A New Career Singer Who Can Read The Future [EN]: Chapter 96

Dohyun snapped back to reality when the singer next to him nudged him to go on stage.

He felt dazed.

Did he really win the Grand Prize?

Not just any award, but the critics chose his album as Album of the Year?

It was only when he was handed the trophy and bouquet that he came to his senses.

“Ah… um. Honestly, I can’t believe it. I didn’t expect to be chosen for Album of the Year. As you saw a moment ago… I’m just so grateful to receive such an award. Thank you to everyone who made this award possible, and I hope to see you all again with even better music in the future. Thank you!”

If he had foreseen this award, he would have prepared his acceptance speech more diligently.

Although he felt his speech was lacking, Dohyun stepped down from the stage.

Kangho approached and put his arm around Dohyun’s shoulder, congratulating him.

“Hoya *hyung* [older brother or male friend] you worked hard too! It’s all thanks to you keeping my head straight by my side.”

“I didn’t do anything. You received it because you did well. Congratulations, Dohyun. Our singer won an award.”

After the awards ceremony ended, he looked at the audience seats.

There seemed to be quite a few fans who had come expecting Dohyun to participate.

Some fans even displayed [Congratulations, Na Dohyun] messages on their phone screens, using them as placards.

Dohyun conveyed his heart to them with a heart above his head [making a heart shape with his hands above his head, a common gesture of affection in Korean culture].

And then….

Dohyun approached the seats where the fans were sitting.

“Everyone!”

The fans giggled at Dohyun’s call.

“Hyunnie, congratulations!”

“Na Dohyun is the best!”

“An album that even captured popularity! As expected of Na Dohyun!”

“Dohyun, you worked hard! My *first singer* [term of endearment for a favorite artist], congratulations!”

As the fans’ congratulatory messages were conveyed, Dohyun increasingly realized that he had won an award.

“It’s all thanks to you all. You know I love you, right? It was possible because you were by my side.”

Dohyun felt like he was about to burst into tears, but he held it back.

It was nothing else but recognition of his ‘musicality’ in this industry.

No one could imagine what the Korean Music Awards meant to him.

‘I… am being recognized for my musicality. Something I couldn’t have dreamed of when I first debuted….’

Dohyun once again thanked the fans and stepped back.

The fans continued to send congratulatory messages to Dohyun as he disappeared behind the stage.

* * *

“How does it feel to receive an award?”

Today was the first day since joining Hue Entertainment that PD [Production Director] Lee Junhyuk suggested they grab a drink.

PD Lee Junhyuk also seemed excited.

It could be said that PD Lee played the biggest role in creating Dohyun’s album.

Of course, Dohyun took active steps such as including his own songs and participating in composing and writing lyrics, but PD Lee took the lead as the general manager.

“I really can’t believe it.”

“Of course. It’s natural that you can’t believe it. Even I can’t believe it after hearing this news.”

PD Lee gulped down his beer.

Dohyun was also thirsty, so he drank his beer.

“As always, the competition was fierce this year. I debuted for the fourth time this year… so I can’t believe it even more that I won an award. I had to get up to receive the award, but I was caught on camera muttering to myself.”

PD Lee smiled. His smile was a rare sight.

“It’s understandable. Me? Receiving this award? Not just any field, but giving the Grand Prize that comprehensively evaluates and gives the best reviews? I think you must have thought that.”

“That’s right, PD-nim [term of respect for the PD]. Just when I thought that, the hardships I went through this year… those things flashed through my mind, and in many ways, I felt different about finishing the year.”

“It can’t be anything but different. Anyway, congratulations. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

* * *

After Dohyun’s position was solidified.

Dohyun had to work hard to prepare for his second full-length album while simultaneously working on Monthly Dohyun and serving as a judge for ‘Neocheotga’ Season 2.

He said goodbye to the program he had been a DJ for. It was a short period, but he had grown attached… Although he felt regret, he thought that another opportunity would come in the future.

The place where Dohyun is now is the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium.

It was the day of the preliminary auditions for ‘Neocheotga’ Season 2.

Dohyun recalled the time about a year ago when he had nervously watched the preliminary auditions.

He had won and was now attending this event as a judge.

“Okay, come in!”

Dohyun decided to approach it with the determination to discover good talents that had not been able to see the light and make them good singers.

“Hello! My name is Lee Sunbin, and I used to be active in the group The Sun!”

The man stated his name confidently.

The Sun.

It was a name he had never heard of.

“How did you do your activities….”

“In today’s terms, it’s called an underground idol. In short, an *underdol*. I disbanded after only performing at events like that.”

“……Ah. I see.”

Dohyun imagined how much the man standing in front of him with a guitar had longed for a singing career.

It overlapped with his past.

As such, he decided to judge more diligently and to the best of his ability.

“Can you start singing?”

“I will show you my self-composed stage! The title is ‘One Day’!”

The man confidently began to sing his self-composed song ‘One Day’.

Dohyun focused and watched the stage. The man sang so hard that the blood vessels in his neck rose.

“I listened well.”

Dohyun said as soon as the first verse ended.

If it’s a good vocal, listen to the first verse, and if it’s below that, cut it off in the middle.

This was the instruction given by the production team.

Since he had listened to the first verse, the man’s vocals had been proven.

“Thank you for letting me listen to a good song. You passed!”

That’s how his role as a judge began.

In the middle, he saw quite a few decent people.

The total number of people Dohyun can choose is 50.

He put his heart and soul into judging each and every one of them.

As break time approached, he reunited with Sun Hwaseung, who was a judge in the previous season.

“Dohyun-ssi [term of respect], I’ve been watching your activities well these days. I forgot to contact you separately.”

“Thank you!”

“Should I say that you are worthy of being the person who sang my song ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’? Your song variations have widened, and should I say your vocals are more attractive?”

“Teacher, thank you so much for your kind words!”

“What teacher… I was a judge back then, but now I’m also a judge. Isn’t that right? I’ll be seeing your face throughout the program.”

Nevertheless, Dohyun did not leave out the title of teacher.

“You are my benefactor. If I hadn’t sung the song ‘Under the Trumpet Creeper’… I once thought that being able to choose Sun Hwaseung’s song was a really big luck.”

“That’s an overstatement. You looked very nervous back then, but now you can skillfully overpraise me?”

Sun Hwaseung smiled as he said that.

Dohyun realized that he had been working in a very nervous state during Season 1.

Now, he has won the grand prize and is approaching it with a relaxed mindset, with the intention of finding hidden gems.

“Anyway, the remaining time. Let’s do well. Fighting, Dohyun-ssi.”

“Thank you! I will work hard to discover good friends!”

It was a heartwarming scene.

Dohyun returned to the judges’ seat.

As the first screening was conducted one-on-one, he was well aware that his choice was precious.

Dohyun, who briefly recalled meeting Kim Namhyun in this position in the past, recognized the importance of this position and focused on the voice of the person in front of him.

Can this person capture popularity?

How far is this person’s potential?

Imagining the same things.

That’s how the number of passers began to increase one by one.

* * *

It was evening….

Dohyun’s last choice remained.

Now the last turn was approaching.

“Now it’s the last participant.”

The staff seemed tired and said that as they let the participant in.

“Hello. My name is Choi Changhyun from the group The Sun!”

“……?”

“Did two of you appear together in The Sun? The first person I judged was Lee Sunbin from The Sun.”

“Ah… did that friend also attend?”

Choi Changhyun’s face subtly distorted as if they were not on good terms.

“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t know. So, what song did you prepare?”

“It’s my self-composed song ‘One Day’.”

“……Yes?”

“It’s ‘One Day’! Please listen carefully!”

“Let’s sing it first.”

Surely, the song title wouldn’t be the same, would it?

At that moment.

A familiar melody and lyrics heard in the morning.

They both said it was their own song, so one of them is plagiarism.

“Wait a minute.”

Dohyun signaled to the staff.

Dohyun’s intuition was telling him.

“Participant, can you please wait for a moment?”

After the participant left, Dohyun took out the tarot cards from his pocket.

He had brought it just in case.

To use when he couldn’t decide on the screening results.

But not now.

One of them was claiming that a song that wasn’t his was his own.

The chord progression, melody, and lyrics were all the same. The only difference was who was singing it.

Dohyun shuffled the cards and looked at the results.

The card gave a YES answer to the question ‘Is Lee Sunbin plagiarizing?’

“Dohyun-ssi, can you also read tarot cards?”

The staff asked in surprise.

Dohyun nodded.

“Lee Sunbin from the group The Sun, whom I first saw this morning, and Choi Changhyun. One of them is plagiarizing. If I had to say it… it can be seen that Lee Sunbin brought out something that was not his own song as his own.”

“……Ah?”

“There is nothing that is not the same, from the chord progression to the lyrics. In short, it’s plagiarism. No, rather than plagiarism, I think it’s right to express it as a con artist who coveted a good song.”

Even while he was saying this, the camera was running.

“I think it’s a good idea to contact Lee Sunbin and have a three-way meeting with Choi Changhyun. There’s no choice but to reverse what I passed Lee Sunbin. And please let Choi Changhyun enter again.”

Choi Changhyun entered the screening room again.

“When did you work on this song?”

“It was on October 12th, 3 years ago. I remember exactly. There was a performance that day. I composed it with an idea that came to me right after the performance….”

“I understand. First of all, the result is… on hold.”

Then Choi Changhyun’s face distorted once again.

“Why?”

“There is already someone who sang this song. With the same composition and lyrics.”

“Yes?”

Choi Changhyun asked as if he was embarrassed.

“Someone else sang this song besides me? This song was composed by me! I’ve never revealed it anywhere… Ah, maybe… did Lee Sunbin sing this song? That friend?”

Dohyun nodded.

Then Choi Changhyun’s face changed.

“…You wretched bastard.”