The Road to Glory Chapter 131 - What Would Happen?

[What would happen if someone caught The Sun?]

A train adorned with red seals runs along the tracks, cutting through peaceful countryside villages and forests.

Under a cloudless sky, sunlight pours through the large glass windows, and the peaceful scenery begins to make the passengers drowsy.

It’s a little past mealtime.

When the traveler planning their itinerary, the child pointing out the window with questions, and the student pressing buttons on their game console all drooped their heads with heavy eyelids,

Halo discovered a phrase written in a yellow newspaper.

As it was a high-speed train visited by many passengers, one could find newspapers and magazines for passengers to read on board, and this was one of them.

Judging by the cover of HALO’s 11th album, “Catch me if you can,” released on December 31st on the front page of the newspaper, it didn’t seem to be a science magazine explaining what would actually happen if one touched the sun.

And the content…

It defined the album title as Halo’s provocation, or more precisely, a game presented to the world – a game of tag, and was discussing what would happen after Halo was caught.

The repercussions when his identity is revealed,

The advertisements he would do and his music, changes in Hollywood.

However, these were contents already mentioned everywhere, and the reporter’s main point was elsewhere.

If someone were to catch the king, that is, if they were to win the game of tag Halo presented, the article said Halo would give a reward.

Just as a king would bestow titles and territories to loyal knights, Halo too would gift something to loyal fans – at this content, Halo raised the corners of his mouth.

“A reward…”

Halo put down the newspaper.

The members sitting next to and across from him had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Those who had been expounding on how train travel was the flower of European journeys and the beautiful scenes unfolding beyond the train windows had departed to see dreamland sceneries.

About 8 hours from Vienna to Venice.

There was still plenty of time left.

Suddenly remembering something he had to do, he took his phone and left the first-class compartment.

Inside the café car, there were chairs and tables that could seat about ten people, and an employee working at a shop selling drinks and sandwiches.

The employee didn’t seem very interested in him at the moment.

Halo passed by him and sat in a corner.

The dial tone didn’t last long.

As always, it was answered immediately.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Veil.”

[A very good afternoon indeed.]

The sound of curtains being drawn came from the other end of the phone.

Instinctively, Halo looked out the window as well.

“Are you doing well?”

[I’m always the same. Just got a bit annoying when things got busy right when I was about to take a vacation. I’ll wrap it up soon. How about you?]

“I’m enjoying traveling here and there.”

Halo recalled his day in Vienna.

On the day they planned to have a picnic on the grass, it snowed heavily.

Although they wouldn’t have been able to stay out long anyway since it was winter, everyone was disappointed.

So instead, they played like children, throwing snow at each other. And the hot chocolate and cup noodles they ordered after returning to the hotel soaking wet tasted better than ever.

Ah, and the photo.

Halo recalled the photo taken by a photographer in Prater Park, Vienna, Austria. It was a photo of him holding the setting sun.

Under the shadowed face, the soft smile and the reddish guitar captured a drowsy, peaceful moment that felt disconnected from the noisy world.

Halo admitted that the photo turned out quite well.

The photographer’s claim that he was famous when he was young wasn’t a lie. When asked if it would be okay to display the photo in his studio if possible, Halo nodded that it was fine.

[Sounds like you’re having fun. More than I expected.]

August Veil smiled as he listened to the boy’s story, who seemed to be enjoying Vienna very much.

[Looks like I made the right choice in recommending travel to you]

At those words, Halo recalled how he came to travel.

His happiest birthday.

At his birthday party after singing the most difficult song, he had a conversation with August Veil.

-What do you want to do? I’ll do whatever you want.

At the moment of choice, he uncharacteristically postponed his decision, to which August Veil said,

-Sometimes such moments come. How about like this?

He recommended travel to him.

-Why don’t you try to find out why you’re hesitating?

-If you couldn’t find the answer nearby, it might be good to go somewhere farther. There’s a reason people travel. Sometimes long-standing problems are solved at once.

Yes, that’s why he decided to travel.

Although he usually liked to take off on a whim, the first reason and goal of this travel was precisely that.

And truly, as the old man said, he found his answer.

[So-]

August Veil was about to ask about the next destination.

Although it seemed he was doing well on his own, he wanted to help make the stay even more comfortable.

At that moment, the boy’s voice came through the phone.

“I’ve decided now.”

At the sudden words, August didn’t understand what he meant at first.

But soon he knew what he was talking about.

He had never forgotten his conversation with Halo, and there was only one ‘decision’ Halo had to make now.

[So you’ve finally made up your mind.]

August Veil didn’t rush the boy.

He wanted the boy to do as he wished.

Come to think of it, this morning, Coachella had asked if they could have just one phone call with Halo, saying they would do the persuading. As it was getting close to the end of January, Coachella also needed to release a confirmation article, so they must have become urgent.

“Please send a reply to Coachella.”

[! Coachella will be pleased.]

There was no need to ask who he would be performing as.

If he were going as Roh Haeil, he wouldn’t have even told August Veil.

[It’s going to be quite a splendid festival.]

August Veil spoke as if he was already welcoming Coachella, which would be held in April.

However, since it wasn’t wrong, Halo didn’t refute.

[May I ask just one thing?]

“Yes.”

[What made you decide? Can you tell me, perhaps?]

“What made me decide.”

Halo smiled faintly at August Veil’s question.

The conversation from this morning came to his mind.

–I caught you

–Halo

With that one phrase, Halo realized that he had wanted that insignificant one word.

Rather than someone asking, “Are you Halo?” or “What do you think about the theory that you’re Halo?”

He honestly admitted that he just wanted someone to call his name, ‘Halo’.

“I got caught.”

[Hm?]

“At an unexpected moment.”

And

Halo closed his eyes.

Just as the yellow magazine had said a little while ago, ‘If you catch Halo, he’ll give a reward’…

“Rose, I lost.”

He went back to the hotel lobby this morning.

“You won, so I’ll give you a reward.”

Although it wasn’t a game he started, he complied with the rules of tag. The one who won by catching the ‘it’ is Rose.

“What shall I do for you?”

The yellow magazine talked about money and houses.

He actually had the heart to give them if Rose asked for them.

He was happy at that moment, and money wasn’t an important value to him.

Rose smiled brightly and said,

“Sing for me.”

It was a pure wish, befitting a child.

“Shall I make a song for you?”

A dedication song by HALO, one and only in the world for someone. A reward that people around the world might want came out of Halo’s mouth first.

Rose seemed to ponder for a long time.

As Halo smiled faintly at the serious face

“No.”

An unexpected answer was heard.

Rose didn’t seem to know how valuable the reward she had rejected was. But she spoke clearly without taking back her words.

“Mom says there are many people in the world who are more struggling and in pain than me. I always cry under the blanket after coming back from the hospital, and those people must do the same, right? Just as I was healed by listening to Halo’s songs, I wish those people would no longer be in pain.”

Rose raised her head.

Her eyes were still unfocused, but they shone with a clearer and more beautiful green than anyone else’s.

“Sing for them, Halo.”

The boy was fully captured in that light.

“My sun.”

At that moment, Halo felt an intense sensation.

It felt like all his worries disappeared.

A distant travel destination.

In an unexpected moment, as August Veil had said, he found his answer.

Returning to the train bound for Venice, Halo said,

“I think it’s okay to reveal it now.”

August Veil didn’t know how much of a long story was omitted in that one sentence, “I was caught at an unexpected moment.”

He only knew it was related to the game of tag suggested by the album title “Catch me if you can.” Someone must have found Halo.

Anyway, Halo’s decision was what he had hoped for.

August Veil thought the time had come.

After finishing the talk about Coachella, Veil brought up the conversation he couldn’t have earlier.

[So where are you heading now? Salzburg? Budapest?]

Judging by the sound of the train, he was clearly on the move.

Halo stood up from his seat.

People flocked to the café car. It was a group of college students, and they were holding the yellow newspaper Halo had seen.

“I’m going to Venice.”

[Venice?]

August Veil immediately slapped his desk.

[What perfect timing! I have a villa there too!]

:

From January 31 to February 9, 2032. The Venice Carnival (Carnevale di Venezia) is held for ten days. People dressed in elaborate masks and costumes roaming all over Venice were the very essence of the Venice Carnival.

On the first day, one of the 12 girls selected for the Festa delle Marie is chosen as the angel of the carnival. From the second day, along with the main parade, numerous people dressed in costumes and held performances. The highlights were the masked balls and the beautiful mask competition.

Evening of January 29.

The villa manager came to pick up the Roh Haeil band, who arrived late in the evening, and as soon as they got on the boat, they understood why Venice was called the city of water.

Buildings standing tall on the water.

More water vehicles than cars or buses.

The water city of Venice was bustling with the approaching festival. Dazzling lights and blue waves. The streets were filled with shops selling elaborate masks. Venice, visited by more travelers than ever, was full of excitement and fervor.

“Urgh.”

“Blech.”

Halo noticed Han Jinyeong and Moon Seoyeon dry heaving on the boat, which wasn’t even rocking that much.

“Is there a pharmacy nearby?”

“There’s motion sickness medicine at the villa.”

The villa manager also looked bewildered, as if seeing people getting seasick for the first time.

“You weaklings.”

“I’m dying… blech.”

“Gyuhwan.”

“…Yes.”

Only Nam Gyuhwan, with a calm face, went to Moon Seoyeon’s side to tease her, but stopped when Han Jinyeong firmly gripped his shoulder.

Halo smiled at the bickering members and lowered his hand into the water. Although he was told it was dangerous as he could fall off the boat, the water that touched his hand was cool and soft.

As it was winter and the water level was low, he had to lower his shoulder quite a bit, so he quickly pulled his hand out, but Halo caught a feather that had flowed down with the waves.

It was a glossy black feather.

“It must have fallen from a mask.”

As he was wondering why a crow’s feather had fallen on the water’s surface, the villa manager’s voice was heard.

“You might have already seen, but they’re selling masks on the street we just passed.”

“Ah.”

As the boy nodded, the old villa manager smiled contentedly.

“By the way, have you prepared your mask and costume?”

“No, not yet.”

“You should prepare soon, as the festival is coming up. It will be a fun memory.”

Halo fiddled with the crow feather and slowly raised it above his head.

#

Meanwhile, Korea was peaceful yet noisy as it welcomed the new year. In other words, it was the same as usual.

For people whose only new thing was their age, the new year wasn’t particularly special. Someone’s drunk driving, someone’s statement, someone’s dating rumor filled the news, and people talked about it.

TV stations showed new drama and variety show pilots, but as usual, there wasn’t much to talk about.

Still, there were some topics being discussed in communities, like a certain segment of a comedy show and a music variety show that had aired up to its third episode recently.

The variety show with a busking concept of going abroad to play our music had quite a few interesting aspects.

And wasn’t the cast quite luxurious?

Singers like Kim Sunchul who had dominated an era, or Jang Imyoung. And so-called modern singers too.

The program where singers famous for their live performances gathered to busk was actually quite good.

Yet it didn’t feel like a big hit or masterpiece. There were many posts just saying to watch their performances as NuTube clips.

However, things changed when a traveler’s review was posted on the community.

It started with a sentence from a Korean who had traveled to Vienna, Austria, asking if they should watch from episode 1, not knowing that Roh Haeil also appeared in Spring Again.

[What are you talking about? Roh Haeil doesn’t appear in Spring Again]

[Yes. He’s not on the cast list either]

[Before that, Haeil went on a trip]

└ That bastard who didn’t even come to the awards ceremony because he went on a trip…

[Looking at Kim Sunchul mentioning Austria, it seems right, but does that mean Roh Haeil appears?]

└ Maybe he appears as a guest after a chance encounter?

└ It’s not like there’s only one city in Europe

└ Vienna is quite plausible though

└ Has anyone inquired to Spring Again?

[Wait, who? Haeil? The Roh Haeil I know? The Haeil who only keeps his promise to create SNS accounts but doesn’t upload?]

└ Is there another Roh Haeil in Korea besides that Haeil?

[But what if it’s true?]

The traveler’s review was enough to awaken Jaws among the fans who had been suffering from Roh Haeil’s hiatus.