A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 35

Only then did a smile appear on Seon Hwa-seung’s face.

“Then, please take good care of my song. You’re the only one out of ten who’s singing my song, and it’s the most precious one among my songs, so I’m entrusting it to number 23 like this. I’m looking forward to a great performance.”

“I’ll work hard to prepare a great stage!”

After Seon Hwa-seung left, there was a sound of bickering outside.

I guessed that the other mentors were waiting to enter my practice room.

Ocean was the next to enter the practice room after Seon Hwa-seung.

However, I informed him that because many others had chosen ‘I Love You,’ I had decided to select Seon Hwa-seung’s song for the competition.

After that, the mentors kept coming in, but all I could do was apologize.

Once Seon Hwa-seung left, I plugged in the USB she had given me.

The staff didn’t object to her passing along a USB with her song, which suggested it wasn’t against the rules.

Still, I double-checked just to be sure.

“Is it okay to use this?”

“Of course. This much is allowed. Seeking additional help beyond this would be against the rules.”

“Thank you.”

It seems I’ve been saying ‘thank you’ a lot since I got here.

There’s been a lot to be thankful for, after all.

I plugged in the USB and extracted the chords first.

Perhaps because Seon Hwa-seung had created an easy version, extracting the chords only took about 30 minutes.

After that, I familiarized myself with the lyrics. This song, a desperate yearning for a departed lover, was poignant and sorrowful from the very beginning.

I thought back to the most desperate moment in my life.

It wasn’t the first debut, nor the third.

It was during the second debut. I had hoped that a boy group launched by an actor’s agency might be successful, but I didn’t expect to be discarded, except for the most handsome member.

The feeling of wanting to change my name from Namu-myeong to Na Do-hyun, only for that hope to be buried. That memory resurfaced.

The moments when I tasted the bitterness of being ‘unknown,’ and the times when I was just a vocal guide. Those moments shaped me, but the most desperate moment shone the brightest.

If Seon Hwa-seung wrote about a ‘lover’ who had parted ways with her, my ‘lover’ was the ‘fame’ that had always eluded me after my debut. The simple joy of people enjoying my stage and music.

“……Haa.”

Thinking about the past made me sigh involuntarily.

The staff asked if something was wrong.

“No. Talking with the mentors today reminded me of ‘Namu-myeong’ from my unknown days.”

“Ah…… That must have been a bit painful. Namu-myeong from the unknown days.”

The strength of my staff is their empathy. They really understand how I feel.

Usually, broadcasting station staff often see performers as just one of many, but this staff member, who always works with me, was different.

They treat me very comfortably, which helps me sing and do interviews comfortably.

“That’s right. The poignancy, the earnestness, the sorrow, the desperation of that time……. Listening to ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ brought back those feelings. The speaker in the lyrics is longing for a departed ‘lover,’ isn’t it? For me, I think of that speaker as the ‘opportunities as an entertainer’ that have passed me by.”

“Oh, it left that much of an impression on you.”

“Honestly, I was confident that I could sing Ocean’s ‘I Love You’ more wonderfully than anyone else, but ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper,’ in a way, made me want to sing it by drawing out my desperation.”

“I see! Shouldn’t you start practicing now?”

“I should get to it soon!”

The chords were already extracted, and I was familiarizing myself with the lyrics.

I repeatedly broke down the lyrics verse by verse, singing and memorizing them.

* * *

[Na Do-hyun Thread] Isn’t Na Do-hyun really amazing ㅠㅠ

└ I went to Gangnam Station and cried ㅠㅠ I became a fan during his third debut, and I’m so happy that Do-hyun seems to be doing well

└ All sorts of picture takers gathered ㅋㅋㅋ Seems like he’s gathered quite a few male fans too

└ Those guys are data sellers who will sell data at expensive prices later when Na Do-hyun does well

└ There’s a RaviDohyunnim among Na Do-hyun’s fans, and seeing this person makes me really want Na Do-hyun to succeed. If it weren’t for this person’s reprocessing of content from Do-hyun’s unknown days, I honestly wouldn’t have become a fan ㅠㅠ

└ Isn’t number 17 better than Na Do-hyun?

└└ Don’t mention other participants in the Na Do-hyun thread ㄴㄴ [short for ‘no no’, meaning ‘don’t do that’]

└└└ Objectively, number 17 is younger and better, isn’t he?

└└└└ Seriously, stop it already. You’re making a mess in someone else’s thread

└ Just ignore them

└└ Lately, the crazy moms of number 17 are often seen. They’re provoking Na Do-hyun’s fans for no reason

└ It’s so cool that Do-hyun has been maintaining first place since the day the online voting was revealed

└ If it stays like this, is it possible to get first place since the real-time voting reflects 50%?

└ Someone I know works as a staff member for KBC’s ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer,’ and they say Na Do-hyun has a high chance of winning the final first place

└ I feel sorry for saying this in the thread, but since the story of number 17 came up in the comments, aside from being young and talented, his attitude is a bit ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He can’t say a word to the other participants, but he’s being rude to Do-hyun, which is seriously annoying

└ Let’s ignore them and just push Do-hyun hard

└ Don’t forget that the total voting is at 11 PM tonight, right?

└ Sorry to bother the thread, but can I write a review of seeing Do-hyun in the front row?

└ Please create a separate post for that

* * *

As the live broadcast competition approached, everyone seemed to be practicing with more enthusiasm than during the busking.

None of the practice rooms had their lights off. Do-hyun’s practice room was no exception.

At first, blisters formed because he was handling the guitar after a long time, but now calluses had formed. Once the calluses formed, it became easier to play.

After finishing the chord and lyric memorization and continuing to practice, Do-hyun’s own style began to emerge.

“The other participants will continue to push ‘I Love You.’ According to mentor Seon Hwa-seung…….”

Among the mentors, Ocean was the kindest, followed by Sisters. Coast was also cold, but Seon Hwa-seung was even colder.

However, she was one of the kindest mentors to Do-hyun.

It was Seon Hwa-seung who brought the arranged version of ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ with the guitar arpeggio, specifically so Do-hyun could choose it. That meant she had been thinking from the beginning that Do-hyun would sing her song.

‘The more I think about it, the more I remember a different side of mentor Seon Hwa-seung. People have three-dimensional personalities, but Seon Hwa-seung seemed like a completely different person.’

The days when mentors could visit were over, but Do-hyun recalled Seon Hwa-seung, who had tried to share everything she could with him.

Do-hyun practiced for five hours straight, mainly focusing on guitar playing. He was confident in his singing. He knew that his voice was soulful and capable of handling various ranges.

However, the guitar arpeggio in ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ was slightly difficult, and even a slight mistake could ruin the stage.

After practicing the arpeggio about 50 times, Do-hyun felt the pain in his calluses and stopped. The competition was important, but he didn’t forget that his physical condition was even more important. No matter how much he practiced and perfected his skills, it would be useless if he could only deliver 80% of his performance in the actual competition.

* * *

Hue Entertainment’s PR team.

They were holding meetings about Do-hyun, who was currently appearing on ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer,’ once or twice a week.

The higher-ups wanted to promote Do-hyun with the concept of ‘a versatile entertainer aiming for a fourth debut.’

However, the PR team disagreed. They wanted to create a concept of ‘Do-hyun as a true singer pursuing a fourth debut.’

Because of this, the meetings held once or twice a week were getting longer.

The PR team leader took the lead and spoke to the CEO.

“Director, we can’t showcase all of his abilities yet, so I think it’s better to save ‘versatile’ for later. For now, let’s release press releases with the title of Na Do-hyun, a true singer dreaming of a fourth debut.”

“Still, I’d like to attach ‘versatile’ from the beginning…….”

“Other agencies are using that angle a lot these days.”

At the PR team leader’s blunt words, the CEO changed his tune.

“Or surpassing Ocean…… the birth of the second Ocean?”

“You know you’ll get criticized for using comparative press releases for promotion, right?”

The PR team leader was quick-thinking.

The CEO had risen from road manager to CEO, so he was less sensitive in this area.

“Damn it! This doesn’t work! That doesn’t work! Team Leader Lee! What *does* work?”

“We need to calmly establish a concept because we’re still in the competition. Image-making that feels too flashy is absolutely not allowed. Do-hyun’s personality isn’t like that either.”

“What does the production team say?”

At the director’s question, the PR team leader contacted the production team and relayed what they had heard.

“They said he’s the calmest among the participants. Even though number 17, that young participant, acted rudely, Do-hyun didn’t react and just moved on.”

“Then let’s capture that…….”

“We should refrain from comparing the two, especially using personality to promote.”

“Why can’t we use personality to promote?”

The CEO asked with a very curious expression.

The PR team leader was burning up inside, but he endured and answered.

“This is also something fans consider when promoting their singers. The reason why you shouldn’t use personality to promote is that there are many cases where people’s popularity declines after relying on personality. Shall we give an example?”

The director waved his hand.

“Ugh, no, no. I think I know who those examples are, so don’t try to lecture me. Okay. Team Leader Lee will take care of the image-making and concept. I’ll step out of here, so just report the press releases regularly.”

Only then did the PR team leader’s expression soften.

After the director left, saying he had something to do, the PR team leader addressed the team members.

“We will never use personality to promote. We will not use versatility to promote. What we want is Na Do-hyun, who appeared as Hue Entertainment’s hidden card and is striving for his dream of a fourth debut. He wants to be a singer so much that he is appearing on an audition program for the second time. We need to make good use of this narrative. Do you understand?”

“Yes! I understand!”

“Good. First, write and upload the press release by today. Manager Kim is in charge of monitoring press releases this week anyway, so write press releases for other singers today.”

Each person’s work was assigned. The PR team leader came out of the conference room and went to his seat, then fell into thought.

‘How can I firmly engrave the name Na Do-hyun in people’s minds?’