The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 1541

< Episode 154 A Music I've Never Done Before >

Halo’s building permit was approved sooner than expected.

Whether it was due to Halo’s reputation or the Korean civil servants’ efficiency, it was a welcome development.

August Veil began to arrange a meeting with the architect in earnest. It was the first time they would meet face to face.

“Lord Veil, thank you for accepting the commission. To think I’d get to build a temple—ahem, I mean, an office building—before I retire.”

“Retire where? Is it time for your gym session soon?”

August Veil recalled the reverse commission he received, where someone threatened him with their life. The email was so desperate that he thought they were either old enough to die of natural causes or had an incurable disease, but the person in front of him looked very healthy, clearly dedicated to training. Tanned skin and muscles. He looked ten to twenty years younger than his actual age and seemed like he could win against young people in a fight.

“Haha, still, this will be my last work.”

The architect, who resembled an artist from the Renaissance era more than a modern architect, laughed heartily.

“Do you really have a disease? You don’t look like it, but… diabetes?”

“I did a lot of stupid things when I was young, but there’s at least one thing I did well.”

The architect made a fist and kissed his bicep.

“Then why is it the last…?”

Veil slowly opened his eyes.

The architect smiled meaningfully and nodded.

“I’m going to retire after this project.”

“You look so young, why are you already talking about retirement?”

“Everyone wants to leave when they’re applauded.”

“Do you care about that sort of thing?”

“Actually, I was originally going to continue unless I got dementia, but…”

The architect smiled brightly and showed his phone.

“I have a grandchild now.”

The baby was sleeping like an angel.

The reason he retired was nothing special, but it would be everything to him. Seeing him planning to rest in his old age watching his grandchild grow, Veil didn’t mention retirement anymore.

He just felt a little bitter.

“I’m hearing about retirement a lot these days.”

“Did you hear about retirement from somewhere else?”

Given August Veil’s age, he might have heard about retirement from various places. The architect, not knowing that the ‘retirement’ he was talking about was from the singer he admired, asked casually.

August Veil didn’t bother to mention his name.

“A young friend was thinking about retiring.”

He just said it in passing.

“Well, I’ve heard that young people these days dream of retiring in their 30s or 40s, so maybe he’s one of those guys.”

“Are young people like that these days?”

“Yes, there are quite a few people who save up enough money to live on for the rest of their lives and quit their jobs.”

“30s and 40s are young, with endless possibilities. Why retire so early?”

Not to mention a teenager, not even in their 30s or 40s.

“They might have something else they want to do, or they might just want to quit a job that doesn’t suit them anymore and rest.”

The architect, who had been quietly watching him, smiled and replied.

“By the way, that friend must be doing a really good job. You don’t want him to retire.”

He seemed to think he was an employee of Veil.

“Well, you wouldn’t want him to either if you knew.”

“Is that so?”

What kind of employee is so great? The architect said he wanted to meet him sometime and then brought up the construction of the temple—no, the office building.

–

“Oh. A busy friend has come.”

At Hwang Ryong-pil’s home, which he visited after a long time, Halo found the same figure as before.

When he suddenly said he was retiring, I thought he had some kind of illness. So he’s not sick. He was relieved without realizing it.

Hwang Ryong-pil patted Noe-hail’s shoulder, who was now bigger than him. Proudly, as if looking at a grown-up grandson.

“I hope I’m not taking up too much of your valuable time.”

“You’re retiring?”

Halo immediately got to the point.

Hwang Ryong-pil smiled softly.

“Would you like juice? Or coffee?”

“Espresso.”

“I’ll bring it to you.”

After the housekeeper headed to the kitchen, Hwang Ryong-pil gestured to the sofa. Until then, Halo was staring intently at him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. I didn’t want to say unnecessary things to a friend who only has to run forward and spoil the mood. Well, it’s not like I’m holding a retirement ceremony right away. I have to finish everything before I go.”

“Why are you retiring?”

Even when going to receive a Grammy, and recently when talking about retirement on the Swiss train, hearing about someone else’s retirement didn’t sound good.

Had he never seen anyone retire before?

Actually, it seems like he hasn’t seen many musicians retire. Even if they cause an accident or become unpopular and can’t appear on TV, they can still make music until they die.

It seems like he’s only seen people retire because they died or got sick. Is that why it feels so unfamiliar? Was the former manager and August Veil feeling like this?

“It’s just time.”

“‘Time’?”

Just as he was about to retort, not understanding at all, Halo realized. Hwang Ryong-pil already had the face of someone who was going to retire.

Halo knew the face of someone who had decided to retire well. He also knew that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t work.

If he told him not to, he would quietly or with a smile brush it off and eventually do it.

Hwang Ryong-pil, seeing the boy who seemed to have a lot to say, confirmed that he would retire within a year.

“I never imagined you would retire, Teacher.”

Shin Ju-hyuk arrived late at Hwang Ryong-pil’s house and exclaimed the same thing as Halo. And when it was time for the teacher to take his medicine, only the two of them were left on the garden floor.

“It feels like Rendezvous [Halo’s debut album] was just the other day.”

Halo, who was in the same team at that time, felt the same.

His face looked really happy when he was making music. There was no sign of retirement.

Besides, he never thought that someone around him would retire before him.

“You didn’t tell me, but you want to leave when you’re applauded, right? Everyone, especially us, has that kind of romantic idea. Wanting to be remembered in people’s memories at the most wonderful moment.”

That reminded him of his past self.

Halo briefly recalled his retirement fantasy and then stopped thinking for a moment at the following words.

“Of course, I have no intention of doing that. Do you have that kind of romantic idea?”

“…”

When Halo didn’t answer, Shin Ju-hyuk turned to him.

“Do you?! No, what kind of retirement fantasy does a seventeen-year-old already have.”

Shin Ju-hyuk, who asked the question himself, shook his head, scolding himself.

“Why? Can’t I have one?”

At those words, Shin Ju-hyuk’s mouth moved. His mouth shape clearly formed the words ‘You crazy bastard,’ but he didn’t say it out loud because of the setting.

“Of course, I’m not saying I’ll do it now.”

Because there’s still a lot left to do.

Because there’s still more to see and more to feel, he’ll keep running. Retirement is after that.

Just as he was thinking that, Shin Ju-hyuk shouted out as if he had read his mind.

“No, don’t you have a lot to do to be thinking about retirement? You haven’t even gotten number one on the music charts, let alone Billboard, what retirement are you talking about? Are you perhaps not confident?”

Me?

Halo scoffed.

“And you have to receive the world’s top three music awards. Huh? If you’ve drawn your sword, you have to cut something [idiom meaning to achieve something significant]. You haven’t even been nominated for a Grammy, what retirement are you—”

What should I say?

It was a subtly annoying tone.

It sounded like he was giving up because he wasn’t confident. Even though Halo still considers the Grammys to be peanuts for Americans [meaning he doesn’t value them highly].

“And you haven’t even done a proper concert, have you? Not in a small theater, but in a wider place. You have to do a national tour, and then a world tour, don’t you?”

“I’m going to do that soon.”

“! Oh. What? A national tour? Or a world tour? Is this confirmed?”

Shin Ju-hyuk, who reacted like someone who had learned a great secret, soon returned to the main point.

“Anyway, we’ll talk about that later. You haven’t even done several events in one day, have you? Kid, you’ve grown up too preciously.”

Even though he was about the same height as him, Shin Ju-hyuk still roughly ruffled his hair, calling him a kid.

“In fact, there’s one most important thing you haven’t done yet.”

“What.”

As Halo stepped aside and avoided his hand, Shin Ju-hyuk said with a smile.

“You have to release your next album.”

“!”

That’s right, it’s obvious.

Halo felt like he had remembered something he had forgotten.

Whether he noticed the reaction or not, the guy who would have been his peer if he was in his original body stroked his chin and spoke like a teacher.

“You must be quite conflicted? Suddenly saying things you never used to say. ‘Can’t I have one?’ You little thing, you can’t say anything to your senior. Well, there have been many things, and I understand that your respected teacher is retiring. Or, hmm.”

His pupils narrowed.

“Are you too tired from running too fast?”

Should I call it burnout?

People were mostly worried about Noe-hail because of the helicopter incident, but Shin Ju-hyuk, who was there, thought there was no need to worry after seeing Noe-hail running until dawn.

Rather, what he should be worried about—.

Only seventeen as HALO.

As Noe-hail, the time he spent doing singles, mini-albums, and regular albums was only a year. And it’s been about a year since Noe-hail stood at Coachella.

He was running a small theater concert that gathered only 830 people, and about half a year later, he was rampaging at Coachella in front of people all over the world.

The more he dominated on the Coachella stage, the more Shin Ju-hyuk had a subtly worried feeling. Isn’t a year too short? The boy who had done something that seemed impossible even if someone was holding a gun to his back, would he be able to have as much fun after this stage?

Even if he’s doing well after this stage, will he be able to have fun the year after next and will he be okay after that?

What he’s worried about is the backlash.

Just as a singer feels deep depression and burnout after finishing a stage, he thought that the backlash would not be small for Noe-hail.

In particular, the year when Noe-hail was Halo or not can be said to be another stage for the boy.

“You. Is your second full album, or 14th album, going well?”

Shin Ju-hyuk knew by looking at the boy’s eyes.

He didn’t say anything, but

“You haven’t prepared anything yet.”

Well, it’s been a while since Coachella ended, so if he suddenly released his 14th album, he’s really something beyond human.

It’s natural that he hasn’t prepared yet.

It’s not a big deal either.

As far as he knows, Noe-hail doesn’t take long to make songs – at least that’s what it was like during Rendezvous – and it’s something he can think about in the future.

“Well, you can do it from now on. Do you have anything in mind?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You don’t? You?”

Noe-hail’s first full album was made impulsively, so he hadn’t thought about the second album yet, and Halo’s 14th album didn’t exist in the first place.

The word ‘originally’ meant that he hadn’t thought about the 14th album at that time either. It’s not just because he was about to release his 13th album. He had already finished working on his 13th album, so he would have been thinking about the main verse or lyrics to use for his 14th album. In other words, it wasn’t that he died in an accident and didn’t have a 14th album.

-It’s over.

-What? Halo, what’s over?

-The retirement thing is a joke.

-! Y, you mean it was a joke after all?

Because he wasn’t going to make it in the future, it didn’t exist.

“What, you really don’t have anything? Verses, no, that’s secondary, but haven’t you even thought about the subject or theme? That thing you’re good at, the title that turns people inside out?”

Shin Ju-hyuk was a bit surprised by this, but he didn’t think deeply about the reason. It’s natural in a way.

“Yeah, you’re human too, you might have run out of ideas.”

You have to feel the feelings of a criminal once in a while, yeah, yeah.

Nonsense was heard in succession.

Halo, who would usually ignore it and end the conversation or go find something else to do, was sitting still with his arms crossed.

Shin Ju-hyuk didn’t seem very serious, and it seemed like the conversation would continue.

“You mean you’ve never thought about it at all? Then that’s good.”

Is he going to ask me to make his music?

Halo waited for the backstory that seemed obvious without even listening.

But Shin Ju-hyuk wasn’t such an obvious guy.

“Make music you’ve never done before.”

“Something I’ve never done before?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot. No, you little kid, you sometimes drop the honorifics—”

“Are you telling me to make classical music?”

“—Eun. What? Classical music? Are you crazy?”

Puhaha! Shin Ju-hyuk started laughing like a madman. Halo’s expression soured at the reaction that he had heard something ridiculous.

“No, why suddenly classical music, ah, come to think of it, when I was making a musical number, someone said that your music had a lot of classical content. Ah, damn, cough. Hey, don’t make me laugh when I’m talking seriously.”

“…Ha.”

He was even holding his stomach and rolling around.

It was embarrassing and pathetic to say that he was the same age as him.

“I wouldn’t have told you to make classical music, would I? It doesn’t suit you. What I mean is not that—”

Shin Ju-hyuk, who had been laughing for a long time, suddenly raised his upper body.

“I’m talking about the subject. Deal with a subject you’ve never done before.”

It’s easy to say.

It didn’t resonate because he had already made it with various themes.

Struggle, joy, depression, despair, pleasure and joy, anger, sorrow, hatred, dreams and fears, thrill and emptiness, pride, joy. In fact, everything that could come out has come out.

Shin Ju-hyuk still had a smiling face.

“Do you not have a sense of it? I have something that comes to mind right now. Should I tell you?”

He didn’t think it would be of great help, but he was curious about what nonsense he would say. Fortunately, Shin Ju-hyuk didn’t draw out the suspense any further.

“There’s a song that you said you would never sing in your life.”

“…!”

“Yeah, that.”

“A singer should make a heartfelt love song at least once. Crying and holding on, being jealous, if you’re your age, a sweet or exciting love story would be good.”

Halo was speechless and said it late.

He was a fool to have expected anything from Shin Ju-hyuk.

Halo got up from his seat.

“I won’t sing it.”

Love song, what love song.

Halo was horrified by the content that seemed like it would make him cringe just by listening to it and went inside at a fast pace.

Seeing his subtly quick departure, Shin Ju-hyuk added with a sly smile.

“Ah, is it because you’ve never been in such a heartfelt love that you can’t write it?”

“!”

This bastard.

Halo, who had almost been stabbed by a mentally ill person who was angry about dating rumors and embarrassing paparazzi shots, stopped walking and turned around.

#

It was mid-May, when the afterglow of Coachella was slowly fading.

The last performance of the musical Rock was crowded with many people, proving that it was a successful musical.

There were not only spectators, but also quite a few reporters taking pictures of the venue to write the final musical article, hoping to interview the actors or directors.

But they didn’t just come to see the actors and directors.

Along with the rumor that the musical ‘Rock’ might release a soundtrack, another rumor circulated.

The composer of ‘Rock’s number would appear on the last stage.”

This is because someone who identified themselves as a friend of an official left such a post on a community.

Only two of the ‘Rock’ number composers were to be on stage.

Shin Ju-hyuk and Noe-hail.

But given Shin Ju-hyuk’s schedule, it was clear that he was coming to Chungmuro [a district in Seoul known for its theaters] today. So, unless another composer was just coming up to say hello, there was only one person left.

[Rock | Is Noe-hail or Tae-yang really coming today?]

└ It’s the last stage, so there’s a high possibility, but it’s Noe-hail, so I don’t know
└ Isn’t it just a rumor?

└ Isn’t it just a Noe-hail fan or a Rock fan who’s lying?

└ Why would a Noe-hail fan… If they knew about this, they would rather hide it
└ The oath of brotherhood to share information is long gone

└ lol ㄹㅇ [Korean slang for “real”][Rock | Noㅋㅋㅋ Would Noe-hail, who didn’t even come to the awards ceremony, comeㅋㅋㅋ 100% won’t comeㅋㅋㅋ]

└ ㄹㅇ [Korean slang for “real”] Would he comeㅋㅋㅋ Of course, I have a ticket, so I’m going

└ (Writer) ??? Seon.

└ Are you going to sell it?

[Rock | Please no… please]

└ What doesn’t he want? The last performance?

Perhaps because he hadn’t shown his face in the media since Coachella.

Was it to see his face even a little bit?

The post, whether it was a real official’s post or someone’s lie, spread widely under people’s attention, and for that reason, more people were showing their faces.

“Is Halo really coming?”

“Please. I’m homeless, give me a ticket please. I know Son. And Dokdo is korean territory [a common phrase used to assert Korean identity].”

“Can I enter the official’s room?”

The hall, mixed with the voices of spectators, something, and reporters, was in chaos. It was the same as usual, but it felt like something was going to happen.

And, at the same time.

“Hae-il… Mr. Ro, are you ready?”

Halo, wearing the same outfit as Park Hyuk, turned around.