From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

"No way!" Jisung exclaimed, getting up from his seat and staring at the comments as they passed by.

- Yes, there's an article written about it!

- I'm one of those two million pre-orders!

- Our rookie kings are becoming so big! Their pre-order numbers have finally exceeded OCTA's!

- They're doing the best out of all rookie groups right now, I believe.

- Congratulations to our double million seller boys!

"It's real," Jisung said.

"Really?" the other members asked, also going near the television. However, with their faces close to the camera, the comments shifted from congratulations to praises on their looks.

- Wow, I feel like I'm in a simulation right now. These beautiful boys are looking down on me after I've woken up in the hospital!

- They weren't kidding when they said that June didn't have any pores.

- Are they even human? They're so fricking hot.

- The reason that I'm single is because I'm delusional about people who will never acknowledge me as something but words on a screen.

"Did we really get two million pre-orders?" Jaeyong asked the staff.

The staff, who also seemed clueless about the situation, checked something on their phone before holding up an 'okay' sign.

"Dang!" Akira exclaimed once it had finally been confirmed. "Two million? That's twice the number we've gotten on our debut album."

"How much are we going to earn from that?" he asked, amusing the comment section.

Jaeyong smiled proudly as he looked at his team.

"We did it, boys!" he said, patting them on the backs. "We beat our record once again!"

"We've worked hard for it," June said.

"We did, huh?" Casper smiled, feeling like all of their sleepless nights were worth it.

- Guys, this is sweet and all, but we're still here.

- When you become the third wheel in your favorite group...

- It's not enough to be a fan. I need to be a part of this idol group!

- For real. I need to have this kind of friendship.

"I think we need to get back to the live," June said, noticing the comments and the impatient look on the staff's faces.

"Right!" Jaeyong awkwardly chuckled. "Sorry, we got a bit carried away there. We were just excited to hear about this achievement."

"Yeah," Ren smiled. "We wouldn't have done it without you, guys! You are the reason why we're here right now."

"Anyway," Zeth cleared his throat. "Since our dearest astras gave us such a wonderful gift tonight, why don't we go ahead with the previews?"

"Sure!" Sehun said. "Let's start with the opening song—Shuttle."

The first song played, and the audience immediately felt like they were off to a good start. Shuttle was a song that was very fitting for opening the album, setting the tone that this was going to be a great journey.

"Shuttle through the memories,

Fading in the melodies,

In the rush of passing scenes,

Lost in dreams, lost in schemes."

Shuttle was a blend of contemporary pop and electronic dance music. It fused together elements of synth-pop and future bass, making the song feel both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

- Oh, I'm shaking my ass to this one.

- This would be a great opening for a concert.

- Guys, it's just the first song, and it's so good already!

"And that's it!" Sehun exclaimed. "That one is Jisung's personal favorite. However, let's go to my personal favorite song and the second track of the album—Sunshine, Stars Shine."

The second preview played, and although it had a similar dreamy feel to the first one, it also felt completely different. It was the kind of song that enveloped listeners in a sonic landscape. It combined elements of RnB and electronic pop, which transported the listeners to a celestial realm.

- Yes!! Our RnB kings.

- This might be my favorite one.

- It's so vibey. I can't explain it.

"I like this song a lot, too," Ren said. "However, the next song we're playing is the one I like the most. You all know that I'm a sucker for cute songs, right?"

The next song played was 'Solar Wave,' which had a buoyant and feel-good energy. It was a combination of upbeat pop and tropical warmth, and it radiated warmth and positivity from the very first note.

- I bet this is also Casper's favorite.

"This is my favorite?" Casper asked. "Nope! There's a song I like better than this one. It's not the song I'm about to introduce, though. However, I still like this next song a lot."

"Our third track of the night is 'Spaceman!' he exclaimed as the music finally played.

'Spaceman' took the listeners on an introspective journey as the song was infused with elements of alternative hip-hop and emotive pop. It was a track that delved into the complexities of longing and self-discovery, yet it wasn't portrayed in a ballad form.

- Shakes my ass sadly in the club?

- This one's actually pretty good. It's not my cup of tea, but EVE nailed it nonetheless!

- I love songs like these! I think it really boils down to preference.

"The next song we're going to play is none other than the title track," Jaeyong said. "It's the fifth track on the album, and it's the most intense one out of all the songs."

- I can't wait!

- I'm so excited. I literally don't have any idea what the song would sound like based on the previews they've posted.

Finally, the preview of the title track was played.

The watchers were startled when Ren's vocals exploded through the speakers right away without any intro music.

'Skyrocket' was a high-octave song with a fierce energy sound. Infused with pop-rock and EDM, the track ignited the senses with its bold attitude and electrifying beats. It exuded confidence and empowerment, urging listeners to embrace their inner strengths and soar to new heights.

- This is an anthem!

- It's almost like a national anthem. Why does it sound patriotic in a sense?

- Oh.

- It's kind of…noisy?

- I don't know about you, guys. I really like it.

- They're killing the vocals!

- The vocals are good. I'm just not sure of the arrangement.

- It's so good, though! Everybody just has different tastes.

Fortunately, the members of EVE couldn't read the comments because they were going too fast. In the end, they moved on to the favorite song of most of the members.

"This last track is what June told you about a while ago," Jisung started off.

June nodded. "It's the song we all made. It's our first time collaborating on such a huge project, but I believe we did a great job."

"Yeah!" Ren exclaimed. "June took some inspiration from Casper's cat, and we created a great song from it!"

The staff members who were listening were confused by Ren's statement.

"Cat?" a cameraman muttered.

"Anyway, here's Luster—a song we're very proud of," Jaeyong concluded before the song finally played.

June bit his lip and concentrated his gaze on the comment section as the song continued playing. However, it was moving quite slowly, with people not even talking about the song itself.

And then, in a split second, it moved at a crazy speed.

- Omo. Why does this sound like the best song on the album?