A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 159

Although it was a familiar name, Dohyun didn’t react as if he knew her.

Yu Hana [reporter’s last name first] likely had her own private life.

“Get to work; you’re getting a call. Looks like it’s a reporter.”

“Ah, I will. Dohyun, fighting!”

The PR team leader hurriedly answered Yu Hana’s call.

“Yes, Reporter Yu. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

[Yes, I’m doing well. By the way… there’s a rumor going around that Dohyun will sing the official song for the next North American World Cup, so I’m calling to confirm.]

As expected, it was the exact question the PR team leader had anticipated.

“Oh my, if such an opportunity arises, we’ll be the first to announce it. We haven’t finalized anything yet.”

Embargoes must be respected until the official announcement. Prematurely revealing information out of eagerness could lead to complications.

[Hmm. Is that so? I’ve already contacted FIFA [Fédération Internationale de Football Association]. I heard it’s confirmed that Dohyun will sing the North American World Cup theme song.]

The PR team leader was somewhat taken aback. They hadn’t anticipated FIFA revealing their decision to a reporter first.

“Ah… is that so? Could I double-check and get back to you?”

[Yes, please contact me first after confirming, before any other media outlets do.]

In the industry, there’s an unspoken rule: the reporter who obtains information first gets the exclusive. However, the information shouldn’t be concentrated solely on that reporter to avoid accusations of bias between media outlets.

In the current situation, the PR team leader decided it would be best to grant the exclusive to Yu Hana and sent an inquiry email to FIFA. A response would take time, but it would buy them some breathing room.

* * *

“Dohyun, now that you’re in Korea, I have a proposal.”

Dohyun had a packed schedule in Korea. Despite diligently working on songs, more ideas kept surfacing. Knowing inspiration was fleeting, he jotted down even fragments whenever it struck.

While Dohyun was working on songs, Producer Lee Junhyuk, who had previously praised Dohyun’s progress, presented an offer.

“We’re planning Icarus’s comeback. Dohyun, you’ve been contributing to Icarus’s B-sides and title tracks, but would you consider overseeing the overall production?”

“…Pardon?”

Dohyun asked, looking somewhat flustered. Hearing he was on the right track was encouraging, but taking on the overall album production for Icarus, a group transitioning from rising to top-tier, felt like a significant responsibility.

“Can I even do it?”

“Your own album is practically finished, what are you talking about? Of course, you can. The Icarus members will be thrilled. Not only Icarus, but I want you to collaborate with me on dividing the production workload for other artists’ albums in the future. The CEO has already approved this.”

Producer Lee Junhyuk stated confidently. Dohyun considered how to respond to such confidence.

‘Should I accept? Or should I ask for time to consider? It seems I’m being recognized… hmm…’

As Dohyun pondered, Producer Lee Junhyuk made another enticing offer.

“Or, I have another proposal. Lily, the girl group from Hue Entertainment, is also making a comeback.”

Lily was a veteran girl group from Hue Entertainment, already at the top. However, despite their success in overseas expansion, they had never reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two. This was a point of disappointment for their fans.

Despite being the most influential girl group in Korea and releasing English songs, Hue Entertainment considered their peak position of number two on the Billboard Hot 100 a sore spot.

“Yes. Lily sunbaenims [senior artists] are making a comeback.”

“How about Dohyun working on Lily’s single? The goal is number one on Billboard.”

“…Me?”

“Dohyun, your collaborations with Sam Malark and Adion were successful, right? They’re still on the Hot 100 chart. You must be aware of how Hue Entertainment feels about Lily. This might be Lily’s last full group activity. Therefore, I want Dohyun to take charge of Lily’s single and secure that number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.”

Dohyun felt the weight of this proposal. His collaborations with Sam Malark and Adion had indeed been successful, but he believed it wasn’t solely his achievement. He acknowledged the significant influence the two artists held in the United States.

“To be honest…”

“That’s enough. Someone who has achieved so much with their talent shouldn’t lack confidence. Let’s work on Lily’s last full group song.”

The word ‘last’ particularly unnerved Dohyun.

Lily had already reached their peak, were the top girl group, and the members were thriving in their individual pursuits. Could he truly help them overcome the regret of reaching only number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieve the coveted number one spot?

Dohyun paused, lost in thought, before finally speaking.

* * *

“Big news.”

Reporter Yoon Min-hye was meeting with Reporter Yu Hana at a cafe on their day off, catching up.

Reporter Yoon, scrolling through social media, suddenly exclaimed and showed her phone screen.

“Sunbae [senior colleague], look at this! Isn’t this Dohyun’s studio?”

The screen displayed a social media photo of Jung-ah, a member of the girl group Lily. In the photo, Jung-ah was recording, and the background was instantly recognizable to Dohyun’s fans.

“Lily working in Dohyun’s studio… wow. Can we write an article about this?”

Reporter Yu Hana asked excitedly.

“Min-hye, you write the article. You saw it first. Should we do a fact check? But contacting the team leader on the weekend feels a bit much, right?”

Reporter Yu Hana hesitated about contacting Hue Entertainment’s PR team leader.

Reporter Yoon Min-hye suggested prioritizing writing the article over immediate fact-checking. Instead of an exclusive, she proposed announcing Jung-ah’s presence in Dohyun’s studio through a general social media update.

“Then I’ll handle the fact check. If I publish an article after yours, it’ll be more comprehensive. As a Honey [Dohyun’s fandom name], I’m so happy. How can I be so lucky with all these ‘rice cakes’ [pieces of information/news] dropping like this?”

“I know, right? Besides, Lily’s full group comeback is their first in almost four years, isn’t it? Of course, it could be Jung-ah’s solo album, but… seeing ‘full group’ attached to the hashtag, it seems like they’re coming back as a full group.”

“Probably? Oh, the team leader isn’t answering the phone. I guess it’s the weekend.”

“Then I’ll write the article first.”

Reporter Yoon immediately pulled out her laptop and began writing.

Reporter Yoon’s social media-focused article quickly appeared in the entertainment section of the portal site.

And it began to spread rapidly.

Lily Jung-ah, recording in Na Dohyun’s studio? #FullGroupComeback?

Weekends were nonexistent for those in entertainment companies. If an article broke on the weekend, the unwritten rule was to respond immediately. Even though the PR team leader was off, some PR team members were monitoring.

One team member who saw Reporter Yoon Min-hye’s article immediately called her.

[Yes, Reporter Yoon. I’m calling about the article. I was wondering if you could take it down. It seems Jung-ah accidentally spoiled the full group comeback.]

The PR team was always embarrassed when their artists accidentally leaked information.

The PR team member, deeming it premature to announce Lily’s full group news, called Reporter Yoon to request the article’s removal, but they were unsuccessful. Portal site regulations penalized media outlets for removing articles already featured on the main page.

“I’m sorry. It’s already on the main page, so I don’t think I can delete it. You know how difficult it is to take down an article once it’s been featured.”

Reporter Yoon decided to be bold. She then heard the PR team member’s flustered voice on the other end.

[Ah… that’s true. But, Reporter Yoon, is it possible to revise the article? Could you perhaps revise even just the title to avoid spoiling the comeback?]

“I didn’t write anything untrue; I simply reported what Jung-ah posted. I don’t think I can revise the article either. While we’re at it, let me do a fact check. Is it true that Lily is coming back as a full group?”

[Ah… since Jung-ah posted it on social media, I can confirm that the full group comeback is indeed true.]

The PR team member attempted to rectify Jung-ah’s mistake, but Reporter Yoon, a seasoned reporter, wouldn’t budge.

Reporter Yoon, encouraged by Reporter Yu Hana’s gesture to press further, asked another question.

“The background is Na Dohyun’s studio.”

[Heok…! How did you know it was Dohyun’s studio? By any chance… are you a fan or something?]

“If you’ve been an entertainment reporter for a long time, you’ll naturally know. You’ll also understand the fans’ reactions. Anyway, it seems Na Dohyun is in charge of the production this time? There were rumors, but I guess it’s confirmed.”

Faced with Reporter Yoon Min-hye’s confident questioning, the PR team member scrambled for a response, but the situation was already out of their control.

[Yes, Reporter Yoon… to be honest… I haven’t shared this with other media outlets yet… it’s true that Dohyun is overseeing the overall production this time.]

“Lily has been working on English songs, aiming for the Billboard Hot 100 chart. I know Dohyun’s English is quite good, so is he handling everything from writing and composing to producing?”

[Uh… that. I’ll have to check. I’m sorry. Anyway, it’s true that he’s working with Dohyun.]

Reporter Yoon gave Reporter Yu an ‘okay’ sign, noticing the PR team member’s flustered tone.

Reporter Yu smiled.

Being a ‘deokjil’ [passionate fan] of Na Dohyun is still fun.

Since you never know when and where the ‘rice cakes’ will fall, isn’t this what makes ‘deokjil’ so enjoyable!

“Thank you. Thank you for providing valuable information. Have a good day.”

As soon as Reporter Yoon Min-hye hung up, she released an official statement article at lightning speed. Hue Entertainment would be dealing with the fallout from Lily Jung-ah’s actions, but as a reporter, she was doing her job even on the weekend, which felt satisfying.

“Sunbae, how far will Dohyun really go?”

“Who knows. Maybe even the World Cup?”

“Heok. Sunbae, is that true? The rumor that Dohyun is singing the official World Cup theme song?”

At those words, Reporter Yu Hana opened her mouth.