I Regressed and Became Too Good at Brewing - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 21. A Fateful Meeting at the Popup Store (1)
At last, 10:30 a.m. arrived.
A torrent of people flooded into the Department Store, wave after wave.
“Popup Store customers, please maintain your distance and move safely!”
With so many people crowding in, it was hardly surprising.
Department Store staff emerged to guide the guests in an orderly fashion.
Following their directions, people filed through in sequence.
“One bottle per person, so you absolutely must buy one. Got it?”
“Su Bin… I’m telling you again, you’re an actress…….”
Su Bin had been the star of the show, having pitched a tent the night before and endured the cold with hot packs and warm coffee from a thermos.
As one of the elite Open Run members, she walked boldly at the front of the line.
“Wow! I’m so excited!”
“I’m going to say this one more time…….”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s why I’m dressed like this, right?”
Su Bin tapped her deeply pulled-down hat over her sunglasses as she spoke.
But she would never know.
Why else would someone be an actress?
Because even concealed, she carried an aura so striking that it betrayed her profession.
And those who had witnessed her interviewing with Yoon Seong in the dawn hours yesterday—they all knew exactly who stood at the front of this line.
But what did it matter?
“This is going to taste amazing!”
“Ugh. Stop talking.”
The person in question was far too thrilled at the prospect of drinking Meari to care about decorum.
Having abandoned all pretense of dignity, how much ground had she covered in her eagerness?
“There… there it is!”
The popup store, visible in the distance.
Sunkyung had clearly put care into the display—the name “Songhadan” was written in striking letters above the booth, and a landscape painting in ink wash depicting the mountain that characterized Meari hung prominently beside it.
Those with an appreciation for art might have paused to admire the brushwork, but unfortunately, the crowd gathered here had no interest in paintings.
Meari.
The mountain that rose within their hearts and wetted their lips had been born from a single glass of spirits.
‘First! I’m first!’
And Su Bin felt exactly the same way.
If anything, perhaps more intensely than anyone else here.
Su Bin was a genuine lover of spirits, a true connoisseur.
Whenever she traveled abroad, her hobby was buying duty-free liquor from around the world rather than souvenirs.
‘Meari! The new Meari!’
Her mind flooded with memories of the mountain she’d experienced through Meari before, the popup store’s booth drew steadily closer.
And there, Su Bin could see them.
‘Who are they?’
A man and a woman, both dressed impeccably.
The woman, despite being well-dressed, bore dark circles that extended to her jawline—clearly the result of recent exhaustion and overwork.
The man, on the other hand…….
‘A celebrity, maybe? But I’ve never seen them before?’
Not all celebrities possessed otherworldly beauty.
Su Bin herself belonged to that category, of course, but there were plenty of others who commanded attention without such advantages.
The man sitting at the booth was one of those people.
Though he appeared to be in his twenties, the composure and depth in his gaze suggested a gravity born of long experience.
Simply looking at him inspired a kind of trust—an intuitive sense of reliability.
When she reached the booth, the man offered a warm, disarming smile and spoke.
“Hello. I’m Song Yeon Woo from Songhadan.”
‘Why? Not an actor? No wait—thank you for not acting and making alcohol instead!’
Su Bin’s inner thoughts spiraled into conflicting emotions, spiraling into complete chaos.
* * *
“Do you think you’ll manage alright?”
“Of course! Chief! This is the best traditional liquor I’ve ever tasted!”
Before sales began, Song Yeon Woo sat in the popup store trying to ease his nerves when Ha Jeong’s reply came back.
And true to her word, Ha Jeong seemed utterly free of anxiety.
Working with her, he’d come to understand—she really did have nerves of steel.
No matter what came up, she pushed forward without hesitation, and he’d found himself envious of that resolve more than once.
Even now, he hadn’t been surprised when she produced all the designs for the popup store herself in that short time—impressed, certainly, but not surprised.
‘Don’t worry about it! I can handle all of this! You just focus on making delicious spirits!’
True to her bold proclamation, she’d created this magnificent stall, though the deep dark circles under her eyes told the cost—yet Ha Jeong’s expression was nothing but radiant.
“Oh! This is really amazing!”
“Wow. You designed this stall, Ha Jeong? Wow! It’s incredible!”
“Hehe! Thank you!”
The two of them marveled at the booth Ha Jeong had designed and the various banners hanging overhead.
“Seok Jun and So Hyun, you’ve both worked so hard.”
“Oh, I volunteered! This is the new Meari, after all!”
“Me too! Actually, the director really wanted to come, but given the circumstances with his age…….”
So Hyun trailed off, scratching her head.
Since Yoon Joo Ho, the director, had been the one to recommend the Popup Store, Joojoo Daily had provided additional staff to assist.
Still, once I arrived and saw it, the scope of the popup turned out to be larger than expected—it would have been difficult for just Ha Jeong and me to manage.
“Thank you so much for helping. We would have been in real trouble without you.”
“Oh, so you’ll set aside a bottle for me, right?”
“Of course. I’ll make sure to give you a selection.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Energized by that promise, Seok Jun flexed his arm muscles proudly and threw himself into the work with renewed vigor.
So Hyun, seeing her colleague’s enthusiasm, refused to be outdone and began hauling boxes with matching intensity.
Truly, these were precious connections.
Everyone at Joojoo Daily who’d made this happen, and Se Jun, who couldn’t be here but was steadfastly protecting Songhadan back home.
And the old masters of Song Ha and Mok Tong.
But most importantly…….
“There’s good spirits here.”
“Right! We’re absolutely going to succeed!”
“But we shouldn’t get overconfident either—it might be good to stay on our toes!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Spirits unlike anything before, because they were good.
When I glanced back, what caught my eye was a mountain rendered in elegant monochromatic ink wash painting.
Originally, I’d intended to depict it using only ink, but Ha Jeong had insisted otherwise with an unusual firmness I rarely heard from her.
The result was this painting hanging at the back of the popup store.
A mountain brushed with soft yet fluid strokes.
Autumn leaves appeared as dots of color, and below them, ripe grain rippled like liquid gold.
“The painting is beautiful. Even looking at it again.”
“Thank you! I put all the tasting notes I felt while drinking it into the image!”
Every element needed to express Meari was contained within the painting.
The malt’s toasted and nutty character, the subtle sweetness flowing from the oak barrel, even the fruits that took shape from it.
And yet the essence of Meari—the way it evokes mountains—remained untouched.
Yes, everyone had put in this kind of effort. I needed to match their determination.
Time moved to 10:30, and then the minute hand ticked forward a couple more times.
“Oh, someone’s coming? Boss?”
“There’s no need to rush like that…….”
The first thing that caught my eye was a blonde woman in sunglasses and a mask, sprinting toward us with abandon.
Behind her, a man followed awkwardly, huffing to keep up.
The woman, who’d run as if someone were chasing her, finally reached the front and immediately began looking around urgently.
Though something felt off about it, she was the one who’d helped us find Songhadan’s spirits, so I extended my hand in greeting.
“Hello. I’m Song Yeon Woo of Songhadan Distillery. You’re our first customer today.”
“Ah… ah! Hello! I’m…….”
“Th… hey! Shh!”
“Oh! I’m a fan!”
The man who’d arrived late said something, and the woman seemed to snap back to herself, startled, blurting out the obvious.
Since nothing changed regardless, I pulled out a bottle of Meari: Autumn that I’d prepared.
“Thank you for coming. It wasn’t too cold waiting, was it?”
“Ah! No, no! It was fine! Completely fine!”
The label design on Meari: Autumn—of which we’d brought only 300 bottles for this popup store—exuded a sophistication that surpassed the original.
Though all I’d done was describe the image I felt seeing the fragrance appear like a fairy.
Ha Jeong had heard nothing more than that and clapped her hands, painting the picture.
Perhaps that process hadn’t been meaningless at all.
The customer’s gaze remained fixed on the label.
“Wow… this is perfect for collecting…….”
“Spirits are meant to be drunk.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Since she was a first-time visitor, I’d spent all night perfecting the signature, wrote it out carefully, and added the number 1 beneath it.
Watching her accept the bottle with such unbridled joy, I found myself catching that same warmth.
I was in the middle of writing a signature and the number 2 for the man who’d followed her when it happened.
“Um… Boss… is it possible that…….”
“I’d appreciate your discretion.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You came because you love alcohol, not because you’re a celebrity here.”
The man’s eyes widened in surprise at my words.
Yes, I’d already known.
That voice—I’d heard it often enough on television. How could I not recognize it?
Especially with that distinctive yellow hair.
“Besides, it’s thanks to customers like you that we’re able to make fine spirits. I’m grateful for that.”
“Oh, no, no. It’s just that Su Bin here loves alcohol so much…… Well, if we could be of help, that’s what matters. If you’d like an autograph…….”
“That’s kind of you, but there seem to be quite a few other people waiting.”
“Ah, yes…….”
At my words, the man glanced back over his shoulder.
Behind him, a crowd was steadily approaching.
Several had already formed a line.
Department Store staff stood nearby, absorbed in organizing the queue.
So many people desired Songhadan’s spirits.
It was a strange, new feeling.
“You must be quite busy. I hope business flourishes.”
“Yes… and the same to you, sir.”
That level of courtesy struck just the right note.
What followed was an endless blur of activity.
One customer pulled out their Tasting Notes to confirm what they’d sensed was accurate, while another asked if I could write a personal message beneath the signature.
Some even treated me like a celebrity.
“Um… B-boss! I’m a fan!”
“Yes?”
“Would it be all right if we took a photo together?”
It was an unexpected taste of celebrity life, but not an unpleasant one.
From self-described YouTubers to representatives of major liquor suppliers—the variety was striking.
I’d thought it would simply be a matter of sitting still, watching customers, and signing a few bottles. But gradually, my pockets began filling with business cards.
“Oh! That’s right! The executive also wanted one of the signed bottles! He said he’d definitely display it in the company lobby.”
“I’ll set aside one of these 300 bottles and sign it specially for him. But why does he attach such importance to my signature…….”
“It’s gratitude. The Tasting Service we run through Joojoo Daily has become completely established because of you.”
This was news to me.
Before my return, I’d heard there were various complications when this system first launched.
But this time, things appeared different.
“Once we added your Meari to the service, the response was explosive. Thanks to that, our executive’s been drowning in profits lately. Ha ha ha!”
“That’s fortunate.”
“So, about that… how much stock remains of Meari: Autumn?”
“We have enough for our delivery commitments to Joojoo Daily, so you needn’t worry.”
“Phew. That’s a relief. The executive specifically asked me to check.”
After exchanging a few words about business with So Hyun, the event—hardly distinguishable from a fan meeting—continued unabated.
How much time had passed that way?
“Songhadan Popup Store! ‘Meari: Autumn’ stock completely sold out!”
The moment our store attendant announced this loudly, disappointment settled across the faces of those still waiting.
And no wonder—in less than ten minutes, all 300 bottles we’d prepared were gone.
It was regrettable, but unavoidable.
Songhadan simply wasn’t at a scale yet where we could have satisfied all of them.
But in preparing this popup, we hadn’t aimed solely at selling 300 bottles.
“We’re holding a tasting event over here!”
“Come take a photo with the owner!”
“What? Oh. Ah! Yes, yes. Of course I should. Ha ha.”
All the customers who hadn’t managed to purchase Meari: Autumn were still enjoying the popup.
Each face gleamed with interest and delight, and my heart lifted at the sight.
“This is wonderful…….”
“You think so too, Ha Jeong? I feel the same way.”
“We’ll just have to work harder, sir!”
I want to bring happiness to many people through Songhadan’s spirits.
To do that, we’ll need to grow even more.
“Isn’t that precisely why we’re preparing Dongjungchun?”
“That’s right. Se Jun tasted it once and got so enthusiastic about it.”
“I can’t keep up with Se Jun’s passion…….”
Ha Jeong clicked her tongue, remarking on Se Jun’s fervor.
But from where I stood, she was no less driven—if anything, equally so.
This result, right now, was thanks to everyone’s efforts.
Three hundred bottles, all sold in just ten minutes.
I was standing there, brimming with a quiet, swelling pride.
“Sir, would you happen to have a moment?”
“Ah, yes, hello. You were the one who purchased earlier…….”
“You remember! I’m Choi Yoon Seong, a reporter from Korea Daily News.”
The business card he extended bore the unmistakable names of Korea Daily News and the word “reporter.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d like to do an interview. Would that be alright?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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