The Road to Glory Chapter 59 - Have You Ever Tried Singing Rock?

Author: Dawn

<Han Rayeon’s Music Classroom> is one of KDS’ representative cool FM programs, having produced various star DJs from singers to models and actors.

And from the new year of 2030, actress Han Rayeon showed warm and positive conversations, good music, and chemistry with guests as a DJ.

Han Rayeon was actually unable to hide her excitement after hearing about the guests coming on this week’s show. And finally, today.

She gently looked at a composed man and a boy glancing around, delivering her introduction.

“There’s a drama I recently found really enjoyable. Although I wasn’t a diligent student myself, I vividly recalled memories from that time while watching it. It felt like revisiting that happy yet painful youth. How was it for you all?”

Viewer responses flooded the monitor as soon as she mentioned the drama, seeming to have already guessed who had arrived.

-Sin Joohyeok!!!!

-I heard he released an album.

Surprisingly, some failed to recognize the other guest.

Well, he wasn’t someone who often appeared on broadcasts, so it was understandable they couldn’t expect him.

Still, comments occasionally mentioned Heetae.

Naturally, as the most impactful character in the drama. Some of these were likely from viewers of ‘Lee Hwanhee’s Drawing Book’.

Han Rayeon was sure everyone would enjoy this radio show as well.

“Also, what comes to mind with ‘From Today On’? Right, the theme song. It was actually a special attempt rarely seen in dramas – they made theme songs for each character. I really wanted to participate too. If only I could sing a little better…”

She pretended to pout before breaking into a bright smile.

“Instead, I’ve invited the people behind the hot topic here. Last week, we met the ‘From Today On’ actors, right? This week, we have the hidden protagonists of ‘From Today On’.”

The main OST ‘Guardian’ from ‘From Today On’ played. A manly, solid and robust vocal resounded.

“South Korea’s representative rocker and owner of a sturdy vocal, Sin Joohyeok-ssi, welcome.”

“Hello everyone, I’m Sin Joohyeok.”

Han Rayeon then looked at the boy seated beside her.

Their eyes met, and the boy closed his eyes and smiled back. He didn’t seem tense at all.

“…Now, the owner of the theme song that moved viewers, a singer with a melodious voice and unbelievable skills who appeared like a comet! Roh Haeil-ssi, welcome!”

“Hello, I’m Roh Haeil.”

A calm voice was heard.

Han Rayeon thought not only was his singing voice nice, but his regular voice was pleasant too. Youthfully clear yet somehow relaxed.

She had heard it was his first time on radio.

He didn’t seem like a first-timer.

“I heard this is your first time on radio.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Thank you so much for appearing. I’m still listening to Heetae’s song these days. I’m really a fan.”

Han Rayeon earnestly said, clasping her hands together.

The boy smiled faintly and nodded.

“Now, we can’t avoid talking about the OSTs, can we?”

Along with the greetings, the OSTs from ‘From Today On’ played sequentially. Han Rayeon intentionally highlighted the nuanced dynamic between a newcomer and veteran as she started Part 1 of <Han Rayeon’s Music Classroom>.

At first, it flowed calmly focused on the reasons for singing the OSTs, song introductions and episodes, based on viewer questions.

“Right. The music director said in an interview that Haeil-ssi rewrote Heetae’s reprise on the spot. Can you tell us more? About the arranging method or such. Everyone’s curious.”

“Ah.”

Halo briefly pondered.

There wasn’t any special arranging method.

But since she asked, Halo explained ‘Whim’ as lengthily as possible.

“It felt like Heetae’s story shouldn’t end there.”

“Huh?”

Han Rayeon asked with wide eyes.

“Everyone moves forward, right?”

“That’s true.”

“So I thought Heetae should too.”

“Oh, I see. But-“

Han Rayeon tilted her head.

Not being a singer herself, she couldn’t understand how what the boy just said related to the arranging method. Viewers also seemed unable to understand, leaving question marks.

The ‘how’ was missing from the boy’s words.

“So you removed the key signature and added dissonant notes then?”

Sin Joohyeok interjected with the question.

“Right. You can’t really remove the key signature carelessly-“

“Forcefully, to break the frame.”

“Yes.”

The two singers nodded at each other.

‘What kind of conversation is this?’

Unable to understand on her own, Han Rayeon alternated her gaze between the two men, falling silent.

A DJ not speaking was a broadcasting mishap, but the silence didn’t last.

From the moment the two men, who hadn’t conversed until just before, started an incomprehensible discussion.

“Then what about the role of the semitones-“

“Ah, that-“

It made no sense.

Whether because they were singers, or because they composed as singer-songwriters – in any case, the unfamiliar Han Rayeon became perplexed as unfamiliar terms increased.

-*Sweating*

-*Eyes shaking*

-Professor, T_T the pace is too fast

-Nuna, are you being bullied?

“Um, excuse me? Everyone?”

She carefully interjected.

In the meantime, Sin Joohyeok and Roh Haeil were analyzing Heetae’s reprise. Sin Joohyeok nodded, asked questions that seemed incomprehensible, and then Roh Haeil answered nonchalantly.

It was like only Han Rayeon’s voice was muted.

“Can’t you hear my voice?”

She didn’t know if they couldn’t hear her or were just not listening.

At least one thing was certain – contrary to his gentle first impression, this boy was quite nonchalant to the point of being on the same wavelength as Sin Joohyeok.

“Heroes! Can you hear my voice?”

It was only when she acted like a comic she had seen before that the boy finally reacted. And for a moment, Sin Joohyeok’s expression seemed to say, ‘Oh, you were here too?’

“Let me in too! Everyone!”

Han Rayeon clenched her fists and cried out, choking up.

Along with that, the music signaling the start of Part 2 played.

It was the reprise of Heetae’s song they had been discussing.

Halo enjoyed a brief break while drinking water. He had expected to just promote his song after coming on the radio, but it was going amusingly.

Yeah, come to think of it, Halo had always enjoyed such encounters.

Discussing songs with each other, criticizing what was lacking if they couldn’t. There was no right answer. So they argued to the end that they were right, but it was still enjoyable.

It had been quite a while since he had attended such a gathering.

“You two released new albums recently, I heard.”

Han Rayeon finally realized the moment she had been waiting for had arrived. First, Sin Joohyeok’s ‘session 33’ played.

A rock ballad commemorating his thirty-third year.

On Watermelon, it reached No. 21, surpassing HALO’s previous album tracks.

“How did you manage to release them at the exact same time? It’s like you made an agreement.”

Then Roh Haeil’s ‘Another Day’ was heard. Han Rayeon smiled as soon as she heard the intro and hummed along briefly. Even she, who couldn’t sing well, wanted to follow the melody.

It was No. 22 on the Watermelon charts.

The two releases were attached like twins.

“Actually, you two have already faced each other once before, haven’t you?”

While the newcomer breaking through HALO became more of an issue, what was discussed earlier were critics’ comments that the main OST fell short compared to the newcomer’s theme song, and the digital release performance.

“Now that you’ve met again, may I ask your opinions on how it will go this time?”

In fact, if it were other singers, they might have felt upset by the blatant comparison. But this was a broadcast. Even the comparison had become broadcasting content. They had to talk about it with a smile, even if they felt bad.

But these two didn’t seem bothered at all. They were even smiling instead.

It made sense for Sin Joohyeok, but the boy also appeared perfectly fine. Surprisingly, they had the exact same expression.

“Of course.”

“I will.”

And with identical expressions, the two who gave the same answer stopped talking and glared at each other.

Han Rayeon was amused and laughed before changing the subject.

“Then how about this? While we can’t immediately know the digital release performance on Watermelon, since there are viewers here, can’t we distinguish superiority to some extent?”

The viewers and the producer gave a thumbs up.

“How about singing for us once?”

When Halo nodded, Han Rayeon looked at Sin Joohyeok as if asking him.

“Sounds interesting. But.”

Sin Joohyeok also agreed. However, he immediately raised his hand instead of singing.

“What if we do this? If we just sing, it won’t be different from Watermelon.”

“What? Shall we make a bet?”

“No, not that.”

Halo thought the following suggestion was an amusing idea. What Sin Joohyeok said was:

‘Let’s cover each other’s songs.’

As songwriters, instead of arguing, he proposed competing vocally. If the covered version was inferior to the original, that could serve as the decision.

“Oh, but I know your genres are vastly different. Will you be okay? I’m totally for it though…”

While just singing the original releases would have been fine, the idea of covering each other’s songs and competing felt very novel. It would likely be a sight never shown before, so it would naturally pique public interest as well. There was already an uproar beyond the recording studio, with pleas to do it.

[Just sing it.]

[Really?]

Noticing some disappointed comments, Sin Joohyeok candidly revealed his thoughts.

“Actually, after listening to Heetae’s reprise, I got curious.”

“Are you saying you’ll sing Heetae’s reprise now?”

“No, not that. But I thought I could sing it better if I did. Something like that?”

“Aha. Excellent! What do you think, Haeil-ssi?”

Halo curved the corners of his mouth upward.

“Coincidentally, I also wanted to sing your song, senior. This works out well.”

“Have you ever tried singing rock before?”

Halo didn’t answer Sin Joohyeok’s question directly, only smiling.

Sin Joohyeok might interpret that smile differently, but to Halo, it seemed like an obvious statement. Although the languages were different, weren’t they ultimately the same genre?

“Well, I’ll go first. Please play the ‘Another Day’ MR.”

“Everyone, we are now joined by the very passionate Sin Joohyeok-ssi and Roh Haeil-ssi for a fierce battle.”

After Han Rayeon’s intermission comment, the melody of ‘Another Day’ played.

#

The acoustic ballad instantly transformed into a rock ballad.

Sin Joohyeok’s forte was his low, sturdy vocals, but he handled the high notes well too. Halo genuinely admired the decent arrangement with an “Oh!”

He had been a bit put off when Sin Joohyeok had a smug expression from his own arrangement, but overall, the quality of the arrangement was also good. The shouting, solid vocals – it clearly showed how much Sin Joohyeok had tempered his voice.

“How’s that?”

As Sin Joohyeok asked the boy, he realized they were still on radio and used respectful speech. Halo didn’t answer and stood up from his seat.

“Now, it’s my turn, right?”

Han Rayeon belatedly looked at the boy with concern.

Based on the genres of ‘Heetae’s Reprise’ or his current new song, she couldn’t quite imagine the boy singing rock.

She worried he might be doing it forcefully due to the atmosphere or pressure(?) from the seniors.

However, just one verse.

When the boy’s clear voice rasped through the MR…

“!”

Han Rayeon, Sin Joohyeok, the listeners who had turned on the radio and were doing other things, the PD and writers, and staff outside the recording room – all of them opened their mouths wide.

They had thought his voice wouldn’t suit rock music.

They had thought his voice tone would be more suitable for hymns or ballads.

But the scratching sounds coming from that voice stimulated their nerves.

It felt like a faithful young man riding a motorcycle down the street at night. That sense of rebellion sent a thrill through them. They wanted to keep listening, as if going crazy. Their breath was taken away. Their fingers and toes twitched. Come on, hurry-.

“I’ll stop here.”

“Ah, ah…why…”

“I’m taking care of my voice.”

The habit of playing around with Lee Hwanhee from ‘Lee Hwanhee’s Drawing Book’ hadn’t gone away. Unlike Sin Joohyeok who had sung the whole first verse, the boy firmly ended after singing just a few lines.

As he drank water, saying he was taking care of his voice, there was nothing Han Rayeon or the viewers could say, but they let out sighs of regret.

She understood why Lee Hwanhee had pleaded so desperately.

While the viewers might not know, she felt chills after hearing it right next to him.

‘Come to think of it, Sin Joohyeok is-.’

Sin Joohyeok is the original owner of this song.

If she felt chills, how would Sin Joohyeok, with his outstanding musical talent, feel?

Han Rayeon glanced at Sin Joohyeok.

Sin Joohyeok silently stared piercingly at the boy.

“Have you ever tried singing rock? No.”

Before getting an answer, Sin Joohyeok asked again.

“Why don’t you do rock?”

Ignoring that it was a broadcast, he asked in a lowered voice, and Han Rayeon thought he was angry.

“I want to try different genres for now.”

“‘For now,’ meaning you can do rock in the future.”

Sin Joohyeok eventually nodded his head.

Han Rayeon, who had vaguely sensed the situation, clapped her hands.

“I really enjoyed listening to you both. The atmosphere got a bit overheated because you sang so well. And it’s become difficult to distinguish who was better. Wow… This must be the world of true musicians. What do you all think?”

It was a skillful summary.

The viewers didn’t seem to be thinking about ranking them, and were just typing characters that weren’t even words, having gotten overheated.

The production team quickly played a refreshing, lively song.

However, perhaps because the arrangement was too outstanding, the overheated atmosphere didn’t easily die down.

Rather.

[*Incomprehensible characters*]

[Please release the audio source…]

[What the heck is this]

[Who can make my heart flutter like this with their vocals…]

[Sin Joohyeok’s Another Day is good too but…]

[I’m going crazy, really is this the end?]

[What’s this person’s name?]

The chat went crazy.

Though it was hectic, since it meant the radio was going well, Han Rayeon just laughed nonchalantly and Halo found the live chat interesting.

And Sin Joohyeok, with his arms crossed, agreed with one viewer’s opinion.

‘It does feel similar. Does that make sense?’

He glanced at the boy.

After the refreshing girl group song ended, Han Rayeon decided to continue the overheated atmosphere.

“I was thinking, I actually preferred Roh Haeil-ssi’s version. Sin Joohyeok-ssi, why don’t you just give this whole album to Haeil?”

“Looks like your personal feelings are showing a bit today, Han Rayeon-ssi.”

“Hohoho, personal feelings? What a scary thing to say. Haeil-ssi, what do you think?”

In response to Han Rayeon’s question, Halo said as if it was obvious:

“I also think I did better-.”

“Wait a moment. Come here.”

“Oh, Sin Joohyeok-ssi! You can’t bully your cute junior!”

Those watching the DJ and two special guests burst into laughter.

Viewers who had felt put off by his unseasoned attitude now recognized an indescribable charm, and fans who saw their idol’s rare sociable(?) side circulated screenshots.

And so the lively radio show ended.

As soon as the radio ended, Halo felt his energy draining.

Well, he had done an unexpected live performance, and carried on without letting the sound drop even once, so it was only natural his frail body would feel tired.

Still, Halo thought it had been fun.

“Can I really call you Haeil? That’s too good. Contact me anytime, this Nuna will buy you something delicious. Ah, and that song earlier was really great. Honestly better than Joohyeok’s.”

Han Rayeon gave him her phone number and praised at length the live performance she had heard earlier.

At some point, she had developed a strong liking for the boy before her eyes.

As a human to a human.

He wasn’t dark or two-faced, which she liked even though he may not have fully experienced the world of broadcasting yet. And how should she put it?

His distinctive calm and relaxed attitude didn’t come across as cheeky or rude, but just felt so natural that it was amazing. At times it felt like he was the same age, not just young.

In fact, even if that wasn’t the case, he seemed like a friend worth getting close to, with no regrets. If one didn’t have blinders on, anyone would realize he was an extraordinarily special friend.

Even the usually selective Sin Joohyeok was already joking around and having fun with him like this, wasn’t he?

“You can speak casually too, kiddo.”

“Okay, Joohyeok-ah.”

“! Ha, this cheeky brat…”

Sin Joohyeok opened his eyes wide in surprise, then soon laughed heartily and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“You’re an interesting one.”

Halo also chuckled.

Sin Joohyeok gave the boy his number without hesitation, and it seemed he still had a lot to say even after all the talking on the radio.

They had just met, but since they hit it off so well on the radio, it made sense.

“Haeil-ah. Are you busy in March?”

“A little?”

“A rookie busier than me?”

“?”

Ignoring Halo’s response, Sin Joohyeok showed his schedule on his phone and said:

“Keep this time open.”

“Why?”

“It’s when people with nothing to do gather. You come too.”

As Halo tilted his head, trying to figure out what he meant, Sin Joohyeok said:

“It’ll be fun.”

Han Rayeon, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, was startled.

March, a gathering, people with nothing to do.

She realized what kind of gathering Sin Joohyeok was talking about.

She had never been, but had often heard about it, and had thought she would like to go someday.

“A party?”

“Something like that?”

While there was no special name for that gathering, those who knew the members of that gathering would say this:

A gathering of the real ones.

***

Translator Notes:

Whoa, what a chapter to translate to this was. 3k words. 3k.

Anyway, I’m here not to complain, rather I need to get this out of my chest lol. Have you guys heard, listened, or just saw a singer named Ado? If not, for those who enjoy this series, I recommend listening to her at least once. Because, I don’t know why but Halo remind me of Ado. The music they make is also the same (Rock-ish, and also Pop(?) (this guy can’t tell what genre is what lol.)) Anyway yeah, you should listen to Ado. Really great singer has an amazing voice, and barely 23 lol. And lastly for those who listened to Ado, please share your thoughts on the comment section I want to hear it! Alright cya later, thanks for reading this not-so-important translator note.

Author's Thoughts

Hi everyone, I've fully translated this series. If you love the series and wanted to binge read until the end, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. Instead of buying the advanced chapters one by one, you can buy them in one bulk (with discounted price too)!

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Dawn

Hello! If you any questions and if you found any errors on my translations, please do @ me on our discord server (@_dawn24) since I might miss your comment here. And also, I really appriciate your support by buying the advanced chapters or just giving me some donation, thank you!

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