The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 491

The Tide of Glory – Episode 49 (49/237)

# 49 Where Can You Find Someone Like That?

[Gillaon Hongdae]

Kim Kyungjin, the manager, rushed over after seeing that text, wondering if something had happened. He was sure they were just meeting up as friends. While briefly checking SNS at a stoplight, Kim Kyungjin felt a strange emotion seeing Gillaon smiling brightly and sweating in the busking zone.

It seemed like it had been a long time since he had smiled so brightly since Soyou. The van to pick up Gillaon kept running.

And Kim Kyungjin watched from afar, without disturbing those in the crowd.

What should he say?

At least, he was relieved.

The artist was enjoying himself, and the reaction was better than expected. Even Kim Kyungjin thought he was doing better than on TV.

He sent a message to the CEO saying there was nothing to worry about, and then he noticed the guitarist playing backup behind Jang Jinsu and Gillaon.

It seemed like he was playing casually, but the accompaniment was excellent. When the song ended, he played different beats or melodies from the original track, which also sounded good.

Rather than an arranged cover, it was like a guitarist who didn’t know the original song was just playing along.

But it was very natural and nonchalant.

Like someone who had been playing guitar in a band for a long time.

Then suddenly, Kim Kyungjin remembered where he had seen the boy before. An unusual appearance with silver hair.

“Oh, that, the studio?”

Come to think of it, he had vaguely heard that a newbie YouTuber was participating in this OST [Original Soundtrack – music specifically written for a film or show].

In fact, the [From Today On] production team’s AD [Assistant Director] was also there.

‘Could that kid be him?’

After realizing this, Kim Kyungjin only looked at the YouTuber boy, not Gillaon.

He didn’t know about his vocal skills, but if the music director recommended him, he must be good. More than anything, his guitar skills were unusual.

‘Does he have an agency?’

The entertainment industry is always looking for new faces.

With excellent playing skills and a subtly eye-catching vibe, he had the makings of a star.

“Who is that person?”

“I think he’s Jang Jinsu’s real friend. He told me his name earlier when he greeted him.”

The people who gave up their busking spot were talking about the guitarist.

Anyone who knew a little about music couldn’t help but notice who was really dominating the stage.

“What did he say his name was?”

Kim Kyungjin fiddled with a business card in his pocket.

“It was an unusual name. Aile? No, Haeil? Noh Haeil?”

Maybe it was a coincidence.

How many people would remember the stage greetings of a busking performance? And there were hardly any people who would remember the stage greeting and bring it up again.

However, the guitarist’s name stuck in Kim Kyungjin’s ear, and Kim Kyungjin repeated the name.

“Noh Haeil?”

Kim Kyungjin slurred the pronunciation and then tilted his head.

It sounded like a name he had heard somewhere.

It was an unusual name, so he should remember it.

In the meantime, Jang Jinsu and Gillaon’s semi-competition stage ended, and another melody was heard.

Hmm, hmm. Jang Jinsu came forward a little more.

People recognized the song that had reached number one on Watermelon [Korean music streaming service] and cheered.

“Show Me Your BBA SAE.”

He made beats like an electric guitar with an acoustic guitar.

People stomped their feet to the beat, and Kim Kyungjin realized that the guitarist, who had arranged all the other songs, was playing Show Me Your BBA SAE properly.

He seemed to know the tune of Show Me Your BBA SAE better than anyone else.

“Huh?”

Kim Kyungjin exclaimed.

He thought the CEO and Producer Nokjin had a conversation about Show Me Your BBA SAE.

For example, about the song’s co-composer and arranger.

‘Who is -?’

‘I looked it up, but it’s only registered with the association, and there are no other records.’

Kim Kyungjin picked up his phone and went to the Watermelon chart. And he clicked on the information of the sound source he was still listening to.

Composer │ Jang Jinsu, Noh Haeil

Arranger │ Noh Haeil

The name came in as clearly as if it were in bold.

Kim Kyungjin stared at the guitarist with a dumbfounded look.

Vocal skills recognized by the music director, top-notch guitar playing, and a charm that was more eye-catching than Jang Jinsu in front of the stage.

‘Hyung [Korean term for older brother or close male friend], I’m going to see Jinsu and Jinsu’s friend.’

‘Okay, don’t cause any trouble.’

‘When have I ever caused trouble?’

‘But who is Jinsu’s friend?’

‘There is.’

Jang Jinsu’s real friend.

Goosebumps rose on his arm.

He seemed to have figured out why a middle school student with no agency could have a co-composer and arranger who could casually touch the song next to him.

It was a long time ago, and it might be speculation, but.

Kim Kyungjin recalled Producer Nokjin, who had been looking for the name ‘Noh Haeil’ for a while.

Nokjin naturally thought that the person named ‘Noh Haeil’ was a seasoned producer of a similar age or older than him.

So, what if he couldn’t find him?

Kim Kyungjin swallowed hard and picked up his phone.

And he pressed a familiar number.

“Hello, Producer, this is Kyungjin.”

#

Halo thought.

Jang Jinsu was right.

It seemed like it was almost the only right thing he said.

He likes the stage.

He was happiest when he sang and played the guitar in front of people.

To think he was going to live without doing what he liked so much.

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

Halo raised the corners of his lips.

The crowd that met his eyes stared blankly at him.

Halo roughly followed Gillaon and Jang Jinsu’s stage. He had never heard it before, so he couldn’t make the same sound source, but did he have to know it to play it? He could see the tune, so the accompaniment wasn’t difficult.

The last encore song was Show Me Your BBA SAE.

He happily finished the busking with Gillaon and Jang Jinsu’s duet as the last song.

People flocked to him.

Gillaon’s manager appeared just when he was needed and perfectly guided him to the van.

Halo didn’t refuse the offer to take him home.

But it didn’t seem like a good choice.

“Haeil, don’t you want to join our label? The CEO, Nokjin hyung [Korean term for older brother or close male friend], and everyone at our label will like you.”

Gillaon, who had been admiring his guitar skills for a long time, became a label parrot. Actually, it would have been enough if it was just Gillaon, but the manager added to it.

“If you’re going to start your music career soon, you’ll need someone to take care of you in earnest.”

If Gillaon promoted the advantages of P-R, the manager promoted the necessity of the label.

“That’s right, I like the manager hyung [Korean term for older brother or close male friend] too. He takes good care of things I can’t, from schedule management. Don’t you need it too?”

“…I do need a manager.”

When Halo responded once, Gillaon’s face brightened up. He said he needed a person, but he didn’t say he would join P-R.

“There are a lot of good people at P-R, so you’ll be able to meet someone who suits you.”

Well. Halo was lost in thought.

If the right person came out that easily, wouldn’t he have found someone already?

“Why? What kind of person do you like?”

Halo thought about the criteria for the manager he had hired before. First of all, it is basic to be good at work.

His manager had to be mentally strong first.

It was no exaggeration to say that Halo lived in controversy, so if he was mentally weak, he would quit easily. He had to be steadfast and not lose himself in the midst of controversy and rumors.

Next, someone he could trust.

Someone who would believe in him no matter what he did and would not betray him for any reason.

Also, he needed someone to put the brakes on him, who only had Excel, and guide him on the right path. He didn’t want someone who unconditionally said he was right.

Lastly. Rather than being serious and sincere in everything, someone who could be serious but also joke and laugh together.

Roughly, he could think of it as someone who gets along well with him.

Gillaon, who had been listening to him quietly, tilted his head when more than three conditions were different, and the manager’s voice also decreased.

And Jang Jinsu, who was next to him, said with an absurd look.

“Where can you find someone like that in the world?”

“That’s right.”

That’s why he’s late in finding someone.

He didn’t know about the manager, but it seemed like finding someone else would be faster.

Anyway, it was a rejection of the P-R label.

P-R was more persistent than he thought, and

More than he thought, they wanted Noh Haeil, not Halo.

#

If he was fascinated by the music of an old (?) musician named HALO overseas, and a music director in Korea was thrilled by the vocals of a boy, Nokjin of P-R Records focused on his producing and arranging skills.

“‘That’ Noh Haeil is the YouTuber who participated in Raon’s OST this time?”

Of course, it was hard to believe at first.

“It’s impossible to come out of that age group.”

But he thought the same about Jang Jinsu, and Jang Jinsu didn’t show more in ‘Soyou’, so he leaned towards the other co-composer.

Nokjin really liked the chords and structure of ‘Show Me Your BBA SAE’, and he wanted to bring him to P-R if he could.

It was neither a lie nor an exaggeration.

There are many people in the world who sing well. It would be different if you were talking about the ‘best’ among them, but there were plenty of singers who sang well to some extent.

The same goes for composing. Of course, he’s not talking about composing like Mozart or Beethoven. In modern society, anyone could become a composer because they could pick out one or two lines of melody and register the copyright.

But it wasn’t producing.

Singers and composers are just fresh ingredients in front of the producer. In the end, what kind of dish comes out is determined by the producer.

Nokjin thought of producing as sculpture.

If someone brings white marble, the job of completing the David statue with that material was the producer.

A decent producer was rarer than a decent singer or a decent composer.

Nokjin, who had been wanting to bring in a talented and like-minded producer, one day discovered his favorite sound source.

The hook was a hook, but he was really drawn to the expert who completed the song.

Then, Nokjin heard the name ‘Noh Haeil’ from manager Kim Kyungjin.

Participating in the same drama OST as Gillaon,

The guitarist who just made Hongdae noisy.

In addition, a classmate who wouldn’t be strange at all to touch Jang Jinsu’s song next to him.

Nokjin had already confirmed that his guitar playing skills were top-notch, and he stared at the video posted on SNS.

To know his producing skills, he had to listen to the original song. But no matter who he asked, no one would let him listen to the original song. What composer would show the raw version to anyone before it was arranged?

Then, Nokjin recalled that Noh Haeil was a YouTuber with the name ‘wave_r’. And that YouTube channel gave him the answer.

Prove from Show and Prove.

The producing revealed in the rough song proved it.

The skills of the same person were clear.

“Let’s bring him.”

That’s why he’s in front of Samjang.

It was the same as that day. The only difference was that Jang Jinsu was the one to bring that day, and today it was Noh Haeil.

“That kid is real. Let’s bring him.”

“I heard he doesn’t like being affiliated anywhere.”

“Originally, talented kids don’t like being affiliated. So do I.”

That wasn’t something to say in front of the label’s CEO, but Nokjin was confident. He came in because his contract didn’t have a time limit. He could leave P-R whenever he wanted, as long as he wanted to.

“The purpose of our label is to discover new artists and help them maintain their own color.”

“That’s right.”

“Recruiting is a priority, but we don’t necessarily recruit them. We also help with album production and promotion while maintaining a cooperative relationship. In fact, that’s the original role of the label.”

Their label had the characteristics of a crew and an agency, but the original was a label (distribution production company). Mainly, they just recruited, but they didn’t have to bring them in as affiliates.

Nokjin just wanted to create a good relationship.

“Noh Haeil, was it? What do you think of that friend’s talent? I mean, Jang Jinsu is…”

“Number 56 was a bit unfortunate. But this time it’s different. He’s a real genius. He might become one of the best producers in Korea. Maybe even one of the best producers in the world. Well, it’s still a long way off.”

In fact, even if it’s not producing, he already has all the conditions that the label wants.

Excellent guitar playing skills,

A sweet voice.

Even the composing skills that composed [Confession].

In fact, it’s hard to believe that one person has it all.

A genius of the century suddenly pops out somewhere in this wide world.

“Hello. I’m Nokjin, a producer at P-R Label.”

For that reason, P-R’s courtship began.