The Road to Glory – Chapter 89 – A Story from a Day in June

Author: Dawn

-On the contrary, I could see the storm that was about to hit.

-I felt the heat hidden deep within those musics.

“Heat hidden deep within.”

Halo recalled the words of Music Director Park Jeongho.

He had a rough idea of what that meant.

He thought that Director Park Jeongho might have discovered traces of emotions that Roh Haeil had intentionally excluded from his music. Similar to how Teacher Hwang Ryongpil had vaguely guessed his past actions.

Well, even if he had intentionally excluded them, he wouldn’t have been able to filter them out completely.

-Haeil-ssi, how about bringing that out and adding it to the music you’re making now?

Halo tapped on the script he had received from Music Director Park Jeongho.

If Roh Haeil’s method was to restrain emotions to make his music easier to listen to, and HALO’s method was to pour out his emotions infinitely, what Music Director Park Jeongho demanded seemed to be somewhere in between.

Just enough to not force his emotions onto people.

“Moon Seoyeon, how much of this ginger syrup should I add?”

“A moderate amount.”

“What’s moderate? One spoonful?”

“That depends on the amount of water, doesn’t it? But why are you making ginger tea when you don’t even like ginger? Want me to make it for you?”

“Are you crazy?”

Nam Gyuhwan checked the color as he dissolved the ginger in warm water. It seemed to have turned a similar color to the ginger tea sold in cafes.

After carefully brewing just one cup, he approached the boy, ignoring Moon Seoyeon’s expectant eyes, and set it down with both hands.

“Please let me know if you need anything else.”

He was beyond respectful, almost sacred, like a priest offering a sacrifice to a god.

“Thank you.”

When Halo responded, Nam Gyuhwan poured hot water into a new cup with a face full of emotion. As he seemed ready to mass-produce ginger tea at this rate, Moon Seoyeon slapped him on the back.

Halo drank the ginger tea while watching them behave as usual. It tasted just right.

His hand moved slowly.

For once, he wasn’t playing the guitar, but had opened a notebook on his lap and was writing down notes following the music.

Everyone present knew that the result would be beyond what ordinary people could imagine, beyond categorization.

Nam Gyuhwan and Moon Seoyeon lowered their voices as they watched the boy’s concentrated face.

“Is boss composing a musical number now? I’m really looking forward to it. I saw in the news that it won some competition. It seems quite competitive for an original musical.”

“Is that important?”

“If that’s not important, then what is?”

In response to Moon Seoyeon’s question, Nam Gyuhwan looked at the boy.

He didn’t originally prefer musicals much. Due to the high-cost barrier to entry and other factors, he preferred movies instead. However, when it came to musicals that Halo was participating in, it was a different story.

“The greatest song in the world is coming out.”

“I wondered why you weren’t saying that.”

Moon Seoyeon shook her head with an expression that said “Oh, geez.” Still, she was equally excited.

The most important thing in a musical is the numbers, and the person in charge of those numbers – though there were several people – was their boss. She was looking forward to what kind of song would come out.

At that moment, Nam Gyuhwan suddenly spoke up.

“Will people know?”

“Know what?”

“That the one who composed the rock musical number they’re watching is… who it is.”

“They probably won’t know.”

Not just anyone, but The Sun, who had revived rock music that had been stagnating worldwide, created this number.

Nam Gyuhwan couldn’t even dare to imagine what kind of response it would provoke if that became known.

Mid-June.

Around the time when composition work began in earnest, Roh Haeil’s broadcast activities also became less frequent.

There were no public schedules except for music shows.

No performances or broadcast activities.

People who had been living off the crumbs of information until now naturally had to look for their singer.

This was true not only for [Riding the Wave], Roh Haeil’s unofficial fan cafe, but also for the Columbuses who had broken away from the Green Window cafe to pioneer new territory.

Since the Green Window cafe had an atmosphere that almost didn’t allow swearing and had many regulations, those who wanted to live without rules went to the male singer gallery.

But even here, there were already separate major players, so the Columbuses ended up digging a minor gallery.

And as usual, a post went up.

[What’s the gallery owner doing these days?]

He appeared on some music shows after the U.S. talk show, but I don’t see him now

It seems he’s not appearing much in advertisements or variety shows either

Shouldn’t you row when the tide is in?

Is he being boycotted by broadcasting stations?

└ Are the broadcasting stations crazy to boycott a #1 on music charts

└ But why isn’t he appearing on broadcasts?

└ Mystique?

└ This is driving me crazy, I want to see a live performance too

└ (Awesome con)

Not just anyone can achieve #1 on music charts, and a singer who has done it several times. Moreover, when a sudden star at the peak of buzz has less broadcast exposure than other celebrities, fans couldn’t help but be dissatisfied.

[My friend who belongs to a broadcasting station said that the gallery owner doesn’t accept many casting offers]

└ What is it without proof?

└ Well, believe it or not, do as you please, but it seems he’s doing something else

└ Damn, did he start working on songs again?

└ Looking at the gallery owner’s actions, it’s really possible

└ Did he die in his past life without finishing all his songs?

└ Honestly, at this point, isn’t he not just suffering from Halo disease but actually Halo? lol

[I think he got PTSD because female fans asked for ballads during the Hongdae busking]

└ LOL that’s right

└ He really hated it back then lol

└ Roh Haeil seems to be a real man, they were saying he was a gigachad even abroad

[Will the gallery owner at least appear at university festivals?]

I’m waiting for university festivals

└ To be honest, don’t the gallery owner’s songs not fit well with university festivals?

└ The position is a bit awkward, he’s a rookie so he doesn’t have many songs and they’re also calm

└ What’s awkward about it, are there still people trying to bring down the gallery owner?

In fact, it wasn’t just complaints.

Just as there are people in the world who feel inferior to celebrities and curse them, there are also many people who want their singer to make better music in a more comfortable environment. So Roh Haeil’s actions, which seemed distant from the secular world, also caused concern.

[But how does the gallery owner’s revenue structure really work? Is he living off music royalties and running an independent label? He’s not even making separate merchandise]

Don’t we need to support him somehow?

└ If he’s #1 on music charts, he should be able to make a living

└ It’s not just him living alone, there’s also the band

└ How does he maintain the corporation?

└ Is the gallery owner from a rich family? I heard the label in Seongsu-dong is under Roh Haeil’s name

└ I heard he lives in Jamsil, is he really from a rich family? Not everyone who lives in Jamsil is rich

└ There was a rumor that his father is a university professor

└ And my friend who works at the National Tax Service said the gallery owner pays a lot of taxes

└ Seems like he’s making a lot from music royalties

[News│Metal band Scorpion decides on Korean concert]

└ Why are you talking about this here

└ Go to the metal gallery

This is a place where people say what they want to say like a stream of consciousness.

While everyone was saying what they wanted and calling for the gallery owner, someone brought up an old topic again. Well, this was unavoidable.

If there was no new information, they had to rehash old topics like bone broth.

[I’m rewatching the gallery owner’s talk show appearance for the NN-th time, where did he learn British English? A British person certified that it’s a typical posh accent, is the gallery owner a study abroad student?]

└ He’s pure Korean and went to elementary and middle school in Jamsil

└ Since he’s from a rich family, maybe he had private tutoring at home

└ But even with tutoring, who would teach posh accent? Isn’t that an accent only used by nobles?

└ This guy is trying to bring conspiracy theories again lol. Would only real nobles use it? Anyone can use it if they learn

└ So who taught him the posh accent?

└ Rich people are taught posh accent originally

└ Oh really? Are you rich too?

└ Yeah, my family is in the 10th percentile

└ Oh

└ Lol what are these guys doing

[But even though you say conspiracy theory, doesn’t the gallery owner using British English, having fewer broadcast activities than others, and mechanically making songs seem like someone…?]

└ Don’t feed

└ If you do this, it’s not the gallery that gets in trouble, but the gallery owner gets beaten up

└ Don’t you know about the incident where someone pretended to be The Sun in Europe and got beaten up by Helly’s fans? The Sun fandom in our country is just pretending, but it’s a real religion over there

└ Let’s just listen to the gallery owner’s new song

Unaware of what was happening in the internet world, Halo stepped up his work.

“Now let’s start recording.”

At Halo’s words, the band members’ eyes lit up.

There was only one thing that could mean recording.

HALO’s 7th album.

“So early?”

“What about the musical numbers?”

“That’s not yet.”

He had some rough ideas, but nothing was complete yet.

Halo, who had decided to wait for musical meetings while working on the HALO album, looked around at everyone and said,

“You’re getting bored, aren’t you?”

“Well…”

When everyone closed their mouths, Halo chuckled.

It wasn’t actually wrong.

When the boy’s activities decreased, his session naturally had to decrease as well.

There might be some consideration for them in the suggestion to start recording HALO right away in June. Nam Gyuhwan’s face slowly melted as if hit by a taser gun at that warm consideration, and Moon Seoyeon clenched her hands tightly.

“I think I’ll need to take some Cheongsimhwan for this one.” (+) ^[1]

“We’ll prepare, boss!”

“Would you like me to make you a cup of ginger tea?”

The band members started to proceed with their work one by one.

Now that they had become a complete team, satisfied smiles spread across everyone’s faces.

Of course, it wasn’t 100% happiness.

The performance of HALO’s 7th album wasn’t easy at all, so they were worried. Well, when was HALO’s music not shocking, but this time the negative emotions seemed particularly excessive.

“This time, let’s go for a one-day take instead of overdubbing.”

Everyone agreed to the suggestion of playing together at once instead of recording in order.

Well, overdubbing wasn’t bad, but.

It felt like they had become a true band now.

Click, click.

At the end of the corridor. Sin Joohyeok and Lee Sora turned their heads at the sound of heels coming from afar. They had been talking as MC and guest after running into each other for the first time in a while.

A child who caught the attention of the broadcasting station staff was approaching from afar. Perhaps because of her dance background, her steps seemed to bounce.

“Oh my! Goodness!”

Lee Sora brightened up.

“Hello, unnie. Have you been well?”

“Of course I’ve been well. Has Yeonwoo been well too? It’s been so long. Look how much weight you’ve lost. Is the performance very hard?”

“No, I’m enjoying it and working hard.”

“That’s good then. But… What brings you here? Are you appearing on our program?”

“Ah, no, I had a meeting.”

“I see.”

Sin Joohyeok alternately looked at the round head reaching his shoulder, actively conversing with Lee Sora from the same agency.

“Am I invisible to both of you?”

“Hello to you too, Joohyeok-oppa.”

She bowed calmly.

Sin Joohyeok wondered if all kids these days were like this.

Of course, the other one felt a bit more impudent than this child, but they were similar.

“Oppa, I heard you’re making rock musical songs these days.”

“Has that spread that far?”

“Everyone’s talking about oppa these days.”

“My, how small the world is.”

The girl smiled faintly at those words.

“But they haven’t even done casting yet, seems there’s quite a bit of interest.”

“Of course there’s interest.”

“Because it’s my song?”

“Because it’s a big production directed by PD Im?”

“Hmm.”

“And of course, rock numbers made by Sin Joohyeok are intriguing?”

“Lick your lips before you speak.”

The girl laughed brightly.

No matter how you looked at it, the reason PD Im was directing seemed stronger.

Well, he likes the honesty.

Whatever she does, she’s better than that other guy. He sometimes looked at him with eyes that said he was pathetic.

“It’s not just me participating though.”

“Ah, right. I heard Haeil-ssi is participating too.”

Lee Sora’s eyes lit up.

“I’m looking forward to his more than yours.”

“Hey. Still, I’m bett-…”

Sin Joohyeok, who was about to say that he was obviously better, closed his mouth. It was because he remembered the real person behind Roh Haeil’s name.

“Why did you stop mid-sentence?”

“…The numbers aren’t even completed yet, and casting is still far off, so there’s no point in talking about it.”

Sin Joohyeok quickly changed the subject, and fortunately, they nodded and went along with it.

“But what kind of person is… Haeil-ssi?”

When the girl asked, Lee Sora kindly explained.

“Haven’t you heard of ‘Roh Haeil’? You must have seen him on the music charts all the time.”

“Ah. I know. Is he participating as a composer too?”

“Yes. That’s what I heard.”

Sin Joohyeok, listening to the two women’s conversation, suddenly cut in mischievously.

“Are you interested? Want me to introduce you? Come to think of it, there’s not much age difference between you two. Two years apart? You’d look good together.”

The girl chuckled.

“Like you and Chaewon-unnie?”

“! Hey.”

“I have too many things I want to do to date right now.”

As Sin Joohyeok’s mouth immediately shut, Lee Sora next to him let out a giggle.

“But I am curious. I’ve listened to all his songs-“

“They were good, right?”

“Yes, I really liked his sensibility. Though I can’t quite imagine him participating in a rock musical.”

The girl nodded at Lee Sora’s question.

“Do you want to sing Haeil’s song?”

When the revived Sin Joohyeok asked, she shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I don’t know yet.”