The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1511

< Pilgrimage to the Holy Land -151 >

The world didn’t quiet down easily.

The fact that a Korean boy was HALO wasn’t something that would subside in a few days.

After Coachella, Nohaeil’s whereabouts as HALO became vague, which was only natural. Those who couldn’t find him continued to search for more tidbits, and the storm seemed to grow, encompassing both the past and the present.

This was also why Show Vow Show, released two years ago, climbed back into the music charts.

[Show Vow Show finally rises to 10th place]

[Wow, from 1st to 10th place on Melon is all Nohaeil (HALO). At this point, they might as well rename it the ‘Nohaeil Chart’]

└ Nohaeil Chart following the Nohaeil Awards, lol

[Wow, how much has Nohaeil raked in since last year??]

[Even though Nohaeil didn’t attend the awards ceremony, there’s a reason to give him an award. He deserves it]

[HALO didn’t receive the Rookie Award, but at least Nohaeil did, so is that fortunate?]

└ Seriously?? HALO didn’t get the Rookie Award?

└ Did they not give it because they considered him an established artist?

└ Surprisingly, HALO’s number of streams exceeded the rookie standard, so he couldn’t receive it, lol

└ A rookie’s output over three years < HALO's output in just one year └ Honestly, HALO probably released more than most established artists of ten years └ Lol, crazy. Is this K-rookie? People around him who had worked on music shows with Hwang Ryongpil and Shin Juhyuk, and Liv—especially Hwang Ryongpil, who was in the same team, and Shin Juhyuk, known to be close to Nohaeil—were also bothered. Also, it was enough time to dig up someone's embarrassing past. [K-Critic's Update) Deleting posts] └ Yeah, Junseok, delete your posts diligently. I've already captured them all~~ [Did you guys see critic Kim Junseok's post? Nohaeil is suffering from HALO disease...] └ HALO disease, lol. But it seems right? └ True, HALO also caught Nohaeil disease └ He gave HALO's songs a 5.0 rating but Nohaeil's songs a 3.5, ah lol └ He even told Nohaeil to learn from HALO, lol [I find this even funnier. When Nohaeil said he'd make rock music, he said, "Excessive greed leads to bad endings. Wouldn't it be better to just do his own music?"] └ Lol └ Nohaeil has just been doing his own music since way back, what a consistent guy └ But Shin Juhyuk also once asked Nohaeil why he doesn't do rock... └ Shhh [Where's the guy who said he'd give 10 trillion if Nohaeil = HALO is proven? It's proven, lol. Give me the 10 trillion, lol] └ There's someone who bet 10 trillion, not even 1 billion? Lol └ He's a middle schooler. He appeared in the community and promised to work hard └ Lol, is 10 trillion possible if he works his whole life? └ How many times does he need to win the lottery? └ Last week's first prize was 12.3 billion, so roughly he needs to win 1,000 times └ Easy, 1,000 weeks in a row, lol └ True, lol. Just win every week for 20 years People who had never believed that Nohaeil was HALO but hadn't left any traces had to breathe a sigh of relief as the ridicule unfolded. In fact, they hadn't known it themselves for the past year, but it was their just desserts for criticizing those who said his voice was similar, accusing them of overrating Nohaeil, and generally earning the resentment of Nohaeil's fandom and those with good ears. [Hey, am I the only one embarrassed? If foreigners know that they were Korean critics, they might think this is our national character] └ Don't worry, foreign countries are even more chaotic. └ Over there in India, after HALO, critics who bashed K-pop were also preserved on Reddit └ But what does India have to do with K-pop? └ I don't know, they lumped it together with J-pop as the same Asian thing and bashed it And the situation was similar overseas. This storm wasn't just happening online. Offline, in the real world, it was even more intense. "Oh my god..." Having taken a break, Moon Seoyeon, who was staying at the Hongdae [a district in Seoul known for its indie music scene and artistic vibe] hideout and was about to return to the label to practice, was taken aback when she got a ride from Han Jinyeong and saw the crowd of people. "Should we go somewhere else for now?" "Yes, I'll tell Nam Gyuhwan not to come to the label either." There were reporters, but there was also a more unusual sight. While there had been broadcasters and reporters since before Coachella, suddenly there were foreign people looking up at the label with wistful eyes. "So this is the place." "Oh, Sun." "It's a sacred place. Did my little baby Sun walk this path?" Their expressions were sometimes the same as Nam Gyuhwan's when he was overwhelmed looking at the label, which gave her goosebumps. "Nam Gyuhwan one, two, three... That amoeba-like bastard." "That's what you're surprised about? Let's go to the hideout for now. We'll practice there, and soon we'll record at Kang Youngmin's studio—" Han Jinyeong chuckled and opened her phone. She had received countless requests, including greetings from relatives and alumni, and performance requests to be a temporary session member, saying they were impressed by the stage at Coachella. Among them was Kang Youngmin, so she almost missed it. "Oh." "What's wrong?" Han Jinyeong looked embarrassed after reading the message. "They said Kang Youngmin's studio is in chaos right now?" "Yes?" The real repercussions of Nohaeil being HALO seemed to be just beginning. They didn't mention it, but Nam Gyuhwan, who was already at the hideout, made a point of mentioning it. A pilgrimage to the holy land. "I knew this day would come someday." Seeing that even Kang Youngmin's studio, which had never been known before, had been discovered, it seemed like every place Nohaeil had ever been to would come to light. It was like the new Arvo clothes that HALO wore during the performance and Nohaeil's December issue magazine disappearing from the market, and the guitar manufacturer G being flooded with inquiries about when HALO's signature model would be released. Every piece of clothing, shoes, and bags that Nohaeil wore. Whether it was bought at an offline store or bought by his mother online, it was being posted under the name [HALO's Outfit]. HALO's fans were trying to get closer to HALO in ways they hadn't known before. They didn't know much about the human Nohaeil, unlike Nohaeil as a singer, because he hadn't been revealed or shown on TV much. Come to think of it, that was true. He had released so many songs under the names Nohaeil and HALO, but he had never filmed a VLive [live video streaming platform popular in South Korea] or even a simple documentary show. It wasn't strange that people were craving it. "How did they know about Kang Youngmin's studio?" "I guess they saw the studio address in Haeil's old YouTube video." "You mean that Confession video?" To find the studio address that was only exposed once in that video and turn it into a holy site. Moon Seoyeon opened her mouth in amazement. Well, considering how Nam Gyuhwan made a fuss about it being a holy site when they recorded the 12th and 13th albums at Kang Youngmin's studio last time, it wasn't strange. "Anyway, I can't go to the label for the time being." It was a problem to be caught by reporters or foreigners, and there were also security issues. The small building in Seongsu-dong was easy to break into if someone had bad intentions. It would be good to keep the label closed for the time being, at least. "We're here, Haeil." Haeil pressed down his hat when he saw the familiar hideout. His mother, who had rented another car just in case, was going to take him to the label after the move, but she turned the car around as soon as she saw the crowd. "Boss!" "Haeil, you're here?" The members welcomed him. Unfortunately, Bae Gonghak was at work, and Kim Deoksu had left the hideout because Aya was waiting for him. "Did you see the label?" "Yes." "What should we do?" "It's quite troublesome." Honestly, he didn't like it. He was more comfortable using the label like his own home than his parents' house. His parents had moved to a bigger house, but it was still just his parents' house. He was likely to be holed up in the hideout or a hotel room. It was better than the hospital, but he wasn't the type to stay quietly in one place. That is, not by his own will. As Haeil stood there sullenly, the members spoke first. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm comfortable in the hideout anyway." "There's also a practice room upstairs, so we can practice." "I can even sleep outside." Everyone said it was okay, but he didn't think it was okay at all, and he didn't think he needed to be okay with it. Because. "Let's just move." "Yes?" "Now?" Shouldn't they just find a new office building? Haeil shrugged as if to say what was the problem, and one by one, they understood. It seemed like a very impromptu decision to move, but the more they thought about it, the more they realized there was no reason not to. There were no processes or superiors to worry about, and it wasn't like Haeil was being financially cautious. They had always done what he wanted at the label, so there was nothing new this time either. "Do you have a place in mind?" "Um, just." Haeil thought simply. A place with good sunlight, a good location near a place to take a walk. A place that was quiet yet fun, not too hot or too cold, and the facilities—? About the level that August Veil had shown him, saying it was an 'awesome studio'? From practice rooms to conference rooms, rest areas, everything they needed, and also—. If possible, he wanted to decorate it in a modern yet antique style, clean yet luxurious. A small theater and hobby space in the basement, and a garden or swimming pool on the roof. It would be good to have a bomb shelter to prevent earthquakes or tornadoes. To put it bluntly, he wanted it to be indistinguishable from an office building, a hotel, or a villa. Haeil, saying things that would make an architect weep, "That should be enough." He said casually because he wasn't going to find it himself, And the members, who also weren't going to find it themselves, agreed that it would be good. How many buildings are there in Seoul? There must be one like that. Haeil, who was talking with the members about the new office building, answered the phone when it rang. He was just about to contact him, and the call came at the right time. [Did the move go well?] Haeil recalled that he had only seen the new house this morning. It wasn't like it went well, because he really hadn't done anything. It seemed like the movers had packed the luggage, and he just needed to help organize it later. But all there was to organize was Nohaeil's luggage. Haeil left a message saying he should come over sometime and got to the point. However, August Veil was even more pleased with the point. [I was going to talk about it sometime, so it's good that you called. I'll look for it.] He was only going to request the studio equipment he had visited in Europe, but August Veil was acting like he was going to find an interior designer or even an architect. Well, that wouldn't be bad either. August Veil's eye for design had been recognized through his villa and the studio he had introduced. His taste was quite in line with Haeil's, who enjoyed luxury. [By the way, how have you been lately?] August Veil didn't bother to talk to Haeil about the lawsuit with 'XYC'. With Guitar G, Arvo, and Coachella, and even the large corporation that had placed an advertisement in Coachella, joining the lawsuit, the outcome seemed to have already been decided. It was now a matter of time. Eventually, XYC would raise both hands in surrender and have to pay a large sum. He didn't want to tell the boy this boring story. August Veil still remembered the 'retirement' that Haeil had mentioned. "I've been resting a lot lately." Although some people were noisy—Haeil recalled Scorpion, who had contacted him on the day he revealed his identity, saying he was in the same place, and Shin Juhyuk, who was grumbling—he hadn't been working on music, so it was true that he had been resting. "Quite a few emails have piled up in the meantime." [You don't seem interested] Haeil chuckled. He had rejected most of the offers. He didn't feel the need for music shows or entertainment programs, let alone songwriting or collaborations. However, he had left a few things. For example, the email from the musical 'Rock'. An offer to decorate the final encore performance. The final performance of 'Rock', which was currently in extended performances, was in May, and if the schedule worked out, Haeil wanted to go willingly. [I'll have you look for things that will be fun for you. I can help you with anything. Ah, I've also received a pretty interesting offer. It will probably be sent to you personally, but I'll organize it and send it to you first, so take a look.] If the offer was sent to Veil first, it must be an offer sent to several of his artists. Haeil nodded, understanding. "More than that, what about the watch?" Haeil asked what he was curious about first. [Of course, the order has been placed.] August Veil's laughter was faintly heard. Probably because he was reminded of Haeil's very creative drawing skills. It was a drawing that Picasso, lying in his grave, would admire. To put it more simply, it was like a drawing that children would draw. It wasn't a watch, but it looked like chocolate stuck to a bag. The fans would say it was good no matter what he did, but at least he hoped it wouldn't be embarrassing to wear. [As you know, it will take 3-4 months.] The order quantity was exactly 1,000. It was impossible to make it infinitely, so they matched the quantity with the music box. He hadn't decided how to give it out yet, but he would soon. [But where are you thinking of giving out the watches?] August Veil asked what he wanted to ask the most at the end. The places where the boy had given gifts to fans so far were his small theater concert and fan meeting theater. Haeil raised the corners of his lips. "I've been resting too much lately." Even though 'too much' was only ten days, August Veil didn't refute it. His heart was pounding. August Veil, who had been cautious since the word 'retirement', jumped up at the word he heard next. "I'm starting to want to do it." Haeil remembered the night of Coachella, which he still couldn't escape. He wanted to experience that feeling again. The sight of the most beautiful lights in the world becoming waves and rushing towards him.