The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1821

< How Do We Start? -182>

“I still don’t understand.”

Thomas didn’t ‘agree’ until the end.

But he didn’t completely disagree either.

“Make sure you get good footage. We might use it later. It’s ‘that’ footage, we’ll use it somehow.”

BB chuckled and checked the camera around his neck.

Battery fully charged.

Condition-.

Zooming in on Thomas’s pores revealed weeks of accumulated dead skin.

Skin condition: bad, camera condition: not bad. BB lowered the angle.

Unaware that a massive invasion of privacy had just occurred, Thomas waved his hand.

“Bring the contract when you come. Get it signed.”

Other equipment had already been sent to Korea long ago.

Having completed all preparations, BB took only his camera and re-entered Korea.

BB, who entered the country on a private plane borrowed from a close actor, made eye contact with the person who came to pick him up.

He was an employee of Veil Corporation, someone who knew August Veil and was involved in this ‘movie’ project.

Of course, Veil doesn’t know everything.

Having been told that Veil was positive about the film production, he was unaware of the ‘interview’ that BB and Halo were conducting. He only knew that they were meeting regarding the movie contract, so he simply sent someone to the airport.

In a car prepared by Veil, BB headed to the hotel where Halo was staying.

For a smooth interview, BB also booked a room in the same hotel, and the interview would take place in Halo’s suite or within the hotel.

“Mr. Halo said he would be a little late as he is visiting the new company building.”

“I heard they were building a new building, but it’s already finished?”

“The exterior is complete, and the interior is under construction.”

“Can I see it later too?”

“You can see the exterior anytime, and if you want to see the interior, you can talk to Mr. Halo.”

BB nodded.

He definitely wanted to see Halo’s new label, which was designed by a world-renowned architect.

To be able to see it before anyone else, of course, he had to go.

BB then took out his equipment from his hotel room and began setting up a tripod in the reception room of Halo’s suite. He didn’t care about the staff member who subtly watched him, wondering if a famous director should be doing the staff’s work.

What mattered was that Halo had agreed to record the interview on video.

He thought Halo didn’t like filming because he didn’t appear on TV often, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Only after finishing the setup did BB have the chance to look around the suite where Halo was staying.

‘Halo’s room.’ That was quite a stimulating modifier.

Currently, tens of thousands of people visit Van Gogh’s house or Mozart’s birthplace.

In the future, many visitors might come under the names of ‘Halo’s birthplace’ or ‘the accommodation where Halo stayed.’

BB, who arrived one step earlier than those future people, looked around. Of course, he had no intention of entering private spaces that the owner had not permitted. And even if he didn’t go there, there was plenty to see. There were quite a few traces left in the reception room.

It wasn’t that it was dirty.

Rather, the appearance of the room, which clearly showed the individual’s personality, was very attractive to both the director and the interviewer.

This was information that couldn’t be obtained from others and contained a lot.

From minor habits to mannerisms and tastes.

Also.

BB reached for a crumpled ball of paper lying on the floor.

Since the staff didn’t stop him, he was able to unfold the paper ball without any hindrance.

And.

“!”

BB’s eyes widened.

The crumpled paper contained sheet music.

The same was true when he hurriedly unfolded other paper balls.

Some had only a few measures [musical phrases or sections].

Others had several lines.

Halo’s music filled the paper scraps, which were clearly his practice pieces.

Even to someone who could barely read sheet music, works that were not practice pieces were lying around like stones on the street.

Of course, he had no intention of stealing them.

BB was neither a singer nor a composer.

His self-esteem wasn’t low enough to covet other people’s things.

As a successful Hollywood director, the reason he coveted this was simply because it was historical data representing Halo’s life.

The ‘trash balls’ lying on the floor of the reception room made him realize that Halo’s world was filled with music. A life of constantly creating and pouring out music. Like the great figures in history books. Like the worlds of Mozart, Beethoven, and countless musicians.

Oh, isn’t this the true 모습 [mosup – Korean for ‘appearance’ or ‘figure’] of a genius?

BB thought he shouldn’t have touched one side of the room and 벌떡 일어났다 [beoltteok ireonatta – Korean for ‘jumped up’] from his seat.

He picked up the camera and greedily captured the 모습 [mosup] of the room.

He was glad he came.

If Thomas had seen this, he would have gone crazy.

No, who wouldn’t go crazy?

No time spent in Korea was wasted.

Even if he went back now, he wouldn’t regret it.

But there was something even more important left.

What story would the ‘genius’ living in this world tell him?

#

Meanwhile, Halo was meeting with the manager of the new company building.

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it?”

The manager, who had rushed out when he heard that Halo was coming, finally came to his senses after receiving autographs from his entire family.

“Could you cover my eyes?”

“I heard it’s not finished yet….”

He had heard that only the exterior was roughly built like a building, and there was still a lot to do, such as interior work, painting, and glass construction. Surprises should be done when everything is finished.

Halo showed a lukewarm reaction, but the manager smiled even more.

At that, the members took the initiative.

“Boss! Let’s try covering them?”

“Wow! I’m excited.”

“Here, I’ll cover them for you.”

“Even if you just go and see-.”

At Halo’s words, Han Jin-young smiled and covered his eyes, and Nam Gyu-hwan and Moon Seo-yeon held him so he wouldn’t fall.

“Let’s go!”

He walked with his eyes covered and got on the elevator.

With his eyes covered, his other senses developed.

The unique smell of the construction site became intense, and above all, it was full of noise.

The sound of shoes hitting the floor and the sound of construction equipment.

And even the sound of the members’ conversations.

After getting off the elevator and walking on the long asphalt floor, Halo stopped at some point.

He heard something opening, but he couldn’t hear the members’ voices.

Is it nothing special after all?

“I’ll take it off when I count to three.”

It didn’t seem like anything special.

He was confident that he wouldn’t be surprised until then.

But

One. ···Two.

Three.

When the cloth covering his eyes came down with the countdown.

Halo slowly looked at the interior space-.

“!”

Soon his eyes slowly widened.

A huge auditorium.

No, a huge theater unfolded before his eyes.

Although the stage equipment and seats had not yet been installed, the stepped auditorium was clearly the small theater he had wanted.

The manager started explaining something.

Architecture for soundproofing and so on.

The safety of the seats and so on.

But such explanations did not reach his ears and scattered.

His ears were already filled with too many sounds.

He was so 충족되어 [chungjokdoeuh – Korean for ‘filled’ or ‘satisfied’] with numerous sounds that he could not accept other sounds.

A splendid stage unfolds before his eyes.

He and the audience who came to see him stand in front of numerous highlights.

The light of the cheering棒 [cheering-bong – Korean for ‘light stick’] that fills the dark theater.

And the music that will be heard there will be very beautiful music.

For example, his new music.

Halo, who 미리 맛본 [miri matbon – Korean for ‘tasted in advance’] the concert that will unfold in the future from the entrance of the auditorium, honestly admitted.

That the manager who suggested covering his eyes was right.

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

That the stage implemented for him was very excellent.

“Nothing could be better.”

The manager smiled as if it were natural.

After entering the small theater and looking around, he 본격적으로 [bongyeokjeogeuro – Korean for ‘in earnest’ or ‘seriously’] toured the upper floors.

To 크게 [keuge – Korean for ‘greatly’] divide the structure of the building, there was a small theater in the basement.

The 1st and 2nd floors were 복층식 [bokcheungshik – Korean for ‘duplex-style’] lobbies, and the 3rd floor and above served as the label’s 본격적인 [bongyeokjeogeuro] role. Above that, there were recording studios, mastering rooms, conference rooms, and practice rooms, and on the penthouse floor, there was a rooftop and a helipad -which could be used in case of emergency.

In other words, the interior was not yet complete, but the members’ reactions were complete.

“This side is as you requested-.”

“Wow! Wow!”

The members screamed while looking at the empty walls, as if they thought it had already been implemented. It was so wonderful that the manager was embarrassed. Still, it seemed that no one disliked the new company building.

“It’s so 멋져요 [meotjyeoyo – Korean for ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’]!”

“Can’t we just go in from tomorrow?”

“When will we be able to move in?”

“Haha, thank you.” The manager, who answered each person kindly, answered Han Jin-young, who was 그나마 정상인 [geunama jeongsangin – Korean for ‘relatively normal’].

“Unless special problems arise. At the earliest, early spring. At the latest, you can think of summer.”

Today is January. So the construction will be finished within the first half of the year. A period that is close if close, and far if far.

Everyone came out of the new company building with faces that really didn’t want to leave.

The rehearsal was from the next day.

He didn’t 잡다 [japda – Korean for ‘grab’ or ‘set’] the schedule 빡빡하게 [ppakppakage – Korean for ‘tightly’ or ‘packed’] with the excuse of going to see a house, so the remaining time today was free time.

Halo, the 악덕 [akdeok – Korean for ‘vicious’ or ‘exploitative’] boss who gave the members half a day off, returned straight to the hotel.

He was in a hurry.

He wanted to make a song to sing in the completed small theater.

What kind of music would suit that place?

What kind of music should he make for the stage that will unfold before his eyes?

People will like anything, but he wanted to make better music.

He didn’t know what genre to make it in or what topic to do it on, but he 무작정 [mujakjeong – Korean for ‘blindly’ or ‘unconditionally’] wanted to eat the fruit [achieve the desired result].

“Mr. Halo.”

And, Halo belatedly recognized the human waiting in the hotel room. Brian Berry waved his hand in greeting.

He had the 명감독 [myeonggamdok – Korean for ‘master director’ or ‘famous director’] wait, and he forgot that he had invited him because he was blinded by other fruits.

But Halo was not an amateur, so he did not show it at all and greeted him casually.

“It’s been a while, BB.”

“I think you forgot about me for a while.”

“There’s no way.”

BB had a good eye for people and was quick-witted, but he wasn’t persistent.

He entered the reception room with a shrug like a boy.

Halo didn’t say anything when he saw the camera and sat in front of it.

The record hadn’t started yet.

BB was not an impatient teenager, so he didn’t suddenly press the record button. Whether he had done many interviews or had no experience, he always loosened the interviewee’s tension with small talk.

Well, but the boy in front of him was also very good at ‘small talk’. After briefly talking to BB, whom he met at the Korea University festival, he was confident that he would not be surprised even if the boy said he lived in the United States.

“Did you wait long?”

After requesting afternoon tea service at the hotel counter, Halo was the first to speak.

“A little. But it wasn’t boring.”

“Hmm. I guess I’m the only one who has made BB wait until now?”

“Oh, that’s also an interesting point, but I’ve already heard a lot of stories.”

“From Whom?”

“From the things scattered around you.”

From Air, clothes, chair···. BB said as if giving an example.

“even weak beer [insignificant things]. Should I say more?”

These days, the words small beer (UK) or small potato are mainly used. But Shakespeare’s original form was like that.

It is a familiar expression to Halo, who once memorized Shakespeare’s sentences. And even people who are unfamiliar with such expressions will soon understand.

Because BB put a wrinkled piece of paper in front of him. They were the practice pieces he had thrown away because he didn’t need them.

“Was it rude?”

“It’s okay since I was going to throw them away anyway.”

“You’re throwing this away?”

Even though they were lying on the floor, BB was horrified, saying no, at the word ‘throw away’.

“There were some that were almost finished.”

Halo shrugged.

In his eyes, they were all unfinished and he had no intention of using them.

Throwing away these treasures? BB, who has a habit of collecting each practice piece, was horrified and tried to 역설 [yeokseol – Korean for ‘paradoxically’ or ‘argue against’] to the boy in front of him how important this historical data was, but then he remembered that this was not important now.

They had a lot to do.

The movie production contract had not yet been signed,

And the scenario had not yet come out.

It wouldn’t be strange to say it was just 0, but since the director BB and the original author of the music, HALO, were positive, it could be seen as more than half done.

“Well, then let’s start the interview.”

A red light comes on on the camera in front of Halo.

BB put on his glasses and opened his notebook.

The reason he doesn’t use a laptop is not because he prefers analog, but because of the interview.

He can’t stand the interviewee’s voice being buried in the keyboard sound.

The boy and BB looked at each other.

An ordinary person would ask about the person’s name, the year in the work, or the background in the work. But BB was not an ordinary human being. Neither the year nor the background was that important.

What’s important-.

When listening to the stories of 문하생들 [munhasaengdeul – Korean for ‘disciples’ or ‘students’], or college students dreaming of becoming directors, or new works by other directors, BB asked the same question.

“How does that person’s life begin?”

Halo closed his eyes.

If it’s called ‘start’, there was only one thing he could answer.

“From music.”