyebrows arched in surprise. She seemed to be weighing his words, then let out a scoffing laugh while shaking her head.

"Not a chance," she declared. "We aren't family."

"Not in this lifetime, at least," June muttered.

"What did you say?" she questioned.

June simply shook his head and began gathering his belongings. He checked the time, clearly realizing how late it had become.

"Just think it over," June instructed. "Dig deeper into the meaning of the lyrics. You will see it has the potential to represent familial bonds."

"Once you grasp that concept, get in touch with me again."

"What?" she asked, exasperated. "Our performance is scheduled for next week! We don't have the luxury of time. We need to rehearse tonight or at least establish a concept. I won’t get a wink of sleep at this rate."

"We won't achieve anything tonight," June replied firmly. "Not until you comprehend my perspective."

"Besides," he added, "DAWN has an early interview tomorrow. I absolutely cannot miss that."

With that final remark, he exited the room, leaving Mei to stew in her own turbulent thoughts.

***

The studio was a stark, minimalist space lacking chairs or tables, leaving them to sit directly on the floor.

The all-white walls gave it the sterile feel of a psychiatric ward, though they couldn't complain too much, given that this was currently one of the most popular channels on YouWatch.

"What are we expected to do here?" Sehun whispered toward Jaeyong.

Jaeyong offered a shrug, scanning the empty room. "Honestly, I have no clue."

At that moment, the 'SubFeeble' producer approached them with an expansive grin.

"DAWN," she greeted. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you boys."

Jaeyong offered a polite smile. "Thank you for having us."

"Just to confirm, you haven't been briefed on the details yet, correct?" she asked.

The members gave a collective nod.

"Perfect," she chuckled. "It seems Jay kept his word."

The boys exchanged meaningful glances, curious about her connection to their friend, but their focus returned to her as she continued.

"Let me give you a brief rundown. This is for your first-year anniversary. We’re filming a special interview segment that we hope to establish as an annual tradition. Did you catch the episode featuring Billy Jones?"

Casper lifted an eyebrow. "You mean like those career retrospectives?"

"Exactly that," she said, her mouth curving into a slight smile. "The purpose is to reflect on your progress and growth as a group."

The boys nodded in acknowledgement. Jisung spoke up, looking energized. "Oh, I saw the one with Billy. The fans really enjoyed it."

Akira tilted his head with a curious expression. "But our anniversary was back in November. We’re approaching the final week of December now."

She nodded in acknowledgement. "That is true. The company was overwhelmed with promotions and year-end commitments, so they opted to broadcast this closer to the New Year."

Akira nodded slowly. "That actually seems like a smart move."

"Yeah, we were way too swamped during our actual anniversary with all the comebacks," Jaeyong noted. "Again, it looks like Jay is handling his duties with actual diligence," she remarked quietly, though her comment reached the ears of everyone in the room.

June took the chance to ask the question they were all wondering about. "How do you know Jay?"

"We used to date," she replied with a dismissive shrug.

Jisung pivoted toward June, whispering into his ear. "Is that the one who sold the jewelry Jay bought her to go back to her ex?"

"Or is it the one with the daddy issues who used Jay as a sugar daddy?"

June brushed off the comments and posed another question. "So, is it just us sitting here, or is there more to the format?"

Her smile widened, purposefully avoiding a direct answer. "Shall we begin?"

The members glanced at one another, their curiosity piqued.

Cameras were rolling shortly thereafter. They were positioned in a semicircle with June tucked into the center, as was the norm. The production staff had modified the room, introducing soft lighting and a cozy backdrop that featured the DAWN logo cast in warm gold tones.

"Right," the director announced. "Bring the energy up, guys. Just treat this like a casual, fun chat."

Just as they were about to dive into the conversation, something emerged from behind the staff, catching the members completely off guard.

"Kittens?"