The Road to Glory Chapter 158 - The Reason for Living in LA

The vinyl with the night sky painted on it starts to spin.

The cartridge needle moves along a path invisible to the eye, and the sound signals created there pass through the amplifier.

Only when thousands to hundreds of millions of individual pieces of equipment play their roles does complete music flow out.

The tracks from Halo’s 13th album ‘Until dawn comes’ filled the studio.

He closed his eyes and listened to the music.

As always, his music goes well with LP.

It’s not simply because he likes the sound of vinyl.

Usually, LPs are limited to about 10 songs, with a playback time of about 50 minutes per side.

He, who released all his albums as EPs (MINIs by international standards), released less than 8 songs per album, let alone ten songs, and – though unintended – it fit perfectly as if LP was its proper attire.

Also, he likes that LPs require more careful management than CDs. They are vulnerable to scratches and heat, need constant care to prevent dust buildup, and require another setup called a turntable to listen to music. Isn’t it just like his picky personality?

And while it wasn’t before, now his music feels similar to LP, which has become a relic of the past, in the sense that it’s now old.

So this is a natural thought.

‘Is there really a need to release CDs?’

Halo, for similar reasons, rejected offers to produce HALO movies. Although his mind might change someday, right now he wanted to leave his music as a relic of the past.

It also played a part that movies based on a singer’s music were of the following two types:

Halo didn’t want his thirteen albums to be made into a -Bohemian Rhapsody-like- documentary, nor did he want it to become an entirely different -Mamma Mia!-like- movie.

In the former case, he thought that Halo’s songs couldn’t be born from Roh Haeil’s life in the first place, and in the latter case, he just didn’t like it.

‘I didn’t even make music videos, what movie.’

Halo shook his head while lying face down on the floor, looked at the sheet music placed on his stomach once, then tore it up and threw it away.

LA studio.

Now, with the members out shopping,

Halo was lying spread-eagled, surrounded by sheet music crumpled into balls rolling around.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

If a subject he wants to write about comes up, he feels like he could just write freely.

This kind of thing where he’s wasting inspiration because he doesn’t know what he wants to write yet.

Outside, there are guys saying that the monthly Halo is over, but he didn’t care much.

He knows well that even he, who releases an album every month, is an abnormal case. If he hadn’t thought of showing thirteen albums to this world, he would have normally released an album only once a year, and he also knew well that it’s nonsense to mock this as a slump.

However, there was some frustration, not without reason.

-Try making music you’ve never made before.

-You know that song you said you’d never sing in your life. Yeah, that one.

Sin Joohyeok’s voice lingered for a moment

Woof!

The dog living in this house barked.

It seemed the members had almost arrived.

#

“Hmm-.”

Halo wondered what was so amusing about this.

Although it’s an Irish kitchen, the gas range is attached to the wall, so the person who turned his back is cooking with tension.

Turning the frying pan, checking the chicken baking in the oven. Up to here, he might look like a dedicated chef working in this studio, but surprisingly, he’s the neighbor.

Jason Dyke.

The singer he met at the Coachella rehearsal, with whom he only shook hands before running away.

Jason, who once claimed to be Halo, as one of the hundred and one Halos, is in a very awkward situation where he can’t help but be a sinner to the real Halo.

Halo, on the other hand, found the unfolding situation amusing.

It was quite interesting how, of all places, he met the members who had gone shopping, how they naturally started talking, how they walked together to the front of the house, and how, unable to run away at Halo’s “Come in,” he ended up coming in and even cooking.

Of course, he explained that he wasn’t at the grocery store but met them while jogging, that small talk is a quality of LA citizens, and that he didn’t know the members would be his session, but Halo was the type to forget minor details.

“Wow, Mr. Jason Dyke from next door is even cooking for us.”

The members didn’t know about the small incident that occurred at Coachella. Nam Gyuhwan was unsure about Jason once being a fake Halo, but for now, he let it pass seeing Halo’s nonchalant attitude, while others were just amazed.

The reason they couldn’t have known about Jason’s actions was partly because there were too many idiots claiming to be Halo every quarter, no, every week, and also because he had briefly claimed it just before they became members, which was lucky in a way.

Therefore, the only uncomfortable (one was Jason(?), who was currently serving food to Halo and his members.

The gaze watching from behind with a smirk seemed to be that Halo no matter how you look at it, and if the members – who still seem to know nothing – find out, it could be a big deal, but having committed a sin, he couldn’t run away, so he was cooking while sweating profusely.

Why did he suddenly volunteer to take care of vitamin D.

That was sufficient in the garden.

“Aren’t you eating, Mr. Jason?”

“Ah, I’m full.”

When Halo looked at him, Jason hurriedly avoided his gaze.

“I also ate while cooking.”

As if to say ‘is that so,’ Halo started eating the chicken steak with an indifferent face.

What if he had put poison in it, so casually.

Of course, he didn’t put poison in it, but how many crazy people are here smiling.

Although persistent in personality, he must still be young.

Jason newly recognized Halo’s age.

In the end, what’s at the end of it is only overwhelming self-loathing, so it’s not good.

Jason, glancing at the members, realized that Halo was quite multilingual.

He asked Halo in Spanish, his second language.

“Hey, should I apologize?”

Whatever the boy said, the answer was already decided.

“No.”

“…!”

However, the boy’s answer was unexpected, so Jason was startled in the middle of speaking.

He thought he would want it, considering that he had pretended to be Halo, picked a fight at Coachella, and held a grudge, but that boy indeed has unpredictable aspects.

He couldn’t ask why.

For now, it was a good answer for him since he didn’t want it.

However, as he was gaping, unable to comprehend, Halo took another chicken steak and said. Of course, he didn’t take the paprika that was grilled next to it.

“Why? Would you do it if I wanted?”

“…No.”

Halo snorted as if he knew it.

It was still an incomprehensible reaction.

Jason Dyke might not eat the food he cooked, but he was certainly a sociable person. Although he was a bit uncomfortable as it was Halo’s band, he knew how to carry on quite friendly conversations as a person in the same industry.

For instance, he introduced good local restaurants, bars, pubs, and even told them about nearby celebrities and how much they love home parties. “Friends, what do you think is the reason they live in LA?”

Fountains spewing alcohol and snacks that shouldn’t be eaten carelessly. Nights more splendid than days and people more splendid than days.

And he even added that Halo could be invited anywhere if he wanted.

Talking about celebrities, it didn’t take long to find out about his agency.

“It was Augustus Records?”

“I thought you were my fan, didn’t you know? I signed about a year ago.”

As Halo didn’t particularly bring up what happened in the past, Jason Dyke, becoming increasingly comfortable, chatted with the members as if he were in his own home. Looking at that, it seemed he had no intention of pulling rank on the session members – in fact, who would mistreat Halo’s session?

“By the way, what are those?”

As he was about to speak after moving to the sofa, Jason kicked something rolling on the floor. Then he was about to reach out his hand but stopped at Halo’s words.

“Practice pieces.”

His pupils trembled slightly.

To be honest, Jason had seen numerous balls, and he was curious about the contents that might be written inside them. Although Halo called them practice pieces, there might be new inspiration in them.

“Curious?”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Soon, Jason straightened his back, letting go of numerous thoughts.

His gaze still went to the balls, but Jason deliberately quickened his pace.

“It’s okay if you look.”

The devil’s voice was heard from behind.

“I said I won’t look. It would only interfere with composing the melody today.”

Perhaps what was written there wasn’t as great as he thought. However, Jason still had no intention of looking. What stopped him wasn’t the business ethics that something might be written in those practice pieces, but his desire.

Because he didn’t want to become like Salieri who discovered Mozart’s talent, with his eyes rolling at a 16-year-old kid’s practice pieces

“Is it a new album?”

“No, a collaboration. We’re going to release a single within our label-.”

Why am I explaining these things in detail?

Jason suddenly thought that his label probably made an offer to Halo as well. Because they didn’t just decide to do it within the label, but proposed to quite a few people.

Let’s make music on one theme.

“You probably got one too.”

Jason turned and asked.

Halo vaguely recalled the request from Augustus Records, but rather than talking about it, he asked about what he was curious about.

“What kind of song are you planning to release?”

“Hey, don’t overestimate us just because you’re a genius. We’re just about to start. That means we haven’t even decided on the genre yet. But well, it’ll probably be similar to the usual stuff.”

Despite saying that, the names written on the request form were only LA pop stars. Whether pop singers or rappers, they were American geniuses who had each topped the Billboard charts at least once and were consistently active.

Of course, Jason’s explanation still held no appeal for Halo.

When Halo said he sort of understood, Jason continued.

“Still, the theme has been set from the beginning.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a bit complicated. I don’t think I can tell you everything. If I had to say… love?”

There was nothing special about it since love is usually the theme of popular music.

However, suddenly, Sin Joohyeok’s words flashed by, and the deliberately added conjunction bothered him.

“What do you mean by ‘If I had to say’?”

“I can’t tell you everything since you’re not part of our team. You would have known if you had accepted the offer. Too bad.”

Jason, saying this, didn’t look regretful at all.

“Did you say everyone’s meeting today?”

“Yeah. …Wait, what’s with that tone?”

“It means introduce me to your friends.”

“What, you want to come? Well, I don’t mind if you do.”

What’s suddenly wrong with this bastard?

After being indifferent all this time, he’s suddenly enthusiastic.

I don’t mind if he comes, but…

Jason, recalling the meeting place, asked Halo incredulously.

“Wait, are you really coming?”

#

It wasn’t just the citizens and reporters who came to the airport that were stirred by the news of Halo’s arrival in LA. Needless to say, The Sun group living in America, and above all, the broadcast production companies and related businesses that smelled money, and the stars who seemed to be born to receive attention but were desperately striving for it under the surface, were going crazy.

The problem was that it wasn’t easy to contact Halo.

He was certainly full of enthusiasm until he entered the United States, but it seemed the rumors that were rampant in Korea weren’t baseless.

Halo didn’t have much intention to actively participate in broadcasts even after his identity was revealed, and it wasn’t easy to see him before that either.

Halo’s house was implicitly known, but there were an unusually large number of bodyguards spread around it, and it wasn’t just once or twice that they had pulverized paparazzi lurking around.

If a business meeting was impossible, they wanted to pursue a natural encounter that could only happen in LA, but Halo unexpectedly wasn’t the type to go out much, and he was even worse at answering calls.

Those who had been mercilessly ignored when proposing Halo to come to parties were just waiting for an opportunity.

“Why? Did you think we were going to work in a library?”

“Not exactly… but still, it’s America after all.”

Moon Seoyeon was a bit surprised.

Even if she hadn’t thought of a library, she had naturally imagined a label or studio office, or some corner of a cafe.

Because they had only made music in such spaces until now.

But the place Jason brought them to was nothing like that.

As if to prove it was indeed America, in front of a large mansion where a home party was taking place, flashy sports cars were parked in a tangle, and even before entering, loud music and people’s voices could be heard from inside.

Halo couldn’t help but think,

‘These American guys.’

If they were going to work secretly in their label in the first place, they wouldn’t have told him to come. Knowing that their work usually progresses with alcohol and parties, Halo clicked his tongue and entered the party venue.

“Hey, Jason. You’re here? Invitation?”

“Don’t have one.”

“I told you to bring an invitation. This isn’t a place just anyone can enter, but I’ll let it slide since it’s you. Who are those behind you? Are you hanging out with Asians these days-“

The quite drunk man’s eyes met with the boy wearing a cap behind Jason. At first, he couldn’t recognize him properly in the dimly lit outdoor area, but soon his eyes widened. Then, rubbing his eyes and showing a proper reaction, he seemed to sober up completely as he pointed at him with his finger.

“Ha-Ha-Ha-“

“Hello, so, doorkeeper?”

“Ha-“

“Stop panting, let me and four others in.”

“Halo?!”

The man shouted as if he hadn’t heard Jason’s voice at all. At that moment, the noisy garden fell silent.

Even those who were laughing and chatting, those who were drinking, all turned their gaze as if they had seen someone they shouldn’t have.

Despite the overwhelming stares, Halo stood with his arms crossed. What he was waiting for was entry, but the man soon

“J-just a moment, please.”

Hurriedly contacted the host.

Of course, it was natural since he was an uninvited guest.

However, Halo, who had never been thrown out of a party even when uninvited, calmly waited while chatting with Jason, and the host… he’s not sure if he should express it as ‘barefoot’, but he immediately rushed out to welcome Halo.

“Oh my God! Oh Lord! To think that Mr. Halo would come to my party, please come in”

From then on, it was like a war had broken out.

Because those who had been still in bewilderment naturally got up and flocked to the boy.

“Hello, Halo?”

“Halo, I want to listen to your music every day.”

“Won’t you have a deeper conversation with me?”

“Are you thirsty? Want a drink?”

“Wow, look at his popularity. I’ll go in first, take your time.”

“Where are you going-“

People were kind and very interested in Halo.

In fact, there probably hadn’t been a hotter singer than Halo for the past year and until now. Considering that, not much was known about him, so he couldn’t help but attract even more interest.

As Jason tried to slip away, Halo called him.

With that devilish expression Jason had seen.

“-Halo. You should come with me.”

“That-“

He’s curious how long this will go on, but having committed a sin, he can’t say anything. Maybe it would have been a better choice to just apologize and end it. But Jason, in the end, couldn’t apologize and had no choice but to be swayed by Halo’s will.

In other words, he had no choice but to become an excellent navigation system, driving away all these people and guiding him to his destination.

“They’re all interesting people. And kind too.”

Halo’s voice was heard from behind.

Jason snorted at those words.

Thinking, he’s still a child after all.

“You don’t really think they’re just good people, do you?”

Inside, drunk guys were chattering among themselves.

“If they act kindly, I should call them kind, shouldn’t I?”

“Well, that’s not wrong, but-. There probably aren’t many actually kind guys, you know? If you weren’t Halo, that is.”

“They were kind even when I wasn’t Halo.”

That referred to the time before Halo’s identity was revealed.

Jason recalled Halo’s past achievements of being a popular star in Korea even then.

‘That’s true.’

Unless he had come to America, no one would have mistreated a sudden star.

“How many of them do you think are coming with good intentions?”

Jason gave up on refuting and said what he was going to say.

“That kid who said he was your fan earlier, he’s actually not your fan. If anything, he might have cursed every time your new song came out.”

“Really?”

“The guy next to him who was offering alcohol to a minor, he’s a high-level drug dealer. A drug dealer who doesn’t die alone. Do you know what that means?”

“It’s not easy, huh.”

“Remember the sunglasses that were staring at you from afar? Should I call him a plagiarist? He’s known for stealing songs.”

“Oh, how typical.”

Jason, who had brought him to the party with a sense of responsibility, got heated when Halo didn’t seem to be listening seriously at all. But he couldn’t say anything because even he had once lied. There would be no trust.

“Be careful. There might be good people in the world, but usually, the crazy ones tend to be more active.”

Jason scratched his head, wondering why he was saying such things, and flung open the door.

A low voice was heard from behind him.

“I know that too.”

What do you know.

Jason, dumbfounded, cheerfully shouted.

“Everyone, were you all working?”

“If you’re late, stop chattering and just sit down, Jason. I feel like I’m going to die after staying up for two days with Red Bull.”

“Open another can. Before that, everyone look here. Do you know who I brought?”

If outside was soaked in alcohol and music, here it wasn’t.

People sitting around with guitars or their instruments were having fun while moistening their throats moderately.

Yeah, inspiration usually comes better when you do such contrary things.

Halo grinned and raised his hand to the familiar faces.

“Hello.”