The Road to Glory

“It’s not over yet!”Fireworks and lasers were fired together.While the duet songs had been announced earlier through broadcasts, the special performance was, on the contrary, kept secret by the singers with great effort.Of course, some of it was shown on the broadcast, but that couldn’t be helped.Still, since everyone was enjoying it like this, it should be sufficient as a surprise performance.They didn’t compose new songs.They remade the songs of the singers who participated in the music festival.As everyone knows, except for one person, all the singers gathered here had songs from their long careers.They chose good songs from those and remade them.They met to collaborate, so wouldn’t it be a shame to collaborate with only one person?Releasing the talent they couldn’t show in duets, they put on the best performance of the era.The true festival was starting now.Just when it seemed to be ending, fire would burst out,And when you thought it was time to rest, exciting EDM would play.Hearts pounded and energy overflowed throughout the body.‘I’m tougher than I thought?’Halo suddenly marveled.At how he was tougher than he thought.At this rate, it seemed like he could live like he did in the past without any problems.‘Did I worry too much?’To the point where he wondered if he had worried too much, it felt like he could do anything at this rate.“If you like it so much, why didn’t you do the duet Liv asked you to do?”Sin Joohyeok, who had just finished his stage, asked the boy who looked like he might jump onto the stage at any moment.Why didn’t he choose more songs, he meant.Halo raised an eyebrow.He felt wronged about this.He liked collaborations, but the song she had asked to sing together happened to be one he absolutely wouldn’t sing.“I don’t sing love songs.”At Halo’s answer, Sin Joohyeok burst out laughing.“Ah, you don’t sing love songs? Well, let’s say that’s fine for now, but what will you do if fans ask you to sing them?”“I won’t sing them.”How many people had hoped for sweet lyrics and melodies from Halo? Roh Haeil’s ‘Confession’ was an exception, he had no intention of singing such songs in the future.Sin Joohyeok continued to look amused.“You’re so inflexible. You should actually sing them freely at times like this. If you suddenly start singing ballads after getting a girlfriend later? Then all the fans will notice. Well, it’ll be obvious in the end anyway.”From the way he was talking, it seemed he was regarding it as mere boyish innocence.Halo raised an eyebrow.Regardless, Sin Joohyeok continued speaking.“It’s like an investment for the future, you know? Something like that.”Sin Joohyeok nodded as if pleased with his own answer.Well, in a way, he wasn’t wrong, but his brazen attitude was incredibly annoying.“Anyway.”Sin Joohyeok continued.“You shouldn’t be too certain about the future.”He absolutely won’t sing them.And so, the end of the stage was gradually approaching.No matter how brilliant the fireworks, they eventually go out.The glorious night of the music festival that seemed like it would last forever was coming to an end.Cameras circled the stage and audience for the final episode to be aired next week.All the artists were on stage.The six teams that conducted the music festival.Not a single one was missing from the camera’s view.In their outfits matched to the duet concept, all the artists looked like unique Avengers heroes.People called out to their artists with hoarse voices, exhausted as they were, but sadly, it was really time for the end this time.This was as far as the planned stage went.Professionals only show prepared stages.‘Hmm, well.’Halo tilted his head.He exchanged glances with the artists.‘Isn’t it that professionals are always prepared, rather than only showing prepared stages?’Halo nodded at them as well.Sensing some kind of atmosphere, the audience shouted “Encore!” again. PD Jang looked troubled.“Did everyone enjoy themselves?”However, the MC, who had seen the look in the singers’ eyes, was the first to walk onto the stage.“You must be very tired, right?”No! We’re not tired at all!Keep going! Sing more for us!The earnest wishes reached the singers.When they were wanted this much, who could refuse this lovable earnestness?“Do you want to continue?”Yes-!A really long cheer followed.In the end, PD Jang showed the OK sign, saying he would take responsibility.However, they couldn’t do many more songs.“We’ll sing the song you most want to hear.”Just one song.They decided to show the song people wanted most as the ‘real final last stage’.And all the artists standing on stage knew.What kind of stage these people would want.The answer was already decided.Boom-! The drum sounds again.Although it’s a shame it’s not their own stage, everyone participates happily in the song they had wanted to sing once.[Don’t be afraid of the darkness]This time, instead of the boy’s humming, everyone poured their voices into the harmony.Solid bass, husky, and middle-low tonesBlended with falsettos and high notes.It was like knights standing before the king, singing together.[Endure the fierce waves]All the fans took out their light sticks and waved them.They sang until their hoarse voices broke[Spread your broken wings again]Stomping their feetAnd jumping to the beat of the drum.Ah-ah-ah-ahAh-ah-ah-ahNow it was impossible to tell who had which voice.Because everyone’s voices had become one.[For a brilliant tomorrow]Before they knew it, the boundaries of the stage had disappeared.A huge circular stage.Liv’s purple crown, Sin Joohyeok’s red fixed star, and Lee Seongrim’s white lighthouse. Pink and dark blue lights. The numerous light sticks shining brightly in the darkness seemed to form a single galaxy.People who loved their artists more than anyone else pushed back the darkness. Their cry that we are all together spread as light.The cheers of the stars,[We will never lose]A brilliant present was there.Halo came to the very front and raised one hand to the sky.It was truly a beautiful night.#And two days passed since then.It wasn’t much time, but for Halo, it was also a shocking period.It was the time it took for him to open his eyes again after falling asleep as if he had fainted right after arriving home.What greeted him were an aching body, a completely dead phone battery,And his parents with worried faces.Also, various nutritional supplements and fruits that had suddenly arrived in abundance.Above all, a bowl of rice porridge with minced beef was placed in front of the dining table.Halo sat with a blank face, waiting for his phone to charge.“How does it taste?”“It’s delicious. But what’s going on? Why suddenly porridge?”When he expressed confusion because he had heard that porridge was a stew eaten when sick, not just when complaining about food, his mother replied with a startled face.“Don’t you know? Haeil, you’ve been asleep for two days.”“!”“Like you were dead. We were so surprised. The doctor said you were drained. …If it had been a little later, we would have called an ambulance.”And his father added,“I understand, but don’t overdo it next time.”His father, unusually, had patches on his arms and hands.‘Did I overdo it that much?’As he ate the porridge and fell into thought, memories gradually poured into his blank mind.The heat of the concert he felt after a long time.The time he had acted like a real adolescent boy there.“Hmm.”He really hadn’t felt tired then.Looking at his aching body, it seems he did overdo it.To think it was all because of adrenaline.It was disappointing, but he could understand why he had slept for two days straight.‘I am weak after all. I still have a long way to go.’Before, he had never slept for two days straight even after enjoying wild parties and drinking after concerts.He had failed in physical adjustment. He admitted it wasn’t professional.Still, Halo shrugged his shoulders.It was a shame to lose two days, but it had already passed.He thought there was no need to worry too much since it wasn’t even a week.‘Well, what could have happened in two days?’It’s just two days, isn’t it?It’s too short a time for anything to happen.48 hours. 172,800 seconds.He could start working on the album from now on. Well, he could gradually contact the people who had reached out after eating.Halo started savoring the porridge again.Again, it’s only two days.Until then, Halo didn’t know.That quite a lot could change in those two days.#Yes, quite a lot of changes had occurred in the world.[2030 SONG FESTIVAL-Rendezvous, Great success with highest viewer ratings of 25%…. Flood of requests for Season 2][50,000 visitors counted at music festival held in Gangwon-do][Visitor A: It felt like watching a musical][Many spectators complain of finger ligament pain… Didn’t even realize it hurt]The viewer ratings that had been slowly rising from the 15% range peaked on the day of the music festival, and as soon as the next day’s ratings were tallied, it was prominently featured on all sites.All sorts of people began collecting reactions from festival attendees and viewers.The buzz about Rendezvous reached its peak.Just mentioning Rendezvous or the music festival, and the names of the participating artists, guaranteed high view counts.And reporters certainly knew who was the most talked-about figure among them.Whether they were there in person, watched it on broadcast, or heard about it from someone else.Everyone knew there was a separate protagonist on a stage without competition.[A true Avengers assemble, and who was the Iron Man leading the Avengers?][A living orchestra and the maestro who led it…(JPG)][Now, who’s the youngest?]What’s special is that it’s not the artist everyone was expecting, but a rookie who debuted just two months ago.It would heat up South Korea for at least a month to come.“Mozart’s devotion. Beethoven’s reincarnation. My second life alone. Wow, Haeil has become a superstar.”“He’s really gone crazy.”Kim Deoksoo put down his comic book after a long time and read through the article headlines. They were as interesting as novel titles.Bae Gonghak, sitting next to him, also marveled.They knew Haeil would become famous someday, but they didn’t know it would happen this quickly.No, even if they had known, they imagined it would be as HALO, not as Roh Haeil.They partly agreed with the internet saying “those who are meant to succeed will succeed.” That talent destined to succeed eventually does.The talent they had recognized early on had blossomed.“Haeil deserves to be famous. He really went wild on stage.”“Exactly. I could only see Haeil. Maybe because I know him.”“It doesn’t seem to be just that, others say similar things.”That’s somewhat unusual.With more glamorous looks,With people with greater recognition and fandom right next to him, for only that boy to be visible“He’s a real genius.”Bae Gonghak wiggled his fingers.The lingering impression of the music festival he watched at home still hadn’t faded.There was also regret that he should have succeeded in ticketing somehow.Even just watching it sent chills down his spine.How crazy must it have been to be there in person?He should have gone and sung until his throat was sore at the young genius’s gestures.In fact, he felt the desire to press keyboard keys after a long time. It was a desire he hadn’t felt since quitting music. Now it’s a good memory.“They say the last episode airs next week. The special performance that was cut off in the middle.”“Will Haeil appear too?”“They say that part is even more incredible.”Because they weren’t there in person, they couldn’t know, but stories about it were heard from all sorts of places.Well, there were 50,000 people at the scene.With 50,000 mouths talking about the stage, it was impossible not to hear.And what’s surprising is that more than half of those 50,000 mouths are talking about the boy.They know well what this means.As a band that once did music.And as individuals who make up the publicThe public sometimes gets confused and agitated, and isn’t always right, but their taste is correct.“Now he’s living in a completely different world.”Well, that singing ability, arrangement skills, composition talent didn’t go anywhere so it was known bit by bit, but now it’s different from that.Now his name is firmly imprinted in the minds of the people.His life has changed 180 degrees.“Haeil must be very busy?”“Have you contacted him?”“No? I didn’t because I thought it might be burdensome. Others will all be giving him pressure. Let’s not bother him. Isn’t it enough to just be a comfortable memory?”Bae Gonghak nodded.Sudden popularity. Sudden attention.Soon, not only positive attention but unwanted gazes and standards will be focused on him. How would that feel?He couldn’t imagine it well, but if it were him, he would have felt great confusion. And pressure too.But what about Haeil?Would he be calm as always?Only his composed face comes to mind vividly.But he can’t be sure. He recognizes that he’s different from other 17-year-olds, but still, he’s 17.No matter how mature, he’s a kid to them.“I don’t know about other things, but he’ll certainly be busy.”Advertisements and various casting requests must be pouring in like a flood. He might be preparing to row when the tide comes in.Well.Bae Gonghak thought simply.Whatever it is, that kid will probably be doing it well enough.He hopes he lives well without losing that passion.Like Jinyeong, who has just regained his prime skills and is going from one live club to another.He, who had given up on his former dream and lived satisfied with his current life, still envied and respected people who remained passionate.In any case, it was clear that a flower road had unfolded before the boy.The first petal bloomed where everyone could see. On all of Korea’s music streaming platforms, including the Watermelon chart.As soon as the concert ended, the six duet songs that came with the album jumped straight to the upper charts following the 25% viewer ratings, and were vying for supremacy in the concrete zone.And now, two days later.At the top of the Watermelon chart.A strange light gleams in the eyes of those who pressed Watermelon.‘Finally.’A change that some might have wanted the most,And some might not have wanted, occurred.[1. Song of a Hero (2030 SONG FESTIVAL-Rendezvous) | Hwang Ryongpil, Roh Haeil][2. Another Day | Roh Haeil][3. Like a Heroine | HALO]The gates that seemed would never be breached have opened.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)!