The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1691

< Making the Stage Enjoyable -169 >

[HALO, we would never dislike your music]

I had just finished my second performance.

But seeing the world full of stories about one person, it felt like I had performed about twenty times.

[HAMILTON TheLastDay(TLD)feat.Frau···mp4]

[TLD Music Video Recreation and···(12)]

[Tae Yang saying his dance wasn’t bad.jpeg]

└OMG Soooooo cute

From videos to photos.

From articles to blogs analyzing playlists.

People who turned on their computers and opened search windows were clicking on the after-show reviews of Halo’s two performances out of curiosity, and what inevitably followed was-.

[HIT│No way, he sang TLD and yodeled and danced in Hamilton? Is that a lie? Are you all kidding me?]

[LA & HMT Playlist In-depth Analysis]

[Is it true that he sang the 12th album this time? I really like the 12th album]

The anger and wailing of people who couldn’t go to the concert.

[Ha, it started… Don’t prepare for the concert so hard!!! Just do it roughly!!!]

└ No Hae-il (alter ego: Halo) is the #1 celebrity who gets told to do things roughly the most

└ Is Halo really an alter ego…? Me?

└ Sibal [Korean slang, similar to ‘damn’], the alter ego is #1 in the world ranking ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Someone’s main character is #1 in Korea, but I’m #1 in ticketing failures… How can I not get a ticket even once? I’ve been trying since the small theater days, and I’ve entered all ten times this time ㅜㅜ I don’t even want a golden ticket, just one seat pleaseㅠㅠㅠ

└ 77ㅓ억 [Korean onomatopoeia for sobbing]

└ The characteristic of the guy above is that he gets a concert ticket exactly once

What people said about No Hae-il’s small theater concert in the past was true. It was the first and last concert where you could hear all of No Hae-il’s songs.

After Halo’s identity was revealed, the playlist combining No Hae-il’s songs and 13 albums was extensive.

As much as there were various options for concepts, guests, and even concert playlists.

That would be a great repertoire for people who attend all the concerts, but in reality, most people only got one concert ticket. Or couldn’t get one at all.

[But isn’t that what Frau is wearing?]

[The golden ticket is right there]

[She’s wearing that?]

[So where did Frau live? Just curious :)]

In many ways, it was enough to turn even those who thanked Frau at the concert against her.

But more important than all these issues was something else.

[Until that day, D-5]

[College Entrance Exam VS No Hae-il Concert]

└ Obviously the latter

└ 22 You can take the college entrance exam again anytime, but the latter…

└ Ah, I can go easily next year (crying frog meme)

[You’ve never sung No Hae-il’s songs until now, right?]

└ I think he didn’t sing them on purpose because they’re in Korean, but he’ll definitely sing them when he comes to Korea

└ Foreigners are crying because they want to hear this, but he won’t sing it even once

└ I think he just considered that they wouldn’t understand the language, so he was considerate, but I’m okay with that consideration, so please, Tae Yang.

After the Hamilton, Canada performance, the next performance was held in Seoul. Halo’s home country and the main stage where No Hae-il had been active for a year.

The Korean concert was highly anticipated because Halo had never sung any of the songs he made as No Hae-il during the two performances.

But more important than Halo’s concert was something else.

The D-day everyone was counting down.

No Hae-il, Halo’s 17th birthday was approaching.

No Hae-il’s famous fandom (now in alliance with the Korean branch of the Halo fandom) made full preparations for No Hae-il’s second birthday.

[Hae-il always has a concert on his birthday, that’s great ㅎㅎ Everything is great except that I can’t see it, yeah.]

[Be a singer forever]

[Album 100… No, let’s release 1,000 albums because it’s realistic]

└ It’s a problem because it’s realisticㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

They attracted aggro [Internet slang for ‘aggravation’ or ‘attention’] from all over the world by holding the ticketing last, but Koreans overcame it with faster internet than any other country, a lot of experience, and considerable luck, and they were trying to throw an even more splendid birthday party than last time.

Wasn’t last year’s birthday a bit disappointing?

Halo was satisfied, but it was bound to be disappointing for the fans.

[Once is enough for something like last time to happen]

Once is enough for the stage to be a mess due to strong winds and for dolls to fly away. Once is funny, but twice is just overkill.

But they can’t control all the variables. Especially if the target is nature.

[Ah, I have a bad feeling about this time]

[The weather is okay this time… Me?]

[The Meteorological Administration said… it’s okay. So it’ll be okay?]

└ Do you believe that?

└ How many times do you have to get betrayed to come to your senses!

[Info) The Meteorological Administration said the weather was clear and there was no wind on Hae-il’s birthday last year too;;;]

[Did a gate finally open in our country? Why is the weather like this?]

└ Yeah, awakened ones will come out soon

When Halo returned to Korea, Seoul looked like a post-apocalyptic scene.

A sky full of fog and gray clouds.

There was little wind, but an ominous feeling arose in the quiet land.

But no one openly said that a storm was coming. There’s an old saying that words become seeds, so they tried hard to have pleasant conversations.

For example.

[There will be a lot of celebrities at this concert too]

[Isn’t No Hae-il’s acquaintances showing up?]

└ Impossible this time because the ticketing was ss ㅇㅂ [Korean slang for ‘super difficult’]

[Maybe a lot will come from overseas?]

[I heard there are a lot of reporters at the departure hall right now]

└ Who’s coming?

[Wow, BB just landed at Incheon Airport]

#

Incheon International Airport was bustling with people today as well. It’s not strange that the number of foreigners seems to be increasing these days.

Interest in Korea was growing due to Netflix and K-pop. There were statistics that the number of foreigners visiting Korea was increasing day by day.

Still, the reason why there seem to be so many may be because they are conscious of the ‘Mozart of Korea’.

Reporter Hwang will never forget April of this year.

The moment when HALO, the immortal genius who had shaken the world for the past year, was confirmed to be Korean rookie singer No Hae-il.

At that moment, the earth shook, and the epicenter of the earthquake was Korea. That’s because it was Halo.

The thrill was so great that it felt like going back to the 2002 World Cup.

The whole nation called for the landlady [a reference to a popular cheer during the World Cup].

Tears flowed from the eyes of those watching Coachella, not overseas soccer, in beer houses.

No Hae-il immediately joined the Do You Know Club [referencing a popular meme/phrase], acquired a free pass, and petitions were filed to exempt him from military service – full of desperate phrases saying what if he changed his nationality by mistake.

How sweet the number of views he gained while standing at the forefront of that was.

“Heok.”

Reporter Hwang wiped the saliva he had unknowingly drooled and came to his senses.

Back to the main point, the reason why he came to Incheon Airport ahead of HALO’s concert.

It was definitely not because he failed to get a ticket.

It was not because he was brutally rejected when he inquired if there were any press tickets, and it was not because he ran out of the office after seeing the watch on Frau’s wrist.

Thinking about it made my heart ache, but I came out because it was a really important matter.

Let’s talk about movies, not music, for a moment.

Movie industry in Korea.

I want to talk about the symbolism of 10 million viewers, leaving everything else aside.

The keyword that everyone thinks of first when talking about a super hit movie in the Korean film industry.

Of course, there are many successful movies that do not attract millions of viewers, but considering that the Korean population is 50 million, the scale of the number itself, which corresponds to one-fifth, feels different.

One out of every five people you meet on the street has seen this movie. Considering that small gatherings usually start with four to five people, everyone could know about this movie.

From then on, it was no longer just a successful movie.

A trend and a culture.

The news arrived that one of the directors who made such a 10 million movie was coming to Korea.

It was a great director who uniquely achieved 10 million in Korea with the genre of music, not even a blockbuster action movie or a Disney animation.

‘Brian Berry’, one of the directors Korea loves after Christopher Nolan.

The door of the departure hall opens and the camera flashes go off.

Reporter Hwang also hurriedly raised his head.

Brian Berry’s visit to Korea was quite a big issue, although it was somewhat overshadowed by HALO’s birthday and the Nanji Park performance issue. If it were normal, it would have been a bigger topic.

Whether the reason he came to Korea was because of an actor or a movie.

Or-.

“Brian, what is the reason for your visit to Korea?”

“Is it related to your next work?”

“Do you usually watch Korean movies often?”

“I heard you like K-pop, what music do you enjoy listening to-.”

“A little Business ···and a little private.”

Brian Berry replies nonchalantly.

Reporter Hwang went into the crowd of reporters and spoke for the first time. The reason why he, who only chases after Halo’s articles, is here.

“Did you come to see Halo’s performance?”

“…!”

It was awkward Konglish [Korean-English], but Brian Berry reacted for the first time.

It was a different attitude from when he had been answering.

Reporter Hwang shouted inwardly, ‘As expected!’

The fact that Brian Berry is a fan of Halo is a story that has been circulating secretly only in the community. I took a shot with doubts, but I didn’t know it would be real.

Other reporters ask about Halo in response to the statement that he came to see Halo’s performance. So they missed one thing.

If Private is Halo’s performance,

What is Business?

The number of article views that day goes without saying.

[Korea’s beloved maestro, BB (Brian Berry) reveals he came to Korea to see Halo’s concert…]

#

Same time.

Halo was drumming his fingers on the window, looking at the cityscape with a blank expression.

November. It’s the season when the cold snap is slowly approaching, but the city was gloomy. As if it was going to snow or rain.

“The weather forecast said it’s just cloudy… Hmm.”

Seo Yeon Moon trailed off.

The Meteorological Administration’s weather forecast was not to be trusted.

Even she, with her positive personality, groaned.

With the concert just around the corner, Seoul is just quiet. Like a sea about to be hit by a storm.

Of all times, it’s when I have to do an outdoor performance at Nanji Park.

Nanji Hangang Park, newly created as part of the Hangang Renaissance project [a large-scale urban renewal project in Seoul], is a place where large-scale festivals are held every year from spring to winter.

With the Han River flowing right next to it, and various plants and animals living on the green grass, this place was suitable for families, lovers, and friends to spend time.

In addition, Nanji Park was in good condition because the stage was already prepared from the festivals that had been held, and the dates also coincided.

As soon as the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s permission was granted, the Youth Plaza of Nanji Hangang Park became his third concert hall.

Halo was quite looking forward to this day.

Wasn’t it like Rendezvous or Coachella, where so many people came and heated up the night? The difference from then is that this time he is occupying the stage alone.

The fans seem to be more excited because it’s his birthday, but he was already overly happy last year. That was enough for a birthday celebration. It was okay if they didn’t do it like that this time.

It’s his job to make the stage enjoyable.

Halo, who came to Korea with such expectations, was the first to see the Seoul sky.

He doesn’t mind performing in the rain or snow.

However, he was concerned that the audience would feel the weather with their whole bodies more than he would at the outdoor venue.

As he always says, he didn’t want to make his fans suffer. Their energy only needed to be poured into his stage. He doesn’t want to put them in extreme environments.

“Shall we hold a rain-stopping ritual?”

Halo smiled faintly at Seo Yeon Moon’s joke.

“That wouldn’t be bad either. Shall we go and do it?”

“Yes, I’ll prepare it.”

Seo Yeon Moon, who had answered for now, slapped Nam Gyu Hwan on the back and told him to prepare.

“What, what?”

“Anyway, prepare!”

Halo watched the members who were always on good terms and erased his worries about the rain. It’s enough to worry about it then.

Now, it’s time to rehearse at Nanji Park. Re-adjust the movement lines of the main stage and the protruding stage – which was installed with the permission of the Seoul Metropolitan Government – and check the equipment again.

There are some things that others can do, but it’s more certain if he does it.

Well, I guess I should prepare to some extent.

Halo sent a text message to his manager, who told him to use it anytime.

:

And finally.

The concert day that everyone had been waiting for had arrived.

In the end, it’s a problem because it turned out as everyone didn’t want, but expected.

“It’s finally coming.”

“I couldn’t believe it, but as expected, you can’t trust the weather forecast.”

“I wondered why my knees hurt.”

Nam Gyu Hwan and Seo Yeon Moon looked back at Han Jin Young.

Han Jin Young, who had joked, tried to change his words in a hurry when they took it seriously-.

“Well, oppa [Korean term for older brother, used by females] is getting old now… Take care of things like MSM [Methylsulfonylmethane].”

“What is MSM?”

“Joint supplement.”

“Ah, I’ll give you one as a gift, hyung [Korean term for older brother, used by males].”

“No, guys. I’m not that old yet.”

It had been on fire for a long time [idiomatic expression meaning the topic has been discussed for a while].

Han Jin Young, the oldest, felt wronged when those who were not much older than him treated him like an old man. But Seo Yeon Moon and Nam Gyu Hwan seemed to be having fun teasing him.

“President, Jin Young oppa’s knees hurt!”

Halo (16 years old), the youngest, smiled at him.

“If it hurts a lot, would you like to rest for today?”

“Hae-il, you, even you…”

Han Jin Young shouted like Caesar and gave a betrayed look.

Halo shrugged his shoulders without paying attention and gestured towards the chair, and it seemed that the person who would be teased all day was decided.

Halo smiled faintly at the more relaxed atmosphere and took out his hand. The rain that fell down touched his hand.

In the end, it started raining in the morning.

Against the Meteorological Administration’s weather forecast.

Fifteen minutes later, [Today’s Weather] was also uploaded to match the current weather.

The only good thing was that it wasn’t the rainy season.

The rain falling like autumn rain was thin.

Nevertheless, rain is rain, so your body temperature would drop if you got wet.

“In the end, we won’t be able to use the protruding stage.”

“You’ll slip if you go the wrong way. It can’t be helped.”

Only the main stage of Nanji Park had a ceiling, and the additionally installed protruding stage was exposed without a ceiling. If you go to the protruding stage, you will get wet in the rain.

Halo, who was quietly looking at the protruding stage, realized that the manager had returned.

“I’ve delivered it to the counter.”

“Isn’t it lacking?”

“Of course.”

The manager said that it would be lacking unless it was left over.

With not much time left until admission, Halo nodded in satisfaction, thinking about what the fans would receive soon.

Then suddenly, he looked at the protruding stage again.

Halo, who was getting rained on with his palm, suddenly raised the corners of his lips.

“Could you bring me just one of the leftovers?”

To put it another way, he doesn’t like to make his fans suffer. However, he enjoys stepping out to create a stage.

If the manager knew what he was thinking, he wouldn’t have brought it, but since he couldn’t read his thoughts, he nodded.

Soon people started entering.

Instead of the opening stage, today’s performance started with a ment [short for ‘mention,’ a brief comment or message] that fans love.

“Then today too, you will have fun.”