The Road to Glory

“These are my members.”

It was quite some time after visiting the rehearsal room for the musical Rock that he finally introduced the members to the old man.

When the cool yet warm October passed, and the weather could officially be called winter.

The late introduction wasn’t due to his busyness, but rather because of August Veil’s schedule issues. After dropping him off at the studio, August Veil immediately headed somewhere else and seemed busy for a while.

-Can you take a look at my song?

Of course, he had work too. He received a producing request from the director and a feedback request from the lead actor, Park Hyuk. However, that ended sooner than expected.

There wasn’t much for him to touch.

From the start, Park Hyuk was already one of South Korea’s top musical actors. Especially in terms of singing, he was called a human amplifier and considered the best among musical actors.

Of course, there were parts he sang differently from his intention, but that was a matter of interpretation. An interpretation to become Jeongwoo. Park Hyuk sang as if he were Jeongwoo.

If it were him, he might have sung well, but he wouldn’t have become Jeongwoo, who worries about his own well-being and external situations.

Just Roh Haeil pretending to be Jeongwoo. No, Roh Haeil not even pretending to be Jeongwoo.

Anyway, they parted ways satisfactorily before long.

The other double-cast Dokgo Yeong said he’d prepare on his own, so there were no more schedules regarding the musical.

Anyway, in Roh Haeil’s still unchanged studio, three men and women warmly greeted the old man.

“Hello! Sir! I’m Moon Seoyeon, in charge of the keyboard. Nice to meet you.”

Moon Seoyeon introduced herself in crisp American English.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Jinyeong, the bassist.”

Han Jinyeong, who could handle simple conversations despite a slight Konglish accent.

“Um, hello?

My name is Gyuhwan Nam

.

Nice to meet you too. I’m from Korea and… um… How are you

?”

Nam Gyuhwan, who greeted but forgot the important introduction. Of course, August Veil recognized him as the percussionist and smiled generously.

“It’s nice to meet you all. I’ve been wanting to see you.”

Friends who’ve been session musicians since HALO’s 6th album “Dancing in the Rain”. He had only seen them from afar and thought about meeting them, but now seeing them in person, he couldn’t help but feel glad.

His eyes take in each person one by one.

Moon Seoyeon looking at his composition notes and starting to fight with Nam Gyuhwan again. And Han Jinyeong pretending to stop them while subtly adding fuel to the fire.

At the center of these people with distinct personalities and unique appearances was a boy. He could see the indescribable bond between them.

Like a well-crafted scene in a painting.

The figures in the painting ask him:

“Have you had dinner yet?”

“We were planning to go for lamb ribs today, how about it?”

“Um…

eat lunch

?”

“Let’s go together.”

“…I was feeling lonely eating alone, so this works out well.”

August Veil couldn’t help but fall into this comfort.

[World’s top 4 record label CEO’s persistent courtship of a small Korean singer!]

└ Is Roh Haeil small?

└ Someone might think Roh Haeil is unknown

└ How is Roh Haeil small when he’s tall and incredibly popular right now, what exactly is small

└ But lately, photos of Roh Haeil and Veil? That company’s CEO are frequently popping up

└ It’s only been twice so far

Until the end of October, it had only been twice, but as November began, the frequency increased. Whenever Roh Haeil, who had been secluded in his studio, was caught in paparazzi shots, August Veil was often by his side.

The entire industry speculated that August Veil remained interested in the Korean entertainment scene, but strangely, he didn’t contact anyone other than Roh Haeil.

This proved that Veil was putting quite a bit of effort into Roh Haeil, and at the same time, it led people to believe that Roh Haeil was rejecting Veil’s offers.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for the two to keep hanging out together.

While initially only the industry was interested, August Veil’s existence gradually began to be recognized by the public. Of course, even then, he was mostly consumed as national pride – a K-pop singer acknowledged by an incredibly famous person – but no one took it seriously.

At that moment.

A post of unknown origin was shared across all communities. It wasn’t exactly about August Veil’s actions, but it was related.

[Who is HALO│Roh Haeil possibility (evidence ㅇ) revised ver]

It was uploaded around the time when the afterglow of the Scorpion concert on October 21st was fading, but it became a hot topic when shared on communities in early November.

Considering the category, it seems the first post appeared on a site dedicated to speculating about HALO’s identity.

What’s important is not where it was posted.

It’s that one or several – according to community users – attention seekers spammed it across various communities.

[Summary of recently spammed post – Roh Haeil=HALO theory]

Evidence 1. Scorpion concert

1-1) The song Roh Haeil pointed out to Rill last Christmas as being wrong five times was Struggle. Until then, only those who knew recognized HALO, not famous

1-2) Roh Haeil mentions 13th album and plays unreleased song → Not typical Roh Haeil style song

└ To this, Scorpion says ‘Not much time left.’ Roh Haeil just released his first full album, saying not much time left doesn’t make sense. But for HALO, who’s released albums monthly and is currently on his 9th?

1-3) Rill’s attitude

Usually a HALO fanatic and doll-basher to everyone, but extremely polite to Roh Haeil

(In Korean terms, it’s like someone who speaks informally and curses even to grandpas suddenly using honorifics to a 17-year-old)

Evidence 2. August Veil (current CEO of Veil Co. and former CEO of Augustus Records)

2-1) Putting a lot of effort into Roh Haeil. To the point where it seems excessive – even driving for him

2-2) Staying in Korea without returning home, even though the Scorpion tour ended a while ago.

Evidence 3. Long-standing Roh Haeil = Halo theory

(As everyone knows) It’s about the voice, name, British English, arrangement, etc.

In fact, this was the extent of the original content, but the kind unemployed person also kindly wrote the rebuttal posts attached to the original.

[Counter-evidence 1. 20th century traditional Britpop + HALO’s unique sensibility – Someone whose resident registration number starts with 3 + moreover, absolutely impossible for a Korean

Counter-evidence 2. Monthly Halo – Even if HALO’s albums are practice works, Roh Haeil also released albums, how does this make sense

Counter-evidence 3. 5th album Addiction Even The Sun admits it, The Sun must have been on drugs at that time

:

Counter-evidence N. With Scorpion’s personality, if Roh Haeil=Halo, he would have called him Halo already]

Even the summary was a long post.

It was natural for comments like ‘So what’s the 3-line summary???’ to appear. Still, as it was visibly more organized than the original, more people started focusing on the content.

[The very fact that it’s being refuted is proof that Roh Haeil = The Sun cannot be true.

I personally like both Halo and Roh Haeil. They’re both great singers with good music. I’m so happy to be living in the same era as them. So please, stop with the nonsense and just acknowledge their separate existences (830 likes 299 dislikes)]

└ Even Roh Haeil fans don’t like The Sun attention-seeking, is this really intelligent anti-fan behavior

└ I’ve always found the Roh Haeil theory ridiculous whenever it came up in the past, wish they’d stop… These guys are truly marinated in national pride

Most rebuttals were like this.

However, a minority of people agreed.

[But isn’t that Roh Haeil theory honestly possible? Halo’s identity hasn’t been revealed yet, at least it’s not a retired top star, right?]

└ For real, foreign kids who praise The Sun collect evidence first before refuting when someone says who Halo is, but Korean kids are busy criticizing first

└ But honestly, that’s only possible because those kids are blockheads lol. When they seriously considered Indian Halo last time, I once again etched the phrase “national level evaluation” in my mind.

└ What’s Indian Halo?

└ There was a guy in India who claimed he was Halo, even a prestigious university graduate with high social status

└ Crazy lol. Brahmin Halo lol

└ No matter how good Indians are at English, Halo would be so funny but K-Halo? Just a laughing stock lol

[Still, seeing Roh Haeil constantly getting Halo suspicion posts, it seems like we should really acknowledge his talent and ability]

└ Is there anyone who can’t acknowledge Roh Haeil? He’s been known as a music genius from the start

└ Honestly, the only memorable thing this year is Roh Haeil

└ But the fact that he debuted this year is really crazy

└ So please, just do a concert…

└ LOL. Okay, but still 830~~

└ ㅜㅜ Since it’s 830*7, change it to 5810;;

└ What’s the big deal?

└ LOL. Kids are crying, beat them gently

While the Roh Haeil topic was rolling, some people said what they’ve always wanted to say.

[I always think this, but Roh Haeil fans are nice. They don’t turn dark at all, if it were another singer, they’d definitely getting cursed at first]

└ Don’t you know Roh Haeil’s fan cafe name changed from Riding the Wave to Are We Jaws? Only Jaws left biting each other during ticket sales

└ No way lol Not X but real Jaws lol

└ It wasn’t a Red Ocean but a real Bloody Ocean lol

Then, on the first Wednesday of November.

[Wow, Roh Haeil confirmed for Korea University festival]

This event slightly dispersed the attention on the suspicion posts.

It was around the time when other universities were starting to upload their festival lineups. The festival lineup was uploaded on Korea University’s student council’s Instagram account and page.

The first poster showed the student council president with a smug attitude, shoulders raised, making students wonder what it was about, but when someone saw the lineup on the next page, they shouted loudly in the student cafeteria.

“No way, Roh Haeil is really confirmed?!”

“Is Roh Haeil really coming? This is crazy.”

“There were rumors, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.”

If you’re talking about rumors, it’s this one.

That the student council had contacted Roh Haeil.

It was just a baseless rumor, but quite a few students believed it because Roh Haeil’s father was a professor in Korea University’s Physics and Astronomy department.

There was a rumor that even though it was uncertain whether Roh Haeil, who doesn’t do separate activities, would come to a university festival, if he did come out, the chances were high it would be Korea University.

Still, there was also talk that most singers prefer Yeonkuk University or Gokuk University over Korea University due to its mediocre stage facilities, so people were half in doubt until it was officially confirmed.

“Our school was having a festival?”

“Is this really a festival?”

If someone saw this, they might think it was the first festival ever held since the school’s founding, but Korea University used to have two festivals every year. It’s just that no one knew about it.

Following this, Yeonkuk University and Gokuk University, along with other universities, also announced their idol lineups one by one, but there weren’t many names that could beat Roh Haeil for this festival.

There was one more event that would make people momentarily forget about the conspiracy theories.

An event that the person in question wasn’t aware of, but everyone had been waiting for.

The main reason why the fan cafe was quietly moving under the surface, and why Veil postponed his departure schedule.

November 14th, the day after the Korea University festival, was Roh Haeil’s birthday.

#

Halo hummed a song from HALO’s 10th album while looking at the calendar.

Come to think of it, it’s almost that time.

He wouldn’t usually think much about it, but in the situation of preparing for the 10th album, it suddenly came to mind.

His official birthday was in April, when the 1st album Struggle was released. When he left home, abandoning all his history, he would say it was the day Struggle was released whenever someone asked about his birthday. It wasn’t wrong since that’s when HALO was born.

Of course, as his past became known, everyone realized he had a separate real birthday, but because he disliked it, no one officially celebrated his real birthday.

Although April was still a distant month, there was a reason he suddenly thought about his birthday. It was nothing special, just that around this time was his real birthday. It was also the month he ran away from home, and the month he reconciled again.

His manager persuaded him, asking if he was going to live like a non-existent person forever, and after much contemplation, he met his family. It happened to be on his real birthday.

Well, there’s not much to mention about the reconciliation.

His parents expressed regret and longing for their son who returned successful after more than a decade.

They were quite strict, but not bad people. As a very long time had passed, even resentment had scattered like ashes, so they reconciled not badly, had tea, and parted ways with greetings.

Deciding to live closer than strangers but more distant than family.

April. Just enough of a relationship to receive a “Happy Birthday” message and an invitation to have a meal together.

His 10th album is a song written around that time.

A story about family.

A song that makes even the singer tired, created when the emptiness of realizing there was actually no root to an old hatred and complex emotions were entangled.

It’s not a song he sings often personally. Rather, it’s the least sung song in concerts. He thought it didn’t fit concerts because inexplicable anger would suddenly surge up whenever he sang it.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t release it.

This too is his music that he loves, so recording is scheduled, but the members’ expressions were subtle. They seemed tired because of the song. Still, as always, they didn’t say they wouldn’t do it.

Halo briefly looked at the calendar displayed on the pad.

His real birthday that even he himself didn’t celebrate.

Since it’s right after the performance, I guess I’ll get plenty of sleep.

That’s what he thought.

“Haeil, do you have any other schedules besides the Korea University festival?”

“Not yet.”

“Really? That’s good.”

His mother’s expression was strangely meaningful.

“I’m thinking of going back around the 15th.”

“I guess you’ll be able to see the Korea University festival.”

“That’s right?”

August Veil’s reaction was less enthusiastic than expected, considering he always said he looked forward to his performances.

“If the kids bother you too much, cut it off appropriately and come back.”

Halo nodded calmly to his father, who was always the same, and joined the practice.

November is a special month.

It’s the beginning of a new season, and the time when peace came as World War I ended.

It’s when one of the biggest events in America, Thanksgiving, comes around, families gather to eat turkey, and people shop more actively than any other time during Black Friday, and movies worth watching with someone come out. It’s also the month when all universities regain their vitality.

And…

Halo suddenly thought.

It was also November when he became Roh Haeil.

Hi everyone, I've completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price!