The Road To Glory [EN]: Chapter 951

< Broken Bridge >

“This is different from what you said!”

“What are you talking about? What did we discuss?”

The chief director chuckled, recalling the boy who had resolutely refused, claiming to be busy.

He was overjoyed that the headache he had been feeling had been resolved. Professor Kim, fuming, approached him.

“You said you would choose the better music.”

“Yes, I chose the better music.”

The chief director shrugged as if asking what the problem was.

The SpongeBob pattern on his suit caught Professor Kim’s eye.

SpongeBob, shouting ‘I love Mondays,’ seemed to be mocking him as well.

“You said you wouldn’t make the decision alone.”

“I said that although I am the decision-maker, I wouldn’t make the decision alone. Why?”

Professor Kim pounded his chest, frustrated.

“Yet you ridicule me and choose that kid’s nonsensical song?”

“I ridiculed Professor Kim? When?”

The chief director asked back.

Professor Kim gritted his teeth at his genuinely clueless attitude.

“That, that last number that doesn’t even sound like a number. Isn’t that why you chose it?”

“What? …Ha. Look at this guy.”

The chief director scoffed, dumbfounded.

“Jokingly telling me to be the chief director.”

“That was genuine.”

Everyone seemed to take it as a joke, but he had never said it as a joke.

At that moment, he might have handed over the chief director responsibilities if the boy had accepted.

Was the rejection also because of the joke?

If the music director hadn’t spat out water, he might have seemed more serious.

But.

The chief director’s eyebrows twitched as he listened to Professor Kim’s grumbling.

He was getting annoyed with Professor Kim, who was starting to interrogate him.

He was in a good mood and was going to let it slide.

But wasn’t he increasingly overstepping?

Who was it that let one instance of denial slide?

“If you keep this up, I won’t stand still.”

“What are you going to do if you don’t stand still? What, are you going to go to the investor again and have them listen to the song?”

“Director!”

Professor Kim burst out at the words mixed with a scoff.

The chief director didn’t even blink. He knew that Professor Kim didn’t have the guts to go to the investor, and even if he did, the investor would trust his choice more.

“Professor Kim, are you perhaps trying to have a power struggle with me?”

Professor Kim flinched at the coldly spoken words.

He had forgotten that this eccentric-looking chief director was no ordinary person in the industry.

He had crossed the line because he was too upset.

He also realized that if he went any further, he might be buried in the industry forever.

“Ah, no, how could I ever do that to you, Chief Director.”

“Right? I almost misunderstood Professor Kim’s intentions. Taking the song I was going to let you hear because it was good as a favor.”

“!”

“This time, it’s challenging my authority. I almost misunderstood.”

“I apologize if you took it that way.”

The chief director raised his hand, and Professor Kim instinctively flinched.

However, the chief director had no intention of hitting him.

The chief director’s hand covered Professor Kim’s eyes.

“What do you see, Professor Kim?”

Professor Kim didn’t answer.

“You see nothing, right?”

The chief director answered first.

“That’s your dark future.”

Then, the chief director took his hand away and covered his own eyes.

“But you know what? I can see the future even with my eyes covered!”

The chief director pointed to the stage with his other hand.

“The lights will come down on that stage, and Jungwoo will be standing on it. People over there will be hit with clubs and fall down. Jungwoo will watch them and sing more desperately and joyfully! Oh! Professor Kim, can’t you see that stage?”

The chief director spoke as if there really was something on the empty stage.

Professor Kim’s expression gradually turned pale.

The chief director, who had delivered a long speech, looked back at Professor Kim. As if asking how it was.

“This is the future that the kid you denied just showed me! You think I’m discriminating against and ridiculing Professor Kim? Hahaha!”

The smiling expression instantly twisted into a sneer.

“Why would I? What are you?”

“Chief Director!”

The music director, who had seen the boy off, called him from afar.

The chief director waved his hand with a brightened expression.

As Park Jung-ho, the music director, stopped at his gesture to wait, the chief director brushed the dust off Professor Kim’s shoulder.

“Of course, don’t worry, Professor Kim. I have no intention of deciding alone. Although the meaning of the blind test is lost, I will make a decision based on the reasonable opinion of the majority. If Professor Kim’s song is better, Professor Kim’s song will be chosen. Isn’t that what we all want? Fairness.”

So.

Don’t overstep.

The chief director smiled, patted Professor Kim’s shoulder, and turned around.

“Yes, Park. What did Haeil say?”

“Yes, he promised to do a guide recording once the lyricist is done.”

“Hmm, good! Good.”

The chief director’s lips curved into a smile as he briefly imagined it.

Considering it was an original musical, it was going smoother than expected.

Both the fifth number created by Professor Kim and the fourth number created by Shin Joo-hyuk were flowing well, to the point where no one was helping them.

Because of the play the boy had shown, the stage production was also faster.

Everything was flowing so well that it was almost ominous.

Then, when the guide song arrived, the chief director closed his usually talkative mouth for the first time.

Positive and negative. If I had to choose, it’s closer to the former—.

“Hmm, I didn’t know this when I listened to the MR [music recording], but with the guide added…”

The problem wasn’t that the song was bad.

Rather, it was too excellent, which was the problem.

The recording with the guitar and other sessions was nothing short of excellent.

So, it was frustrating in a different sense.

“Can… musical actors handle this?”

“Unless we bring in a rock band, a month or two might not be enough.”

“Why would we bring in a rock band and leave the musical actors alone?”

Just like calling them musical actors instead of musical singers, the most important thing in a musical play is acting. They couldn’t bring in a rock band that couldn’t act because of the musical song. That was something no one wanted.

Of course, there are many excellent all-rounder types in Korea, meaning actors who are great at both acting and vocals.

However, Jungwoo’s vocal ability, as a vocalist and guitarist, seemed to be required more than expected.

For the guitar, they could play the MR, but the song would have to be sung like this.

This wasn’t just the chief director’s concern.

It came up in a meeting of key personnel, starting with the music director.

“The song’s range is higher than expected…”

“Noh Haeil was originally famous for his wide range. This is what happens when the composer and vocalist are the same. They think that if they can sing it, everyone else can too. Ah, is this just a problem for geniuses?”

“Ha, this is the first time I’ve had this kind of worry.”

The guide song was too well-made.

Well, they expected it, but it was beyond imagination.

If they played it for the cast actor later, they might be taken aback and ask back.

‘You want me to sing like this?’

“Can Noh Haeil not act?”

“Are you trying to cast Noh Haeil?”

“No, that’s not it. …Has Noh Haeil never acted before?”

“Would he have?”

“Noh Haeil is a genius, isn’t he? Can’t he act?”

He’s just saying it.

He knows that casting him is impossible.

The chief director, who had been tapping the desk quietly, came to a conclusion.

“Let’s move up the casting. Immediately after production. We’ll need to give them an 8-week practice period.”

The usual musical practice period is usually 4 to 6 weeks. At most, they take up to 8 weeks.

For now, the chief director just concluded that 4 weeks would be absolutely impossible for the choreography, music, lines, and dance.

“It’s the first time I’m worried about the song.”

“Who do you think would do the best?”

“Who? The main character? Honestly, we’d have to bring in someone in the top three to pull it off.”

“But the main character is the hardest, and the supporting roles aren’t easy either.”

“From the start, this mess was inevitable since we brought in a large number of composers.”

And when this conversation was shared in a restaurant in Chungmuro [district in Seoul known for its film industry], the rumor spread like ripples in a pond.

If movie actors watch Chungmuro to appear in better works, it’s the same for musical actors.

Everyone carefully chose the work that would become their filmography.

The original musical ‘Rock’ was already well known in this industry.

A long production period. It almost fell apart, but suddenly surged in popularity due to the popularity of rock. The special genre of rock and the names of the participating composers were secretly known.

Even if they couldn’t hear the song itself, the rumor that the number Jungwoo sings at the end is amazing swept through the ecosystem. That meant it was enough to stimulate the curiosity of actors called A-class in Korea.

“It’s that difficult? To the point where I can’t sing it?”

And around that time, Halo was in the studio.

He looks down at the guitar.

“Gasp! President, are you okay?”

“I’m not hurt.”

The bridge of the acoustic guitar had fallen off.

Well, it was a low-end model that Noh Haeil bought with his allowance, and it had been overworked as much as his body, so it might be natural.

He came into Noh Haeil’s body in November, and since then, he had always carried this guitar as if it were part of him.

The tattered acoustic guitar, after 9 months, screamed to be killed.

“Since it’s completely fallen off, we’ll have to buy a new one.”

“Let’s get a better one.”

In fact, the price was no longer an issue at all.

He could buy any guitar he wanted with a wave of his hand.

“You’re not going to throw it away?”

However. Why is that?

He didn’t want to throw away the low-end guitar with its ordinary sound and even a broken bridge.

“If you want to repair it, shall we go to Nakwon Arcade [a famous musical instrument market in Seoul]?”

Han Jin-young, remembering that the boy carried an acoustic guitar whenever he went somewhere, asked kindly.

“If we’re going to Nakwon Arcade, I want to go too.”

“Road, did you call? Eternal bodyguard Nam Gyu-hwan, here I am.”

“Ah, aren’t you ashamed of that concept?”

Haelo put the acoustic guitar in its case and held it.

“Shall we go?”

No one would refuse those words.

#

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Nakwon Arcade.”

“I know. I haven’t been here in a while. How long has it been?”

It was his first time at Nakwon Arcade since he came with his mother in the past.

However, unlike then, Halo, who came with his band members, entered Nakwon Arcade, which hadn’t changed at all. There’s no change here, including the number of people.

“Wow, look at the keyboard.”

“I want to impulse buy a stick [drumstick].”

He was the one who came to buy a guitar, but the members seemed more excited.

“Should I buy more picks too?”

As the four of them flocked together, people’s attention briefly focused on them.

It’s the same as always, being told to come in and take a look.

Electric guitars displayed in the showcase. And other instruments.

Still, as they were talking among themselves, the attention lessened a bit.

If they knew Noh Haeil was among them, it might have been different.

Not many people knew the faces of Noh Haeil’s band members.

The eyes watching them, who were chattering as if they had come to an amusement park, became increasingly sharp.

Since there are so many people who come as famous tourist attractions, they might be accepting them as tourists.

But soon their attitude had no choice but to change.

Haelo turned his head together as Moon Seo-yeon, who had been chattering, stopped and stared at the window.

It was a window full of synthesizers and audio equipment.

There were mainly electronic keyboards and synthesizers from two popular brands.

“Do you like that?”

“Ah, no. I was just wondering what it was.”

What does it mean for a keyboardist to just look at a synthesizer out of curiosity?

Haelo chuckled and went inside.

“Oh, President, no, it’s really okay. I just looked at it, I really don’t intend to buy it.”

“I have to take care of my session.”

Moon Seo-yeon stopped at the casually thrown words and shyly nodded.

Unfortunately, the synthesizer couldn’t be carried around, so they left it for delivery.

“Me, me too?”

Haelo was about to buy everything that caught the members’ eyes.

Even if he makes a lot of money, shouldn’t he think about buying it? But the boy went into each store in Nakwon Arcade as if he was breaking the dojo [a place for martial arts training, implying he’s conquering each store] and swiped his card without a care.

“I will cherish it for life and pass it down to my descendants.”

And Nam Gyu-hwan received the stick with a face that looked like he was about to burst into tears.

He could have received the new percussion with the delivery, but he insisted on taking it.

From the looks of it, he was about to store it somewhere.

“That’s a bit difficult.”

Nam Gyu-hwan tilted his head at Haelo’s words, then,

“We have to record again now. The 8th album and this and that. Is practice going well?”

“···Yes, of course.”

His face slowly crumbled at the words he heard.

He was happy. He could ascend to heaven like this.

Like that, Haelo followed his memories and entered Nakwon Arcade.

There, there was a place where he had bought an electric guitar with his mother before.

He definitely said he did repairs too.

Unfortunately, the acoustic guitar he had seen before was not visible.

A folk guitar with a white body and streamlined shape.

Well, it would have been hard not to sell it for 6 months.

The old man, who was playing Hwatu [Korean card game] with his colleagues inside, looked at the guest who came in quietly, and then jumped up when he found Haelo wearing a cap.

“A guest has come, everyone get out.”

“No, we can come back after serving the guest. Why even leave.”

“You guys, get out when I’m saying good things.”

“No, since when have you been so good at business manners.”

The old men who were playing Hwatu together grumbled and got up one by one.

It wasn’t long before they all left.

“Hello.”

“Ah, hello?”

The old man slowly looked around at the people.

Moon Seo-yeon and Nam Gyu-hwan, and Han Jin-young.

After briefly looking at the unique people, he spoke to the boy.

“You’ve met good people.”

The old man seemed to remember the boy he had met six months ago.

He had grown taller than then, and his hair color had turned pale, but the old man still couldn’t forget the boy. Yes, he played such music, how could he forget.

“The business, is it because of that?”

“Yes.”

At the old man’s gesture, Haelo nodded and put down the old acoustic guitar.

The broken bridge is the first thing you see when you open the guitar case.

Seeing that he brought this without throwing it away, it seems like he wants to fix it.

‘Hmm…. This is difficult.’

Unless it’s a brand, it’s just a low-end model, so it’s meant to be thrown away when it breaks. There was no way to revive it.

He could reattach the bridge, but there was little chance that the sound would satisfy the boy’s ears.

“Is it hard to fix?”

“···That’s right.”

I thought so.

Haelo nodded calmly.

“Then please just repair it.”

“If you’re just going to keep it. By the way, you’ll have to get a new one. How about that one.”

The old man pointed to a guitar of a decent brand.

In fact, it was the most expensive one. The boy who was touching the strings plucked it a few times.

“Can you play a good song like you did then?”

The old man, who had been quietly watching the boy, opened his mouth.

“Then can I get a discount this time too?”

“No. Why would I give a discount to someone who makes a lot of money.”

“!”

The members were startled for no reason, but Haelo remembered playing HALO’s 2nd album for this old man. However, the old man didn’t specifically ask or call him Halo.

Whether he lived far from the world, or whether he didn’t care about anything.

Well, he didn’t care either.

“I just want to listen as an audience this time, would that be okay?”

If that’s the case, then.

Haelo readily agreed.

Before playing, the old man muttered softly.

“Thank you for coming. I actually thought you wouldn’t come again.”

Seeing him say this, it seems like he doesn’t know at all.

Haelo took his eyes off the old man and turned his head.

He met the members who were watching him with curious eyes at the sound of him playing.

He decided. What song to do.

“This time… unlike then, it’s an unfinished song.”

“That’s good too.”

The old man liked any song.

He just wanted to experience that miracle again.

A miracle like becoming young again.

And Haelo strummed the guitar towards the members who were full of questions.

He doesn’t intend to tell them the title yet.

#

And here, there was a man wandering around the 2nd floor arcade.

The man who had been wandering around Nakwon Arcade for several days was surprisingly not unemployed, but the marketing manager of the Korean branch of G, an American instrument manufacturer.

He had launched the brand in Korea not long ago and had set out to survey the market first to raise awareness. He listened to the melody coming from somewhere.

‘By the way, where is this song coming from?’

It wasn’t strange to hear music anywhere in Nakwon Arcade, but this music was different.

It was the first time he had heard the song, but he followed it as if he were possessed.

People who had been possessed by the song like him were already gathered in one arcade.

Middle-aged and old people.

In other words, they were abandoning their own stores in Nakwon Arcade and gathering in front of someone else’s store. Manager Kim, who had squeezed in between them, widened his eyes.

The melody was amazing, but what was even more shocking was—.

‘Noh Haeil? Why is Noh Haeil here.’

He had discovered the hottest singer in Korea.

‘Well, he must have come to buy an instrument. No, but even celebrities come to Nakwon Arcade to buy instruments?!’

The guitar case placed in one corner slowly came into his eyes as he listened to the melody.

A broken bridge. A completely broken guitar came into view.

It was a guitar that was impossible to revive at first glance,

Perhaps that guitar belongs to the boy in front of him.

He could know why Noh Haeil came to this place.

At that moment, he felt like something was popping.

G, which produces instruments for a small number of people rather than mass production, and

The angel who would raise its awareness was here.

“This can’t be…!”

This was nothing short of an opportunity given by God.

The man pushed his way through the crowd.