The Road to Glory

“It’s different from yesterday again.”The first day he came here, he couldn’t properly appreciate it because of the situation. Halo occasionally lost his mind at the strange things.There was nothing familiar. The second time he came to this neighborhood made him feel different from yesterday.He took back what he said about New York.Rather than New York being big, gorgeous, and orderly, this place gave off a feeling of overflowing vitality and emotion. Youth, people, passion, music, and other clumsy yet beautiful things caught his eye.The shops and markets lined up on both sides.Some youngsters preparing for busking on one side.Halo couldn’t easily take his steps away.He was happy at this liveliness, different from parties or award ceremonies.“Hey, Roh Haeil, what are you doing? Come quickly. You said you wanted to do something too, didn’t you?”“Well, that’s true but…”It wasn’t something he had to do right away.Jang Jinsoo, with less patience than a turtle, urged him on.“Come quickly. Before I leave you behind.”This impatient jerk.Even though he didn’t seem to have come here only once or twice, being a musician, he couldn’t help but resonate with this mood.Jang Jinsoo walked ahead sturdily like a soldier. Kids these days really have no sense.While alternately looking at Jang Jinsoo and the people on the street, Halo threw away his attachment. Since he properly learned how to come here, he planned to come alone next time.“Hey, it’s Jinsoo friend.”“Hello.”He discovered Jang Jinsoo’s ‘hyungs’ at the entrance to the hideout. Upon finding countless cigarette butts scattered on the floor, Halo realized where Jang Jinsoo’s smoking claims came from.Unlike in the hideout, the ‘hyungs’ were the real problems.“Hyungs, what time do you start work?”As Jang Jinsoo looked around at them and asked, two faces brightened and only one darkened.“I’m off today.”“I’m unemployed.”“Damn.”“Only Gonghak-hyung is working today, haha.”“Is it funny?”The one with the shaved head, who looked more like a soldier or personal trainer than a member of a group, sneered. Despite his threatening stature, Jang Jinsoo burst out giggling.“Now you find it funny. You’ll be like this soon too.”“Hyung, I’m becoming a high schooler soon though?”“Is that all you amount to?”Another person casually flicked his cigarette ash.“Oh, they were born when we were in middle school.”“Wow. They really are babies.”They looked back and forth at Jang Jinsoo and Roh Haeil alternately, admiring as if looking at a child. Then they turned off the cigarettes they were smoking for no reason. It pricked their conscience, like smoking in front of a newborn baby.“Come on in. Our Jammin will welcome Jinsoo’s friends. I don’t think I’ve heard it before, but what’s your name, Jinsoo’s friend?”“Roh Haeil.”Jammin?Though it didn’t seem like a nice term based on the nuance, the one with the reggae hair smiled as he clicked his tongue. He clearly had the expression of someone looking at a kid, which he didn’t like.“I’m Han Jinyeong. Call me Jinyeong-hyung. I work as a DJ at Hongdae First and um… That about covers my introduction. What brings you here, Haeil?”“…”Rather than answering, Halo stared intently at Han Jinyeong’s fingers. His fingers were long and stubby at the ends, with calluses built up. They were familiar hands to him.“Guitarist?”“Huh?”“You also handle bass right? What’s your main instrument?”“Well… bass.”Realizing that Roh Haeil was staring intently at his own hands, Han Jinyeong clenched both fists. As if he had done something wrong, even though there was no blood on his hands.“Is the group with three people?”“Group? You mean the band? Yeah, the three of us.”“Then who’s the vocal-”“Our friend seems to have great interest in bands?”There was nothing strange about having a group of three members. Whether it was three, four, or five, the number wasn’t important when it came to making music.However, he didn’t see anyone here with the unique, sturdy vocalist voice and presence.Just as he was about to ask, Han Jinyeong cut off his words and swiftly moved toward the lockers.‘Why did he avoid the question?’Anyone could clearly see he was trying to evade his question.‘Did they disband? No, if so they wouldn’t still have the studio. Then, dissolved?’It wasn’t anything unusual. The dissolution of rock groups happened frequently enough.Especially if a contract wasn’t involved, they could party well together yesterday but break up today.No matter how close of friends, when opinions clashed, what group wouldn’t have that happen, with members of such strong personalities gathered? Unless you wanted to talk at length about your group, Jinyeong was typically the type of person who looked like what it was like after the group disbanded or on the verge of disbanding.‘The atmosphere doesn’t seem too serious.’Apart from the ambiguous attitude, everyone seemed comfortable. He never felt the tense atmosphere unique to just before disbandment.Moreover, Jang Jinsoo, who had known them for a long time, was engaged in a conversation with the guy he called Gonghak-hyung.His expression lit up and dimmed like a spotlight, as if he were receiving feedback on a recorded song.If it were a disbandment atmosphere, there wouldn’t be an outsider making a fuss here.‘Well, maybe it wasn’t them who disbanded.’“Haeil, do you know this?”Jinyeong, who had his head in the storage area, raised an album.After taking it, Halo noticed that it was from the late 1980s. It was quite an old album now.“What’s this?”“What is it? It’s the first edition LP of Hwang Ryongpil’s 3rd album!”“…”“No, don’t the young ones these days know Hwang Ryongpil? It’s really valuable. If you put it on an auction or something, the price will be tremendous.”Although Halo didn’t know who Hwang Ryongpil was, judging by the reaction, they seemed to be a famous singer. Halo took the album that Jinyeong handed over and soon found something peculiar.“This is divided into parts.”There was no law saying that an album had to be like this, but dividing and releasing parts was a rare approach. In other words, ‘Why bother?’ Especially when there were more than one or two songs.“There’s a reason. Probably, it was originally divided into Side 1 and Side 2, even if it’s combined on the CD.”“For what purpose?”“Well, it’s not about purpose. It’s just that at that time, it was unusual for a singer to put their song on an album. The agency… Well, it’s the circumstances of the adults.”“Ah.”He understood immediately. It was a familiar occurrence.In simple terms, the record company opposed the inclusion of the singer’s song, and after compromises, it was structured into Side 1 and Side 2.“So, Side 2 is the real album the singer wanted?”“That’s right.”Thinking again, this world was similar everywhere.Even here, the interference from the record company seemed quite severe to the point that the singer couldn’t make an album with their own song.What were they trying to achieve by saying they wanted to do the singer’s music?If it were him, whether it was Side 2 or whatever, there would have been a fierce battle. Putting another person’s song on his album instead of his own. That was unacceptable.‘Of course, I fought a lot more over genre and specifications than album composition.’The music is unfamiliar, it sounds like kids’ songs, the music is too long. What kind of classical music is this in popular music?Unlike someone who became successful all on his own, why were there so many trying to stop him, saying he couldn’t do it? Trying to arbitrarily tamper with his songs. Giving him advice.There was no one on his side in the world and he had to fight alone. It got a little better after overcoming some measles.“Where did I leave the turntable? Hey, Gonghak, where’s the turntable?”To specifically play the special first pressing edition, Han Jinyeong looked for a turntable to put on the LP record.“Don’t know. Under the sofa?”“Why is it there? Anyway. Do you want to listen to anything in particular? A title you like or something?”“Hmm.”What he most wanted to listen to was, of course, side 2.From the fact that it was the album the singer had originally wanted, to the titles of the songs, everything appealed to him.For You Who Left

Emergency

:Freedom From Greatness

Perhaps this person was someone who would get along well with him?“But, I just want to listen from the beginning.”However, Halo decided to save Side 2.It was not too late to listen after seeing how well Side 1, where the singer’s opinion was not taken into account, turned out.#[Someday, for you,Become winds and lift your wings,Become clouds and drive away the rain,To help you find your way again,Become the North Star and illuminate the darkness,For me, for this world,Love everything.]If up to now he had mainly listened to music in a familiar language, he now felt there was no need to be bound by language.Or maybe it was because his body remembered the language.‘Emergency’The song he had initially skimmed over without much thought contained the true worth of this singer. After a rhythmic intro, sturdy vocals rang out. Natural transitions between low and high notes, with a deeply lingering echo on the decisive muting.You could get a glimpse into the countless sensations contained in just one song.Among them, one thing that was clearly certain was that the owner of this album was someone who was skilled at delicately handling sound. Their sense of sound was outstanding, to the degree that he had to learn it.On top of that, the dramatic composition of a song that sings of hope, despite a frustrating and difficult environment, oddly resembled his music.‘There are people who make music similar to mine even in a very distant foreign land.’It was hard to explain this feeling in words.It was really like the feeling of meeting a cherished friend and sharing a hearty meal.“Emergency is freaking awesome, right? I still get chills every time I hear the quartet harmony.”“Quartet?”“You know the part where they double from low to high notes, like an acapella?”“I know which part you’re referring to but it’s not a quartet.”When he said quartet harmony Halo wondered what he was talking about.“It’s a quintet.”“A quintet?”“Yes.”“Not a quartet?”Han Jinyeong couldn’t refute because of the too-confident attitude.‘No matter how I think about it, it’s a quartet though.’He’d listened to it countless times.Wanting to confirm it was a quartet harmony, Han Jinyeong promptly turned on his phone.When he searched [Hwang Ryong Pil Emergency Quartet], results kept popping up as expected.‘See, I’m right.’He shrugged his shoulders, reflecting that he was pushed around.To be shaken by a kid’s confidence when he had been making music for over 20 years.Just then, he saw one critique.It was a critique by a famous critic who majored in vocals.[Above all, Hwang Ryong Pil’s singing ability cannot be overlooked. The 5-part chorus harmony is Hwang Ryong Pil’s voice layered over and over-]“Wait, quintet?”Unable to believe it, he searched quintet.There were traces of the keyboard battle bloodshed between quartet and quintet, and which one mattered.The answer was that the quintet was correct.“You’ve never heard this before right?”“Yes.”“You got it right after listening only one time?”Roh Haeil answered nonchalantly and went back to appreciating Hwang Ryong Pil’s song.You’re saying I’m worse than a kid who’s only heard it once?Shocked speechless, he desperately tried to understand.“Haeil, your hearing is pretty good.”“It just sounds clear when I focus.”“Haha, is that so?”He couldn’t agree.Over the past twenty years, he had heard it occasionally, but not once had he thought about the quintet.Suddenly, he remembered a member who left the band. The unlucky guy who left, saying that they wouldn’t succeed with him. At that time, he couldn’t understand it at all, but looking at it now, he was a wise guy.“Haeil, do you want to formally learn music?”It was an impulsive question because he seemed to have good ears for music and an interest in it.He expected a positive or questioning reaction, but the reaction was strange.It was an extremely shocked gaze. As if saying ‘You?’.His pride was hurt as if he was being ignored.“Even if I seem like this, I’m a successful DJ. And I was in a band doing activities for quite a while when I was young. Do you happen to know how to play any instruments? You seem interested in music. I’ll teach you especially since you’re Jinsoo’s friend.”What did you say to me just now?Halo shook his head. He wasn’t at a level to learn anything from anyone, and he already knew how to play the guitar and bass.“Alright then.”It didn’t seem like it was anything with great meaning, so Han Jinyeong wasn’t upset at the rejection. He just smiled and said,“You might regret it later, alright? Bassists are super popular with girls.”“Hmm.”“Uh oh, looks like someone doesn’t believe me.”Han Jinyeong chuckled.As Halo was about to let it slide, he came up with a decent idea.“Well, I could change my mind after seeing a demonstration.”Yes, he did want to see how well this person could play.He jabbed at him while he had a bewildered look.“If you don’t have confidence, it’s fine.”“You…”Han Jinyeong was confused by the sudden provocation.He wasn’t annoyed. If it had been a stranger, he would have been in a bad mood, but a middle schooler’s provocation seemed like cute insolence.Just that he hadn’t expected to hear this kind of talk, so he wanted to ball up his fist and slam it, but the thought of showing off just this once came to mind.“Puhaha!”Laughter rang out from the back. Kim Deoksoo, who had been sitting in the corner reading something, laughed refreshingly.“Yo, Jinyeong, Jinsoo’s friend is looking down on you?”“So I’m being looked down on again now?”“This won’t do. As the leader of Jammin, you should give him a disciplinary lesson.”He egged Han Jinyeong on as if watching something entertaining.“Ah ah, wanna see just once?”Han Jinyeong jokingly rolled up his sleeves.A Latin phrase tattoo was revealed.[While there is breath, there is hope]Halo turned off the turntable and crossed his arms.He wanted to see the skills of the arrogant youth who offered to teach him music.Though Han Jinyeong hesitated a bit, he couldn’t resist the mood. Lifting an electric bass guitar, he placed his hand on the strings.And he started playing, dung-.No, he stopped playing.“!”Halo blinked his eyes.As expected, it seemed he had not played bass for quite some time.The trembling hands made everyone in the room nervous as well.Realizing his hands were shaking severely, Han Jinyeong bit his lips. But his hands still shook.“Um, I…”‘Hopeless.’Just as Halo was about to let out a sigh-Grumble- An awkward sound rang out.The frozen atmosphere took a reversal.Han Jinyeong and Kim Deoksoo turned their heads towards where the sound came from, and Halo looked at Jang Jinsoo as well.“It wasn’t me though?”The culprit denied it, his ears bright red.“I told you it wasn’t me!”Yeah, if you deny it that insistently, you have to believe it once.Just as everyone was about to let it pass, the confirmational strike, another gurgling sound, clearly rang out again. This time, silence fell in the studio.How to put it. It was a skit-like situation.Jang Jinsoo’s face grew increasingly red.“Jinsoo, really…”The first one to burst out laughing was Han Jinyeong, who naturally put the bass guitar down. Then, the other people started laughing one after another as well.“Jinsoo, are you hungry? Should we go eat something?”“I told you it wasn’t me…”“What time is it now? It’s already 6 o’clock. No wonder I’m starting to get hungry. Gonghak, when is your shift?”“Soon. Let’s go eat.”“Jinsoo, is there anything you want to eat?”“I really don’t need to eat…”“What about you, Haeil?”When he shrugged his shoulders, Han Jinyeong scratched his cheek and said,“Should we eat grilled pork belly? This hyung will treat you.”“Oh! Thank you, hyung.”A swift answer rang out.“But Jinsoo, you said you weren’t hungry.”“I’ll still eat free pork belly…”“Cute kid.”Everyone made preparations to head out.As he approached Halo, Jang Jinsoo jabbed him with his elbow. In a bad mood, I drew back, and the jerk cheekily said,“Hey, it’s thanks to me we get to eat grilled pork belly, alright?”“…”“Say thank you.”This tactless jerk.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)!