The Road to Glory – Chapter 236 – [Side Story] Chapter 38. Wise Island Life (Part 3)

Author: Dawn

It all started, unexpectedly, with a post on a mom’s cafe.

A long post from a parent who was deeply moved by ‘Wisland’.

[Are you all watching Wisland? As an avid viewer of Wisland these days, I’m going crazy over it. I enjoyed today’s episode as expected, but it gave me more to think about than usual.

Actually, I had doubts about whether Halo was well-suited for the role of a ‘teacher’.

As a parent, while Halo has many talents and there’s much to learn from him, he seemed too free-spirited to be an ‘instructor’ who should have a clear curriculum.

Unless the child had as many talents as Halo, I thought he might be too overwhelming as a mentor for our children who are just a bit more special than average.

I’m sorry if this sounds disparaging, but I think I got too invested as a parent before being a viewer.

But… watching today’s broadcast changed my mind. From the moment he played piano joyfully with Gyeowool… when he acknowledged Gyeowool’s talent and said that while he couldn’t teach, he could help – that really touched my heart.

And what shocked me most was when my son, who watched the broadcast with me, said ‘that looks fun’.

He hadn’t said anything like that since quitting music, but he went looking for the keyboard we had at home.

My son is now a college entrance exam student, but he originally prepared for music. Like the kid next door, he was called a prodigy quite often and won competitions. I wanted him to pursue music too. So we sought out a famous instructor. It was all with good intentions.

But maybe that’s when… everything started falling apart. At first, my son started smelling like cigarettes.

I thought he’d been to the PC bang, but… he said it was from the instructor’s smoking.

But I must be a bad mom. I let it slide, thinking it was fine…

The real problem happened not long after

My son broke down crying, saying he didn’t want to go anymore

Said he couldn’t do music anymore, that he had no talent, that he wanted to quit everything.

I wanted to stop him, but I couldn’t force a child who was crying like he would die. He quit completely after that.

I found out later that the instructor had said things like

You have no talent, how much more do I have to do, you stupid kid, your mom is really pitiful, things like that.

There was no evidence, and since the instructor had a good reputation, nobody believed us

I’d forgotten about it after all these years, but watching Wisland today brought back those memories.

It’s just regret now, but I’m just curious.

Did my son really have no talent?

Would he have quit even if he’d met a teacher like Halo?

Maybe he’d still be enjoying music now.

At least if he hadn’t met that instructor, would things have been different?

Did he really judge that my son had no talent?

What do you think?

Teacher Kim Sunchul.]

The post stayed on the mom’s cafe for a while before being deleted. Kim Sunchul’s agency took immediate action.

But nothing can be permanently deleted from the internet.

Moreover, with the PD of ‘Me, Mento’ having already caused a major incident.

In a situation where he was already disliked, that accusation started spreading everywhere as screenshots, and Kim Sunchul’s agency’s swift response also began to raise suspicions. Their quick action seemed strange for an agency that usually didn’t respond to most issues.

Furthermore, because of the agency’s response, it was confirmed that the Kim Sunchul in the post was indeed the Kim Sunchul from Me, Mento.

[Kim Sunchul seemed nice on TV but he’s trash?]

[Let’s stay neutral]

[Don’t you all know about Kim Sunchul’s bad reputation?]

[Is Me, Mento just having PD problems? Remember that sudden acceleration incident? Do you know what Kim Sunchul did then?]

[Why Kim Sunchul is disgusting]

Liked the PD’s sudden acceleration notice then unliked it 3 minutes later when it became an issue

└ Really? That’s so disgusting

└ The agency must have contacted him immediately to unlike it

└ Wow… really betrayal… thought he was just a strict but good mentor but he’s actually full of victimization complex and inferiority

The notice that PD Kyung hadn’t wanted resurfaced.

Along with other controversies.

And the controversies started snowballing.

[Why the Gyeowool and Dajung rivalry is ridiculous]

Lessons from university professors since childhood VS Country kid from a rural village Halo doesn’t even know
Achievements: Perfect pitch VS Composition sketchbook, ensemble with Halo
Prodigy acknowledged by Kim Sunchul, PD Kyung VS Prodigy acknowledged by Halo

└ Why keep bringing up and beating down an innocent kid

└ What did Dajung do wrong

└ Dajung unknowingly tagged “Second Halo” article on SNS

└ Oh boy…

└ What kind of mess is this family? LOL Kim Sunchul and PD Kyung hate that nickname but Dajung seems to like it

└ Dajung is innocent but got caught up in this due to being oblivious

Though Kim Sunchul’s side managed to handle the controversy, it seemed likely that once people took a dislike to someone, the talk would continue.

PD Kyung begged heaven for help one last time.

Since he hadn’t run his mouth again.

Well, heaven didn’t punish him.

The dark clouds just moved to someone else.

[Did you all know? Kim Sunchul has met Gyeowool before]

└ Gyeowool, not Dajung?

└ ???

└ (OP) Three-line summary:

Originally Kim Sunchul was supposed to join Na PD’s program

PD Kyung intercepted midway

Kim Sunchul interviewed Gyeowool at Na PD’s request

And he said exactly this to Gyeowool:

‘Kid, you’re just an ordinary child now, so tell your parents not to waste their time’

Remember when Gyeowool was crying when she first met Halo in Welcome to my world? That’s why

└ ???? What is this

└ Is this real? Got proof?

└ If this is true it’s no joke;;;

└ How do you know this? Are you an insider?

└ Even if there was an interview, he couldn’t tell Gyeowool was a prodigy? Does that make sense? This seems like it’ll become both a personality and qualification issue

└ (OP) Gyeowool failed the perfect pitch test then. And when she played from above the sketchbook, he said it was strange and she must have seen it somewhere and was just copying similarly. I have proof.

└ Holy shit is this real?????

Kim Sunchul slammed his fist on the table.

Not many people knew about this.

Wasn’t this situation only known to Na PD, Writer Do, Gyeowool, and himself?

Kim Sunchul cursed and called PD Kyung.

This useless bastard wasn’t even answering his phone.

“Hyungnim.”

The second useless bastard, his manager, appeared chewing gum.

“Where has this garbage been! Get out, you bastard!”

Not noticing his manager’s face contorting for a moment, Kim Sunchul spewed curses as usual. The manager’s expression turned cold as he left the room.

While one program was cancelled amidst controversy, the other program was setting new records every moment.

Even the members of the preceding program ‘Running Man’ picked it as their current favorite show to watch,

“These days, I make sure to watch Wisland no matter what. That emotion is really-“

“Hyung, are you saying you don’t watch Running Man?”

“! No, that’s not what I meant.”

[According to him he doesn’t monitor himself lol]

[LOLOLOL Wisland is facts though]

[Running Man needs to try harder lol]

[How is it possible for a variety show to get more interesting the more you watch it]

[Jaeik Sora Jeongmin Haeil be happy ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Wisland should legally be required to air Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday]

And even amid nearby controversies, there were no separate mentions of ‘controversy’ – perhaps because PD Na hadn’t dipped her feet in the sewage.

If she hadn’t responded with silence and had participated even a little in that war, she would have gotten tangled up somehow.

Every moment, emotional narratives flow out.

The work song Halo made for the villagers.

And from the moment the captain’s story flowed out on the fishing boat, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t cry.

The song of the sea comes.

A melody where waves and guitar harmonize.

The song of the waves delivered through the boy’s voice reached them.

[Feels like my eyes get swollen every Sunday these days ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[I tried to hold it in until the captain’s story but couldn’t at Halo’s song ㅜㅜㅜ]

[Now I get why Wisland is an educational department program it’s fun but the way it touches emotions is no joke…]

After the sea fishing episode, the captain’s interview is inserted. It was the same thanks he had given to the boy that day, but it contained a bit more thought.

“I don’t think I’m living a sad life. It’s been a long time since my wife died, and I’m grateful every day. How blessed am I to be able to work at this age, and how happy is it to be able to see this endless world every day. How enjoyable it is to wet my throat with the fish caught that day and soju. I’m living well like others too.”

“Still-“

The captain recalled that day and bowed his head calmly.

“I think it will be an unforgettable memory for a very long time. Thank you to many people.”

These days, articles analyzing why Wise Island Life receives more attention and interest from viewers than similar programs are occasionally seen.

[Wise Island Life contains ‘life’]

The top star cast members were people living their own lives, and so were the islanders. This program simply allowed people living different lives to meet.

One critic said the program itself wasn’t special. However, they praised the direction for showing people’s lives without exaggeration.

Someone else simply said it was just [Top star cast, Halo’s music, island survival], while another picked [Other programs self-destructing and creating noise marketing] as the reason for its success.

But isn’t there also a saying?

Everyone points to one reason for failure, but everyone has different explanations for success.

In the end, various factors must have created the current Wisland.

In fact, viewers’ favorite points were all different.

[How many songs has Haeil made here… and they’re all good]

└ Know all the song names even though they haven’t been released, really

└ Haeil did a ballad after so long ㅠㅠㅠ it’s crazy good

└ Seeing this quality, I kind of understand why he said he didn’t like practice songs. Something is clearly different…

└ Haeil if you’re not going to use practice songs can’t you give just one to me?

[Lee Sora’s unexpected charm collection]

The noona who says she can’t sleep except in her own bed…

(toe ghost.jpeg)(snoring.gif)(alone on the wooden platform.jpeg)

(men are.gif)
This era’s romantic health teacher

Agree that if there was a health teacher like Lee Sora at school you’d jump from the second floor every day?

Quick-witted but playing dumb (feat. Kwon Jaeik’s sour expression)
Says she’s scared of bugs but crushes them with slippers (feat. fleeing men)
Love advice expert
Unexpected art skills

[Hang in there Teacher Kwon, you have us]

└ Jaeik LOL LOL LOL Teacher Kwon must be coughing blood

└ For real Teacher Kwon aging daily from disobedient kids

└ Said he wanted to just coast by but works the hardest

└ Later achieved enlightenment and hung out with everyone

└ The order is funny too

Sent Halo on an errand but he doesn’t come back (or causes trouble)
Asked Lee Jeongmin to find him but he doesn’t come back (or praises him)
Lee Sora says she won’t go (or joins in praising)
When he goes to find them himself they’re just playing around (when he scolds them gets counterattacked by all three)
Teacher Kwon craving a cigarette
Yah! This is chaos!

[Status of overseas The Sun fans who want to eat ramyeon cooked by Halo]

└ These guys are going crazy but it’s so funny LMAO

└ God’s test, holy water, this is wild

└ When ramyeon meets its master, it finds its true color<< Are they crazy LOL LOL

While it was true that fans went wild over getting content from their actors/singers who usually aren’t seen except for their main jobs, the ones who enjoyed it most weren’t actually Kwon Jaeik or Lee Sora’s fans.

It was Lee Jeongmin’s fandom.

Lee Jeongmin’s perfectionist tendencies were already well known to fans, and unlike other fans, Lee Jeongmin’s fans became increasingly worried as Wisland episodes 1, 2, and 3 progressed.

Lee Jeongmin was never shown sleeping, and when Kwon Jaeik went out to look for him, suspicions of insomnia arose.

While they had been somewhat proud of their actor being very devoted to his main job due to his perfectionist tendencies, there was a strong possibility that those same tendencies had led to insomnia.

Insomnia was heartbreaking enough, but seeing him sitting alone on the wooden platform

What if he collapsed? Wouldn’t he be lonely? Worries and concerns piled up.

“Jeongmin, what are you doing?”

That’s when Kwon Jaeik first found Lee Jeongmin.

Their conversation provided some relief, but when Kwon Jaeik was about to go in, they wished he would stay a bit longer beside their actor.

Of course, given Kwon Jaeik’s characteristically indifferent personality towards others, that possibility wasn’t high.

However.

“?”

“I can’t sleep either.”

Kwon Jaeik, who was about to go in, plopped down beside Lee Jeongmin.

And then came scenes that made fans’ hearts well up.

“Heetae, what are you thinking about so hard?”

Teacher Kwon looking at Heetae sitting in front of the gym’s basketball hoop. It felt like they’d gone back to ‘From Today On’.

Fans felt somewhat relieved by their comfortable conversation. Thinking that Kwon Jaeik seemed to have noticed. They could have been satisfied with just this much.

But.

“!”

The number of people gradually increased one by one.

Halo stayed sitting on the wooden platform saying he was completing ‘Mozart Play’, and Kwon Jaeik joined them after waking up and coming out.

And the next day, Lee Sora.

Lee Sora took the last spot on the wooden platform, bringing her blanket and saying the men were having secret conversations without her.

It was late at night, and since everyone was doing their own thing, no special conversations took place. Only the sound of crickets chirping filled the silence when the audio cut out.

But fans felt something touching.

Because their oppa, who had been alone every night, no longer looked lonely. Though he still seemed unable to sleep, it felt like things would be okay now.

[It’s really touching how everyone seems to have noticed but doesn’t say anything…]

[That’s the real deal]

[They all seem indifferent but quietly look out for each other ㅠㅠ]

[This is healing]

Finally, their last night arrives.

The villagers’ brief event, and an unexpected treasure hunt journey.

Just as the sea filled with wishing stars spread out before them, viewers felt the same way.

[Beautiful… all I can say is beautiful]

[Wow… the villagers who weren’t friendly at first giving such a farewell event is really…]

While only the captain and the island chief had greeted them when they first arrived, everyone came to say goodbye on their departure day. This difference was quite striking.

[Can’t it just not end ㅠㅠㅠ]

[Really the last…]

[They say the epilogue airs next week, please announce season 2 with it]

[Wisland ended too perfectly for season 2 to work, how could the cast come back with all that pressure]

└ Can’t the season 1 cast just come back?

└ ! Wow are you perhaps from Korea University?

The story of Baegun Island seemed to be ending like this.

However, the aftermath of Wise Island Life was just beginning, and Baegun Island was already experiencing growing pains.