From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

Quiz God.

It was one of the most popular TV shows in South Korea. However, contrary to the first two shows Chul had mentioned, this one was more popular with the general public.

If the other two shows were more popular with K-pop enthusiasts and a niche audience, Quiz God was something everybody could enjoy.

In Quiz God, 50 people are enjoined in a huge venue, each with designated places. There was a theme every week—teachers, doctors, students, etc.

There would be a series of questions, similar to Jeopardy, and the person who wins the preliminary rounds will get the chance to choose which category they want the question to emerge from.

Then, the participants will be given a timeframe to answer the question based on its difficulty.

June was very familiar with the show since it also has a Chinese franchise—one he watched often.

There was a problem with the show, however. Once you get a question wrong, you're immediately eliminated from the show. So, for stars who want to capture the audience's hearts, it wasn't the ideal show to join.

Especially since avid fans of the show were complete 'know-it-alls' and wouldn't hesitate to shit on a participant for getting a question wrong.

"We had been invited to the show because this week's theme is 'Rising Stars.' It's quite funny since it has the same name as the survival show you came from, but I think it's very fitting," Chul smiled.

Jisung raised his hand. "Is there a reason why June and Jaeyong were picked for this particular show?"

Chul looked at Jaeyong and shrugged. "Of course, we want to send the smartest member of our team," he said, causing Jaeyong to freeze.

"Smartest?" Akira guffawed. "Oh, gosh. You're in trouble, buddy."

"As for June," Chul continued, his smile widening with his ingenious plan. "It was luck. He was the only one left, so we decided to make him join this one."

"Oh, alright," Jisung said, going back to the teammates he'll be filming 'Idols Space' with.

Meanwhile, June continued looking at Chul, to which the latter merely smirked.

June internally scoffed.

He knew it.

There was something else going on inside their manager's mind.

And truly, there was.

When Chul learned that June had bad grades as a student, he didn't think much about it.

However, when he saw that the group was scheduled to attend 'Quiz God,' a highly popular show that made people look either really smart or dumb, a genius plan came to his mind.

June had to attend it.

The two of them locked gazes, neither backing down.

Chul had a smug look on his face—like he had one-upped June once and for all.

June's expression, on the other hand, couldn't be deciphered.

Chul felt a bit confused, but he didn't let it show.

'Bring it on.'

***

"How was it?" June asked as soon as Ren and the others got home. They had just finished filming for 'Forgetting Sisters,' and all of them had wide smiles on their faces.

"It was so fun," Ren giddily said. "I got to sing, and the hosts were really funny. Casper didn't talk much, but they ganged up on him!"

Casper clicked his tongue.

"Yeah," Akira chuckled. "They called me a variety genius or something. One of my dreams has finally been fulfilled!"

"Wait," Akira said, noticing Jaeyong standing in the corner of the room. "What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, we're going to film Quiz God later in the afternoon," June responded.

Akira clicked his tongue. "Yikes. He's been studying nonstop ever since you two were chosen to join the show."

"Why don't you look nervous, though?" Ren asked.

"Why would I be nervous?" June asked. "It's just a show."

Akira empathetically patted June's back. "That's the spirit! You need confidence for these types of shows. I'm still confused as to why you two were sent to the show, but it's alright! There's a first for everything."

"What do you mean?" June asked.

Casper, too, patted June's back. "Don't be too harsh on yourself when you get the question wrong on the first round."

June sighed, shaking his head.

"Whatever, we have to go now. Chul is waiting downstairs," June said, walking to where Jaeyong was and pulling him to the door.

"Good luck!" Ren exclaimed.

"Have fun," Casper said.

"Let's see the rise of the dummies!" Akira dramatically exclaimed.

June ignored the three of them and went to the carpark with Jaeyong. Their leader still wasn't saying anything, and it just showed how nervous he was for the show.

As they entered the car, they saw Chul in the driver's seat, looking jolly as ever.

He definitely looked suspiciously happy for someone who had been working since the morning.

"Are you ready, boys?" Chul cheerily asked.

The two of them didn't answer, but Chul was still in a good mood, humming to himself as he drove to the TV station.

June looked out of the window and closed his eyes.

It had been a while since he went to school—12 years, to be exact. He dropped out during his last year of high school because he joined the White Tiger Gang.

Contrary to his image, June actually liked school.

He liked learning.

However, the people in his school made it more difficult for June to love school.

Jaeyong anxiously bit his nails, so June clicked his tongue and brought his hand away from his mouth.

"Don't be so nervous," June advised. "You're going to blank out if you're nervous."

Jaeyong pursed his lips before scooting closer to June.

"Akira wasn't joking when he said I was dumb," he whispered.

"I know," June said, causing Jaeyong to glare at him.

"It doesn't matter. Some questions have multiple choice answers," June said, sharing his well-versed knowledge of the show.

"Most of the time, the answer is letter C. However, that only works when you don't really know the answer. If you have a hunch of what the answer is, eliminate all possible wrong answers first. Then for Mathematics questions, the answer is most likely 0 or 1 even if the equation looks complicated," June advised.

Jaeyong listened intently, even taking notes with his phone.

"0...1...Letter C, got it," Jaeyong whispered. "But what if it isn't a multiple-choice answer?" he asked.

"Go with your gut," he said. "Your mind is more powerful than you think. It holds plenty of knowledge. So, don't think too much about it, and write the very first thing that comes to your mind."

Jaeyong smiled, now appearing less nervous.

"You'll be able to make it into three rounds, at least," June said. "You can also do well on the preliminary rounds, so you can choose the category for the questions."

"Duly noted," Jaeyong smiled, looking at his notes app with hope.

Meanwhile, Chul shook his head as he listened to their conversation. How could a dummy give advice to someone smarter than him?

He pulled up to the parking lot of the TV station, picked the closest spot, and turned off the engine.

"We're here, boys."