The Road to Glory

Chapter 73 - This is Life



Sunlight pours in through the large window.The scent of floating dust and sunlight.The old man standing by the window embraced the sunlight with his whole body.“How cozy.”A sweet voice invades his ears.While the sunlight on a spring day was warm, what he spoke of wasn’t just the sunlight.“I didn’t know you could make music like this too.”The old man’s eyes opened.His eyes were as blue as those of any young person.The melody that had started from the opposite side of the earth and reached him was completely different from what he had imagined.He thought it didn’t sound like The Sun’s music.However, the music was soft and contained a different power than before.Like soft silk, it would flow into one’s embrace in an instant if grasped.“What changes have occurred during this time.”The opposite kind of music.If The Sun’s music dominated and infected emotions,This music gently caresses someone’s feelings.Could this be called music by the same person?The old man felt thirsty.An unexpected and surprising change from his favorite artist.What on earth had happened?He wanted to chew on it while watching from the side.If he didn’t have a position to protect, he might have already boarded a plane.The old man, August Veil, turned to look at the monitor.His computer displayed the latest articles, SNS posts, and music reports.Since signing the contract, all these materials commonly mentioned the name ‘HALO’ and his alias ‘The Sun’, with the addition of ‘The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken – because we don’t know his real name’.But now it was different.On another part of his monitor, along with dozens of articles, a new name was written.‘Roh Haeil’. The name he had seen on the contract.—[BELLE] Have you guys seen this?I think he’s clearly The Sun’s son.—“Son, hahaha”From the hot Halo cover stage tagged by top star Belle Morrison, to videos of a boy enjoying the stage more than anyone else in the dark venue, they were abundant.He loved The Sun’s music, but he also liked the calm, moon-like music.August Veil peeked at the boy’s stage like a person in love.And.Two people stealing glances at such a boss through the blinds.“It’s been how many months since the boss was so absorbed in music other than Halo’s?”“It can happen…”As the young man who had come in as Caroline’s successor spoke with wonder,Caroline, one of the two people at Veil who knew Halo’s face, defended him.“And it’s a singer from Asia. It’s a bit unexpected. Ah, I don’t mean anything by it, it’s just hard to find Asian music to listen to. It’s not even the usual K-pop.”“…”Caroline didn’t say much, but the young man hurried to assert that he wasn’t a racist. And he quickly continued.“Of course, I understand. Since the boss is a big fan of Halo, maybe he feels affection for a singer who covered him well. Have you seen it? The one Belle Morrison tagged?”“Of course I’ve seen it. I’m in charge of him after all.”“Right.”At Caroline’s words, the young man’s eyes sparkled.Caroline was already tired.From the moment the young man learned that Caroline was in charge of Halo, he became a question mark murderer.‘Then you must have met him in person. Is Mr. Halo really -?’‘By the way, how did you contract with Mr. Halo? No other employees seem to know.’‘Does Mr. Halo not appear on broadcasts?’‘How about Mr. Halo’s next album-‘He would pour out his questions until she shouted ‘Jason, stop!’ Fortunately, the young man didn’t ask questions about Halo.He just went on about his review of the Halo cover video he had recently found impressive.“What really surprised me was that his voice seemed a bit similar. Not a lot, but a little bit? For about 1.5 seconds, I really thought it was him singing. If it hadn’t been dubbed, but the original language, I might have been completely fooled.”“I see.”“Calling him The Sun’s son might be an exaggeration, but he’s a singer with a promising future. Is the boss so absorbed perhaps because there are plans to recruit him?”“Well…”Caroline let the young man’s words flow by repeating verified phrases like ‘Really?’, ‘How interesting’, ‘And then?’“By the way, Caroline.”“Yes.”“Do you think Mr. Halo has seen this cover too?”Ah, she was wondering why he wasn’t asking.Caroline smiled gently and-.“Well, I’m not sure.”She didn’t give him the answer he wanted.“Since it’s a hot video these days, he might have seen it, or he might not have?”“You didn’t ask?”This young man probably thought she was on casual speaking terms with Halo. Well, there were employees who were close with their assigned artists at Veil, so it wasn’t strange.“Well, as you know, he’s a busy person.”“Ah, that’s right. The album will be out soon too. And requests are coming in from everywhere.”Caroline attempted to change the subject, and the young man responded with enthusiasm.He probably won’t even realize the topic has been changed.“Everyone wants him.”She doesn’t know how many places want him since Caroline is in charge of inquiry emails, but the young man was certain.The legend’s practice work and revival, his dominance as a faceless singer.From his music to his moves.Gossip about him poured out from all sorts of places.As interest in him grew, it was natural that all sorts of places tried to recruit him.And what they chose was Veil, his only communication channel.Even though Veil was a music distributor (Aggregator), emails and contacts poured in just because they were connected to him.It was needless to say about the industry and broadcasting stations, but it seemed that companies and institutions from all over the world were looking for him more than once.As the scale grew larger, all the small places fell awayWhat remained were dinosaur companies.Especially as the 5th album Addiction was released. The industry that looked for Halo the most was the one where sexual image is important.That is, the luxury industry commonly called luxury goods such as fashion, jewelry, watches, perfumes, etc. looked for him.Usually, it was requests for his music or voice, and inquiries about launching products named Halo, the forms were diverse.There were even companies that wanted to use him as a model regardless of what he looked like or what kind of person he was.Just asking to have a meal was like, well, a good morning greeting.Also, there were requests to appear at events and festivals directly hosted by companies.For instance-.“You know how listeners are clamoring for Halo to come to Coachella again. I don’t know who started it, but rumors keep circulating that Halo is coming to Coachella.”“It must be fans who want him. Well.”Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.There were constant inquiries about recruiting Halo for North America’s largest festival, where famous musicians like Oasis, Coldplay, and Lady Gaga participate every year to showcase various music.“So, Caroline, how about meeting with Mr. Halo directly? Isn’t it an opportunity too good to miss?”At that moment. Caroline was startled by a sentence that caught her ear and immediately became serious.“Mr. Jason.”“Yes.”As her voice sank, the young man instinctively realizes he must have said something wrong.It’s a reaction of not knowing what it is.He understood.He was a former employee of August Records, and clearly hadn’t completely moved on yet.“Veil is not August Records.”“…”“In other words, we’re not a record label or management company. We will convey requests, but the artist’s autonomy comes first. We don’t have the right to force or persuade him. Please keep that in mind.”That was also why Halo chose Veil.Caroline looked the young man in the eye and said firmly.“We are a distributor (Aggregator).”#Meanwhile.The person in question, who had made someone excited, worried others,And became a star overnight, making the world noisy, was currently more peaceful than anyone.Who wouldn’t be peaceful in front of dessert, a sofa, and television?Halo was eating ice cream while monitoring the stage he had performed the day before. No, three days ago.The large television conveyed some of the thrill, if not as much as at the time.He shook his head, recalling the thrill of that time.He tapped his feet.He wants to perform again.After getting a taste of the stage again, it’s hard to get out of the addiction that had been forgotten.He thought he wanted to have a stage just for himself this time.He was very greedy and didn’t want to yield the stage to anyone else.Of course, collaborations were enjoyable to some extent.Still, he liked the time he dominated from beginning to end.‘I think I can do it if I just manage my stamina well.’The day that seemed so far away now felt not too distant.As it gets closer, things he needs to prepare start coming to mind.Halo thought he should now do the work he had been putting off.‘As my body is becoming complete, it’s time to find my hands and feet.’Even if he does the performance, he can’t create a concert alone.So it was time to find hands and feet to move with his body.That is, the ‘session’ that will create the stage with him.He recalls the band he met at Hwang Ryongpil’s residence.Seeing them, he wanted to have his own band again.‘How did I meet them before?’At first, he thinks the record company provided the session, but they mostly disbanded due to frequent conflicts and friction, and he met them again a few years later. At parties, bars, streets, and such.Of course, it wasn’t that he went around looking for a session, it was just a product of chance.By now, a sullen expression is reflected on the darkened screen.Halo wondered if he should start wandering around Hongdae pubs and streets from now on.But before that.“Where are you going?”“To the studio.”“Without resting?”Park Seungah was startled.Her son, who had been sleeping like the dead for two days, was going out right after eating.As a mother, she thought she should object first.“I’m going to play.”“-.”She couldn’t stop him because her son, who smiled and said this, was too lovely.She was worried but also pleased.Park Seungah, after pondering with mixed feelings, finally nodded.What could she do? They say no parent can win against their child.Halo, unaware of his mother’s feelings, roughly pulled down his cap.He thought he should take a break and touch up the album to be released in May.Finding a session would be a long-term task, and above all, there was something he wanted to do.The album to be touched up wasn’t just HALO’s 6th album.“Then will you wait a bit? Mom will take you.”“I can take the subway.”“You’re going to take the subway to Seongsu?”His mother’s puzzled reaction.Ah, right.Halo nodded a beat late.He had become too accustomed to Roh Haeil’s life and had forgotten about Halo’s life.If he goes out now, he won’t be able to move a step, surrounded by people.For now, if the people who couldn’t enter the apartment beyond the window are those looking for him.If he were Halo, he would push through with force and just go by car.But Roh Haeil has no strength and no license.“Maybe it’s time to get a license.”“Unfortunately, you can only get a license from the age of 18.”“!”“Wait, mom will take you.”His mother, who discovered his shocked expression, smiled and shook her car keys.Quite a lot of phone calls rang during the elevator ride down.It had been ringing since he turned on his phone that had been dead.It wasn’t just one or two people calling, and other residents were glancing at him.Halo roughly pressed the rejection message at the top and postponed the calls.He sent a message for now, so this should be enough.[I’m driving, I’ll call you back later][Sin Joohyeok: Lol, are 17-year-olds also juvenile offenders?][Han Rayeon: No lol driving lol Haeil, want to go for a drive with this noona?]He meant to just ask them to wait, but some people replied to the insincere message.:He wasn’t surrounded by people in the Lake Palace parking lot, but there was a separate problem.“Oh my, there…”“Oh.”They wouldn’t have just come to the house.Halo exclaimed, seeing the people crowded in front of the label.Three, no, maybe four people?“Should we go back home?”“No. I’ll just go in.”“Go in? Haeil!”There are fewer people than at home, so he should be able to push through.Before his mother could answer, Halo opened the car door and went out.“Oh, it’s Roh Haeil!”“Roh Haeil-ssi, please look here!”Cameras flash.If he were, as he appears, a seventeen-year-old boy and a rookie who had just gained popularity for the first time, he would have been flustered and scared.But what’s here is Halo.Halo calmly raised his hand.“Good morning.”“It’s afternoon now, though?”“Ah, yes.”Halo then turned back briefly and waved to his mother in the car.The reporters, who had been watching carefully after recognizing his parents, soon brought their microphones like hyenas.“The response to your stage was hot-““How do you feel about becoming a star overnight-““Have you checked the music charts?”All sorts of questions fly in.It sounds like about thirty people are asking questions, not four.After quietly watching them, Halo opened his mouth.“I’ll take only two questions.”“Uh-.”They all shut their mouths at once and looked around.Their gazes seem to be having a conversation.He’s a rookie, they say. But this isn’t a rookie’s response?Why does he seem so skilled?Then one person opened their mouth as if playing a game of chicken.“Have you checked the music charts? Your songs are currently ranked 1st and 2nd. What do you think made this possible?”It’s asking for thoughts, but why ask for reasons?Halo thought it was a strange question.But the reporters didn’t seem to think it was strange at all.They were eagerly waiting for his answer.Reason, isn’t that too obvious?The boy smiled brightly and said.Of course.My music is.“-because the songs are good.”“!”The reporters suddenly become excited and start writing.And again, reporters pour out questions.Whether they have dementia or not, they clearly forgot what Halo had said.He said he would take only two questions, and they now had only one question left to ask.As Halo said nothing, one by one they took notice and chose their question again.“Then-. Could you tell us specifically what activities you’ll be doing in the future?”Halo tilted his head.He wondered why these people always ask obvious questions.“I’ll be making my music.”“What? Don’t you have any plans for advertisements or broadcasts? Surely many offers must have come in.”“I’m preparing new songs, you see.”“!”#[Breaking news. Roh Haeil appears after two days][Rendezvous-Roh Haeil “Because the songs are good.”][Roh Haeil’s future moves, preparing a new album]The news of the appearance of the person who had been unresponsive for two days quickly spread across the internet as breaking news. Through quick-handed people, it flowed to communities and various SNS.And so it didn’t take long for people who knew him to come across it.“Wow, look how cool Haeil is.”“Seems he’s been doing well.”Those who had left insignificant messages after seeing the absurd “driving” comment chuckled at the greeting they first confirmed through the article,“Haeil looks too normal?”“There was no need to worry.”Four men in a corner of Hongdae had relieved expressions.The boy with a relaxed and normal face was clearly the Haeil they knew.“How’s the reaction?”“To the article? Not bad. Mostly positive.”The world tends to be favorable to geniuses they see for the first time.Many people viewed his confident attitude positively, and some said they liked that he was focusing on his main job rather than advertisements or broadcasts.Of course, as always, there were malicious comments too.[Getting 1st place riding on Hwang Ryongpil’s coattails and saying what lol. The song is good my ass][More than that, he seems to think he’s Halo just because he did a Halo cover lol. What new song in a month lol][For real, seems like he caught Halo disease][He’ll probably fall soon, either a personality controversy or school violence will break out]But there’s nothing to worry about too much.Knowing that talent that’s meant to succeed will eventually succeed.Still.Bae Gonghak muttered.“I hope Haeil doesn’t just read the malicious comments.”“He’s not the type to get hurt by such things, is he?”Jang Jinsoo, solving a math workbook, calmly replied.Han Jinyeong, sitting in front of him, held up the answer sheet.“Jinsoo, it’s 4 for number 3.”“Ah! Isn’t it 2?”“He’s saying it’s not.”“Why isn’t it?”“I don’t know?”Jang Jinsoo who doesn’t understand and Han Jinyeong flustering in front of him.Bae Gonghak approaching them and giggling, forgetting his worry about Haeil.And Haeil living well and having fun far away.“This is life.”Kim Deoksoo looked around at them and smiled contentedly.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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