A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 147

For my personal YouTube channel’s first piece of content, I chose a vlog to showcase my daily life.

For the second piece, which would be less frequent, I decided on a tarot general reading. A general reading is a tarot reading for a broad audience, done for entertainment purposes [rather than a personal consultation]. Many tarot readers on YouTube were already doing them.

I wanted to focus on topics like financial luck or upcoming good fortune in people’s lives.

“What do you think about my second idea? I’m thinking of doing a vlog every two weeks and a general reading once a month. Besides that, we could upload song cover videos or something similar.”

I’m currently in a meeting with the content production team.

The plan is for me to film the videos, and then the production team will edit and refine them before uploading.

If we do that, there will be a consistent stream of content throughout the month, which should satisfy the fans.

“Great. Do Hyun’s idea is really good. I think we can move forward with this. We’ll be filming some things too, so besides the vlog and tarot general reading, we’ll be uploading a variety of content!”

“Thank you! I appreciate your support in advance.”

“So, for the vlog, are you planning to film directly with your phone to capture a more authentic, ‘in the moment’ feeling?”

“Yes. Not only my phone, but I’m also planning to buy a dedicated camcorder. I’m going to buy equipment that’s good for filming, even if it’s not necessarily 4K quality.”

“You could buy that with company money! Or you could lease the equipment long-term!”

I shook my head at the production team’s suggestion.

“I think it would be much better to use my own equipment. I’d be more familiar and comfortable with it. Ah! For the tarot readings, filming with my phone camera should be good enough, so I’ll film with my phone and send you the video!”

With that, the meeting between the production team and me ended.

I practiced tarot general readings a few times as a test. Since there’s a three-day penalty for every three cards [referring to some in-universe game or rule], I limited the tarot upload video to once a month.

To draw three cards from each of the four suits [in a tarot deck] and do a reading, it would take about 12 days. Uploading every half month would also be good, but I might end up reading my own future too much, so I decided to do a monthly general reading of the monthly fortune.

“It’s good that you’re doing so many different things as a singer; it means there can be a lot of content,” Hoya-hyung [older brother or close male friend] said. He looked bored during the meeting, so I thought he wasn’t listening, but it seemed like he was concentrating in his own way.

“I thought you weren’t listening to the meeting, hyung.”

“Not listening? I was listening intently. It’s something my singer has to do, and helping with the filming is one of the things I have to do. Thanks to you, I’m going to be busy, so of course I have to pay attention.”

It sounded like he was grumbling a little, but I just laughed.

“I won’t make you suffer too much, hyung. You know me, Na Do-hyun. You know what that means, right?”

“But with the 20 weeks of weekly video shoots going out as self-produced content, tarot readings, vlogs… can you really do it all alone? Are you really okay? I’m worried you’ll overwork yourself.”

“Hyung, I’ve handled even tougher schedules than this! You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m worried as a close hyung, not just as a manager. Really. You’re either in the studio or out filming content; it’s not easy to keep up with this kind of schedule.”

“Hyung, the popularity I have now wasn’t easily obtained. It was earned by working like a dog. So, there are many people who expect that kind of image from me. That also means I have to work that much. Anyway, don’t worry!”

Hoya-hyung looked at me with a pitiful expression, which made me a little uncomfortable. I know that popularity can disappear someday, and I know that I can’t become an all-time legend, so I want to hold on to my fans even more. Even if other things might be terrible, I know better than anyone that I have to do well in my main job and provide good fan service!

“Ah, now that I think about it, I’m sorry to bring this up when I’m worried about you being busy. Do you have any thoughts about auditioning?”

Hoya-hyung suddenly brought up something unexpected. Audition? Does he mean appearing as a contestant on another audition program?

“Audition? What audition? Are you talking about auditioning on TV, or something? Or an audition that goes into YouTube content?”

“It’s not that, but do you know the musical ‘Yoon Dong-ju’?”

Speaking of “Yoon Dong-ju,” I know it as a creative play about the Korean poet Yoon Dong-ju, which is quite popular. Could it be that the production company has offered me an audition?

“Hoya-hyung, are you saying it’s an audition offer for ‘Yoon Dong-ju’?”

“That’s right. They offered you an audition for the role of Yoon Dong-ju. This play’s run is short, about a week. If you pass the audition, you’ll be on stage for about 3 days. However, we said we’d consider it because your basic vocal style isn’t musical vocalization, so it seems like it would take quite a while to prepare.”

“That’s true. Musical vocalization and pop vocalization are fundamentally different. I think I could do musicals if I learned a little bit, but it’s not just any play, and I’m interested because it’s ‘Yoon Dong-ju,’ which I’ve seen before.”

“You’re really a workaholic. At that point, I was really worried about whether to bring it up.”

“Hyung, don’t worry. You know I’m not the kind of person who collapses that easily. I’ve emphasized it so many times! So, what’s the schedule for the audition?”

“The audition is the day after tomorrow.”

“So I have to memorize some of the songs by then, right?”

“Uh, that’s right. Just in case, the management team has prepared it because you might accept it. And you really accepted it.”

I nodded and continued.

“If a good opportunity comes, I have to take it. I’ve always wanted to do a musical!”

* * *

The day of the audition for the role of Yoon Dong-ju in “Yoon Dong-ju.”

The musical audition was held at the National Theater near Jangchung-dong.

I learned musical vocalization from a vocal trainer in a short time of only half a day and memorized the song from “Yoon Dong-ju.” I prepared to memorize the most famous song, ‘Leaf’.

I was so busy preparing ‘Leaf’ that I recorded the entire process of practicing the song to release to fans after the musical.

“Oh, why am I so nervous? Will the audition go okay today? How’s your condition? You didn’t get much sleep.”

Hoya-hyung was acting up as if he were me. It’s understandable because there have been several singers from HU Entertainment who have challenged musicals, but “Yoon Dong-ju” is one of the most famous works among the great works. It was a work that could be said to have drawn a line in the Korean creative musical world. Hoya-hyung was so nervous that a singer from HU Entertainment was auditioning for the main character role in such a work that he bought medicine to relieve his tension.

“Hyung, shouldn’t I be taking that medicine?”

“I’ve already prepared yours. Don’t you want to take it?”

“If I take that, I might not be nervous enough and mess up. There will be famous musical actors coming to audition; I have to be nervous. I’m not the only one auditioning.”

“That’s true, but you never know. It might be better if you’re not nervous.”

I just smiled. If I showed my skills as I had practiced, I had a subtle confidence that I would not be eliminated from the audition. The vocal trainer praised my musical vocalization, saying that I was a prepared talent and that I was sure to be cast in “Yoon Dong-ju.”

“Hyung, I’m at my most confident right now. Don’t worry. You seem to be more scared than I am these days when I look at you. You don’t have to be.”

“You don’t have to be! You have to be! Of course! It’s not strange for a manager to worry about the celebrities they’re in charge of!”

Hoya-hyung worried about me and tried to take care of me like family, but sometimes I felt burdened by it. I knew Hoya-hyung’s loyalty and affection, but I wondered if he thought of me as a child.

“Hyung, I’m not a child,” I said firmly. Then Hoya-hyung said that he knew that and showed his concern again.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll do well.”

“Na Do-hyun, please come in for the audition.”

A staff member came just in time and called my name.

I entered the performance hall where the audition was taking place.

The judges were looking at me with quite interesting expressions.

The reason they suggested the great work to me was because I had won a Grammy Award and every song I released was on the Billboard charts. The production company put in the audition offer because the topicality of the name ‘Na Do-hyun’ was so great that they thought it could boost ticket sales.

My side replied, “I don’t know what will happen because the schedule is busy,” but I actually came to the audition, so they were gathering expectations on what kind of skills I would show.

“Na Do-hyun, what song have you prepared?”

“I’ve prepared ‘Leaf’.”

“You’ve prepared the main song.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It must have been difficult because the preparation period was short?”

The judge asked seriously. I said I was okay and then started singing in earnest.

Accurately picking each note without accompaniment, I sang.

As if I had become Yoon Dong-ju, I sang with emotion, emphasizing each word.

Unlike auditions that usually only look at one or two bars, the production company watched me sing until the end.

I sang ‘Leaf’ from beginning to end because there was no instruction to stop the song.

I finished singing one song like that. Sweat was dripping from my face.

“Thank you for your hard work, Na Do-hyun.”

“Thank you for listening!”

“The audition results will be given to you individually tomorrow.”

“Yes! I understand!”

I bowed and came out to the waiting room.

Hoya-hyung asked in a fuss, “How did it go?”

“I think I completed the stage more perfectly than I thought.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

“They said they’ll contact me individually tomorrow with the results.”

“Oh! Really? I’ll have to be nervous until tomorrow.”

“Hyung, don’t be too nervous. Let’s go to the company.”

“Again? To work?” Kang Ho asked in shock. I smiled and replied, “The fans are waiting, so I can’t not work, right?”