From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

Chapter 1031: Tyler King



Back in Korea, DAWN at the NTV MVAS became a hot topic. The boys might have looked calm and collected on the outside, but to fans watching the livestream, they seemed hilariously out of place among the Western artists.

- They look like lost chicks wandering around.

The post was followed by a picture of the members wide-eyed and clearly overwhelmed. The post started gaining traction, with fans flooding the comments with laughing emojis and affectionate words.

- My boys have made it so far.

- I'm so happy to see them go to other countries, but for some reason, my heart aches, too.

- Yeah, I feel like a mom sending my son on the first day of school.

- Here we go again!

Another clip was circulating, too—June's interaction with the second reporter.

When the journalist complimented them with the phrase, "Your face card never declines!" and June, unable to keep up with the conversation, pulled out an actual credit card, it quickly became a viral meme.

'POV: When someone says your 'face card never declines,' but you take it literally,' joked a popular page, Pop My Base. Within minutes, the post had garnered over 100,000 likes and thousands of comments.

- Who is this guy? He's adorable!

- They all look like hunks, honestly.

- He's so cute! Someone tell us his name.

- He's just the janitor.

- He's a staff member.

- He got lost and landed on the red carpet.

- I can't believe you guys are gatekeeping June to this extent.

Back at the venue, the boys were seated in their section, waiting for the show to start.

All of the artists were seated now, so it was only a matter of time until it started.

Casper leaned toward June. "I just checked our socials," he whispered. "You're already trending again."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

June raised an eyebrow. "What did I do this time?"

Casper grinned. "You pulled out a credit card when the reporter said your 'face card never declines.""

The realization dawned on June, and his cheeks turned a faint pink. "Oh," he mumbled. "I didn't understand what she was saying."

Jisung snickered from the other side. "Don't worry, bro. At least they find it cute."

Before June could retort, the lights in the venue dimmed, signaling the start of the show. The MCs took the stage, hyping up the audience with their energetic banter.

Of course, the members of DAWN barely understood. Foreign humor was pretty hard to understand!

After a few opening jokes and announcements, they introduced the first performer of the night.

"Please welcome, the one and only... Tyler King!"

The crowd erupted into polite applause as Tyler strutted onto the stage, bathed in blue and red lights. His outfit was flashy-a bright red tracksuit with gold chains clinking around his neck. He adjusted his snapback, gave the audience a lazy wave, and picked up the mic.

The music kicked in, a heavy trap beat blaring through the speakers. Tyler started mumble- rapping, the lyrics slurred and unintelligible.

"Yeah, yeah, uh, I'm the king, you know the vibe,

Flexin' hard, money on my mind,

Rollin' deep, got my squad on the grind,

Can't hear the haters, they way behind."

He moved around the stage, his body swaying in time with the beat, but his performance felt more like he was going through the motions rather than delivering something meaningful. The lyrics continued, all blending together into a monotonous drone.

"Drip, drip, yeah, I got that ice,

Livin' large, man, this life so nice,

Can't see the fakes, yeah, they roll the dice,

I'm the king, man, y'all just mice."

The camera panned across the audience, capturing the obligatory head-bobbing from other artists. They were nodding along in respect, their expressions showing polite interest and indifference.

It was clear they knew the drill-nod along, clap at the end, and move on.

June, however, wasn't as good at hiding his reaction. He sat there, eyebrows slightly furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. It wasn't that he was trying to be rude.

It was just...underwhelming.

The lyrics felt repetitive, and the performance was lackluster.

He couldn't help the disinterested expression that crept onto his face.

"Is it just me, or does this feel like a really long ad?" June whispered to Casper.

Casper smirked, biting back a laugh. "Shh, don't say that out loud."

As the performance dragged on, June leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. He tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as Tyler attempted some half-hearted dance moves, clearly meant to hype up the crowd.

It wasn't working.

The energy was flat, and June's unimpressed look spoke volumes.

Unbeknownst to him, one of the roaming cameras had zoomed in on his face at that exact moment, capturing his candid reaction. The shot lingered for a second too long, broadcasting June's disapproval to everyone watching the live stream.

In the control room, one of the producers noticed it immediately. "Oh, we've got a reaction shot!" he called out. "Perfect! Keep it!"

Within minutes, June's expression was already circulating on social media apps.

- Omo. June can't hide his expression!

- I can't. June doesn't like the performance.

- Isn't it kind of rude, though?

-That guy's an asshole. I think he can take some criticism.

- Who even is this guy? Tyler King is my king. I've never heard of this group before! The reactions were halved. Most astras and those who didn't like Tyler King's personality either found it funny or relatable. On the other hand, Tyler's fans, as well as some aggressive rap enthusiasts, resulted in ad hominem-insulting June and their group because of a single

reaction.

Back in the venue, the performance finally ended, and Tyler finished with a mic drop. The applause was lukewarm. He gave the audience a cocky grin, bowing before strutting off the

stage.

The MCs quickly took over, trying to liven up the atmosphere again. "Wow, give it up for Tyler King, everybody!" they cheered, and the crowd clapped.

"That's it?" June muttered, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"Why?" Ren chuckled. "What's your comment?"

June shrugged.

"Boring."