From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

843  Karma and Bleach

Dan woke up with the sound of items clanging to the floor. He opened his eyes, his head pounding and his mouth dry. The smell hit him first—a mix of urine, stale vomit, and industrial cleaner. "What the hell?" he muttered. "What happened last night?" He felt like he had been hit by a truck and played with a bull right afterward! He blinked his eyes to focus them, and then his surroundings finally made sense.

He was slumped in the corner of a dingy bathroom, the tiles cold against his skin. His body ached, stiff from the awkward position he had been lying in. He groaned and tried to push himself up, but his arms felt weak as if an elephant slept on them. "Rough night, huh?"

Dan turned his head slowly toward the voice, squinting through the harsh light. A bald janitor stood nearby, leaning on a mop handle, looking down at him in annoyance. Dan tried to respond, but his throat was raw, and all that came out was a hoarse croak.

"Come on. Get up," the janitor said. "This is my last spot before I can go home." Dan's eyes widened in surprise. "What time is it?" The janitor frowned. "Past ten," he answered. "Shit," he exclaimed. "It's that late already? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

The janitor scowled. "It's not my fault you got shitfaced last night," he muttered. Dan frantically stood. His legs wobbled beneath him, and he almost fell forward, catching himself just in time on the edge of the sink.

As he did, his foot caught on something hard. He heard a splash and looked down to see that he had knocked over the janitor's bucket. The murky brown water spilled across the tiles, pooling around his shoes. "Watch it!" the janitor snapped. "Goodness, why do I have to stumble upon idiots every day and night?" he started ranting. Meanwhile, Dan was about to run out of the bathroom, but the floor was more slippery than he had anticipated. Before he knew it, he fell back down to the ground, swimming in the shallow pit of filth and vomit. The janitor looked at him with wide eyes, and he quickly pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing. Meanwhile, Dan gagged, the sight and smell almost too much for his already weakened stomach.

"Well, I'm not going to lie—that made my morning," the janitor smiled. Dan groaned and wrung out his clothes before washing himself in the sink. It didn't do much, as he still smelled like feces, pee, and vomit. However, he had no time to think. June. Mr. Kim. The VIP room. What had happened? How had he ended up in this state?

 He needed answers, but the fog in his mind made it hard to focus on anything for more than a few seconds at a time.

He pushed out of the bathroom and into the hallway, blinking in the brighter light. The hallway was deserted, and the club was quiet and empty now. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he fumbled to pull it out, his fingers still trembling. The screen showed a missed call from Lei, and as he stared at it, another message popped up. Come to the office. Now.

Dan swallowed hard, his mouth dry as sandpaper. He tried to remember, but the more he forced himself to recall, the blurrier the night became. He needed to get to the VIP room first. Maybe someone was still there. Maybe Mr. Kim had left a note, or maybe June was still around. Anything to explain what the hell had happened.

When he reached the VIP room, he pushed open the door and immediately felt his stomach drop. The room was empty. The lights were off, the tables cleared, the couches vacant. There was no sign of June, Mr. Kim, or any of the others who had been there last night. Dan cursed under his breath, his hand trembling as he reached for his phone. He needed to find June. But when Dan called, the phone went straight to voicemail. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He switched to calling Mr. Kim, but the call didn't even connect. It was as if Mr. Kim's number had been disconnected or, worse, blocked. His phone buzzed again, another message from Lei: Dan cursed once more, shoving the phone back into his pocket. As he walked back to the parking garage, he kept replaying the few memories he had of the night before. June, who was drugged and helpless on the couch. Mr. Kim, practically salivating at the sight of the idol. And then… nothing. He found his car parked where he'd left it, and he sighed with relief when he saw the keys still in his pocket. Sliding into the driver's seat, he could smell himself. It made him gag, but he forced himself to focus. He didn't have time to worry about how he smelled. "It's okay," Dan said, trying to calm himself down. "I'm sure they had a great time. I bet Mr. Kim is still with June." With his statement, his heart started calming down, and a smirk made its way to his lips. "That's right," he muttered. "The deal is as good as done. I just need to take the contract to Mr. Kim later to seal it." Then, he turned on his radio, the small space resonating with the sound of popstar Bobo Sawa's new song. "Karma and bleach. I threw it at your father! Nôv(el)B\\jnn

If I had a wish, I would have thrown it at your mother!" Dan bopped his head to the beat, finding the song really good. When he finally arrived, he parked haphazardly in the lot and hurried inside, ignoring the looks of disgust from the staff. "Gosh, what is that smell?" "That smells worse than my ex's apartment." "Crap. Who the hell let that guy in?" The door to the CEO's office was slightly ajar when he arrived. He hesitated for a moment. However, he quickly reassured himself and pushed the door open. Lei was sitting at his desk, his back to the door, staring out the large window behind him. The office was eerily quiet, and the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner. Dan closed the door softly behind him. "Mr. Lei," Dan started. "I came as soon as I got your message."

Lei didn't respond right away. He remained facing the window, his posture stiff, and his hands resting on the arms of his chair. Despite his initial courage, Dan found himself with sweaty palms. Slowly, Lei turned in his chair to face Dan. His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and piercing. "You smell like doodoo," Lei said, his tone even, almost casual. With that, Dan let out a chuckle. He was in a good mood! Lei must have called him to share the good news! "Yeah, rough night," he lightheartedly said. "But, uh, about the contract. Everything went well yesterday," he continued, nodding as if to convince himself. "Mr. Kim… he had a good time. We'll get the contract signed today, right?"

Lei's gaze didn't waver. He simply stared at Dan, his eyes narrowing slightly. Finally, Lei sighed, the sound long and weary. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Dan's. "Mr. Kim doesn't want to sign the contract anymore."