The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 2081

[Extra Story] 10. I Think I’m in a Slump

[EP 01. Welcome to my home]

Label H, known as the ‘Temple’ by fans.

The label’s lobby, never before revealed to anyone outside of staff, was shown.

The high-ceilinged first floor was a duplex, with one side made of windows, making it feel very open.

The sleek curves of the elevator and pillars in the center.

The warm-toned tiles and colorful furniture.

The subtly laid-back jazz, the scent of coffee, and the Nordic-inspired space object lighting created the initial impression of the label.

[Wow, this is crazy]

[It’s incomparable to our company]

[So, if you get a job here, you can see Halo every day while working in a company like this?]

Even Shin Ju-hyuk, who had said there was no need to invest so much in the label building, was impressed.

When the label was showcased with a few neat cuts of photos and music,

Halo’s voice suddenly came on.

“Hello, Mr. Halo.”

It was the opening of the teaser.

And the scene immediately changed.

A black-haired boy stared straight at the camera at the PD’s [Production Director’s] comment, ‘Please introduce yourself.’

“Hello, I’m Noh Hae-il.”

… A moment of silence followed.

The PD looked at him as if that was all he was going to say, and the boy looked as if he didn’t need to say anything more.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Ah, I’m Haloㅋ]

The PD wrote the subtitles with a feeling of resignation and soon moved on to the next question.

At first, it was a simple question. Content that people were curious about in comments or elsewhere.

For example, ‘How have you been lately?’ ‘What music have you been listening to recently?’ ‘When did you return to Korea?’

In the question of when he returned to Korea, it was revealed that Halo had returned secretly after the Grammy Awards, without the staff knowing. When the PD asked if he was regretting it now, Halo smiled.

“But wasn’t it a little fun?”

He didn’t look like someone who was regretting it at all.

[LOLOLOL the staff is collectively crying]

[He lives his life so 재미있게 [jaemiissge, funnily]ㅋㅋ]

And finally, the content that people were waiting for came out.

“You want me to introduce my day?”

It was a direct request for Halo to introduce a typical day in his life.

The boy tilted his head with an uncomprehending look.

“I can introduce it, but everyone lives similarly, right?”

The PD didn’t answer.

The answer would be given by future viewers.

The camera switched, immediately showing a dark room at 5:30 AM.

A daily reality. It was the part that viewers wanted the most.

The blackout curtains, the large bed, and the figure sleeping like the dead on the bed were no different from any other house.

Would he get up around 10 o’clock?

A working person who knew that Halo didn’t have to go to school or work was startled when the figure suddenly got up.

He gets up without an alarm or warning and gets out of bed without any common morning grumbling.

It was a surprisingly diligent sight.

The boy leisurely went into the bathroom and came out wearing a bathrobe.

Yawning, he came out into the living room.

As the sunlight came in through the window, things that had been buried in the darkness became visible.

“Oh!”

[Wow, this is crazy]

[Hehe, we live similarly]

[I think it would be similar if you add one more 0 to our house’s square footage ^^]

The view of Seoul and the penthouse spread out through the window was what people expected from a star.

And the turntable and audio equipment occupying one side of the living room. Vinyl piles.

The boy turned on the music, went to the window, and drank an espresso.

[But···.]

Someone finally made a sound that no one else was making.

[Doesn’t he clean?]

In one corner of the wall. Near the veranda, paper balls rolled around and touched the boy’s feet. The boy looked at it for a moment and then kicked it away. He didn’t seem to have any intention of picking it up and throwing it away.

[What is this human side LOL]

[My mom would give me a smack on the back if she saw that]

[But what if your son is Halo?]

[Mom will clean it, son ^^ What fruit do you want to eat?]

In the meantime, the camera was busy introducing the whole house.

A large bedroom and dressing room where he only sleeps.

A spacious kitchen and study that housewives dream of.

[The awardsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[It’s the same as me who put away the perfect attendance award]

[Perfect attendance award = Grammy Award]

People were impressed to see that not only the albums but also the trophies and awards he received were randomly packed on the shelves.

[But Halo is only twenty years old now, but the awards are like a 40-year-old veteran singer]

[Who said Halo doesn’t have good luck with awards?]

[Isn’t that because the Heligans [Halo’s fans] exaggerated because they didn’t give him the overseas rookie award?]

[WTF why didn’t they give him the rookie award?]

And when the camera showed the other corner, the chat speed suddenly doubled.

[Merch please!!!]

[I left everything there]

[Plz bargain I wanna buy]

[I’m giving you money? I’ll buy it no matter what? Why don’t you sell it when I say I’ll be your sucker]

[I’m the only one who doesn’t have merchㅠㅠ]

[No, no one has it···.]

Because the concert merchandise that you can’t get even if you have money was neatly placed.

As if trying to tease the viewers, even the music box was playing.

As the supply-type Halo watch was sold, the value of the watch seemed to decrease slightly,

However, due to the fact that the supply-type and the existing design are completely different, and the existing watch has a number stamped on it, the Halo watch was not available anywhere.

While the structure of the penthouse was being introduced, the boy who had drunk a cup of espresso was leaning on the sofa with a notebook on his lap and rolling a pen in his hand.

It was an ordinary sight, but people who knew the boy’s true nature watched with bated breath.

The turntable was still spinning, and old pop music was playing, but the boy was fiddling with the guitar on the floor with a focused face as if he couldn’t hear it at all.

How much time had passed?

The turntable clicked and stopped.

At that moment, the boy hummed.

Like in the old ‘Rendezvous’ program. The boy bathed in the sunlight seemed to shine with the song.

“Wow···.”

Something comes out even though there’s really nothing.

The office worker put down the jokbal [pig’s trotters] he was eating and looked at the boy. The boy’s humming, though small, continued for a long time.

I don’t know music well, but the syncopation that was sweet and not boring was good to listen to. The chat reaction is also good, and it’s already a mess.

‘Is this the concept of the new album?’

It was the moment I thought that.

The boy muttered.

“It’s not good.”

And he grabbed the paper and tore it off, rolled it up, and threw it into the corner.

Pfft-.

The office worker sprayed beer out of his nose, and an incomprehensible reaction followed.

[What?]

[Why did you throw it away?]

[It’s not good?]

[Did you just throw away that song?]

And this wasn’t just once.

[Wow, this is really awesome]

[????]

[Why is it good?]

Soon people could know.

Those things gathered in the corner, which they thought were trash.

They were all drafts that they thought were good. At first, people who said they wouldn’t clean it and complained that it was dirty changed their minds and started chatting, begging for just one.

[So that was a draft song?]

[There’s gold rolling around in the house.]

Their words can’t reach the boy.

[No]

[Please don’t throw it away]

[Please collect all the draft songs and release an albumㅠㅠㅠ]

[Please let someone tell him it’s good]

While the fans were crying,

Someone left a chat.

[Do you know what’s really amazing? I think he threw away about five songs in the last thirty minutes ㅅㅂ [ssibal, a Korean curse word] Is this really the difference in talent? The sense of music comes out endlessly. It’s not easy to come out like that…]

#

“Professor.”

Professor Ma pressed his tired eyes.

And presses the play button again.

“…I think you should listen to it once.”

Professor Ma raised his head.

The graduate student was calling him with a somewhat crazy look.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh… There’s a sound that’s too good to throw away. But I don’t know what to do with it, so…”

He should know that Professor Ma prefers to speak in a concise and accurate manner.

The graduate student was rambling strangely.

Professor Ma checked the time.

It was long past dinner time.

I thought he would be tired.

And look around.

Everyone was worn out and squinting at the brief happening.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

Professor Ma Tae-ho decided reasonably.

“Everyone has worked hard, and I used your weekend, so you can rest from this project until Wednesday.”

“Professor, then the project-”

“Let’s just say you’re preparing for class because school is starting soon.”

“! Yes, I understand.”

The graduate students looked at each other, wondering, ‘Why is he being like this?’ ‘I don’t know.’ and nodded loyally.

“Professor, then this-.”

Other graduate students gave him a look that said, ‘Why is he like that!’ What if the professor changes his mind? The graduate student who was telling him to listen to the recording until the end must be crazy.

“Play it once.”

The professor nodded because he was determined not to leave until he heard it.

The graduate student, who didn’t want to pay homage to the famous scene of Professor and La Boum [a Korean song], connected Bluetooth to the speaker.

“I, I’ll play it.”

No one listened to his words meaningfully. They were tired and just wanted to go home and throw themselves on a cozy bed.

And no matter how well you record it, it’s all sounds you know.

So, assistant Ahn thought nothing of it when he first heard the sound of the wind.

He was just wondering how long he would have to listen to this.

So when the raindrops started falling, he thought someone had foolishly not cut off the sound.

This isn’t bad either.

Then he heard the sound of the wind again, and other sounds began to mix in.

Assistant Ahn started spacing out around this point.

“Uh···!”

It was then. One person next to him tried to scream and covered his mouth, and the person next to him on the opposite side widened his eyes. Then the two whispered to each other.

Why are these kids like this?

Assistant Ahn whispered, “Why?”

He didn’t want to disturb Professor Ma, who was closing his eyes.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], can’t you hear it?”

“What?”

“I can hear music.”

Assistant Ahn tilted his head at first.

He wondered what music he was talking about. He was listening to the collected sounds.

However, he soon heard it too.

The sounds of nature sounded like instruments, and they interlocked with each other to become music.

A cold winter.

The wind drummed like a drum and shook the earth, and the rustling sound was like someone’s whispering or the wind. Swish.

And finally.

Everything in the world rose up and sang in chorus.

Really, the music was there.

“What is this···.”

A shiver ran down his spine, and goosebumps rose on his arms.

“Who made this?”

Assistant Ahn asked the graduate student.

“Isn’t it a file that came in wrong?”

He wondered if it was a file composed of natural sounds instead of digital sounds.

“It’s a file that was recorded today.”

“What?”

“Today?”

“Who?”

Questions continued in rapid succession to the graduate student’s answer. Then they realized the existence of the person who accompanied them today before the following answer was heard.

“Ah… Could it be.”

There were two people who were added to the group today.

One was Professor Ma’s favorite student, and the other was a celebrity known to most of the world.

They knew that there was only one person who could record like this. In the first place, there was only one person who was busy moving around to capture so many sounds.

“This is really a genius.”

Someone’s voice echoed bitterly.

There was no one in this place who had never heard the word ‘genius’, but until now, no one had shown what ‘genius’ was.

While some were admiring, some were bitter, and some were disbelieving, Assistant Ahn was watching the professor’s expression.

The professor’s expression, who was closing his eyes without saying anything, was one that he had never seen before. Assistant Ahn couldn’t help but know what that meant.

Again, there was no one in this place who had not heard the word ‘genius’, and even if they were not real ‘geniuses’, they were talented people who had been selected by Professor Ma.

The elite who had effort, talent, and tact could finally understand what the professor had been saying all along.

‘I want to capture the sounds that we are missing with our eyes open.’

The same day.

People who were in the same place but heard different sounds.

Everyone had their eyes open, but they couldn’t hear the sounds.

This is the sound of a stream.

This is the sound of the wind.

He couldn’t understand the intention at all, and he couldn’t help but feel like a fool for checking what he had recorded and telling the professor what was good and what was not.

“Professor···.”

Assistant Ahn couldn’t continue speaking and lowered his head.

Only then did Professor Ma slowly open his eyes.

For some reason, the students were lowering their heads and acting like criminals.

He regarded us as fools for now realizing that ‘they’ that the professor was talking about were not simply children with disabilities or marginalized children.

“You are not wrong.”

The students raised their heads at Professor Ma’s words.

“You did your best to collect data to create ‘auditory teaching materials’.”

“Clearly, the sounds you have collected will be the nourishment for creating auditory teaching materials.”

The students in front of him accurately grasped the intention of the questioner and gave the best answer they could. They were not wrong, and

“If this was a test question, you would have received an A.”

After Professor Ma sent the students back, he opened the window. The cold air pushed away the fatigue.

Students going home were seen outside the window.

Whether his words were encouraging or they were just happy to go home, their steps didn’t seem heavy. That was enough.

However, it wasn’t that Professor Ma was lying for them. He wasn’t the type to tell white lies for someone, and he was rather the type to push talented children.

So his words to them were definitely true.

They were not wrong, and they tried to understand the intention of the questioner.

They focused on the ‘scope where auditory teaching materials are needed’ as ‘marginalized children with little auditory experience’.

In fact, the government’s project was also in the same direction, and the words ‘there’s no need to be biased only towards such children’ did not play an important role.

They were definitely not wrong.

Just different.

Each other’s categories.

The boy, who was still deeply impressed, simply didn’t need to focus only on ‘marginalized children with little auditory experience’.

Because it’s not just ‘marginalized children with little auditory experience’ who can’t hear the sounds he hears.

The only child who could hear sounds that no one else could hear.

In the world, they call that a genius.

The professor pondered again, listening to the ‘sound’ that the boy had brought in.

This is too good to be used only as an auditory teaching material,

How to use this that I don’t know how to define to put in auditory teaching materials.

The night is getting late.

It won’t be easy to sleep tonight with happy worries.

#

And YouTube was also destined not to sleep.

At the end of the content that made their eyes sparkle with the appearance of the house, label, and studio, and their ears were not bored with Halo’s work,

Because Halo’s words to the members were uploaded.

Because the boy dropped a bomb during a warm catch-up talk.

“I think I’m in a slump.”