The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 2051

[Extra Story] 7. Welcome to My World D-1

People are always curious about the private lives of celebrities.

A typical office worker, after a long day, would often switch on the TV while eating their dinner. They weren’t particularly looking for anything, but one evening, they stumbled upon ‘Home Alone,’ a show featuring a relatively unknown rookie actor showcasing their home.

Between bites of a chicken leg, the worker mused,

‘They live more ordinary lives than I imagined.’

The house wasn’t the grand, extravagant mansion you’d expect from a conglomerate heir or a major star.

It was just like any other single person’s apartment.

Having once lived in a cramped studio apartment, the worker could appreciate the actor’s efforts to maximize space and live efficiently.

Watching until the end of the show, the worker realized that even the life of an actor they barely knew was interesting. How much more fascinating would it be to see the life of a true star?

Like when a mega-hit actor appeared on ‘Home Alone,’ their house, their pet cat, and even their hobbies became trending topics.

Take, for example, the artist who was the first Korean to win the Grammy Award for ‘Album of the Year.’

The worker wasn’t as dedicated a fan as their younger sibling, but they were still curious about what kind of person the artist was.

As mentioned, this was an artist who had actually won a Grammy.

A genius from Korea, a place often considered a barren land for rock music, and all before the age of twenty.

The worker, an ordinary Korean office worker, harbored a certain admiration for artists, especially the most popular and gifted ones.

Even an average person felt this way, so they wondered how desperately the fans must be hoping for a glimpse into the star’s life.

Knowing that Halo wasn’t an artist who frequently appeared on television.

Of course, many fans claimed to love Halo’s independent spirit, but surely they’d be thrilled to see them on TV, right?

Broadcasting stations weren’t stupid; they must have been trying to cast Halo.

Especially now, when the artist had brought so much prestige to the nation. The size of the fandom was also larger than many idol groups.

Once, while drinking with a friend who worked at a broadcasting station and always talked about the celebrities they knew, the worker asked about Halo.

– What about Halo?

– Halo? Uh, well…

The friend made a strange face, which initially made the worker think something was wrong.

– Why? Is Halo difficult to work with?

– Uh, I don’t know.

– So difficult that you can’t even understand them?

– No, it’s just that I’ve never met them, passed by them, or even seen them. They just don’t seem to exist.

-?

The friend said they hadn’t seen Halo in two years.

Of course, the friend had never been in charge of music shows, but they had worked in the entertainment department for a long time and claimed to have never encountered Halo even once.

That was quite unusual.

As expected, Halo was a true free spirit representing Korea.

They were a great artist who didn’t cause scandals and made good music, but it seemed like being a fan would be a real challenge.

For that reason, it was clear that if Halo ever appeared on entertainment shows or other broadcasts, it would cause a sensation.

Anyway, even cold chicken is delicious.

The worker was about to clean up after finishing the chicken breast when their phone rang with a ‘ding.’

The worker, who usually turned off KakaoTalk [a popular Korean messaging app] notifications for precious rest and generally silenced other alerts, found it strange.

‘Did I set an alarm? At this hour? Or is Oseong finally becoming a four-star…?’

Swallowing the chicken breast, the worker picked up the phone.

[NuTube 1 minute ago

wave_r has posted ‘Welcome to My World (Episode 0).’]

The worker, wondering if they had ever subscribed to such a channel, widened their eyes at the familiar title.

Welcome to My World?

Wait, this.

“…Wait a minute.”

The worker urgently tapped the banner.

A video had been uploaded to the channel that had been empty since ‘Confession.’

Halo (Noh Hae-il)’s profile, sitting in a studio, was featured in the thumbnail, accompanied by elegant lettering.

Welcome to My World

And ‘Episode 0’ appeared on the automatically playing video.

‘Welcome to My World’ – wasn’t that a phrase that made your heart race?

The title of Noh Hae-il’s first full album and the title of the title track.

Were they planning to make a music video with a song from their first full album? Or announce a concert? Anything would be welcome.

People who had been endlessly rewatching the Grammy performance and acceptance speech due to the lack of new content eagerly clicked on the video.

A black screen with no text.

The camera gradually moved upward, showing a straight road. A van was driving along it.

What was that van?

Who was inside, and where were they going? Just as they were wondering, the camera revealed a road sign.

Welcome to LAS VEGAS

And in an instant, the screen transitioned to the dazzling desert city of Las Vegas.

Colorful fireworks and dazzling lights.

A banner welcoming cars entering the city came into view.

Love this world

The phrase that had touched the hearts of countless visitors to Las Vegas was shown once again.

Love this time

And

All of us love you.

The music began to swell, filling the scene.

Halo’s Grammy Awards band was captured on camera, along with the driving drumbeat.

The excitement of the Grammy Awards ceremony was combined with the ‘Struggle’ [likely a reference to one of Halo’s songs or performances] that Halo had showcased, and glimpses of other famous stars were caught on camera.

Among them were behind-the-scenes moments that hadn’t been broadcast. People who knew that Halo had received an award after this performance felt their hearts pounding.

It felt like reliving the thrill of that moment.

A Korean singer that top stars were enthusiastic about.

It didn’t seem like they were just putting on a show.

A guitarist who was trying to remain still but couldn’t help wiggling his fingers, and a pop singer with an expression that showed they wanted to jump on stage.

Soon, the music faded, and with a click, it disappeared completely, replaced by a digital countdown in gold.

‘Is it over?’

Having watched this far, the worker assumed they were going to release behind-the-scenes footage from the Grammys. It was common for artists to release such videos after some time.

However, the thumbnail and title remained a mystery.

Well, the thumbnail might indicate an interview about the experience. But why use the title ‘Welcome to my world,’ which was the name of Noh Hae-il’s first album?

To say ‘Welcome to my world,’ rather…

Just then.

From the black screen that seemed to signal the end, a clicking sound was heard again, and the countdown began to reverse.

Like a hacked clock.

And when it exceeded the number that could be displayed.

The camera ON indicator lit up.

The camera revealed an office.

It was a typical office, or rather, an open-plan office interior like those found in foreign companies.

Through the window on the left, the scenery of Seoul came into view. The worker recognized the location immediately.

“Oh, that’s…”

Hongdae [a district in Seoul known for its artsy vibe and indie music scene].

More precisely, wasn’t that where the Halo Temple, or the label’s office, was located?

The point of view was definitely inside Halo’s label.

With that realization, a man’s voice was heard.

[Hello, -ssi.]

Although the name was bleeped out, the camera slowly panned upwards.

It moved over the feet and legs and finally focused on a man.

[Hello, everyone. This is Noh Hae-il.]

The same face as at the awards ceremony.

Halo, wearing more casual clothes than before, raised his hand in greeting and sat down on the sofa.

The camera captured Halo’s face and the view of Seoul outside the window.

[It’s been a while. How have you all been?]

The person who had always disappeared and worried the fans was speaking with a relaxed expression. The worker wanted to record their younger sister’s shout of ‘Please tell me how you’re doing in LA!’ and let Halo hear it.

[I want to share some news with you.]

[It might be surprising, or it might be unexpected-.]

After a pause, Halo said casually,

[Good news.]

What was truly amazing was how he made you focus on every word, even though he hadn’t said anything specific yet. And the way he confidently implied that it would be fun was endearing, making the worker feel happy without realizing it.

Halo, who was now holding a guitar, played the prelude to ‘Welcome to my world.’

It was a song they always listened to, and it was always good.

The camera moved, showing various scenes.

Halo’s daily life: stretching and waking up in the dark, playing the guitar, seriously contemplating music, and hanging out with friends.

The kind of glimpses that fans longed to see but never could, flashed by in quick succession.

[Is this thing on?]

A new scene unfolded.

The woman with medium-length hair, known as Halo’s keyboardist, awkwardly waved at the camera.

[I don’t know.]

[If you’re filming, you’ll tell me, right?]

Soon, the woman moved away from the camera at the indifferent sound that was heard. The camera focused on the studio.

A black-haired boy was seen among the members sitting in a circle.

They began talking in a friendly manner.

The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The worker wanted to hear their conversation, but the sound began to fade.

And at some point, the boy’s voice disappeared completely.

[Yes?!]

Only the members’ embarrassed voices could be heard again.

What on earth did he say?

The boy’s attitude was relaxed, but the members’ expressions became serious, making the viewer feel serious as well.

The scene changed instantly.

A familiar street where many people were passing by.

“Hongdae?”

A man wearing a long coat and completely covering his face with a mask and sunglasses stopped in front of a building.

The man, who was Halo, raised his sunglasses and made a number 1 with his index finger, and golden letters appeared elegantly next to him as if by magic.

[Welcome to my world D-1]

“!”

The video ended there.

However, the worker knew that this was not the end.

Just as much as they were excited, other people would be too.

#

The reactions poured in as if they had been waiting.

[Where is HALO’s current location?]

[What is the meaning of Welcome to My World? Grammy winner returns as a YouTuber?]

[What is the streaming platform for Halo’s daily reality web entertainment?]

Internet articles with similar content appeared one after another, and YouTubers covering current affairs also paid attention to Halo’s content.

[Rookie YouTuber appears, threatening the ecosystem ㄷㄷㄷ]

[Number of subscribers to Noh Hae-il’s account is rising in real time]

[Shock! Why did the broadcasting station boycott Halo?!]

[Did you all hear? He’s back! #King_is_Back #Oh_Sorry #Sun_rises_again]

But what welcomed him more enthusiastically was

[Finally!!!!]

[Daily reality ㅠ I thought I would never see it in my life]

[I heard you hired label staff, so it’s finally coming back]

[Wel.Ma.World. I’ve been thrilled since I heard the name]

[The person who suggested reality to Hae-il will be blessed]

[Finally, we can see how our sun lives]

It was the fans who had been saying that the charm of their singer was the freedom that was not bound by broadcasting.

When someone teased, “Halo (Noh Hae-il) doesn’t appear on TV?”, they would answer, “Yeah~ Your singer hasn’t been able to make a comeback for 3 years,” or “Why should he appear? My singer is doing well on his own. I can’t stand seeing only the broadcasting station benefit.”

[HOT Deokjil [a Korean slang term for obsessive fandom] NN year teaser video speculation (brain official 200%) (+100)]

[When did Halo come to Hongdae??]

[I always feel it, but what skills does Halo have? Why do you hide so well?]

[I hope you shoot about 100 seasons, no more, no less]

This was the same for overseas communities.

The story about Halo’s second account was so full of popular posts that other posts were buried.

“Yes, this is Label H. Ah, yes, reporter.”

“PPL [Product Placement]? That hasn’t been planned yet-.”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t receive separate investments-.”

“Details will be announced after the video is released tomorrow.”

Halo’s label’s phone didn’t stop ringing.

Reporters asking why they hadn’t announced that Halo was in Korea, broadcasting stations making casting offers again, and offers from advertising companies and inquiries from viewers continued.

The interest was so overwhelming that they cut off the phone line with Halo’s permission.

And above all, the clear indicators were the subscriptions to Halo’s second account, or Noh Hae-il’s first account, Wave_r, and the likes on ‘Welcome to My World Episode 0.’

[Wow, the number of subscribers to Waver (Halo account ㅇㅇ) doubled in a few minutes after uploading the video]

└ But now it’s just the beginning ㄷㄷ

└ It seems like a real HALO vs Noh Hae-il structure will come out ㅋㅋ

└ YouTube revenue doubles event

└ But even if you combine all of that, you can’t beat the copyright revenue

└ What are you attaching to YouTube for the copyright revenue of a 15-album (Halo 14 + Noh Hae-il 1 album) singer

└ My,,, peers,,,, still,,,, listen to struggle

[I’ve heard that Halo’s fandom is strong, but the number of likes is scary]

[I always think about it, but he’s a real life-alone bastard]

Meanwhile, the ‘life-alone bastard’ that everyone acknowledges

He looked up at the mountain with a bewildered face.

The heavy weight of the guitar case and sound recording equipment pressed down on his shoulders.

It was hard to say it was difficult, but the people who came with him were carrying even heavier equipment.

“You’re going here?”

Halo, who liked to travel but was accustomed to modern convenient means of transportation, looked up at the mountain. It was truly a deserted mountain and field.

At that time, Professor Moon Seo-yeon’s mentor looked back and asked.

“Are you not coming?”