A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 4

Want to sign a contract? You didn’t seem keen at all when we were recording.

I didn’t know how to answer, so I carefully chose my words. It’s true that the tarot cards matched, but it could be a coincidence, so I decided to listen to Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk first.

“A contract?”

“I heard you’re going to compete in KBC’s ‘I Want to Be Your First Singer’.”

“Ah, that’s right. I guess you heard from my brother.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to participate with a formal contract with an agency rather than as an independent artist? You can get a lot of help in many ways, such as directing and arrangement.”

With the backing of a large agency, I might actually be able to win first place.

If that happens, I might be able to change my name from ‘Na Mu-myeong’ [anonymous name] to ‘Na Do-hyun’!

But it’s too early to celebrate. I need to hear the details of the contract first.

“I’ll be there by 3 PM tomorrow.”

“Come to the company and call me. An employee will come out to meet you.”

Click.

Do-hyun felt dazed. Is the wheel of fortune really turning, and is ‘destiny’ finally beginning to unfold?

He thought about telling his family, but decided it was too early. Do-hyun stayed up all night, his mind racing with possibilities.

* * *

Do-hyun, who had finally fallen asleep at dawn, woke up around 11 AM.

He was excited about the upcoming contract with Hue Entertainment.

‘Should I draw another card?’

Do-hyun pondered. He reasoned that the cards might have looked black the day before because he was tired, so he took out the tarot cards.

The shuffling sounds were like pleasant ASMR [autonomous sensory meridian response, a tingling sensation some people experience in response to certain sounds or visuals].

And the cards spread out to the side.

‘I can get a clear reading this time, right?’

Do-hyun focused and looked at the cards.

But.

The cards looked blurry again.

‘Did I overdo it yesterday?’

Do-hyun looked elsewhere. Things like the bookshelf and the amp looked fine. But when he lowered his head and looked at the cards again, they all looked blurry.

“Ah, why is this happening? Is there really a penalty or something?”

Do-hyun felt a little annoyed. He flipped over a random card, but it still just looked black. He couldn’t see any pictures.

“Ugh, this is driving me crazy. I want to see if this contract is favorable or not, but I can’t! Is this going to keep happening? Doesn’t the shaman grandfather know something?”

Do-hyun called the writer of the program he had attended as a supporting guest.

“Writer, hello! This is Na Do-hyun.”

“Oh, Do-hyun. It’s been a while! What’s up?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could give me the contact information or address of the famous shaman grandfather who appeared when I was on the show.”

“That person was good, right? I have a meeting soon, so I’ll send it to you later.”

Since he had to meet Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk of Hue Entertainment today, he didn’t have time, so he decided to visit the shaman grandfather tomorrow.

“I’ll just put the cards away. They’ll show up when it’s time—no, they need to show up when I need them!”

According to Do-hyun’s guess, he could accurately predict up to three times before experiencing issues.

However, if it exceeds three times, a penalty is given for a few days or a few readings, and the card itself is not visible.

‘But do I really need to rely on the cards? I’m good even without the cards, right?’

With that confidence, Do-hyun put the tarot cards in a corner of his desk and started to organize his thoughts, preparing what he should say to Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk.

“Son! Didn’t you say you were going somewhere today?”

Do-hyun snapped out of it at his mother’s voice from the living room.

He didn’t have time to be so absorbed in tarot.

He had to dress properly, prepare, and go to Hue Entertainment.

“Yeah, that’s right, Mom! I have to go soon!”

* * *

Do-hyun took a bus and got off near Hue Entertainment.

Foreign fans were waiting for singers in front of Hue Entertainment.

But none of them recognized Do-hyun.

Do-hyun stood in front of the entrance door and called Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes, I’m in front, Team Leader.”

“An employee will come out soon.”

Do-hyun was worried that someone might recognize him, so he came armed with a hat and mask. But no one paid attention to Do-hyun. He couldn’t even hear the sound of a cell phone clicking, signaling a photo being taken.

This was the life of an unknown singer.

‘So I have to succeed no matter what. Whatever the contract is today, I’ll take it and crawl up from the bottom.’

The thoughts that rushed through his mind until the employee came out subsided a little when the front door opened.

“Team Leader Lee is waiting in the conference room, room 302 on the 3rd floor.”

“Thank you.”

After hearing the employee’s words, Do-hyun took the elevator and got off on the 3rd floor. Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk and a face he had never seen before were sitting in room 302.

Do-hyun bowed to the two of them, putting his heart into the greeting as if it were his first debut.

“Hello! I’m Na Do-hyun!”

“Do-hyun, you don’t have to greet us with such enthusiasm. At least, not today,” Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk said in a cold voice.

‘At least not today’ bothered him, but Do-hyun decided to think positively.

“Do-hyun, I told you on the phone yesterday that I wanted to sign a contract.”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

“Before we get to the contract, the person next to me is the team leader of the New Artist Development Team. As you know, I’m in the A&R [Artists and Repertoire] team. We are in charge of training, producing, and directing the talent discovered by the New Artist Development Team.”

Then, the person sitting next to him, who was said to be the team leader of the New Artist Development Team, introduced herself as Lee Mi-young. Her sharp eyes stood out.

“Team Leader Lee Mi-young! Please take good care of me.”

“No, I should be the one saying that. But Na Do-hyun, aren’t you curious why I, the team leader of the New Artist Development Team, came out? If I were you, I would be wondering why the team leader of the New Artist Development Team came out.”

At Lee Mi-young’s words, Do-hyun finally wondered why she came out.

Do-hyun paused for a beat and answered.

“Connecting this KBC audition program with the New Artist Development Team, isn’t your plan to repackage me from an unknown singer into a new artist through image making and training? That’s my guess.”

Do-hyun had a knack for these things. The New Artist Development Team was involved because they planned to make him successful as a new singer.

A slight smile appeared on Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk’s face at Do-hyun’s confident words. It was a softness that was quite different from the cold atmosphere. Soon, his mouth opened.

“That’s correct. I saw Na Do-hyun’s skills as a guide vocal. My ears are accurate. I can tell who will make it and who won’t. The reason why Na Do-hyun hasn’t made it until now is probably…”

Team Leader Lee Mi-young took over Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk’s words.

“Whether you make it in the music industry or not is essentially a game of luck. Do-hyun’s luck wasn’t good. Our Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk saw Do-hyun and plans to make him successful as a solo singer. In other words, he’s determined to make his fourth debut a success. If we work together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.”

“Ah.”

An exclamation came out of Do-hyun’s mouth.

It was as he had predicted, and he liked the fact that they were trying to overwrite ‘success as a solo singer’ on top of ‘fourth debut’.

But one thing came to mind.

There was a trainee contract and a formal contract as a singer.

You can freely terminate a trainee contract in the middle, but if you sign a formal contract as a singer, you will have a 7-year contract according to the industry standard contract.

Do-hyun’s mind raced. What would be good about signing a contract with Hue Entertainment as a solo singer?

First, Hue Entertainment is good at making songs.

Second, there is no broadcasting station that Hue Entertainment’s influence does not reach.

Third, if you are from Hue Entertainment, you can at least get by.

Fourth, you are given a music show free pass that you could not freely enter before.

Fifth, if you reach a certain level of popularity, the agency’s support becomes more diverse. You can climb to a higher position through support fire.

After finishing the calculation, Do-hyun asked a question.

“I have a question. Since the team leader of the New Artist Development Team is here, I’ll ask. Am I signing a trainee contract, or am I signing a formal 7-year singer contract?”

“I was wondering when you would ask.”

Team Leader Lee Mi-young answered. He waited for her to open her mouth.

Team Leader Lee Mi-young handed over a document.

“You can read what’s written on it, right?”

[Singer Na Do-hyun Standard Contract]

‘What, it’s a real singer contract? The Sun card, bright and positive energy.’

Thinking that far, Do-hyun flipped through it to see if there was a contract fee. Team Leader Lee Jun-hyuk, who noticed this, opened his mouth.

“Na Do-hyun, the contract amount is 100 million won [approximately $75,000 USD]. It’s not a concept of giving a down payment; it’s a contract amount. Settlement will be paid separately. How is it?”

‘100 million won? That’s something to be thankful for to an unknown singer like me.’

The Sun card and the Pentacle 9, which symbolizes wealth, flashed through his mind.

At first, he didn’t completely believe in tarot cards. He was only half-believing.

But this moment was different.

Everything about the cards he doubted matched.

Then there was nothing more to worry about.

The wheel of fortune was already turning.

“I’ll take this contract!”