[1. Get 100 fans
2. Trend on a social media app
3. Make a new friend]
June stared at his mission list and tapped his foot on the ground. Only two days were left until the audition, and he still didn't know what to do. He wanted to upgrade his skills in the meantime, but his first three missions were more difficult than he thought.
He can't possibly get 100 fans overnight, and he also can't get to the Navel trends without any reason. So, he had to settle with the last one—Make a new friend.
However, that, too, is a hard mission since June's not a very friendly person. As a thug, he made enemies. And the people in this neighborhood are downright crazy.
He sighed and plopped down on the couch, not knowing what to do. Aside from that, he also hasn't practiced for his audition stage yet. Heck, he doesn't even have a song picked out! June was sure that the other contestants, especially those with big entertainment companies behind their backs, were now in the process of getting their stage polished.
It was pretty obvious when the first season of Rising Stars first aired. The very few independent trainees had a less extravagant stage on the show. So, their screen time was also lesser. Meanwhile, idols from big companies had nice stage outfits and nicely-produced songs, garnering them more fans at the start of the show.
"Let's settle this," June said, opening his phone to look through some new songs.
"Labyrinth of Time" by CHRONO. Too high.
"Elysian Embrace" by ETHEREAL. Too low.
"Celestial Waltz" by ASTRAL. Too slow.
"Twilight Reverie" by LUNA. Too dancy. June can't dance well.
He groaned and leaned back against his old couch. Why are idol songs so complicated these days? Everyone's coming out with bizarre concepts because of the market saturation.
He decided to sleep it off and pull a last-minute decision, but his rest was interrupted when someone rang the doorbell. He groaned and got up from the couch, ready to curse out whoever interrupted his sleep.
"What the hell—"
"Take care of my grandson. I have somewhere to go," the old grandma from downstairs said, pushing the little boy inside his house. "I'll come back in the afternoon."
And just like that, she bolted from June's sight.
"Hey, grandma!" he tried to call out. "I can't babysit this kid for free!"
Grandma was already out of sight. June wondered how she could move so fast when she already had weak joints.
He had no choice but to close the door and take the kid in. He looked into his slanted eyes and frowned. It was the same kid that splashed coffee on his face!
He still hasn't recovered until now since Fu's stupid healing potion still hasn't been refilled.
"You're ugly," the kid said, causing June to resent him even more.
"Speak for yourself, kid. Just wait until you grow older."
The kid rolled his eyes and sat down on his couch. "Give me your phone. I want to watch something."
June raised his eyebrows. This kid had a lot of nerve.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Minjun," he snapped. "Now, give me your phone."
June shook his head. "No way, Minjun. Sit there and wait for your grandma."
Minjun's jaw clenched, and then he started crying loudly. June immediately covered his ears. However, it was futile as his tiny wails resonated in the small room.
"Stop crying, kid! What the hell do you want?"
Minjun pointed at the phone. "I can cry for hours if you want."
Minjun opened his mouth to cry once again, but June had enough at this point. He tossed his phone in defeat.
"Nasty kid," he spat.
"Ew," Minjun said. "What's this? Your phone's so old. Even my grandma has a better model."
June rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just stay quiet."
June watched as Minjun opened his phone and went to a video streaming platform. He scrolled through multiple streamers until he landed on a young teenage girl singing songs about…dinosaurs?
"Is this what kids like these days?" June asked.
Minjun nodded his head. "All of my classmates love watching this girl. If you want to be cool, then you'd have to know who Little Meow Meow is!" he smiled. It was the very first time he smiled at June.
And aside from being the spawn of Satan himself, Minjun looked pretty cute when he smiled.
The teenage girl dressed in all yellow sang an easy tune. The lyrics were perfect for kids, and the dance was easy to follow. That's why it must be so popular. June looked at her viewers and saw that a whopping two million people were tuning in.
"Holy shit," he cursed.
Minjun glared at him. "I'll tell you to my grandma."
June clicked his tongue. "Give me that," he said, snatching his phone and observing the teenage girl.
"Hmm," June hummed, suddenly thinking of a great idea.
Minjun smirked as he looked at the engrossed June. "She's good, right? I can tell you more about her most famous songs. I know all of them. I know all of the dances too."
June averted his focus from the phone to Minjun. "Alright, teach me," he said.
Minjun nodded his head, getting June's phone once again. "This is my favorite one—ABC Hip-Hop."
The two of them conversed about the popular streamer Little Meow Meow, and June thought that the kid wasn't as bad as he thought. Moments passed by like rapid lightning, and before they even knew it, Minjun's grandma was there to pick him up.
"Min! Let's go home," she said. Minjun reluctantly got up and walked to his grandma. He didn't want to show June that he was quite disappointed about leaving, so he stuck his tongue out before slamming his door shut.
June scoffed and shook his head.
That kid, really.
[Congratulations! You have completed the mission: Make a new friend. Please choose an aspect to improve.]
