The Road to Glory

“You’ll have a tough day today.”In front of Yeonkuk University’s Foundation Memorial Hall.It had been about 3 weeks since the start of the semester.The school staff shook their heads at the crowd as dense as during a school festival.The stage production company also came out, but they looked frantic as if the number of people who gathered far exceeded expectations. Not only did 830 spectators come, but fans also came to see Roh Haeil even from afar. Reporters who couldn’t get tickets but came to write articles.Moreover, students who finished classes lingered around the concert hall.“Is there anyone willing to sell me a ticket, please?”A few people as desperate as the little match girl begged as they went back and forth through the line. People waiting in line to enter turned their heads away, ignoring them. They sympathized with their desperation, but couldn’t give up their tickets. If they were going to sell, they would have done so already. Being here meant they were determined to enter the concert no matter what.Even the tickets that had appeared on the black market disappeared completely after “Liv’s Love Letter”, or more precisely, after the existence of the gift was revealed. It’s unclear whether someone bought them all or if the scalpers gave up on selling.Time passed without promise. Staff members looking at their wristwatches nodded to each other, and someone shouted.“We will begin admitting entry.”As the concert hall doors opened, the entry line stirred, and flashes burst from reporters’ cameras.#“How’s everyone’s condition?”And in the waiting room.A moment of silence followed Han Jinyeong’s question.“Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”“No, it’s not like this is our first or second time on stage.”Moon Seoyeon clenched her fist, saying it wasn’t anything new. Of course, this wasn’t a stage where she alone was responsible. A deep sense of responsibility settled in for the stage they would all create together. Moon Seoyeon took a deep breath.“How about you?”“As always, I’ll do my best not to tarnish The Sun’s honor.”“What are you saying?”Nam Gyuhwan struck a salute pose towards the boy.Moon Seoyeon chuckled at his usual behavior.“How about you, Haeil?”Han Jinyeong asked, turning to the boy sitting on the sofa.In fact, what Han Jinyeong wanted to hear most was the boy’s answer.Han Jinyeong, who once aspired to succeed with a band, knew well how significant a ‘solo concert’ was. It was on a completely different level from street performances or appearing as a concert guest.At that question, the boy who shouldn’t have been strange to be nervous, raised the corners of his mouth.It was as if he was asking back, ‘Me, nervous?’Right, in fact, Han Jinyeong couldn’t imagine the boy being nervous at all.“What about you, hyung?”“Well. Should I be a little nervous?”Han Jinyeong’s answer seemed unexpected, as Moon Seoyeon and Nam Gyuhwan’s gazes fell on him. He didn’t seem particularly nervous though.Come to think of it, as this was Roh Haeil’s first solo concert, it was also Han Jinyeong’s first concert. What he had longed for in the past. So it would be natural for him to be nervous.“I feel like I should be nervous. But strangely, I’m not nervous at all.”At those words, Moon Seoyeon and Nam Gyuhwan’s faces brightened.They probably thought Han Jinyeong answered like that because they were each other’s support.It’s not wrong, but there’s actually a different reason.“Maybe it’s because I’ve already experienced too big of a stage.”“A bigger stage than this?”“When did you go to other performances?”This was something they hadn’t heard before.Under the pretext of introducing their world, Han Jinyeong had never told a similar story during those summer days when they shared many stories.As the boy also expressed doubt, Han Jinyeong smiled at him.You probably don’t know.How meaningful that street performance on a winter day in the past was to him. If a Billboard singer’s excellent performance changed his day, a stage by a certain boy he saw in Hongdae that winter changed his life.There were no tens of thousands of spectators, no full audio, and not a single excellent session on that stage, but that stage was the biggest in his life.No one would be able to create a stage more wonderful than that.“It was the biggest stage in my life.”Hearing Han Jinyeong’s answer, they didn’t bother to ask what stage it was. Because a staff member informed them it was time for the stage.As they were about to hurry out.The boy, who got up from his seat leisurely, said.“That’s going to change from today.”“Huh?”“The biggest stage in your life.”“!”“And it will be so in the future too.”Speaking as if it were obvious, Halo walked out calmly, and Moon Seoyeon and Nam Gyuhwan followed behind him, laughing. Han Jinyeong watched their confident backs and laughed out loud.“Maybe you’re right.”He thought that if it was you who showed him the most dazzling stage in his life, maybe it would be possible.“Shall we all cheer together?”“Fighting.”“Can you put some soul into it?”Four fists bumped together.:The gift, received along with the ticket.People filled the seats, each holding a beautifully wrapped shopping bag to their chests. In fact, they wanted to see the contents inside right away, but when they actually tried to open it, they felt like keeping it as it was.They didn’t even touch the drinks, financiers, and cookies given to eat. Can’t they just pass this down for generations?While the audience was having this internal conflict, the stage announcement sounded and the ceiling lights began to turn off one by one.And when the world was plunged into darkness, a familiar melody was heard.Although Roh Haeil’s debut was with the mini-album [Another Life], people screamed at that song which could be called his true debut song.They didn’t expect him to sing this from the start!‘A Repeating Life’ (‘From Today On’ Heetae theme)As the drama’s ending came to mind, their eyes were already reddening.They don’t know yet if it’s a variation version or not.Maybe he won’t sing it?[So I close my eyes again]When the boy’s voice was finally heard, hearts pounded.Those who had screamed tightly closed their mouths to hear the boy’s voice even a little better.However, they soon had to scream again.Because when the stage lights brightened, the boy that entered their eyes-.[Melting into the burning sunlight]The boy waved one hand as if greeting while earnestly singing.That greeting was definitely not one that would come from Heetae’s character. Maybe from some other delinquent-like character.The boy didn’t seem to have any intention of acting, and his acting skills were terrible, but this was enough for the audience.Just the boy wearing the same school uniform as Heetae.Well, since humans have imagination, they could think that Heetae’s personality had become more slick. The important thing is this.The fact that Roh Haeil is wearing a school uniform right now.No one has ever seen Roh Haeil in a school uniform. Well, there are photos from when he was in middle school, but those are records of the past. Since Roh Haeil didn’t enter high school after his debut, there was no occasion to wear a school uniform.Fans who had secretly wished to see photos of Roh Haeil, who is high school age, in a school uniform shed tears, and drama fans silently screamed at the growth(?) of Heetae, who had become a delinquent rather than just confident.Roh Haeil’s session members also wore clothes reminiscent of school uniforms. The keyboardist, Moon Seoyeon, in a school uniform skirt with gym pants underneath.Bassist Han Jinyeong in an oversized dress shirt and percussionist Nam Gyuhwan wearing a dress shirt over a black short-sleeved T-shirt.And Roh Haeil, wearing his school uniform shirt untucked and his tie half-loosened. No one was wearing their school uniform properly.First day of Roh Haeil’s small theater concertNext, [Another Day], the title track from Roh Haeil’s mini-album ‘Another Life’, was heard.[Just another day, no different from anyone else]A voice tickling their ears.The noise ringing in people’s minds disappeared, and only the boy’s voice remained in the present.Another day was starting, just like the title of the song.“Hello, I’m Roh Haeil.”After one drama OST song,Three songs from the first mini-album ‘Another Life’,And a continuous performance of the first full album ‘Welcome to my world’,The boy took the microphone.“Thank you for coming to my first concert.”Cheers that had been restrained so as not to disturb the performance now rang out loudly, as if unleashed. And applause followed.And Halo saw.If fans had made the Big Dipper at music broadcasts, here more starlight was shining.Pale yellow, soft lights filled the audience seats, rippling like the Milky Way. It might be hard to see the Big Dipper anymore, but that was okay. He was moving forward well without losing his way, and countless starlight illuminated his path. That was enough.“And.”Halo recalled the meaning of the full album ‘My world’ that would compose today.“Welcome to my world.”‘Welcome to my world.’He repeated the title of the song he had just sung, ‘Welcome to my world.’ People cheered again. Although the response was good, Halo felt goosebumps at his own comment.He did it because the members absolutely insisted he should. But he thinks he shouldn’t do it from tomorrow.“As today is the first day of my first concert, I contemplated how to create the stage. Many people offered to help, and good ideas for stages came up.”Before he proposed to Liv as a guest, he received many proposals in return. Among them were people he often contacted, and people he had briefly talked to or just passed by.Halo wasn’t exclusive enough to invite only close people to his stage. Guest proposals were the beginning of another relationship, so he sometimes invited rookies to his performance, or unexpectedly invited magicians or street performers.So he thought about doing that this time too.Suddenly, he thought it might be okay to fill the stage alone, as it was Roh Haeil’s first solo concert and first day.“From tomorrow until the sixth stage, various guest artists will come to create special stages. So today-.”Halo looked at the people quietly listening to his words and grinned mischievously.“Just look at me.”The boy’s sentence was like a magic spell.The boy’s appearance, which was considered average in the entertainment industry full of beautiful people, looked especially special today.The stage lighting, costume, the boy’s singing, the boy’s comments.It’s right that they should look at the boy since they came to see him, but that one sentence made them feel drawn in.With the boy’s finger snap, the stage lights went out again, and the session’s sound began to resound majestically.Starting with ‘Song of a Hero’ which engraved the boy’s name in the public’s mind.Before Roh Haeil’s concert began, a lot of attention was focused on it. From the ticket war to the commotion on the internet, all were the results of that. Predictions about Roh Haeil’s concert were also within those results.The list of guests invited to Roh Haeil’s concert was created through the broadcasts Roh Haeil participated in and his activities exposed on SNS. For a rookie’s network, it was unprecedentedly brilliant, so people actually expected there would be a lot to see at Roh Haeil’s concert.The second prediction was none other than the set list. As it was a concert composed of at least two hours, they needed to fill that time with songs, but since Roh Haeil debuted this year, even if all his album tracks were combined, it was less than the number of songs to be sung at the concert.So someone said this.That Roh Haeil would inevitably have to be obsessed with inviting guests.However, the lucky person sitting in the very front row of Roh Haeil’s concert now thought.That kid would be obsessed with guests?Of course, he also thought Roh Haeil would invite guests. There was a lot of noise about guests after all.But now that he’s here, he wonders if this isn’t actually the stage he wanted.As predicted, Roh Haeil’s setlist consists of all his songs, but what does it matter if there are few songs? Roh Haeil’s talent isn’t just vocals.The cover stage Roh Haeil showed just once.After that, many people wanted to see Roh Haeil’s cover stages. But they never saw a cover again after that.People like new music, but they also enjoy biting into and ruminating on things from the past. They might miss that music because they were deeply impressed by it, or they might miss it because the memory of listening to that music was special.Anyway, for such reasons, songs from the past are sometimes remade and reproduced in the present era. Well, usually it ends with the conclusion that nothing can beat the original.Usually-.“Uh… this.”However, the praise the boy heard in episode 2 of Rendezvous wasn’t just for his vocals.Arrangement.That talent that created a new version of HALO’s song and is still talked about to this day.The boy gave everyone the cover they wanted on his first stage. These songs are probably the boy’s favorite music. It’s amazing how these old, worn-out music, songs that might seem a bit outdated after passing through time, can be so beautiful.While listening to all the tracks from Roh Haeil’s albums that make up his beginning and present, and the cover songs inserted in between, people understood the boy’s opening comment.That the beginning and end of today’s concert constitute this boy’s world. And, as it reaches its climax. As they listen to the acoustic versions of 17sec and zigzag, they crave more and more.For this beautiful world without rules or form to never stop. The more they listen, the more parched their throats become, the more they regret. Even blinking for a second feels like a waste.Now they understood why someone told them they must see Roh Haeil’s performance. They were also jealous. Of enjoying this goodness first.The last song was heard.Everyone recognized it as the last song, not because they checked the time, but because this was the last of the boy’s songs released to the world that hadn’t been sung yet. The boy’s single album that hadn’t been sung earlier.‘Lighthouse of the Night’There’s no special cheering method for this song.[Advancing into the dark night]But the light sticks started to flicker.Like the light stick the boy was holding on stage.[Following the voyage of the stars]Or like a lighthouse guiding fishermen’s way.They wave their light sticks as much as they regret.Wishing this happy time would last forever.And it’s the same for the boy.He wished the stage approaching its end wouldn’t end like this.Just like this forever. He wished time would stop.The boy’s song that should soon reach its climax suddenly doesn’t continue.The boy was standing still in the middle of the stage, looking at the waves of light. It would normally be an accident, but the members continued the accompaniment.As if waiting for the boy to finish.The accompaniment repeated, and repeated, and repeated.When it did, the boy finally finished his first concert, first day perfectly, smiling happily.[I’ll shine as a lighthouse for you]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 instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24