The Road to Glory

“Yeah, it would be good to go and see it directly.”After looking over the contract for a while, Father spoke.Just as Halo was about to cheerfully respond “I’ll be back,” another voice chimed in.“All of us.”“Yes?”“We don’t have any major schedules from the end of the year to the new year. Why don’t we take a trip while we’re at it, dear?”“Okay!”At his father’s suggestion, his mother jumped up.She excitedly went into the bedroom and brought out two 28-inch suitcases.Of course, he had planned to go alone, so he pursed his lips. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything to his mother, who was looking forward to the trip.#August’s day goes like this:He wakes up at five in the morning while listening to classical music.Precisely one hour later, he starts his breakfast with a salad and scones filled with various nutrients.He does not do anything else while eating. He dedicates himself solely to his meal.After finishing his meal, August dresses in a suit and goes for a leisurely stroll. He walks along the Thames River, watching people pass by, and time flies.As he starts to feel tired, August takes a seat at his regular cafeteria even before it opens.As usual, the cafeteria owner hands him an espresso and bows.“Sir, I wish you a good day today as well.”“Haha, what do I do? I’m just an old geezer who comes here for free coffee.”“Not at all, sir. This whole place is yours. Please keep coming for a lifetime of coffee.”“People always nag me to live long whenever they see me. But I’ll live long even if you don’t say so.”The cafeteria owner smiled and bowed again, hoping to repay the kindness of the old man who had extended his life for so long.As the tranquil morning arrived, the owner went into the cafeteria. Instead of turning on the television as usual, he played the audio track that he had accidentally heard.He had stolen his son’s account just to listen to this track, as it was not available anywhere else except NuTube.Soon, the music began to play.Seeing the fastidious old man take off his hat and savor the music, the owner felt relieved and changed the signboard on the cafe door from ‘closed’ to ‘open.’Spring has arrived.In the midst of a busy Christmas winter.Among the intense carols filling the streets, an occasional passerby would prick up their ears to the mismatched music wafting from the cafe.“Well, people’s ears are all the same.”August muttered as he watched the people.He had thought it would take quite a while since the album was not released on any music store other than NuTube.If ‘The Sun’s’ first album had divided opinions and created fanatics, the second album consisted of easy-listening tracks suitable for playing in the background like BGM, allowing it to quickly spread among the masses.It seemed to blend the nostalgic feel of early rock and roll with the sound of a grand orchestra. Above all, the lead electric guitar guided the music in a lively manner, aptly mixing contemporary pop with that era’s pop.There was no way this could be a newcomer.While many opinions were divided over The Sun’s voice, no one thought he was a novice or an amateur.He was undoubtedly someone who had been doing music for a very long time. The fact that he was simply uploading such songs on NuTube instead of a music store meant he was a musician who no longer cared about money.The old man agreed with at least this part.“But…”The problem was that he couldn’t think of anyone.The early rock and roll era, when was it?If we assume it was the 50s or 60s when singers were popular, not many people from that time would still be alive.So if we consider the 70s and 80s generation who would remember the feel of the 50s and 60s…“…”Still, there was one thing that didn’t add up.The voice.Just as it is said that a person’s eyes reflect their soul, a person’s voice carries their age lines.A voice reflects the years and flow of how one has lived. Just by listening to someone’s voice, you can tell how they have lived, how they usually vocalize, how much alcohol they typically drink, and how well they have taken care of themselves.“I don’t know.”In the end, August failed to figure out who ‘The Sun’ was this time as well. He was satisfied that he could try again tomorrow, and a refreshing smile appeared on his face.It was a pleasant failure.Trying to deduce who ‘The Sun’ was had been making his dull old age enjoyable.And how fun it was to contact someone he suspected and probe them. It felt like he was James Bond from a movie. It was the joy of life.“Boss!”A familiar woman came running from afar, her trench coat fluttering as she rushed over, panting heavily.Was there some trouble at the company?The old man waited calmly for the woman to speak.“…It’s finally here!”“What is?”The old man asked again, unable to catch the subject.Looking at her flushed cheeks and excited expression, he wondered what could have thrilled this mother of two children so much.The lottery?The lottery that she prayed to the goddess of fortune for every day, holding it up to the ceiling?Nah. If she had won, she would have rushed to the bank, not to her boss.Then what could it be?Stars flashed through his mind one by one.If they had visited the company, her reaction would have made sense. Among them, the one she would likely be most excited about would be…“DiCaprio?”“Boss, are you close friends with DiCaprio too?”“Good friend, Lena. Then is it Robert?”“Wow, is Robert releasing a new album?”Yeah, that wouldn’t be the case.She tucked her fluffy blonde hair behind her ear and beamed.“We got a response from ‘him’!”“Him…?”There were so many ‘hes’ in the world. The old man grumbled at the vague reference.Suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind.“Mr. Halo.”The old man stood up without realizing it.He had said that deducing was the joy of life, but he couldn’t help but be excited. What if he couldn’t deduce anymore? It would be a pleasure to finally meet the person he most wanted to see.Moreover, it would be another joy of life to see others’ deductions fail and cackle like a black curtain.“When is the meeting scheduled?”The old man had always attended meetings in person.This time too, he could go.Anywhere. Even if it were the Bermuda Triangle, he would gladly go.“Mr. Halo said he would come directly. He declined our offer to arrange his flight and accommodation, saying he would take care of it himself.”“Hmm. I see?”He hasn’t accepted your services yet, as it’s only a meeting and not a confirmed contract. How familiar.The old man chuckled heartily.“It’s an approach I’ve seen somewhere before, hahaha.”He looked forward to seeing what face the star he would soon meet would have. The old man left with the woman, leaving his espresso behind.#[2nd Place. Show by Show (Show your show 3. support song)]It was war from the moment it entered the top ten.Fans of Cold Brew, conscious of ‘Show by Show,’ united, and the higher it climbed, the more solidified they became.Especially when it came to[1st Place. Waiting for Christmas (Single)]The song by the Queen of Digital Music showed no signs of dropping. Of course, Liv wasn’t called the Queen of Digital Music for nothing. Whenever she released a song, her albums would line up from 1st to 10th place, which was a common occurrence, and they would maintain their positions for at least 3 to 4 weeks.The public might not know the release dates of other singers’ albums, but they knew all the tracks on Liv’s albums.Moreover, with the Christmas carol effect, people lamented that a song that could have easily taken first place at any other time had to settle for second.‘Show by Show’ oscillated between 2nd and 4th place, battling with other songs. In fact, all the songs in the top ten were engaged in a fierce combat unseen.And combat was also happening elsewhere.‘It’s been a while, Haeil’s mother.’A little while ago.Park Seungah plopped down on the bed, her body weary. Not her body, but her mind was exhausted.“But why did you go?”“He insisted I come. I just wanted to say goodbye one last time.”Roh Yunhyeon looked at the drained Park Seungah.“What did they say?”“The admission results for the special-purpose high schools are out as usual, aren’t they?”“But it’s just document screening, right?”“That’s why.”“They’re still the same, huh.”Park Seungah nodded her head.That place was indeed still the same.Then she suddenly realized that if Haeil hadn’t changed his career path, she too would have been a part of that world. She would have been ecstatic or devastated by Haeil’s grades, unable to relax until the day he entered university.Looking back now, it all seemed pointless.Whether it’s a good high school or a good university, aren’t they all places people go to live a better life?Haeil is now living a life where he smiles, does what he wants to do, stays up all night, and is recognized and loved by people, so his winds have already been fulfilled.It was because the mothers she met at the parents’ association didn’t know how good a life Haeil was living that they subtly looked down on him, saying things like he had failed his final exams or hadn’t applied to a special-purpose high school.How much he is loved, how talented he is.‘Well, they’ll find out soon, won’t they?’Seeing how he has put his name on the Watermelon chart without doing anything and is going abroad to sign contracts with foreign companies, it doesn’t seem like it will take long for the public to find out about him.That’s why Park Seungah didn’t mind the mothers’ disdain at all.She hadn’t even talked to the mothers about Show by Show or NuTube yet. She just let them keep looking down on and mocking him.It might have been a bit of a wicked thought.She wondered how embarrassed they would be when they realized that the child they had looked down upon had become more successful than their own. She just wanted to see their expressions at that moment.Then Park Seungah lay down and looked up at the ceiling.It was strange that she didn’t worry at all, even though the mothers had reacted that way. Well, her son was doing well without her doing anything, so she occasionally felt like she was dreaming.It had become a daily routine to watch her son’s channel and smile broadly. There probably wasn’t another mother in the world as happy as her.However, there was one concern.There are many bad people in the world, and the more successful her child becomes, the more they will try to pick him apart. They will try to find any flaw, mock him, and insult him if he makes even a single mistake.She was worried that Haeil, that fragile and tender child, might get hurt.That’s why she had insisted he attend a regular high school, against the opinions of Haeil and her husband.These days, celebrities needed to be all-rounders, not just good at music or acting. They required historical knowledge, languages, mastery of at least one or two instruments, and proficiency in all areas.Her biggest concern was language.She had heard that entertainment companies would teach their trainees languages, but Haeil wasn’t affiliated with any company. He had always been good at Korean, but he had barely scraped by in English, which worried her.Park Seungah pondered seriously.“Maybe it would be a good idea to have him learn a language.”#“Bonjour. Excuse me, but where do I need to go to take the subway?”“Where are you heading?”“My accommodation is at the Shilla Hotel, but I want to grab a meal first. By any chance…”Park Seungah stared blankly at Halo.So… her son…“Still, I recommend leaving your luggage at the hotel first. You might be fine now, but there are many hills in Korea, so you’ll get tired quickly. There’s a separate bus limousine service to the Shilla Hotel. Take the Namsan line.”“Oh! Merci, Ange.”It wasn’t English, but a conversation in fluent French.As fluent as a native speaker.“Haeil, since when have you been so good at French?”Realizing his parents’ bewilderment, Halo felt a pang.Fortunately, he could think of something.“At school.”There was a separate French class at school, after all.Of course, he didn’t consider that the level of French taught at school was elementary school level.“I know you learned French at school, but…”He could pass it off as just giving directions. But being able to engage in small talk as well seemed impossible with ordinary proficiency.“I guess I don’t have to worry about languages anymore.”His mother soon understood and moved on. She looked a bit disappointed yet relieved at the same time.Halo took his mother’s arm and led her forward, changing the subject.“So where should we go now?”“We still have some time before departure, um, shall we check out the duty-free shop?”“I’ll pick out a scarf that suits you well.”“Oh my, is my son already giving me gifts just because he’s earning money now?”Halo chatted amiably with his mother, deciding to use languages moderately from now on.Not because he couldn’t do it, but because he was too good at it, which was the problem.There was nothing strange about him being able to speak French. His previous life’s parents were of Dutch and French-British descent, so he had been exposed to foreign languages at home from an early age.Moreover, since his family belonged to the upper-middle class that aspired to the upper class, they were also passionate about education. They were so passionate that he had grown weary of Shakespeare and Goethe. He could more or less handle the neighboring languages, whether good or bad at them.He had just forgotten most of it from not using it, but it was like riding a bicycle – the body remembers even after not doing it for 10 years.[Good morning, valued guests. We at our Sky Team member airline sincerely welcome your boarding.][-Please fasten your seatbelts and switch your smartphones and other electronic devices to airplane mode.]Beep-As he boarded the passenger plane and settled into his seat, his phone rang. Before he could check it, the flight attendants requested him to turn off his phone for a moment.Halo just glanced at the text banner.[1st Place. Show by Show (Show your show 3. support song)]“Hmm.”So it ended up taking first place after all.Halo smiled faintly and turned off his phone. He would think about it more when he arrived. His mother had suggested eating ramen, but…Through the plane’s window, he saw the vast sky.It really hit him that he was going there.His heart pounded with an emotion he couldn’t tell if it was anticipation or nostalgia.When he opened his eyes, he would have arrived.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)!