The Road to Glory – Chapter 147 – A Tidal Wave of Glory

Author: Dawn

Finally, Roh Haeil revealed himself.

The boy who had kept the world in confusion for two months appeared nonchalantly, waving to the world as if he knew nothing.

It’s unclear why such a simple greeting would cause tension.

Some clasped their sweaty hands together, while others opened their mouths slightly, waiting for the boy’s words.

“Hello, I’m Roh Haeil.”

The boy’s greeting was the same in both Korea and America.

Roh Haeil’s fans felt like crying at the unchanging appearance of the boy.

“It’s an honor to see you all here.”

When the word ‘honor’ came from the mouth of the boy who was suspected of being ‘Glory’ more than anyone else, people flinched. (+) ^[1]

“Today was a day I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

The choice of words, ‘waited for a long time.’

People stared blankly at the boy who made eye contact with the audience while holding the microphone.

“I guess you all felt the same?”

The boy, who didn’t give the answer people wanted, winked and smiled playfully.

“So, is everyone ready?”

Ready for what…?

Just as people were about to ask if he meant – what they’re all imagining – .

The sound of a synthesizer was heard.

People snapped out of their trance.

Voice analysis result 97.3%.

Confirmation that it was the person in question.

Comparative analysis by Photoshop experts.

High match rate.

And other existing figures weren’t important.

People waited for the boy’s words.

And the boy opens with his first words in song.

It was the songs people had listened to while doubting and investigating the boy for two months. The songs were in Korean, but as they listened, they became familiar to their ears, and were composed of truly beautiful sounds.

Someone said that even if the boy wasn’t Halo, his genius was certain, and they would love his songs.

The boy opens with his first song, which is also his debut song.

‘Another Day’ was the first song he made in this world that gifted him another life and world.

It meant another day when he decided to work as Roh Haeil, not Halo, and began living as Roh Haeil.

The second song he sang in succession was ‘Lighthouse of the Night’.

It was music made from the starlight seen at Rendezvous, which soon became his landmark.

It’s music about the people who became the Big Dipper for him when he was lost after coming to another world.

He was able to find his way by following the brightest stars in the dark night.

“This is my full-length album, right?”

The third song that followed was ‘Welcome to my World’.

It was music telling about himself to the people he met in another world.

Halo turned his head to look at the members, and thought of the acquaintances who would be beyond the stage.

Welcome to my world.

And he said he hoped they would show their world someday too.

And the last song he prepared.

Actually, he had a lot of trouble here.

Whether to sing ‘Until Dawn Comes’ here. But isn’t that Halo’s music?

He didn’t want to sing Halo’s music on Roh Haeil’s stage. So, he pulled out the song he had been pondering.

‘Ever End’

Everyone wishes for Never End, but the word with one alphabet dropped became his reality soon.

Ever End (Someday it will end)

Halo closed his eyes and sang.

[Someday]

People sang along with his song in awkward pronunciation.

[It will end

Like every story has an ending]

[I know what you’re afraid of]

In fact, it was what he feared most.

His ending.

He knew that if there was another beginning, there would eventually be another ending.

Still, Halo didn’t sing about his fear of it. Because it wasn’t Roh Haeil’s music.

[It’s nothing]

People said the words they might hope for, and perhaps what he might want to hear.

[That time, that moment

We who walked there]

[Are at the end of that road]

Because nothing will be solved if we stand still.

Roh Haeil’s music faded.

Someone felt regretful about the fifty minutes that passed in an instant, while someone else thought that this was just the beginning.

That is, if the boy was really Halo.

But the lights on the stage went out with the boy’s closing remarks.

“What, is it over?”

“Then is he not Halo?”

“What’s going on?”

The NuTube streaming showed interviews with top stars along with the end of the stage. Usually, people would enjoy watching it, but it wasn’t the video the people watching the stream wanted to see. They weren’t curious about what the top stars had to say at all.

[Stop talking nonsense and replay the stage]

[We’ll watch this later, so switch back to the live broadcast]

Someone’s comment quickly rose on the streaming site.

Murmuring.

Do we just have to wait here for an hour?

What? People talked about what to do with the strangers next to them.

Around that time, it was the Coachella veterans who felt something strange.

Those who visited Coachella every year and liked Coachella’s lineup or Coachella’s music questioned.

‘Why aren’t the stage lights coming on?’

Because there were so many people, they usually waited for the exit after one stage ended and then it would brighten again.

Even if not all the lights were turned on, it was to identify so as not to step on each other’s feet.

However, no matter how long they waited, the lights didn’t come on.

It was pitch black except for the light of cell phones turned on by impatient people.

The Coachella main stage was darker than any substage. This was an absurd thing.

To the extent that it could be seen as an accident if it wasn’t intentional.

‘Intentional…?’

One person’s gaze returns to the stage.

No silhouette was visible on the stage engulfed in darkness. Unless someone was wearing fluorescent clothes, you wouldn’t know if anyone was standing there.

Thinking that someone might be standing in that darkness, the tension rose again.

If someone is standing there, it would be that man in that place. It’s funny that the darkest one is there, but it would be the man called The Sun who would be there.

Thump thump thump thump-.

The broadcasting station must have felt strange too, as the head of the Helicopter that had been wandering in the air turned back towards the stage.

They would probably be the ones most wanting the stage lights to come on. Maybe they’ll soon lose patience and shine the lights themselves.

If they were in their right mind, they wouldn’t, though.

If it was an intended stage setup, it could be stage interference if they shone the lights.

Around that time, people started to slump down in their seats one by one.

Since the next stage was Halo, they couldn’t leave. If they left, greedy crowds would take their places and they might end up watching Halo’s performance on NuTube streaming even after coming all the way to Coachella.

When the mysterious darkness had continued for about 7 minutes.

Boom.

People turned their heads at the drum sound that came from somewhere.

They thought they had heard wrong, but soon a smooth synthesizer and bass joined in. It sounded like tuning sounds.

“Halo…?”

People who were sitting started to stand up again.

There was also kindness in pressing the power button of their phones to see his stage.

If they could see Halo’s stage, they could endure this seemingly infinite darkness.

However, their king doesn’t leave them in darkness.

Although the lights didn’t come on, a familiar melody was heard.

Ahhhhh!

A familiar intro.

People screamed at the familiar sound.

An old thrill rose up.

It was the melody of Struggle, which could be said to be Halo’s starting point.

Murmurs spread throughout the stage.

The Coachella main stage was still darker than any other stage, but it was the most bustling.

The intro of Struggle repeats and repeats.

As if waiting for Halo.

Then, a voice was heard from the center of the stage consumed by darkness.

“Don’t you like me because I’m not white?”

It was the first question Halo had thrown at them.

People who were murmuring answered with their whole body to the clear voice.

“No!”

No!

Whether you’re white or black or whatever, we’ll welcome you!

No one will say anything! We love you!

People’s answers continued, and people waited for the voice to continue.

It didn’t sound like a recording.

It was clear that he, who had entrusted his body to darkness, was speaking to them.

Soon the next question was heard.

“Are you worried that an unexpected appearance might come out?”

“No way!”

This time people answered faster.

Louder so Halo could hear better.

Then a faint laugh was heard.

He was clearly laughing at their answer.

With just one of his laughs, hearts started to tickle. It felt like they would die of nervousness, as if meeting their first love.

“Surely you won’t be disappointed when you see me?”

“Never!”

He threw another joke, not knowing their hearts.

Just like his music, they were swept away by each and every word he said.

“Then. Let’s start with this.”

No one bothered to mention again that his voice matched that of the boy from the previous stage.

The darkness continues.

But the sound grew louder, as if trying to devour the darkness.

“Struggle.”

The sound of electric guitar roared like a car engine.

People screamed and went wild.

Both body and mind were swept away by Struggle, and they entrusted their entire beings to the conductor on stage.

Although his figure wasn’t visible, just being under the same sky as him was satisfying.

“What’s this, is the lighting broken?”

“Wait. It must be intentional.”

“No, nothing’s going out on the live broadcast like this.”

They tried to capture the sound as much as possible, but the sound wasn’t properly captured due to the propeller noise. The stage was dark, and the sound was muffled. At this rate, there was no point in the live broadcast.

There was a reason why Coachella gave permission on the condition that they wouldn’t get close to the stage.

The broadcast helicopter, which had only intended to reveal Halo’s identity, clicked its tongue at the Coachella main stage where nothing could be seen.

“This won’t do.”

“What won’t do?”

“Let’s shine the light as soon as the song ends.”

“Are you crazy? Do you think that makes sense?”

“Just a moment. We can just see who it is and turn it off again.”

The cameraman, who thought it was a joke, was startled when the anchor moved directly. He was really trying to shine the light.

“No!”

“Get out of the way!”

Halo slowly raised his head.

‘What’s that?’

The helicopter was shining its light towards the night sky.

It didn’t seem like it was going to crash, but it looked like they had accidentally pressed the headlights.

He lost interest and focused on the stage.

People were singing as one with him even in the darkness. A thrill enveloped his entire body.

Halo wanted to enjoy this pleasure longer.

Once, for a moment, he had wondered why he had become Roh Haeil. This soon led to the question of how long he could live as Roh Haeil.

The thought spread to his loving parents and friends, members and acquaintances, and he suddenly thought.

He wondered if it had given him the opportunity to enjoy the happiest moment lastly.

It might be natural to think of Roh Haeil ahead of Coachella. After all, the happiest moment he could enjoy as Roh Haeil would be right now.

The members who finished Struggle played the planned song.

Until dawn comes.

An acoustic song unlike the music he had done so far.

Halo put down the electric guitar and picked up the H guitar that symbolized him.

While Roh Haeil’s stage was devoted solely to Roh Haeil’s stage, Halo’s stage was decided to proceed with his beginning and end.

If his beginning was Struggle,

Isn’t the end the title track of the 13th album that wasn’t shown to the world?

It’s a song that goes well with this night.

When he sings this song, the stage lights will come on, and the main stage will shine brighter than any other stage.

Halo raised his head again.

The head of the helicopter that had been shining its light towards the night sky was falling down. It wasn’t descending, it was just looking at his stage.

Halo suddenly realized that the helicopter’s light was still not off.

It was a dazzling light.

Like the sun bringing the morning.

The moment he felt something was wrong, he could no longer continue his appreciation.

As the lyrics of the song say, a dazzling light rushed towards him.

Halo tried to raise his hand to block the light, but soon he was helplessly enveloped.

Like-.

Like that time.

‘No.’

Memories flash by.

Bang! Crash!

The roar of a large car

Someone’s scream.

Everything in front of his eyes turns white.

‘Not yet.’

In the dazzling light, he faintly heard the cry of a baby and a gentle voice.

-Haeil.

It was a memory that passed by too quickly for him to catch.

When he came to his senses, Halo was back in darkness.

It was a familiar darkness.

He had been here once before.

‘This is…’

Halo didn’t slump to the floor like last time.

Rather than writhing like before, he stood still.

He slowly turned around, but nothing was visible.

Nothing could be felt, and nothing could be heard.

It was the world after death.

Halo’s hand, which had denied reality, fell powerlessly.

Well, even a year was long, wasn’t it?

Halo asked himself if it hadn’t been a happy time after all.

Since he was here, would Roh Haeil be on that stage now? If so, he thought he must be very confused right now.

In the end, as he had expected, he left at the happiest moment, which made him feel empty.

Thump…!

It was then.

His ears reacted sensitively to a sound coming from somewhere.

Still unable to see anything, Halo waited for the sound to come again.

It had to be heard once more.

This sound-.

Thump.

As it was heard again, Halo slowly started to move.

It was the sound that had guided him to Roh Haeil.

Hoping that this sound wouldn’t stop, Halo started running towards it faster than before.

He might end up stealing Roh Haeil’s body again, but he didn’t stop.

The sound rang out repeatedly as if calling him.

It sometimes sounded like a clock ticking, sometimes like something dropping.

But Halo knew what this was.

This sound coming in a regular rhythm,

The sound of the metronome he heard in the studio…

Thump thump.

No, it was an even bigger sound.

The sound was louder and heavier than before.

It was making his ears ring, shaking the earth thump thump.

Halo slowly opened his eyes.

He could tell what that sound was.

People were stomping their feet.

In a regular rhythm.

And a familiar sound entered his ears.

The echo, which he first thought was shouting towards him, gradually took shape, and the blurred melody started to become clear.

[Whoever you are]

Halo’s eyes flew open at the familiar lyrics.

Numerous eyes watching him.

He was on stage.

[Whatever you look like]

And numerous people around him were stomping their feet and shouting. To the melody of the song he had released on a winter day.

[We’ll call you Glory]

It was the melody of his only single album ‘I am HALO’, and the fans’ reply song where they changed I to YOU in the lyrics.

They had been waiting for him for a very long time,

The fans’ answer that they would gladly welcome him no matter who he was.

[Our eternal Sun]

The dazzling sun rose from the farthest place. Bright lights and the most beautiful voices gathered and grew in volume.

The Coachella main stage, which had been the darkest, was now shining the brightest in the Indio desert.

Halo stared blankly at this beautiful scene and honestly admitted.

He had said he wouldn’t regret it now, but that was a lie.

He did regret it, and he wanted to enjoy this happiness a little longer.

A little more, a little more.

Halo slowly raised the microphone with trembling hands.

He thought he should respond to their song.

He was the owner of this stage, and a singer.

And even if he wasn’t, he wanted to gladly repay this lovely reply song.

“Yes“

The world pays attention to Halo’s low word.

“I am Halo“

[You are Halo]

His song and the fans’ song alternated and resonated throughout the world. Colorful lights flew up to the sky.

Cheering sticks and stage lights, the lights of the Helicopters and machines cheering for him. Numerous messages for him.

A dazzling wave made of the things he loved most came crashing down on him.

It was a tidal wave of glory.

Translator Note:

Just fun fact(?), the title of this chapter also the title of this novel. While I translated the novel’s title to “The Road to Glory” there are different interpretation for the translation. It (the novel title) can be translated to “A Tidal Wave of Glory” or “A Wave of Glory”