The Road to Glory Chapter 157 - Bit Off More Than They Could Chew

Even when releasing albums in the past, they were naturally in the form of Compact Discs. However, Halo always released a small quantity on LP as well.

He preferred listening on LP rather than CD players. He liked the characteristic noise, and how should he put it… His music seemed to suit LP better. No matter how many were produced, he always seemed to keep the first numbered copy for himself.

Suddenly, he find myself thinking about what happened after his death.

When he died in a car accident, where did his assets go?

Since he probably didn’t specify in his will to give them to the label boss or family, all his assets were likely returned to society.

Then, did his numbered albums go to auction?

[There’s no need for it to be a CD-.]

A half-baked album released hurriedly every month, only in digital form. Halo thought there was no need to insist on CDs right away like others did.

“How about LP records?”

[LP?]

August Veil was taken aback when he heard the name of this relic from a bygone era, now reduced to a hobby of a tiny minority of people.

With LPs, sales couldn’t be as high as CDs.

At first, he thought the boy was momentarily overlooking the CD market because Halo lived in Korea where the CD market wasn’t big.

But the LP market is nothing to scoff at either. Even if it’s more niche than the CD or digital album markets, it has a solid foundation.

The more he thought about it, the better it seemed.

They could continue to produce physical albums in the future, so there was no need to limit the first edition to CDs.

The combination of Halo’s music with its old Britpop sensibility and the old relic of LP. As a beautiful picture formed in his mind, Veil stroked his chin.

Those who colluded would never have seen someone immediately switch to LP just because CD production was temporarily delayed.

CD album production could wait until they found a better deal.

“What do you think?”

[You never fail to surprise me.]

Hearing the affirmative response, Halo nodded with satisfaction. He felt like his albums were finally returning to their original form.

[Then let’s proceed like this.]

Veil, who had been calm when told about the CD collusion, now sounded somehow excited. As if some other business plan had just occurred to him.

Just as the call was about to end, August Veil added, as if he had suddenly remembered:

[By the way, did you check your email?]

“Email?”

[I sent you a summary of the proposals that came in for you.]

Ah. Previously, August Veil had said there were interesting proposals and that he’d summarize and send them.

Halo, who hadn’t checked until now, paused in his response, and August Veil immediately understood.

[Read it at your leisure. There’s no rush.]

After hanging up, Halo found his tablet after a long time.

His email app was already full of emails he hadn’t seen in a while. The subjects were filled with languages from Korea to various countries, some he knew and some he didn’t.

Halo, who naturally didn’t even click on the languages he didn’t know, immediately checked the email from Veil Co. that came in both Korean and English versions.

Is this the proposal?

Headphone collaborations, joint projects with artists from Augustus Records, a concept talk show and documentary of singing songs that come on the radio while driving a car… Amid a string of certainly fresh proposals.

Halo tilted his head at the very last line.

“A movie?”

It says that identical proposals came from production companies he’d heard of, like Warner Brothers and Disney, and they all wanted the same thing.

They wanted to make a movie with HALO’s music.

#

Naturally, it was the CDP companies who were flustered when the expected contact didn’t come. They had hoped August Veil would soon give them the carrot, but there was dead silence.

An impatient boss came running, grabbing collars and demanding to know what was going on, and the one who proposed the collusion told them to stay calm.

They looked into whether he had turned to pressing in other countries, but it didn’t seem so.

Then had Halo given up on album production?

A temporary hold? If so, that would be fortunate. It’s not like he’d never produce albums again, and eventually August Veil would choose a company with reliable quality rather than one with low quality.

When Veil concedes and contracts, they were waiting with patience, thinking they too would concede for a few years.

[(Breaking) HALO Physical Album Release Planned]

Suddenly, news of HALO’s album release broke.

The source was Veil Co., and at that moment, the world was in an uproar.

How many copies would be released? Would there be separate pre-orders? If released, how many would be produced?

Everyone moved as if they had been waiting for this.

In fact, this was a situation everyone had anticipated.

It would be strange if an artist of Halo’s caliber didn’t release a physical album.

The CDP bosses felt the same. They hadn’t seemed to be pressing albums, but now they’re saying they’ll release? Ah, are they planning to do pre-orders?

They crunched numbers on their calculators, considering people’s reactions, thinking they might need to print more than expected.

A few weeks later, another piece of news broke.

[HALO Album Release Commemorative Tour Announced, Date TBD]

This was undoubtedly a declaration of intent to press albums.

Surely they haven’t really contracted with another production company?

They’re going to contract with us, right? Are they telling us to concede first? Well, we can do that much.

They were scared by the strong will, but their eyes were blinded by the incoming order volume.

And a few days later, when another piece of news broke.

Their hearts stopped along with it.

[Halo Announces World Tour. Starting Date from LP Album Release Day]

Moreover, this breaking news was official, with Halo himself speaking at his label, leaving no room to question its authenticity.

“What LP?”

They couldn’t believe their ears at the news that Halo would release first editions of his 1st to 13th albums on LP,

Realized it wasn’t a lie when it was announced that the world tour would likely be decided between October and November,

And their cheeks stung when they heard the first edition LPs would be numbered and released via the internet.

It was certain. When they tried to raise CD unit prices, August Veil had changed course. This was nothing short of a demonstration.

“What were they trying to do? How much can LPs sell these days anyway?”

“Won’t August Veil and Halo be sued soon?”

Although it wasn’t August Veil who had changed course, the conclusion was similar. They mocked August Veil’s choice, thinking there were limits to what LPs could do.

In the end, they thought, albums would be released on CD.

But it grew bigger than they had anticipated.

[WA! You know about the world tour! Korea’s the top priority, right?]

└ Great, if it’s a world tour it won’t just be a week, right?

└ It’s a world tour, surely they won’t book small theaters?

[I’ll bet everything on that day in October]

[All Canadians want for Christmas is you, HALO]

Release happening on the day of the world tour.

If people’s eyes were spinning at the sound of a world tour, the next focus was naturally on the sale of Halo’s first physical album.

It was a bit unusual that it wasn’t a CD album but an LP album, but thinking about it, it made sense.

The combination of Halo’s music, following the essence of old Britpop,

And LP, a relic of the past.

People couldn’t help but be excited about this true retro,

Collectors’ eyes spun at the word ‘numbered’,

And for those who desperately wanted to own Halo’s album, and those who thought they absolutely had to buy the ‘first edition’, it didn’t matter if it was LP or CD.

However, there was one piece of equipment needed whether you were collecting LPs or actually listening to them. It was only natural that the turntable market was stirred up by this absolute complementary relationship.

[Anyone who can recommend a turntable]

[I’m new to LP turntables, which one should I buy?]

[Why are there so many people looking for turntables these days?]

[Wow, it’s my first time seeing turntables sold out. They just posted a notice saying they’re rushing into production]

This was less than a week after the album release announcement.

Turntable manufacturers suddenly caught fire with the unexpected order volume, and furthermore, some pop stars suddenly posted on SNS that they would release limited edition LPs.

This wasn’t just a change in Halo’s first edition LP and turntable market. It felt like a retro wave was suddenly blowing in.

Just as in the old days, when songs that crossed the sea sparked a Britpop craze.

Everyone has memories, and they often long for everything that made up those times. The reason old Britpop sparked a craze at once was because it stimulated inner nostalgia, and the same was true for LPs.

The days of listening to music on turntables.

Those who had experienced it turned their eyes to the past,

Those who hadn’t experienced it began to pay attention to something new.

The CDP bosses were left speechless at this absurd situation.

In fact, this craze should have been theirs.

As the retro wave suddenly blew in, they felt like they had missed out on something tremendous. As sudden as this trend began, it might die just as quickly. They couldn’t sleep, feeling like they had let a fish slip through their fingers.

It was obvious that they would eventually make CD albums, but it really hit home that Halo was just 16 years old. That if Halo just gave up the idea of making a quick fortune, he was at an age where he could really do anything.

It was clear that August Veil was counting on this.

“That’s why I said we should just apologize!”

“No, we never thought they wouldn’t try to negotiate even once-.”

“How could we have known they’d suddenly switch to LP?”

If they had known they would change course like this, they wouldn’t have bothered trying to set up a negotiation table.

Dismayed, regretful, and divided, they began to knock on Veil’s door again. However, they didn’t know yet that the consequences had not even begun.

Meanwhile, back in Korea.

Although LP production wasn’t fully complete, August Veil brought the first numbered copy for Halo. Halo was satisfied looking at the 13 albums stamped with 0001.

While the CDP factory managers’ feelings were complicated, he had never once thought about them.

He would make CD albums someday, though.

That is, someday.

And now there were other important matters.

“Finally!”

Halo strapped on his guitar case engraved with a butterfly.

Their luggage would have already been sent to the airport, or even further, and they just needed to go with their bodies.

The current label was difficult to access due to security issues, and they couldn’t keep practicing at the hideout, so they decided to move to a temporary label before the tour.

Didn’t he receive something as a birthday gift before?

Along with the studio in London, August Veil had also given him a studio in LA. Back then it was in the middle of interior construction, but now he could use it whenever he wanted.

They had stayed at the London studio until just before Coachella, and Halo decided to go to the studio in LA.

The session was already prepared there, so after packing only small necessities from the label – like the choker he was used to – he immediately decided to depart.

“To America!”

Most of the proposals that came to him were from America, and it would be convenient to be in America no matter what he did.

Halo, wearing the Hawaiian shirt he bought during Coachella, followed the excited members.

His mother had told him to come home often.

It’s going to be tough again. Thinking lightly, Halo boarded Veil’s private jet, which had become as familiar as home, after a quick procedure.

The familiar stewardess now brought him espresso, and the captain introduced himself to them once again.

They had boarded the plane without running into reporters, thanks to help from the airport side. Thus, they thought they wouldn’t have to run into people even when disembarking.

“Welcome to Los Angeles.”

The gazes were a bit burdensome.

It seemed like there were more airport staff attending to them than expected, but if they thought it was because they were VIPs who arrived on a private jet, they soon faced an enormous crowd.

Moreover, unlike in Korea where there were relatively more female fans even though the gender ratio was similar-

Thump.

It seemed like the airport was resonating with booming voices and heavy footsteps. It was as noisy as if an earthquake had struck, but they kept to their own rules and didn’t rush forward.

Here and there, men with fierce faces called out to Halo with dreamy expressions.

“Oh, my baby Sun…”

“Where can I buy that outfit?”

“The Sun, please shine upon us here.”

The members were all shocked, jaws dropped at the extraordinary scale of fandom in America. However, Halo turned his head at his name being called here and there, calmly smiling faintly and waving his hand.

“Hello.”

When he greeted with “Hello,” it felt like they were in a soccer stadium. Because the airport was filled with the sound of greetings.

“Have you all been well?”

Halo asked as if greeting neighbors, and the voices of those who came to see him mixed together.

“I think I’ll be staying in LA for a while-.”

“You know what? LA is the safest and brightest city in the world!”

“Please stay forever!”

“You don’t need to pay taxes, your music is enough.”

But surprisingly, even in that noisy situation, they were quiet when Halo opened his mouth.

“-I look forward to your support until then.”

But this time, it seemed difficult to stay calm.

A thunderous roar echoed, and Halo walked forward as if accustomed, just out of reach

“No matter how I look at him, he’s too fragile. I should go to his house every day to check for suspicious guys.”

“If you see any suspicious guys, break their waists immediately.”

“Is that enough? You should blast their heads with a shotgun.”

It wasn’t clear whether they were fans, sasaeng fans, or something else, but Halo always smiled faintly at his straightforward fans.

Moving wasn’t difficult, but the members looked tired from the moment they arrived at the airport. There was no sign of the excitement about going to America. It wasn’t particularly surprising, but it felt like they might lose their minds.

“Ugh, I’ll try harder.”

Of course, Nam Gyuhwan was an exception.

The studio August Veil had given was located in a wealthy area without high-rises. Halo discovered a large garden, and then spotted a dog quietly watching him from a corner.

As he was having a staring contest with the large dog, the manager said it was a dog left behind by previous residents. When he nervously said he would take it home today, Halo thought it was fine to leave it.

Its waddling, slow walk was exactly like an old dog, and Halo didn’t dislike dogs. Of course, if the members were allergic, they’d have to send it somewhere else, but seeing all three of them run to the dog, it didn’t seem like they were allergic.

After letting them distribute rooms as they pleased, he went around the garden, looking at the swimming pool and fountain, and ran into the neighbor.

“Hello?”

He seemed surprised when he discovered Halo.

Why are you here? His eyes trembled, then he slowly approached the boy.

Although various things had happened, approaching first with a greeting was taken as a signal to try to get along as neighbors.

“So you’re-.”

“Ah, my name is-.”

“The 69th Halo?”

“!”

With such a clear and untroubled expression, Jason doubted his ears.

“No, you’re the 86th Halo.”

But when he heard it again, Jason was certain.

It was just like then, that he wasn’t an ordinary character.

Since he had committed a crime, Jason couldn’t say anything. The crime of going around lying about being Halo in the past, and the crime of thoroughly mocking the boy at Coachella came back to him like a boomerang.

“Let’s just say hello.”

But the boy waved his hand as if it was nothing, and soon held out his right hand.

‘What’s this?’

He seemed like he wouldn’t be easy to deal with, but is he kinder than expected? The back-and-forth made it more confusing. Whether this was goodwill or something else.

Jason hesitantly held out his hand.

He hoped they would get along better in the future as they shook hands.

Then, the handshaking hand tightened its grip.

Jason finally realized that this kid wasn’t kind, but an unusually persistent bastard.

“I’m Halo too, nice to meet you.”

He bit off more than he could chew.