The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 41

# 4 Completely Turned Upside Down

“Oh.”

“Don’t touch anything.”

Halo casually dropped his bag on the sofa and approached the shelf. Instruments were gathered in one corner. The studio, filled with records and sheet music, felt strangely familiar.

The place where a student who knew him—probably a classmate—and his group led him was a semi-basement hideout with a cool, musty smell. Clearly their space, they seemed comfortable and unreserved.

“Well, just don’t break anything. Just leave it alone.”

“That’s right, if you’re Jinsu’s friend, you’re our friend.”

The man who brought a kid he had never met into his studio without hesitation laughed heartily, as if his attire didn’t suit the early winter.

“Want to get some fresh air?”

“Okay. Jinsu, warm up the place while we’re gone.”

“Again? Ah, should I smoke too?”

“Jinsu, don’t do stuff like that. Haa.”

They made a pose with two fingers, blew on them, and rushed out.

Before he knew it, only Halo and his classmate, Jang Jinsu, who was sitting on the sofa with a sulky face, were left in the studio.

Jang Jinsu watched Halo wandering around as he pleased with a displeased look. If it weren’t for his ‘hyung’ [older brother or male friend], he would have kicked him out.

Of course, Halo had no reservations left. He took out files as if they were his own and found them interesting.

“Is this all yours?”

“Would it be mine? It’s the hyungs’. This hideout belongs to them in the first place.”

“What do your hyungs do?”

It was obviously a rock group, but what Halo wanted was more details—like their music, where they mainly perform, and what kind of music they mainly play.

“They work at a club.”

Jang Jinsu didn’t understand the intention of the question and ended it with a curt answer. He wasn’t a smart guy.

“What’s the group’s name?”

“No, they work at a club in Hongdae [a district in Seoul known for its indie music scene]. Jinyoung hyung is a DJ, and Gonghak hyung is a sound engineer. Deoksu hyung is… what was it, basically unemployed?”

“And?”

“And what? I didn’t hear anything about a side job.”

Jang Jinsu couldn’t understand what he was saying, and his credibility wasn’t high.

If they were able to make a studio like this, they must have done something. But there are also guys who just talk about doing music and waste their lives.

“Then what are you?”

“Me? I am… me?”

What a moron.

Halo couldn’t stand his frustration and glared at him, and Jang Jinsu twitched his lips.

“The hyungs said they’d teach me how to compose and use composing programs, so I’m following them around to learn. I… I want to go on ‘Show Me the YoUth’ [a fictionalized version of a popular Korean hip-hop audition show].”

“Really?”

“…Yeah.”

If he’s going to go, he’s going to go, but his voice is getting quieter and quieter, as if he’s watching his mood.

‘I wonder if it’s weird. He doesn’t seem old enough to go to a strip bar.’

Then it’s just club work. Or maybe they’re holding auditions in some group.

Halo, who had guessed the answer almost correctly, took out a file. 1963. Please Please Me. The Beatles. After discovering a name he had never seen before, he flipped the file forward. The sheet music was arranged in chronological order.

“Hey.”

Silence fell in the studio.

When Halo called him, Jang Jinsu was startled.

“What now? But aren’t you going home?”

“That’s not the point.”

Halo put the file back and continued to look through the records.

He looked for similar eras, but no matter how much he looked, it wasn’t there.

“How can you be someone who does music and not have a single Halo album?”

Halo brazenly looked for his name.

There wasn’t even an ‘H’ for HALO on the shelf.

He doubted if these guys were really doing music. There were only people he had never heard of, and he couldn’t believe that Halo wasn’t there. Even though he died early, he had several hit albums and left a huge mark on music history.

“I told you, this isn’t my hideout.”

Jang Jinsu said something frustrating, not knowing how serious Halo was.

“Then do you have it at your house?”

“No. But what is Halo?”

“What?”

Halo turned to Jang Jinsu with a serious face.

Surprisingly, Jang Jinsu really didn’t know.

“Is he a famous rapper in the indie scene? It’s the first time I’ve heard of him.”

“?!”

What the hell is this?

“I don’t know much about anything other than hip-hop.”

How can you not know this?

Or is this a different world or a distant future where he’s been forgotten? Could they not know me? Halo was more confused than ever today.

“Hey, move. I’ll search it up. It better not be nothing.”

Jang Jinsu plopped down in front of the computer. Halo approached him and glared at the back of his head.

No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible unless an anti-fan was maliciously pretending not to know.

Typing. Click.

Jang Jinsu scrolled down.

Science and current affairs.

Video games.

And.

Nothing came up.

“Nothing comes up!”

“What are you talking about? I’ve lived so hard—.”

“Look.”

Jang Jinsu gave up his seat.

Halo sat in Jang Jinsu’s seat and looked at the records he had searched. Jang Jinsu kindly scrolled down himself, emphasizing that there was nothing related to Halo except for the knowledge encyclopedia and the video game series.

Halo thought.

This doesn’t make sense.

“Is this right?”

“Then would it be wrong? If it’s not on the internet, it’s not there. Why are you giving me instructions based on what you think? What, is it some love song or something?”

“…”

“Well, if someone hasn’t released any music or albums, they might not be on the internet. If someone doesn’t come out from the underground, there might not be any data.”

“That makes even less sense.”

From the clothes he wore that day to his remarks and actions, everything was reported, and when he released an album, the world shook.

The place where he stands is the ground, underground?

Underground to me?

Halo rubbed his head. His thick hair was soft because it wasn’t damaged. That’s not the point.

“Hey, are you okay? What’s wrong with you.”

Halo raised his head sharply.

He does exactly what Jang Jinsu did.

However, the only difference is the search content.

He searched for all the stars he knew, and then.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

His face gradually turned pale.

He realized that he had not simply fallen into a foreign country in the future.

The names he knew were either gone or belonged to other people. Halo and no one else were figures who had never existed in this world.

He came to a world with a completely different history.

The world he knew, the common sense he had, was completely turned upside down.

“Hey, Noh Halo!”

It was a very strange feeling.

#

“Oh, are you leaving already? So your name is—.”

“Hyung, I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Jinsu, where are you going?”

“He suddenly says he can’t remember his home address, so I’m taking him to school.”

“Huh?”

“I guess it’s something like academic stress. That’s not the point, hyung, I’ve recorded a song to go on ‘Show Me the YoUth’, please take a look!”

“Oh, you finally made it! Okay, go ahead.”

#

Jang Jinsu whistled.

“Wow, Noh Halo, you were born with a silver spoon? I knew you were a model student, but I didn’t know you were rich.”

The elevator with a view of Seokchon Lake at a glance is rising rapidly to the upper floors. Jang Jinsu pointed at the elevator glass and admired the view. A lake view that is no less impressive than the Han River view.

“All the kids at our school live well, but you too. Am I the only dirt spoon [a Korean expression for someone born into poverty]?”

Jang Jinsu, who muttered to himself, looked at Noh Halo.

Noh Halo is still not in his right mind.

Of course. The teachers were taken aback when they heard that he had forgotten his home address, but they were worried about how pale his face was and told him the address.

There’s no way they wouldn’t look out for him more because he’s a model student. Whether it’s a foreign language high school or an autonomous private high school. Even though the final exam is left, everyone thinks that his admission is confirmed.

‘If I had asked, wouldn’t they have told me not to joke around and go study?’

It’s such an unfair world.

Jang Jinsu turned to Noh Halo with a sulky face.

‘I don’t know why a guy like that was sitting on the streets of Hongdae with a guitar. He should have gone to Daechi-dong [a district in Seoul known for its private education and affluent residents].’

It was so unexpected that he called his name even though they weren’t close.

Ding.

The door opened on the 27th floor.

Jang Jinsu pushed Noh Halo, who was standing still.

“Don’t tell me you forgot your password too?”

“…”

“Damn it.”

I’ll have to get something out of him when he comes to his senses.

Ding-dong. Jang Jinsu rang the bell with a stiff face.

“Hello.”

Jang Jinsu greeted the woman who opened the door politely.

“Noh Halo couldn’t find his way home, so I came to take him home.”

“Who can’t find their way home…! Oh my, Halo! Why are you home at this hour….”

A woman with neatly applied makeup was surprised to find pale Noh Halo.

The tone of her gentle voice gradually rises.

Then, she realizes that they are not the only ones in this place and smiles softly.

Are all the housewives who live in this neighborhood like that?

Jang Jinsu stood upright in the cold atmosphere.

“Did Mom get a little confused? Sorry, thank you for taking our Halo home.”

“No, I’ll go in now.”

“Wait a minute. I don’t think there’s anything to drink at home. Just a moment.”

The woman took out two 50,000 won bills from her wallet.

“It’s, it’s okay….”

“Have a drink on your way. You know it’s polite not to refuse what an adult gives you, right?”

“…Yes.”

“But what did you say your name was?”

“Jang, Jang Jinsu.”

“Okay, Jinsu.”

Jang Jinsu awkwardly accepted the two 50,000 won bills.

He didn’t want to receive it, but he didn’t know how to refuse. First of all, he wanted to get out of the strangely uncomfortable gaze of the woman. He wants Noh Halo to say something, but the unhelpful guy is spacing out.

“Jinsu, are you very close to our Halo?”

“Yes?”

“Because he’s a friend I’ve never seen before.”

The lips form a curve.

But her cold eyes scan Jang Jinsu.

Jang Jinsu, who was wearing a piercing, ripped jeans instead of a school uniform, and a field jacket, didn’t look like a model student at all.

“Ah.”

Jang Jinsu instinctively realized that this woman did not think of him positively.

“Well, we’re classmates, the same class.”

“I see.”

The woman smiles elegantly again.

Her appearance was beautiful and pretty, but she was like the witch in Snow White.

“I. I’ll go in first then.”

“Oh my, was I holding you back too much? Okay, go in carefully.”

“Yep.”

Jang Jinsu quickly bowed and decided to get out of this place. But the sky doesn’t seem to want to help him. The elevator went down. He pressed the elevator button repeatedly, hoping it would come quickly.

“Halo, are you sick somewhere?”

The woman’s voice came from behind.

“Should I go get an IV with Mom? The final exam is not far away, so you need to manage your condition.”

I don’t know about Noh Halo, but Jang Jinsu was suffocating.

He’s so pale, is it right to bring up the exam?

“But what is that?”

“…”

“That, it’s something I haven’t seen before.”

Jang Jinsu glanced back.

Noh Halo’s mother was staring at the guitar Noh Halo was carrying on his shoulder. It’s obviously not a good reaction.

“Halo, you have to answer?”

Noh Halo doesn’t say a word in an atmosphere where goosebumps are rising.

“Can I tell your dad?”

It feels like gravity is getting heavier with each word.

Damn it, what should I do?

Can I just leave him alone? She doesn’t seem like an ordinary scary woman.

What does it matter to me? Just ignore it.

He’s not a bad kid though. He didn’t laugh when I said I was going to ‘Show Me the YoUth’.

A million thoughts ran through my head.

Reason shouted not to be nosy.

That’s right.

Jang Jinsu took a deep breath and shouted loudly, “Ah! I. Cou. Gh. I. Al. Mos. T. For. Got. My. Gui. Tar!”

Noh Halo’s mother was so surprised that she didn’t say anything.

“Ha, Halo. Thank you for keeping it. Was it very heavy?!”

What kind of loyalty is he feeling for a guy he’s not even close to?

Jang Jinsu couldn’t understand why he was doing this.

“…”

Noh Halo doesn’t seem to have any sense.

Jang Jinsu took a step and approached Noh Halo.

The woman’s eyes became strange as if to say he still hadn’t left, but when they met, they folded nicely.

“Was this yours?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jang Jinsu nudged Noh Halo’s side without being seen. Help me, give it to me.

“Why?”

Noh Halo finally reacted.

However, it was an unwanted reaction.

“Give me my guitar.”

Noh Halo frowned as if to say what nonsense.

He is clearly the least perceptive guy in this place. I regret why I tried to help a guy like this.

“Give it to me.”

“What are you talking about.”

“The lady is watching. Give, give me my guitar and go in.”

I wish he would listen if I gave him this big of a hint.

“Halo, yes, you have to return your friend’s thing.”

The lady helps.

Noh Halo looked at Jang Jinsu and his mother alternately, then his eyes widened as if he had noticed something.

Yes, you idiot.

Jang Jinsu really wanted to cry.

“Quickly gi-”

“This is mine.”

“What?”

The atmosphere suddenly turns cold.

C. Jang Jinsu bit his lip, holding back his curse.

Noh Halo didn’t seem to sense this cold atmosphere and turned to Jang Jinsu nonchalantly.

“Thanks for taking me home.”

“Th, Noh Halo….”

“See you again.”

“Th- that’s right.”

There’s nothing more Jang Jinsu can do now.

Jang Jinsu turned around with trembling feet.

“Jinsu, go in carefully.”

The lady waved her hand.

She doesn’t seem to know that she got the name wrong.

Maybe she never intended to remember his name in the first place.

“Yes, yes.”

Jang Jinsu entered the elevator, hiding his stiff face. Should I have just butted in? Regret, embarrassment, resentment, all kinds of emotions swirled around. It’s a relief that there’s no one in the elevator.

Jang Jinsu raised his head for the last time.

Noh Halo’s mother was opening her mouth to Noh Halo with a completely stiff face.

“Halo, I think there’s something you need to tell Mom. Where did you get that?”

‘I shouldn’t have butted in! Why did he have to be honest…!’

The elevator door slammed shut.