The Road to Glory

What is the measure of popularity?First, the dictionary definition of popularity is the high interest or positive energy of the public focused on a particular target.However, ‘interest’ and ‘energy’ are not visible forms. They cannot be grasped by hand, and relative evaluations such as big, small, good, or bad are difficult.Since they are not countable values, there is no such thing as an arithmetic average.Nevertheless, there are things that people generally consider to be measures of popularity.Well, for a company, it would be the ‘stock price’. The trading volume of that company’s stock would reflect its popularity.The popularity of a product is directly linked to sales, for dramas it’s ratings, and for movies it’s the number of viewers.Then what about ‘people’? How can you judge the popularity of those you commonly call ‘celebrities’ or ‘stars’?The number of advertisements they appear in? Their appearance fees?Of course, a celebrity’s income is an indicator equivalent to sales.Frequent appearances can also be seen as a measure of popularity.However, there is something else that cannot be ignored by anyone. Even if it’s not immediately in the form of ‘sales’, it’s an indicator that no company can easily ignore.That’s right, it’s the fandom.Companies have loyal customers. Celebrities have ‘fan clubs’.Fandom, a group formed by people who like a common subject.In a world where you can easily meet people with the same interests, groups of certain sizes were often created in an instant.Even when someone might not be aware of it.Yes, based on that principle, a fan club that the person in question doesn’t even know exists. To be precise, a fan cafe was created.There might be more if you search social media, but anyway, there was one place where active conversations were taking place under the name of a fan cafe.⟪Riding the Wave⟫A name that sounds like surfers might gather. However, the photo of the boy on the cafe’s main banner announced that this cafe was a fan club.[Another Life is really so good]I listen to it first thing every morning and it makes the whole day feel refreshingI wish more people knew about it.It’s truly a masterpiece that will last a hundred yearsAll the b-side tracks are amazing tooHow is this a rookie’s song?ㅠㅠㅠ└ I really wish everyone knew about it└ For sure. It’s #2 on Watermelon but more more more!! Recognition[I keep replaying just the Moon part of Rendezvous]What’s with these Hwang Ryongpil stans??Even if the broadcast was edited;;Essentially Moon made all of Song of a HeroHis first album also hit #1 on the mini album chartAt the music festival, even if the other side was buried, Moon carried that line, so where on earth are these Hwang Ryongpil stans coming from???└ I really don’t understand but let’s not compare with other singers└ There’s a lot of trolling because attention is focused all at once lol. It’s obvious he’s going to do well in the future so they’re raging lol. Are they aware that he’s 17 years old[Wishing for +101 days!!! Anyone selling the Subway Line 1 Villain Roh Haeil video please]└ Is this real? Wasn’t it an urban legend?└ Moon did villain stuff on Line 1?└ Yes. Dyed his hair white + sang Christmas carols└ Moon did that? Such a grateful villain in the world,,, If I ride Line 1 for the rest of my life will he sing carols for me?They say fan cafes have different tendencies, but in the case of Roh Haeil’s fan club, there are many people who gathered after listening to Roh Haeil’s music or seeing his performances, so it’s relatively mild and quiet. Of course, they’re only quiet when talking among themselves.[Honestly Roh Haeil looks like a rock rolling around but why is he so handsome?][Halo copycat bastard rose to fame by riding on Halo’s coattails talent my ass][Moon is? LMAO. He’s really the Moon since he can’t shine without the Sun lol. If you look closely he’s all lumpy and bumpy right?]To the trolls that have been increasing lately, people revealed the nature they had buried in happiness.[Why do you live looking like a rock embedded in asphalt inhaling exhaust fumes?][Why is Moon a Halo copycat?? I like Halo’s songs too but aren’t Moon’s songs completely different, almost the opposite in fact?]└ I think they’re talking about the Halo cover└ ?? If that’s the case then I really don’t understand, are all covers copycats?└ Let’s ignore them lol. They’re just socially maladjusted losers finding comfort in bashing others from their roomsIt seems like a very long time has passed since Roh Haeil debuted.But it’s only been 3 months since his debut album.Even though he reached #1 on Watermelon and became a rising star, it was clearly a short time to properly establish a fandom.Since he wasn’t an idol group belonging to a company with a packed schedule and self-managed fan club, his fan club was close to a handful compared to those.This meant he was inevitably at a disadvantage against trolls.The music festival. Commemorating that glorious day, the fans called their brilliantly shining boy ‘Moon’ – just like his music – but even this was criticized, frustrating many fans.Still, that resentment doesn’t turn towards the singer.At least the fans here were healed by the boy’s music, lost themselves in the boy’s performances, and looked forward to the boy’s future steps as if they were their own.They hoped their boy would rise high like the moon in the sky.[By the way, when will Moon’s new song come out?]└ It won’t be right away, but shouldn’t it be in a few months?└ I wish he would at least appear on shows ㅠㅠ. There’s been no news since Rendezvous└ That’s why I hope he’ll do music shows along with the new song└ The slogans and goods are all ready, now we just need music shows… Please… Praying for music show schedule ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ└ He sings well, has good music, and is popular, so why isn’t he on music shows, f*ck. PD bastards I feel like assassinating them└ If Moon gets a music show schedule I’m using all my long-term vacation days└ Same. I’ll quit my job, honestly.Above all, what they currently want most is the ‘new song’ the boy mentioned to reporters. The only official information, in fact.Since Roh Haeil is an individual label, they can’t expect company announcements, so it was the only future step they knew about.The cafe was full of speculations about the new song and posts wishing they could at least get news on social media.Suddenly, a post appeared.[Oh Moon has risen in Hongdae]└At 3 PM suddenly???└Who?└ Is this trolling again? Last time someone posted a photo of the Moon (literally).└ ??? It’s realA photo of the boy posted by someone.In it, the boy with an electric guitar was on stage with other people.Since the other people were unfamiliar faces, all the fans’ attention was focused solely on the boy.[OK quitting my job]With that, the fan cafe descended into chaos.#“What’s our plan for today?”Han Jinyeong, wearing sunglasses, asked.He tilted his head towards the bass on his back.“Secretly and swiftly.”Moon Seoyeon pulled her hat down.“But why are you wearing a hat? Even if they don’t know us-.”“I didn’t dye it.”“Ah.”Nam Gyuhwan, who had tied his long hair in a messy ponytail, nodded as he unloaded speakers from the van.“But I really didn’t expect we’d do a guerrilla busking.”“Why, are you not confident?”At Halo’s question, Nam Gyuhwan smiled challengingly.As if he didn’t expect to hear such words.“I may not know about concerts, but busking is my specialty. Are you okay, Roh Haeil-ssi? It might be a bit different.”Han Jinyeong snickered at those words.Halo just shrugged his shoulders.Before, he had heard that busking and concerts were different,But he didn’t expect to hear those same words with a different nuance.“Hey, how dare you talk to our great boss like that!”“Ack!”Smack-!Before Halo could say anything, Moon Seoyeon smacked Nam Gyuhwan on the back. Nam Gyuhwan scurried away from the van before getting hit twice.“…But is this really okay?”Moon Seoyeon, who had raised her hand threateningly, stopped as she was about to get off and turned to look at the boy.In her opinion, it seemed the preparations were a bit lacking. Even if it was just busking.The songs they had prepared were just the ones they had practiced together and Roh Haeil’s album tracks.Always practice, practice, practice.Moon Seoyeon, who had always devoted countless hours before showing anything, wondered if she was the strange one as she looked at the group with no sense of tension.“If we make a mistake-. O-Of course! Roh Haeil-ssi would never make a mistake, but still, if we make a mistake and the quality drops, won’t the audience dislike it? I’m worried it might tarnish boss’s reputation.”“Hmm.”Halo honestly had never once thought he would make a mistake.He wasn’t overly worried about the session musicians making mistakes either.But anyway, he felt he should say something to Moon Seoyeon who was worried about possibly causing trouble.A performance can never be exactly the same.Even if you do well, so many things are connected.From natural disasters to human errors, it’s an area that one person can’t control.But, so what if it’s a little different?After all, this performance is for him and the many people there.Even if it’s imperfect, a stage that they create together is what everyone wants.“It’s okay to make a few mistakes. As long as we create an enjoyable stage for everyone.”“!”Again, Halo didn’t think at all that a performance he was in would lack quality.“The audience.”Halo pointed to the people passing by on the Hongdae streets.Then his finger pointed to himself.“And for us too.”“!”Then he shrugged his shoulders.“Besides, we won’t make mistakes?”The corners of his mouth curved up elegantly.“We won’t have time for that.”:People gathered in an instant.Although there was no announcement that Roh Haeil would do a surprise busking, perhaps that’s why it spread faster through people’s hands and mouths.Music can be heard from somewhere.The stage plaza in Hongdae.A long-haired drummer.A short-haired female keyboardist.A bassist with dreadlocks and a seventeen-year-old electric guitarist and vocalist.It was a very unfamiliar sight, but no one thought it was strange. Because the boy’s voice pierced through their eardrums along with the excellent instrumental skills.[Just another day, no different from anyone else]A sweet and mellow voice.The acoustic performance was rearranged into a band performance, making the sound more diverse, but the comfortable atmosphere of the song didn’t change much.The boy closed his eyes and shook his head in the center of the stage.How tickling the song is, on top of being happy just from this surprise event.Even if he doesn’t use social media, doesn’t give any notice about his schedule, they thought it would still be good if he just sang songs like this forever.‘Ah, I’m so happy’Who knew a weekday afternoon at 3 PM could be this happy.It was like a song of May.‘Honestly, it’s strange.’The office worker who had always only supported the center in idol groups thought.That boy doesn’t have as flashy looks as them.Even on the fan cafe, aside from trolls, they don’t forcibly say he’s handsome, but strangely, he has a charm that makes you want to keep looking at him.Above all, the faint smile he occasionally shows keeps catching your eye. The seventeen-year-old looks like a peer of the opposite sex. A somewhat mature one at that. You know, like those kids who are a bit more grown-up among their peers.Anyway, she wish he would keep smiling like that.One fan thought that if there was a fan signing event, they would go and somehow make him smile.The next song was Song of a Hero.It continued like a medley.How did they connect songs with completely opposite moods like a medley? After cheering for a moment, people passionately sang along.As it’s currently the #1 popular song in karaoke, there are hardly any people here who don’t know the lyrics.[Spread your broken wingsFor a brilliant tomorrow]Everyone stomped their feet.Song of a Hero spreads through the crowd to far away.‘This is crazy, crazy!’The third song that followed.It’s the first time hearing it but this is-.The office worker’s eyes flew open.This must be the new song coming out soonTo do a new song showcase here.She says she’s a hopeless fan, but that’s wrong.Meeting her bias, hearing a new song, what day is this?The office worker felt like she could die of happiness.[I’ll become a lighthouse and shine for you]Magic is magic.The boy’s song makes it feel like you can see the night sky in broad daylight.Though they can’t sing along, everyone mumbles trying to follow the song that’s stuck in their ears.The boy’s songs always had a charm that made you want to sing along.The theme of this song is stars. The office worker wanted to write a post on the fan cafe right away, but with no time for distractions, she stared at the boy with wide eyes.She just thought of the lightsticks made by the fan cafe. The golden color chosen by the fans would match this song very well.They’ll become golden lighthouses to illuminate the path the boy walks.The night that seemed eternal ended.The boy who had become a devil came forward to the audience.After a brief moment of regret, the office worker who didn’t expect to see him this close took in the sight of the boy.“Hello, I’m Roh Haeil. This seems to be our first greeting.”The boy greeted for the first time.There was no sign of nervousness, and his attitude was truly skillful.“These are all the songs we prepared, but is there any song you’d like to hear more?”Whether this is a stage instinct or a celebrity instinct, anyway, it must be his nature. The office worker raised her hand with sparkling eyes.“Please sing a ballad!”So many stories were shared on the fan cafe.The boy’s future steps, the few pieces of information, news, even small tidbits.They talked about really diverse topics, but among them were wishes like ‘I wish Moon would do ~’.Among those, the wish with the highest number of votes was-.That sweet voice, they thought it would really suit love songs, which he doesn’t sing.Various genres of songs poured out.Most were unfamiliar songs, and the familiar ones were…“<Confession>!”Halo’s eyebrow twitched for a moment.He did sing it for his mother, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a love song. He remembered Sin Joohyeok asking what he would do if fans asked for a love song.‘I won’t sing it.’That’s what he said.Halo pretended not to hear and put his hand on the electric guitar, searching for another voice.The duet song that appeared on Rendezvous.There’s only one singer, but that’s no problem for a duet.He can sing it alone, or else.The numerous singers in this place will sing it for him.Tadadan.The familiar accompaniment for those who watched Rendezvous.Along with screams, Halo raised the corners of his mouth.Yes, let’s make it so they can’t even think about love songs.That was his plan.However, the fans’ persistence wasn’t going to disappear easily. Well, maybe it’s because he showed it. To people with sharp eyes, it was clear that he was pretending not to hear.“Please sing Confession!”Confession! Confession!He doesn’t know how these people know a song he never sang on broadcast. Fortunately, they’re not asking for other love serenades.Yes, maybe his session musicians might not know it? As he turned around, everyone was already nodding resolutely.Halo looked back to the front and discovered numerous eyes directed at him. He picked up the microphone.“I don’t usually sing love songs…”Disappointed looks.Bright eyes and sighs settle in.This is familiar.Halo thought he absolutely wouldn’t sing it.“…but if you want, I’ll sing just one verse.”This isn’t right.“Really, this is the last time.”Wa-!The cheers that pushed away his reluctance came like a wave.Elegant keyboard sound.If just one person in the session didn’t know it, he really wouldn’t have sung it.Halo suppressed his embarrassment and opened his mouth.All nightThere’s something I want to say#[Roh Haeil is so cute][He says he doesn’t usually sing love songs lol][Lol. Why was he gritting his teeth pretending not to hear][Come to think of it, Roh Haeil is seventeen, in the storm and stress period lol. Is it that love songs aren’t cool?][But he still sang it in the end]The guerrilla busking became quite a hot topic.Both Roh Haeil’s released songs and new song received good reactions, but unexpectedly, the biggest response came during the encore parade.Especially when videos were uploaded of the boy gritting his teeth pretending not to hear <Confession>, then finally singing it, reactions calling him cute followed.If he had only shown a genius image until now, for the first time showing a high school student-like side unexpectedly appealed to people.The people in the <Riding the Wave> who had been suffering from the few tidbits of information were needless to say overjoyed at having their wish granted.While the members of the dark wave riding group were basking in happiness, Halo received an unexpected contact in English.“…The Midday Show?” TLN: My bad, last time I used “Daytime Show”, now, the author writes the show’s name in English too. So, we’ll be using “The Midday Show” from now on. Sorry~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)!