The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1151

< My Fan >

[Creative Musical ‘Rock’ Scheduled for Late December or Early January… College Student Jungwoo from Korea University Encounters the World of Rock]

Halo scrolled through the article sent to him.

[‘Rock’ is a musical based on the script ‘Rocker,’ which won the grand prize at the Seoul Musical Script Contest last year. It tells the story of Jungwoo, a Korea University student living in the early days of Korean rock in the 60s and 70s, and the band ‘Red Dragonfly.’ Jungwoo, who will be the vocalist and guitarist of ‘Red Dragonfly,’ is played by Park Hyuk and Dokgo Young, while the members of ‘Red Dragonfly’—guitarist Minseop, keyboardist Hyerim, and drummer Suil—are double-cast with Shell·Seo Dohyun, Kim Heeju·Joo Yeonwoo, and ··· respectively.]

“So that’s why they sent it.”

Halo chuckled.

There was no special message. This article was all that was sent to him. However, one familiar name made the intention obvious.

It seemed Joo Yeonwoo, who was confidently cast as Hyerim, a member of the protagonist Jungwoo’s band, sent it to show she kept her word from the recording of the featuring.

– I’ll sing Nohaeil’s song 멋있게 [meositge – stylishly/coolly] then.

Well, she still didn’t get the role of Jungwoo, so she still wouldn’t get to sing his song.

The article contained no special content other than the plot of the musical that everyone knew, the cast actors, and the producer’s comments.

So, the list of staff involved in the rock musical, especially the composer, was not visible. But since they hired popular singers like Shin Joo Hyuk, they wouldn’t hide it forever; they were clearly planning to reveal it before ticketing.

For musical fans who already knew about the musical ‘Rock,’ with its already glamorous cast, award-winning script, and trusted director, a piece of good news right before ticketing wouldn’t be great.

Musical ticketing is never easy, and bringing in a singer’s fans could cause excessive bleeding beyond just fierce competition.

Since Joo Yeonwoo didn’t seem to expect a reply, Halo didn’t bother responding. A read receipt would be enough.

Just as he was about to put down the pad, an alarm went off. He had turned off email notifications a long time ago; this was a message notification.

Normally, he would have checked it later, but Halo paused because the sender’s name was particularly familiar.

It wasn’t someone he contacted often, and someone he had just seen in the article—.

[Nok Jidam, the general director of the musical Rock, said, “The musical Rock is a long-term production that has been ongoing since last year. We apologize for making many audience members wait due to unforeseen delays. We will repay the audience’s support.”]

It was [General Director Nok Jidam].

Since the composition was finished a long time ago, there was no reason for this person to contact him.

[Nohaeil.]

It was when he read the first sentence of the text.

Halo put down the pad and looked up.

He heard footsteps on the stairs.

It was a little different from when Scorpion came. It wasn’t a sudden visit but a prearranged appointment, and the reporters who were always waiting in front of his label had temporarily left because a top star’s dating scandal had broken out.

As the leisurely sound of shoes grew closer, Halo’s face brightened. Soon, what appeared was—.

“It’s a bit hot.”

An old man wearing a stylish beret, August Veil.

The moment he took off his hat and their eyes met, Halo spoke first.

“Good morning, Mr. Veil.”

“Indeed… It is a good morning.”

Not a greeting of ‘long time no see,’ but a greeting as if they met often. August Veil was touched as he looked at the boy who was still the same, yet closer to being a young man.

#

For a reunion after a long time, the two didn’t immediately unload many stories. Just like usual.

Wee-ing.

It had been quite a while since he had gotten an espresso semi-automatic machine that could be used in a cafe, as it was cumbersome to order from a cafe.

Halo, now like a skilled barista, extracted the espresso and placed two cups on the table.

Until then, the old man looked around the space where Halo had been working.

From the recording studio where Nohaeil and Halo’s previous albums were recorded, to the conference room used during the planning of Nohaeil’s first full-length album. A control room full of the latest equipment. A bar table used as a kitchen and cafe space.

The most impressive thing was the resting space where sunlight poured in. The moment you entered the label, the lobby was the first thing that caught your eye.

A long fabric sofa and a recliner where anyone could lie down comfortably. A turntable placed on a wide coffee table, and a bookshelf in the shape of a ㄱ [gieok – Korean letter resembling an L shape] filled with books, albums, LPs, and decorations—a space that was attractive to anyone.

However, what caught his eye was the deeply recessed window. The window frame, deep and wide enough for an adult man to sit on, seemed like it could be used as a shelf, or a chair, or a table.

Perhaps, the boy would put his notebook on it and compose music while looking out the window. When inspiration didn’t come, he would sit on it and play the guitar, or just enjoy a cup of espresso while basking in the sunlight.

While clinking glasses with his members, worrying together, and creating music, the sun and moon visible from that place would have changed places.

How beautiful the time he had spent idly would have been. August Veil regretted the time he hadn’t come to find the boy again.

“By the way, where are your members? I’d like to see them.”

He had often heard the members’ voices over the phone, but the studio was quiet today. August Veil worried that the members might have made considerations for him.

“It’s not that; they’re sleeping downstairs.”

“Downstairs?”

“We all stayed up all night yesterday.”

Halo briefly recalled last night.

His members were quite displeased with Scorpion’s attitude of not following the rehearsal and cursed for a long time.

– That person is really not good! He didn’t do anything according to the rehearsal. Of course, the boss was too good… Anyway, I don’t like him.

– Me neither.

– To dare to call a name that I can’t even dare to say 함부로 [hamburo – carelessly/recklessly]. This pagan bastard. If he comes again next time, I’ll show him properly.

– That… I think you’ll lose.

– Are you good at fighting?

The conversation quickly deteriorated, but they all gossiped together. Of course, they didn’t gossip all night.

– Is the songwriting going well?

– Uh… That… Boss. Can you take a look? I think this part is a bit strange.

– Of course.

– I’ll review a little more and go. (I’ll study a little more and go)

– Are you going to have Gyuhwan practice? Then I’ll do a little more and sleep? Let’s do it together.

– Didn’t 형 [hyung – older brother/male friend] have an appointment?

– Gonghak is working overtime. Deoksu said he’s going to cheer on some concert or animation at Megabox tomorrow, so he went to bed early.

– Cheer on what?

That’s how everyone went down to sleep downstairs after the sun rose, and that was why Halo was alone in the label now.

“I hope I can see them next time.”

Halo smiled faintly at the words promising next time.

“Stay for a long time. You’ll like it quite a bit.”

“I already like it enough.”

“There’s a lot I want to show you, too.”

After drinking a cup of espresso, the conversation began.

From business talks about the upcoming HALO album release schedule to the Scorpion incident that happened yesterday.

In fact, August Veil seemed to have a lot to say from the moment he heard that they had gossiped with the members.

“I thought that guy would eventually say it.”

“Actually, I thought so too.”

During the concert. He clearly knew that Scorpion was going to call his name. He wouldn’t have brought up the anecdote from England for no reason.

But for some reason.

He hesitated at the last moment and didn’t say the name HALO after all.

It was a puzzling moment.

He still couldn’t understand why the guy who came to his label uninvited and threw hints to people uninvited hesitated at the end.

He wondered what August Veil had said for him, but the old man’s reaction was also puzzled.

“If Scorpion had revealed your identity without permission, what would you have felt?”

“Well, it would have just been revealed.”

The boy smiled gently.

He seemed indifferent.

“Still…”

The shadowed face with 역광 [yeokgwang – backlight] coming down looked coldly on one side.

“Wouldn’t you have been a little upset?”

He asked back lightly with a smile, but the old man realized that he was serious. And once again, he realizes that the boy’s personality is not ordinary. In his experience, such people are bound to be brutally decisive.

Perhaps, the reason Scorpion hit the brakes at the end was because that sharp sense had been triggered once again.

“By the way, the alarm keeps ringing; shouldn’t you check it?”

The vibration had been going on for a while.

It didn’t seem like a phone call.

Only then did the boy lower his head and press his phone.

The expression that had been 싸했던 [ssahaetdeon – cold/chilling] returned to normal, and the old man was a little relieved.

‘So that’s what it was.’

Halo discovered that the texts he hadn’t checked earlier had piled up in the meantime. The sender was [General Director Nok Jidam].

The contents were as follows:

[Mr. Nohaeil, how have you been? I’m sorry to send you a text so suddenly, but could you check your email?]

[I sent it a few days ago, but it doesn’t seem like you’ve checked it yet.]

[…Mr. Nohaeil, are you asleep?]

[Mr. Nohaeil]

[Are you really sleeping?]

[You wouldn’t have blocked me, would you?]

He had thought that he wasn’t an ordinary person from the moment he was told to be the general director, but this was creepy in a different sense.

It would have been scarier if it was 3 a.m., but fortunately, it was brunch time now.

“Just a moment.”

Halo hurriedly checked his email.

Hundreds of unread emails had piled up over the week.

From music show invitations to advertising inquiries.

Since the musical ‘Rock’ contact was categorized separately, it quickly caught his eye.

“It seems like there’s trouble.”

“It’s not trouble, but from the musical side…”

“Musical?”

August Veil was puzzled by the first time he heard it, and Halo read the contents.

“…”

In summary, it was the general director’s SOS.

In fact, it was a problem that the general director had already worried about once.

Two songs made by Nohaeil.

Nohaeil had even done the guide recording himself with vocals and guitar, so it was good to listen to, but from the perspective of the musical actors who had to implement the song directly, there was no song as difficult as this.

The actor thought that he couldn’t do it by practicing alone, so he requested to receive feedback on vocals and guitar performance directly from the composer, and the general director, in agreement with the 음감 [eumgam – music director], requested feedback and producing from Nohaeil.

As the boy stared at the email silently, the old man opened his mouth.

“Something happened?”

“It’s not urgent. It’s something I can refuse.”

However, the old man noticed.

That the boy didn’t want to refuse.

He didn’t know what it was, but he wanted to do it. It was a good thing. August Veil wanted to see the life of the sun he revered.

It was good to talk like this, but on the other hand, he wanted to see the miracle that the boy showed from the side of the boy, like a manager or family member.

“Is there a need to refuse? If you have to go far, I’ll drive you.”

“Can you drive?”

When the boy tilted his head in doubt, August Veil smiled benevolently.

“Would I have been driven around by others since I was young? There was a time when I was managing someone.”

The history of Augustus Records began with the steps of a Hollywood star.

August Veil skillfully inserts the key and drives. The driving laws in England and Korea are quite different, but he is familiar with it.

Unbeknownst to anyone filming August Veil sitting in the driver’s seat and the boy sitting in the passenger seat, the van began to move forward leisurely.

:

“Mr. Nohaeil! I’m especially glad to see you today! I thought you had already forgotten me.”

The general director, who was busily giving instructions, recognized him and approached him with a delighted expression. And he said, tapping his shoulder familiarly.

“I’m just saying this in case. If you’re interested in being the general director, let me know. I can always get you the job.”

“I have the same thoughts as then.”

“Oh, well. That’s too bad.”

If it was a yellow suit then, it’s a blue suit today. His attire was always as unique as his personality.

The general director was about to talk about what he had requested in the email when he suddenly stared at the old man standing behind the boy.

He was someone he hadn’t seen before.

An foreigner with an unusual force that anyone could see.

And what caught the general director’s eye was the suit the old man was wearing.

He didn’t know the brand, but it was custom-made and not ordinary material. It was clear that it was made in a high-end shop that makes custom suits, like in the Kingsman movie.

With such a 고급정장 [gogeupjeongjang – high-end suit] and a unique charisma, the general director unknowingly used 존대 [jondae – honorific language].

However, he didn’t even think that the old man was August Veil, a figure who was showing interest in the entertainment industry these days.

He knew the name August Veil, but he didn’t know his face. He would have known if he had looked up the news, but he was more busy with the general direction right now, and he didn’t have the 여유 [yeoyu – time/leeway] to consider overseas music distribution.

There are cases where the license for domestic musicals is sold overseas, but that was only possible after successfully finishing the premiere.

Halo smiles 피식 [pisik – smirking] while looking at the old man.

“This person is…”

Their eyes meet.

August Veil roughly understood the nuance and was curious about what the boy would introduce him as.

There were many words that could describe him.

From the head of the distribution company to 경 [gyeong – honorific title], manager, 영감 [yeonggam – old man]. The countless words that had called him flashed through his head.

“My…”

What would the boy say?

It would be sad if he just said it was a business relationship.

No, before that, would he be able to understand Korean?

The word that was soon heard was a modifier that he had never heard before.

“Fan.”

It was also a Korean word that he could understand.

The old man smiled 인정하며 [injeonghamyeo – acknowledgingly].

#

And on the other hand,

“What is that?”

John opened his eyes wide.

It was only for a moment that he, who had been waiting in front of the label for a long time, discovered August Veil reflected in the window and clenched his fist.

First, he picked up the camera and doubted his eyes.

The boy who came out with August Veil was, first of all, the special guest who was invited to Scorpion’s concert.

It was a boy with the name Roh.

John, who quickly captured and photographed the two subjects in the camera, was wondering what kind of conversation came out from above. It was enough time for a contract story to come out, but the old man was empty-handed when he came out of the hotel, so it wasn’t.

What was even more surprising was not that.

The old man was driving the van now.

The old man with a driver, the 영감 [yeonggam – old man] who rose to the TIMES during his tenure at Augustus Records and wrote the legend of the record company, was driving as if he was a manager of a boy.

Of course, the boy didn’t have a license, but John didn’t even think that far. He didn’t even know that the boy didn’t have a license, and in fact, August Veil could have brought a driver right in front of him if he wanted to.

John, who followed where the van was going, couldn’t even go inside the parking lot. It was a very strict place, so he had to take the car out.

John waited for them to come out and checked what he had just filmed. There is no sun, but this itself seems to be quite good data.

Not just someone that Veil wants to sign a contract with, but a singer that August Veil is personally driving and assisting!

He had never seen August Veil care so much about someone.

In fact, there are only two reasons why August Veil cares so much.

Either he desperately wants to sign a contract with the other person.

Or he has already signed a contract, but he is still desperate for the other person.

He had this conversation with a fellow 렉카 [rekka – paparazzi]. It wasn’t that long ago, it was the story that came out when August Veil accompanied Scorpion to the concert.

– I’ve never seen Veil treat someone like that. No wonder it’s Scorpion.

– That’s not what’s important now.

– Then?

– Now we can find the answer based on Veil’s attitude. If Veil comes out like that, it’s one of two things.

– …

– Either he desperately wants to sign a contract with the other person, or he has already signed a contract, but he is still desperate for the other person.

– So what.

– He meets a singer who has already signed a contract and treats him so politely? Who would Veil go so far for?

John pointed to the sky.

– Wouldn’t it be the brightest star in the universe?

John smiled 히죽 [hijeuk – grinning].

“Of course, that friend is the former. Now, he even drives a singer who has already signed a contract? Then that person must be the sun.”

Several hours later.

An article titled [Which K-pop star did the 음원유통사 [eumwonyutongsa – music distribution company] Veil, which has the sun, send a 러브콜 [reobeukol – love call] to?] was released.