From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

790  The Charity Concert

In a small house nestled far from the bustling street of Seoul, an unusual scene unfolded. The usually quiet grounds were filled with people—one that was out of place from the serene setting. "Let us in! We just want to see EVE." "We're going to pay anyway!" "Yeah, that little girl needs our money, right? So, why are you holding us here when we just want to help?" A large group of people, particularly EVE's fans, were outside the gates of the small sanctuary. "We didn't drive here all the way from the province to not get in."

One of the guards sighed impatiently. "Then, you shouldn't have come," he muttered. "What did you just say?"

The group of people started creating chaos, pushing each other to get past the guards. However, they were halted when a huge man came out of the gates. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked. "Sir Marcus," one of the guards said, bowing. "We were just doing our job. We're not letting anyone without tickets inside." Marcus smiled, and that seemed to captivate the fans. Then, Marcus turned to the chaotic group. "Sorry, ladies and gents," he smiled. "Only ticket holders are allowed inside. If you didn't get a ticket, then this event isn't for you. If you want, there are cafes and restaurants down the street where you can go instead. I assure you that your trips won't be wasted then." With Marcus' utterance, fans found themselves following. There were still a few stubborn fans, but the guards were able to handle them well. Jia and Bora had just arrived, and they were quickly let in by none other than Marcus himself. He smiled and tore off their tickets. "Have fun, ladies," he said, waving as they made their way to their seats. Bora and Jia turned to each other with knowing eyes. As they got to their seats, they finally said what was on their minds. "That guard was pretty handsome," Bora said. Jia nodded in agreement. "I guess every person linked to June will always have some kind of beauty."

Bora shook her head in amusement. "I swear—you make everything about him."

Meanwhile, inside the little house were the members of EVE. They busily prepared for their upcoming performance while the kids already arranged themselves outside. Just then, Mrs. Kim, the old matriarch of Little Sunflowers, entered the room with a wide smile. The members turned to her and bowed their heads in respect. "Oh, no need for that," she said with a fond smile. "If anybody should be bowing, then it should be me. You took some time off from your busy schedule just to come and help the kids. June has already donated a lot, too. For that, I am eternally grateful." Mrs. Kim smiled back at him. "Anyway," she said. "I hope you can stay until the end." "We can stay until the end," June said.

"That's perfect," she smiled. "Then, we shall be waiting for you outside. I believe the preparations are about to be finished." Jaeyong nodded. "We'll be out in a few minutes." With that, Mrs. Kim went out of their room to join the audience. The intimate venue could barely accommodate a hundred people, just enough to fill the garden of the small sanctuary. The audience consisted not only of dedicated fans but also of folks who bought tickets before EVE announced their participation.

"Thank you for coming, everyone!" Sara, one of the volunteers in the home, excitedly greeted me as she went up the small stage. "Today marks a very special day for Little Sunflowers. The home has been taking care of children since the 1980s, but it's the very first time we'll be holding an event like this..." "...and we're doing it for none other than Luna," she smiled, pointing to the little kid in a wheelchair and multiple tubes attached to her body. Despite looking frail, she excitedly waved to the audience with a large smile. The crowd clapped for her, awwing at her bubliness and cuteness. "Luna is a little ball of sunshine," Sara remarked. "Now," she continued. "I shall not let you wait any longer. I know that a lot of you came here for our first performers." The audience shook their heads—an attestation that June had screened the best people to attend the charity concert. "Let us welcome our very generous and handsome performers—EVE!" Sara exclaimed. The venue was filled with polite cheers and claps, the fans holding back from making so much noise as EVE made their way to the stage. People who had never seen them up close were instantly enamored. "Are they even humans?" "And I thought I couldn't like them any better." "There's no way they're the same breed as we are." Jay stood next to Lei and sighed, wiping the sweat on his temples. "You alright?" Lei asked. "You've been running around left and right since yesterday."

Jay nodded. "My kids really want to perform in this concert, so I did everything I could with all their schedules." Lei smiled and patted his back. "Well, you've done a good job. You've worked hard." Jay turned to Lei with a tearful smile, making the other manager surprised. Lei chuckled in amusement. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked. "It's been a while since I've heard that," Jay dramatically said. Their conversation was cut short when the familiar, upbeat intro of Oasis was heard through the speakers. The crowd instantly clapped along with the music, making the boys of EVE turn to each other with smiles. Although the event was relatively small compared to all the things they've done, the boys still felt more nervous than usual. With that, they gave their all to the performance. "Oh, oh, oasis Oh, oh, our life is Where the waters intertwine...Where love is so deep, like the ocean's endless line.With friends by our side beneath the azure dome.In this haven, we've found our true home." After Oasis, they went straight to another one of their hit songs. "Cause I'm tongue-tied, and I'm hypnotized. Every single time I look into your eyes. Yeah, you always make me mesmerized. Need you with me for life." The fans, accustomed to singing along with every lyric, were surprised to find themselves joined by the ordinary attendees—the children and staff of the sanctuary and even local residents. At that moment, the boys subtly turned to each other as they performed. It definitely felt surreal, and at one point, some of them felt emotional. Although they had performed in bigger venues in front of thousands of people, it was a moment that made them feel—'I made it.' As EVE concluded their set, the members gathered at the center of the stage. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Aww, it was over so quickly." "That's what makes it more special, no?" "Why do I want to cry again?" Jia asked as she looked at the happy smiles on the boys' faces. Bora shook her head. "You always feel emotional with EVE." She sighed and fanned her eyes with her hands. "I just hope that they're happy like this all the time." "Do not worry," Jaeyong said. "We still have a little bit of time, so we're going to perform one more song." The crowd cheered. "This is a special song dedicated to the children," Akira said, waving at the kids.

"We tried our hardest to convince June to perform this song, so please cherish it a lot!" The crowd murmured in curiosity and excitement. Then, when a familiar song played, it all made sense why June was hesitant. "Little Meow Meow will haunt June until the end of his career."