The Road to Glory Chapter 151 - Pilgrimage

The world did not calm down easily.

The fact that a boy from South Korea was Halo was not something that would quiet down in a few days.

It was natural that after Coachella, Roh Haeil and Halo’s whereabouts became vague again. Those who couldn’t find him continued to search for ongoing topics, and the storm seemed to grow bigger, encompassing both the past and present.

The reason why “Show By Show,” released two years ago, climbed up the music charts was the same.

[Show By Show finally rises to 10th place]

[From 1st to 10th place on Watermelon, it’s all Roh Haeil (HALO). Might as well rename it the Haeil chart at this point]

└ Following the Haeil Awards, now we have the Haeil Chart lol

[Wow, how much has Roh Haeil been eating up since last year;;]

[Even if Roh Haeil didn’t come to the awards ceremony, they should give him this one for good reason]

[Halo didn’t receive the Rookie Award, but at least Roh Haeil did, so that’s fortunate]

└ WTF?? Halo didn’t receive the Rookie Award?

└ Did they think he was already established?

└ Surprisingly, Halo’s number of released songs exceeded the rookie criteria LOL

└ Rookie releases in 3 years < Halo’s releases in one year

└ Honestly, even compared to most 10-year veterans, Halo probably released more

└ This is crazy lol. Is this K-rookie?

People also bothered those around him who had participated in the music festival with him – especially Hwang Ryongpil from the same team or Sin Joohyeok, who was known to be close to Roh Haeil.

Moreover, it was enough time for someone to dig up embarrassing past events.

[K-critic update) Deleting posts]

└ Yes, Junseok, keep deleting posts. We’ve already captured them~~

[Did you see critic Kim Junseok’s post? Roh Haeil caught the Halo disease···]

└ Halo disease lol. But it’s kind of true?

└ For real, even Halo caught the Roh Haeil disease

└ 5.0 stars for Halo’s songs, 3.5 for Roh Haeil’s songs LOL

└ He even told Roh Haeil to learn from Halo LOL

[I found this funnier: When Roh Haeil said he’d make rock, he said, “Excessive greed leads to bad endings. Wouldn’t it be better to just do your own music?”]

└ LMAO

└ Turns out Roh Haeil was just doing his own music all along. Consistent guy

└ But didn’t Sin Joohyeok also once ask Roh Haeil why he wasn’t doing rock···

└ Shh

[Where’s the guy who said he’d give 10 trillion if Roh Haeil = Halo was proven? It’s been proven, give us the 10 trillion lol]

└ Was there really someone who bet 10 trillion, not even 10 billion? LOL

└ Turns out he was a school kid. He showed up on the community and promised to work hard

└ LOL Can you make 10 trillion in a lifetime?

└ How many times do you need to win the lottery?

└ Last week’s 1st prize was 12.3 billion, so you’d need to win about 1,000 times

└ Easy, just 1,000 consecutive weeks lol

└ For real lol. Just need to win every week for 20 years

It was to the extent that those who absolutely didn’t believe Roh Haeil was Halo, but hadn’t left any traces, had to breathe a sigh of relief due to the witch hunt that occurred.

In fact, even these people didn’t know about it for the past year, but it was the natural karma for those who had accumulated resentment towards Roh Haeil’s fandom and those who were favorable to him, criticizing those who said their voices were similar and elevating Roh Haeil.

[Am I the only one feeling embarrassed? If foreigners know what our country’s critics said, they might think this is our national standard]

└ Don’t worry, it’s even more chaotic abroad.

└ After Halo, the critics who bashed K-pop have already been preserved on Reddit

└ But what does India have to do with K-pop?

└ Dunno, they get lumped together with j-pop because they’re all Asian

And the situation was similar overseas.

This storm wasn’t just happening on the internet.

The offline world, that is, reality, was even worse.

“Oh my…”

Moon Seoyeon, who had stayed at the Hongdae hideout and was about to return to the label to practice, was surprised to discover numerous people while riding in Han Jinyeong’s car.

“Should we go somewhere else for now?”

“Yes, I’ll tell Nam Gyuhwan not to come to the label either.”

While reporters were reporters, an even more unusual sight was visible.

If broadcasters and reporters had been numerous since before Coachella, suddenly unfamiliar foreigners were looking up at the label with wistful eyes.

“So this is the place.”

“Oh, The Sun…”

“It’s a sacred place. Did my little baby Sun walk this path?”

That expression was exactly the same as Nam Gyuhwan’s when he occasionally looked up at the label with overwhelming emotion, which gave her goosebumps.

“Nam Gyuhwan, one, two, three… This amoeba-like guy.”

“Is that the point you’re surprised about? Let’s go to the hideout for now. We’ll practice there, and soon we’ll need to record at Mr. Kang Yeongmin’s studio-.”

Han Jinyeong chuckled and opened his phone.

Among the numerous requests, including greetings from relatives and classmates, and performance requests asking for temporary session work after seeing the impressive stage at Coachella, there was Kang Yeongmin, which he might have missed if he hadn’t looked carefully.

“Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?”

Han Jinyeong made a troubled face after reading the content.

“Apparently, Mr. Kang Yeongmin’s studio is in chaos right now?”

“What?”

It seemed like the true ripple effect of the fact that Roh Haeil was Halo was just beginning.

They didn’t mention it specifically, but Nam Gyuhwan, who had already arrived at the hideout, did mention it.

A pilgrimage, he called it.

“I knew a day like this would come eventually.”

Seeing that even Kang Yeongmin’s studio, which hadn’t been known until now, was discovered, it seemed like all the places Roh Haeil had been to so far would be unearthed.

It was like how Arbor’s new clothes that Halo wore during performances and Roh Haeil’s December magazine issue disappeared from the market, and how inquiries were pouring into guitar manufacturer G about when Halo’s signature model would be released.

Every piece of clothing, shoes, and bags that Roh Haeil had worn.

Whether they were bought from offline stores or his mother bought them online, they were being uploaded under the name [Halo’s outfit].

Halo’s fans were trying to get closer to the Halo they didn’t know.

As a singer, Roh Haeil might have been known, but as a human, Roh Haeil hadn’t been shown much on broadcasts or become well-known, which made it even more so.

Come to think of it, it was like that. Although Roh Haeil had released so many songs under the names Roh Haeil and Halo, he hadn’t actually done a VLive or even filmed one of those common documentary variety shows.

It wasn’t strange that people were craving for more.

“How did they find out about Mr. Kang Yeongmin’s studio?”

“Seems like they found out from the studio address shown in Haeil’s old NuTube video.”

“You mean that confession video?”

Moon Seoyeon opened her mouth in admiration that they had immediately found and made a pilgrimage site out of a studio name that was exposed just once there.

Well, considering how Nam Gyuhwan had made a fuss calling it a sacred place when they recorded the 12th and 13th albums at Mr. Kang Yeongmin’s studio before, it wasn’t that strange.

“Anyway, we won’t be able to go to the label for a while.”

It’s problematic to be caught by reporters or foreigners, and there are also security issues. The small building in Seongsu Station might be breached if someone has bad intentions.

It seemed like it would be good to keep the label closed for the time being.

“We’re here, Haeil.”

Halo pulled his hat down low as the familiar hideout came into view. His mother, who had rented a different car just in case, had intended to drop him off at the label after finishing the move, but upon seeing the crowd of people, she turned the car around.

“Boss!”

“Haeil, you’re here?”

The members welcomed him.

Unfortunately, Bae Gonghak was at work, and Kim Deoksoo had left the hideout saying Aya was waiting for him.

“Did you see the label?”

“Yes.”

“What should we do?”

“It’s quite troublesome indeed.”

Honestly, he didn’t like it.

It was uncomfortable for him, who used the label more like a home than his parents’ house. Although his parents had moved to a larger house, that was still just his parents’ house. He was likely to end up holed up in the hideout or a hotel room if he wasn’t careful. It was better than a hospital, but he wasn’t the type to stay quietly cooped up somewhere. At least, not by choice.

As Halo sat there with a blank expression, the members spoke up first.

“I don’t need to worry. The hideout is comfortable for me anyway.”

“There’s a practice room upstairs, so we can practice there.”

“I can even sleep on the streets if needed.”

While everyone was saying it was fine, he wasn’t fine with it at all and didn’t think they needed to be okay with it.

After all.

“Let’s just move.”

“What?”

“Now?”

Can’t we just find a new company building?

Halo shrugged as if to say ‘what’s the problem?’, and one by one, they understood.

It seemed a bit hasty to decide on moving so impulsively, but the more they thought about it, there was no reason not to.

There were no processes or superiors to be mindful of, and it’s not like Halo was concerned about tax implications.

The label had always done whatever he wanted anyway, so this time was no different.

“Do you have a place in mind?”

“Well, just…”

Halo thought simply.

A place with good sunlight, where you can take walks nearby. Quiet but interesting, neither too hot nor too cold, and the facilities-. Something like the “awesome studio” August Veil had shown? From practice rooms to meeting rooms, rest areas, it should have everything needed, and also-.

If possible, he wanted it to be modern yet antique, clean yet luxurious. A small performance hall and hobby space in the basement, a garden or pool on the rooftop. It might be good to have a bomb shelter to prevent earthquakes or tornadoes.

To add to that, it should be indistinguishable whether it’s a company building, a hotel, or a villa.

Saying things that would make an architect weep, Halo said,

“I think that should do it.”

He said nonchalantly, since he wouldn’t be the one directly finding it,

And naturally, the members who also wouldn’t be directly finding it agreed that it sounded good.

With so many buildings in Seoul, surely there must be at least one property like that.

While chattering with the members about the new company building, Halo answered his phone when it rang.

He was just about to contact them, and the call came at just the right time.

[Did you finish moving well?]

Halo recalled that he had only seen the new house this morning. There wasn’t much to say about finishing well, as he really hadn’t done anything. It seemed the hired people had packed the luggage, and he thought he’d just need to help with organizing later.

Even then, it would just be Roh Haeil’s belongings.

Halo left a message to come visit sometime, and then got to the main point. However, August Veil was even more welcoming about that main point.

[I was going to talk about it sometime, but this is perfect. I’ll look into it well.]

He was only going to request about the studio equipment August Veil had visited in Europe, but August Veil’s attitude was as if he was going to find interior designers or even architects.

Well, that’s not bad either.

He had come to acknowledge August Veil’s eye through his villa and the studios he had introduced. His taste quite matched Halo’s preferences, who enjoyed luxury.

[By the way, how have you been lately?]

August Veil deliberately didn’t mention the lawsuit with ‘XYC’ to Halo. Following guitar G, Arbor, and Coachella, even the large corporation that had placed ads at Coachella had joined in, so the outcome of the lawsuit seemed already decided.

Now it’s just a matter of time. In the end, XYC will have to throw in the towel and pay a large sum.

He didn’t want to tell the boy about such uninteresting stories. August Veil still remembered the ‘retirement’ Halo had mentioned.

“I’ve been resting continuously these days.”

Although some people are noisy – Halo recalled Scorpion, who had contacted him saying he was in the same place on the day he revealed his identity, and the grumbling Sin Joohyeok – it’s true that he had been resting since he hadn’t been working on music.

“Quite a few emails have piled up in the meantime.”

[It seems you’re not very interested]

Halo chuckled.

He had rejected most of the offers.

He didn’t feel the need for composition work, collaborations, music shows, or variety shows.

However, he did keep a few things.

For instance, an email from the musical ‘Rock‘. A proposal asking if he could decorate the last performance encore.

The last performance of ‘Rock‘, which is currently in extended run, is in May, and if the schedule works out, Halo would gladly want to go.

[Look for things that will be enjoyable for you. I can help with anything. Ah, I received quite an interesting proposal too. They’ll probably send it to you personally as well, but I’ll organize it first and send it to you, so read it once.]

If the proposal went to Veil first, it’s probably a proposal sent to several affiliated artists. Halo nodded, roughly understanding.

“More importantly, what about the watch?”

Halo asked about what he was curious about first.

[Of course, the order went in well.]

August Veil’s laughter was faintly heard.

Probably because he recalled Halo’s very creative drawing skills.

It was a drawing that would make even Picasso, lying in his grave, admire. To put it more simply, it was like a drawing children would make. It looked less like a watch and more like chocolate stuck to a bag. While fans would say they like whatever he does, he hoped it would come out at least not embarrassing to wear.

[As you know, it will take about 3 to 4 months from now.]

The order quantity was exactly one thousand.

They said it was impossible to make an infinite number, so they matched the quantity with the music boxes.

They haven’t decided how to distribute them yet, but it will be decided soon.

[By the way, where are you thinking of giving out the watches?]

August Veil finally brought up what he most wanted to ask. Until now, the places where the boy had gifted fans were only his small theater concerts and fan meeting theaters.

Halo raised the corners of his mouth.

“I’ve rested too much, haven’t I?”

Although ‘too much’ was only ten days, August Veil didn’t refute. Because his heart was pounding.

August Veil, who had been cautious since the word ‘retirement’, sat up at the word he soon heard.

“I’m starting to want to do it now.”

Halo remembered the night of Coachella that he still couldn’t escape. He wanted to experience that feeling once again.

The sight of the most beautiful lights in the world becoming waves and rushing towards him.