The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 891

< A Story from a Day in June, Episode 89 >

-On the contrary, I could see the storm that was about to come.

-I felt a passion hidden deep within the music.

“A passion hidden deep.”

Halo recalled the words of Music Director Park Jung-ho.

He seemed to understand what it meant, more or less.

Wasn’t it possible that Director Park Jung-ho had discovered remnants of emotions in Noh Hae-il’s music that he had deliberately excluded? Similar to how Teacher Hwang Ryong-pil vaguely guessed his actions.

Of course, even if he deliberately tried to exclude them, he wouldn’t be able to filter them out completely.

-Hae-il, how about adding that to your current music?

Halo tapped the script he had received from Music Director Park Jung-ho.

Noh Hae-il’s method was to restrain emotions so that his music could be listened to comfortably, and HALO’s method was to pour out his emotions infinitely. What Music Director Park Jung-ho was asking for seemed to be somewhere in between.

A moderate amount, enough not to force his emotions on people.

“Moon Seo-yeon, how much ginger syrup should I put in this?”

“Just enough.”

“How much is enough? One spoonful?”

“That depends on the amount of water, right? But why are you making ginger tea when you don’t even like ginger? Are you making it for me?”

“Are you crazy?”

Nam Gyu-hwan dissolved the ginger in warm water, checking the color. It seemed to be about the same color as the ginger tea sold in cafes.

He carefully made just one cup, then ignored Moon Seo-yeon’s expectant eyes and approached the boy, placing it down with both hands.

“Please let me know if you need more.”

He was as solemn as a priest offering a sacrifice to a god, even bordering on sacred.

“Thank you.”

When Halo replied, Nam Gyu-hwan, with a face full of emotion, poured hot water into a new cup. He seemed ready to mass-produce ginger tea, so Moon Seo-yeon slapped him on the back.

Halo watched them as usual and drank the ginger tea. It was just the right taste.

His hands moved slowly.

For once, he wasn’t playing the guitar, but instead, he opened a notebook on his lap and wrote down the notes.

Everyone present knew that the result would be something unimaginable to ordinary people, something beyond the norm.

Nam Gyu-hwan and Moon Seo-yeon lowered their voices as they watched the boy with a focused expression.

“Is the president composing a musical number right now? I’m really looking forward to it. I saw in a news article that it’s a big hit that won an award. It seems like the competition will be quite fierce for an original musical.”

“Is that what’s important?”

“If that’s not important, then what is?”

At Moon Seo-yeon’s question, Nam Gyu-hwan looked at the boy.

He didn’t really like musicals. The cost of entry was high, so he preferred movies. However, things were different when it came to a musical that Halo was participating in.

“The greatest being in the world is creating a song.”

“I knew he’d say something like that.”

Moon Seo-yeon shook her head with a sigh. Still, she was looking forward to it as well.

The most important thing in a musical is the music, and the president is in charge of that music – along with several other people, of course. She was curious about what kind of song would come out.

Then, Nam Gyu-hwan suddenly opened his mouth.

“Do you think people will know?”

“Know what?”

“Who composed the rock musical number they’re watching.”

“Of course not.”

Not even someone else, but the song created by the sun that revived rock, which had been declining worldwide.

Nam Gyu-hwan couldn’t even imagine what kind of reaction it would cause if that became known.

#

Mid-June.

Around the time the composing work began in earnest, Noh Hae-il’s broadcasting activities also became infrequent.

There were no public schedules other than music shows.

No performances or broadcasting activities.

People who had been living off the crumbs of information until now naturally had no choice but to look for their singer.

Not only [Wave Riding], Noh Hae-il’s unofficial fan cafe, but also Columbus, who had broken away from the Green Window cafe and pioneered new territory, were the same.

The Green Window cafe had a lot of rules and hardly allowed swearing, so those who wanted to live without the law went to the male singer gallery.

However, there was already a major player here, and the Columbus eventually dug a minor gallery.

And as on any other day, a post was uploaded.

[What is the gallery master doing these days?]

He appeared on some music shows after the US talk show, but I haven’t seen him since.

It doesn’t seem like he’s doing any commercials or variety shows either.

Originally, shouldn’t you row when the water comes in? [Seize an opportunity when it presents itself]

Is the broadcasting station boycotting him?

└ Is the broadcasting station crazy? Boycotting someone who is #1 on the music charts

└ But why isn’t he on TV?

└ Is he being mysterious?

└ I’m going crazy. I want to see him live once

└ (Awesome concert)

Not just anyone can be #1 on the music charts, and he’s a singer who’s been #1 several times. The fact that a star who is at the peak of his popularity has less exposure on TV than other celebrities inevitably caused dissatisfaction among fans.

[My friend works at a broadcasting station, and they said the gallery master doesn’t accept offers very often]

└ What if there’s no proof?

└ Believe it or not, but it seems like he’s doing something else

└ Is he working on another song?

└ Looking at the gallery master’s actions, it’s really possible

└ Did he die in his previous life without finishing all his songs?

└ Honestly, at this point, isn’t he just Halo instead of having Halo disease? LOL [Referring to someone obsessed with Halo]

[I think the gallery master got PTSD from the female fans asking him to sing a ballad during the Hongdae busking]

└ You’re right LOL

└ He really hated it then LOL

└ Noh Hae-il seems like a real man. I heard he’s called a Gigachad even in foreign countries [Internet slang for an extremely masculine and successful man]

[Will the gallery master at least show up at the university festival?]

I’m holding out for the university festival

└ Honestly, the university festival and the gallery master’s songs don’t really match, do they?

└ The position is a bit ambiguous. He’s a rookie, so he doesn’t have many songs, and they’re calm

└ What’s ambiguous? Are there still people downplaying the gallery master?

In fact, it wasn’t just complaints.

Just as there are people in the world who feel inferior to celebrities and curse them, there were also many people who wanted their singer to make better music in a more pleasant environment. So, Noh Hae-il’s seemingly detached actions caused concern.

[But how does the gallery master really make money? Is he making a living by starting an independent label with his music revenue? He doesn’t make any merchandise separately]

Should we give him a donation?

└ If he’s #1 on the music charts, he’ll be able to make a living

└ He’s not just living alone, he has a band too

└ How does he maintain the corporation?

└ Isn’t the gallery master a gold spoon? The label in Seongsu-dong is under Noh Hae-il’s name [Born into wealth]

└ I heard he lives in Jamsil, is he really a gold spoon? Not everyone who lives in Jamsil is a gold spoon

└ There’s a rumor that his father is a university professor

└ And my friend works at the National Tax Service, and they said the gallery master pays a lot of taxes

└ He must be making a lot of money from music

[News │ Metal band Scorpions to visit Korea]

└ Why are you saying this here?

└ Metal Gallery

This is a place where people’s thoughts flow out like a stream of consciousness.

While shouting for the gallery master, saying only what they wanted to say, someone brought up a past topic again. Well, this was inevitable.

If there were no new topics, they had to rehash the old ones like bone broth. [Revisit old topics repeatedly]

[I’m watching the gallery master’s talk show for the NNth time, but where did the gallery master learn British English? A British person even certified that it’s a typical posh accent. Is the gallery master an international student?]

└ Pure white race from Jamsil [Sarcastic comment about his privileged background]

└ He’s a gold spoon, so he must have had private lessons at home

└ But even if he had private lessons, who would teach him a posh accent? I heard that accent is only used by nobles

└ This guy is trying to bring up a conspiracy theory again LOL. Do you really think only nobles use it? Anyone can use it if they learn it

└ So who did he learn the posh accent from?

└ Originally, gold spoons are taught with a posh accent

└ Oh really? Are you a gold spoon too?

└ Yeah, my family is in the top 10%

└ Oh

└ LOL What are you guys doing?

[No, but conspiracy theory or not, the gallery master’s British English, the fact that he’s less active on TV than other people, and the fact that he makes songs like a machine, doesn’t it remind you of someone?]

└ Do not feed [Don’t engage with the troll]

└ If you do this, the gallery will be in trouble, not the gallery master

└ Don’t you know about the incident where someone pretended to be the sun in Europe and got beaten up by the Heligans? The Korean Sun Clan is just pretending, but that side is a real religion

└ Let’s listen to the gallery master’s new song

Not knowing what was happening in the internet world, Halo accelerated his work.

“Let’s start recording now.”

At Halo’s words, the band members’ eyes lit up.

There was only one thing that recording could mean.

HALO’s 7th album.

“So early?”

“What about the musical numbers?”

“That’s not ready yet.”

He had a rough idea, but it wasn’t complete.

Halo, who had decided to wait for the musical meeting while working on the HALO album, looked around at the people and said.

“You guys are getting bored, right?”

“Uh…”

When everyone fell silent, Halo chuckled.

It wasn’t actually wrong.

When the boy’s activities decreased, his sessions naturally had to decrease as well.

The fact that they were going to start recording HALO in June might have been out of consideration for them. Nam Gyu-hwan’s face slowly melted as if he had been hit with a taser gun by that warm consideration, and Moon Seo-yeon clenched her fists tightly.

“I think I need to take some calming pills this time.”

“I’ll prepare them, President!”

“Would you like me to make you a cup of ginger tea?”

The band members were steadily carrying out their work.

Now they were completely like a team, and everyone had a satisfied smile on their face.

Of course, it wasn’t 100% happiness.

It wasn’t easy to play HALO’s 7th album, so they were worried. Well, HALO’s music was always shocking, but this time, the negative emotions were particularly excessive.

“This time, we’re not going to overdub, we’re going to do it in one day.”

Everyone agreed to the idea of matching the ensemble at once, rather than recording one by one.

Well, overdubbing isn’t bad.

It felt like they had become a real band now.

#

Toc, toc [Knock, knock – sound effect].

At the end of the hallway. Shin Joo-hyuk and Lee So-ra turned their heads at the sound of shoes coming from afar. They had met as MC [Master of Ceremonies] and guest and were talking after a long time.

A child who was attracting the attention of the broadcasting station staff from afar was approaching. Perhaps because she did ballet, her steps seemed to bounce.

“Oh my! Goodness!”

Lee So-ra exclaimed with delight.

“Hello, sister. How have you been?”

“Of course I’ve been well. How have you been, Yeon-woo? It’s been a long time. Look how much weight you’ve lost. Are the performances very difficult?”

“No, I’m having fun and working hard.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But… what’s going on? Are you coming on our program?”

“Ah, no, I had a meeting.”

“I see.”

Shin Joo-hyuk looked back and forth at the round head that reached his shoulder, talking animatedly with Lee So-ra, who was in the same agency.

“It seems like you two can’t see me?”

“Hello, Joo-hyuk oppa [Older brother – term of endearment used by younger women], too.”

She greeted him with a nonchalant face.

Shin Joo-hyuk wondered if all the kids these days were like this.

Of course, the other one felt a little more arrogant than this kid, but it was similar.

“Oppa, I heard you’re making a rock musical song these days.”

“Did that spread that far?”

“Everyone’s talking about oppa these days.”

“It’s so small, so small.”

The girl smiled faintly at those words.

“But you haven’t even cast yet, but it seems like you’re interested.”

“Of course I’m interested.”

“Because it’s my song?”

“Because PD Lim [Production Director] is directing a blockbuster?”

“Hmm.”

“Of course, it’s also interesting that Shin Joo-hyuk made a rock number?”

“Put some saliva on your lips before you speak [Don’t exaggerate].”

The girl giggled.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the reason PD Lim was directing was stronger.

Well, it’s good to be honest.

He was better than the other guy no matter what he did. He sometimes looked at him with pitiful eyes.

“It’s not like I’m the only one participating.”

“Ah, that’s right. I heard Hae-il is participating too.”

Lee So-ra’s eyes lit up.

“I’m looking forward to it more than yours.”

“Hey. Still, I’m better…”

Shin Joo-hyuk, who was about to say that he was better, closed his mouth. Because the real thing behind Noh Hae-il’s name came to mind.

“Why are you stopping?”

“…The number isn’t finished yet, and the casting is still a long way off, so what’s the point of talking about it.”

Shin Joo-hyuk quickly changed the subject, and fortunately, they nodded and moved on.

“But Hae-il… what kind of person is he?”

When the girl asked, Lee So-ra kindly explained.

“Haven’t you heard of ‘Noh Hae-il’? You must have seen him on the music charts every time.”

“Ah. I know. Is he also participating as a composer?”

“Yes. That’s what I heard.”

Shin Joo-hyuk listened to the two women’s conversation and suddenly intervened mischievously.

“Are you interested? Should I introduce you? Now that I think about it, there’s not much age difference between you two. Is it a two-year difference? You’d look good together?”

The girl chuckled.

“Like oppa and Chaewon unnie [Older sister – term of endearment]?”

“! Hey.”

“I still have a lot of things I want to do to date.”

Shin Joo-hyuk’s mouth closed at once, and Lee So-ra next to him chuckled.

“However, I’m curious. I’ve listened to all of his songs-.”

“Did you like them?”

“Yes, I really liked his emotions. I can’t imagine him participating in a rock musical.”

When Lee So-ra asked, the girl nodded.

“Do you want to sing Hae-il’s song?”

When Shin Joo-hyuk, who had come back to life, asked, she shrugged.

“Well, I don’t know yet.”

“Why?”

“I want the best song to be my song, rather than anyone else’s song.”

“The casting hasn’t even started yet. Are you already talking like you’ve been cast?”

She smiles nonchalantly.

A rookie who is just starting to build her filmography honestly shows that she wants this musical.

Well, it’s not an ordinary filmography.

She was a big rookie in this industry, so I understood her honesty and confidence.

‘These kids are scary these days.’

“Seniors, I’ll go in to practice first.”

“Okay, Yeon-woo, see you later.”

A story from a day in June.

A season where ants work diligently and grasshoppers play passionately, preparing for the approaching hot summer.

The real summer,

began with the release of HALO’s 7th album, Requiem for the dead peter.

Scorching heat and tropical nights.

Cicada sounds that make your nerves stand on end.

And even rain clouds approaching from afar.

It was a perfect summer.