City of Witches Chapter 321

Though Periwinkle now leads a leisurely life, having stepped back from management, she was once said to have personally run a hotel.

However, even she knew little about host bars, so Takasho first explained the basic revenue structure of a host bar.

First, the basic cover charge, which is set the moment you enter.

This fee includes a base of simple snacks like cheese and ham, wine, and a bottle of champagne.

"Similar to reserving a table at a club."

"Yes, that's correct. We also have three tiers of cover charges, differentiated by the champagne provided."

"The cheapest is Dom Pérignon Blanc, next is Rosé 2000, and then the 1995 vintage?"

"That's right."

"Hmm... Alright, continue."

Next, the Witch designates a host to sit with her.

There is no separate nomination fee; the host entertains the Witch with various antics and provides a range of amusements.

Drinking together, engaging in conversation.

"In other words, hitting on them?"

"It's not merely hitting on them. It's about prioritizing the Witches' pleasure and allowing them to experience a ticklish emotion they don't usually feel."

If a Witch doesn't specifically nominate anyone or is a first-time customer, the hosts rotate approximately every 15 minutes.

"Like sampling fragrances at a perfume shop, it's a chance to see which host's face appeals to you most."

"And then?"

"The Witch, sufficiently entertained, gifts premium drinks for the host seated with her."

When a Witch orders premium drinks from the establishment, additional revenue is generated.

"Receiving drinks as gifts from a Witch is the most ideal form of income."

"Roughly as I knew. And then?"

"If they really take a liking, they arrange an 'after' or go for a second round. In such cases, a modest outcall fee must be paid to the establishment, and for any tips or other gifts, 30% goes to the venue and the remaining 70% to the host."

In other words, this host bar's revenue structure is:

Cover charge + drinks ordered separately by the Witch + outcall fee + 30% of tips.

Periwinkle listened to Takasho's explanation and crossed her arms.

For Siwoo, who had heard this spiel from Takasho until his ears were calloused, it was just as expected, but it seemed she needed to organize her own thoughts.

"Seeing is believing. Shall we test it out first?"

Typical Periwinkle.

At her bold declaration to dive right in, Takasho showed no sign of panic and bowed respectfully.

"Then, we shall serve you with our utmost service."

"No, do it as usual, just as usual. I need to get a better feel for what it's like."

"Yes, then..."

-Snap!

As Takasho snapped his fingers, five handsome men walked in, step by step.

Approximately an hour later.

As the first customer, Periwinkle quite enjoyed conversing and sharing drinks with the hosts.

Siwoo, turned into a mere sack of barley watching Periwinkle and the hosts.

Frankly, he was a little impressed.

First of all, they were all good-looking.

The men wore suits well-tailored, and their restrained movements and adept hospitality showed traces of training.

Fully aware their clients were Witches, not ordinary women, they were not frivolous but refined.

They created an atmosphere akin to being courted in a salon.

Of course, one or two seemed nervous and made minor mistakes, but Periwinkle, in good spirits, chuckled and let it slide.

"Alright, that's enough."

"It was a delightful time, my lady. I hope you'll seek out Paul again next time."

With Paul, who knelt on one knee like a man proposing, kissed the back of her hand, and exited, Periwinkle's host bar tasting session ended, leaving her beaming.

The moment Paul left, Periwinkle glanced at Siwoo and gave a sly smile.

"So? How did I look chatting amiably with other men?"

No wonder she was acting particularly sweet and roundabout.

Was she plotting some jealousy-inducing strategy?

Siwoo retorted nonchalantly.

"I'm so jealous my heart is sizzling and about to burn up."

"This~ is a lie~"

Unlike Periwinkle, leisurely engaging in banter, Takasho's face was stiff with tension.

Like a chef whose painstakingly prepared dish is being evaluated, he dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.

Takasho cautiously asked.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, but I don't think I'll be coming back."

Periwinkle, who had been stroking her chin, threw a direct pitch so startling even Siwoo was taken aback.

Enough to make even the unflappable Takasho briefly lose control of his expression.

"Well, then... Oh, good sense."

"You flatter me."

As Periwinkle put a cigarette to her lips, Takasho swiftly approached and carefully lit it for her.

Even while pale-faced, he could still do that.

Takasho truly was a pro.

Siwoo inwardly admired him.

"Let's go point by point. First, I roughly understand the intent of this host bar. A feeling... how should I put it? That intermediate feeling you can't get at 'Hydrangea Garden' or a brothel?"

"Precisely."

Receiving utmost hospitality while conversing from a somewhat equal footing.

"I think the sales point itself was excellent. The boys are well-trained cuties, and there must be Witches who actually want that kind of drinking atmosphere, so there should be demand. It's novel, and with this level of freshness and lightness, even Witches usually uninterested in men might visit out of curiosity.

I've been feeling it since earlier, but the interior design is quite tasteful too.

Appropriately antique in a Gehenna-esque way, mixed seamlessly with modern sophistication, not garish but calm. Judging by the ambiance alone, it wouldn't lose to any nearby bars."

"Thank you!"

Periwinkle continued, flipping through the account books scattered on the table one by one.

At the positive praise, a bit of color returned to Takasho's face.

"Now, shall we look at this first?"

From within that thick stack of papers, Periwinkle, as if possessed, picked out the necessary document and showed the customer ledger.

"There were somewhat more people in the early days after opening?"

"Yes, we invited Witches we had connections with... Some also visited out of curiosity about a new establishment."

During the first week of the soft opening, 50 Witches came and went.

Considering the size of the establishment, it wasn't enough, but it wasn't a small number either.

"So how many came back?"

"... Three."“Shall I take a guess? There are three witches you personally invited because of a connection with you, right?”

“Yes.”

Siwoo could tell as well.

Among all those customers, every witch who visited the shop again later was a professor from Trinity Academy.

In other words, they came out of personal affection, not because they felt the shop itself had great merit.

“Haven’t you thought that’s a problem? What do you think is the reason?”

“…….”

For the first time, Takasho was at a loss for words.

Siwoo, who had been listening quietly beside him, also couldn’t grasp it at all.

He had said it was a business that should have sufficient demand.

He had said the service was decent.

But there were no repeat customers who visited again?

That meant there was some fundamental problem.

“Please! Bestow your wisdom upon this lacking one!”

Takasho performed a perfect dogeza, presenting a beautiful angle.

It was the flawless dogeza that Siwo had once marveled at, unable to hold back his admiration.

“Come over here and sit comfortably. Since I’m Siwoo’s friend, I’m going easy on you, okay?”

“I’ll remember that!”

Takasho walked over with eyes blazing with a strange fervor and sat down in front of Periwinkle.

“One biggest problem.”

She raised one slender finger and began to meticulously point out the issues she had analyzed.

“The structure subtly scratches the unique arrogance of witches. Not in a good way. In the sense of scratching until it festers.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“First, you’re positioning it as a high-end entertainment establishment, right? That’s why you opened the shop in Malcut Gallery, not Taro Town.”

“That’s correct.”

Periwinkle elegantly took a drag of her cigarette and then placed the remaining half into Siwoo’s mouth.

Then, leaning her upper body forward, she continued her detailed explanation.

“Alright, I’m Witch A, who came to the host bar for fun for the first time. My body’s all stiff and Magic Research is boring, so I’m feeling restless, and I heard a unique bar opened. And they say it’s a high-end bar where you can drink while receiving the utmost hospitality from handsome men.”

Takasho took out a notebook and pen, listening intently to her words while taking notes.

“But what’s this? As soon as I enter, 12 people greet me noisily? At that moment, I think, ‘This is a high-end bar…?’.

So, with mixed feelings, as soon as I’m guided to a seat, they explain the cover charge? Why not just put it on a tab later, why mention it upfront?

But there are three types of cover charges. I came here to be treated, but from the very start, the shop is trying to rank my tier? How dare they? Me, who even carved out time from my leisure to grace them with my presence?”

“Ah….”

“Right, let that slide for now, let’s look at the prices. 3 pounds, 5 pounds, 8 pounds….

The anger I had suppressed earlier surges again?

They explain in tedious detail how the price structure of the cover charge works and how the drinks change accordingly, all over this measly pocket change, and then tell me to order according to my means~?”

Takasho’s mouth gradually fell open at Periwinkle’s words.

Of course, there was absolutely no such intention behind the three-tiered cover charge.

It was to segment the base cost to attract as many customers as possible.

For that, the cheapest 3-pound (approximately 2.52 million KRW) option barely left any profit margin.

Honestly, even Siwoo hadn’t anticipated that witches would think that way.

“Moreover, the drinks served at that level aren’t high-end, they’re ambiguous entry-level ones. I have one question. Why on earth is the champagne Dom Pérignon? There are plenty of better ones.”

Takasho, sweating profusely under Periwinkle’s scathing criticism and unexpected points, answered.

“W-well, that has also become a symbol of the host bar… and if we go beyond that, the cost would be too expensive… more expensive liquors are for gifts and events….”

“That’s the second mistake.”

Periwinkle extended a second finger.

“This shop doesn’t understand the rich person’s mindset at all. Why are you trying to cater to mid-tier witches when you went so far as to open a shop in Malcut Gallery?”

“Mid-tier witches? I never thought of it that way….”

“Attracting as many customers as possible? Good, a very good idea. It would be an excellent strategy if the establishment you run were as big as a hotel and had enough capacity for each floor to have a different quality. But it’s not, is it?”

Periwinkle’s relentless, rapid-fire dealing was damaging even to Siwoo watching from the side.

“Considering the size of the shop, the customers you should target aren’t witches who come, take up a seat, and just pay the minimum cover charge. It’s the big spenders, the VVIPs. It’s better to secure one solid customer than to have ten mediocre ones sitting around.”

“Is that so?”

“The rich don’t want rational consumption. Even if they spend money lavishly, they want to be confirmed as someone more special than anyone else. How about it? Shall I help a bit more?”

Periwinkle subtly glanced at Siwoo with a look that said, ‘Aren’t I cool?’, while Siwoo inwardly admired her.

Even Siwoo, who had invited her, hadn’t expected her to identify the problems this quickly.

“I would be most grateful!”

“Then~ Shall we start with a nice glass of champagne?”

“I’ll bring it immediately!”

Periwinkle’s back-alley host bar consultation had only just begun.

Author’s Note (Author’s Afterword)

Will I be able to write one more chapter by 12 o’clock?