The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 531

The Tides of Glory – Episode 53

# 53 Like a Stage

Sunlight streamed in through the window.

A rocking chair and a carpet sat bathed in its warmth.

One wall was covered with leaning stacks of records and books, creating a cozy, lived-in atmosphere.

‘I think they said they remodeled an existing studio,’ Halo mused.

The building, with its separate recording and mastering rooms, was undeniably pleasant.

“Wow, it’s spacious.”

The Azit [a gathering place or hangout] *hyung*s [older brothers or close male friends], who had brought gift LPs and a turntable, set down their presents and looked around the building, exploring the recording room, mastering room, and even the bathroom.

And since they were all involved in music, it was natural for them to try out the instruments.

“They didn’t seem to skimp on the budget.”

“Well, he’s going to earn a lot.”

Considering the state-of-the-art equipment, modern interior, and the monthly rent in Seongsu-dong, the costs must have been enormous.

(Still) unimaginable for a middle schooler’s expenses.

But no one seemed worried.

At least the people gathered here knew how much money Halo would make in the future.

“What’s this?”

“It’s nothing special.”

Halo unwrapped the gifts, unfazed by his *hyung*s’ awkwardness. One was a turntable box, meant to sit on a table, and the other one was…

Halo paused, and Han Jin-young stroked his hair and smiled.

“I wonder if you don’t like it because it’s used.”

“Thank you, it’s an album I really love.”

The gift from Han Jin-young was the first music he had ever heard at the Azit.

It was Hwang Ryong-pil’s third album, a first edition LP. It was divided into two sides, just as he remembered. Halo placed it next to the turntable, thinking of listening to it after his *hyung*s left.

“You’ve started playing bass again.”

Halo said, glancing at Han Jin-young’s hands.

The calluses, which had faded the last time he saw them, were back in full force.

This time, Han Jin-young didn’t hide his hands, turning them over back and forth.

“Ah, I found an interesting guitar textbook recently. I’ve been practicing little by little.”

“Let me know if it’s difficult. As a composer, I can teach you well.”

“Ahem.”

After that, Mr. Kang Young-min also came to visit.

While the Azit *hyung*s were more interested in the instruments and interior, Mr. Kang Young-min, being an engineer, focused on the mastering room equipment. The gear recommended by Producer Nokjin was top-notch.

After looking at the mastering room, which was the realization of an engineer’s dream, for a long time, the man spoke with a regretful expression.

“I guess we won’t be seeing each other much at our studio anymore.”

His personal studio already had everything he needed, but this new studio had even more state-of-the-art equipment.

“I knew this day would come eventually. It’s just sooner than I thought.”

Mr. Kang Young-min immediately realized that Halo would no longer need to come to HY Studio.

“But don’t worry, I’ll keep the secret.”

Mr. Kang Young-min nodded with a solemn expression, then zipped his mouth shut.

‘It’s not that big of a secret,’ Halo thought, chuckling and nodding.

Thus—along with the incorporation permit—Halo’s official label [H] was created. The name was derived from the ‘h’ in Noh Hae-il’s name and the ‘h’ in Halo.

And just as he was about to start official business, before he even hired staff or completed his album, a call came in.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Director Park Jung-ho. Does that name ring a bell? I’m the original composer of Hee-tae’s theme song that Hae-il sang.”

The call was from the music director of [Today, Us], to be exact. The music director, who introduced himself, went on to say that he had listened to the Hee-tae theme reprise version.

He could have been upset that I had freely arranged his song, but he was open-minded about that.

After talking about the Hee-tae reprise for a while, Director Park got to the point.

“Hae-il, have you ever been to a drama set? Not just on location, but even a studio?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Then that’s good. How about coming to the set sometime?”

“Pardon?”

It was a sudden suggestion, but Director Park soon explained the reason.

“I heard you started an independent label. I know it’s a busy time, but there’s a reason for this. Most of the OST [Original Soundtrack] is going to be re-recorded.”

Re-recording drama OSTs is a common occurrence.

Sometimes the singer themselves requests a re-recording because they are dissatisfied due to poor condition, or sometimes the OST that was created becomes unusable because the drama script has changed.

Also, even if the script hasn’t changed, the already completed audio is re-recorded to maximize the synchronization between the video and music in the drama.

“Due to ‘various’ reasons, there have been revisions to the content, so we can’t just use the OST as is.”

In this case, the biggest reason was the revision of the script and development.

Director Park emphasized ‘various’ with a meaningful tone.

“Well, ‘someone’ over there was stimulated and requested a re-recording. Of course, the Hee-tae theme song is not scheduled for re-recording yet. But just in case, how about coming to the set and taking a look? I’m going out to see the atmosphere on set for the first time in a while, so I’d like to say hello. Hae-il has a stake in the Hee-tae theme, so it would be helpful if there were any re-recordings or arrangements.”

A drama set.

I was curious. I’ve been to a movie set before, but never a drama set.

Also, the point that Director Park kept emphasizing seemed to be referring to him. He, who was responsible for the Hee-tae theme variation, thought it wouldn’t be bad.

“Oh, and Hee-tae said he really wants to meet you. Actually, it makes sense. Your song increased his script portion.”

Director Park whispered, even though no one was eavesdropping.

It was laced with laughter, but it was true.

Halo tapped the desk and checked his schedule.

Halo’s fourth album was a bit tight, but it seemed possible if he made time.

“Then I’ll send you the location separately by text.”

That’s how the schedule was set.

#

[Today, Us] alternates between filming at a high school location in Ilsan and a studio in Ilsan.

The address Halo received was a high school in Ilsan.

‘I’m not entering high school, but I’m going anyway,’ Halo thought, briefly wondering if Noh Hae-il was destined to be inseparable from school.

It took about an hour and twenty minutes by car from Jamsil to Ilsan.

At this time, he wondered if he should take his mother’s car again, but since Gillaon was going to the same place, he ended up borrowing his van.

Gillaon also received a call from the [Today, Us] production team and said he would go to the set to say hello. He seemed to be subtly hoping that senior singers might come because of the OST re-recording today.

“Make yourself comfortable, Hae-il. We’re colleagues now!”

“…You already look comfortable?” Kim Kyung-jin said with a sullen expression, as Halo was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed, like it was his own.

“You can keep riding it in the future, Hae-il!”

“Raon, my opinion is-.”

“No, I should start looking for one soon.”

He needed to find a manager soon.

He was a minor, so he couldn’t drive himself, and he couldn’t ride in his mother’s car forever.

“It’ll be hard to find someone who meets those criteria.”

Gillaon, who had been listening intently to his manager theory, added.

He recalled the five strict criteria.

Of course, these were the criteria for a chief manager (director) rather than a road manager.

A person who is not afraid of being criticized,

Who has conviction and is not serious about everything,

A trustworthy person.

“Or not?”

Gillaon tilted his head, a person suddenly coming to mind. Then he glanced back at Halo, who was looking out the window, lost in thought.

#

A high school in Ilsan.

A rope was set up to prevent ordinary people from entering the newly built building, and a group of people wearing padded jackets were standing around. They appeared to be staff and extras.

“Oh! You’re here early! Just a moment.”

Lee Jong-seop, the AD [Assistant Director], greeted them. He handed out staff necklaces and took them to the music director.

The music director was sitting on a small chair, looking around the set, and people who appeared to be the general director and camera director were talking. It didn’t seem like they were filming right away.

“You’re here?” Director Park Jung-ho smiled brightly as he saw the two young kids.

“Welcome. Gillaon, you already know my face, right?”

Halo also greeted him.

The music director looked at the two kids with completely contrasting energy and laughed like Santa Claus.

“Come here and say hello first. The general director, the person wearing the hat is the camera director, and-.”

He grabbed their shoulders and told them who to greet. After they finished greeting everyone, they had some time to spare, and his eyes went to the celebrities.

New and famous celebrities arrived at the set, and Gillaon, who had seen singers but rarely actors, was making a fuss like a child.

“Wow, it’s Lee So-ra.”

“Wow, Yang Ha-neul!”

‘Ah, he is a kid,’ Halo thought, ignoring Gillaon’s fuss and watching the set for a while. The music director told them to wait a moment and went to see the general director, so they had some free time.

“Uh… Gillaon?”

It was then that a man with a clear face approached. He was wearing a familiar school uniform and a duffel coat over it. It looked very cold since he wasn’t wearing a padded jacket, but the man only wore a blanket and didn’t take off his coat.

He seemed to have stopped when he saw Gillaon, who was familiar from TV, as he was heading towards the music director.

“Oh-!”

Gillaon, who had been watching the man closely, opened his eyes wide. Then he looked back and forth between Halo and the man, and quickly whispered to Halo.

“Hae-il, the person who plays Hee-tae, the one you sang about.”

Ah. Halo realized it only after Gillaon told him.

And the man seemed to have heard the whisper, as he opened his eyes wide.

“If you’re Hae-il, are you Noh Hae-il? The person who sang my theme song?”

“Yes, I’m Noh Hae-il.”

Perhaps because his profile wasn’t yet on the search engine, the man, who had been looking bewildered, seemed to become more and more certain as he heard Halo’s confirmation and voice. The man, who had been staring intently at Halo for a while, opened his mouth.

“Hello. I’m Lee Jung-min, who plays Hee-tae in ‘Today, Us’. Nice to meet you. Oh, and… I really wanted to say thank you.”

The actor bowed.

The story about the amount of screen time that the music director had mentioned didn’t seem to be a lie.

The staff’s attention was briefly focused on the actor bowing to a boy younger than him. Regardless, the actor looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“I really enjoyed the reprise.”

I don’t know how much he heard from the music director, but he seemed to have listened to all the music, including the other arrangements.

What made that assumption certain was when the music director, who had been talking to the director, returned.

“Oh, you’re talking well. Jung-min, this is Noh Hae-il, who sang the Hee-tae theme and made the reprise. The one you wanted to meet so much. And, Lee Jung-min, who plays Hee-tae.”

“Yes, I greeted him, Director. I was waiting because I heard he might come today, and I really got to meet him.”

“I didn’t know he was such a young friend, right? Lee Jung-min is twenty-nine? This friend is seventeen. Seventeen!”

The actor nodded calmly at the music director’s words.

“Yes, I was surprised. Ever since I heard the reprise, no, the Hee-tae theme. But.”

“…”

“It’s something I’m realizing again, but age isn’t really important.”

The actor, who said that, showed his white teeth again and thanked him. The music director sent him away, as he seemed like he would only say thank you until the filming started. Then he sighed deeply and said that he had gone through a long period of obscurity.

“How does it feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hae-il wasn’t there the whole time when you were recording, but I heard you suddenly got inspired and made it. The script changed because of that. One actor got a bigger role than originally planned, and one character might have a different ending, and someone got overtime.”

And the director also saw Gillaon and the actor who played ‘Yujin’. Gillaon greeted the idol, who was also his senior. Re-recording or whatever, he just seemed happy.

“I don’t know…”

Halo looked at them with subtle eyes.

It was just an arrangement he made on a whim.

He didn’t work hard enough to receive this much gratitude.

So he felt like he had received gratitude that he didn’t deserve.

“And you said the singer also requested the re-recording.”

“Yes.”

“That’s because they contacted me as soon as the Hee-tae theme came out. Like viewer opinions. No, actually, the singer knows best. They thought it wouldn’t work out like this. How does it feel to have your seniors re-record?”

That part isn’t complicated.

Halo smiled as if it were natural, and the music director liked that he was bold.

“How’s the atmosphere on set? Isn’t it good? Of course, if the filming doesn’t go well, there’s nothing more stressful than that, but it’s going well today.”

And the music director wasn’t a site manager, so he could go back to the studio when he felt like he had seen everything. The music director glanced at Halo.

The reason he called the boy for the re-recording and the actors was actually one more thing.

He liked the boy’s music and his desire to nurture him hadn’t changed.

So he wanted the boy to see the atmosphere of the drama set and become interested. He wanted to show him the charm of drama and film music.

The beauty of creating a play by occupying an important part of a huge narrative.

“It’s lively and never boring.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

So when he heard the boy’s positive answer, the music director clenched his fist inside, thinking he had done half the job. But he laughed in vain at the words that followed.

“Like a stage.”

“!”

“Well, this place is also a stage. It’s like a huge concert where I can show myself with what I like the most.”

The boy said with a smile.

“I like it here.”

A face that really loves the stage.

At this moment, the music director realized that the place where the boy should be was not a drama set but a stage, but on the other hand, his desire to nurture the boy grew.

So he asked impulsively.

“Then. Want to work together one more time?”