The Road to Glory

The biggest thing Halo noticed after becoming Roh Haeil was that this world overflowed with music.Literally, an ocean of music.It was a world where new music poured out every day. Halo enjoyed such a world, but conversely, there was also a downside.As so much music is born, most of it sinks to the deep sea without surfacing.In fact, this would be true not just for music, but for all products.That’s why marketing is important.‘This music has been created, and it’s good for such and such reasons, so please give it a listen.’ The act of informing the public about a product’s information and creating consumers. – Of course, the meaning of marketing is broader than this. –Music marketing was typically conducted in three forms to survive in the ocean of music.Distribution promotion, partnership promotion, and company promotion.Distribution promotion usually includes events and banners opened by music platforms like Watermelon.Partnership promotion uses third-party channels for promotion, including appearances on NuTube, music broadcasts, radio, etc. Lastly, company promotion is literally opening content through the company’s own channels.NuTube and SNS channels. Offline events were also included here.If you utilize these promotions well, it’s a world where you can turn a moderate success into a huge hit. Conversely, without marketing, even a huge hit can fail.“So you’re saying you didn’t do any marketing for this album either?”“Watermelon did offer some promotion, but they say they’re feeling resentful. In a situation where they wouldn’t even include other companies if they asked.”“Well, Watermelon is directly linked to sales. You’re a lucky kid. But also a bit foolish. You could have earned tens or hundreds of times more if you joined our company.”“Am I just a child?”“Anyway, tell everyone not to worry. Unlike the neighborhood grocery store this kid set up, our company will pour in promotions.”“Yes, I’ll relay that message.”In mid-August, when the comeback of the company’s artist overlapped with Roh Haeil’s comeback, the president smiled leisurely and dismissed the employee.However, the moment the door closed, the president urgently opened the music rankings. A large banner hung at the top of the Watermelon chart.“These bastards say they’re resentful but they included everything. Is there a Roh Haeil fan among the employees? They should be boycotting.”The banner that was always said to be full, did someone cancel their release around Roh Haeil’s comeback? The president clicked his tongue mockingly.“Even so, this is all the marketing there is. While others are doing showcases, press conferences, pop-up stores and it’s not enough, as expected, guys who set up their own companies don’t know what marketing is.”However, contrary to the words shooting out rapidly, his hands were sweaty.Marketing is ultimately for informing the public.For any promotion, exposure is the number one priority.Let’s make an assumption here.If the public already knows about the existence of the music and is interested in it, the effect of marketing diminishes.From then on, it becomes a matter of timing. If marketing is used aggressively, it will soar high in a short time, if not, it will rise slowly.The important thing is that it rises anyway.Charting, Top 10, and #1 on the music charts.From this point on, no other marketing is needed.The performance will become the best marketing and publicity.If it’s #1 on the charts, everyone will end up hearing it anyway.It will be exposed at least once in cafes, PC rooms, and all places where people gather.There’s a reason why music chart manipulation happens.It’s practically impossible to reach #1 without marketing, but once you reach #1, that’s all you need.However, the president knew people who had reached #1 without marketing.One was a foreigner who didn’t need to be dealt with.The other was Roh Haeil.Roh Haeil, who was called “kid,” “squirt,” “that guy,” or even “this bastard” among company CEOs, seemed to be the craziest artist the president had ever seen.One debut and two comebacks in a year.Moreover, if he was just an indie singer, it would be understandable, but he’s someone who achieves #1 on the charts like drinking water, and not content with that, he lined up all his b-sides on the chart.This feat rarely happens unless it’s Liv, the top artist. Well-known singers like SinNaParkLee, Hwang Ryongpil, and Samjang can’t line up all their b-sides on the chart.Besides, isn’t this year HALO’s year?Of course, Korean songs have an advantage in the Korean market, but it shouldn’t have happened that a rookie beat HALO in performance.“Shit, I thought it was a chance since this HALO album was a bit weak.”It’s not saying the music is bad.Just that it’s weak in Korea.HALO’s music originally had a strong British pop feel, but this time it had never been so heavily foreign in sentiment.How many Koreans know Edgar Allan Poe or his poems?Even if it was [HOLY X DAY], the double title track, this sentiment would be hard for Koreans to empathize with, so he thought it was a good time for a comeback.He didn’t know Roh Haeil would make a comeback so early.Moreover, this kid is a bit peculiar.While not doing music marketing, he’s surprisingly good at attracting public attention.He’s not sure if this is intentional or just his nature. But looking at his ability to draw attention, he’s a born entertainer.A spectacular entrance with Rendezvous. Comeback. And then disappearing before popularity wanes, making the public anxious.Before interest fades, he draws attention again with the Korea University incident, spreads rumors about a full album, and then releases the album just a few weeks later.The president felt like he was going crazy.Is this year cursed?Hair falling out every day.The crown of his head becoming empty.Not knowing his feelings, Roh Haeil’s profile picture stares at him. With that characteristic confident smile.Everyone said Roh Haeil’s album this time would fail, but after listening to it, it didn’t seem quite like that.“Who the hell said he couldn’t do rock.”The president gritted his teeth, remembering the face of the strategy team who said not to worry.#And then-.“This bastard.”Unlike the CEO next door, a voice filled with laughter rings out.“He really wrote this.”Nothing else entered his eyes, only one song caught his attention.He chuckled and played the music.[17sec(Feat. Sin Joohyeok’s Motorcycle)│Roh Haeil]Vroom. The song starts with the sound of a motorcycle engine that makes a man’s heart race, and a synthesizer. As the bass and drums join in, along with the electric guitar, a voice is heard.The voice that everyone said suited acoustic music well had become that of a rough man.The thick voice produced by scratching the throat raises adrenaline and tugs at the heart anxiously.[3 2 1A burning fuseA fired bulletShot into infinite timeAn engine running wildBreaking through the overheated atmosphereShall we start the countdown?Until someone screamsDon’t let goFor the best finale]“Crazy bastard, what kind of featuring is this.”Sin Joohyeok laughed out loud.Except for the 5 seconds used at the start of the track, there’s no motorcycle sound, but he still put it in. People will probably look at it and wonder what it means.“But, a bit.”After laughing for a while, Sin Joohyeok leaned back deeply in his chair. His toes were wiggling.“It makes me want to make a comeback.”As adrenaline rises, his heart beats like crazy.“Crazy bastard. How does he make something like this in one go.”Sin Joohyeok laughed helplessly.He wondered what the people who criticized Roh Haeil for making rock are thinking now. Do they even know who they were talking about?If Roh Haeil hadn’t sung rock – more precisely, rock with many English lyrics – at the live house, he too might have joined that line of fools, which was terrifying.Sin Joohyeok, who had set the album to play in full, hit the space bar.It wasn’t that he didn’t need to listen more, but he wanted to pour out this inspiration first.The confidence that he could do anything, and the exciting melody circling in his head.He might cut out most of it later because of the influence, but there would be something left.Right now, he’s just happy.That there are twelve songs that will make inspiration gush out again when he gets stuck while composing.And this wasn’t just Sin Joohyeok’s reaction.[Roh Haeil’s 1st Full Album My World]:The CEO thought while listening to this music.He might achieve #1 on the charts someday, but it would be difficult right now. He believed it would take time for the public to become aware of it.However, if there’s one thing he underestimated, it’s the existence of Roh Haeil’s fandom.Although real-time streaming doesn’t have as much impact on rankings as it did ten years ago, there are people who consistently stream, and loyal customers who make those around them aware of the album’s existence.Moreover, Roh Haeil had quite a few anti-fans due to his sudden popularity and actions that expressed mysteriousness(?).People don’t know this well, but not just anyone can be an anti-fan. Strategists who create strategies for how to criticize, and prepare grounds to say it failed.Only all-rounders who combine diligence and effort, as well as strategy-making abilities, could become anti-fans.The anti-fans who took the trouble to go to the music chart and stream once were momentarily taken aback by the unexpected music.“It’s good…”Someone said that and then shut their mouth.They hit their own mouth as if they had said something that shouldn’t exist.And they quickly checked the album information.They desperately hope.That this album wasn’t made by Roh Haeil alone. With so many featured artists, surely Sin Joohyeok or Hwang Ryongpil and others around him must have helped.However, what they found was the beauty of emptiness.No, it was the truth they least wanted to see.—17secRoh HaeilAlbum: Roh Haeil’s 1st Full Album My worldRelease Date: 2031.08.16Genre: Alternative RockLyrics Roh Haeil│ Composition Roh Haeil—When they hurriedly looked up other tracks, the only differences they found were one, no, two.—Zigzag (Feat. Joo Yeonwoo)Roh HaeilGenre: Hard Rock, Pop—The title and genre.“…”[Who’s the featuring artist, seems like I bought it because of the female voice][feat.Sin Joohyeok’s Motorcycle what is this LOL. Disgusting how he’s using Sin Joohyeok to do business]└ For real, he probably thinks it’s funny, kid level humor, lolOf course, as already mentioned, not just anyone could be an anti-fan. Only those who don’t give up in any crisis could become anti-fans.[Is this bastard maybe cheating? If someone participated in the album, no one would know if he only wrote his own name lol]So they eventually found out.One was suspicion about falsifying album information.And the other was.[Everything else is fine and ok, but isn’t the title track a bit weak?][For real, it’s weaker than the other songs, he put it as the title track because he’s afraid it won’t sell lol][Acoustic, lol. Self-replication is no joke lol][Does he think voice color will get him #1 again]They pointed out the title track, which had the lowest ranking.[Sigh, where’s the conscience][Is money everything lol]Of course, these were just a minority.Most people didn’t even see the anti-fans’ posts.[Wow… Honestly, I was worried when he said he’d do rock, but who was I worrying about][Why didn’t this bastard sing rock until now aaaaaaaah][I can’t help it, I’m going to ride a motorcycle right now][Breaking news) Motorcycle sales +1000% increase][Kyaaaaaaaaaah][Wow all the b-sides on this album are crazy][It was worth disappearing if he made songs like this, I admit]└And that’s with lyrics, composition, and arrangement all by Roh Haeil, so cool[I’m sorry, I’ll bow my head. I, a fool, dared to doubt the will of heaven. Amen][From now on, I’ll believe and follow even if he says he’s doing classical music][So when’s the fan signing event?]└ Amen…[Recent status of Roh Haeil’s hate comments, lol. They’re just admitting it’s fine]└ LMAO Because they have nothing to sayNeedless to say, as the performance improved, they brought in anti-fan posts and roasted them.[But isn’t it true that the title track is weak]└ What’s weak about it lol└ It’s just that the other songs are more exciting, but the title track is good too└ It’s my favorite[If other songs are better, shouldn’t those be the title track?]└ Damn, is the title track some kind of survival of the fittest where you have to pick the one with the best performance?└ Haeil must have his reasons too.└ No, I liked Welcome to my world the best, why is it like this└ Because all the b-sides are so good, even this kind of attention-seeking happens└ It’s my first time seeing a dispute over the title track[Anyone can see the title should be 17 seconds or zigzagWhy Welcome to my world, I don’t understand]“Geez, they’re criticizing over every little thing.”Moon Seoyeon grumbled.She was lying in the space below Roh Haeil’s workroom. That is, the space made into a resting place.She had never been here before, but everyone said she looked unwell and told her to go rest, so she came here.The bed she jumped onto was better than the one in her house. She could understand why Nam Gyuhwan or Han Jinyeong came to sleep here all the time.Moon Seoyeon stared intently at Sua’s recital ticket, which she had placed on the bedside table along with her laptop.“Should I just not go?”-In our view, you’re not someone who should remain as a session musician, it’s a shameShe didn’t want to see those friends again.Should she say she hates them?No, she just wants to resent them.For unnecessarily complicating her thoughts.“Sigh, I don’t know.”Moon Seoyeon turned over and smiled proudly at the physical album [My world] she had received as a gift.Although there was no place to list session musicians in the album information on music platforms, the names of Han Jinyeong, Moon Seoyeon, and Nam Gyuhwan were all written in the full album.The title track.Welcome to my worldLooking at this, she suddenly realized that she had never listened to this song even once.Of course, she had heard the MR version, but despite being called Roh Haeil’s band, she had never heard the completed version.She didn’t even participate in the session recording separately, and he just said he would let her hear it when the album came out.Moon Seoyeon looked at the hate comments again.[Why on earth did they make Welcome to my world the title track]└ Aren’t 17sec or zigzag better?└ Neither of them are better, yeah“Our boss’s songs are all good, why are they like this. They should try making them themselves!”Moon Seoyeon grumbled as she played the title track.There must have been a reason why he made ‘Welcome to my world’, which he had never played for the members even once, the title track.In fact, during the meeting, the boss insisted on his opinion.A whistling sound is heard.The melody created by the whistle was pleasant to hear, making her wonder why people were criticizing it.An electric guitar following the whistle.And the boss’s sweet voice.[Welcome to my world]The song started with one line that was more like dialogue than lyrics.The song is sweet and cute.It roughly introduces what kind of world the boss sees.The world he sees is surrounded by music. He says melodies exist everywhere.His world is also clumsy. It’s full of things that are clumsy but beautiful.When the whistle is layered over the ticklish voice, a happy smile forms.What’s wrong with such a good song?She preferred songs like this to rock.Songs that make people flutter, make them feel good, and fully reveal the boss’s voice. Listening to the song, she understood why he said session musicians weren’t needed.This song was enough with just a guitar.However, at some point, Moon Seoyeon stopped smiling.The melody that had been continuing with the electric guitar changed to acoustic. The artificial sound disappeared.As the pure slash string sound is heard transparently, the song that revealed intense confidence became a ticklish and sincere story.[I’m waiting][For your one word][I’ll hear it someday]Moon Seoyeon’s eyes trembled for a moment.It felt like something had fallen with a thud.[Welcome to my world]“Welcome to my world.”Moon Seoyeon muttered without realizing it.Her eyes turned red.“It’s pretty, the song…”She couldn’t help but understand what the song ending in a cyclical structure was saying.She recalled the day she first heard this song.Nakwon Arcade. The boss sang for them, looking at them in an old guitar shop.Then, she took it as an intention to remember this song.And she wondered why he didn’t give the sheet music and said session musicians weren’t needed.This wasn’t a song.It was a letter to the members.Moon Seoyeon clenched her fist and scrunched her eyes.-Shall we greet each other again?-How?-Just a greeting-As Roh Haeil, as Halo, please take care of me, Moon Seoyeon-ssi.-Me too…The setup is the same as then.The boss introduced himself first and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.Something welled up inside her.Back then, she was too shy-Boss, when did you use this on a girl?She passed it off as a joke, but now she regrets it.She should have greeted him properly.The boss is singing, telling his story and saying he wants to see their world, but she often passed it off vaguely. Too bad.Moon Seoyeon slowly got up from the bed and went upstairs.“Seoyeon, come quickly. We ordered pizza again because you got angry last time when we ate it all.”There were the members.From their reaction, it seems they haven’t listened to the music yet.Fools. They should have listened as soon as the music came out.When Moon Seoyeon raised her head, her eyes met with Nam Gyuhwan’s.Nam Gyuhwan, who was throwing away the pickle juice, opened his eyes wide and came over to hold her face.“Why are you crying? Did someone bully you?”“No, I’m not crying. Just-.”“Hey, who did it? Calm down and tell me.”“I said it’s nothing…”She felt something stuck in her throat.Moon Seoyeon shook her head vigorously, trying to put strength in her eyes.At that moment, the pizza caught Moon Seoyeon’s eye.The pizza topping Nam Gyuhwan ordered wasn’t bulgogi or pepperoni-.Suddenly, the tears she had been holding back flowed down.“How can you put, sniff, pineapple on pizza.”Han Jinyeong, who had been quietly watching Moon Seoyeon, turned his head.“…It seems to be because of you, Gyuhwan.”“Is this something to cry about?”As Nam Gyuhwan was flustered, Moon Seoyeon slowly approached.She hears the boss’s voice.[I’m waiting][I’ll hear your one word someday][Welcome to my world]‘My world’.Moon Seoyeon stood in front of Halo, thinking of that one phrase.“Boss.”Her voice trembled as she sobbed.“I, I want to compose.”“…”“I want to do session work for the boss, compose, do everything.”It seems too greedy.Halo nodded slightly with a faint smile.“Then do it.”Moon Seoyeon wiped her nose and continued speaking.“I want to become a composer as successful as the boss.”“That might be a bit difficult.”The boss chuckled and said.“But I’ll help you.”It’s too warm.Like the song.Moon Seoyeon spoke carefully.“I will never be lazy or disappoint you, boss.”“I know. Moon Seoyeon-ssi is diligent.”Moon Seoyeon is the most diligent and has the best stamina in the studio. At Halo’s words, Moon Seoyeon shed tears again.Nam Gyuhwan watched carefully and closed the pizza box lid.“Boss…”“Yes.”“I love you so much. Thank you for being born. Sniff”This is something he’s never heard before.Halo paused for a moment and then nodded.“Thank you for coming to my world.”Moon Seoyeon said with a bright smile.In the past, she passed it off as a joke, but this time she greeted properly.A few minutes after Moon Seoyeon stopped crying, the members all listened to the song together. The story after that could be described as ‘happily ever after’.Or not?“Haeil, your world is…”“Oh Sun. I was born in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do-““Boss, my world is-.”Seeing them like this all day, Halo regretted it.It seems he shouldn’t have released it after all.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)!