The Road to Glory Chapter 196 - The Life He Would Have Wanted Most

“How’s it going?”

Just before dinner, BB received a call from Tomas Benson, his business partner and the CEO of the production company ‘Brilliant B’.

It was a regular check-up call about the business.

“Well…”

“Oh, finally found something you don’t like?”

Whenever asked how it was going, BB would always respond with:

‘This is really, an unbelievable story’

‘Tomas, you idiot-‘

‘Too perfect… I can’t believe it’

-and other such exclamations and nonsense.

Since starting the interviews with Halo, BB, who had been acting crazy like when he was writing scenarios, seemed to have finally returned to being the picky auteur director today.

Tomas thought this was quite late.

In fact, he had expected BB to get sick of the kid’s interference much earlier.

Since he hadn’t for so long, Tomas thought maybe the kid was actually being helpful, but it seemed he was right after all.

“I knew this would happen. You lasted longer than usual. Good work. Just need to stamp the contract. Let’s just say we’ll make something similar and rewrite it when you come back.”

“Oh my gosh. What should I do with this guy.”

“Huh?”

BB shook his head and decided to be clear about it.

“I won’t touch his story.”

“Then-“

“I mean I won’t modify a single thing and will make it exactly as the story is set. I absolutely won’t add or remove anything.”

“You’re saying you won’t modify the scenario?”

You, BB, of all people?

Brian Berry, the quintessential auteur director who only makes movies according to his own scenarios, is saying he’ll use someone else’s scenario as is?

Tomas asked in disbelief.

“Tomas, you should have been here too. If you had heard what I heard, you would have made the same decision.”

Regardless, BB muttered again like someone lost in thought.

“Everyone needs to know about ‘his’ life.”

“Didn’t you say some parts were amateurish?”

“Did I? Ah, right.”

He had said that about ‘his’ real name.

At that time, BB thought Halo hadn’t decided on ‘his’ real name, and so considered it amateurish.

“But that wasn’t it.”

After hearing the whole story, BB trembled.

The fact that no one knew ‘his’ real name was the most dramatic device that amplified his tragedy.

‘HALO’s real name might have been known in the ‘other world’ where he was a celebrity, but there was no one to call him by that name.

His family only called him ‘HALO’, and those who might have called him by name were either dead or gone from his side. Even ‘HALO’ himself, and the boy who created this story, had abandoned that name.

The same would be true for audiences after watching the movie; no one would have occasion to call that name.

He was the most famous person in the world, yet ironically, no one in the world could know his name.

What a miserable and beautiful paradox.

His eyes grew hot.

This could surely be called moving.

“It was perfect because there was no name.”

There was no way Tomas could understand.

To understand everything, one would need to hear this story.

Tomas knew that conversation wouldn’t work in the current situation.

So he chose silence and a change of topic, which was what he could do.

“Then, what are you worried about?”

“Ah.”

BB’s voice sinks again.

After speaking like a madman, it seemed he had found something new to worry about.

“I don’t know how to end this story.”

“Didn’t that kid tell you?”

“He did, but.”

The road to the Grammys.

An accident caused by a traffic collision.

It was an ending he absolutely couldn’t accept.

“That ending won’t do.”

This wasn’t just speaking as someone who loved ‘him’.

It was an ending that shouldn’t be shown to audiences who would be moved and immersed in ‘his’ life for over two hours.

Even if the real ‘he’ who might have existed somewhere died this way.

BB couldn’t send him off like this.

So what should he do?

The road to the Grammys was the right ending.

But should he die in an accident like this?

Or was there a more perfect ending? BB sighed.

Condensation forms on the window.

“I need to think about it more.”

He couldn’t think of an ending that would suit him.

Since there was still plenty of time, he thought he should think about it more.

What kind of ending would ‘he’ have wanted for his life?

Did he really want to retire?

If it were me…

Questions kept leading to more questions.

It had been a very long time since BB had been this absorbed in someone’s story.

While he was happy, whenever he thought about the ending, he became worried.

It seems BB had truly come to love ‘him’.

While his misery was beautiful, he wanted him to be happy at the end.

Rather than this meaningless death, he wanted to give ‘him’ the life he truly would have wanted.

For instance, something like this:

After the accident, while he’s disoriented, having a friend who would call him by his real name.

But this was an impossible ending.

Because in the ‘other world’, there was no one who could call ‘Halo’ by his name.

“I’ll hang up now.”

“Ah, you said you’re going to dinner with Halo?”

“With his members too.”

“Right, that should be good research material too. Enjoy your meal.”

The phone clicked off.

BB left the room and pressed the button for the sky lounge floor.

When he gave his name, the sky lounge floor restaurant guided him inside.

He was quite late due to his call with Tomas Benson.

BB was preparing to apologize when he heard laughter as he turned the corner.

Though the laughter quieted when other guests’ attention turned their way, the atmosphere remained cheerful.

Nam Gyuhwan and Moon Seoyeon bickering.

Han Jinyeong playing along well, and the boy laughing along with them were there.

The expressions of other guests looking at that table softened too.

Maybe because they were famous stars at that table, or maybe because of the atmosphere that was joyful just to look at.

Anyway,

“Am I very late? The call went long, did you wait long?”

BB casually joined them.

Moon Seoyeon and Han Jinyeong, who weren’t shy at all, greeted him in English, and Nam Gyuhwan also uttered a brief English. “Hi.”

Perhaps because he had just been organizing the story of ‘HALO from another world’, the boy’s members looked somewhat different.

As time passed, they contrasted with the band in the story.

The members’ gazes toward the boy were full of affection.

It looked like they were looking at a younger sibling, and in some ways, it seemed like respect.

There seemed to be something more than just an employer-employee bond.

“Was I staring too much?”

BB only realized he had been looking too much like an observer when his eyes met Moon Seoyeon’s. However, Moon Seoyeon wasn’t offended.

“Is there something you’re curious about?”

Rather, she asked with goodwill.

BB naturally recalled how the ‘members in the story’ had felt inferior when they couldn’t even appear in one tabloid magazine.

“You seem closer than I expected. Actually, even bands that have been together for a long time aren’t always on good terms. It might be rude, but may I ask one question?”

“Of course.”

“Have you ever had conflicts while working together?”

“Conflicts…”

Moon Seoyeon tilted her head.

She knew that the boss and the director were making a movie, and thus was willing to answer any questions.

But this was a somewhat difficult question.

Because…

“Um… have we ever fought?”

Moon Seoyeon really couldn’t remember and asked the members.

“Us? We fight all the time.”

“We do?”

“Yeah, you and Gyuhwan always-“

“No, that’s because he provokes me first!”

Moon Seoyeon shouted indignantly at Han Jinyeong’s response.

“We fight about what to eat too.”

Moon Seoyeon who wanted to eat various things and

Nam Gyuhwan who had strange tastes like Hawaiian pizza and mint chocolate.

Han Jinyeong usually wasn’t picky, but Halo preferred not to have meals without meat.

“But I don’t think we’ve ever had any big fights.”

“That’s true. Can you think of any?”

“Dunno.”

When Nam Gyuhwan answered carelessly, Moon Seoyeon snorted.

This was usually a precursor to fighting, but she answered BB’s question with a summary.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had any big fights. Usually just minor ones?”

“Not with Halo either?”

“How could we fight with the boss?”

Though she answered like a loyal employee, her following words were full of affection. He’s really nice, there’s so much to learn from him, he’s helped us a lot, he’s cool.

BB’s eyes grew curious.

“Are you curious?”

Then, Moon Seoyeon asked as if piercing his mind.

BB honestly admitted it.

He was curious about their bond, and curious about their story.

“This is the first time I’m telling this-“

Moon Seoyeon spoke without hesitation, and BB was able to hear many stories.

From Moon Seoyeon who learned composition from Halo,

To Nam Gyuhwan who applied without knowing it was Halo and became the most successful The Sun member after finding out.

And even the story of Han Jinyeong, who started as a middle school student wanting to make music, was taught MIDI, and later became a bassist.

How should he put it?

After hearing all the stories, he didn’t know how to express this feeling.

All he could do was look at the boy surrounded by his members.

He really had so many questions.

The questions kept coming.

And finally, when they were left alone.

BB couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“Mr. Halo, there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“About ‘Halo from another world’?”

“No, may I ask one thing about the Halo of this world?”

Halo seemed surprised by the question and paused briefly before nodding.

“Actually, I have more than just one question.”

Today would be the last interview.

Having heard all the stories, BB had booked his return flight, and this was his unofficial final meeting with Halo.

“What I really want to know is-“

Their eyes meet.

“Why.”

BB stared intently at the composed boy’s face to see how it would change.

“Why you created ‘Halo from another world’.”

“Why?”

“Why did you create that story?”

Halo closed his mouth.

Since he hadn’t actually created that story, he couldn’t answer BB’s question.

Then, BB added:

“At first, I thought it was like misery porn.”

“…”

“You know, like feeling catharsis from someone else’s tragedy, feeling relieved that you haven’t experienced such tragedy, maybe trying to boost your self-esteem. But-“

The Halo BB saw was such a person.

He was quite indifferent to others’ affairs from the start, and his self-esteem wasn’t low enough to feel relieved at others’ misfortunes.

Why would such a person create ‘Halo from another world’?

While he acknowledged the story was beautiful, why did the boy before him create such a story?

Moreover, it wasn’t just any story you might find somewhere, but a meticulous story that seemed like it could have been about someone who actually existed.

The boy who should have been busy just creating his own music,

“Why did you have to create a story about such an unfortunate person?”

The boy’s finger twitched slightly.

BB thought he seemed a bit flustered.

This was a habit the boy had when he was troubled about what to say.

“Was ‘he’ unfortunate?”

However, BB’s thoughts stopped at the following question.

It was somewhat of a non sequitur.

Not answering the question and focusing on an odd point was strange.

However, BB thought he needed to answer, whether for ‘his’ story or for the boy before him.

“Of course, ‘he’ was a successful artist.”

He was like a movie protagonist, a runaway teenager who reached the world’s peak. With looks worthy of being called Apollo’s incarnation and values that didn’t compromise with the world.

Above all, his music drew in many people.

Just like that name ‘HALO’.

Living the glamorous life others desired and achieving his goals earlier than others, ‘he’ clearly lived a successful life.

It would be hard to find an artist as successful as him.

“Not many people would be able to call him unfortunate. I suppose I shouldn’t think of him as unfortunate either.”

“…”

“But ‘misfortune’ is a relative concept, isn’t it?”

Does he ask knowing this?

Or does he really not know and that’s why he’s asking?

BB pondered, admitting that perhaps the boy had never once thought of ‘him’ as unfortunate or miserable.

“At least to you, ‘he’ must be an unfortunate person and artist. Since you’re living the life ‘he’ would have wanted most.”

The boy retorted:

“You know I haven’t won a Grammy yet, right?”

“Is that so?”

“And ‘he’ had outstanding looks. Enough to make him a star instantly.”

BB thought these rebuttals were quite strange.

“Is that so important to you? And was it important to ‘him’ too?”

‘HALO from another world’ who had disregarded the Grammys.

The boy who could win a Grammy anytime.

Also, he wondered if looks were such a blessing to ‘him’.

‘He’ would have become a star somehow.

“Well, you might not think ‘he’ was unfortunate.”

He respects individual opinions.

“It’s just one opinion.”

BB didn’t insist on his opinion to the seemingly confused boy. However, he wanted to add one more thing.

“Just… if I were ‘him’, I think I would have envied you.”

This was also what BB felt after hearing the stories of Halo’s band members. How should he put it, weren’t there situations similar to ‘HALO from another world’ but with different outcomes?

Perhaps the most ideal results that ‘HALO from another world’ should have had.