From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show
chapter-883

After revealing the anti-climactic clue, the cast members continued to look for the other clues. However, despite spending two grueling hours on searching, they still couldn't figure it out.

The group gathered beneath the towering mango tree, the hot sun beating down on them. It was already past noon, so the breeze felt more like they were in the air fryer.

Their white shirts were drenched in sweat, with Haruki even lifting it up to provide his body some ventilation. Uno sighed and curled up on the corner of the bench, also feeling frustrated. In fact, all of them were frustrated.

The only reward for their effort was three crumpled pieces of paper, each bearing a single word: "not," "the," and "same."

"It's ridiculous," Pablo exclaimed, staring at the words in frustration. "Why would they separate a clue like this? It could've just been on one piece of paper."

Hana shook her head. "How are we going to open the house with these three words?"

"We can't," Mimi said. "We need more clues."

"How many more clues do you think we still need to find?" Mei asked.

They turned silent since they didn't know the answer to her question.

No one did.

Then, they continued to slump beneath the shade of the tree. The large bed-like frame underneath provided just enough room for everyone to huddle together.

Mei wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, fanning herself with a makeshift fan she'd taken from a nearby tree. "It's so hot now," she complained.

Hana gave her a spray bottle. "Here, apply some sunscreen."

"Thanks," Mei muttered and generously sprayed the liquid sunscreen on her skin.

"Let me have a spray, too," Haruki said.

Hana nodded. "I have two of those, so we can all use it."

- These guys are so funny! They may not have a house, but they have sunscreen.

- They're setting their priorities.

"Why does June still look fine, though?" Pablo exclaimed. "Did you really search for the clues like us?"

"He did," Jisung said. "He even went up this tree. He's just like that."

Casper nodded in agreement. "He has insane stamina."

Joonie pursed his lips as the others showered June with compliments. While June appeared the same when he first got here, Joonie's make-up was slowly melting away with the intense heat! They really needed to go into the house soon so he could retouch himself.

Meanwhile, June noticed Jisung struggling to stay cool and pulled a towel from his bag. He gently placed it behind Jisung's back, treating him like a younger sibling.

Pablo, seeing the act of kindness, turned to June with a hopeful look. "Can you do that for me, too?" he asked, batting his eyelashes at June.

"No," Casper deadpanned, cutting off the request before June could respond.

- It has started.

- It's so sweet seeing June taking care of Jisung.

June then turned to Mei and also handed her a towel.

"Place it on your back," he said. "Getting dry with sweat can make you sick."

"Woah!" the others exclaimed.

June shook his head. "I'm just taking care of the younger members."

Mei felt her heart warm up. It was the first time June had done this to her, but somehow, it felt so familiar.

Joonie, who had been observing the exchange, saw this as the perfect moment to show his own kindness. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of water, holding it out to Mei. "Here, have some," he offered.

Mei shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. "I have my own, really. You should drink it."

Before Joonie could insist, Uno reached over and snatched the bottle from his hand without a second thought. "I'll take it," he said, tipping the bottle back and taking a long drink. "I had to pack my hairspray, so my water bottle didn't fit."

Joonie pursed his lips, his kind act quickly buried under the ground. With that, he let out a small smile and turned away, afraid that his facade would crack from annoyance. "What are we going to do now?" Jisung asked, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

Haruki stretched his arms above his head, leaning back against the tree trunk with a contented sigh. "I don't know about you, but I could sleep right here."

"Me too," Casper added, settling in more comfortably on the grass. "But we have to take into consideration what Ramil PD said. We're going to have a tough time for the next nine days. I'm guessing he won't grant us the house until we open it."

"But how are we going to do that?" Mei asked as she looked around at the others. "We don't have the key nor enough clues."

Before anyone could offer a suggestion, the silence was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound. All heads turned to June, who was looking away, his ears tinged, turning red.

"Was that you?" Casper asked, unable to hide the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

June quickly shook his head, suddenly feeling shy.

Jisung, ever observant. "You didn't get to eat breakfast, did you? You were packing your stuff

late last night because you got the notice late."

"June wasn't supposed to be here?" Haruki asked.

"Yeah," Jisung said. "He was informed late. Why are you so shocked, though?"

- Thank goodness for the last-minute changes!

- Whoever made June join the cast, I hope your food always tastes good.

Mimi, who had been quietly watching, suddenly felt a spark of concern in her chest. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a packet of ramyun, holding it up with a determined look. "I have ramyun!" she announced, her eyes lighting up. "I saw some pots behind the house. We can cook it."

Hana raised an eyebrow, trying to remind her of their earlier conversation. "I thought you wanted to save that for the last day."

Mimi waved her off. "I'm hungry too," she reasoned, already standing up and heading toward

the back of the house.

"Me too!" Jisung exclaimed.

Casper nodded in agreement.

But, in reality, they just couldn't bear seeing June go hungry.