The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1131

“They should be arriving soon.”

August Veil, who had left the reporters with Scorpion and traveled ahead in his own car, sipped wine in the suite of the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul, watching the city slowly darken.

“What a dazzling city.”

Even as night fell, the lights throughout the city shone brightly.

It was the complete opposite of the serene night view of London.

Modern skyscrapers, car lights filling the roads, and neon signs. It was like a futuristic city filled with artificial light.

He looked out at the vibrant cityscape and refilled his empty glass with wine, ignoring his doctor’s advice to limit himself to one glass a day.

August Veil, indulging in his leisure, chuckled to himself as he imagined Scorpion’s annoyed expression.

He wondered how much they were cursing him.

However, his smile faded as he saw the news on the wall-mounted TV.

Footage of Scorpion’s arrival at Incheon Airport a few hours earlier was being broadcast.

-Scorpion! Have you decided on a concert guest?

-How long have you been listening to Nohaeil, or Roh’s, music?

-Roh said he would consider your offer, have you contacted him since?

Amid the reporters’ fervor, the Scorpion members, all wearing sunglasses, moved forward. Then, suddenly, Rill stopped, took off his sunglasses, and grinned.

Sensing an ominous feeling, August Veil put down his wine glass.

-Concert guest?

Rill’s constant smiling could only mean he had some ulterior motive.

-How did that go, ah.

August Veil knew well that it was Scorpion’s specialty to keep reporters in suspense with carefully chosen words.

– I’m going to propose again. So, where is he now?

-Who are you talking about?

-Roh, I mean.

-He’s probably… at the label.

When the interviewee boldly asked, one of the reporters even gave the label’s address. Fortunately, the editing prevented Nohaeil’s label address from being broadcast nationwide.

The video continued.

But August Veil, who no longer had the luxury to watch quietly, hurriedly ran to Rill’s room.

No matter how much he knocked, there was no answer.

He knocked on the next room, and Scorpion’s guitarist, Roy, came out.

“Where is Rill now?”

“He’s probably in his room. Isn’t he?” Roy asked, stepping out after a brief musical interlude.

“Hey, Rill, come out. Lord Veil is looking for you.”

Roy rang the bell, but there was no way Rill would answer.

Rill wasn’t there.

“He’s not here?”

August Veil frowned, watching the other members of Scorpion casually looking around.

And at the same time…

Rill stood leaning against the wall of a label in Seongsu-dong, arms crossed. With his sunglasses off, he glared at the boy with a fierce face, making the other members worry about what might happen.

*Should we call the police?*

While Seo Yeon-moon and Jin-young Han were gesturing nervously, Nam Gyuhwan snapped his fingers in preparation. Then, Rill’s mouth suddenly opened.

“I wanted to be the first to discover you.”

That was the secret desire of every HALO fan [HALO is the name of the boy band]. To find HALO before anyone else.

To claim him as their discovery before he revealed himself was their romantic ideal and fervent wish.

“Actually, I had a chance. I missed it like an idiot.”

He should have recognized it when he met the boy who played ‘Struggle’ so well, and again when he met him at Veil.

“But.”

“…”

“I’m not an idiot.”

When others turned a blind eye to what was obvious, he accepted it as it was.

The boy left too many traces.

As if daring him to recognize him.

But people still didn’t even want to believe it. Because it was impossible for the boy to be the sun within the ‘common sense’ they had created.

But Scorpion, who believed himself to be a genius, thought that a genius should not be judged within common sense. Why would a genius be a genius? It was because he had already broken out of that mold.

“Do you remember what I said back then?”

Rill didn’t wait for an answer and repeated what he had said then.

“Let’s go to the top of the world together and make amazing music. I still feel the same way. Isn’t this place too shabby for us?”

Rill then looked around the label.

He admitted it was cozy, but he thought it was too small for the sun that was brightly illuminating a galaxy. A splendid and huge castle, or a spire overlooking a metropolis, would suit the sun better.

“I’ll help you, so shine on my stage.”

The guest invitation meant that.

A moment of silence fell.

Outside, the sunset was deepening. It was getting dark. But no one thought to turn on the lights in the darkening space.

“I thought it wouldn’t be long now.”

Everyone focused when they heard the boy’s voice.

“Until the day you call my name.”

Since he had released his 9th album, his target of 13 albums was not far off. He had expected a maximum of two years, but it would take a little over a year.

“So, on my stage… !”

Rill shouted with a face full of joy.

“But.”

Then, a low voice was heard.

“Not this time.”

“!”

“This is your stage.”

If he revealed himself on Scorpion’s stage, well, that would be good. He would be able to reveal himself comfortably in the midst of everyone’s attention.

But at that moment, the owner of the stage would change. No matter how much Scorpion’s name was written on it, the world’s attention would be focused on the name HALO, and Scorpion would be left as just someone who lent the place.

What guest in the world steals the host’s stage?

He had done all sorts of things, but he had never stolen someone else’s house. He wasn’t so poor that he would do that. He didn’t feel any perverted pleasure in the act of extortion.

Scorpion seemed to want to sacrifice himself and the audience who came to see him to create a splendid comeback for him. He didn’t want that. From anyone.

“Even if it’s a short stage, I’ll reveal it on my stage. So.”

The boy’s eyes, silhouetted against the sunset, burned fiercely.

“Don’t bother me.”

That was similar to the lyrics of HALO’s 9th album [(Title) L=299m/s].

[Nothing’s gonna get in the way]

That was the song Rill had listened to when he came to find him.

Rill had a reverent conviction rather than disappointment at being rejected. *Yes, if this boy wasn’t HALO, who was HALO?*

“Okay.”

Rill shrugged and gave up earlier than expected, and the members looked at him in confusion.

They didn’t expect him to give up so early, both in appearance and in what he said earlier.

“I won’t bother you.”

Rill felt his throat dry from tension. The drumming in his ears didn’t stop.

Looking around, he found a fresh orange juice on the bar table. He pointed to the cup, and Seo Yeon-moon nodded absentmindedly.

As soon as he took a sip, he tasted a terrible sweetness.

*How much syrup did they put in?*

He wanted to strangle the orange juice terrorist.

First, he had to get rid of what was in his mouth.

Rill couldn’t spit it out, couldn’t keep it in his mouth, and swallowed it forcibly.

His hands trembled like a drug addict.

“But, come as a guest to my concert.”

Rill, unable to throw the cup, carefully placed it down and looked at Halo, pretending to be okay.

“There’s no greater honor than singing at my concert.”

Rill added one more word.

“…As a reward for recognizing you.”

“When is the concert?”

Rill’s face brightened at Halo’s question.

The skill of teasing reporters was selective.

Scorpion became the Pied Piper and led the reporters here, and then took them away again.

It seemed that the reporters judged that it was better to choose Rill, who at least said something, than to wait for Nohaeil indefinitely.

In fact, it wasn’t a bad decision. Judging from the articles that were posted one after another.

[Scorpion Visits Nohaeil’s Label]

[The Relationship That Started in Trafalgar Square]

[Rill Dismisses Concert Guest with No Comment]

└ Is he really coming?

└ Wow, someone said that if you want to see Nohaeil, you can go to the Scorpion concert, and it’s coming true

└ ㅅㅂ I didn’t think Nohaeil would go because of his reaction

└ Has metal become so popular in Korea? I just looked it up and it’s sold out

└ Scorpion can definitely sell out Olympic Hall. They’re a world-class band, and even if metal isn’t mainstream in Korea, all the domestic Scorpion fans have gathered for their first visit to Korea

[Scorpion Guitarist Roy Suasso “I love Soju” Praises the World’s Best Alcohol]

└ This bastard has a concert tomorrow and he’s drinking???

└ Soju is ㅇㅈ though~ [ㅇㅈ is an abbreviation for 인정, which means ‘ 인정’]

And no matter what Rill said, the reaction was certain.

[Scorpion “He (Nohaeil) is the Best Singer in the World”]

└ But wasn’t Scorpion originally a TaeYang fan? I feel so betrayed lol

└ It’s just lip service

It was a bit much, though.

While he was watching Scorpion’s interview dominate the media all day, August Veil received a call.

He already knew that he had come to Korea with Scorpion, and he wasn’t surprised by the Korean number.

[I heard Rill was rude.]

“It’s okay.”

August Veil felt a little relieved by Halo’s faint smile, but an underlying worry remained.

[Is he making a mess?]

Seeing him ask that, he must be curious about the conversation that took place after Scorpion arrived. Judging from the photos online, Scorpion seems to be enjoying his visit to Korea.

There was no reason to hide it, so Halo told him plainly, “He just told me to reveal my identity on his stage.”

[What?]

He said it as casually as saying, “Lunch today is soybean paste stew.”

“I refused.”

[Did he just say okay?]

Honestly, considering Scorpion’s behavior, he didn’t have much trust. He’s the type to live as he pleases.

“He said that for now.”

[I’m worried. I need to be able to trust him. He’s unpredictable.]

“Is there any need to worry already?”

Halo nonchalantly pressed the remote control button.

The noisy screen went black.

[You’re saying that because you don’t know Rill. He might suddenly call your name while performing on stage as a guest.]

August Veil spoke as if warning him, but Halo shrugged.

“We’ll see.”

He still couldn’t agree.

Well, he didn’t worry about a future that might or might not happen, and even if it was revealed, his life would just return to normal, so nothing would change.

However, Halo didn’t want him to take away the stage control from a singer who had to perform for several hours.

“By the way, are you thinking of going to Japan with Scorpion?”

[Why do you ask?]

“Weren’t you here to see me?”

At Halo’s words, the sound on the other side of the phone disappeared for a moment.

It wasn’t the first or second time, so Halo didn’t feel anything new.

[I’m not going to stay with them. I’m thinking of staying in Korea for a while this time.]

“Is that so?”

[This place, you know, seems like a good neighborhood to live in. The delivery service is good, and it’s bright day and night, so you’ll like it.]

Halo nodded.

He liked the food here, the weather, and the streets. He also liked the young people passing by and the music he heard every time he walked around. Looking at it that way, it seems like this world is good.

[I’ve been seeing cockroaches lately. I can’t do it right now, but I’ll see you soon.]

Cockroaches. In other words, paparazzi.

The pronunciation of “cockroach” is similar to “paparazzi” in Korean, so it’s used as a metaphor.

Halo clicked his tongue, thinking of a creature that is difficult to eradicate. The old man rambled on for a while, then left a final warning and hung up.

[Don’t trust Scorpion.]

#

Concert day.

People began to enter the audience one by one.

For a niche genre, a variety of people came.

Someone joked that if you want to see Nohaeil, you have to go to a Scorpion concert. However, Scorpion is a world-renowned metal band, and many of their albums have been on the Billboard charts. They have a large number of fans in Korea.

Originally a small land with a niche genre, album sales weren’t high. Fans who thought Scorpion would never come to Korea shed tears and bought tickets when they heard the news of their visit, and there weren’t many empty seats.

Of course, there’s no rule that you can only like one music genre, one singer, or one band, so some of these people may be looking forward to the music of the boy who is coming as a guest.

A working man sitting in the audience looked at the stage while waiting for his girlfriend, who had gone to the bathroom. His heart was pounding.

Scorpion is in Korea!

This is happening before I die!

There was a lot of talk in the Scorpion community.

Before ticketing opened, it was full of people who hardly believed it because Scorpion had previously made a controversial interview saying, ‘Korea doesn’t know the charm of metal. Album sales are the lowest.’

Of course, after that, he calmed down the controversy with statements such as, ‘If you’re just going to listen, go home and listen,’ while criticizing Japan, and ‘Everyone has one disgusting thing, pretending to be a gentleman,’ while criticizing his own country, establishing himself as an “all-killing doll” [a term for someone who is good at everything].

So, until ticketing opened, the community was half-doubtful.

‘Anyway, I fucking love it.’

By the way, I can’t help but talk about Nohaeil, who will be the special guest today. The reason why Scorpion came to Korea.

He’s a guy who drinks and talks nonsense, lies, and has delusions, but there was no reason to answer the reason for his visit to Korea with lies.

In fact, he went to Nohaeil’s label as soon as he came to Korea. There’s a lot of talk about it in the community.

[Did Scorpion really come to see Nohaeil?]

[Nohaeil’s music is good, but wasn’t it just for the domestic market?]

In addition, there are quite a few concerns and worries.

[But does Nohaeil fit in as a guest?]

[Nohaeil has no guest experience, and his music is calm.]

The reason why his girlfriend, who originally said she wouldn’t come, came with him was because of Nohaeil. The working man was also worried.

Nohaeil’s music and Scorpion’s music were almost the opposite.

Just like a person who sings a sad song at a karaoke is a sinner [a Korean saying implying it ruins the mood], Nohaeil might accidentally extinguish the fire that Scorpion had created.

However, the working man’s worries disappeared in an instant as fireworks exploded with the opening of the stage.

The tearing sound of distorted guitar. The double chorus of electric guitars. The strong and rough man’s drumming and the bass that firmly catches the rhythm.

Soon, the audience was stirred up by Scorpion’s leader, Rill, who started shouting, revealing his Scorpion tattoo.

It was like an earthquake.

The music itself was rough, but the passion of the fans who had been hoping for Scorpion’s visit to Korea was combined, so it wouldn’t be strange if the Olympic Hall collapsed in the middle.

Scorpion didn’t give the audience a moment to rest. He was only shouting with his true voice, which could cause vocal cord nodules, and was rampaging on the stage like an angry bull.

Yes, that’s what I wanted.

What was unexpected was that Nohaeil didn’t come out as the opening guest. It would have been better if he had come out during the opening and gradually raised the atmosphere.

The atmosphere was getting more and more intense.

When it reached its peak, Scorpion chose an even stronger song and went to an even higher peak.

It was then.

One of the Scorpion guitarists on stage jumped forward. He starts showing off his guitar solo. Dazzling movement.

People were about to murmur about who the member they were seeing for the first time was, but they were blinded by the guitar shredding.

Wow!

The more the shredding continued without stopping, the more intense the people’s exclamations became. The song he is playing now was considered the most difficult song for guitarists among Scorpion’s songs. Everyone knew it was a difficult song because there were clips of the main guitarist Roy making mistakes circulating on the internet.

Finally, the long guitar solo ends and the song ends. With people’s applause and shouts,

Rill also clapped brightly next to him.

The working man had never seen Rill standing there with such a stupid expression. Usually, he would scold the members, look at them with contempt, or swear at each other, but he had never seen him clapping with a dazed expression like a fanatic, even at the Grammys – of course, Rill had never been to the Grammys since he boycotted them.

He thought, ‘Are you introducing a new member in Korea!’ When he took off his hat and mask and revealed his identity-.

“…Haeil?”

Like his girlfriend’s cry, it was a boy.

The guitar skills that had been buried in the vocals until now.

In fact, everyone would have welcomed him even if he was introduced as a new member.

So, he thought that’s why Rill was acting so favorably.

“Thank you for coming, my friend.”

Originally, the order was to say hello like this and sing the next song, but from this point on, Rill’s fickleness began.

“We met at Trafalgar Square last Christmas.”

People who knew English well cheered when the behind-the-scenes story came out, and people who didn’t know English asked the person next to them, ‘What?’ ‘What is it?’

Halo recalled the warning August Veil had given him. [Don’t trust Scorpion] That last message.

Someone might have been embarrassed by the unexpected situation. Halo rather raised the corners of his lips. Yes, it was strange that he was going over so easily.

“I was playing a song that I was really into at the time. Do you remember what that music was, Roh?”

Scorpion looks at him meaningfully.

Halo smiled and replied.

“Struggle.”

People buzzed at the familiar name.

As Halo answered without paying attention, Scorpion also smiled more and more.

“You said to me, who was playing Struggle, ‘You’ve made four mistakes so far.'”

People who knew English listened with interest to the exciting development. People who didn’t know English became busier as the words got longer. The working man’s girlfriend, as an English teacher, excellently translated for the person sitting next to her.

“And I said to you, ‘I don’t know. Will you tell me?’ That was the first time I saw someone tell me to learn guitar.”

No one noticed that this was suddenly proceeding with Rill’s ad-lib.

That’s because the members who were used to Rill’s fickleness and the boy who was invited as a guest today were smiling calmly.

“I, and-.”

Scorpion lost his words for a moment.

At that time, the boy’s performance came to mind.

He belatedly realized why HALO came to mind when he heard that performance.

“I got to hear the world’s best ‘Struggle’. The best struggle played with a folk guitar, not an electric guitar.”

Eyes meet.

The audience, the members, and even Halo are smiling, but he, who provoked first, strangely became anxious.

That’s probably because Halo didn’t show any reaction. He was acting as if he was telling him to do whatever he wanted.

“I wanted to invite you to the stage since then.”

Scorpion was actually going to call his name.

Halo said he would reveal it himself, but Scorpion still thought he deserved to be at the top.

In a huge castle, not a shabby house.

In a wider country, not a small backwater.

So he was going to call his name.

“Respected-.”

His gaze shifts away.

The boy had already turned to the audience.

The boy he saw next to him seemed to be absorbed in the audience’s breathing.

He responded by telling him to do whatever he wanted.

Scorpion suddenly recalled the question he had asked August Veil in the past. The words he said to the cowardly old man who knew the identity of the sun but could not go next to him.

-Weren’t you just scared? Afraid of being hated for interfering with the sun’s freedom.

That question returns to him like an arrow.

-Aren’t you?

Scorpion felt his tongue drying up.

At that time, what did he say to that question?

Time seems to be slowing down.

When it was time to throw the last comment, Scorpion moved his lips and finally uttered a word.

“Roh.”

He couldn’t answer that question.