The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1111

< 111. All or Nothing >

Nohaeil’s small theater concert, which lasted for a week, left a lingering impression on many, but not many would cherish the sentiment for long.

They tucked the lingering feelings away in a corner of their drawers, ready to be taken out at any time, and focused on what they had to do right away.

Students prepared for exams while yearning to drop out, and office workers focused on their work while holding resignation letters in their hearts.

Gradually, the heat subsided, and October arrived, with its increasing daily temperature range.

Tropical nights and cool autumn days repeated for no apparent reason. However, those stuck in the most comfortable and soundproof recording studio in the label were unaware of the abnormal climate.

Because another apocalypse had already unfolded.

“···.”

When one of them stretched, the sound of bones clashing echoed.

The members who would usually joke, “Are you trying to pull out a bone?” were not here now. It wasn’t a situation where they could afford to joke.

They knew it from the moment they received the sheet music, but HALO’s 9th album was quite… how should they put it? It wasn’t difficult, but…

Should they call it the composer’s greed, or should they see it as a degree of malice?

HALO 9th Album Speed of Earth

1. (Title) L=299 m/s

As can be inferred from the title, the characteristic of HALO’s 9th album is speed. Not only the singer but also the session [session musicians] was under a lot of pressure due to the fast tempo and frantic speed.

If HALO’s music had stirred up emotions until now, this time, they not only had to be swept away by the waves of emotion but also had to keep their hands and breath moving without rest.

‘He wouldn’t have written this song on purpose to make it difficult, would he?’ Moon Seo-yeon thought positively.

To put it nicely, it was music that would highlight the abilities of each session member.

It would take a long time to perfect, but…

If it became perfect, it would be music that would bring a greater sense of accomplishment than anything else.

Practice began again.

After drinking water, Halo finally opened his mouth.

[When I find Two hundred ninety nine

On the dashboard of mine

tempted to be mean

to drive off without end

Don’t bother about labels

All or Nothing]

The life he had lived was like a sports car speeding down a straight road. A sports car speeding without the need for brakes.

The end may be engine overheating or the final destination, but he sang about the pleasure and thrill that came from the speed, rather than talking about the end.

The number 299 also comes from that speed.

The speed of light is 299 (million) m/s.

And the ‘speed,’ which is the characteristic of this album, is not only in the lyrics and tempo.

There is a song with the longest length of any music he has ever made. That’s when each session’s solo begins. It’s so demanding that it’s no wonder his members are trying to die.

‘But they’re not giving up.’

Halo recalled the past.

Around this time, there was some discord with the session, and it took a while for the new session to settle down. They made so many mistakes during the performance that people said Halo deliberately made this music to break up with the session.

He also heard people say that he felt the composer’s malice in turns.

Halo thought it was nothing new.

He had always made music for himself. He had never compromised or intended his music for others.

He looked around at the members who were gritting their teeth. At this rate, the recording would go smoothly.

The HALO 9th album artwork is also in progress. It will be released around mid-October. He doesn’t think he needs to pay much attention to the 9th album anymore.

Rather, what he needs to pay attention to is-.

Mumbling, mumbling.

In front of the label. The number of reporters was increasing day by day. He was glad that he had hired a building manager first. If he hadn’t signed a contract with a security company, those people would have pushed their way in.

‘Since there’s no need to do an interview right now, wouldn’t it be better to contact them from the office?’

Halo thought with a sulky face.

Of course, they wouldn’t have come to the label because they didn’t like the office. If Nohaeil’s label had even one public relations team member to answer the phone, half of them wouldn’t be here.

But that wasn’t the reason why so many people gathered. Even if there was a public relations team, someone would have come here. Of course.

There were more than one or two news items that guaranteed views.

First of all, they had many questions about his future plans.

What are the plans for the next concert? Also, are there any schedules other than concerts?

No, other broadcasting stations are begging him to appear, and he can gain popularity and wealth if he wants to, but they wanted to ask what kind of honey he was hiding in his studio that he wouldn’t come out.

– Reporters even asked the broadcasting station if Nohaeil was blacklisted. The public relations staff cried, saying no, and that they had heard that question so many times this year that they were sick of it –

Furthermore, this is not the only thing.

There were also many questions about Nohaeil’s concert itself. For example, are there any concert DVDs or even still cuts [promotional photos]? Other people select photos and give them out before they even ask, but why doesn’t this side give them even when they say they’ll write about it?

Above all, what they were most curious about was the ‘unreleased song’ that Nohaeil showed at his last concert.

The title of the unreleased song that Nohaeil revealed was, ‘Until Dawn Comes’. The song, which no one other than 830 people and staff had heard, was now the center of all attention.

They referred to the concert reviews, but since they were individual impressions, they lacked objectivity, and the important issue was, ‘When are you going to release that song?’ The reporters felt like they would have no regrets if Nohaeil just said, ‘No comment, no plans.’

In the meantime, in early October.

Another article hit hard.

It wasn’t from Nohaeil’s label, but an official article released by a British luxury brand that wasn’t well known in Korea.

[British luxury brand Arbor appoints singer Nohaeil as brand ambassador]

[Creative musical ‘Rock’ main and supporting role casting audition held]

Well, other impressive articles were better, but they weren’t important to the reporters gathered in front of Nohaeil’s label.

[What is Arbor?]

[Isn’t that a bag that grandmothers carry around?]

Unlike brands that Koreans know well, such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, the brand’s awareness soared with just one ambassador article, even though it had almost no recognition – especially in Korea.

There weren’t as many malicious posts as usual when a minor became a luxury ambassador. Since Nohaeil didn’t shoot any commercials this year, there was a tendency to look at it more leniently.

Anyway, while the reporters were waiting blankly like dogs chasing chickens.

“Celebrating the boss’s first commercial!”

A fanfare rang out from the roof.

Moon Seo-yeon pours champagne.

After pouring it on Halo’s face once, Moon Seo-yeon became a champagne expert and no longer poured it. Pink sparkling non-alcoholic champagne was poured into thin glasses.

Everyone grabbed a glass and shared their thoughts.

“I honestly thought you didn’t like filming commercials, Haeil.”

“Me too.”

The Arbor marketing team that came to the label.

The members seemed a little surprised by the smoother and more cheerful atmosphere than they had expected.

“I don’t dislike it.”

Everyone reacted as if to say, ‘Is that so?’ to Halo’s answer. They didn’t seem to believe it.

But Halo was serious. Why would he dislike commercials?

As he always says, he enjoyed a life of luxury and pleasure rather than a monastic life. He preferred a well-fed grasshopper to a hungry Socrates.

He liked the attention and wealth that came to him, and he had never disliked it.

Halo briefly recalled all the brands that had been attached to him.

“I just didn’t do it.”

He was busy and annoyed.

Well, there were many reasons, but the reason he didn’t do it was because he could do it anytime.

Some might call it arrogance.

Even if there are many opportunities right now, there may not be someday. He seems to have actually heard that somewhere.

Someone who desperately wanted the opportunities that came easily to him.

What did he say back then?

Did he just ignore it? Or did he laugh at it? ‘I’m not really disappointed.’

It doesn’t seem like the opportunity will disappear, but he wouldn’t be disappointed even if it did.

He doesn’t make music to become an ambassador for other brands, and he has always lived for the present. So he had no regrets.

“What I want to do right now is important.”

He was just answering because they were curious, but suddenly the three members who were looking at him stopped with their champagne glasses in the air.

A moment of silence.

“I, I will work hard to compose!”

Suddenly, Moon Seo-yeon shouted with a determined face.

“From now on, I will breathe only and play percussion for eighteen hours.”

Nam Gyu-hwan said after downing his champagne in one shot, and

“…I will reflect.”

Han Jin-young raised one hand as if swearing an oath.

‘What is it?’ Halo looked at them strangely at the sudden reaction and nodded.

The day they all sat down and listened to ‘Welcome to my world’ and shared their honest stories.

Halo told them. Just because they were his members didn’t mean they had to give up everything and devote themselves to his session.

He told them to do what they wanted, whether it was composing, entering competitions, or receiving other session requests to experience new music.

As a person who makes music, he knew how strong the desire to make his own music was, and he also knew how much joy it brought to life.

Just as he didn’t sacrifice for them, they didn’t need to sacrifice for him.

He still felt the same way.

The glasses of non-alcoholic champagne clinked, and everyone exclaimed, ‘Ah!’ as if they had alcohol in them.

“By the way, when is the photoshoot?”

#

Meanwhile, on the same day. Manila, Philippines.

A 5-star hotel sky lounge.

“You’re going to come here in person?”

There was a man who was the center of attention. But no one approached him.

The man wearing sunglasses was on the phone, and he was the leader of the world-famous metal band Scorpion.

[Yes, you threatened me that you might transfer to August Records. If you don’t want to lose your precious singer, you have to show that much sincerity.]

“What sincerity.”

Reel snorted.

If he was going to show sincerity, he would have come to North America, not Asia.

“You’re not coming because there’s not much time left, are you?”

[Oh, no. What are you talking about?]

His tour connects to Korea via the Philippines, China, and Taiwan. It’s about fifteen days away.

“Let’s not make boring jokes when we all know. You need a justification. A justification that wouldn’t be strange even if you suddenly visited Korea.”

[Well, it’s a very unique country. It’s not been a day or two since I complained that albums weren’t selling, but the concerts are sold out.]

“You seem to have forgotten who I am.”

[Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know who you are? The world-famous band Scorpion!]

This glib old man.

Reel looked up at the sky and let August Veil’s nonsense flow out of one ear.

He doesn’t hear what he says. It’s funny that the date this old man contacted him in advance is the Taiwan tour schedule.

“If you wanted to see him that much, why didn’t you go earlier? Unlike me, you already knew.”

He’s an old man who brazenly hid the identity of the sun from him. Seeing him trying to come up with ridiculous excuses, it’s clear that he wanted to be by the sun’s side from the beginning.

Well, who wouldn’t want to be by the sun’s side?

“An old man with an airplane.”

He makes excuses that he was busy over the phone, but Reel knew. That’s just an excuse.

“Weren’t you just scared?”

He cut off August Veil and asked.

“That you would be hated for interfering with the sun’s freedom.”

Accompanying the tour of a 所属 singer [所属 (soseok) means ‘affiliated’] to move plausibly in the eyes of others. August Veil was aware that if he went to see the sun in Korea without any plan, he would interfere with the life the sun wanted.

Since the name HALO has spread widely throughout the United States, as much as the interest in HALO has spread, August Veil’s movements have been severely noticed.

If August Veil, the representative of HALO’s record distributor, knew who HALO was, the old man who had retired and was enjoying his hobbies would be in the spotlight again.

It wasn’t just media attention. Paparazzi started, and wreckers followed.

Well, is it a difference between holding a camera or holding a camera? It can be seen as an evolved form of paparazzi.

If Veil suddenly went to Korea and met a boy, his vacation would be completely over.

No voice is heard over the phone.

Reel finally felt a little relieved.

Of course, he wasn’t completely relieved.

Damn old man. Making me a fool who missed the sun in front of my eyes.

Still, he didn’t want to interrogate him like a wrecker, so Reel continued.

“It’s good that you can blame me. No one would ever think of it.”

[Aren’t you the same?]

Reel stopped talking for a moment at the sudden words.

Looking ahead, a huge sun is floating.

Perfect light that even sunglasses couldn’t completely cover.

“I···”

Soon Reel’s call was cut off.

People who were watching went to get autographs, and Reel treated them politely, unlike his fierce appearance.

And he estimates the time.

October 21st.

The day the tour starts in Seoul, Korea.

He was planning to meet the sun the day before and offer him a guest appearance again.

-I’ll think about it.

Because he received the boy’s response.

It wasn’t a complete rejection. Reel took it that he was interested.

“There are only ten days left now.”