From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" June exclaimed, already feeling frustrated.

"Oh, I just missed you a lot," Haruto answered. "I wanted to tell it right away but couldn't because I was too excited."

June massaged the bridge of his nose. "Well? Aren't you going to say it to me now?"

"Right," Haruto chuckled. "I almost forgot again!"

"Anyway, let me tell you the backstory first so you would know that my story is credible."

June pursed his lips. "Make it quick," he instructed.

"Yes, yes," Haruto responded.

"Anyway, ever since I found out that you were looking for the head of Phoenix, I started my thorough research."

"I barely slept these past few weeks because I was so engrossed in the case. It seems like it runs deeper than I had expected."

"Phoenix is a company that started back in the 1970s. It was started by a single man who had a passion for singing but couldn't pursue it due to practicality reasons."

"And how do you know about this?" June asked.

"Oh, it was briefly stated in a book about Phoenix's origin. It was only a small paragraph, but I pieced it all together."

"Moving on, it was said that the man built the empire on his own. He didn't have a rich family or business partners or anything like that."

"However, like an empire, it was bound to get bigger. Phoenix wasn't known for its entertainment company at first. It started as a cleaning industry-services, products, and things like that. Then, it became quite big, spreading to real estate, hotels, and oil, before it eventually established its entertainment company in the early 2000s."

"It still wasn't that successful then, but they never let it go. It only started booming in the mid-2010s, when they started debuting idol groups."

"So, Phoenix Entertainment is the black sheep of the Phoenix empire?" June asked.

"You could say that," Haruto responded. "However, from my readings, I would say that it's the head's first love. It was the one he wanted to keep the most, yet it seems like Phoenix grew into something that became out of his control."

"And that's the reason why he went into hiding?"

"Now, there's no explicit text about this, but I would say so," Haruto continued. "After the establishment of Phoenix Entertainment, I couldn't find any other accounts of him-like he vanished into thin air."

"I tried speaking to employees from other entertainment companies, especially the old ones, about whether they ever had any interaction with the head, but they couldn't bring themselves to speak about it."

"There's something suspicious there," Haruto said, feeling his frustration mounting. "But, they didn't divulge anything. It seems as if they also want to erase his existence in this world."

"Strange," June muttered. "Why would that be?"

"Right?" Haruto exclaimed. "That's my dilemma, too. Why are some hiding him while some are looking for him?"

"It feels like a paradox."

"He's also the one we're looking for, right?" June asked.

Haruto paused for a while, causing June to sigh.

"Come on," he said, clicking his tongue. "Stop creating suspense. We're not in a crime drama."

"Sorry," Haruto chuckled. "I've always wanted to try that."

"You say that he's the one we're looking for, right?" Haruto asked.

June hummed.

"That seems to be the case. That's what everyone thinks, and maybe, just maybe, that is the reason why no one has ever found him."

June's eyebrows furrowed, slowly piecing the puzzle together.

"It's not him," he said.

"He's...dead," June concluded.

"Fuck you," Haruto suddenly said, causing June's eyebrows to raise in surprise.

"Excuse me?" June asked.

"Sorry," Haruto sheepishly chuckled. "I wanted to reveal it myself, but you beat me to it."

June shook his head. "Alright, you can say it again."

"So kind!" Haruto exclaimed, going back to his 'true crime' character.

"He's...dead," he repeated, sounding like he just made the greatest revelation.

June gasped in shock, acting as if he hadn't made the conclusion himself. It annoyed him to the core, but hearing Haruto's chuckles made up for it.

"I was looking for a dead man!" Haruto continued.

"Then, one day, as I was continuing my research, I stumbled upon this very nice lady. It was a long day, and I was sitting on the ground. I looked like a mess, and she mistook me as a beggar."

"Understandable," June muttered.

"Wait, what?" Haruto asked.

"Continue," June instructed.

"Well, she looked at some of my research papers that had scattered and figured out what I was trying to look for."

"Fate is really funny sometimes," he chuckled. "Because it turns out that the lady worked for the very man himself!"

June raised one of his eyebrows. "And you believed her?"

Haruto cleared his throat. "Come on, there's no reason for her to lie, right? She had a

backstory and all."

June shook his head. Well, at least it was better than nothing.

"Alright, continue," he instructed.

"She became his maid when he became too busy with the company. She was the very first one

in their household!"

"She said that the man was very simple and had innocent dreams. However, the company grew out of his control, and before he knew it, it had strayed away from his original

intentions."

"It became what he dreaded the most, so he hid, only focusing on the important things."

"However, the pressure was still too much, and he died of an aneurysm back in 2011," he

concluded.

"She continued to say that not many know this, so it seems like a lot of people are still looking for him. Then, she proceeded to tell me to stop my search since it would be futile."

"I agreed with her," he ended.

June waited for him to continue, but Haruto remained silent.

"That's it?" June asked.

"What?" Haruto exclaimed. "I've already given you so much information."

"You have," June muttered. "But you told me that you had information about his

whereabouts!"

"Oh, I do," he chuckled.

"She told me where he used to live."

"In Dongdam," Haruto concluded.

June's ears rang as soon as he heard those words.

"In Dongdam?" June asked.

"Where I used to live?"

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