The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1591

< 159. If the World Ends Tomorrow >

“Hi, you must be his bassist?”

“I know you, Moon! I saw your great performance.”

“Hi, cute drummer?”

“Hi. But I’m not cute. Call me sexy.”

Coachella’s impact wasn’t limited.

No one received more attention than the singer Halo, but like ink spreading on paper, the interest also spread.

Specifically, to Halo’s session members.

No one could deny that they were the session members who recorded with Halo during his 6th album, Dancing in the Rain.

The timing was perfect, and eventually, they proved to be Halo’s session members at Coachella.

Just like they received numerous inquiries and offers in Korea afterward, quite a few people recognized them at a home party in LA, overseas.

Some even approached them.

It was more unexpected than expected.

Everyone was supposed to flock to Halo. Didn’t everyone initially look at them with cold eyes?

Actually, it’s not that strange.

They were already receiving global attention just by being Halo’s session members, and even if they weren’t Halo’s session members, there would be people everywhere who needed the skills they demonstrated on a large stage.

Even if they weren’t needed right away, it was good to know capable session members for recording or performances.

Of course, the status of ‘Halo’s session members’ was still undeniable. They were subtly aware of it. However, it didn’t turn into jealousy or inferiority.

“What do you usually do when you’re bored?”

“You guys must be tired, having to follow him around. I know those hardships well. The vocalist I used to work with-”

From the start, they themselves were huge fans of Halo.

“Well, I’ve never been bored.”

“That’s too bad. I hope you meet a good singer like me. Can I go first?”

“…What are you talking about? Speak Korean to Koreans.”

Even if it’s a slightly different kind of fandom, they like and respect him. That bond might be rare in other bands.

“It’s fun, but I hope no one is forcing Hae-il to drink, right?”

“Oh. Don’t tell me they’re going to the president… I think he went with Jason… Hey, Nam Gyu-hwan, don’t pick up and eat just anything. It might have marijuana in it.”

“Marijuana? They put marijuana in food too?”

“Haven’t you heard of marijuana brownies? They really like putting weird things in food here. Weed, toothpaste… and pineapple. They’re really strange.”

“The last two sound good.”

They came to brainstorm at a typical American home party. It’s bewildering to be in a place they’ve only seen in teen dramas, but they quickly adapted and looked for Halo when they were enjoying themselves.

Halo was looking around the cramped room.

“Hey, Halo, look at this. What do you think?”

“…It’s not bad, but I want something a little more-”

“Okay, I know exactly what you mean.”

It was fun to have guys who shared the same opinions even when he spoke vaguely.

It was interesting how everyone kept coming up with melodies, and his taste included pointless attempts.

For example, trying to create a melody while listening to a cuckoo clock.

However, Halo hadn’t achieved his goal yet.

The reason he came to the party after a long time.

Of course, just having fun was enjoyable, but he came here for a specific reason.

Halo lightly brought up the main point.

“So, when are you going to tell me about what you guys are doing?”

“Oh.”

At that moment, the guys who were shaking their guitars while coming up with melodies looked at him. They stared at him with surprised faces.

“How did you know this wasn’t that project?”

There were people he already knew at this gathering, and there were people he met here. If you broaden the meaning of the word ‘know,’ everyone knew each other to some extent.

After all, the guys making music here weren’t pop stars who frequented the Billboard charts like eating rice [a common Korean expression for something very frequent]. Halo doesn’t watch other people’s shows often, but he has listened to their music at least once.

However, if the word ‘know’ means interaction, they were mostly meeting for the first time. Jason and one other person saw him during the Coachella rehearsals, but he was talking to the rest for the first time.

“I would have been disappointed if this was it.”

“Why! Why! We had fun making it. This is what brainstorming is all about, friend.”

“It was fun. It seems like your tastes are a bit old-fashioned, though-” When Halo, known as the epitome of Britpop, said ‘old,’ many burst into laughter. “-I can’t help it. I can’t expect young things from old-timers.”

“Kuh-huh, old-timers!”

The young singers in their 20s and 30s couldn’t deny it to Halo, who was sixteen years old.

Even though it seemed like they had known each other for years.

In a mostly first-time meeting, Halo calmly replied. It’s not like he’s shy, and Halo originally had a bit of audacity and sociability that allowed him to get along with people he just met like they were decade-long friends.

“Okay, I don’t know how you figured it out, but I’ll stop.”

Prau, noticing Halo’s teenage expression, wiped away tears and said. He was the first person at Augustus Records to suggest a collaboration.

“But I’m not going to tell you. This is like a secret we only share within our team. However, there’s one way you can find out.”

“What is it?”

Halo seemed to know the answer but asked anyway.

Jason added with a look that said, why are you even asking that?

“You’ll have to collaborate with us.”

“Ah, and of course, we need to make an ‘adult promise.'”

That meant they would only tell him if they officially signed a collaboration contract.

Expressing it as an ‘adult promise’ was probably just to tease him about his age.

Halo pondered.

There weren’t any special events until the tour,

He didn’t want to do it when they looked at him with eyes that said, ‘Don’t you want to?’

If he had a song to work on,

-If I had to say, love?

Or,

-Trying a genre I haven’t done before.

If someone’s casual advice hadn’t come to mind, he wouldn’t have gotten involved.

“I heard it’s a boring love song.”

“Who? Jason? Love… is that what it’s about? Broadly speaking, yes.”

“But it won’t be a simple love song like you think.”

“That’s right, we’re old-timers with old-fashioned tastes, so we can’t stand boring love songs.”

Before the briefing, some people were about to speak but closed their mouths.

Whatever the topic was, it was clearly something that easily excited them. What kind of fun love song would the guys who make music with cuckoo clocks and suddenly create melodies with the sound of their stomachs rumbling make?

However, it wasn’t in his nature to easily say he wanted to do it.

Halo looked around and smiled faintly.

“I don’t want to. It sounds boring.”

“!”

The guys who welcomed Halo as soon as they saw him were startled.

Surprised by this answer, Prau, who was sitting on the bed, replied,

“One thing is for sure, it’s definitely not a boring topic.”

“That’s right, you’ll like it too.”

Halo remembered that they hadn’t said they wouldn’t tell him no matter what, but had set a condition for him.

And seeing them continue to persuade him, he thought they might want to work with him.

It’s not like he didn’t know that he wasn’t the only artist in the world who wanted to work with him, even if they didn’t show it.

Jason gestured as if to tell them to just let him go, but they couldn’t say anything to him, and the others seemed to subtly want him to join them.

“If it was such an interesting topic, you would have told me already.”

When he realized that, Halo was no longer the weaker party.

“!”

“You don’t have the confidence to persuade me, so you want to hear my answer first, right?”

“Well, this is a secret project.”

“I wouldn’t do it if it’s boring, but I would definitely do it if it’s interesting.”

Of course, they might think he would steal the topic.

But it’s unlikely that such a unique topic that no one has ever tried would come up.

That would mean it’s extremely niche.

It’s unlikely that people living as pop singers would bring up an extremely niche topic.

Even if he liked it enough to want to steal it, he had no intention of stealing it at all. As he had said before, he didn’t enjoy stealing other people’s things, and through the rendezvous he had in Korea, he learned the joy of collaboration.

Halo added for their sake.

“I can promise you this. If it’s interesting, I’ll work with you. If you want, I can make an adult promise.”

In fact, they don’t need to be obsessed with Halo. They are already recognized pop singers, and they would be confident in their success whether Halo is involved in the collaboration or not.

However, since he wasn’t setting difficult conditions, and it wasn’t certain when they could collaborate again, wouldn’t it be unnecessary to refuse?

Well, unless it’s a truly special topic that no one has ever tried before.

People looked at each other.

Then, soon Prau shook his head as if he had lost.

Jason, understanding the signal,

“Alright, everyone, we need to work now, so can you all leave?”

Started kicking out the guys who weren’t going to work on the project together.

“See, I told you Halo wouldn’t agree right away. Give me ten dollars.”

“Are you serious?”

The other two guys had made a bet, though he didn’t know when, and Prau told them to leave after everyone had left.

“If the world ends tomorrow.”

“!”

“That’s the topic.”

“Oh.”

“How is it?”

Halo was honestly impressed.

A topic and concept he hadn’t tried before.

He immediately thought it would be fun.

For him, and for others too.

It wasn’t the love song he had expected, but he felt like he knew why the topic was love.

“Sounds fun.”

“Right? I knew you’d say that.”

Prau, who had brought up the topic first, smiled and nodded.

“Let’s get into it properly, gentlemen.”

“Now that young, fresh blood has arrived, let’s throw out ideas without showing our old-timer side. The more useless, the better.”

“Let’s at least agree not to plant an apple tree.”

At the unconscious remark, Prau and the others laughed together.

“If you’re American, you’d start the morning with a McMuffin [a breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s], right?”

“Why? My mom would make pancakes for me.”

“Then write that in the lyrics, you mama’s boy.”

“Damn, do you know how delicious my mom’s pancakes are?”

The opening was nonsense.

However, Prau took out a whiteboard from somewhere and wrote down McMuffin, pancakes, and mama’s boy, waving both hands up to ask for more opinions.

Halo listened to the nonsense and thought about the topic.

If the world ends tomorrow.

There were guys who said the world would end in 1999.

He ignored it because it was something that would happen far in the future, but now that he thinks about it, it was no different from nonsense.

That’s because it’s 2032 now, isn’t it? 33 years have passed since the doomsday, but this world is doing well.

So, if the world ends.

“So why is the world ending tomorrow?”

“Oh, um. Because we used too much plastic?”

“How about an asteroid?”

“Isn’t a nuclear explosion the trend of the 21st century?”

“The current trend is a gate [referring to a portal or gateway to another dimension, a common trope in science fiction].”

“That was a good idea, Halo. But how about using a little more imagination like a teenager? You sounded a bit like you were in your 30s just now.”

Halo chuckled and admired Prau’s insight.

“Just to rephrase, humanity, or rather, we only have 24 hours left. Let’s just assume everyone has become terminally ill.”

Terminally ill.

Halo suddenly realized that it wasn’t much different from his situation. The world might not end tomorrow, but his time could end tomorrow.

And it seemed like the people in this room thought more seriously about the word ‘terminally ill.’

“I think I’d just live as usual.”

“Wow, that’s cliché.”

“Call it classic. Classics are eternal, you know. I’d wake up listening to my favorite music, have my favorite brunch with the people I love. I think I’d say everything I couldn’t say normally.”

“Are there things you couldn’t say normally?”

“Um, oh Lucy. Honestly, your cod dishes are really bad.”

“Wow, I’ll tell her later.”

“Oh, please.”

The person who shared the appropriate joke said he would lie on the beach all day, watching how beautiful the crashing waves, the crying seagulls, and the night sky are. Of course, with the people he loves.

“Since it’s the last day anyway, wouldn’t it be dangerous? You might want to unleash the violence you haven’t shown until now, or swear at people you hate.”

“Oh, well. I don’t think there’s time to do that. There’s not enough time to say only good things.”

“I’m going to drive at top speed and scatter all my wealth across the city like a cliché.”

“Romantic.”

Halo looked at the increasing opinions and the notes on the whiteboard, and he wondered what he would do.

If he knew that Noh Hae-il would return tomorrow, what would he be doing?

Retirement, which he had been hoping for?

No way. It doesn’t seem like it.

He’ll automatically retire when he dies anyway.

“My last moment-”

At that one word, people’s eyes were fixed on the boy.

“I’ll be singing.”

“Isn’t that the most textbook answer?”

“What’s wrong? It’s a Halo-like answer. But add some details. You’re not going to say you’ll be singing in the shower, are you?”

Of course not.

Details.

Halo added as if it were obvious.

“In front of people.”

“Oh, it’s still typical.”

“In front of the people who love me.”

“Oh, not the people you love?”

“They’ll definitely love me too, right?”

“!…Okay, that’s a wise answer to a foolish question.”

Then everyone closed their mouths.

As if they still wanted Halo’s answer.

“I’m going to sing all the songs I want to sing. Even if my throat bursts.”

“Oho, and?”

“I hope it rains.”

“Why?”

“Just because. It’ll be cooler to sing in the rain.”

“That’s an answer from a teenager who doesn’t know the importance of joints.”

“Still, it’s cool. Thunder and lightning in the background too.”

“It does sound like the day before the world ends.”

No one had a serious face.

It might have been a casual remark.

In fact, there was no need to tell a really honest story in this place. Isn’t this world a world where the outside and inside are different?

However, no one asked if it was a lie, and they thought of it as a true story.

“And?”

Prau asked with a smile.

“Of course, I have to jump off the stage.”

Jumping into people was the image of his last day that he wanted. Being pushed around in the waves of people, he would look at the sky like a jellyfish drifting in the sea, and beautiful stars would decorate the sky. If it rains, the sky will be cloudy? Let’s say it stopped.

“What do you think you’ll be thinking then?”

In fact, the topic of ‘the end of the world’ has been covered quite a bit here and there. Not only in media such as movies and dramas, but also in writing contests. And in the end, that topic tends to lead to a few conclusions.

The first is love.

Most of them said they would spend time with the people they love. Not many people said they would take revenge.

The second is daily life.

Surprisingly, not many people do anything special. Unless they look back on what they’ve missed so far.

As such, this song would eventually have the same conclusion.

A day spent with loved ones.

Conveying the beautiful words they couldn’t say normally,

Regretting why they couldn’t say them normally,

And being grateful for what they can do now.

And in the end-.

“I lived without regrets, but I’ll still be sad.”

“Sad?”

“Because I’ll want to experience a day like this tomorrow too.”

The people who heard Halo’s answer smiled.

Tomorrow.

The whiteboard was already full of all the keywords.

“It’s done.”

They had only thrown out words that would become lyrics, and there was still a lot to do. From composing to part distribution, session, recording, and unlike Halo’s previous albums, which went through a simple process, there would be many processes left.

However, they all thought it was done.

Again, these are people who frequent the Billboard charts like eating rice.

Only people who are called or have been called geniuses are in this place, and most of them even know how to compose.

From composing to writing lyrics, parts, and recording.

The production of the song might actually be finished within a week.

No, maybe it would be finished before this party ends.

At least there was no one here who wanted to end it here.

Rather, they were testing the waters by strumming the guitar strings as if to start now, or as if they were ticklish.

As if inspiration was springing from their heads.

Prau also had no intention of ending it now.

However, it seemed like some schedule coordination was needed.

Everyone else knew, but one person didn’t.

“Halo, when is your world tour again?”

“November.”

“Do you have any other schedules?”

“Not yet.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

“Why?”

When Halo asked back, the people looked at each other instead.

They wondered if they hadn’t told him earlier. They were sure they had.

“We need to film a music video, right?”

“!”

He had heard about the music video, but he had completely forgotten.

Right, there was such a thing.

It was Noh Hae-il’s first music video, but Halo nodded without emotion. Nothing has been decided yet on how to film it, but he’s not interested yet. What he wants to do right now is to take out the music that’s lingering in his ears.

And there seem to be five guys here who want to do that.

And a week from that day.

An article takes over the internet, which had been noisy with announcements of Halo’s LP album and world tour ticketing schedule.

[Exclusive] HALO, Jason Dyke, and Rapper Prau Dwen’s Hollywood-Scale Luxury Collaboration