The Road to Glory Chapter 231 - [Side Story] Chapter 33. End of Wise Island Life Filming

Last time, they only solved two problems because they were having fun.

The sound of the sea meant conch shell on the beach, and when they went to the boat with a conch shell drawn on it, there was a treasure chest engraved with a conch shell.

The children said it was a boat that had always been here.

They don’t know who it was, but I thought they were serious from the treasure chest.

When you open the treasure chest, the second problem appears.

[It opens slowly like a rose. It guides us to a ravine full of stars]

They did try to deduce what ‘it’ was that opens slowly like a rose with the children, but they didn’t go. They just thought it would be better to play on the beach. And it was also a bit creepy.

“You want us to go in there?”

Lee Sora pointed at the narrow alley.

Lee Jeongmin nodded.

“If you keep going, the path opens up like a rose. Wide open.”

There was even a flower bud mark on the wall, as if it was the children’s problem.

Fortunately, the sun hadn’t completely set yet.

“But there are no villagers around today.”

“Maybe they’re going to bed early since they worked hard today?”

“Maybe.”

Kwon Jaeik eventually followed the path.

The path really did get wider gradually.

They decided to keep walking until it led them to the ‘ravine full of stars.’

“What’s this?”

There’s a wooden shack that looks like an outhouse in the alley.

Kwon Jaeik, who was hesitant about going in, entered.

Since it was too cramped for four people, only Kwon Jaeik went in and looked around.

“What’s this ravine full of stars? Is this supposed to be the ravine?”

Kwon Jaeik, shining his flashlight in the dark shack, soon discovered a treasure chest engraved with stars.

Is this what they meant by stars?

Though he found the next problem, it was hard to accept.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah.”

Halo let out an exclamation first.

Lee Jeongmin followed with an “Oh!” as he noticed too.

Lee Sora pointed at Kwon Jaeik.

“Stars.”

“…Me?”

Surely they weren’t referring to him being a star (celebrity).

As Kwon Jaeik lowered his head in confusion, he soon gasped in amazement too.

Fragments of light were scattered on his clothes.

No, through the holes between the boards and through the black opaque cloth that existed instead of a roof, sunlight was shining down, creating stars.

Right now there were only red stars because the sunset was approaching, but during the bright daytime when children would be running around, this place would truly become a ‘ravine full of stars.’

“Hey, this is fun. Let’s do more.”

“What’s the next problem?”

[The silver mountain peak and golden Eden guide me. I learn patience as I cross it. Finally, I reach the magical spring. Inside it lies the final landmark.]

“This one’s easy.”

“There’s only one place for patience.”

The peak of Baegun Island with clouds.

It’s too easy to know what the golden Eden refers to with the sun pouring down.

“Sigh, so we have to climb up there.”

Lee Sora, who held the belief that mountains are beautiful only when viewed from afar, put her hands on her hips.

“Let’s go.”

“We must.”

“I’m really curious about what’s there.”

They felt determined since they had to go around the village once more to head back towards the house.

Since they were all people who took good care of themselves, only the cameraman and PD Na who followed them were panting heavily.

They follow the path up the mountain.

The sun was starting to set.

They had just arrived home, and yet.

They wondered if they should turn on their flashlights to climb the mountain, when they encountered a figure.

It was the island chief, no, the village head.

For some reason, he was carrying a lantern.

“Oh my, you startled me! Why are you walking around at night?”

“Village head, where are you going?”

“No, I’m not really going anywhere.”

It seemed like some streetlight was broken.

Lee Sora pointed at it, saying this was perfect timing.

“Could we borrow that then?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. Please take it.”

The village head, conscious of the camera, spoke in awkward Seoul dialect again and lent them the lantern. Lee Sora accepted it and thanked him. And so the lantern expedition began again.

Someone’s breathing, and the swaying lantern as they climbed the mountain.

Though it’s called the back mountain, people must have frequented it as the path was evenly well-made. It should be fine as long as they don’t stray onto strange paths.

There were even lit areas here and there.

When people discovered exercise equipment and a hose for spring water, they understood why there were lights.

“Isn’t the spring water the magical spring?”

“It’s not really a spring though. This is just connected to a water tap.”

“And we haven’t really learned patience yet since we haven’t climbed much, right?”

“Let’s go up more.”

The cameraman following them seemed to already be learning patience.

Maybe they should have come during the day.

Though everyone was climbing up out of curiosity about what the treasure might be, it was clear these problems were made for children to solve during the day.

“Oh, this must be it.”

“It’s a spring.”

The lantern light reflects.

They reached a large clearing.

Huge trees that might be hundreds of years old surrounded the clearing, and there was a spring in the center.

“But why is it called a magical spring?”

“Maybe drinking it is good for health?”

Halo approached the spring.

The problem had stated: [The landmark is inside it]

The final problem would probably exist inside the spring.

However, there was no treasure chest or any hint visible in the spring.

Kwon Jaeik reached out and stirred the spring.

Naturally, there were only stones, and the water just became murky from the stirring.

“Magical spring…”

It’s a problem children need to solve.

So they should approach it from children’s perspective.

Things adults might take for granted, but children wouldn’t.

Everyone sat around the spring waiting for the water to return to normal.

Soon the mud settled.

“It is kind of magical how the murky water returns to normal.”

“Fish probably live here too. That’s magical.”

“Maybe it means it’s good for health when you drink it?”

This is adult imagination.

Halo quietly looked at the spring.

Then he raised his head.

The stars were clearly visible in the wide open sky.

Like stars reflecting in the spring.

“…Huh?”

Halo looked at the spring again.

While the reflection would be different from each angle, when he looked at the spring water from where children would likely first stand when they found the spring, he saw the tree trunks and branches reflected.

“Could it be.”

It’s hard to see at night. It probably would have been clearer during the day.

Halo borrowed the lantern and shone it on the tree.

There was a large cloth hanging from the tree trunk.

So this was the trick he had used when painting murals with Gyeowool.

“I see.”

Lee Jeongmin realized belatedly.

“Something that can be seen but not touched is magical indeed.”

It was a simple trick.

When Halo pulled the cloth, it unraveled and something that had been hanging with it fell.

It was a small capsule.

Opening the capsule revealed the final problem.

[Find the tail and come to me]

“Is this all?”

“What tail?”

People looked around.

To find something resembling a tail.

As everyone was about to scatter to search, the cameraman pointed at something.

“Could that be it?”

People’s heads turned.

And they discovered ribbons hanging from trees where they had come from.

“Aren’t those hung to prevent people from getting lost?”

“The direction seems different though.”

While the path so far had been wide, the ribbons were guiding them straight into the mountain forest.

Should they go into such a place at night? What if they encounter animals?

While everyone was hesitating, PD Na suddenly remembered something and looked up.

Could that be it?

“Shall we try going? I don’t think it’s too far.”

People nodded at PD Na’s suggestion.

The ribbons weren’t scattered sparsely but were hung on every tree leading to one path, so they probably wouldn’t get lost.

The ground was oddly even for a mountain path, suggesting people had been walking here.

And above all, they could see light in the distance.

People walked towards that light.

Halo was the one who stopped midway.

There wasn’t a problem; it was because the sound of the sea and wind became strong.

Finally, they reach the end of the light.

The people who arrived shone their lanterns and exclaimed “Wow!”

As if telling them not to go further, pinwheels stuck in wooden safety rails were spinning round and round.

After seeing the colorful pinwheels, people put down their lanterns and moved forward.

“So this was it.”

“What they wanted to show the kids.”

The village’s entire view spread out from the observation deck installed on the cliff.

If it’s this beautiful with just the night sky and few lights on, they wondered how beautiful it would be during the day. It was a place where you could see everything from the port to the beach, fields, and all the houses.

People leaned on the wooden safety rail and viewed the village.

There weren’t any gold and silver treasures or hidden powers, but this was satisfying enough.

How long did they watch?

As it started getting cold, someone said.

“Shall we go now?”

They had a good view. This seemed enough to settle their hearts.

One by one they turned around.

And finally, as even the boy was about to turn.

Light appeared in the distance.

“Wait a moment.”

At Halo’s call, people turned back around.

And soon they discovered it.

The real treasure.

Lights in the port started increasing one by one.

They hadn’t turned on the lighting.

Small lights were set afloat on the sea and they spread out riding the waves.

“!”

Like stars spreading out following the Milky Way.

The wish lanterns placed by the villagers spread out following the waves.

Gyeowool places a lantern in the waves with her mother.

The wish lantern carries away Gyeowool’s wish “Please let us meet again” and

Her mother’s wish “May you always be happy” as it drifts away.

“What is this.”

Lee Sora exclaimed in a low voice at the lights spreading from the port, then raised her hand to touch her eyes.

“…”

Lee Jeongmin, who was about to say something, closed his mouth and watched the beautiful scene.

The sound of sniffling is heard from beside. When Kwon Jaeik met his eyes, he wiped his nose saying it wasn’t him.

Candles light up one by one at the port, swaying slowly.

At that, Kwon Jaeik couldn’t hold back his tears either.

This was the villagers’ real farewell gift.

Their feelings of regret flow away.

The camera captured the scene of stars falling from the sky to the ground.

“Ah.”

The captain’s voice reached the boy’s ears as he watched.

-My wife used to say something.

That resonance rolled in with the waves.

-That everyone has stories only they can tell, and thus they are beautiful in themselves.

“…In themselves.”

The people’s stories, the lanterns containing people’s wishes are pushing back the darkness.

They shone in themselves, and were beautiful.

Halo seemed to understand something.

So this was why he had strangely felt the urge to make music in this village, and why making music wasn’t difficult at all.

“So this was it.”

The reason why he wanted to make music like Roh Haeil but couldn’t.

It was a beautiful last night.

#

The villagers returned to their daily lives.

As if last night had been a lie.

Only Gyeowool, the island head, and the captain who would take them to the mainland came to see them off.

But they didn’t feel disappointed at all, and rather waved comfortably towards the village.

“Come visit anytime. Contact us if you want to. You know how to use it, right?”

Remembering the laptop at home, Gyeowool nodded with a puffy face.

“You won’t forget me?”

He won’t be able to forget his dark history.

Halo, still bewildered that Gyeowool was a girl, carefully patted her head.

“Take care.”

“Okay.”

In the end, Gyeowool burst into tears again.

The boat moves away.

It seems to be moving away just like before, but it feels sadder.

In the end, the village head comforted Gyeowool saying it was okay.

And those on the boat wiped their last tears and started wrapping up the filming.

Leaving just one camera, that is.

“Thank you everyone for your hard work.”

“Let’s do season 2.”

“I really had fun.”

“Gyeowool-!”

“Why are you crying?”

After saying goodbye to the production team, the participants sat down.

This time, Lee Sora, who properly applied both motion sickness medicine and patches, no longer fed the fish.

“Are you going back to drama now?”

“Yeah, back to my main job. You too?”

“I already have a script I’m looking at.”

“Ooh. What about Jeongmin?”

“I’m… going to rest a bit.”

“Rest is really important too. Good thinking.”

Lee Sora smiled gently.

The last one remaining was the boy.

The three people’s gazes turned to him.

Halo spoke as if it was obvious.

“I’m going to release my second full album now.”

“Oh! Halo’s album? People will love it.”

“No, this is as Roh Haeil.”

“!”

People’s eyes widened.

That sound-

“Roh Haeil’s second full album.”

“So you’re still doing your main character.”

“Then is ‘Halo’ taking a break for now?”

Halo?

He hadn’t thought about it.

After thinking briefly, the boy suddenly had a good idea.

“No. I think Halo will release an album too. …I think we’ll hear news that Halo-ssi will release an album soon.”

Though it was a playful third-person speech, no one could play along.

“?”

“Huh? You said you’re releasing a Roh Haeil album.”

“How about Halo?”

“That’s easy because I already have some things made.”

“!”

“???”

They couldn’t understand what he meant anymore.

Easy? What is? Already made?

Regardless of people’s reactions, Halo continued his joke.

“Maybe the release dates might overlap with Halo-ssi this time. It seems like it will be a very interesting competition.”

“…”

“I was quite impressed by Halo-ssi’s recent awards ceremony, so since it’s come to this. Should I try going too? The Grammy Awards.”

If it was someone else, they would have laughed, but this side couldn’t even laugh.

Lee Sora belatedly came to her senses and asked.

“Haeil, weren’t you in a slump?”

‘Ah, right.’

Halo just realized.

‘I was in a slump.’

What just occurred to him was revealed completely.

But soon he said with a bright face.

“I think I’ve overcome it now.”

Ah… ah…

Sighs that no one could empathize with arose.

This will probably remain a topic of debate among viewers far into the future, arguing whether it was really a slump or not.

Well, what does it matter either way?

PD Na Hyejoo confirmed it was filmed clearly.

It seems like it will turn out well.

The ending of this program.

The boat moves forward across the sea.

End of Wise Island Life filming.