The Road to Glory Chapter 154 - Music I've Never Done Before

The construction permit for Halo’s company building was approved earlier than expected.

Whether it was due to Halo’s reputation or Korean officials’ typically fast processing, it was a good thing either way.

August Veil officially set up a meeting with the architect. It was their first time meeting face-to-face.

“Thank you for accepting my request, Sir Veil. To think I’ll be building a temple, ahem, I mean company building before I go.”

“Where are you going? Is it almost time for the gym?”

August Veil recalled the request from someone his age that threatened with their life. The email was so desperate it made him think the person was either at the age of natural death or had a terminal illness. But the person before him looked very healthy due to continuous training. With his tanned skin and muscles, he looked ten to twenty years younger than his actual age and seemed like he could win against most young people in a fight.

“Haha, but this will be my last work.”

The man, who resembled a Renaissance artist more than a modern architect, laughed heartily.

“Do you really have a chronic illness? You don’t look like it, but is it diabetes?”

“I did a lot of stupid things when I was young, but there was at least one thing I did right.”

The architect clenched his fist and kissed his arm.

“Then why is it the last…”

Veil slowly opened his eyes.

The architect nodded meaningfully with a smile.

“I’m planning to retire after this work.”

“You look like you’re in your prime, why retire already?”

“Everyone wants to leave when the applause is loudest.”

“You care about that?”

“Actually, I was planning to continue as long as I didn’t get dementia, but…”

The architect smiled brightly and showed his phone.

“I became a grandfather.”

The baby was sleeping like an angel.

The reason for his retirement was really nothing special, but it must be special to him. Seeing someone who would spend his golden years watching his grandchild grow, Veil didn’t mention retirement further.

He just felt a little bitter.

“I’ve been hearing a lot about retirement lately.”

“Where else did you hear about retirement?”

Given August Veil’s age, he could have heard retirement talk here and there. The architect asked casually, not knowing that the ‘retirement’ talk might have come from the singer Veil loved.

August Veil didn’t specifically mention his name.

“A young friend was thinking about retirement.”

He just mentioned it in passing.

“Well, I’ve heard that young people these days dream of retiring in their 30s or 40s. I guess it was someone like that.”

“Is that what young people are like these days?”

“Yes, quite a few people plan to save enough money for their entire life and then quit their jobs.”

“30, 40 is young, with endless possibilities ahead. Why so early.”

Let alone someone not even in their 30s or 40s, but a teenager.

“They might have something else they want to do, or maybe they just want to quit a job that doesn’t suit them and take a break.”

The architect who had been quietly observing him responded with a smile.

“By the way, that friend must be doing a great job. You don’t seem to want them to retire.”

He seemed to think it was an employee of Veil’s company.

“Well, you wouldn’t want it either if you knew.”

“Is that so?”

What kind of amazing employee could it be? The architect said he’d like to see them sometime and then brought up the construction plans for the temple, no, the company building.

–

“Oh my. A busy friend has come.”

At Hwang Ryongpil’s residence, which he visited after a long time.

There, Halo found a scene no different from before.

When he suddenly said he was retiring, Halo thought he might have fallen ill. He’s not sick. He felt relieved without realizing it.

Hwang Ryongpil patted Roh Haeil’s shoulders, which had grown even bigger than his now. Proudly, like looking at a grown-up grandson.

“I hope I’m not wasting your busy time.”

“You’re retiring?”

Halo got straight to the point.

Hwang Ryongpil smiled gently.

“Would you like juice? Or coffee?”

“Espresso, please.”

“I’ll bring it for you.”

The housekeeper headed to the kitchen, and Hwang Ryongpil gestured towards the sofa. Until then, Halo had been staring intently at him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. I didn’t want to say unnecessary things to a friend who only has to run forward from now on. Well, it’s not like I’m going to hold a retirement ceremony right away. I need to wrap things up before I go.”

“Why are you retiring?”

He had mentioned retirement when going to receive a Grammy, and recently on the Swiss train, but hearing about someone else’s retirement didn’t sound as good as he thought.

Has he never seen anyone retire before?

In fact, he hadn’t seen many musicians retire. Even if they caused trouble or couldn’t appear on broadcasts due to lack of popularity, music was something you could do until you die.

He doesn’t seem to have seen anyone retire except due to death or illness. Is that why it feels so unfamiliar? He wondered if his former manager and August Veil felt the same way.

“I can only say it’s time.”

“‘Time,’ you say.”

Just as he was about to question it, not understanding at all, Halo realized. Hwang Ryongpil already had the face of someone who was going to retire.

Halo knew well the face of someone who had made up their mind to retire. He also knew that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t work.

If he told him not to, he would quietly or smilingly brush it off, but would eventually do it anyway.

Seeing the boy who seemed to have a lot to say, Hwang Ryongpil decided to retire within a year.

“I never imagined you would retire, teacher.”

Sin Joohyeok arrived late at Hwang Ryongpil’s house and exclaimed the same as Halo. And when it was time for the teacher to take his medicine, the two were left alone on the garden porch.

“It feels like Rendezvous was just yesterday.”

The same goes for Halo, who was active as a team back then.

His face while making music looked really happy. There was no sign of retirement.

Moreover, he didn’t think that someone around him would retire before him.

“You didn’t tell us, but you want to leave when the applause is loudest, right? Everyone, especially us, has that kind of romance. Wanting to remain in people’s memories at the most wonderful moment.”

What comes to mind is his past self.

Halo briefly recalled his own retirement romance and then paused at the words that followed.

“Of course, I have no such thoughts at all. Do you have such a romance too?”

“…”

When Halo didn’t answer, Sin Joohyeok turned to look at him.

“You do?! No, what retirement romance does a seventeen-year-old have already.”

Sin Joohyeok, who had asked the question himself, shook his head vigorously.

“Why? Can’t I?”

At those words, Sin Joohyeok’s mouth gaped. His lips clearly formed the words ‘this crazy bastard’, but given the situation, he must have swallowed them without letting them out.

“Of course, I don’t mean I’m going to do it now.”

Because there’s still more to do.

Because there’s still more he wants to see, more he wants to feel, he’ll keep running. Retirement is a matter for after that.

He just thought that, but Sin Joohyeok shouted abruptly as if he had read his mind.

“No, don’t you have a lot to do before thinking about retirement? You haven’t even reached No. 1 on the music charts, no, Billboard No. 1. Don’t tell me you’re not confident?”

Me?

Halo snorted.

“And you should win the world’s top 3 music awards too. Huh? If you’ve drawn the sword, you should cut something. What retirement when you haven’t even been nominated for a Grammy, let alone won-.”

How should he put it?

It was a strangely irritating tone.

It sounded like he was implying that Halo was giving up because he lacked confidence. Halo still considered the Grammy as peanut cookies for Americans.

“And you haven’t even had a proper concert, right? I mean, not in a small theater, but in a bigger place. Shouldn’t you do a national tour, and then a world tour?”

“I’m going to do that soon.”

“! Oh. What? A national tour? Or a world tour? Is this confirmed?”

Sin Joohyeok, who reacted as if he had learned a great secret, soon returned to the main point.

“Anyway, we’ll talk about that later. You’ve never done multiple events in a day either, right? Kid, you’ve grown up too preciously.”

Despite Halo having grown to a similar height, he was still a kid, and Sin Joohyeok roughly ruffled his hair.

“Moreover, there’s one most important thing you haven’t done yet.”

“What is it?”

As Halo stepped back, avoiding his hand, Sin Joohyeok said with a smile.

“You need to release your next album.”

“!”

It was a correct and obvious statement.

Halo felt like he had been reminded of something he had forgotten.

Whether he noticed that reaction or not, the guy who would have been the same age as him in his original body stroked his chin and spoke like a teacher.

“You seem quite conflicted too? Suddenly saying things you’ve never said before. ‘Can’t I?’ Such a little one, saying anything to your senior. Well, a lot has happened, and I understand that a respected teacher is retiring. Or, hmm.”

His pupils sharpened.

“Are you tired from running too fast?”

Should he call it burnout?

People were mostly worried about Roh Haeil because of the helicopter, but Sin Joohyeok, who was there, thought there was no need to worry after seeing Roh Haeil running until dawn.

Rather, what should be worried about is-.

Thirteen houses as HALO.

As Roh Haeil, the time he spent doing one single, mini, and full album each was just a year. And it took about a year for Roh Haeil to stand at Coachella.

From performing at a small theater concert gathering only 830 people, about half a year later, he was running wild in front of people from all over the world at Coachella.

The more he went wild on the Coachella stage, the more Sin Joohyeok had a strange concern. Isn’t a year too short? He worried whether the boy who had achieved something that seemed impossible even if someone held a gun to his back could continue to be as happy after this stage.

Even if he does well after this stage, will he be able to enjoy it next year and the year after that, and be okay after that?

What he was worried about was the backlash.

Just as singers feel deep depression and burnout after finishing a stage, he thought the backlash for Roh Haeil would be significant.

Especially the year when there was a commotion about whether Roh Haeil was Halo or not, could be seen as another stage for the boy, couldn’t it?

“You. Is your second full album, or rather 14th album, going well?”

Sin Joohyeok knew by looking at the boy’s eyes.

Without saying anything,

“You haven’t prepared anything yet.”

Well, how long has it been since Coachella ended? If he suddenly released the 14th album, he’d be something beyond human.

It’s natural that he hasn’t prepared yet.

It’s not a big deal either.

As far as he knew, it didn’t take Roh Haeil long to make songs – at least that was the case during Rendezvous – and it’s something to think about going forward.

“Well, you can start from now. Don’t you have anything in mind?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You don’t? You?”

Roh Haeil’s first full album was made impulsively, so he hadn’t thought about the second album yet, and Halo’s 14th album never existed in the first place.

Saying it never existed ‘originally’ means he hadn’t thought about the 14th album at that time either. It’s not simply because he was about to release the 13th album. He would have already finished working on the 13th album, so he would have been thinking about the main verse or lyrics for the 14th album. In other words, it wasn’t that the 14th album didn’t exist because he died in an accident.

-It’s done.

-What? Halo, what do you mean it’s done?

-I’m saying the retirement talk was a joke.

-! Y-you mean it was really a joke?

There wouldn’t have been any because he wouldn’t have made any more in the future.

“What, really nothing? Verses, no, putting that aside, haven’t you thought about materials or themes? That thing you’re good at, titles that turn people inside out?”

Sin Joohyeok found this a bit unexpected, but he didn’t think deeply about the reason. In a way, it’s natural.

“Right, you’re human too, you might have hit a dry spell.”

You should experience the feelings of a criminal once in a while, hmm.

A series of nonsense was heard.

Halo, who would usually ignore it and end the conversation or go find something else to do, sat still with his arms crossed.

Sin Joohyeok didn’t look very serious, and it seemed like the conversation would continue somehow.

“You mean you’ve never thought about it at all? Then that’s good.”

Is he going to ask me to make music for him?

Halo waited for the predictable story that was to follow.

However, Sin Joohyeok wasn’t that predictable.

“Try making music you’ve never done before.”

“Something I’ve never done?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot. No, kid, you sometimes seem to speak casually-“

“You mean make something like classical music?”

“-. What? Classical? Are you crazy?”

Puhaha! Sin Joohyeok started laughing like a madman. Halo’s expression soured at the reaction as if he had heard something unbelievable.

“What’s with the sudden classical, ah, come to think of it, when you made the musical number, someone said your music had a high classical content. Ah shit, khuheup. Hey, don’t make me laugh when I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”

“…Ha.”

Now he was even rolling on the ground holding his stomach.

It was embarrassing and pathetic to call him a peer somewhere.

“You think I’d tell you to make classical music? It doesn’t suit you. What I meant was-.”

Sin Joohyeok, who had been giggling for a while, suddenly sat up.

“I’m talking about the subject matter. Try dealing with a subject you’ve never done before.”

It’s easy to say.

It didn’t resonate because he had already made music on all sorts of topics.

Struggle, joy, depression, despair, pleasure and all emotions, hatred, dreams and fears, thrills and emptiness, pride, enjoyment. In fact, everything that could come out has already come out.

Sin Joohyeok still had a grinning face.

“Not getting the idea? I have something in mind right now. Want me to tell you?”

He didn’t think it would be of much help, but he was curious what nonsense he would say. Fortunately, Sin Joohyeok didn’t beat around the bush anymore.

“You know that song you said you’d never sing in your life?”

“…!”

“Yeah, that one.”

“As a singer, you should make a heart-wrenching love song at least once in your life. Crying and holding on begging not to go, being jealous, at your age, a sweet or fluttering love story would be good too.”

He was speechless for a moment before he could respond.

He was a fool for expecting anything from Sin Joohyeok.

Halo stood up.

“I won’t sing it.”

What love song.

Halo was appalled at the content that seemed cringeworthy just hearing about it and quickly walked inside.

Watching his strangely swift movement, Sin Joohyeok added slyly.

“Ah, maybe you can’t write it because you’ve never experienced such passionate love?”

“!”

This bastard.

Halo, who had nearly been stabbed by a mentally unstable person angered by dating rumors and embarrassing paparazzi shots, stopped and looked back.

#

It was mid-May, when the afterglow of Coachella was starting to fade.

The last performance of the musical ‘Rock‘ was crowded with many people, proving it was a successful musical.

It wasn’t just the audience; there were quite a few reporters taking pictures of the theater, hoping to interview actors or the director, to write articles about the last musical.

But they didn’t come just to see the actors and director.

Along with the rumor that the musical ‘Rock’ might release a soundtrack, another rumor was circulating.

It was a rumor that the composer of ‘Rock‘s numbers would appear at the last performance.

This was because someone who claimed to be a friend of an insider posted such a message on a community.

There were only two of ‘Rock‘s number composers who would take the stage.

Sin Joohyeok and Roh Haeil.

But according to Sin Joohyeok’s public schedule, it was clear he would be coming to Chungmuro today. So, unless another composer was coming up just to say hello, there was only one person left.

[Rock | Is Roh Haeil, I mean The Sun, really coming today?]

└ It’s likely since it’s the last performance, but with Roh Haeil, you never know

└ Isn’t it just a rumor?

└ Isn’t it just a lie spread by Roh Haeil fans or Rock fans?

└ Why would Roh Haeil fans… They usually hide this kind of information

└ The alliance to share information has long been broken

└ For real lol

[Rock | No way lol. Roh Haeil who didn’t even come to award ceremonies won’t come lol. 100% he won’t come lol]

└ For real, he won’t come lol. But I have a ticket so I’m going

└ (Original poster) ??? Good.

└ Want to sell it?

[Rock | Please no… Please]

└ What does this one mean by no? The last performance?

Was it because he hadn’t shown his face in the media since Coachella?

Was it to see his face even a little?

The post, whether it was really from an insider or someone’s false claim, spread widely under people’s attention, and for that reason, more people were showing up.

“Is Halo really coming?”

“Please. I’m homeless, give me a ticket please. I know Son. And Dokdo is Korean territory.”

“Can we get into the staff room?”

The hall, filled with the voices of the audience, something else, and reporters, was in chaos. It was like any other time, but it felt like something was about to happen.

And, at the same time.

“Haeil-ssi… are you ready?”

Halo, dressed in the same costume as Park Hyuk, turned around.