The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1361

< Episode 136: The Path of the Journey >

The largest music festival in North America.

Coachella’s lineup, showcasing various genres such as hip-hop, pop, and electronic music, not just rock, boasts a large and loyal fanbase, and has always been noteworthy.

Coachella’s biggest draw is that artists who are typically seen on world tours gather in one place, allowing you to enjoy concerts of all genres without interruption.

Also, as musicians around the world consider it a dream and a goal, being invited as a new artist is such an honor that related articles are published in the musician’s country for several days.

Just being a performer on the sub-stage is a position that marks you as ‘a globally recognized star.’ The headliner position, reserved for only three acts, receives even more attention. The headliner, meaning leading the main stage, is essentially the main attraction.

As such, with the announcement of Coachella’s lineup delayed, the public grumbled but suspected they were pursuing particularly selective artists.

Candidates rumored to be Coachella’s targets were posted in online communities, and many people directly inquired on the candidates’ social media.

However, none of them considered HALO.

It wasn’t that Coachella wouldn’t want HALO. Why wouldn’t they? HALO is currently a global phenomenon.

However, no one expected HALO to receive an invitation from Coachella.

Since they hadn’t appeared at any festival, broadcast, or public event until now, people naturally assumed it would be the same this time.

Due to such an unexpected lineup, the repercussions were enormous.

[Is it really HALO?]

[Could it be someone with the same name?]

[The Sun is coming to Coachella!]

[Isn’t Coachella mistaken?]

[They’re attracting attention like this, but they won’t suddenly claim it’s not HALO but Hello, right?]

└ HAHA That’s really funny. I know why you don’t have a lover.

Perhaps because they were so shocked, Coachella’s fandom, which was the first to notice Coachella’s announcement, came up with various denials, such as the theory of people with the same name, the theory of mistakes, and the theory of typos. However, soon, as the name HALO was repeatedly confirmed by various media outlets, they had no choice but to accept it.

At least, the HALO that Coachella is talking about is the HALO they know. And soon, HALO’s identity will be revealed as well.

At least, if Coachella didn’t misunderstand someone else as HALO.

For the fans who ultimately failed to find HALO in Venice, it was enough to make their eyes roll [a Korean expression for being dumbfounded].

And that was the same in Korea.

The issue of HALO’s participation in Coachella was so overwhelming that it overshadowed articles about other Korean singers’ participation, and the level of interest was incredibly high.

Even those who only knew the name Coachella were determined to attend this time, no matter what.

However, there was something as big of an issue as Coachella.

Noh Hae-il, who skipped the awards ceremony and went on a leisurely trip, appeared in an interview with BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation.

[HOT] Noh Hae-il’s Recent Status (···BBC Interview.jpeg)

He’s having fun in Venice

[HOT] Life_is_like_Noh Hae-il

Ah, why go to the awards ceremony lol

It’s more fun to wear a mask, dance with a woman, and do a news interview lol

└ Don’t Noh Hae-il’s fans say anything?

└ They’re just happy that his recent status has been released

└ They’re pathetic, treat them well

└ What’s pathetic about them? You haven’t seen them when they’re ticketing [referring to the intense competition for concert tickets]

└ LOL, I can feel the murderous intent

[Why is he doing an interview there? I really doubted my eyes]

└ LOL

└ He’s cosplaying Mozart, but no matter how you look at it, it’s Noh Hae-il

It was absurd and strangely natural to see him having fun in Venice and giving an interview to a British broadcasting station, not a Korean one, so it was funny.

[It’s a typical British accent, so it’s natural]

└ The anchor looks embarrassed by the unexpected pronunciation

└ But the pronunciation is really cool

└ That’s a posh accent, a noble accent

└ I want to learn too. Will they tell me if I go to the academy Noh Hae-il went to?

Then, someone spoke up.

[If it’s Venice, HALO is there, right? Noh Hae-il is also in Venice]

└ Did he go to see HALO?

└ Judging from the interview, he was there before. There were sightings in Vienna, and he went to see the Venice festival

└ Wow, what timing

└ Did he see The Sun live then?

└ There are more guys who regret it so much that they’re hitting the ground [a Korean expression for extreme regret]

He was a big fan of HALO and had posted this.

[Did everyone see this? It’s an interview with the people who played with HALO in the gondola]

└ They weren’t very helpful

└ Why? They gave quite a few clues. They used a typical posh accent, and they said the voice felt like someone their age.

└ If they’re their age, aren’t they in their 20s? Is The Sun in his 20s?

└ They estimated his physique, foot size, and hand size from one photo of HALO;; If he appears one more time, it’ll be completely confirmed

└ Is that a real photo of HALO?

He posted the next post.

[Hey, but am I the only one who’s bothered? Why is Noh Hae-il in Venice of all places?]

└? Can’t Noh Hae-il go to Venice?

└ Isn’t the timing of HALO’s appearance and Noh Hae-il being in Venice too perfect?

└ And I’m saying this in advance because someone will start saying I’m crazy again, but doesn’t HALO’s physique in the photo overlap with Noh Hae-il’s? From the height to the typical posh accent, if it’s Noh Hae-il, it would have felt like someone their age

└ Wow;; Here we go again

└ In the neighborhood next door, a self-proclaimed male hand expert appeared and said that HALO’s gloved hands look exactly like Noh Hae-il’s hands… How are you different from him?;

└ I totally agree, hey, but how many times does a male hand expert have to hold a male hand to be an expert?

└ He’s a man

└ Ah

[I’ve brought irrefutable evidence that Noh Hae-il can’t be HALO]

└? What is it?

└ [Breaking │ Coachella’s final lineup confirmed] Noh Hae-il is also going here

└ !

Finally, they don’t have to become Jaws [referring to obsessive fans]. The fandom that brought the information of Coachella’s daily capacity – about 75,000 people – to Noh Hae-il’s confirmation article for Coachella popped champagne before the performance date was even confirmed.

A time to respond to each other with smiles that are not teeth [meaning genuine smiles] for the first time, praying that it is not the day of the HALO performance.

“Michelangelo was also famous for being ugly at the time.”

They were listening to the guide and standing in front of the Statue of David.

They had hired a private Korean guide and were touring the Vatican.

The Vatican, which houses various works of art, required the presence of a guide.

“Actually, doesn’t he just look like a foreign middle-aged man? That’s why many people wonder why he’s ugly.”

The guide, who was clearly a fan of Noh Hae-il, was explaining with enthusiasm.

“This one word will be enough. This appearance was not his appearance in his 40s, but his appearance in his 20s.”

“Ah.”

“!”

Nam Gyu-hwan and Moon Seo-yeon’s faces were filled with shock.

His face in his 20s! It’s not right to say anything about someone else’s appearance, but it was undeniable that he looked old. Of course, they thought he was a foreign middle-aged man in his 40s or 50s.

“Oh my…”

“And there’s another famous story about Michelangelo. It’s related to his personality.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Michelangelo was said to have had an unusual personality at the time. He was picky and stubborn. So, as you’ll see soon, he left this anecdote in .”

“At the time, the cardinal and Michelangelo didn’t get along. The cardinal overly interfered with the process of working on , saying that the figures were drawn naked. So Michelangelo took revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“He draws the cardinal’s face as the face of the devil.”

“!”

HALO smiled as he listened to the guide’s explanation. The guide felt proud that he had made the story interesting when Noh Hae-il smiled for the first time. But that wasn’t why HALO smiled.

Like Michelangelo, he once engraved the names of those who interfered with his song, along with their criticisms.

That was the original song of IAMHALO, and the reason why it wasn’t played on the radio or broadcasting stations.

HALO finished the Vatican tour and stood in front of Michelangelo’s tomb.

The end of a great artist who lived constantly struggling, leaving behind numerous anecdotes, was no different from others.

Even after sending off the guide who had kindly guided him, HALO stared at the tomb for a while.

“Boss.”

Then, Moon Seo-yeon quietly called him.

“Yes.”

“I have something to tell you.”

HALO finally took his eyes off the tomb and looked at her. He couldn’t see any other members, only her.

Moon Seo-yeon had a serious look on her face.

“I finally finished the song.”

“!”

HALO’s face brightened as he listened quietly.

He was happy that it was finished because it was a song he had been talking about with her since she said she wanted to compose it.

“It’s clumsy, and there are many things I’m not satisfied with, but I’m going to finish it without holding on to it any longer.”

“That’s a good choice.”

Moon Seo-yeon had a complex look on her face, looking proud and regretful.

“I’ll let you hear the completed song after I record it.”

“Okay.”

“So, what I’m trying to say is.”

HALO felt like he knew what Moon Seo-yeon was going to say.

It was Moon Seo-yeon who said she wanted to go to Florence more than Paris. HALO suddenly remembered that she skipped Florence and came to Rome. He wondered why she suddenly changed her route.

Now that the song she was working on was finished, it was clear what Moon Seo-yeon would do next.

“I’m going to go back to Korea first.”

A breeze blew from somewhere.

The wind blowing from behind Moon Seo-yeon swept HALO’s bangs. HALO slowly raised the corners of his lips.

He always told the members to do what they wanted, and he liked the members who honestly told him what they wanted to do.

“I want to go back first and prepare.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

His answer was always the same. Moon Seo-yeon smiled comfortably.

In fact, Moon Seo-yeon was going back to Korea not only because of her song.

It was her song, and it wasn’t a difficult song, so there was no reason to rush the recording. So, she was originally going to go to Florence and Sicily and enjoy a longer trip.

However, things changed as HALO and Noh Hae-il participated in Coachella. The boss would always show a great performance, but she had to practice to show that performance. Unlike guitars, keyboards cannot be carried around. Feeling her hands stiffening, Moon Seo-yeon gave up the pleasure in front of her for the upcoming Coachella.

She also decided to practice for the performance and accelerate the recording of the boss’s remaining album.

To fulfill her responsibility as a member of the boss she always respects.

“We can go on another trip next time, right?”

Moon Seo-yeon expressed her regret.

It was really, really fun.

HALO nodded.

“We can go anytime.”

That evening, a meeting was held at the hotel back in the Vatican. As Moon Seo-yeon revealed that she would return home first, the other members were also given a choice.

Nam Gyu-hwan and Han Jin-young, who seemed to be talking to Moon Seo-yeon about something, nodded with understanding. Then, Nam Gyu-hwan also fiddled with his arm and said he would return with a face that he had committed a deadly sin [exaggerating his guilt].

“Hae-il, are you going to continue traveling then?”

When Han Jin-young asked quietly, HALO nodded.

“Then I-”

“You don’t have to stay on purpose. Actually, Veil said he would join too.”

“Mr. Veil? When?”

“Soon.”

It had been quite a while since he first suggested traveling and even traveling together.

“Then, I’ll just watch Mr. Veil join and go back.”

That’s how everyone made a decision.

“I’ll go back first and wait.”

“Keuk, I’m sorry that I can’t serve you until the end.”

“Boss, have a fun trip!”

None of them asked him why he wasn’t going home.

They may have thought that HALO was holding on to his last trip for a long time because he would not be able to travel comfortably once his identity was revealed.

However, that is a wrong idea.

HALO had traveled anytime before, and he had quite a lot of experience in chasing fans at the travel destination. Nothing would change if he revealed his identity.

However, the reason why he keeps traveling like this.

HALO recalled the purpose of this trip again.

It started with the concern about revealing his identity as HALO, and his concern was resolved with a pleasant trip and the fans he met on the trip. He thought all his worries were resolved.

So, just when he thought he should go back to Korea and prepare for the festival. HALO suddenly recalled a conversation with a friend in front of the tomb of a great artist.

-But what are you going to do later?

Just before leaving for the trip, Jang Jin-soo asked him.

-Billboard No. 1? You haven’t done that yet.

-That’s coming soon.

-Then what after you get to Billboard No. 1?

-I don’t know.

‘My goal…’

HALO, who couldn’t answer at that time, is still in front of Michelangelo’s tomb.

“Have you decided on your next destination? It’s good to stay in Rome.”

HALO turned his head.

August Veil, wearing sunglasses and a fedora like any Italian old man, approached him and gave him a warm hug.

HALO thought about his next destination and worried. It was always the members who chose, so it was unfamiliar for him to choose.

Then, he remembered Per Aspera, whom he met in Vienna, asking him to stop by the headquarters if he had a chance to come to France.

“Shall we go to Paris?”

“Paris is good too.”

There was no need to book a train or rent a car.

August Veil had a private jet.

#

Meanwhile, at London Heathrow Airport.

PD Park was squatting in the boarding gate seat, tapping his knees.

“I didn’t get to meet him after all.”

He looks depressed despite finishing a successful shoot in the UK.

He couldn’t help it.

What he was most looking forward to was a chance encounter with Noh Hae-il, and he had set up the stage like that.

In fact, he had a bad feeling since Team B met Noh Hae-il in Vienna. It seemed difficult to run into each other in terms of movement.

And after seeing him interviewed in Venice, PD Park, who had given up 99% of his expectations, shed tears of regret when he couldn’t meet him until he left London.

-Who knows? Maybe we can meet.

-Anyway, I’ll go in! Guten Tag! [German for Good Day]

The youngest one was being cheeky, which made him even more angry.

If he hadn’t met Team B either, he would have been less angry…

No, PD Park slapped his cheek.

He is not only in charge of Team A, but also the main PD [Production Director].

What kind of selfish thoughts are these.

The viewers’ bulletin board was already boiling, asking when Noh Hae-il would appear. As the preview was released in advance, he was being cursed with swear words as the episodes were repeated, but this is also a measure of interest.

PD Park got up from his seat, soothing his regret.

The broadcast was announcing to prepare for boarding.

“Okay, everyone, cheer up. Let’s get a full shot of Team A and Team B in front of the Eiffel Tower.”