The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 611

# 61. The Image He Wished For

“How about catching a bullfrog that invaded Korea with me?”

The old man’s eyes blazed fiercely.

At this moment, age became meaningless.

The young Hwang Ryong-pil was looking at him.

He couldn’t possibly not know who the bullfrog was referring to.

He had been monitoring the reactions and knew that in Korea, he was being compared to a ‘bullfrog.’

He didn’t know why they compared him to a frog instead of a cool animal like a lion or a reindeer, but anyway.

He fully understood that the person Hwang Ryong-pil wanted to catch was HALO.

HALO smirked.

Yes, this was what he wanted. It’s no fun to burn alone. He wanted everyone to fearlessly jump into the fire and ignite flames all over their bodies.

He was delighted that the singer he had wanted to see wanted to catch him. And he wanted to accept the duel that had come to him just as much.

As always.

Collaboration is good, and fighting back is good too.

Just like the knights of old who dueled for their honor. They, too, would fight fairly with their sharpest weapons.

He didn’t think he would lose, but whatever the outcome, it was fine.

How will this match affect me?

He was already thirsty before it even started.

“Good-.”

“Teacher!”

It was then.

Before HALO could answer, someone shouted. He seemed embarrassed that his voice was so loud, but only for a moment. Others also raised their voices.

“Wouldn’t it be too much pressure for the new friend?”

“The teachings are good, but he’s also a friend who hasn’t even debuted on a music show yet….”

They spoke as if they were considerate of HALO, but in reality, they seemed to think that a fearless rookie didn’t deserve to receive the teacher’s collaboration.

Hwang Ryong-pil leaned back on the sofa again.

He couldn’t possibly not know this obvious trick.

He looked around at his juniors with a gentle face.

“What, are you saying you want to do it with me then?”

“If you propose it, Teacher, I’ll make time anytime.”

“It would be an honor for us.”

When did they change like this?

It would be one thing if they just said they wanted to do it outright.

He felt sorry for them, being jealous of a distant junior and putting on a pretense of consideration.

On the other hand, he was also ashamed.

Hwang Ryong-pil, who had been smiling generously, turned serious.

“I’m disappointed.”

With that one word, the people who had been faintly smiling and those who had been watching others’ reactions closed their mouths. The atmosphere stiffened. No one could open their mouth in this place.

“I don’t want to do anything with you as you are now.”

No one could properly meet Hwang Ryong-pil’s gaze.

Even if it were someone else, Hwang Ryong-pil was their life’s senior, a teacher, and a respected singer who had paved the way for them.

The more their eyes met, the more their shoulders and heads drooped.

“A young friend? Yes, he is a young friend. But what good is that? You’re worse than a young junior!”

The person who always gave good advice to his juniors and only said good things was now scolding them with a serious face.

“Are you not confident? Are you pathetic? Do you feel a wall? Talent? Since when were we so great! Just because people praise us as great, do you think you’re really great people?”

“…”

“We were always the same. We were just people who made our music. My music was always lacking, but I was just lucky enough to make a living. But are you ashamed of my music? Are you afraid to release it because of the music charts?”

What Hwang Ryong-pil lamented most was that the seniors hadn’t shown the juniors a proper example.

Hwang Ryong-pil had never shown his juniors a disappointing side. So he had the right to be angry.

“Is that what you should be saying in front of your juniors? I’m! Ashamed of you, not your music.”

The junior declares that he will take first place no matter what’s in front of him, but the seniors can’t even praise and encourage him, instead they ridicule and ignore him. They don’t even know they should be ashamed.

Hwang Ryong-pil looked around at the crowd with fierce eyes.

The last ones to come in were the boy standing uncomfortably and Shin Joo-hyuk, who had brought the boy.

Children who were already showing their music to the world and fighting. They shouldn’t have been in this place yet.

“Joo-hyuk.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“Wouldn’t the new friend be bored? Go out for a while. I think I need to heat up this place for a bit.”

That was an order to go out for a while.

Shin Joo-hyuk, who had been listening attentively, turned to HALO at the words ‘new friend.’ Along with him, Hwang Ryong-pil also looked at the boy with warm eyes.

“And, did you say your name was HALO?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see each other again later. Our story isn’t over yet.”

HALO nodded.

He had a lot to say in many ways, but it seemed like there was something he needed to do for Hwang Ryong-pil right away.

Wasn’t Hwang Ryong-pil’s proposal in front of everyone meant to say something to his juniors?

He understood what he was thinking.

HALO glanced around at the people who were bowing their heads and left the room.

The door clicked shut.

Shin Joo-hyuk, who made eye contact, shrugged.

#

They decided to wait for a while in the place where the hallway and stairs connected. It was a place where the living room and small rooms could be seen at a glance.

He had already seen it once while passing by.

When he came back again, other things caught his eye.

The model, who had been acting all serious, was passionately debating whether or not to peel sesame leaves [a common side dish] for his girlfriend’s friend, and on the other side, there was a burst of loud laughter.

“Here, orange juice.”

Shin Joo-hyuk, who received a cocktail for himself and handed HALO orange juice, leaned against the wall and asked.

“How is it? It might still be a bit unfamiliar, but is it the kind of gathering you imagined?”

HALO looked around. Cheerful people, and on one side, juniors being scolded by their teacher.

He didn’t see the kind of debauchery he had imagined.

Judging by the fact that they were only lightly enjoying cocktails without overdoing the alcohol.

“It’s just a gathering.”

“What, were you expecting a drug party or something?”

Shin Joo-hyuk, who casually made a joke that could be dangerous in Korea, chuckled. When HALO didn’t answer, he knew he was agreeing.

Well, it’s not strange.

Recently, a fairly famous singer was arrested on charges of drug use, and the percentage of artists who use drugs is actually increasing. Not to mention overseas, it happened quite often in Korea as well.

Shin Joo-hyuk, who had seen a lot of unsightly things during his long entertainment career, wanted to instill a sense of awareness in his junior. To be exact, he didn’t want a talented junior to go down the wrong path with drugs.

“I’m telling you this just in case. Don’t ever do anything like that. Don’t even associate with kids who have rumors like that. Even if there’s no fire, smoke will rise from the chimney [where there’s smoke, there’s fire], but drugs are definitely something you’ll get caught for, okay?”

The boy’s puzzled expression caught his eye, as if he thought it was out of the blue. Still, Shin Joo-hyuk continued to speak.

“I see a lot of them among the kids who make music these days. They’re using strange drugs to get inspiration.”

“To get musical inspiration?”

“Well, they’re trying everything they can, even resorting to drugs.”

At those words, HALO scoffed.

“You wouldn’t get it even if you did that.”

“What, are you talking like you’ve tried it?”

HALO shrugged.

Shin Joo-hyuk clicked his tongue at this brat.

“Anyway, never do it. I’m saying this sincerely.”

“I don’t have any intention of doing it.”

“That’s a relief then.”

He had never taken drugs because music didn’t come to him. Music was always around him, and he could always create his songs even without drugs.

So he didn’t understand people who relied on drugs to make music and became trapped in them.

It’s okay if you end it with a moment of pleasure and manage yourself well.

But usually, drugs didn’t just end as a means.

He had seen so many cases of people ruining their lives, wealth, music, and even their own lives.

He didn’t know if they got inspiration at that moment, but it was only a matter of time before they ruined their surroundings and family.

At that time, he didn’t have a family, but even so,

He looked so pathetic.

Now, he didn’t feel like doing it even more.

Bzz-. Just in time, HALO checked his text message.

[Mom: HALO, what time are you coming home today? Let’s have Korean beef [bulgogi] for dinner together]

‘Now I have a family too.’

HALO smiled faintly and replied.

[I’ll be home before sunset]

#

While drinking two glasses of orange juice in the hallway and talking with Shin Joo-hyuk, the inner door opened wide.

Someone glanced at Shin Joo-hyuk and HALO as they left, and some of the people inside gestured for them to come in.

When he went inside, HALO felt that something had changed.

Whether Hwang Ryong-pil had scolded them quite a bit or given them warm encouragement, there was a glint in the eyes of some of the people who had been open-hearted. And for some reason, they glanced at them. As if they had something to say.

“Where are you going, Teacher?”

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

When Hwang Ryong-pil got up with the others, Shin Joo-hyuk, who had been startled, looked at the cigarettes and nodded.

Along with Hwang Ryong-pil, more than half of the people left. In this industry, smoking and drinking were like life.

Conversely, there were also new people who came in.

A figure wearing a cap and mask waved his hand.

“Hello, am I too late?”

Leeve, the undisputed queen of digital music in Korea.

When she took off her hat, thin strands of hair poured out. Despite her fair and innocent appearance, Shin Joo-hyuk listlessly raised his hand.

“Yo, long time no see.”

“Long time no see. How have you been, *oppa* [term used by a female to refer to an older brother or male friend]? And this person is-.”

Leeve’s eyes widened.

“Could it be Noh HALO? Ah, Joo-hyuk *oppa* brought you after doing the radio show together. Nice to meet you! I’m listening to your album. I put it on my playlist these days and listen to it every day.”

“Thank you.”

Shin Joo-hyuk, who knew her musical taste well, knew that it wasn’t just empty words.

“What about mine?”

“···I listened to *oppa’s* too. More than that, about ‘Another Day’….”

Leeve, who glossed over her words, brought up his music with an excited face. It was the first musical story he was sharing here, so HALO also actively spoke up.

“It doesn’t seem like you listened to mine.”

“*Oppa*, were you such a persistent person?”

“I’m saying it because it seems like Leeve is discriminating against people.”

Shin Joo-hyuk, who grumbled in between, soon joined in.

Shin Joo-hyuk, one of Korea’s representative vocalists, Leeve, the queen of digital music, and Noh HALO, a rookie who had been offered a collaboration by the teacher, began to draw the attention of others.

One by one, they began to join the conversation, and at some point, a true musical discussion took place.

At least the people who made music in this place were poking into the conversation, whether actively or indirectly.

They talked about plagiarism, then the topic changed as they talked about the connection of general dissonant triads. Moreover, they often clashed, because they were all people with distinct opinions.

“Well, I-.”

Age didn’t matter much here.

In the midst of the debate, the size of the voice and the opinion were more important than age.

That’s what everyone thought of the boy who never gave up his opinion in front of the senior singers.

“He’s definitely amazing.”

The spirit of taking first place in front of the seniors hadn’t gone anywhere.

However, if they had seen it as arrogance at that time, now, they could only think that he was just an amazing guy.

Some people chuckled and laughed, saying that a stubborn guy had come out after a long time.

Age, experience, appearance.

The moment those prejudices were broken, someone said.

He was Lee Sung-rim, a ballad singer who represented the 2000s with his unique tone and numerous hit songs.

“Hey, HALO. Would you like to arrange one of my songs later? Just do it as well as Joo-hyuk’s new song.”

HALO looked at him and said playfully.

“I heard you’re not releasing any music for the time being.”

“You remember that? Please forget it.”

“Are you going to release it?”

At that question, Lee Sung-rim nodded faintly.

“I have to.”

Like the others who had been scolded by Hwang Ryong-pil, he also reflected.

He belatedly realized that he had shown an unsightly side to his junior, and he was shocked at how weak the great Lee Sung-rim had become.

A distant junior was saying that he would take first place without any hesitation. Lee Sung-rim, who recalled those words, said quietly.

“I won’t go easy on you even if you’re a junior.”

“I have no intention of giving in either.”

“Hahaha. I really like your personality.”

Everyone talks about music together, clashes, and develops each other’s music.

HALO, who was quietly looking around at the crowd, smiled contentedly.

Yes, this was the image he had wished for.

#

By the way, he still had something to say to Hwang Ryong-pil. HALO was chatting with people and looked around. Shin Joo-hyuk, who had the same thought, also searched with him.

“Teacher Hwang? He’s talking to Director Jang right now.”

The people who had gone out to the smoking booth with Hwang Ryong-pil returned first and said.

If it’s Director Jang, he’s the flagship PD [Producer Director] of the KDS entertainment bureau. He had heard that the reality variety show he had been doing recently was almost over.

Shin Joo-hyuk realized that Director Jang had been in the place where Hwang Ryong-pil had proposed a collaboration to Noh HALO and scolded them for a long time.

He wondered why he was still there, but it seemed like he wanted to scout the teacher this time.

“It seems like Director Jang was going to do a music show with the teacher this time.”

“Ah, no wonder Director Jang, who’s a non-smoker, came out.”

“Are you talking about scouting for audition judges for a music show?”

The person who had vaguely heard their conversation shook his head. The more he did, the more the question grew.

“Oh, it doesn’t seem like it. Director Jang kept asking him to come, saying he wouldn’t do it as a survival show. You know the teacher doesn’t like survival shows like that.”

“What music show doesn’t have a survival element?”

The brain, which had been soaked in survival auditions, could only think of similar things.

Idol… it wouldn’t be this, Battle of Famous Singers, Battle of Singers Hiding Their Identities, Trot [Korean folk music]?

All of them were programs with a survival element.

It was then. Hwang Ryong-pil was seen through the open door.

And next to him, a neat man wearing a shirt.

The man who was talking to Hwang Ryong-pil with a smile suddenly turned his head. When their eyes met by chance, the man winked.

‘What is it?’

HALO blinked in embarrassment.

Did he just wink at me?