The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1421

< Chapter 142: The Reason Not To >

Clunk.

Halo sat alone in the train car, leaning his head against the window. The red train passed through snowy mountains, steep valleys, and glaciers.

It was said to be the slowest express train in the world. He would be traveling for a long time, as much as eight hours each way.

August Veil had created a route that didn’t exist and chartered an entire train. So, only Gung, August Veil, and a few staff members were on board. Except when meals were brought in, the train was as quiet as a villa.

He wasn’t bored.

Halo even enjoyed the leisurely and relaxed time. He wondered if this was the kind of train trip the members had wanted.

The train rushed into the wondrous nature and unknown beyond the window.

This day was February 29, 2032.

A special day that came once every four years.

Halo naturally recalled the last February 29th he remembered. It wasn’t that he had experienced it then. However, there was something he had intended to do at that time.

His last album.

The scheduled release date for HALO’s 13th album, “Until Dawn Comes,” was the same as today.

The most special day that came every four years, and about a week after the Grammy Awards.

He wanted to wrap things up neatly and release the album before winter was over. Unfortunately, the release date of the 13th album became a day that would never come.

“Did you wait long?”

August Veil, who had been on the phone, came in leisurely and sat across from him.

“I’m getting calls from everywhere. I knew they were impatient, but it’s funny that they contacted me knowing I wouldn’t tell them easily.”

Veil chuckled.

As he beat around the bush as usual, his acquaintances eventually couldn’t stand it and cursed.

“Ah, there was something I wanted to show you. Did you see it?”

“What is it?”

“It was uploaded today.”

August Veil took out a tablet from his bag and handed it over.

YouTube was open on his tablet, and Halo quickly found the title in Korean.

[JBC] Spring Again Team B – Beautiful Blue Danube ♫feat. Roh Hae-Il #Austria #Accidental Encounter

“It seems to have been broadcasted at dawn.”

August Veil’s words didn’t fully register.

However, it was certain that the clip was uploaded to YouTube as soon as it was broadcasted. *Spring Again* always aired on Sundays.

Sending a trailer in January and releasing the main episode on February 29th was quite devilish broadcasting, but no one complained about it in the YouTube clip video.

There were even people who kindly explained the episode number and content of the broadcast that day.

The broadcast that day mainly featured the story of Team B in Austria without cross-editing with Team A. From the place where they encountered Roh Hae-Il, the scene of Roh Hae-Il’s “Sounds of Spring” ensemble, filmed by a Korean student there, was edited and shown, along with a short meeting with the PD [Production Director]. And eventually, the scene where they played together in front of the Danube River was all shown.

There were three clip videos related to Roh Hae-Il on YouTube.

‘Sounds of Spring’ and ‘Beautiful Blue Danube’ filmed with a cell phone, and.

Halo slowly scrolled down.

And soon, with a subtle expression,

“Ha, haha.”

He laughed.

Without knowing that August Veil was looking at him strangely,

He clicked on the video.

[JBC] Roh Hae-Il – Until Dawn Comes #Spring Again #Accidental Encounter

4,699,878 Views

2032-02-29

The explosively increasing number of views didn’t catch his eye.

Only the date caught his eye.

Halo thought.

*This is just a coincidence.*

*Spring Again* seems to have decided to release it sequentially as a broadcast, despite the current Roh Hae-Il = Halo controversy.

Even though they were criticized for the early trailer, they may have released it at a high point where viewership could be good at the end of February.

Anyway, the broadcasting station is also a company, so they would have considered the most valuable moment.

Also, he tried not to give it unnecessary meaning.

He had already sung his 13th album title track several times.

Once on the last day of the small theater concert.

And once when he was invited as a guest to Scorpion’s concert.

So, those who already knew, knew, and those who would see, had already seen it.

It wasn’t anything new.

Even so, he still felt complicated and subtle.

That his music was shown to the world on the same date he was going to release the album.

It was like the heavens were stepping in to resolve the lingering feelings he didn’t have.

Halo couldn’t define his emotions and just laughed, haha.

Now, a year and a few months after becoming Roh Hae-Il, Halo thought that even if Halo came back one day and asked for his body back, he wouldn’t be too sad. No, he would be sad, but still. He had spent his time without regrets. He felt like he could be grateful.

Halo’s laughter was strange, but August Veil didn’t ask about the reason Halo laughed. He had a feeling the boy wouldn’t answer even if he asked.

So, after Halo’s laughter stopped, August Veil started talking as usual.

“The 13th album has entered the cover production stage, as you said.”

About work, and,

“Are you really thinking of doing yodeling? Are you perhaps going to put yodeling in the album?”

He still had a face that couldn’t connect Halo and yodeling at all.

“And, you know.”

And.

August Veil counted the days left until Coachella [an annual music and arts festival held in California].

Now there were only a month and a few weeks left.

A time that would pass in the blink of an eye.

The public was currently waiting for Coachella, where they could see Halo, but August Veil looked further.

Coachella was just another beginning.

The future of the boy, who was only 16 years old, was endless.

He imagined the days when the boy, who was active as Roh Hae-Il, would be called by another name.

Things that the boy hadn’t done yet, but would do in the future.

Since what he imagined and what the boy imagined could be different, it was time to ask.

“I want to hear what you want to do in the future.”

“In the future?”

“After Coachella.”

He felt a sense of déjà vu.

He felt like he had heard a similar question sometime.

“There will be collaborations with singers, broadcasts, world tours, whatever. I want to hear what you want among them. Let’s prioritize them.”

Halo playfully asked back.

“How about Billboard number one?”

“I don’t think you were very attached to the Billboard number one spot.”

“That’s true.”

Because it was a place he could have anytime.

He honestly admitted it.

The Billboard number one, which he had already done a lot and would do again, was not his priority.

However, the reason he thought of Billboard number one when he heard the word priority was because some guy had asked him the same question before.

-But what are you going to do later?

It was a concern he had even in front of the last work of a great artist.

-After Billboard number one?

After that.

Halo slowly turned his head.

“After everything is over.”

From the train crossing the snowy mountains, a huge lake could be seen. Half frozen, half not.

On top of it, migratory birds sat and looked for food.

Then, at some point, they started to fly away with a flap.

Drawing the sky in a V shape.

A ripple spread across the lake from a feather falling from them, but they continued to flap their wings without looking back.

As he quietly watched it, he felt a gaze looking at him. When he slowly turned his head, he met the eyes of a man reflected in the glass window.

He is not Roh Hae-Il.

A man with a larger build and white skin than Roh Hae-Il.

The sculpture-like man, called Apollo’s devotion, was there.

Reverse light on half of his face. In that darkness, the man looked at him with the last face and last expression he remembered.

His lips moved softly.

The laughter that wasn’t heard was heard.

-Ah, the speech.

-Yeah, you didn’t prepare an awards ceremony speech, did you?

-Of course, I prepared it.

The last conversation he had with his manager.

-Tell me. I have to hear it once.

-It’s nothing much.

-I’m most scared when you say that.

Halo in his memory cleared his throat and recited the prepared speech in front of his worried manager. It wasn’t a very long speech.

-It’s a beautiful night. I didn’t know I would be standing here today.

-Oh, it’s rare for you to say something normal.

-They’re giving me an award, so I’ll take it. Um, should I say thank you? Rather than that, I express my condolences to the esteemed judges who are frustrated that the glory of the Grammys has hit rock bottom, are you all okay? Haha. Oh, right. I almost forgot the most important thing.

-Hey, Halo, you crazy-.

-As of today, I will retire from this position.

-…What? Wait, Ha-.

-Ladies and Gentlemen

-Lo!

-I hope you have a good time in the future.

The car drives into the darkness.

The train also entered the tunnel.

‘What we have to do next.’

The man reflected in the window smiled tearfully and slowly moved his lips. Halo’s mouth also moved along with him.

“Retire.”

“!”

“Shall I?”

August Veil, sitting across from him, was silent. He was much calmer than the manager who was screaming.

Since he didn’t want to fight with August Veil all night like he did with his manager, Halo continued.

“I’m kidding.”

There was still no answer.

“There’s still a lot left to do to retire.”

He added one more word to reassure him and turned his head out the window.

A decadent man who looked like him but didn’t look like him was no longer visible in his eyes. Beyond the train, there was only a beautiful sight outside the tunnel.

He was thinking of retiring someday if there was nothing to do. But it’s not to the point where he’s considering retiring yet. Like Jang Jin-soo said, he’s still like any other singer who hasn’t reached Billboard number one.

Also, the Grammys didn’t give an award to a faceless singer this year.

That means there was still endless things to do.

He didn’t know what would happen in the distant future.

Right now, he had a lot to do, so he was happy and wanted to maintain this happiness.

Well, Roh Hae-Il might come back before he announces his retirement, so there’s no need to think about the very distant future.

“Is that so?”

Looking at August Veil’s expression, which had returned to normal, Halo nodded. He thought Veil wouldn’t care much about his little joke.

#

[Oh my god, I just listened to Roh’s Blue Danube uploaded by a Korean broadcasting station, and I think I’ll be a fan even if he’s not Halo. It’s such a beautiful voice]

[Not the Sun. The more I listen, the more I wonder if there could be a voice like Halo in the world]

[Where did all the voice analysts go?]

The number of views, which was already over 1 million with Koreans alone, rose sharply as foreigners rapidly poured in. Every time Roh’s actions came out, they frantically tried to quench their thirst as if they had found water in the desert.

[I don’t know at all! Now it doesn’t make sense if Roh isn’t Halo]

But no matter how much they examined and licked it, their thirst was not easily quenched.

[Roh once covered Halo on an American talk show]

[This is a pretty famous clip.]

[The more I listen, the more it sounds like Halo no matter what]

[Why didn’t the stupid Americans ever question it?]

Even if they watched, analyzed, and dug into every move.

[Someone break into Scorpion’s house and ask]

└ That bastard will shoot you

└More than that, shouldn’t we doubt whether he’s really home in the first place? That bastard might have run to the Sun without us knowing.

└ No way. If that bastard did, he would have shown it on his SNS [Social Networking Service]

[I’m going to find Veil now]

Instead of water, they drank seawater, and they wanted to know more and more about the boy.

They felt like they could only solve this thirst by finding the boy.

People who were getting more and more out of control started to express their dissatisfaction. Of course, that dissatisfaction was not directed at the boy.

[Veil kidnapped Halo and locked him up somewhere]

[I agree. My small and precious Sun may be wanting to be rescued]

[Guys, get a grip. What kidnapping? He’s living luxuriously in a large castle.]

[I suspect the Koreans more. I think they’re hiding him]

└ I’m Korean, but it’s not true ㅠㅠ We’re the most curious

The flames may blaze and turn the mountain into ashes.

At that time, Halo was in a rural village in the Alps. It was a beautiful place where nature was preserved instead of civilization. The fields were covered with snow, surrounded by mountains, and there were not many households in the village.

“The basics of singing are accurate pitch. Everyone, follow me. Mistakes and yodeling are determined by pitch and rhythm.”

Between grandmothers and grandfathers.

The lecturer who came down to his hometown for a while admired the particularly clear voice.

“Oh, you’re so good? You have talent.”

When the lecturer, who was doing talent donation for the elderly in his hometown village during the university vacation season, praised him, Halo smiled faintly.

He had only taught for fifteen minutes, but the lecturer felt affection and patted him on the shoulder.

“You can yodel like this friend. It’s easy, right?”

He took yodeling lessons whenever he wanted in this beautiful little village. There were quite a few yodeling songs in Switzerland, and he quickly memorized them after listening to them once or twice. The lecturer even asked if he had ever learned to sing because of his amazing growth.

Usually, he walked around the snowy fields, had snowball fights with the village children who didn’t avoid strangers until their hands turned red – and sometimes made them cry without ever letting them win – and climbed the snowy mountains.

If it had been summer instead of winter, he might have run around the fields with the shepherds.

Halo playing the guitar in front of the village well and the village children starting to gather one by one. August Veil’s expression as he watched the peaceful scene was quite serious.

“Retirement···.”

He had never ignored Halo’s words. Even if it was a joke, he would repeat it once, twice, three times. He had a strong feeling that he shouldn’t ignore this one in particular.

The boy named Halo is an unparalleled genius to the point where his age doesn’t come to mind, but at the same time, he can’t deny that he is a 16-year-old adolescent boy.

This means that he may be going through a complex thought process that adults cannot understand.

Moreover, the boy Halo was more complicated than the average 16-year-old. Sometimes he seemed like a playful and innocent child, but sometimes he seemed like a challenging and free 20-year-old, or he felt stable and relaxed like a 30-year-old.

He seemed to be living simply for his desires, but he was a boy who never revealed his inner thoughts, so the word ‘retirement’ was still stuck in his throat like a sharp thorn.

In short, he said it was a joke, but it didn’t sound like a joke.

August Veil looked at the boy playing the guitar with a comfortable face and muttered the answer he couldn’t give on the train.

“Then you need a reason not to retire.”