The Road to Glory Chapter 178 - We Used to Do This Often, Right?

Time flew by as if someone had fast-forwarded a videotape.

It felt like just yesterday when they met Halo again, greeted him, and showed their amateur performance on the rehearsal stage, but when they came to their senses, it was November 30th.

It was the beginning of winter proper, and the time to prepare for Christmas vacation was approaching.

With the average temperature dropping to single digits and the cold wind blowing frequently, there was a need to dress warmly.

However, near the Seine River in Paris’s 12th arrondissement, heat radiated as if summer had arrived. Golden lines spread out on both sides, drawing the sun and the moon.

And when the pattern was completed, the count that appeared was 17.

The number that had dropped from 16 seconds until the Seoul concert had become 17, as if engraving Halo’s age.

With each falling number, the lights began to turn on one by one.

A single small light illuminated the still-empty thrust stage, but people screamed at each one.

The lighting, mixed with red and golden hues, was like a sunrise.

They called out The Sun’s name,

And finally, with a boom! The sharp electric guitar melody of HALO’s first album “Struggle” was heard.

Ahhhhh!

Cheers.

And when it completely dropped to 0 seconds, the largest light illuminated the boy standing in the center of the stage.

While his usual concert attire was closer to casual, today he wore a black French coat.

It could have been worn to match the weather, or it could be Arbor’s new collection. After all, Arbor was almost the first contact he made after arriving in France.

Since HALO became Arbor’s ambassador, Arbor’s brand value has been soaring. They had long shed their old image, and by 2032, they had become the pick of stars and young people. Not only their existing collections but also their newly created casual line ‘Haeil’ had settled in successfully with positive reviews.

It was natural for the ‘tree’ (Arbor) that gained glory after meeting ‘the sun’ to show their affection by saying they would make clothes for the boy for life.

Well, it could also be sponsored by the luxury suit brand he showed while traveling, or he might be wearing a ‘French’ coat because he’s in France.

People didn’t give much thought to the stage costume and surrendered themselves to the opening performance the boy was creating.

Ah, this is what they had been waiting for.

Their fragile hearts were pounding like beasts’ hearts because of Struggle.

When they heard this song, it felt like they could do anything.

And ‘they’ included those waiting for their turn backstage.

Peter and his group, who had been trembling until just now and taken what the Halo members called “Cheongshimhwan,” somehow felt confident.

Their confidence jumped up with Struggle’s heat and the fireworks shot into the sky.

Then Halo greeted in French and made a few jokes.

“Mr. Peter, please get ready.”

When they peeked from the side of the stage, seeing the audience laugh and cry at his every word made them feel like they had truly come to a special place.

Soon the stage lights went out.

The small light on the thrust stage had somehow turned blue.

Dan.

A silent stage.

A gentle melody like an accordion was heard.

When people thought HALO’s keyboardist, Moon, must have played it, they recognized what song it was as the first phrase was completed.

And then came the piano accompaniment filling in the analog sound and a light but pointed conga. A heavy bass was carefully layered on top, and a pan flute that changed the mood.

Like an orchestra, the joy of victory was expressed with rich sound.

Those who were shaking their heads wondering what new technology was used because the MR sound was so clear

Could only scream one second after the stage lights came on.

The LED lights illuminated the floor, creating the scene of a canal.

The huge screen behind the stage showed the scenery of Venice,

And at the very front stood

Halo wearing a plague doctor mask like a hat.

He opened his mouth while spreading both arms toward the audience.

At that moment, his black coat fluttered behind him in the wind.

The people standing behind Halo were the pierrot, jester, joker, and finally, a plague doctor slightly different from Halo but similar, holding a guitar.

It was Halo’s signature, said to be one of a kind in the world.

However, no one would care that he was holding Halo’s signature now. Halo walked to the thrust stage and reached down below the stage as if touching the waterway on the gondola.

What touched his white and cold hand wasn’t drifting feathers or fish, but something more valuable was grasped.

When we meet again.

We who met once in Venice, have met again here in Paris.

Halo slowly stood up and turned sharply.

His heavy boots returned to the stage, but from the audience’s perspective, it looked like he was moving away.

The black coat fluttering in the wind and

The figure turning gracefully was just like that moment they had missed in Venice.

Halo’s resumed song and people’s voices synchronized.

While back then they were busy chasing after him calling Halo’s name from afar, this time they too were riding the gondola.

They became another session member for Halo.

#

The atmosphere was insane.

Their violently beating hearts were like those of young people,

And the lights illuminating them were like highlights pointing to their prime.

Mom said this wasn’t an opportunity that came just any time.

That one moment in life.

They too, as Halo’s fans, came out to not miss the greatest achievement of their lives, and didn’t regret showing the title track of Spring Again, When we meet again, which they had prepared hard for.

Halo’s members, whose abilities had amazed them during practice, erased their shortcomings preciously and left only coolness.

It would be absolutely unforgettable.

It felt better than when they received the watch.

After finishing their stage, they stood before people with pride engraved in their hearts.

The atmosphere was definitely good, but…

When they came to their senses, fierce gazes from people touched them.

The expressions that were full of affection and fluttering when Halo was looking turned demonic when he turned away.

Who are you to stand next to him?

Though they didn’t say it out loud, when Halo greeted them with a fist bump, the gazes grew increasingly fierce.

They hadn’t been this way with guests until now.

They knew about giving watches, but Olivia or Frau didn’t brag about it. Of course, Frau seemed to have worn it a few times, but he was originally someone who collected luxury watches, and as a pop star who cherished the boy, it was understandable.

However, Rill from Scorpion had committed atrocities in London.

Not only did he beg Halo for a watch award ceremony, but he also acted up by striking poses in front of the audience. Even now, whenever people started to forget, he would irritate them on SNS saying things like “This is the hand that shook hands with Halo” and “We even eat meals together.”

His behavior was at the level of an annoying six-year-old.

He was clearly just a lucky Hellygan, not the leader of a top-tier metal band.

So people’s anger continued to build up, and that karma was directed at the next guests, Peter and his friends. It was truly unfortunate for them. The person who should have received the karma didn’t, and it came to them instead.

Although they didn’t come wearing watches to show off like Rill,

Halo greeted them with a fist bump, and

“Ah, come to think of it, I heard you’re having a wedding soon, has the date been set?”

“Yes, yes. In April.”

Ooh. Wow~

People expressed admiration and welcome with their mouths, but when Halo wasn’t looking, they glared at them like ghosts.

“Then shall I sing at your wedding?”

“What?”

This seemed to be the highlight.

Peter, who had already been receiving stares and had returned Halo’s signature to him, became public enemy number one when he not only touched Halo’s signature but also became eligible to receive a wedding song.

Peter wanted to cry.

He couldn’t readily accept it, nor could he refuse.

“Won’t you be busy?”

“I can definitely make time for a day.”

Ah, I see.

“It’s… an honor.”

Peter smiled with his mouth while crying with his eyes.

Still, he had received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As he decided to explain what happened back then again for people who didn’t know, when past events came up,

Peter, who had posted guard at the bathroom for Halo, prostrated himself saying he had committed a mortal sin, and the jester who had hit Halo’s back also conducted a public apology.

How much they had suffered until now.

It wasn’t strangers who were the problem. Rather, it was acquaintances who had made life difficult.

After getting scolded by their parents, being cursed at by relatives for being violent,

And receiving words filled with jealousy and anger from friends, they finally got a chance to apologize after 10 months.

The boy, who took their desperate attempts to live as a joke, accepted while wiping away tears with laughter.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“…!”

This meant it had hurt back then?

The jester apologized in shock and was truly puzzled whether the boy still held a grudge.

“If there’s another opportunity, I’d like to perform together again.”

“Please…”

Whether they meant they desperately wanted to or desperately didn’t want to, they earnestly wished for time to pass, and finally hurried to leave.

Afterward, while Halo’s concert continued, they hoped people would forget them. They wanted to disappear forever from people’s memories.

Of course, that wouldn’t happen.

Someone had preserved photos in the community.

[Recent news about Halo’s Paris concert special guests]

[Why are they so nervous, their faces turn pale every time Haeil says something]

[They’re ordinary people so they must have been nervous and congratulations on the wedding]

The truly fortunate thing was that they had asked Halo in advance and dressed up like at the Venice Carnival instead of going on stage as themselves.

Although they had already done interviews, their faces wouldn’t be explicitly posted online. The photos uploaded to the internet showed costumes of a jester, joker, pierrot, and plague doctor.

They became a topic not just because of their unique costumes and special anecdotes with Halo.

[Seems like there are record numbers of Hellygans at the Paris concert] someone posted along with a high-resolution photo of the audience.

While there had been many questions about why there were so many crazy people in Halo’s fandom, and it had been explained as jokes or the law of conservation of crazy mass until now, the Paris concert Hellygan photos someone uploaded seemed like evidence that there really were many scary people.

[Hellygan expressions are super fierce *sweat* they look like serial killers]

[They smile when Halo looks back, but as soon as he turns to look at the guests, they glare with serious faces]

[Who would appear as a guest if they act like that?]

└ Who wouldn’t go if Halo asks?

└ I’d definitely go

[There were always crazy people among Halo’s fans, but it seems to have exploded because of Rill]

[Looking at their faces makes me feel sorry for them, wouldn’t they actually get beat up if they meet Hellygans on the street?]

There were many opinions that they were quite pitiful.

It was because the guests were trembling after facing the fierce gazes of the Hellygans. However, even that was soon overturned.

[They stood on Halo’s stage and you feel sorry for them?]

[They received Halo’s watch and stood there because they wanted to, why feel sorry?]

[They even raised a huge fist at our beloved Sun and made him cry, how is that pitiful?]

└ The raised fist was just a greeting…

└ He cried because he was just laughing…

[The Sun’s wedding speech… ah…]

[OK since they sincerely apologized for previous incidents but still seems wrong, why do they look like that after getting on a stage others can’t even go to even if they want to?]

[Can we get a watch if we find them now?]

It was because both the commonly mentioned Hellygans and other humans poured in like water. Normal people kept their mouths shut in front of the madness that wouldn’t listen to words.

At that time, the day after the concert, Peter’s group was trembling while staying at home. They promised to spend time quietly at home until this Christmas. Let’s go out when people start forgetting about them while enjoying Christmas. For their own safety.

And fortunately, there was good news for them before Christmas.

Halo, or rather Roh Haeil’s SNS that he had made as a Korean singer finally opened.

Until now, Roh Haeil’s Stargram was so empty it was doubtful whether it was an official account. If it weren’t for the millions of followers—people couldn’t understand why there were followers when there was nothing—and if Halo’s identity hadn’t been revealed on Stargram, no one would have known if it was an official account.

There wasn’t a post telling people not to criticize the guests.

First of all, Halo himself wasn’t the type to monitor so diligently—he only looks when albums are released or when he just feels like it—he didn’t know well how the community was running.

However, it was certainly enough to take all the aggro that was focused on Peter and his friends.

A photo of a Christmas market was posted on the previously empty Stargram. Christmas markets that run from 4 weeks before Christmas were currently being held across Europe including France and Germany. At one of these Christmas markets, there were yellow cute lights, booths, and crowds.

However, what stood out most was the boy wearing a knit and muffler without particularly covering his face in front of the entrance that read ‘Les Villages de NOEL PARIS’.

While the boy’s playlist ‘Catch me if you can – HALO (11th Ep)’ played,

One phrase appeared.

[We used to do this often, right?]