A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 42

As Hyoseop and I simultaneously posted on social media, fans started flocking to Cheonggye Plaza.

While preparing for the performance, Hyoseop and I made sure to interact with our fans online.

After setting up the stage, I checked the time; it was 7 PM.

I found a good spot to film Hyoseop.

“Hello, everyone. I’m number 33 from ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer’! As you saw on the broadcast, this mission is…”

Hyoseop finished his opening remarks.

It was time for the performance to begin.

* * *

[Breaking News] Saw Dohyun and Hyoseop at Cheonggye Plaza today ㅠㅠ sob sob ㅠㅠ

Someone told me about the Cheonggye Plaza news, so I went and saw Dohyun and Hyoseop ㅠㅠ

Hyoseop’s live performance was amazing ㅠㅠ Voting is so hard ㅠㅠ How can I choose only one of them ㅠㅠ It would be so great if they came out as a duo… If that’s not possible, I really wish they would at least do a project together.

└ I’m saying the same thing ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Were you there too, fellow fan? ㅠㅠ

└ Dohyun filming Hyoseop with a camcorder and monitoring him today was so professional and cool.

└ I’m really into Dohyun and Hyoseop’s relationship. The number 17 jerk who was jealous of that ㅉㅉ

└└ He’s been turned upside down because of his private life ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He probably won’t be able to be a celebrity for life. He’ll probably just be a YouTuber.

└ Let’s only mention Dohyun and Hyoseop. Don’t mention unnecessary people.

└└ Are you perhaps a fan of number 17?

└└└ I’m not a fan, but I heard he’s good at suing people these days. I heard he’s making money from that?

└└└└ Your Honor, this post was written in Notepad…

└ Hyoseop’s live performance was really good. Why didn’t I know about the group Hyoseop was in, and why didn’t I know about Hyoseop? And Dohyun is also handsome, but when he’s with Hyoseop, they’re just wow… Their visual chemistry is amazing!

* * *

After Hyoseop’s performance, I helped him pack up the equipment.

Hyoseop said that after all the live broadcast competitions were over, he would help me or buy me a meal, and then we parted ways.

Instead of going straight home, I decided to go somewhere else.

That was the company’s practice room.

I needed to practice more, but helping Hyoseop had cut into my practice time, so I wanted to get some extra practice in.

When I arrived in front of the company building, my fans were waiting for me.

“Dohyun, you’re the best!”

“Na Dohyun is my star!”

“Be my universe!”

“You’re my galaxy!”

I was moved by their words of support and by the fact that I could be a source of strength in someone’s life.

I was grateful not only that I received inspiration from them, but also that my existence gave them strength, and that we gave and received from each other.

“Thank you all so much! Please go home before it gets too late! Thank you so much for coming here! Please support me for a long time to come!”

I finished my greetings and went inside.

As soon as I opened the practice room door, I started warming up my voice and preparing to sing.

“Ah, ah, a-i-u-e-o… Um! Um! Um-um-um-um-um!”

After warming up my voice, I realized that my condition was very good today.

I thought helping Hyoseop might have affected my condition, but it hadn’t at all.

My vocal cords hadn’t felt this good in a long time. It felt even better than during the competition.

Okay, shall we start practicing?

* * *

The busking preparations were going smoothly.

However, on the day of the busking, Huentertainment was thrown into chaos.

The number 17 participant, who had been eliminated due to his past behavior, gave an exclusive interview with the media, claiming that he had acted that way because numbers 23 and 33 had ostracized him.

Reporters immediately called Huentertainment’s PR team.

The article broke just three hours before the busking, and the reporters were in a frenzy.

Dohyun was doing his final check in the practice room when the PR team leader suddenly barged in to tell him the news.

“So, you’re saying I ostracized number 17 along with number 33?”

I had never heard anything so absurd.

In reality, number 17 had been deliberately picking fights with Dohyun from the start.

Dohyun was so dumbfounded that he carefully read through the media reports.

Number 17 claimed that he was kind to everyone, but that he was introverted and had difficulty approaching people, and that numbers 23 and 33 had been unkind to him from the beginning.

The article was filled with lies.

“Team leader, you know this is false. Anyone who watched the broadcast would know, so what is this…”

The PR team leader also looked incredulous.

“That’s right… No matter how much the PR team tries to explain, even with video evidence from the broadcast, once suspicions are raised, people start believing it. Dohyun, isn’t this the first time you’ve been caught up in rumors like this?”

Because he had been unknown until now, he had never been the subject of such rumors.

However, after appearing on ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer,’ he was now embroiled in false accusations.

“What’s the official response going to be?”

I assumed that a large agency would have a clear plan.

The PR team leader replied to Dohyun’s question.

“Of course, we need to coordinate with KBC [Korean Broadcasting Corporation, a major television network], protect Dohyun and participant number 33, and report number 17’s past actions… we need to state that we will respond to these false interviews with defamation lawsuits, right?”

“Then what happens to today’s busking?”

Since the busking location had been revealed in advance, there would be a lot of reporters gathered at the scene.

The reporters would write malicious headlines to get more clicks, and Dohyun and Hyoseop would be branded as bullies before the facts were even known.

“There’s no choice. Today’s busking is canceled. That’s why I came to let you know.”

The PR team leader waved his hand, looking helpless.

However, Dohyun wanted to meet the fans and express his sincerity through song.

“Do we really have to cancel it?”

“Otherwise, you’ll just become a victim of the reporters’ clickbait. Whether it’s true or not, it’s better to be careful. There are already many articles being written that copy the false interview. Huentertainment hasn’t released a statement to any media yet, but still…”

“Haa, I understand. If the busking schedule is postponed… then I won’t be able to perform at all this week, let alone on music shows.”

Dohyun’s mood, which had been excited at the thought of meeting fans up close soon, plummeted.

Number 17 was truly malicious. To create this situation with an exclusive media interview, even after his swearing, ridicule, and sarcasm had been exposed, was sickening.

‘Number 17, you bastard. I’m going to sue you for defamation or whatever.’

“The company will start defending you. We’re in contact with the KBC PD [Producer Director], and their PR team isn’t answering any calls and is in a video conference with us, so just wait. Absolutely no SNS, and tell participant number 33 as well. Then I’ll be going.”

After the PR team leader left, Dohyun checked his phone and saw that it was full of calls from unknown numbers. He rejected all of them and called Hyoseop. Hyoseop was also being bombarded with calls from reporters, so it took a while to connect.

– Hyung [older brother/male friend], did you see the article? Isn’t he crazy?

“I know, right? Today was the day I was supposed to do busking. It’s clear that he timed the article to come out today. It’s really creepy. I worked so hard to meet the fans.”

– I think number 17 is really out of his mind. He’s going to live in the same industry, but he’s acting so maliciously like this…

“Our company and KBC will handle this. I’m not going to respond at all and stay still, so don’t respond to anything until you enter the dorm. Don’t even answer calls.”

– The director already told me on the phone earlier. He said that if I write on SNS or do an interview saying that I’m upset, I’m likely to get caught up in a truth and falsehood battle and it will turn out badly.

“That’s right. It’s the first time I’ve been caught up in these rumors, but… people love creative controversies, right? Especially if someone who was kicked out for swearing turns out to have been bullied and their defense mechanism was activated, how great would it be for people to tear us apart.”

– Haa, I know! I’m really upset! I got caught up in this controversy just for saying a few words after seeing him act like that to hyung. It’s a bit much that the other participants, who know how hyung has been doing, aren’t helping. They must think this is their chance. If they cause controversy and lower the voting rate, it’ll be advantageous for them!

Hyoseop said, sounding very agitated.

Hearing those words, Dohyun tried to calm Hyoseop down.

“Those people also have their own voting rates to worry about, and you never know what they’re thinking. So they’re being careful. Don’t just look at it negatively.”

– Still. I would have stepped up right away if it were me.

“You already helped me once. I’m grateful for that too. I’m sorry that you seem to be getting hurt because of me.”

– It’s okay… Anyway, I’ll spend today quietly as hyung and the director said. I’ll turn off my phone, so if you need to contact me, please contact me via SNS secret message, hyung.

“Okay.”

Dohyun hung up the phone and sighed deeply, a sense of futility washing over him.

If he had done anything wrong, it was that he had dealt with number 17’s comments in a perfunctory manner.

He realized that it was a big mistake to think that it was okay to ignore him because he was young and arrogant.

He should have refuted him properly when he had the chance, and made sure that this kind of interview wouldn’t work at all, but why hadn’t he? Dohyun thought about his indecisiveness once again.

He wondered if he should practice more, but his head was too full of complicated thoughts.

Today’s busking was canceled, and the voting rate would likely drop until the truth came out.

Then other participants would rise in the ranks, and Dohyun’s fourth debut, which he had dreamed of…

“Ah, I want to swear.”

A curse word rose to the tip of his tongue. He felt like he wanted to punch a sandbag if there was one.

“What should I really do? Even if there are a lot of people like this in the entertainment industry, it feels really bad to be victimized. It’s not just bad… Hmph.”

No matter how much he thought about it, all that came out was a sigh.

Dohyun turned off his phone and tossed it aside.

He didn’t want to receive calls from reporters or family members.

How could he, who had experienced the ‘unknown’ days, suddenly be facing a ‘bullying’ controversy?

“Ugh… No, I can’t let this get to me. Tarot, let me borrow your power.”

Dohyun took out the tarot cards he had left in one corner of the practice room.

Just one card.

He would read his fortune and see what the future held with that one card.

After shuffling and spreading the cards, Dohyun chose the card that caught his eye.

Then he turned the card over.

[The Devil]

The Devil card?