From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show-Chapter 977: To My New Beginning (1)

The moment the screen lit up, the music began.

A soft piano melody filled the air-not quite sad, but instead carrying a sense of hope-as if something brighter was just out of reach, waiting to be discovered.

There was a subtle struggle in the notes, a reminder that hope doesn't come easily and that it's earned through hardship. It felt like the kind of song you'd listen to on a late night, reflecting on life, yet somehow, it was also the perfect anthem for the youth.

Eight boys were shown again, walking through their own separate paths in life. June was the first to be spotlighted, his face illuminated softly by a street lamp. There were scars on his face, making him look scary yet pitiful. As he walked, he began to sing.

"The sun rises, but it doesn't feel like it's for me.

The light slips past, and I wonder if I'm just not meant to follow."

The warmth in his tone was undeniable, instantly captivating. It was the kind of voice that wrapped around you, inviting you to listen, to feel.

His voice carried that same hope the piano had hinted at-hope born from struggle. The lyrics spoke of journeys not yet finished. That maybe, it wasn't about sadness but about the journey through it.

"Everything I want feels out of reach, like chasing shadows,

And every day feels long as if time stretches on when I suffer,

But short, so short, when a little happiness finds me.

It's strange-how the days can feel endless yet disappear in a blink."

The other members began to appear one by one as June's voice carried the melody. They were all living their own lives, shown in quick but meaningful glimpses-Ren at a recording studio, Akira and Jaeyong in the practice room, Jisung in a recital, Zeth in school, Sehun in a busy convenience store, and Casper in a desolate farm.

Each of them moved through these spaces alone, yet there was something connecting them all, even if they couldn't see it yet.

Akira sang in a soft voice.

"I wonder if I could stop time, would I?

Could I do it all again?"

As the chorus approached, they began to dance. But it wasn't together. Each boy danced in his own world, separate from the others.

"I won't.

I won't do it all again.

What meaning would it have if it did?

Will I meet the same people?

Will I get to live the same life?

So, I'd rather be stuck in what I have

Than live in the uncertainty of not having this life.

It's tough, it truly is.

But it's mine."

The second verse arrived, and with it, percussion was added.

Again, they walked. This time, all eight boys were walking toward something unknown. The camera followed each of them, showing their faces filled with determination and their heavier steps despite not knowing where they were heading.

As they continued walking, the setting around them began to change.

"There are moments I wish I could rewind,

To take back the hard days, the ones that hurt.

But then I think, would it be the same?"

They entered a tunnel. It was dark-impossibly dark-so much so that it swallowed them whole. The only sound was the echo of their footsteps against the hard ground and and the song in the background. But still, they kept walking.

"Would I still meet you, still laugh at the same jokes,

Would the memories I cherish happen again,

Or would they vanish, like they never existed in the first place?

If I started over, would it be better-or worse?"

The song grew louder again, that hopeful melody returning. The darkness wasn't going to last forever. And just as that thought settled in, a faint light appeared at the far end of the tunnel.

It was small, barely more than a pinprick, but it was there. The boys saw it, too, each of them looking up, their eyes catching the glow. And they continued forward. The light grew larger, brighter until it wasn't just a distant hope anymore-it was something real and within reach. "Time moves fast and slow, pulling me in all directions,

But there's something about this life, even in the hard parts,

That makes me want to stay."

As they emerged from the tunnel, the music swelled. They found themselves on a stage, not grand or elaborate, but simple. There were no bright lights, no screaming fans. Just them and the open air. And then, the chorus came again.

"I won't.

I won't do it all again.

Because what meaning would it have if it does?

Will I meet the same people?

Will I get to live the same life?

So, I'd rather be stuck in what I have

Than live in the uncertainty of not having this life.

It's tough, it truly is.

But it's mine."

This time, they were together. All eight of them. The choreography was no longer just individual movements. They had finally come together after walking separate paths. The song soared with this chorus, the harmonies fuller now, their voices blending perfectly.

The bridge followed, quieting the music just a little, adding a reflective tone. The boys stood on the stage, and the camera zoomed in on each of them in turn. Their faces softened, small, almost imperceptible smiles playing at the edges of their lips.

One by one, they glanced behind them, looking back on their past selves. In a flash, their past lives pulsed on the screen. For a brief second, it was as if the boys were seeing themselves as they had been before. But just as quickly as those moments appeared, they vanished, like a memory being tucked away.

The camera zoomed out, capturing all eight of them together once more. The music slowed, the beat fading away, leaving only the soft piano that had started the song. The boys stood on the stage, their faces lifted toward the light, their expressions now calm.

Then, just like before, the screen cut-but it led them to a peaceful field this time around.

Then, their voices were heard.