The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 161

# 16. Different Dreams

Hundreds, even thousands of videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. Some estimate it would take 82 years to watch a single day’s worth of uploads.

Naturally, people can’t watch all these videos. Even a truly interesting video can get lost in the sheer volume.

But ultimately, a fun story, unique content, or a high-quality video will eventually go viral. No one can precisely explain why, but if you had to give a reason, it’s usually ‘the algorithm’.

YouTube has an algorithm.

It’s a sophisticated AI that recommends videos to viewers. No one knows the exact workings of the algorithm, but it’s understood that it considers views and watch time to judge a particular video.

“So, you’ll go viral someday too.”

Jang Jin-soo’s consolation inexplicably irritated him.

“Don’t be too discouraged right away. YouTube is known for being a place where success can come later. You just have to keep uploading consistently.”

Is this the same Jang Jin-soo who was speechless after listening to his recording?

“So, you’re really uploading it? W-wait a minute!”

As he moved the cursor to upload, Jang Jin-soo suddenly became frantic. He couldn’t understand the middle schooler’s psychology at all. The way he was shaking his leg next to him was incredibly annoying.

“Why are you shaking so much?”

HALO couldn’t stand it and spoke up.

“No, it’s just that you’re being strangely calm! It’s your first upload, aren’t you nervous at all?”

“Nope.”

“…No! Like, aren’t you worried? What if people hate it? Of course, your song is really cool in a way that doesn’t suit you, but people might not think so. Or, what if you don’t get any attention at all? The algorithm is like a lottery; you might never go viral.”

“That won’t happen.”

There might be a difference in timing, but everyone will hear it soon.

People’s ears are similar regardless of the era.

That’s why HALO wasn’t worried like Jang Jin-soo.

He was just purely curious.

How long will it take for the name ‘HALO’ to become famous this time? It’s so different from the era he lived in that he couldn’t quite grasp it.

“No, how can you be so sure?”

He heard ‘no’ three times in a row.

HALO began to suspect Jang Jin-soo at this point. It felt like he was cursing him to fail rather than encouraging him.

“How can you be so confident?”

Jang Jin-soo said, as if he couldn’t understand.

HALO couldn’t understand Jang Jin-soo.

How could he say such things after listening to his song?

“Wanna bet?”

At HALO’s words, Jang Jin-soo stopped shaking his leg.

“Bet? Like, when you’ll reach 100,000 views or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, do you even have money to bet?”

“I don’t need it. I’m going to win anyway.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Jang Jin-soo clicked his tongue at HALO’s words.

If nothing else, he wanted to learn that confidence. If he had talent like him, would he be so full of confidence?

“Okay, let’s do it. How many views should we set? A million… is too much, how about ten thousand? Ten thousand views!”

A million views is easily achievable for a million-subscriber YouTuber, but HALO is just a beginner YouTuber. One album. A total of four songs with zero subscribers.

Jang Jin-soo thought it would take a long time to reach ten thousand.

“You decide the time limit.”

HALO recalled the period when [Struggle] reached number one on the NME [New Musical Express, a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand] chart. It didn’t even take two weeks after its release.

HALO raised the corners of his lips and decided to fight against his past self once more.

“Two weeks.”

“…? Did I hear wrong? Two months?”

“…”

“Really two weeks? No, how can you reach ten thousand in two weeks?”

When HALO just smiled without answering, Jang Jin-soo’s mouth dropped open.

“Really doing it in two weeks? I have nothing to lose, but really?”

“Yeah.”

“A man doesn’t go back on his word. Huh? If your video exceeds ten thousand in two weeks, you win, and if not, I win. The winner gets to make a wish. No matter what.”

He didn’t think they had talked about betting rewards.

Before a rebuttal could come, Jang Jin-soo covered his ears and refused to talk. HALO didn’t particularly intend to refute either.

It didn’t matter what he bet.

‘Ten thousand, huh.’

The number ten thousand is ambiguous.

It’s not a small number, but it doesn’t feel that large either. Is it because he’s already seen the views of famous songs? Or is it a small number compared to the amount that used to be in his bank account or the albums that were sold?

‘Still, I don’t think I’ll lose.’

HALO looked at his channel, which had just been uploaded and had zero views.

His channel still has a lot of empty space.

The profile picture only has HALO’s H on it, and the channel name is nothing special, just [HALO Official].

The channel art was a black and white acoustic guitar photo.

The four uploaded songs also share the same cover image.

In some ways, it’s a worse environment than before. Back then, the record label was in charge of promotion, marketing, and distribution. The album had his picture on it, and that might have had a big impact on album sales.

But strangely, he didn’t think it would fail. Rather, he had a vague expectation that it would do well.

‘This is fun.’

It’s been a while since his heart has raced like this.

He felt like he was going crazy with joy because of the endless future of things he could do or had to do.

The bet is, in fact, not even a drop in the bucket compared to that joy.

‘I definitely won. I feel sorry for him, but he’s going to be successful anyway, so I should ask him to make one more song.’

‘Should I have just asked for money? What am I going to do with him?’

Dreaming different dreams, they had no idea that the bet would flow in an unexpected direction.

#

“Oh, it’s been a while, Hae-il’s mother.”

Park Seung-ah nodded slightly as she saw familiar faces. The parent-teacher association members of Seonyeon Middle School were already there. This place with the chandeliers was a Western-style restaurant where parent meetings were always held.

As Park Seung-ah sat in the empty seat, a waiter approached and poured her wine.

“Has everyone been doing well?”

Park Seung-ah asked with a smile, and the woman sitting in the center took a sip of her wine and said.

“Well, it’s always the same. Taking care of my son, taking care of my eldest son, and then time just flies by.”

“Hahaha, that’s right. Before I knew it, he was already going to high school.”

Similar words were heard.

Park Seung-ah reacted as usual, and when the conversation paused for a moment, she drank her wine. She didn’t really like the dry taste of wine, but she didn’t frown.

“By the way, Hae-il’s mother, have you been doing well?”

“I’m doing similarly.”

Then, the gaze was fixed on her.

Park Seung-ah calmly answered and put down her wine glass. It was a question that she thought would flow as usual. But today, the gaze didn’t easily fall away.

“I heard Hae-il quit the academy [private tutoring center].”

And with those words that came out so casually, Park Seung-ah could understand the reason for this gaze.

“Yes, he quit.”

She didn’t know what Park Seung-ah was expected to react, but these women clearly wanted something.

“It’s a bit sudden. Hae-il was actually the most diligent kid. So, I didn’t expect Hae-il to quit first.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I thought he would attend until the end.”

Another woman added.

“Besides, Hae-il’s mother also attended the college entrance seminar. The headmaster was also taken aback.”

Especially persistent were the mothers of the children attending the same academy as Noh Hae-il. They roamed around Park Seung-ah and Noh Hae-il like lionesses who had found prey.

“That’s a bit unexpected.”

Park Seung-ah scoffed inwardly and said.

The woman who spoke last rolled her eyes.

“What’s unexpected?”

“I didn’t know Chan-soo’s mother was so interested in our child. Well, I guess I understand.”

“Understand what?”

Chan-soo’s mother’s pupils shrank.

She felt a sense of foreboding about what Park Seung-ah was going to say.

“Chan-soo, he’s smart, isn’t he? He listens well too. He would have been number one anywhere else.”

“!”

“I really felt bad for him. Fortunately, Chan-soo is very kind and positive, just like his mother.”

“Hahaha.”

Her cheeks trembled.

She couldn’t help but be angry at the words that indirectly mocked her for always being second place. But she couldn’t bring herself to get angry in this place, so Chan-soo’s mother didn’t say anything more.

KO [Knock Out, a term used in fighting sports to indicate a decisive victory].

Park Seung-ah snickered inwardly and looked around. She subtly urged them to change the subject.

But women didn’t easily let go of prey they had found.

“I’m really envious of Hae-il’s mother. How is your child so good at studying? It’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but everyone knows. Our child’s grades are a bit precarious.”

At first, Park Seung-ah thought they had taken a step back.

“Hae-il’s mother, can you reveal your secret?”

“Secret?”

“I mean the reason why Hae-il quit the academy.”

“…”

“Actually, I understand a little. Even if it’s Class A, there’s clearly a difference within it, so Hae-il and his mother must have felt a little disappointed.”

“Th-that’s right.”

Park Seung-ah’s throat was dry, and she picked up her wine glass again.

Then, an unexpected sound was heard.

“Still, I’m a little disappointed. This place was created for the future of our children, but Hae-il is getting private tutoring alone.”

“Excuse me?”

Park Seung-ah’s eyes widened at the sudden sound. As if she thought she was acting, the woman opened her eyes innocently.

“I heard it from Soo-wan. Hae-il always comes to school and sleeps. He never shows his notes.”

“Ah.”

She felt a slight dizziness.

The hand on her lap trembled.

She never dreamed that he was sleeping at school.

“Hae-il is preparing for college entrance exams.”

“Excuse me?”

Park Seung-ah put her hand slightly over her mouth.

Fortunately, her mouth was firmly closed.

It was fortunate that it wasn’t her who was stupidly asking back.

“College entrance exams, you mean university?”

It was Chan-soo’s mother who was flustered and made a mistake, who had attacked Park Seung-ah first. Soo-wan’s mother answered her question in a simple manner.

“There’s nothing strange about it. Hae-il was ahead in his studies. And, have you forgotten? Hae-il’s father is a professor at Korea University [one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea].”

“Oh my.”

Chan-soo’s mother blinked her eyes as if she didn’t know this fact.

“Then, is Hae-il getting separate lessons from Korea University graduates?”

“Who knows? Only Hae-il’s mother would know.”

“Oh my goodness, Hae-il’s mother. How could you not say anything?”

Who were they trying to tear apart? Everyone looked at Park Seung-ah with a sense of betrayal.

Park Seung-ah was puzzled about how the conversation flowed like this, but she was also relieved.

How could she say that her son suddenly had puberty and didn’t listen to her?

She had to live more fiercely.

Just wait until the final exam grades come out.

She thought that if they dropped even a little, she wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“!”

Park Seung-ah was then startled when she looked in the mirror.

There was a witch with a venomous face in it.

She hurriedly erased her expression and took out her lipstick from her wallet.

“Oh, Hae-il’s mother, you were here.”

Chan-soo’s mother came in over the mirror.

Chan-soo’s mother stroked her permed hair and took out a cushion pact [a type of foundation makeup] from her handbag to fix her makeup.

“Do you have something to say?”

She couldn’t not know the gaze that was clearly visible in the mirror.

Park Seung-ah, who was about to fix her makeup and leave, reluctantly opened her mouth when Chan-soo’s mother kept looking at her.

“Is Hae-il getting private tutoring?”

It was a question that was continuous with the one from earlier.

She laughed it off, but she felt guilty because it wasn’t true. She felt annoyed by the feeling of being interrogated.

“Didn’t I tell you everything earlier?”

Chan-soo’s mother hesitated as if she was about to say something.

“If you have nothing to say, can I go first?”

Park Seung-ah put her lipstick in and turned her body. At that moment, a small voice was faintly heard.

“Then that, isn’t it Hae-il?”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

She clearly heard her son’s name.

“…If I didn’t hear it wrong just now. I think I heard my son’s name. As a mother, I can’t just let it go. What do you mean?”

The reason why she couldn’t just let it go was because she didn’t know what her son was doing. Chan-soo’s mother apologized as if she felt Park Seung-ah’s anger at her question. What she wanted wasn’t an apology.

Park Seung-ah rolled her tongue while suppressing her anxiety.

“Chan-soo’s mother, does Chan-soo do that too, by any chance?”

“Excuse me? What?”

“Hae-il is a middle school student, so I don’t have much conversation with him anymore. I try to think that he’s all grown up, but I can’t help but feel upset.”

“Everyone’s like that. Chan-soo is like that these days too.”

“Yes, but as a mother, I’m always curious about my child’s story. How Hae-il is doing at school, whether he’s getting along well with his friends. Did you hear anything about Hae-il from Chan-soo?”

“This isn’t about school, but…”

It seems like there’s something that’s bothering her.

When Park Seung-ah smiled kindly, Chan-soo’s mother carefully opened her mouth.

“Our son said he saw Hae-il on YouTube.”

“You…Tube?”