The Road to Glory

“Roh Haeil?”“It’s Roh Haeil.”The murmuring began with someone’s exclamation.“It really is Roh Haeil.”“But why is Roh Haeil at Korea University?”“No, more importantly, does he know the professor?”Bottoms were squirming in their seats.If it weren’t for the class, half of them would have rushed over to the boy.However, this was a summer semester major course,and Professor Roh Yunhyeon held their names and grades as excellent hostages.Being neither elementary school students nor (supposedly) immature 3rd and 4th-year students, they didn’t try to challenge the professor’s authority.However, their concentration was already scattered.After all, it wasn’t some unknown celebrity, but Roh Haeil!Would it have been different if he had shown his face on various broadcasts?The sudden star who had caused quite a stir before abruptly disappearing was interesting enough even for the study-loving weirdos.‘Come to think of it, No isn’t a common surname.’Moreover, Roh Haeil and Professor Roh Yunhyeon seemed to know each other at a glance.Whatever it was, it was more interesting than the class.“Everyone, quiet.”The classroom fell silent at Professor Roh Yunhyeon’s words.After looking around at the students with a stern face, the professor also glared at the boy once and added, “You too, wait quietly.”The son, oblivious to his father’s feelings, casually smiled and placed both arms on the desk.Professor Roh Yunhyeon quickly proceeded with the lecture.“In the Statistical Investigation of the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function, the luminosity of globular clusters in our galaxy is modeled using a Gaussian curve-“As Professor Roh Yunhyeon continued the lesson without pause, the gazes towards Roh Haeil naturally decreased.It also made them close their mouths directed at Roh Haeil.However.No matter how great and excellent a lecture the professor gave, he couldn’t suppress the students’ hands.The name Roh Haeil had spread throughout Everytime, the largest community for current students at Korea University.[Roh Haeil just came to the College of Natural Sciences][Roh Haeil? The Roh Haeil we know? Why is he at Korea University? What’s this rumor going around on Everytime, is it real or just attention-seeking?][They say Roh Haeil is in our department?][Isn’t it obvious that it’s fake since no one is providing proof?]└Someone said they’re in class[Is Roh Haeil a Korea University student?]Special admission? I guess it’s understandable for someone like Roh Haeil└ Roh Haeil isn’t even a high school graduate, he’s a middle school graduate, so he probably can’t enter our school, but it would be nice if he did.It was utter chaos.[What do you mean Roh Haeil is at school? Is there a festival today? Did they decide to have a festival during vacation when no one comes? Has the student council gone crazy?][Anyway, assuming Roh Haeil is at school, why did he go to the College of Natural Sciences and not the College of Music?][I’ll go check if it’s real or not, but does anyone know where the College of Natural Sciences is?]└ Are you a freshman? It’s across from the College of Humanities, between the Central Library and the College of Agriculture└ Where’s the College of Agriculture?Everytime is where you go when you don’t want to study, don’t want to write a self-introduction, don’t want to attend class, or just want to drop out.Although there weren’t many new posts due to the vacation, it was enough to cause a stir with the name Roh Haeil.And in the middle of class in Room 207 of Building 109.“Um…”Halo, who had been staring at a formula that could have been either English or math while rhythmically tapping on the desk, turned his head to the side.A male student wearing glasses was timidly holding out a notebook to him.“Could I get your autograph?”Halo nodded, recognizing the presence of a male fan he hadn’t seen in front of the broadcasting station.“What’s your name?”“My girlfriend is a fan, could you write ‘Eunji’?”“Ah, sure.”A female fan, huh.Halo nodded and wrote just as he had done for fans in front of the broadcasting station.His signature was always the same.An elegant signature and the first words of a letter, “Dear [name].”When he was active as Roh Haeil, he used Korean instead of “Dear.”It had various meanings, but he changed it at the request of a fan after initially writing “Cherished.”As he handed over the notebook with a bright smile, the male student also whispered his thanks as he received it.An elegant signature, and below it, the phrase:-To my beloved Eunji.‘Beloved… what?’While the returning student was taken aback, the class ended.The professor, who usually filled every minute of the lecture time to ensure students got their money’s worth from tuition, exceptionally ended fifteen minutes early today.The reason was obvious.And before the rumor that Roh Haeil was in Room 207 of Building 109 could spread, Professor Roh Yunhyeon didn’t take any questions and immediately left with the boy.#“I thought you weren’t interested in university, so what brings you to my class?”“You left something at home.”Halo waved the file of documents in his hand.Professor Roh Yunhyeon, receiving it, nodded. “Ah.”“Did you come to give me this?”“That, and I have something to look into.”“At Korea University?”“I wanted to apply for auditing some classes.”While Professor Roh Yunhyeon’s expression became subtle, Halo opened his mouth.“What kind of audit?”“The College of Korean Music’s summer semester lectures.”Halo showed a news article on his phone titled [Korea University College of Korean Music Summer Special Lecture].His father, who took the phone and read it, stopped in his tracks.“Have you become interested in Korean traditional music?”It was the same question his mother had asked.Halo shrugged and gave the same answer.“I received a request to create music filled with ‘han’.”“Han…?”For a moment, the image of Roh Haeil earnestly watching documentaries about Korea in the 60s and 70s flashed through Professor Roh Yunhyeon’s mind.Could it be that it wasn’t modern history study, but research to create music filled with han?Professor Roh Yunhyeon realized he had completely misunderstood and unconsciously rubbed his forehead.“What’s wrong?”“Nothing. So that’s why you’ve seemed busy lately.”“Well, I’ve been doing this and that.”That’s true. Professor Roh Yunhyeon also knew about his son’s other identity and acknowledged that he must be busy.By the way-.Professor Roh Yunhyeon sharply turned his head.“By the way, how far are you all going to follow? Do you have any urgent questions?”“Uh, well, professor…”A few who had been following Professor Roh Yunhyeon and the boy from a distance froze in place.They stopped and rolled their eyes around.Having followed all the way to the front of Professor Roh Yunhyeon’s office while trying to figure out when to speak up, it was natural for them to be called out.Halo casually replied to the desperate looks of the few.“It seems they were following me.”At those words, his father clicked his tongue.“Was today’s lecture too easy? If it had been difficult, they would have gone to study. I should cover more material next time.”“No, that’s absolutely not it, we’re sorry! Professor!”The students shouted convulsively and bowed.Yet they showed no signs of leaving, so Professor Roh Yunhyeon looked at his son, who was also the cause of the problem.“So why did you doze off and cause this situation?”“I’ll say it again, I didn’t doze off, father.”“As if you didn’t. Go handle this well. I’ll go in first.”Professor Roh Yunhyeon gently patted his son’s head and entered the office first.‘Did you hear? Did you hear? He said father.’‘Is he really his father?’‘No wonder they looked alike!’‘I heard Roh Haeil’s father was a professor, but I didn’t know it was Professor No.’The students who had been communicating with their eyes hurriedly took out notebooks from their bags as soon as Professor Roh Yunhyeon went inside.“Um, could we also take a picture together?”“Sure, that’s fine.”Halo slightly lowered his mask. Grinning, he made a V sign.Click.Needless to say, the photo taken with a student wearing a Korea University department jacket soon dominated all sorts of community sites.After finishing the impromptu autograph session, Halo entered his father’s office and discovered bookshelves full of books and astronomical pictures covering the walls. Books that gave him a headache just looking at them.And spectacular space photos.“That’s what we learned about today.”His father spoke casually in the calm voice he used during class.“Pardon?”“Didn’t you hear because you were sleeping?”Snorting like that, his father came to his side and pointed at the photo.“Now, this enormous disk is our galaxy, composed of stars and gas. The stellar halo surrounds the disk, and the dark halo occupies the wider blue region.”Hmm, a very old memory comes to mind.He seemed to have seen such an image in a crumpled science textbook long ago.Wondering what that vast and beautiful world would be like, he had taken the cool name written below it.The name [HALO].“You were staring at it like that when you were young too, so you liked this name.”His father gently stroked the boy’s head.Thinking that soon it might be difficult to pat him like this.“Haeil, about the College of Korean Music you mentioned.”“Yes.”“I just looked it up, and it seems the auditing application period has already ended.”“Is that so?”It was already well into July.The lectures had already started, and the course registration period had naturally passed.Even so… Professor Roh Yunhyeon looked at the computer again.“So, do you have any plans for today?”“No. Why do you ask so suddenly?”Professor Roh Yunhyeon scrolled down and quietly observed the College of Korean Music schedule.He wasn’t sure about music filled with han, but there was a College of Korean Music summer seminar scheduled at the concert hall today.A regular Korean music performance by College of Korean Music students.It was unusual to have a special lecture in the concert hall unless it was a graduation recital.Below the performance poster, various traditional Korean instruments were listed: gayageum, geomungo, haegeum, daegeum, piri, ajaeng, and so on. Such student seminars were usually open for anyone to attend and watch the performance.“You’ve never seen a Korean traditional music performance before, right? There’s a seminar by College of Korean Music students today, how about listening to it?”Halo, who had been listening quietly, nodded.A Korean music performance. It seemed like it would be a good stimulus, as he had never seen one except for the Raon pansori live stream on NuTube.That’s when it happened.The sound of people rushing in the corridor was heard.Then someone knocked on the door heavily.“Oh dear.”Professor Roh Yunhyeon sighed deeply and rubbed his head, then approached the door with a stern expression. He thought the rumor had already spread this far and students had gathered.Rather than letting them in and causing a commotion in the quiet office, the professor opened the door abruptly.Just as he was about to say something.Professor No unexpectedly saw unfamiliar faces and was taken aback.“Why are you all here?”“Well, our Professor No! We, uh, felt like we hadn’t greeted you properly today.”“We greeted each other this morning, what greeting?”“Well, is there a law saying we can’t greet in the afternoon if we did in the morning? Good afternoon! We know you don’t have class, can we come in?”It wasn’t students, but fellow professors gathered with mischievous faces. The reason they had come here, interrupting their research, was-.One professor craned his neck to the side and, upon discovering the blonde boy, waved his hand.Oh boy. These people.Professor Roh Yunhyeon twitched his eyebrow.They all maintained a dignified attitude, but in reality, they didn’t seem any different from students who had come to see a celebrity.“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”“Why?!”One professor became serious at Professor Roh Yunhyeon’s words.Then, realizing he had overreacted, he cleared his throat.“We have somewhere to go.”Professor Roh Yunhyeon checked the watch on his wrist,and gestured to the boy sitting inside drinking a beverage.“Oh, where are you going? So suddenly, just as we arrived?”“The concert hall.”Professor Roh Yunhyeon was about to leave but asked out of courtesy.“Well, are you all coming too?”#[The Korean music seminar will begin shortly. Audience members seated in the auditorium-]“Haha, I’m doing Korean music again.”“What Korean music? You mean Korean jutjaw.”

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