From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show-Novel

Chapter 398  Their Performances (1)

The idols erupted into cheers, nervous yet excited for what was about to come.

CHAOS, however, remained poised amidst all of this. It felt like they didn't feel any pressure coming into the competition. "Your first performance starts now! We will upload your performances on YouWatch tomorrow, and we will have a special voting poll on the SBC website! The voting will only be open for 24 hours. After which, the votes will be finalized and will be revealed the next day!" Haemin explained. "Now, who wants to go first?" Kim Wonbin asked. MORPH3D raised their arms at lightning speed—as if they already knew the hosts were going to ask that particular question. Jee Haemin's eyebrows raised, appearing pleasantly surprised. He brought the mic to his lips. "I like your guys' confidence," he said, making the group smile. "I always admire people who want to go first. Please take the stage!" MORPH3D confidently walked to the front, pleased with the senior's compliment. Meanwhile, the other competitors watched them with envy, now regretting not volunteering faster. June sensed the tension in the room. It seemed like the war of nerves had finally started. MORPH3D took their positions, the seven-member group standing in a straight line. Drums pounded, guitars wailed, and bass notes reverberated through the venue, setting the stage for a rock band-inspired idol performance. "It's 'Pull the Trigger,'" Jaeyong whispered, recognizing the group's biggest hit. As determined earlier, MORPH3D's sound was heavily influenced by this genre, so the arrangement wasn't too surprising. What was surprising, however, was the flawless cartwheel that Zibo executed during the intro. His graceful and fluid movements, which were heavily influenced by Eastern/Chinese dance, stood as a sharp contrast with the intense music. However, it didn't look bad at all. Instead, the unexpectedness of the dance merely added to the quality of their performance.

"Rising like a villain, anger in our eyes. The world's injustice, our hearts despise." The spotlight shifted to the center stage, where Rex, undoubtedly the most popular member of the group, sang the first lines. "Fueled by the whispers, venom we inhale. In the dark sea, revenge sets sail." June was pleasantly surprised. It was no wonder he became the saving grace of their team. His voice was perfect for their genre—raspy yet full. "Pull the trigger, break the chains,

In this realm, we've gone insane. Through the tempest, the lightning guide, ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire

Strength united, nowhere to hide." As the final chorus echoed in the room, MORPH3D took their bow, and the idols clapped in respect. June couldn't count it as an outstanding performance, but there were some outstanding moments. The killing parts consisted mostly of Zibo and Rex, with the others appering like background dancers. Nonetheless, it was a good performance. "What an opening performance by MORPH3D!" Wonbin exclaimed. "I'm sure you made the next performers nervous." "Speaking of, who will be our next performers of the night?" Haemin asked. "Since MORPH3D courageously performed first, they would also be given the privilege to choose the next idol to perform!" MORPH3D looked around the room, and most of the idols evaded their gazes. June locked eyes with Zibo for a second and felt they were going to perform next.

However, he sighed in relief when Rex called out the next performer's name. "We'll go with with a senior we respect—BOYMYSTIC!" he happily said. Nico groaned loudly, causing the room to burst into chuckles. "It seems like Nico here doesn't want to perform first," Haemin chimed. A mic was given to Nico, so he responded. "I would have liked to go last," he said, "But since we've been called, we're going to raise the bar even higher." "Oooh." Exclaims of amusement were heard, and MORPH3D was slightly intimidated. "Show us what you got!" Wonbin said, gesturing for them to take the stage. BOYMYSTIC didn't hesitate to take the stage. Their experience was evident since they appeared more relaxed than MORPH3D, and as the music started, their skills definitely did not disappoint. They looked more comfortable with the camera—something that was lacking in MORPH3D performance. Moreover, their synergy as a team felt more natural, probably since they've performed longer than the former group. However, like MORPH3D's stage, it also had its flaws. They didn't put any surprising elements into their performance. Maybe they were too busy since the company was squeezing their schedules tight because they had only until the second quarter of the year for their contract, or maybe they just didn't think about it at all. Although it was a good performance, it was very similar with the other performances they had shown in their career so far. Their stage ended with Jordan in the middle, panting after their strenuous choreography. The room burst into applause as they made their way back to their seats, bowing in gratitude for their competitors' support. "As expected from the very first boy group born from Rising Stars. You guys proved why you were the chosen ones!" Haemin smiled, showing a thumbs-up. They smiled cheerily. "Now, it's your turn to pick the next performer," Wonbin said. BOYMYSTIC discussed for a while before deciding who will perform next. June was certain their name wasn't going to get called since they didn't even look their way for a second. …and he was right. Jordan took the mic and cleared his throat. "We picked this group since we're genuinely excited for what they are going to perform. We would like to preface that we're huge fans, and we've listened to a lot of their songs," he said. June concluded that it was either SPADES or CHAOS. He, too, was the most curious about these two's stages—not that he didn't care for his other competitors, but those groups were the only ones he wasn't too familiar with. "We'll go with our beloved senior group, SPADES," Jordan smiled. The idols gasped in surprise. They were almost certain that SPADES would perform last based on seniority. However, it also couldn't be denied they couldn't wait for their stage. Y, their leader, chuckled into the mic. "We also wanted to go last," he said. "But I guess it's time for us to show the power of ten years of experience."