City of Witches Chapter 154

The living room, which rarely had any visitors, was quite messy.

It wasn't overtly dirty since the vacuum cleaner was run diligently, but rather, various small items were piled up here and there.

After roughly tidying up, Siwoo lay sprawled on the living room sofa, sipping a can of beer.

-Ssssssss!

"Hmmm..."

Perhaps because it was quiet, he could clearly hear the sound of Sharon washing herself.

It felt a bit awkward.

It wasn't like he had any ulterior motives when he let her in, but as a man, wasn't it inevitable to feel a slight tremor wondering what might happen next?

-Click!

The bathroom door right next to the entrance opened, and Sharon slipped out quietly.

He was careful with his gaze, worried she might not be properly dressed, but seeing her head straight for the living room, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Hey, thanks."

"Ah, it's nothing."

One of the basic skills of a Witch is using Magic to make hair fluffy after a shower.

Since Witches are inherently female and it's good training for controlling Magic down to the finest details of the body, it's one of the training methods recommended even for Apprentice Witches.

Thanks to that, Sharon's hair was perfectly dry, as if she had showered long ago.

However, it seemed unavoidable for her cheeks, faintly flushed like ripe peaches, and the skin on her neck.

Rubbing her cheeks slowly with her palms to express her gratitude, Sharon pointed to the spot next to Siwoo with her fingertip and asked.

"Can I sit?"

"Make yourself comfortable. Want a beer too?"

"Sure."

Sharon plopped down next to Siwoo as if exhausted.

In that moment, the scent of the same shampoo Siwoo used wafted from her fluttering hair, followed by her unique body scent tickling his nose.

"Beer after a shower... It's been a while since I had this too."

Sharon cast a slight spell on the beer Siwoo had taken out earlier, making it even cooler.

And she gulped it down.

"Ahhh...! Good!"

But isn't this too close?

The living room sofa was a four-seater.

Moreover, it was a high-end model with a footrest for stretching out legs and watching TV comfortably.

Yet, Sharon deliberately sat right next to Siwoo, at a distance where their elbows would touch with just a slight movement.

Siwoo seriously pondered whether he should attach meaning to this or not.

"What are you thinking so deeply about?"

"It's nothing. Are you going to stay in those clothes?"

"Ah, I'll change! I brought my pajamas."

Sharon tried to get up with a grunt but then slumped back against the sofa as if her muscles had melted.

Her reluctance was evident.

"Wow... I really don't want to move."

Whether she had washed away her worries with the hot water, Sharon's face, wearing a faint smile, shone brightly.

This wasn't an exaggeration; Sharon, being a Witch and a beauty, was as stunning as Amelia, to the point where it was hard to look at her for too long.

When Siwoo didn't respond, Sharon, who had been looking straight ahead, shifted only her eyes to glance at him.

"Why?"

He didn't know why his heart felt so ticklish.

Was it the scent of a budding romance or just his own hypersensitivity...

"Ah, no. I'm going to order some late-night food. What do you want to eat?"

"Late-night food?"

Sharon turned her body abruptly to look at Siwoo.

Even though he treated her often, each time she reacted as if she had heard news of winning the lottery.

Her appearance was so cute he had to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising.

"Yeah, what did you say you wanted to eat last time?"

"I... I'm fine with whatever you want."

Though Sharon had brightened up, it seemed she still felt awkward about only receiving from Siwoo.

Still, instead of refusing, suggesting that Siwoo choose the menu was very much like Sharon.

"Just name a few types, and I'll order from a good place I know. Korean, Japanese, Western, Chinese. Pick one."

Upon hearing the four suggestions, Sharon immediately put on a serious expression, furrowing her brows as she fell into thought.

As if deciding a matter of great importance in her life, Sharon counted on her fingers and proposed...

"Um... then Chinese?"

"Chinese? How about Malatang?"

"Malatang? I've never tried it before."

"Then let's go with that."

Whether it was wildly popular among female college students these days, bustling Malatang shops were overflowing everywhere.

Based on his observations so far, Sharon's taste buds had subtly adapted well to local flavors, so he thought she might like it.

Additionally, Siwoo generously ordered Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork) just in case she didn't like it.

Sharon couldn't hide her excitement, like a child waiting for Santa.

"What does it taste like? Is it spicy? I heard it's spicy."

"I ordered the mildest version."

"Korea has so many delicious things. I think I've learned about them thanks to you. Thank you."

"Hey, hey, stop saying thank you. It's embarrassing."

"If I'm thankful, shouldn't I say thank you? What else should I do?"

Sharon was someone who laughed very easily.

Even in this short conversation, she had laughed three times.

And then a brief silence.

Isn't that common?

That moment during a conversation when the timing slightly misaligns, and both people's words stop Simultaneously.

But it seemed only Siwoo felt awkward; Sharon calmly stretched and got up from her seat.

"I'll just put my suitcase in the room and change clothes."

"Already? You said you were tired. Do it after eating."

"No, having beer gave me some energy."

Sharon, showing a small muscle flex, swished away as she dragged her suitcase into the room.

While Sharon was in the room rustling around, Siwoo laid out the delivered Malatang on the dining table.

He had added so many extra ingredients that the container seemed about to overflow, and just as he was transferring it to a large bowl—

Sharon opened the door and came out.

"Uh..."

Seeing Sharon's outfit, Siwoo couldn't help but freeze on the spot.

And for good reason—there was simply too much exposed skin.

If Sharon had a personal color, it would be mint; bright turquoise suited her incredibly well.

Her mysteriously shining eyes, as if she were wearing colored contacts at a Halloween party, and the partially mixed shades in her deep green hair—

It all matched perfectly without feeling contrived.

And here she was, wearing mint-colored dolphin shorts.

Moreover, on top was a white Tank Top.

Her long, fully exposed legs, the yoga-like top clinging tightly to her upper body—he had no idea where to look.

Especially because her chest, which made its presence strongly known even under the loose boxy tee, swayed subtly with each step, making it extremely disconcerting.

What should he call that kind of outfit?

Girlfriend-living-together look?

"What? Is something missing?"Sharon paid no mind to Siwoo’s reaction, striding over and rustling through the receipts.

Only then did Siwoo realize.

Unlike Siwoo, who couldn’t even change into pajamas because he was self-conscious, Sharon could act this comfortably for a reason.

She wasn’t paying any attention to Siwoo at all.

In other words, she didn’t even think of him as a man.

Otherwise, no matter how casual indoor wear might be, would she really wander around in front of him like that?

“No, let’s eat.”

The human heart is truly fickle. Even after firmly declaring he had no ulterior motives, seeing Sharon’s behavior left him feeling a bit bitter.

And Siwoo’s suspicion turned into certainty thanks to Sharon sitting across from him.

Because she sat pulled right up to the table, her chest stood out prominently.

Through the white fabric, two faint protrusions were visible.

In other words, she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Cough, cough! Ugh... what’s with the chili oil...”

Whether Siwoo opened his mouth in flustered dismay or not, Sharon wrinkled her face as if smelling the mala tang and about to sneeze.

In Western cultures, going braless might be normal, but Siwoo’s sense of sexual awareness wasn’t that advanced yet.

But what could he even say about this?

Could he say, “Your nipples are stimulating my gaze even through your clothes, so could you please wear a bra?” Of course not.

He’d just have to keep his mouth shut until she noticed herself.

No, maybe she already knew and was doing this on purpose.

Perhaps satisfied with her first taste of mala tang, Sharon diligently devoured the amount equivalent to eight servings.

Of course, for Siwoo, who had to struggle to tear his gaze away from the pair of peaks that temptingly swayed and tried to capture his attention every time she picked up food, it was a time of torment and agony.

The two, now full, decided to lie side by side on the sofa and watch a movie at Siwoo’s suggestion.

Preparations.

Draw the blackout curtains in the living room and turn off the lights.

Grab popcorn freshly popped in the microwave and some beer, then lean back on the sofa as if lying down.

With a 146-inch TV and booming surround sound speakers, it was possible to have a viewing experience truly rivaling a movie theater.

“This is my first time watching a movie.”

Once again, Sharon sat particularly close to Siwoo, fidgeting her hips even before the movie properly began.

Each time, a fragrant scent wafted over, like fluttering a piece of paper sprayed with perfume.

Now, rather than finding her behavior cute, pity rose in him first.

“You really just lived to make money, huh?”

“I have to catch Homunculi quickly to have a way to sell legacies and make a fortune.”

“About how much do legacies usually go for?”

“They’re put up for auction through Witch Points, and if that happens, the first bidding right goes to the Witches of Gehenna.

Those Witches sometimes bid even higher. Well, it varies by type, but... if it’s just research documents, maybe from 10 million to 1 billion won. For Artifacts, two or three times that. And for Gnosis’s Eggs, depending on the type, waaay more.”

He could understand why Sharon wasn’t desperately clinging to her convenience store part-time job.

For her, the main source of income wasn’t the part-time wages but hunting Homunculi.

“So far, I’ve only managed to get scraps of documents, but who knows? If I get a Gnosis’s Egg, maybe I could clear my debt in one go?”

Even as she spoke, her tone lacked much confidence.

Siwoo realized anew that the Law of Shadows the Twins had handed over held immense value.

Anyway, Siwoo’s choice today was “The Notebook.”

It was ranked number one among movies that make men cry because of their girlfriends.

The plot was about a protagonist who truly loved his wife, now an old man, telling their long and arduous love story to his wife suffering from dementia so she could remember.

But for Siwoo, observing Sharon’s reactions was more interesting than the movie’s content.

Is it that first experiences of anything are interesting, or should he say her reactions were rich?

“Is that what excitement is? Why is that woman acting like that?”

“Did they fall in love? But why?”

“Oh dear... how could they...”

“No, sigh... Still, she shouldn’t have left!”

“This is really frustrating! They were even engaged, and now what does she think she’s doing? Leave the protagonist alone, you bad woman!”

Until the middle part, Sharon grew heated, chewing popcorn noisily like an ajumma watching a makjang drama, expressing her frustration.

However, as the movie reached its climax, her hand reaching for the popcorn stopped.

Tears streamed down from her eyes, fixed intently on the screen.

Yet, as if determined not to miss a single scene, the rims of her eyes watching the movie were particularly red.

Finally, the love story of the man and woman ended with the protagonist passing away simultaneously with his beloved wife.

“.........”

“Ahem.”

Siwoo operated the remote to turn on the lights.

Even so, Sharon still seemed lost in the afterglow of the movie, staring blankly at the screen, tears dripping down.

Now that he looked, that popcorn in her hand...

It seemed like she had been holding it like that for about 30 minutes.

It was as if she had turned into a statue in that state.

Seeing Sharon crying for no reason, Siwoo felt a bit of regret.

Should he have just chosen a decent Hollywood movie or an action film?

He wondered if choosing this movie, thinking, “She’s a girl, so she’ll probably like romance,” had unnecessarily made her more depressed.

“Sniff.”

Sharon finally moved the popcorn she had been holding for so long into her mouth and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“It’s so... fun, but so sad... To be able to create such emotions in just two hours... Humans are truly amazing.”

Sharon murmured dazedly in admiration.

“Was it a mistake to watch this? Let’s watch fun movies from now on.”

“Huh? No, no, I totally enjoyed it and found it moving. I want to watch it again next time too. But, just for today, can’t we watch one more? I think I like romance movies.”

“Hmm... Well then...”

The proverb says a thief who learns late doesn’t know the day is dawning.

That day, Sharon and Siwoo watched a total of three romance movies until daybreak.

Author’s Note (Afterword)

If you haven’t seen “The Notebook,” you must watch it!

It’s on Netflix!