The Road to Glory Chapter 195 - The Last Interview

The sessions changed frequently, but there had been only one manager for a long time. One of the few people who knew the young man’s circumstances well. And the one who helped the most in cornering boss.

A rare moral character in this industry. Though somewhat of an FM-type person, the young man rather liked James. He was clearly someone within his close boundaries.

Though those fox-like kids might not believe in James who was working hard under an unlikeable superior, saying he’d send them to good universities.

The reason he didn’t grab James by the collar right then was because he trusted James.

Still, he had no intention of doing it.

The young man was going to refuse.

If James hadn’t spoken first.

“Your parents contacted us. They said they want to see you.”

“…”

“And they said they’re sorry.”

The young man sneered.

It was the first contact after exactly ten years and some.

“I know you might feel bad, and you might think it’s way too late, but the previous boss might have blocked their contact.”

“…”

“And Halo, they’re family. Are you going to keep living like this?”

James, who had just started a family not long ago, knelt before him and grabbed his hands. James, who was only a few years older, looked very much like an adult at this moment. In contrast, in his eyes, the young man still looked like a sixteen-year-old kid.

“‘Eddie’ would want you to go back home too.”

The young man flinched.

After Eddie’s death, mentioning ‘Eddie’ and his brothers became an unwritten rule. No one mentioned them to him. Even James, who knew all the circumstances, was the same.

So this was the first time.

Bringing up ‘Eddie’s’ story.

“Let’s go home, Halo.”

It was a very appropriate method.

Just as he was about to refuse, he heard ‘their’ voices.

-Still, go back home, kiddo

-Isn’t it too early to run away from home

-You’ll end up working your whole life anyway, but right now is when you should be getting more allowance from your parents. You seem like a young master from a well-off family, so you need to learn patience for your future.

-Then how can we meet?

-…

The memories worn down by time ended with the ‘boy’s’ voice.

The young man stood in front of the mansion from his old memories.

When he was young, it was a huge mansion that seemed like a monster trying to devour him.

But looking at it now, it was just an ordinary British mansion.

A bit tight for a family of five-.

The manager knocked on the door, and it slowly opened.

His heart pounded along with it.

The middle-aged woman who opened the door was old and thin, but he could recognize who she was.

“Halo? Oh my goodness, Halo!”

Because she rushed out upon seeing him.

He thought there would be raised voices if he came back.

But it was more peaceful and gentle than expected.

He sat in the master’s seat where his father used to sit, his mother and father sat on the left sofa, and his brother and sister with their families sat on the right sofa. His brother’s son was running around with toys, and his sister’s daughter was nestled in her mother’s arms.

It was like a picture-perfect family scene.

However, it was also awkward due to the lack of conversation over many years.

“Have you been well?”

“Mother, why ask such things when he’s in the newspapers every day.”

“That’s right, whoever he takes after, he keeps the world buzzing every day.”

They asked and answered themselves.

The young man quietly watched before speaking.

“Nothing’s changed from the old days.”

It wasn’t meant to be particularly meaningful, but his mother suddenly started shedding tears.

One drop, two drops. Soon tears poured down like monsoon rain.

And she blurted out while trying to hold back her sobs.

“Halo, mom is sorry.”

“I regretted it so much. Looking at your articles, I wondered every day if I should go find you, if I had the right to find you. I worried if you were eating well since you wouldn’t eat if there was no meat.”

Now sobbing, she hit the knee of father who was sitting silently beside her.

“What are you doing? Are you going to keep your mouth shut?”

At that moment, his father abruptly stood up, then slowly knelt down.

In front of him.

“!”

His brother and sister got up in shock, but his father opened his mouth while keeping his head bowed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

“…”

“I wasn’t really going to hit you then, I just wanted to scold you. Back then, I didn’t know you had such talent… I have no words. I’m sorry.”

When the young man didn’t respond, his father poured out all his apologies like a confession.

“When I said ‘he’s not my child so let him do whatever he wants,’ I didn’t mean it. I was just so angry then…”

How should he put it.

No special feelings arose.

Watching his parents sobbing and his siblings seemingly apologizing sincerely, no thoughts came to mind.

He wasn’t angry, wasn’t sad. It just felt like watching a silent film.

Then, at one phrase, the young man tilted his head.

“You said ‘he’s not my child so let him do whatever he wants’?”

It was the first time he’d heard this.

His father jerked his head up.

Not knowing that he wouldn’t know, he moved his lips before lowering his head again, having nothing to say.

So he said that.

Was it to the boss?

What the young man felt then wasn’t hurt.

It was an old matter, so there was nothing to be wounded about.

He just thought it was unexpected.

The boss had never once told him about such words, and until the end, didn’t let him know such a thing had happened.

-You were my son, and I was your father. Everything was for you.

Back then he thought it was just nonsense.

Did he really think of himself as a father?

Laughter leaked out.

At some point, the young man was laughing haha.

“Halo, do you know how much my friends like you?”

“I’m so proud of you. How could our family have a child like you? Because mom and dad have absolutely no musical talent, and we don’t have that talent either.”

“The looks too.”

After the long time of apologies ended, his brother and sister blushed as they said what they wanted to say. The young man just nodded, but that seemed enough for them.

“We’re going to be close siblings again now, right?”

“Visit often, Halo.”

The farewell was also harmonious.

The manager, who had been watching the young man’s reactions, asked how it was on the way back from the mansion.

What should he answer.

Since he hadn’t thought anything and hadn’t felt anything, the young man just looked out the window.

The manager, thinking the young man had felt a lot, kept his mouth shut.

After that, his family contacted him occasionally.

How much the nephew had grown, what he was doing these days, let’s have a meal sometime, and such contacts.

He didn’t reply to most of them, but they didn’t seem to mind.

April 1st. They celebrated the young man’s birthday with the coming of spring and sent presents.

Other than reconciling with his family, the young man’s life remained the same.

The young man still lived glamorously.

BB raised his hand after hearing the long story.

“Did he never visit home separately?”

“Does it look that way?”

“Honestly, yes. Actually, I’m not sure if he really reconciled. Was it really reconciliation?”

Halo raised the corner of his mouth.

“Since nothing remained between them, wouldn’t that be reconciliation?”

And it’s not that he never visited.

He visited home exactly once.

It was just another winter then.

Instead of going to a party for once, as he was just walking the streets, he reached the front of the house.

Since he didn’t contact them about coming, they wouldn’t know he was in front.

The young man didn’t go inside and looked at the window.

Through the windows, the house’s scenery unfolded.

There were balloons hung above the fireplace, with ‘Happy Birthday’ written.

It reminded him of the past.

Back then, they put up things like this too.

He could hear a baby’s giggling and his sister’s voice.

It seemed everyone had gathered for the birthday.

“Halo?”

Then, a familiar voice was heard.

His brother, seemingly just back from work in a suit, waved happily.

“Why aren’t you going inside.”

Since he had no intention of going in, the young man hesitated.

His brother grabbed his shoulder and led him inside.

“Is this the first time? You coming like this. I’m really glad.”

It was when they reached the front door after stepping into the yard.

“But how did you know?”

“About what?”

“We didn’t tell you because we thought you’d find it bothersome. Did you come knowing it’s Sophia’s birthday party today?”

“…Sophia?”

“Your niece. Her birthday is in two days, but we decided to have the party on the weekend.”

“…Ah.”

The young man recalled the ‘Happy Birthday’ hung above the fireplace.

“It’s Sophia’s birthday?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you come knowing that?”

The door opened.

“Mother, Father. Guess who’s here?”

His brother put down his briefcase and took off his shoes.

“Your proud son, Halo, came to celebrate his niece’s birthday! Sophia, you should know how blessed you are.”

His sister showed him the niece in her arms, welcoming him gladly.

The young man moved his lips before saying a brief happy birthday.

The niece giggled, and a scene of a happy family unfolded.

The young man knew.

That he was the most out of place there.

As soon as he left, the awkwardness disappeared and laughter filled the place.

“Congratulations on Sophia’s second birthday.”

“What is everyone doing on the 16th?”

“We gathered like this because we couldn’t make time on the 16th.”

“Still, we should celebrate our niece’s actual birthday. What if Sophia thinks her birthday is November 14th later?”

That seems to have been the last visit.

After releasing his 10th album “Cannot be cut”,

“Halo, congratulations. But don’t you get curious too?”

“About what?”

“I don’t know if it’s just me who thinks this sometimes. If you released albums under different names, would people still love your music?”

“Honestly, Halo just needs to cover his face. Think about it. Who would tolerate an ugly Halo.”

The young man hits consecutive home runs with his 11th album “Catch me if you can”, not using his name.

And now when the company was stabilizing and starting to take in new recruits.

The young man releases his 12th album “Life is delight”.

Saying that it was indeed a delightful life.

“And finally, he gets to sing ‘HALO’ at the Grammys.”

Halo recalled the last memory while looking at BB.

The beginning was, from then.

When James asked what he wanted to do from now on, he answered.

-Maybe I’ll retire?

The sound disappears.

James’s casual eyes gradually widened and he burst out shouting.

-What? Retire?! Did you just say retire? On this good day?

-No, what kind of crazy bastard announces retirement at an awards ceremony!

-How about doing it like this

The young man with white-dyed hair smirked.

The California desert night passes by his side.

-Let me ask just one thing. Do you want to throw everything away?

-It’s not like that.

-Then why suddenly say you’re going to retire?

Maybe I rushed too much.

The young man thinks.

Looking at the darkness of the pitch-black desert.

‘Isn’t there nothing left to do now.’

At the age of thirty-two, he had completed numerous goals he had set when young. Now there was nothing left for him to do.

If his life were a movie, it would be time for the ending credits to roll.

His most magnificent music would play as background music,

And the names of everyone who helped, from actors to directors to production, would scroll up.

And at the end, there would be text like this

‘This movie is based on a true story’

Hah. Isn’t it quite a wonderful story.

However, the young man eventually takes back his words after seeing his manager’s sobbing. Right, it might be too sudden when he said he’d send those fox-like kids to university.

It would be perfect to release the 13th album, spend some time properly organizing everything, and then leave.

-And when one of us retires, let’s write a retirement song.

Need to find someone to write the retirement song for about a year.

The young man grinned and held Marianne in his arms.

He sang while imagining the dawn that would come beyond the darkness.

“And then?”

At BB’s question, Halo just bumped his right fist against his left fist.

“Sorry?”

BB asked as if he couldn’t understand.

In his opinion, BB understood but asked again because he couldn’t believe it.

“He died.”

“What?”

“Bang and-.”

The urgent keyboard sound stopped.

BB, who had been taking notes and eventually used a laptop for the long narrative, asked again as if he couldn’t believe it.

So, this ending is…

“That’s all?”

Halo smiled.

“It’s not all, is it?”

It’s not all.

However, he had no intention of telling the ridiculous story of how he became Roh Haeil.

So, the story of ‘another world’s Halo’ ends like this.

“No, Mr. Halo.”

BB had never once picked at the narrative until now. But this time, he had to say something.

How could anyone accept such an amazing narrative having an ending that goes beyond sad ending to bad ending.

It’s as absurd as waking up to find it was all a dream ending.

“Mr. Halo, as you know, no audience would accept such an ending.”

BB held back what he wanted to say and spoke as calmly as possible. A boy who created such an epic narrative – though he doubted if this could be called creating – should be able to make a better ending than this.

“Is that so?”

“I’m not just saying this, but how should audiences who have empathized with one person’s life for about two hours accept his death. Moreover, how should they accept an ending without any emotion or narrative?”

Though he spoke calmly, BB didn’t want to imagine what results would occur if such an ending was actually released. Wouldn’t it cause not just an uproar but a war?

Abandoning the director’s ego, as an audience who had been listening to the story of ‘another world’s Halo’ until now, he doesn’t want to accept anymore.

He’ll honestly admit it.

BB liked this story.

So much that he didn’t want to touch anything about it.

Like the people in that story, he too liked ‘another Halo’. He loved his brilliance, and he loved his misery.

BB, who had come to love ‘another Halo’, ‘his’ life, didn’t want to send ‘him’ off so miserably.

Also, happy endings are trendy these days.

The era when sad endings and bad endings were popular has long passed.

Halo, who had been quietly listening to BB’s passionate speech, tilted his head as if in thought. BB hoped the boy would change the ending. He waited for a while.

Then, the boy who raised his head opened his mouth.

“Then how about this?”

“About what?”

As long as he didn’t suddenly die, anything would be fine.

BB brightened up and listened carefully to the boy’s voice.

“How about you write the ending you want, BB?”

“Pardon?”

“I still think ‘he’ died there, but you don’t want that, right BB?”

“That’s right?”

“So you, BB, should write the ending. I don’t mind whatever ending it is.”

BB’s eyes slowly widened.

The more they did, the deeper the boy’s smile became.

He just seemed to find this situation amusing.

The last interview ended like that.

Before moving to the dinner venue, the boy mumbled while looking out the window.

“I wonder what kind of ending will come out.”