A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 41

Having secured his first-place position for the second live performance, Do-hyun eagerly anticipated the next challenge.

His successful busking mission had significantly boosted his votes, and he’d earned praise from the judges for his stellar live stage performance.

Do-hyun peeled the last bits of confetti from his hair, waiting for the announcement of the next mission.

Ha Yeon-ho scanned the participants before addressing the audience.

“Everyone, aren’t you curious about next week’s mission?”

“Yes, we are!”

“Please tell us quickly!”

“Are you going to reveal it on the day again?!”

Ha Yeon-ho smiled at the question, hinting at the possibility of another same-day reveal.

*Surely not another same-day reveal,* Do-hyun thought.

“Looking back at our missions so far, we’ve had mentor-mentee stages, busking, team missions… quite diverse, wouldn’t you agree?”

Everyone nodded, their attention fixed on Ha Yeon-ho.

“This mission is…! Not a mentor-mentee stage, not busking, and not a team mission either!”

As Ha Yeon-ho prolonged the suspense, the audience buzzed with guesses.

They wondered what kind of individual mission it could be if it wasn’t a duet, busking, or team effort.

“It is…!”

Gulp.

Do-hyun swallowed hard.

A memory from his past auditions flashed through his mind.

*Appearing on a music show!*

*Could it be that?* Just as the thought formed!

“This mission is a music show appearance! Nine of you will perform on a live music show stage this week. You are free to choose your songs without the interference of your mentors. If you need a live band, you can request one!”

He hadn’t expected a music show appearance so early, in the third competition.

*What kind of missions await in the fourth and fifth competitions?*

“However, since this mission takes place on Friday, there will be no live competition on Saturday. Participants will only have six days to prepare. You all know that music shows don’t tolerate even the slightest mistake! This is about experiencing a real stage!”

Ha Yeon-ho surveyed the excited audience and continued,

“Those with ample stage experience will naturally have an advantage, right? To catch up, you’ll need to practice even harder, whether through busking or other means. So, after careful consideration, the production team has decided! All nine participants are free to busk, sing in a local karaoke, or perform in front of friends—anyone, really—for six days to gain practical experience!”

* * *

As soon as Do-hyun had the green light, he headed straight to HU Entertainment.

He was partly curious about PD [Production Director] Lee Jun-hyuk’s feedback and partly wanted to strategize with the PR team about the best neighborhood for self-promotion.

PD Lee wasn’t in his office, so Do-hyun ended up speaking with the PR team leader and its members.

The PR team’s atmosphere was buoyant, celebrating Do-hyun’s first-place ranking, which combined scores from all competitions so far.

“Do-hyun, you were fantastic! I even teared up a little while monitoring your stage,” the team leader said.

“Thank you, Team Leader!”

“Hey, don’t call me Team Leader, call me Team Leader Noona [an affectionate Korean term for ‘older sister’ used by males]! There’s not much age difference, and it’s weird to be so formal in this free-spirited industry.”

“Okay, Team Leader Noona. I was thinking of going to Yeonnam-dong since I’ve already done Gangnam Station. What do you think?”

One of the team members, looking serious, spoke up.

“We’ve surveyed Na Do-hyun’s voting demographics, independently from KBC [Korean Broadcasting Company]. We wanted to know which age group is most interested in this program. This data has been reported in articles, actually. Analyzing it, the top keyword is Na Do-hyun, and the primary age group is in their 20s.”

Hearing that, Do-hyun immediately thought of the Hongdae entrance area, a popular spot for young adults.

*But Seon-ah Noona would probably go there.*

So, Do-hyun would go to Yeonnam-dong, a hotspot for those in their 20s, the so-called ‘Yeontral Park’ (a play on ‘Central Park,’ highlighting Yeonnam-dong’s trendy and relaxed atmosphere), to perform.

He guessed that Hyo-seop, in second place, would head to Gangnam Station Exit 8, as he’d hoped.

“So, going to Yeonnam-dong is the right choice.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“Do-hyun’s talent attracts a lot of people, and it’s smart to go where the main age group is. Our analyzed data supports that. Also, the fan voting was conducted secretly. Doing it publicly could violate the rules.”

Do-hyun was curious about the fans’ choices.

“What were the results?”

“They said they’ve heard Do-hyun’s voice in historical drama style, rock, and indie vibes, so they want to hear pop this time. There are quite a few famous pop songs. Especially in the UK, which is famous as the land of bands. We were surprised by the strong response to wanting to hear British band songs.”

“Oh, thank you for the great advice!”

*This is the planning power of a large agency!*

He understood where PD Lee Jun-hyuk’s pride and confidence came from.

He felt like he could accomplish anything with the company’s support.

“Then I’ll choose the songs with PD Lee Jun-hyuk.”

“Oh, have you eaten yet? We’re about to go to the cafeteria for a meal, and the menu is good today. Let’s go together.”

“Wow! Okay!”

* * *

Through the meeting with PD Lee Jun-hyuk, I prepared 10 band live songs.

I thought it might not be strategically sound to skip busking entirely, but the PR team advised against it.

They argued that even one more promotional article would increase awareness and votes, so they suggested busking on Wednesday.

However, we decided to perform existing songs on Wednesday’s stage. The songs for the live broadcast would be practiced separately, and only a preview would be given during the busking performance.

I especially practiced ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper,’ which had received the greatest audience response, repeatedly.

When I got my phone back and checked the music site, I was surprised to see ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ maintaining a higher ranking than I expected compared to the other participants’ songs.

It was holding steady at 9th place, a ranking I had never achieved before!

My mom and dad said they were asking the neighbors to stream the song on music platforms.

The neighbors were enthusiastically supportive, greeting them with assurances that they were streaming as one!

*I felt like my fourth debut would be truly unique.*

Perhaps that’s why practice went so smoothly.

Not only ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ but also the songs for the busking performance came together without a hitch.

Perhaps because ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’ was so challenging, the band’s songs generally felt easier.

In particular, I needed to focus on understanding the emotional core of each song. I tried to grasp the atmosphere by directly translating the English lyrics. I verified my understanding with a translator, then fully internalized the lyrics before singing.

Before, I mainly covered songs that suited my vocal tone, but now it was different. I was fully understanding the song and then adding my own vocal color to it.

As a result, I was able to better identify and leverage the strengths of my voice.

While I was engrossed in practice at the company, my phone vibrated.

[#33 Hyo-seop]

It was a call from Hyo-seop.

I stopped practicing and answered immediately.

“Yeah, Hyo-seop.”

-Hyung [Korean term for ‘older brother,’ used by males], isn’t it too boring without the camera?

“It is a bit. I’ve got the direction of practice, but I’m also curious if that’s the image the audience wants from me.”

-Hyungnim [a more respectful form of ‘hyung’], then can I ask you a favor!

“What favor?”

-I was going to busk at Gangnam Station today, but I’m changing the location. I did Yeonnam-dong last time, so I’m going to try busking at Cheonggye Plaza… Would you be my cameraman? Oh, of course, if you have time!

*Hyo-seop’s cameraman. To monitor his performance, I’d need to film a video.*

I have a company with staff to help, but Hyo-seop doesn’t.

I decided that helping him out wouldn’t be a bad idea and replied.

“What time should I go today? And what about equipment rental?”

-I’ve already rented the equipment and set it up, so you just need to press the record button.

“Oh, okay. So what time?”

-Please come by 5 o’clock. I think it will take some time to set up. It would be even better if you could help me!

“Okay. See you later.”

I looked at the clock. There was still time until 5 PM.

*I can practice a little more and then leave.*

Besides, if my appearance is revealed to the fans, it would be even better.

Fans really liked the relationship between me and Hyo-seop.

I found out while searching online that many people support both of us because we are in similar situations and have a friendship.

*If I appear in Cheonggye Plaza, my fans and Hyo-seop’s fans will support both of us, right?*

Thinking that far ahead, I smiled contentedly.

* * *

5 PM, Cheonggye Plaza.

“Hyo-seop, come here for a second before setting up.”

“Hyungnim, what’s up?”

“There’s this way to get more people to gather.”

The production team said that they wouldn’t stop us from posting anything on SNS on our days off—that is, on days when we were given freedom. Now is the time when freedom is given. It means it’s okay to use SNS [Social Networking Service].

My followers surpassed 300,000 during the program. My followers, which were only a few tens of thousands, have increased so much… I thought I should actively communicate through SNS after the program ends.

“Okay, look at the camera and click!”

Click!

“Hey, Hyo-seop. You’re not a newbie, but your expression is not good. Click again!”

Click, click, click, click…!

Only after taking more than ten pictures was I able to tag Hyo-seop on my SNS and upload it.

I sent the slightly different photos to Hyo-seop and advised him to upload them to SNS as well.

Was it thanks to that?

There were comments on Hyo-seop’s SNS saying that not only fans who had heard the news and came, but also people who were arriving late were starting to show up.

In the meantime, I fiddled with the camcorder. I remember using a camcorder a few times to create my own content after debuting in the past.

I felt like I was back then.

Hyo-seop and I are on the same team, creating our own content.

“Kyaa! It’s Na Do-hyun! Do-hyun oppa [Korean term used by females to address an older male they are close to]!”

I turned my head, recognizing the familiar voice.

“Oppa! It’s me! Do you remember me?”

I could tell just by the voice.

My old fan, Ravitta Do-hyun.

Around her were new fans who seemed to have joined recently, looking shyly at me.

“Everyone! Today, I’m here to help #33, so please cheer for me quietly and cheer for #33 loudly!”

“Okay!”