The Road to Glory Chapter 193 - Do Whatever You Want

The light is dazzling.

Halo squinted for a moment.

He raised his hand to block the sunlight.

But his palm couldn’t possibly cover it all.

Halo gave up and let out a long whistle.

The whistle, like birdsong, soared on the cold wind.

It was the day before Hwang Ryongpil’s last concert.

At the rehearsal stage.

[Follow the light of hope]

Sparks erupted from the stage.

Even though only staff were present, it felt like he could hear the audience’s screams.

[Spread your broken wings]

He snapped his fingers to the beat.

[For a brilliant tomorrow]

A magnificent rhythm.

And when the staff stomped their feet, ‘Song of a Hero’ was complete. Halo jumped onto the stage, remembering the Rendezvous from two years ago.

[We will never stop]

“Would you like an espresso?”

“Thank you.”

After rehearsal, Halo drank the espresso that Team Leader Park, Hwang Ryongpil’s manager, had brought him.

Or should he say former manager, to be precise?

With Hwang Ryongpil’s retirement, Team Leader Park would step down from his managerial position. Too old to manage other celebrities, he was moved to an office position, but he still insisted on participating as manager for Hwang Ryongpil’s final concert.

Sitting quietly in the audience seats, watching the singer he had cared for so long, Team Leader Park seemed lost in thought.

“Team Leader Park, you don’t have to come out. You’re busy enough.”

“How could I possibly stay away? It’s your concert, sir. Since it’s your last stage… I want to serve you until the end, sir.”

“This guy…”

Hwang Ryongpil could no longer stop his former manager.

He simply turned his gaze to watch the boy savoring his espresso.

“Thank you for coming, Haeil.”

Halo put down his cup with a faint smile.

Having already received thanks before, he found it redundant.

“How’s your condition?”

“More energetic than ever-“

Hwang Ryongpil’s eyes curved into crescents as he looked at the empty stage with Halo.

“It feels like I’ve gone back to the days of Rendezvous.”

“That was just two years ago though.”

“Has it only been that long?”

It felt like five or ten years had passed.

A lot had happened during that time, and the events of those two years were far from insignificant.

Hwang Ryongpil looked anew at the boy who had reached the world’s summit in just two years. Unlike during Rendezvous, the boy had grown enough that it wouldn’t be strange to call him a young man now.

Well, he was still young regardless – just like how fans called him our beloved baby Sun (which Halo absolutely refused to acknowledge).

“By the way, everyone seemed to be planning something interesting, did you know about it?”

He knew this conversation would come up.

Halo shamelessly shook his head.

“I was surprised when I saw it too.”

“Oh, you were surprised, were you?”

Though he clearly didn’t believe it, Halo calmly nodded.

“No plans to show anything here?”

During the rehearsal, all Halo had sung was the duet ‘Song of a Hero’ with Hwang Ryongpil. That’s what the other guests had done too.

They all claimed there were no tribute songs, both guests and session musicians alike denied it. Yet on the day of the concert, they ended up doing tribute song events.

“I just showed everything.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes. Or should we prepare another stage?”

When he brazenly asked if there were other song selections, Hwang Ryongpil’s eyes narrowed. However, since he couldn’t demand a tribute song from someone who said there wasn’t one, Hwang Ryongpil soon shook his head and let it go.

“No plans to go quietly?”

“I’ll do it like I always do.”

Team Leader Park, watching the old man and boy from behind, couldn’t help but chuckle at Halo’s statement – coming from someone who had never once failed to shake up the world.

And 28 hours later.

Hwang Ryongpil, his voice completely choked up, sighed.

“You said you hadn’t prepared anything…”

#

“Would you come out? Halo.”

The final guest of Hwang Ryongpil’s retirement concert’s last stage was, of course, Halo. Those who had been eagerly waiting for Halo’s appearance responded with thunderous cheers, and longtime fans of Hwang Ryongpil found significance in Halo being the ‘last’ guest.

Until now, numerous guests had filled Hwang Ryongpil’s stages.

The retirement concert began with Lee Seongrim, followed by Korea’s most renowned singers and celebrities who had deep connections with Hwang Ryongpil. The bands that had previously performed sessions with him also participated as guests. ‘Hwang Ryongpil’s Retirement Concert’ was also a stage for him to look back on and wrap up his time.

Having Halo as the last guest of such a stage was quite meaningful.

Even the introduction for Halo was notably different from a fan’s perspective:

-Let me laugh at my youthful arrogance

While making a simple confession

-What if we had met when I was younger

-How nice would it have been if you were born later so we could enjoy for a longer time

The meaning was close to high praise.

When had such an arrogant singer ever praised another singer like this?

-They call this friendship these days, I hear

Just as someone watching Hwang Ryongpil’s guest stages had called it a generational shift, Hwang Ryongpil’s fans vaguely felt it.

It seemed like the legend of the established generation was passing everything on to the singer representing the current generation. To the singer he most acknowledged and thus could entrust everything to.

This was a perfect retirement ceremony indicating no intention of return

And became an inauguration ceremony for a new era.

It was quite a heartbreaking scene, whether as a longtime fan of Hwang Ryongpil or as a fan of Halo.

Perhaps that’s why during the <Song of a Hero> duet, the audience sang with choked voices.

Even though it wasn’t a sad song at all,

Rather, it was a cheer song meant to boost courage, tears still fell.

And Hwang Ryongpil knew this better than anyone.

Hwang Ryongpil, once called the ruler of the stage, couldn’t possibly miss how the audience at his concert felt disappointed.

However, having no intention of backing out of retirement, Hwang Ryongpil casually continued the stage while watching the boy.

Though he must have known the mood of the stage well, the boy enjoyed the performance casually as if he hadn’t noticed.

Hwang Ryongpil was grateful to the boy for pretending not to notice.

[We will never stop]

And grateful that unlike other singers, he didn’t end up crying.

Until now, singers invited to the retirement concert had sung tribute songs and left crying, asking if he really had to retire.

He understood. It’s not that he didn’t know how they felt.

But he wasn’t dying from a terminal illness – he was just retiring. Hwang Ryongpil wanted everyone to end his last stage with smiles.

Because that would be more enjoyable.

Although the stage had become one where singers and audience members cried at least once, Hwang Ryongpil felt relieved watching the boy.

He thought the last stage of his last concert could end with smiles.

At that moment.

A whistle sound came from somewhere.

“I guess it’s my turn now.”

Halo suddenly raised the corners of his mouth and announced while sharing his thoughts with the audience after <Song of a Hero>.

It was also the moment the audience had been waiting for most.

:

Until now, Hwang Ryongpil tribute songs, except for Sin Joohyeok and a few others, had become quite emotional pieces. Although they agreed not to do sad songs, the ballad singers’ emotions and the situation combined to make the audience cry, and the singers soon shed tears from excessive immersion.

Each time, Hwang Ryongpil would pat their backs saying it was okay.

Whether ballad or rock, the quality of Hwang Ryongpil tribute songs had never been lacking until now. They were well-crafted either emotionally or charmingly enough that fans begged for them to be released.

The last in line of such tribute songs.

People were excited about Halo’s appearance.

He was ‘that’ Halo.

Halo’s music always gripped and shook people’s emotions, leaving deep impressions.

Since Halo had been on break for so long, they anticipated his new song and wondered how he would create the tribute song.

Actually, since the theme was a tribute song for Hwang Ryongpil, they thought it would be quite an emotional piece.

But…

A whistle rings out.

A cheerful and joyful whistling rhythm echoes in their ears.

And with piano accompaniment,

[Do whatever you want]

Halo nodded along to the rhythm.

[I don’t know what you’re saying]

[I don’t want to hold you back]

Halo grinned at Hwang Ryongpil.

[I’m too busy to care about trivial things]

At the words clearly directed at him, Hwang Ryongpil’s eyes flew wide open.

The cheerful whistle sounds again.

This time guitars and drums joined the whistle, and people wiped away their gloomy expressions and bobbed their heads along.

[I’m still dancing]

[Singing in the rain]

People who understood the lyrics realized it was an homage to HALO’s 6th album “Dancing in the Rain.”

Or it reminded them of the boy who sang in the rain during his birthday concert at Nanji.

[Every moment time flows by]

[The tide is coming in]

[Can’t hold onto crumbling sandcastles]

[Don’t look back at footprints left in the sand]

[I’m still running even in that moment]

The boy moved his fingers to the whistle rhythm.

It feels like a summer beach is spreading before their eyes.

The refreshing and upbeat rhythm doesn’t feel like a retirement tribute song.

[Do whatever you want]

The hook returned again.

[I don’t know what people are saying]

[I don’t want to care]

[I’m too busy to care about trivial things]

Many people opposed and didn’t understand Hwang Ryongpil’s retirement. Hadn’t the guests in previous stages ultimately begged him not to retire?

But the boy tells Hwang Ryongpil to retire if he wants to. Without caring what people say.

Hwang Ryongpil could smile at his friend’s consideration.

[You’re rewinding an old tape

Listening to your first EP]

But the lyrics changed, and Hwang Ryongpil’s face slowly hardened.

[Every moment time flows by]

[The moment of regret approaches]

[Holding onto fading memories]

[Looking back at dreams still kept]

This time the boy wasn’t looking back at Hwang Ryongpil.

He went to the very front of the protruding stage and continued the cheerful whistle with the people.

[I’m still drifting away in that moment]

Watching the boy, the audience shouted and sang along.

This almost seemed like the boy’s stage rather than Hwang Ryongpil’s.

At that moment, Hwang Ryongpil felt lonely.

It felt like he alone was set apart.

[Do it if you want to]

The hook returned once more with the whistle sound.

[I don’t know what you said]

[I don’t want to care]

[I’m too busy to care about trivial things]

The boy turned around and smiled at him.

[We’re still dancing

Singing in the rain]

The boy says once more.

To do whatever he wants.

Hwang Ryongpil couldn’t help but understand what that meant.

The boy who had said he didn’t care whether he retired or not,

Was now talking about when he would regret it later.

Saying he would turn a blind eye, so come back anytime.

[I don’t know what people are saying]

[I don’t care]

Don’t mind what people say later about retiring.

[We’re too busy to care about trivial things]

It’s not music that stirs emotions.

The boy’s music was refreshing like the sight of a beach, and everyone was enjoying it cheerfully. Not a trace of the gloomy atmosphere remained. It was exactly like the last stage Hwang Ryongpil had envisioned.

But watching such a stage, Hwang Ryongpil felt lonely.

Contrary to what he had wished for until now.

He hoped people wouldn’t forget him, and he wanted to sing together with them up there.

[Every moment time flows by]

[The tide is coming in]

Isn’t it really a shame, with every moment passing by?

The boy asked.

[Can’t hold onto crumbling sandcastles]

[Don’t look back at footprints left in the sand]

There’s no time to look back, he said.

[We’re still running even in that moment]

At that moment, Hwang Ryongpil heard something snap sharply.

Like a tied string breaking.

Or like a hidden balloon suddenly popping.

The boy who had approached him without notice whistled.

[Do whatever you want]

The song ended abruptly, and the crowd fell silent.

A silence fell as if time had stopped.

They must have been moved by the lingering emotions of the music that was too good.

However, people started murmuring and shouting something.

The boy before him blurred hazily.

“Ah…”

Hwang Ryongpil finally realized.

His throat was already completely choked up.

“You said you hadn’t prepared anything…”

Tears were dropping steadily down his cheeks.

The old man who had smiled faintly when everyone cried begging him not to go,

Broke down at the words telling him to retire if he wanted to, and come back anytime if he wanted to later.

The cheerful and upbeat music he had wished for broke down his sturdy dam.

Staff hurriedly brought him handkerchiefs.

Hwang Ryongpil properly wiped his steadily falling tears.

The audience was waiting for his words.

Hwang Ryongpil pondered what to say to them.

Should he say it’s okay?

Or should he casually start the next stage?

But without realizing it, words came out of his mouth.

“Really, thank you.”

Hwang Ryongpil bowed to the audience, and applause rang out.

A cheerful whistle sound brushes past his ears.

#

In the end, the teacher didn’t reverse his retirement.

Even though his song gave the teacher a deep resonance and even made him cry.

The teacher spoke his thoughts plainly as if he had never cried.

Along with words of thanks, he shared all the stories he had wanted to tell until now.

Halo felt subtle emotions watching him.

It’s not that he was dissatisfied with his decision.

In Hwang Ryongpil’s tears, Halo saw hope that he might return someday.

The song’s intention could be considered somewhat successful.

Moreover, the gloom he had seen on the teacher’s face was no longer visible.

Now it seemed he would never be reminded of dying Eddie’s face when looking at the teacher.

Halo smiled faintly as he watched the teacher receive bouquets and turned to leave.

After the concert ended, many messages came in.

Other singers who had belatedly heard his tribute song asked if this wasn’t a song made during the after-party.

[Park Hyeongchan: Wow, you made this into a tribute song? Wow… you’re really amazing]

[Lee Seongrim: I was going to ask to buy the song but you already used it dammit ㅜㅜ]

The group chat stopped when Liv, who had finished her schedule, posted one comment.

[Lee Chaewon: In the end, Haeil won the bet]

[Park Hyeongchan: !]

[Lee Seongrim: !]

Liv, who participated in the Hwang Ryongpil tribute song project but couldn’t perform due to scheduling issues, had planned to release her tribute song later. She announced with a smile that the bet was over, and everyone acknowledged it since Halo was the only one who made Hwang Ryongpil cry.

[King of Pop Music, Hwang Ryongpil Breaks Down in Tears at Final Stage]

[HALO Makes the Old Man Cry]

[Perfect Song Concluding Hwang Ryongpil’s Tribute Songs… So When Will It Be Released?]

[89% of Netizens – Please Release the Whistle Song]

For several days afterward, foreign fans begged for translations, while Korean fans strongly demanded the release of the new song.

Around that time, Halo was having his final interview with BB.