A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 25

After the rehearsal, the ten contestants waited in the green room, undergoing final coordination and preparations.

For the audience, the event would unfold as a two-hour concert, showcasing 20 songs followed by post-performance evaluations.

Dohyun’s gaze drifted towards contestant number 17, the one who had needled him during the rehearsal.

She was laughing and chatting animatedly with her teammates, seemingly carefree.

Just then, Hyoseop, seated beside him, leaned in and whispered, “You know I believe in you, right, hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

“Thanks.”

Hyoseop straightened up, facing forward again.

Seeing this exchange, contestant number 41 inquired of Dohyun, “You two seem quite close. You must be relieved to both be in the top 10.”

“Number 23 is really good to me. He’s the best!” Hyoseop chimed in cheerfully.

Dohyun simply smiled, a silent acknowledgment between them.

The empty stage was displayed on the monitor.
A fleeting glimpse of the audience entering the venue appeared on the screen.

‘What’s more important than getting caught up in a childish rivalry is my performance. I have to give it my all on stage tonight.’

Dohyun resolved to captivate the audience and viewers with his performance.

* * *

[Request for Help] I’m a Na Dohyun fan. Verify your vote for him, and I’ll verify streaming your idol. Help me out!

[Request for Help] Real-time live voting: vote for Na Dohyun, and I’ll stream your music!

[Request for Help] #1111 Na Dohyun ㄱㄱ [Korean abbreviation for “go go” or “let’s go”]. I’ll stream your singer’s music.

[Request for Help] …

┗Na Dohyun seems to have quite a few fans?

┗Na Dohyun deserves to be in the top 10, so why was he so underrated?

┗His backstory is so complicated. Maybe it’s because he named himself ‘Nameless’?

┗Are any Dohyun fans taking photos today? Does KBC [Korean Broadcasting Company] feature them often?

┗I brought my cam and camera. Is a knee-cam [camera positioned at knee level] possible on the second floor of the 88 Gymnasium?

┗Knee-cam is totally possible.

┗Please ㅠㅠ If there are any photographers who went to take pictures of Hyoseop, please take pictures of our Dohyun too ㅠ

┗Please222 Our fandom is the Higgs boson [referencing a fundamental particle, implying a small but powerful group], and top-seed Lavita Dohyun couldn’t get a ticket until the last minute ㅠㅠ Please save our Higgs boson fandom. I’ll bow in your direction.

* * *

Once the audience was seated, the live broadcast commenced.

MC Hayeonho bounded onto the stage.

The audience erupted in cheers and applause.

“Wow, amazing. Hayeonho is the MC?”

“The announcement came out ages ago… how did you not know?”

“You might not know. The singer lineup is great today too. I’m personally looking forward to Coast.”

“I like Ocean. Ocean has such a unique vocal style.”

The audience’s reactions were being broadcast live.

The live broadcast’s chat window was also buzzing with activity.

Dohyun’s fans, known as the ‘Higgs boson,’ were relentlessly posting messages urging people to vote for Dohyun.

The same went for Hyoseop, who had a slightly larger fanbase than Dohyun. Both sides kept a watchful eye on each other, refraining from outright vote-buying tactics like streaming verification, but they were still showing their support.

“Thank you to everyone participating in the first live broadcast of ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer’! This event was made possible because of your passionate interest even before the broadcast!”

“Kyaaaa!”

“Na Dohyun!”

“Hyoseop, your sister is here!”

“Hyoseop, your brother is here too!”

“Our Seona noona [older sister], descend as the goddess of Hongdae [a vibrant cultural district in Seoul]!”

The diverse shouts continued.

The scene was amusing, and laughter rippled through the 88 Gymnasium.

Hayeonho continued, “Thank you for your enthusiastic support! Now, let me introduce the mentor panel. Judges, please come up on stage!”

Ocean, Sisters, Seonhwaseung, and two others ascended the stage.

“Okay, Ocean, please give your stage greeting.”

“Hello. I’m Ocean, a singer with 25 years since my debut. Please take care of me! Please pay close attention to the performances, and if you have the chance, please vote in real-time….”

“Next, please greet in order!”

After the greetings concluded, Hayeonho informed the audience of the rules for the broadcast.

“There’s something you need to be aware of during today’s broadcast. All real-time votes must be submitted using numbers. If you liked number 1’s performance, you need to send the number 1 to #1111.”

As soon as Hayeonho finished speaking, the real-time chat window exploded with messages.

Usually, survival programs conduct real-time voting using the names of the participants, but ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer’ was taking a different approach.

“For those of you who are confused, shall we practice once?”

Numerous messages flooded into #1111.

“Everyone, don’t worry, the messages you’re sending now are not charged. We’ve made sure that you won’t be charged until the stage starts! Also, don’t worry, they won’t be counted in the voting!” Hayeonho added. The chatter in the chat window subsided slightly.

“Now, shall we meet the first team? It’s mentor Coast and two mentees’ performances!”

* * *

Dohyun’s team was fortunate enough to be placed last.

Dohyun felt a surge of nerves, knowing he was about to perform on live broadcast for the first time in a while.

Dohyun’s leg bounced slightly.

Noticing this, Hyoseop, who was sitting next to him, said with a reassuring expression, “Number 23, you know there’s nothing to the stage, right? You’re the one who told me to perform with confidence, yet you’re shaking your leg.”

At those words, contestant number 41’s gaze turned to Dohyun’s leg.

“Number 23, you seem very nervous.”

Dohyun honestly admitted how he was feeling. “I thought I wouldn’t be nervous, but suddenly I’m shaking. I wish I had performed first instead of last. I’m performing after number 41… it’s the ending song. People will have high expectations for the ending song, so I’m worried about whether I can deliver.”

“You’ll do great. We know it, and Sisters knows it too. And being selected as one of the 10 out of 1,000 is really difficult.”

“Number 41, we’ll start preparing for your stage!”

Number 41 rose from his seat and smiled. “Then, number 23, I’ll see you after the stage.”

The monitor showed Sisters and number 41 on stage.

The two singing ‘One Day’ with a rocking message were refreshing.

The audience’s reaction was enthusiastic as they delivered an intense performance near the end.

Until now, other teams had mostly sung ballads or medium-tempo songs.

They might have been expecting a stage like this.

Dohyun carefully watched the stage and headed backstage at the voice of a staff member calling his name.

‘I have to win.’

The real-time voting results were not being revealed.

That’s why he had to be even more careful on stage.

“Okay, number 23, you can go up.”

At the staff’s words, Dohyun walked onto the stage.

After bowing politely to the audience, Dohyun offered a slight smile to Sisters.

Dohyun, making eye contact with Sisters, began to sing in earnest.

As Sisters’ voice and Dohyun’s soulful voice created a beautiful harmony, the audience closed their eyes and listened intently. It was a sweet and moving blend.

The few Dohyun fans shed tears at Dohyun’s voice, which they hadn’t heard in a long time. The audience reaction camera carefully captured their emotional expressions.

After the stage, the audience rose to their feet, giving a standing ovation. It was the only performance to receive a standing ovation during today’s competition.

Dohyun repeatedly thanked them and went backstage.

* * *

“Oh my, oh my! My kid is number 23. Don’t forget to vote for #1111, 23. Our Moomyung [meaning “nameless” or “anonymous,” referring to Dohyun’s stage name] must do well.”

Dohyun’s parents were hosting an apartment neighborhood meeting.

As Dohyun was on stage, they had volunteered to hold the neighborhood meeting.

Even offering to cover all the incidental expenses.

Initially, Dohyun’s parents had opposed his path as a singer, but they knew that they couldn’t break their son’s will.

“Sister, is this right?”

[#1111 Tree Name]

“No, send it with #1111 as the recipient and just write 23! Don’t write Tree Name!”

“Please give us your precious vote.”

“Honey, did you post it on the internet too?” Dohyun’s mother asked her husband.

Dohyun’s father nodded with a confident expression. “Of course. I posted it on cafes, bands, and stuff like that. Those people are verifying their votes now. But our son, his skills seem to have improved since he went in there, don’t you think?”

“That’s right. Our son has worked really hard.”

“It must be nice to have a good son, you two! Our son says he wants to be a celebrity, but he’s worried because he has no talent.”

“Oh, still. Your son is handsome.”

“Your son is handsome too?”

In the midst of their friendly bickering, Dohyun’s stage ended.

Applause rang out in the audience, in the apartment neighborhood meeting, and within Dohyun’s fan club ‘Higgs boson’.

Staff members came on stage and tidied up the set.

Soon, MC Hayeonho reappeared.

“The first live competition has just ended! Everyone, did you enjoy the performances?”

“Yes!”

“It was really good!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever see a concert like this!”

“23! 23! 23!”

“Kyaaaa! Number 41 unni [older sister]! I love you!”

“I understand the passion of the audience, and which stage you liked the most. Now, in 5 seconds, live voting will be closed. Shall we all count down together?”

“Live voting and audience voting are now closed. Even if the audience presses the button now, it will not be counted in the vote. We adhere to the principle of fair score disclosure. Ah, the PD [production director] is saying in my ear that he’s very busy right now! That’s right. For a fair evaluation, he has no choice but to be busy now. He says there are a few minutes left until the results are announced. Let’s call the mentors and participants back onto the stage.”

At those words, 10 participants and 5 mentors returned to the stage.

Dohyun, who had just finished performing, was still sweating.

The team that performed first looked relatively relaxed.

Noting the contrast in their appearances, Hayeonho directed a question to number 23.

“Number 23, you closed out the show. Any comments?”

“Haa… it was a stage where I truly gave it my all. I’m confident that I’ve delivered a performance that is worthy of the time I’ve invested in preparing for this stage, and that the text message costs of those who voted for me are not wasted!”

“That confidence is admirable. Ah! Everyone! The PD just informed me! The vote count is complete!”

Hayeonho scanned the audience and announced, “It’s time for the results! Everyone, are you excited?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s get to it.”

The youngest FD handed Hayeonho the cue sheet containing the results.

Hayeonho smiled as he opened it and began, “The number one team of today’s stage is….”

Dugudugudugudugu [onomatopoeia for drumroll]!

Every eye in the audience was fixed on Hayeonho.

Then Hayeonho shouted, “See you in 300 seconds!”