Two Guests, Two Pieces of News (5)

"Directly to me?"

"Yeah."

I had a good impression of Choi Yoon-sung, but we weren't especially close. After all, our only real connection was the glowing article he had written about Songhadang.

"Honestly, whatever he has to say, telling anyone else would amount to the exact same thing. It's not like Songhadang has any state secrets."

"I told him that, too," Sejun said. "He was pretty stubborn about it, though. Guess I haven't earned his trust yet. Haha."

"Well, from his perspective, you're still a stranger."

"Anyway, give him a call whenever you have a moment."

"Yeah. I'll reach out once I finish eating."

I wasn't sure why he insisted on speaking with me directly, but I just prayed it wasn't anything serious. For all I knew, he might simply be fishing for an interview to write a piece on Hongya.

"Mortal folk sure make life complicated for themselves," Moktong grumbled.

"Moktong, does it ever cross your mind that you live far too carefree a life?" Songha countered gently.

"Tsk-tsk! If you can take this world easy, ain't that all the better? Kehehe!"

Moktong answered without a care in the world, slurping down the alcohol cupped in his hands. Judging by the lively play of aromas dancing around him, the mitsul for Hongya, which was undergoing secondary aging in the unglazed onggi jars, was blooming beautifully in both flavor and fragrance.

Of course, it vanished into Moktong's gullet an instant later, disappearing from sight entirely.

"I think it's all thanks to NewTube!"

"NewTube? Ah, the subscriber count really has been shooting up lately. That's probably because Yeeun captured Songhadang so beautifully."

"The young lady put her heart and soul into filming, so I lent a small hand myself," Songha murmured with a quiet chuckle.

Thanks to Yeeun's keen eye, word of Songhadang's scenic surroundings spread like wildfire, unleashing a flood of inquiry calls. Most were about brewery tours, though a few asked for filming cooperation.

Every single request of that nature had to be politely declined. We swallowed our regret and put tour inquiries on the back burner for now. Songhadang simply didn't have the capacity or breathing room for that yet.

"Still, I definitely want to host brewery tours down the road."

"The mere thought of drinkers gathering from all eight provinces sounds quite delightful," Songha remarked.

Just hearing his words set my heart racing. A place where lovers of good drink could come together and trade their own stories—to think I could turn Songhadang, the place my grandfather had cherished so dearly, into a sanctuary like that.

"Turning them all down was the right call, right?" Sejun asked.

"It was," I replied. "We're brewers, not a film crew. We make spirits, not videos."

"Well, thanks to that, the inquiries keep rolling in."

"Sales are climbing, too," I added, "and CEO Yoon Juho even asked if we could ramp up our supply."

"That would be incredible!" Lee Ha-jeong chimed in brightly.

"It really would..." Yeeun echoed in her soft, timid voice.

I had never imagined publicity could work this way. In any case, our meal was over before we knew it as the conversation flowed.

"I'll get going first."

"Finished faster than usual?"

"Because you recommended such a great spot, Sejun. Besides, I need to make that phone call we talked about. Take your time eating, Ha-jeong-ssi."

"Yes! Understood!"

Though I'd said that, I didn't head for the office. Instead, I stepped outside the building.

I made my way over to a small wooden pavilion tucked into a corner of Songhadang's grounds and sat down. Built long ago, the wooden structure radiated an unmistakable rustic charm, as if memories clung to every weathered fissure in the grain.

"I used to have so much fun playing around here when I was little."

"That makes me wonder about your childhood, my friend."

"My childhood?"

"Is that not natural? The bond between us began only after you were fully grown."

Songha was right. In essence, he was the very spirit of the land on which Songhadang stood. As a child, my visits had been infrequent trips ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just to play, so there was no way he could have known me back then. He only had the chance to learn who I was after Grandfather bequeathed the brewery to me as an inheritance.

"Your grandfather could never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see me, after all," Songha continued. "All I knew was how terribly he missed you."

"Is that so?"

"So won't you tell me about those days?"

There was plenty to tell.

The spot that was now a parking lot had once been a modest yet lovely garden. Whenever I dashed through the blossoming flowers, Grandfather would step outside, fretting and telling me to be careful. The very pavilion I was sitting in had been built around that time, too.

"I'll tell you all about it, bit by bit," I replied, tracing the split grain of the weathered timber.

Songha simply gave a gentle nod.

As much as I wanted to reminisce, there were pressing matters at hand.

"Work comes first right now."

"Indeed. Spring is drawing to a close, after all."

Songha looked up at the sky, his gaze settling on the vestiges of a spring that had burst into full bloom. Not long ago, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tender shoots had peeked through snow still unmelted by the Gangwon chill, and now they stood tall, brandishing their vibrant colors. That was spring in Yeongwol—it never pushed winter away; it embraced the cold as it arrived, only to melt quietly into memory.

"Fortunately, the competition results look promising."

"A welcome relief, indeed."

If a spirit had drawn awe and praise from Eddie Brook, there wasn't the slightest chance it would receive poor marks or walk away empty-handed.

"That harmonious blend of sweet and tart was truly magnificent," Songha mused. "Clear proof that the liquor matured exquisitely, so cast aside your worries."

"I'm not worried. Having both of you by my side makes me feel all the more reassured."

"Speak at your ease, my friend! At any rate, you speak the truth. If a spirit he guzzles so greedily tasted foul, that would be the real marvel."

Songha muttered while glancing at Moktong, who was strolling leisurely here and there, scooping up liquor in his palms and sipping away as usual. Moktong slurped down the dregs in his hand and waved in our direction. Quite a bit of time had passed since I learned the true nature of the angel's share, yet the sight still felt surreal.

"If things continue at this rate, I suspect that fellow may awaken soon," Songha remarked.

"That fellow?"

My mind snapped to attention. Who else could Songha possibly refer to as a fellow or friend? None other than another dokkaebi. He had told me before: as spirits suited to their personal tastes were brewed, other dokkaebis would awaken one by one.

"What kind of person do you think it will be this time?"

"You are too hasty, my friend. When the time comes, you shall know. Why rush? Simply focus on what lies before you, and the rest shall follow in due course."

Songha wore a satisfied smile, yet offered not a single hint. Then again, he had reacted the exact same way before Moktong awakened. There had to be some unspoken rule among dokkaebis that I didn't know about.

"You're right. I have a job to do."

Besides, there wasn't a flaw in Songha's reasoning. With that, I rose to my feet and brushed off my pants. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had saved earlier.

Ring... Ring...

I placed the call to Yoon-sung, who had insisted on speaking with me directly. The dial tone hummed through the speaker, teasing my patience. After a brief moment, a bright, welcoming voice crackled across the line.

"Hello, CEO Song!"

"Long time no see, Reporter Choi Yoon-sung. How have you been?"

"Splendid, of course! Any time I write an article about Songhadang, high view counts are basically guaranteed. Hahaha! Life couldn't be better these days!"

"Glad to hear it. So, what was it you wanted to discuss?"

"Ah! Right! It's actually an extension of what we're talking about right now. Give me just one moment!"

A clatter came over the speaker, followed by the screech of a heavy metal door swinging open, as if he were moving somewhere private. A dull clang echoed faintly in the background.

"CEO Song, can you give it to me straight?"

"I've never lied to you, have I?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that... Hmm... Ah, forget it. I'll just be upfront with you first. Are you releasing a new product this time?"

How on earth had he sniffed that out? We hadn't done any official promotions yet. Although all the marketing materials had been prepared in advance, none had been released to the public. As I hesitated for a second, Yoon-sung took the lead and continued.

"In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my line of work, you build up quite a network. I heard you've been in contact with distributors quite a lot lately."

"Ah."

"So, with that in mind, would you be interested in doing another interview?"

"An interview?"

"Yes! The last one was rather brief, so I thought it would be wonderful to do an in-depth feature this time!"

So that was it. Depending on how it was framed, snooping around Songhadang's movements might have looked like underhanded investigative prying, which was why he'd insisted on speaking to me directly. But his real goal was securing an exclusive interview for an article.

"I'm afraid that might be difficult."

Now was not the time. We already had plenty of promotional materials lined up.

"Ah... Well, fair enough. If you ever change your mind later, please, pretty please get in touch with me!"

"I'm not refusing you entirely, Reporter Choi."

"Pardon? What do you mean by that...?"

"I simply mean the timing isn't right yet."

We already planned to upload the video of Brook and Murata's visit to NewTube alongside Hongya's official launch. And that wasn't all. The Korean Liquor Competition awards ceremony was right around the corner.

"So, wouldn't it give you far more to talk about if we did the interview then, rather than now?"

"W-Wait just a second. Are you saying...?"

"Yes. It would be best to hold the interview after that."

A brewery that crafted spirits capable of charming a legendary master distiller and a renowned critic. On top of that, there was no way Dalvorde—a spirit the two had not merely praised, but raved over—would fail to win an award. In essence, I was promising that even when Songhadang rose to such heights, he would be the very first reporter granted an interview.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! In that case, I'll come visit you then!"

"There's no need to make a special trip. Aren't you planning on attending the awards ceremony anyway?"

"Of course! The ceremony is held right alongside the Korean Liquor Festival!"

The Korean Liquor Festival.

It was a major exposition hosted alongside the competition by the organizing ministry, bringing together traditional breweries from every corner of the country. While it had initially focused strictly on traditional Korean liquor, the scope had expanded over time to welcome craft beer, fruit wines, and other spirits brewed with domestic ingredients, evolving into a true festival in every sense. And on the final day, the winners of the Korean Liquor Competition would be announced.

"We can meet then, then."

"Haha! Perfect! I'll be counting down the days!"

"All right. I'll let you go."

"Yes, sir! Wishing you ever-greater prosperity, CEO Song!"

Yoon-sung hung up, his voice practically radiating joy until the very last second. With that, the blueprint was set.

"Now, we can start preparing to roll out Hongya."

"It is a fine spirit," Songha remarked. "Yet is it wise to release it so soon?"

"Not at all. In truth, I wanted to put it out even sooner."

I had only held back to align our timeline with the Korean Liquor Festival for maximum strategic impact. Hongya was already exceptional enough to earn rave reviews even if sold this very instant.

"Still, wouldn't it be better to introduce Hongya properly when everyone is gathered in one place?"

"If my friend deems it so, then so it shall be."

"Don't you fret none," Moktong chimed in. "If there's one thing this lad's got, it's a razor-sharp head on his shoulders. Kehehe!"

Listening to Songha and Moktong, I pulled open the calendar app on my phone to check my schedule. An entry was marked precisely two weeks from today.

On that day, I would carve Songhadang's name into the minds of everyone in this country.