The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1041

< Episode 104 There's a Price for Everything >

Even before Custom Stella, the track suit brand, experienced its surge in popularity, Nohaeil was already attracting attention from corporations.

This was even before Nohaeil debuted with his mini album, ‘Another Life.’

He began to catch eyes after the final episode of the drama ‘From Today, We Are.’

When he brought the drama to a close with Hee-tae’s reprise, stirring emotion and excitement in viewers, Nohaeil received casting offers comparable to Lee Jung-min (who played Hee-tae). Lee Jung-min, an unknown actor at the time, quickly became a sought-after figure in the advertising world.

The offers came from a variety of brands, including requests for drama and movie OSTs [original sound tracks], as well as appearances at events in various regions. One school uniform brand, which had already cast Lee Jung-min as their model, even requested that Nohaeil adapt and reprise Hee-tae’s theme song.

Of course, that was the extent of it. The requests from a few companies that liked the drama’s OST were all he received.

He didn’t garner as much attention as Lee Jung-min.

Because the main character of the drama was, ultimately, the actor.

However, around that time, Nohaeil entered music charts dominated by HALO and placed his debut album, ‘Another Life,’ in the Top 10. As he demonstrated not only his singing but also his songwriting skills, the number of requests for Nohaeil increased fivefold almost immediately.

Furthermore, his appearance on the terrestrial broadcast <2030 Sing Festival - Rendezvous> amplified this effect. Nohaeil, a central figure in the song festival that achieved a peak viewership of 25%, more than qualified as an advertising blue chip.

At the young age of 17.

A talent worthy of being called a genius.

Number one on the music charts.

In fact, more than these accomplishments, what the advertising industry truly noticed was the boy on stage who seemed to command the spotlight, as if he were at the center of the world.

That was star quality.

Even though his appearance was within the ordinary range for the entertainment industry, where handsome men and beautiful women abound, the fact that he overshadowed the stars beside him could only be attributed to his inherent star quality.

After the song festival, Nohaeil could have amassed a fortune if he had chosen to do so. If he had diligently filmed commercials for a year and avoided any scandals, he would have secured his financial future.

However, Nohaeil chose to focus on his music instead of commercials.

Frankly, the advertising industry found this unusual, even strange.

While some celebrities might not prefer filming commercials, none refused to film them altogether.

Strictly speaking, celebrities are also businesses.

The top priority of a business is to create value.

Refusing commercials, which are arguably the biggest means of generating revenue, was seen as failing to fulfill his responsibility as a business.

Some attributed it to his youth.

Others thought he was cool for focusing on his primary craft, while some believed Nohaeil was deliberately cultivating a pure and genius image.

There were also those who suggested it was a tactic to raise his rates, though this seemed unlikely since greater activity would be required to justify higher prices.

Nohaeil did become more active later, releasing singles and regular albums, but until then, no one anticipated such a surge in his activity.

As a result, Nohaeil once again topped the music charts with his regular album, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Companies desired Nohaeil’s value but didn’t have high hopes.

If he continued on his current path, Nohaeil seemed unlikely to film commercials anytime soon.

Then, one day in August, a surprise guerrilla concert was held in Hongdae [a district in Seoul known for its indie music scene and street art].

Everything changed when Nohaeil wore the track suit he was sponsored with at that event.

“Put Nohaeil back on the casting list.”

Companies believed Nohaeil had finally recognized the value of advertising.

Even Custom Stella acknowledged Nohaeil’s advertising impact. Custom Stella was currently the hottest trend on social media.

From food companies such as chicken, pizza, and beverage brands to cosmetics, mobile communication providers, and movie theaters, Nohaeil attracted interest for high-end commercials. Even a Korean car brand’s advertising agency showed interest.

“How about Nohaeil as a model? His young and genius image is perfect for targeting the 20-30 age group we’re aiming for this time.”

“Sir, everything is great, and I love Nohaeil’s songs, but Haeil doesn’t have a driver’s license.”

“!”

“If Nohaeil films our advertisement, it would be a public service announcement, not a car advertisement.”

“A public service announcement about unlicensed driving… The viewership would be huge.”

Unfortunately, they abandoned the idea.

While brands familiar to the public were considering Nohaeil as a model, there was also a slightly unexpected brand in the mix.

A brand with a long history.

A brand with an outdated image in the Asian market because of its history: Arbor, reminiscent of the ‘Dry Tree’ logo.

They have a diverse customer base in Europe and the English-speaking world, but strangely, in Asia, they primarily target middle-aged consumers, despite their latest fashion collection being quite attuned to the younger generation.

To innovate with a young and modern image, they were engaged in aggressive marketing discussions.

Aggressive marketing, of course, meant celebrity marketing. Among the potential candidates, they were looking for an ambassador to grow with in the future.

“Jin Xiang doesn’t project a young image, honestly. He just chased youthfulness. We’re looking for a genuinely young image that appeals to the younger generation.”

“No, does actual age matter? Is Jin Xiang thousands of years old?”

Unless an ambassador who perfectly embodies Arbor’s colors and philosophy appears out of nowhere, this heated debate seemed destined to continue for a long time.

“What do you think is our brand’s philosophy?”

In the meantime, Arbor’s designer, who was attending the meeting, suddenly asked.

“Of course-.”

The marketing manager who had mentioned ‘Jin Xiang’ added.

“‘Growth.’ The journey of an Arbor (tree) from seed to flowering and bearing fruit. Aren’t we looking for the key that will be the foundation of Arbor and the nourishment for growth?”

“Are you the one who said growth is important, yet you brought in an older actor who has already finished growing?”

Another marketing manager who opposed ‘Jin Xiang’ exclaimed.

“And isn’t freedom an important value of our brand, as much as growth? We must find a ‘bird’ that will not only stop at growth but also allow our seeds to grow in every corner of the world.”

Arbor had accumulated significant value over its long history.

The healing power to warmly embrace the world and the uniqueness that sets it apart. The freedom to reach the ends of the earth and infinite growth potential. The will to transcend and view the world from the highest vantage point was inherent in Arbor.

“How about this person?”

The designer, who was flipping through the profiles brought by the marketing managers, tapped on one.

“Ah, that person. I tried to arrange some sponsorships a few times, but they don’t seem interested in communicating at all.”

They pointed to the picture of a boy who looked striking with silver hair.

He was a young star making a name for himself in Korea. He was a star with remarkable growth potential that Asian marketers, as well as Koreans, were interested in.

“They don’t want to communicate?”

“They have never responded to an invitation.”

The designer tilted their head and scrolled down the profile.

There was an attached file at their fingertips.

The most recent guerrilla concert.

Nohaeil, wearing a Custom Stella track suit, was smiling brightly at the audience.

The next file was a small theater concert ticketing teaser.

‘Is this someone who doesn’t want to communicate?’

“He loves the stage so much; there’s no way he doesn’t like to communicate.”

Even without playing the video, it was clear that he loved the stage. ‘He doesn’t like to communicate? There’s no way.’ The designer’s lips curved into a smile.

“He probably doesn’t like the current approach.”

The marketing manager’s face hardened at the implication of their old-fashioned and formal email outreach.

“No, what are we lacking that we have to beg a seventeen-year-old kid for a meeting?”

Office workers who typically rely on data and graphs often struggle to understand artists. The designer smiled softly.

“The only uniqueness that no advertising has ever touched.”

“Special talent.”

“Freedom to pursue music.”

“Potential with no end in sight for growth.”

The designer shrugged, listing these four qualities.

“Is there anyone who fits our philosophy better than this kid? As a bonus, we can shed our outdated image.”

“I bet you won’t hear the word ‘old’ anymore.”

One person slyly agreed.

“No, he’s a seventeen-year-old kid. You never know when he’ll cause a scandal. How many people have been hailed as geniuses and then slowly faded away?”

“Is that any different at twenty-seven?”

“The risk is···.”

“Isn’t it better to have a child who might cause a scandal in the future than an adult who may have already caused one somewhere? You can at least try to prevent it.”

The designer seemed to have a strong liking for the boy.

Another person cautiously joined the conversation.

“How about someone of a similar age who is well-known in Asia?”

Nohaeil is not well known overseas, except for in Korea. Even if he becomes known someday, there might be a better alternative right now.

“I like Nike commercials.”

“Yes?”

The marketing managers frowned at the designer’s sudden remark, and the person closest to him expressed his confusion.

“Nike also uses star marketing, but they don’t necessarily only do star marketing. They decide on the theme of the advertisement and then bring in the right target for it. And they make that target a star. Can’t we do that?”

“···.”

“And in my opinion, this person seems like he’s going to be a hit soon.”

Well, this wasn’t because he had great knowledge of music.

He doesn’t know which music is better. He just thought he made music that was to his taste. He couldn’t analyze whether it was really well made like an expert.

But he had other knowledge. He also had an eye as a designer and intuition.

“With today’s technology, you can change your face, but you can’t change the atmosphere. I like this person’s atmosphere. And in my experience, people with such a special atmosphere usually go one of two ways. Running to the end of the minority-.”

The designer smiled and pointed upwards with his finger.

“Or reaching the peak.”

That’s what he says as a designer. He liked this young star’s atmosphere. Such an atmosphere that stimulates his inspiration and challenge.

“Let’s end the meeting here.”

When the designer got up from their seat, the marketing managers also stood up. He wasn’t just any designer.

Per Aspera, the man recently appointed as Creative Designer (CD) at Arbor.

Whether he was suitable as a CD as a new designer. There were many words inside and outside the company about his qualifications. For now, it couldn’t be ignored.

“That guy, that guy. He won’t be there for long anyway.”

“Why are you letting the designer join the marketing meeting?”

“Are we really going to go with that Korean kid like this? Are we going to bow down?”

While washing their hands in the bathroom, the marketing managers grumbled.

“It’s already been decided, so what can we do? If you really don’t like it, you should have said it earlier.”

“It’s not that Nohaeil isn’t suitable.”

“Then. I guess you’ll have to work hard from now on.”

Colleagues patted their shoulders and passed by.

The Korean and Japanese marketing managers sighed deeply, wondering how to approach Nohaeil.

#

And here.

Another day under the same sky. A woman sighed deeply.

“Please, God… In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Namu Amitabha [Homage to Amitabha Buddha], Maha Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra [The Heart Sutra].”

What would be important about rice, drinking parties, or part-time jobs?

An easy-to-remember time, 8 p.m.

With thirty minutes left until the ticketing opened, she was waiting for a singer’s ticketing with her hands together.

How nice would it have been if ticketing had opened when office workers were in full swing to go to work? Or add two 0s to the ticket price (88,000 won) [approximately $65 USD]. Wouldn’t that eliminate some competitors?

She looked at the calendar, thinking of dying together.

Her singer is so considerate that she opened ticketing at the same time to prevent scalping.

“There won’t be any scalping anyway because there are 830 seats, hahaha.”

Then she looked around. Everyone sitting in this PC cafe [internet cafe] looked like a competitor. That couldn’t be true. How many PC cafes are there in the world?

But it is also true that the PC cafe was full to an unusual degree. She had a hard time finding an empty seat.

She nervously bit her nails.

It was scarier than applying for classes at Yonsei University [a prestigious university in South Korea], which is famous for being strict.

She took a calming pill, but her heart didn’t calm down.

As she did, time was running out quickly.

She looked at the day of the week before it got too tight.

Let’s think about it.

Which day of the week will have the lowest competition among Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday? First of all, it won’t be Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Monday when Monday sickness breaks out?

Tuesday when you’re on a diet?

Something awkward Wednesday?

Thursday when you had a meeting?

“Let’s use our heads. Everyone else will be thinking about this.”

Some people will choose based on their schedule, but some people will consider the day with the least competition.

“Which day would be the best?”

In fact, everything is gacha [a term derived from Japanese gachapon machines, referring to random chance or luck].

Even 8,300 seats are gacha, but 830 seats were no different from a true k-game [Korean game] random box.

“Yes, it was said that there is a price for everything.”

The college student muttered resolutely.

Thursday. Let’s sacrifice the meeting where the handsome guy comes out.

“I pray, I will sacrifice my love life as a sacrifice. I will live as a solo for two years, no, five years, so please let me succeed in ticketing…!”

The green window standard clock turned red. The college student unknowingly held her breath and clicked the mouse.

Loading window.

It’s okay, wait.

It’s stupid to refresh here.

The college student waited calmly, and when the seats came up, she chose a vaguely middle place and pressed next.

Please, no one else has selected this seat.

Because she was so focused on looking at her screen, the college student didn’t realize that the PC cafe had become strangely quiet.

When the payment window appeared, the college student calmed her excited heart. Calm down, it’s not over yet. There was no point in making a fuss.

There is another short load.

The screen she faced was-.

“Huh?!”

The college student’s eyes gradually widened and then distorted at some point. Something was bubbling in her chest.

“Ugh···.”

She burst into the letters that appeared in front of her.

“It, it worked!”

What was that one word?

The college student, overwhelmed, jumped up from her seat.

“It, it work-!”

Forgetting that this was a public place, she was about to shout again when she heard a thud! Thump! Bang!

The sound of a shotgun hitting hard rang out, followed by screams and groans. The simultaneous echoes buried the college student’s voice as it was.

“Aaaaaa!”

“Someone else has selected this seat, you son of a bitch!!”

“Nohaeil, you devilish bastard. Who are you going to put 830 seats on? Why a small theater out of so many concerts!”

Numerous cries of despair.

‘Everyone here was doing Nohaeil ticketing?’

The college student realized that everyone in this place was really a competitor. But, she seemed to be the only one who succeeded in ticketing.

“Hehehe.”

When she heard a laugh from the next seat, the college student slowly turned her head. Did this person succeed? The neck of the woman next to her drooped.

“Do you think I’m going to give up like this? I’m going to kill you and take it away. I just have to kill everyone…”

The college student closed her mouth.

Like this, screams of pain and happiness echoed all over the country.

An 830-seat small theater concert that lasts for a week.

Since only less than 6,000 people can see the performance even if they only see it once, there is no need to say which screams are more numerous.

The college student left the seat with a solemn face like the others. Until the concert is held in mid-September. If you wait quietly and safely like this.