Chapter 34: Kindhearted Gangster
[Take it. Take it.]
Fu said over and over again in June's mind.
'Were you a thief in your past life?'
[Imagine what you could do with it, host!]
There were definitely a lot of things he could do with 10,000 dollars. For starters, he doesn't even need to think about his rent for the next few months! He can also buy another phone and replace the cracked and old phone he currently has. He can repay Grandma for all the meals she had cooked for him!
June can even accomplish the first mission on his list: Donate to charity.
He inspected the wallet once again and went through the IDs inside. He saw it belonged to the rich-looking lady a while back. Now that he thinks about it, the lady probably won't even feel a loss of 10,000 dollars.
But then again, he shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Besides, it wouldn't be good for his reputation if people found out he had stolen a wallet.
June brought out his taped-up phone from his pocket and typed in the number written on one of the ID cards.
[You're going to give it back?]
June ignored Fu and waited until the person on the other side picked up.
"Hello?" the familiar voice of the woman said.
"Hello, Miss Hana?" June asked.
"Umm, yes. Who is this?"
"I'm calling from Seven Star Convenience Store. It seems you have left your wallet here," he said. He couldn't help but sigh since he still felt that it was a shame.
10,000 dollars!
June never even had that amount of money when he was still with White Tiger. Sure, he had dealt with money as big as millions during negotiations, but he was paid with petty pennies compared to those.
"Oh, thank goodness," Hana said. "I thought I had lost everything. Thank you for calling me."
"Can you get it here? I'm still on my shift," he said.
"Of course," Hana exclaimed. "I was just in a restroom nearby. I'll go there right now."
"Alright," June said.
"Thank—"
June turned off the call before Hana could even finish her sentence. The girl, who was on her way back to the convenience store, looked at her phone with confusion. Did that guy really just abruptly end their call?
Does he not recognize who she is?
Hana smiled and shook her head in amusement. And to think he's returning her wallet. Other people would not have hesitated to keep the 10,000 dollars for themselves.
He must be a very kind man.
On the other hand, June can't stop sighing at the convenience store. Maybe he should have kept the wallet for himself. It didn't seem like Hana was frantically looking for it, either.
However, it does go against his principles. Even as a thug, he never stole any money from innocent people. He only ever stole money from those who deserved it. June believed that normal people who had no business with gangs and their world shouldn't be involved.
It didn't take long before the sound of the door chimes was heard, signaling the entrance of Hana. Hana had a wide smile on her face as she entered, already thanking June with her gaze.
"Here," June nonchalantly said. "I didn't take anything."
Hana chuckled at the young guy's cold demeanor. It felt refreshing not to be treated like a celebrity all the time.
"I'm sure you didn't," Hana said. "Thanks for being honest."
"I would have kept it if ya didn't tip me," he seriously said, but it elicited a chuckle from Hana.
"I like you," Hana suddenly said, causing June to raise both his eyebrows.
"Do you go around falling in love with people you don't even know?" he asked.
She shook her head. "It's not that kind of "like," young man. I just like that you brought this back to me. You seem very kind."
Kind?
June scoffed.
If only she knew.
"You're honest, too," she added. "Here," she said, suddenly bringing out a 500-dollar bill from her pocket. "A token for being a kind and honest man."
June wasted no time in taking the money and placing it in his pocket. Stealing from a normal citizen was something he didn't want to do, but when the blessing is right in front of your face, you shouldn't even hesitate to grab it!
"Thanks," he muttered. "Have a good day."
Hana looked at him, amused. "That's it?"
"What else do ya want?" June asked.
Hana chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. I'm just curious—do you not know who I am?"
June frowned in confusion. He looked at her face, but she didn't seem familiar.
"No," he honestly said.
Hana nodded and smiled. "That's nice. I'll get going then."
June merely nodded, causing Hana to chuckle once again. "I hope to see you around sometime!"
With that, she waved her hand and left the convenience store.
June sighed in relief since his shift was almost over. There weren't any new people coming in, too, so he decided to clean up while waiting for the owner to give him his salary for the week.
June first arranged the chips rack, then moved over to the alcoholic drinks. How he wishes he could drink tonight, but they were going to shoot for Rising Stars tomorrow. He looked at the soju bottle with longing, imagining its taste on his tongue.
He frowned, however, when he saw a familiar face on the soju bottle.
"Miss Hana?"
***
June's shift was now over, and he was already on his way home. He had a huge bag of gummies in his hand and quickly popped one in his mouth.
His eyes widened in glee when he tasted the cola-flavored gummy.
"These BenBen gummies are quite good," he muttered.
In the end, the owner could only pay him 500 dollars compared to the 588 dollars they agreed on. It was alright with June since he had gotten a pretty large tip from Miss Hana. However, he couldn't go home empty-handed, so he asked the owner to compensate him with BenBen gummies instead.
So, now, he had 10 bags of gummies in his possession.
They better help him grow at least 1 cm!
On his way home, he came across an orphanage, causing him to stop and stare at the old and knackered building. Somehow, it reminded him of the orphanage him and Mei Ling used to live in.
It had awful living conditions, and they fought for food every single day. However, the nuns who took care of them were kind enough to raise them well with love and care. Of course, that was difficult with the lack of funds they had, but they still tried their best.
When June entered the gang, he felt quite guilty, knowing the nuns raised them to be kind people. However, June believed he didn't have a choice. In the end, he wanted to give Mei Ling a good life.
To ease his guilt, June donated to the orphanage every month when he was still Jun Hao. That's probably one of the reasons he couldn't save a lot of money back then. But it was nice seeing the nuns that raised him smile in gratefulness whenever he donated.
June was reminded of his mission once again. Whilst chewing on his gummies, he brought out his wallet and saw the 1,000 dollars he had earned in a span of one week.
He had to spare 600 dollars for his rent from last month until the next month, so he was left with only 400 dollars left.
June wanted to buy some decent clothes for the filming of the show or maybe treat Grandma and Minjun before he went.
However, he heard the sound of children cheering from inside. June peered through the musty window and saw about 15 kids and 2 old caretakers sharing a vegetable dish on the table.
June sighed and brought out the 500 dollars that Hana gave him this morning.
"This wasn't supposed to be mine anyway," he muttered.
[Mission Success: Donate to Charity]
[Please pick one aspect to improve.]
"Dance."
[Wise choice! Dance + 1. Current grade: D+]
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SandKastle
SandKastle June's just a little guy. Hope you're liking the chapters! June's going back to continue filming Rising Stars tomorrow!
NEW BOOK IS OUT!
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Chapter 35: First Episode
"Don't mess up," Minjun said. "You need to be famous. You're going to end up as a street thug if this doesn't work out."
If this kid only knew.
June rolled his eyes. "Yes, big brother."
Minjun smiled. "That's good, kid. You should do well since you've been fed good meals by my grandma."
"Don't listen to Minjun," Grandma said. "You should take care of yourself well while you're in the competition. At least I wouldn't worry about your meals since they must be feeding you there."
June nodded. "Thanks," he muttered. He doesn't express his gratitude often, but Grandma has done a lot for him since he gave her a cup of coffee.
"We'll continue to watch you on our TV," she smiled.
With that, June left the apartment building, putting a black face mask on. He fixed the duffel bag on his shoulder and walked to the train station to go to the Azure building.
Today was the airing of the first episode of Rising Stars, and after this, their missions would be given out as well. Honestly, June wasn't excited to watch himself on the big screen. He could already imagine his audition and attempt at dancing.
He glanced at his watch and saw he arrived later than their call time. Well, he still did not have a manager who could transport him, and the train arrived longer than usual.
June was given a schoolboy outfit at the main door and instructed to wear it. He went to the dressing room and quickly changed before heading to the amphitheater. He also placed his signature pink mask, newly-washed courtesy to Grandma.
As he arrived, he was greeted with the sight of the 99 boys he would live with for the next few months. He tried to find a seat as discreetly as possible, but it was practically impossible, with C-Jay and Jangmoon screaming his name.
"Brother June! Brother! Here, here! We saved a spot for you," C-Jay screamed, getting the attention of the other trainees.
June pursed his lips together.
"Our big brother is here!" Jangmoon boasted. "He's the one who led our team to victory! Who would have thought the zero-stars would win against all the other levels?"
The other zero-star trainees exclaimed in agreement, obviously elated with the results they had achieved last week. June wandered his eyes around until he saw Jisung. He saw a vacant seat next to him and sighed in relief.
June ignored the zero-star trainees and walked over to Jisung. Jisung looked at him with wide and bright eyes.
"You're not sitting with them?" he asked.
"Too noisy," June said, focusing his gaze on the front.
Just then, the intro of the signal song started playing, startling some of the trainees.
"Ah, that scared me!" Zeth exclaimed. Ren laughed by his side while the other trainees who wanted to suck up to the five-stars reacted the same way.
Just then, the door opened, causing the trainees to look around. They gasped in surprise when they saw the popular idol Mimi from the first season of Rising Stars! She was part of the group Girls' Evolution but became a solo artist when their contract expired two years later.
"Oh my! It's Mimi," Jisung gasped. "She's so pretty."
"Mimi!" the other trainees exclaimed.
Mimi smiled and walked down the stairs. She stopped for a second when she arrived at third row. June made eye contact with her, and a small smile appeared on her lips. However, June was too focused on getting the itch on his back that he didn't even notice.
She went to the front and smiled at the trainees. The guys were immediately mesmerized by her beauty. At the end of the day, they were still boys. June glanced at her and quickly looked away.
Too young.
She really looks young.
"Good day, dear trainees! You have made it past the initial phase of Rising Stars, and we are now on the first episode! We shall watch the episode together, and the initial rankings will be revealed in the end."
The trainees murmured to themselves. Jisung fiddled with his fingers and leaned closer to June.
"I'm nervous, brother. I want to rank high."
"You will," June said.
It was obvious. Jisung came from a big company. He looked pretty and handsome at the same time, and he wasn't talentless.
June's guessing he will get into the top 15, at least.
The first episode started, and the trainees tuned in, hoping for a decent amount of screen time. The first trainees who entered already felt boastful that they could open the show. The extravagant stage was shown on screen, and the trainees exclaimed in awe even when they'd already seen it before.
Then, the mentors were mentioned, eliciting some cheers from the crowd.
Jisung was the first trainee to be shown. The trainees exclaimed when they saw his face on the big screen.
Ah, as expected. Handsome trainees are different.
His stage was amplified by the effects and the editing, and by the end of it, everyone thought his level was well-deserved.
The auditions continued, and everybody knew the show was already guaranteed to be a hit.
Ye-jin and Yena monitored the reactions online and couldn't be happier. Both hate and praise were being thrown around on social media platforms.
And if that's not a sign of success, then Yena doesn't know what is.
After the lukewarm performances, it was time for the segment of "funny and untalented" trainees. Mike was the first to be shown, and the trainees burst into laughter at his attempt to dance. It only continued after that. The stages of the zero-star trainees were shown, and the room was filled with laughter with every performance.
Even Mimi was laughing in her seat.
However, when C-Jay was shown on screen, the room had turned silent. This was the time when the mentors gave the trainees some scolding.
June knew what was coming next.
Somehow, he wished his performance would be shown on the next episode—just so the other trainees couldn't watch it live. However, his hope was shattered when the screen showed him entering the stage.
Some of the trainees cheered, the zero-stars being the loudest, as he introduced himself.
"Umm, trainee June?" Bone said. "This mask. Is it a concept?"
June nodded. "Yes," he said. "I like cats."
June sighed when the trainees laughed once again.
"You're hilarious, brother!" Eli exclaimed from the back.
Mimi even turned around to look at him. Since she saw their signal song performance on TV, she had grown more curious about June. How could someone wear a mask during an idol survival show? And to think he actually has a good voice.
Mimi definitely thinks June is one trainee to look out for.
June's audition started, and the initial laughter turned into awe.
'He really sings well,' Mimi thought.
Ren sighed. "I think he sings better than me," he whispered to Zeth.
"Eyy, I thought you were confident in your skills, hmm?" Zeth teased. "But he does sing quite well. Even in their signal song performance, his voice stood out."
Jaeyong and the RAVEN members watched him intently too. Jaeyong still didn't feel like June was taking Rising Stars seriously and didn't want to get close to people who thought this competition was just for fun.
However, he does recognize that June could sing well.
June kept silent as he watched his performance. He sounded quite good and wanted to give himself a pat on the back. However, he knew what was about to come next.
The Little Meow Meow song played, and he started moving to the beat. The trainees burst into laughter once again, tears in their eyes as they watched June's pathetic attempt at dancing.
"Ah, you're so cute, brother," Jisung giggled by his side.
June sighed and clenched his fists from the cringiness he was feeling. How could the editors add meowing sounds and hearts floating through the screen during this performance?
"So cute!" Jangmoon whispered, smitten. "How come I didn't notice that our big brother is so cute until now?"
"You know you're older than him by one year, right?" Mike retorted by his side.
"A more talented brother is a big brother."
By the end of his audition, the room was practically in shambles. The real-time rating of the show soared to an all-time high, too, and the comments on the live stream were phenomenal.
- This kid! Does he think this competition is a joke or something?
- I really like his voice! And his dancing was so cute, too.
- I'm becoming more curious about this guy.
- He can't dance for shit, kekeke. But his voice is the main vocal material.
- Ugly. He's definitely ugly. No one could have a voice like that and be handsome.
- I'm becoming a fan <3. I'm so sad I didn't give him stars during the preliminaries.
The trainees quickly stopped laughing when they saw that the rankings were finally going to be announced. They focused their attention on the screen, hearts pounding in nervousness.
100. Eli
Eli felt his breath get stuck in the back of his throat when he appeared to be last. He tried to smile, but he was obviously devastated by the results.
After that, more trainees from the zero-stars were on the list.
June frowned when it was already in the 50th rank, yet his name still wasn't shown. He was expecting to rank around that place since he still doesn't have a lot of individual fans.
37. Minx
36. Hoon
35. June
His eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw himself at the 35th spot.
That was higher than expected.
"Congrats, brother," Jisung sincerely said.
"Thanks," June muttered.
On the other hand, Hoon couldn't help but fume at the results. 36th? After he became the center of the three stars? And how could that faceless trainee from the zero-stars rank higher than him? This might be some kind of joke!
Starting from the 30th, the rankings was filled with handsome or already-known trainees.
14. Jinsol
13. Steel
12. Jisung
11. Bin
June knew it. If Jisung stands out even more in the future, there's a guarantee he's going to debut.
"Congrats," June said.
"Ah, thank you, brother! I never expected my rank to be this high!"
After that, the top 10 trainees were shown. These were the trainees that had the highest chances of debuting.
10. Lin Zhi
Lin Zhi proudly smiled when the people around him started congratulating him. June, on the other hand, felt like this situation was laughable. He couldn't believe the guy who contributed to killing him made it to the top 10!
9. Alex
8. Jaxon
7. Hyunwoo
6. Leo
5. Yuri
4. Ren
3. Jaeyong
2. Casper
1. Zeth
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Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
32 Power
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