City of Witches Chapter 67

Takasho, still unable to grasp the situation, grabbed Siwoo by the wrist and guided him to the second-floor manager's office.

“Wow! My soul friend! Shin Siwoo! You look good!”

The moment the door closed, Takasho spread his arms and pulled him into a tight hug.

A rich, lingering Fragrance scent wafted strongly, easing some of the awkwardness.

He had expected Takasho to be incredibly happy to see him, but seeing how much he had changed, the feeling of “What on earth happened?” outweighed the “It’s good to see you after so long.”

“You look even better? What’s all this? It’s not a hidden camera, is it?”

Takasho took a bottle and glasses from the showcase, then poured for both Siwoo and himself.

The sparkling luxury watch on his wrist was a bonus.

“Hey, buddy, who do you think I am? I’m the man from Hokkaido, the unshakable six-story pagoda, the former No. 1 ace of Kabukicho, Mimaya Takasho.”

Seeing him plop down on the sofa with his frivolous laugh and tone, there was no doubt this man was Takasho.

But he looked so different from when he always wore shabby work clothes and scratched his crotch.

Honestly, if someone showed a photo of him now and asked what his job was, you’d say he was a young, rich entrepreneur.

“I’ve been taking care of myself lately, so I don’t drink much. But when a friend comes, of course we have to drink. Have one. It’s a new import.”

This bastard, he looks good.

Seeing that the friend he’d been secretly worried about seemed to be doing well, Siwoo’s mood lifted too.

Riding the cheerful atmosphere, Siwoo pulled out his secret weapon from his bag.

“Nice, let’s have this with it.”

“Th-this is…?”

Takasho, who had been sitting on the sofa with his arms spread in a successful businessman pose, shot upright.

One of the secret weapons Siwoo had prepared.

Instant ramen.

But not just any ramen.

It was an instant ramen that cost nearly 6,000 won per pack, using liquid soup base to perfectly replicate the local tonkotsu broth.

“I remembered you always singing about wanting ramen, wanting ramen, so I stocked up. About 50 packs.”

“Fifty packs…? This… Ichiran ramen…! This is my favorite…!”

Takasho practically crawled on the floor to gather the scattered ramen packs into his arms.

He looked exactly like a drug addict who’d discovered a secret stash.

“Siwoo… Siwoo… Takasho… is so glad Siwoo is his friend… You know when I used to call you a ‘Joseon-jing,’ it was all a joke, right?”

Takasho even teared up as he bowed deeply.

Truly, a native Japanese bow had a different level of sincerity.

“Hey, Takasho, get up, look at the rest, and bow again. More respectfully.”

“Yes! Goshujin-sama! Woof woof!”

Siwoo emptied two bags in front of Takasho.

Out tumbled potato chips, Japanese cigarettes Takasho had said he missed, comfortable underwear, a razor and replacement blades, various Japanese instant foods, an instant camera and film, and even a collection of photo books of an actress he liked.

Having lived in Gehenna himself, Siwoo knew exactly what you’d miss if you didn’t have it.

He’d made a list of everything he thought Takasho might need and packed it all.

“Hwaaah… Haaah… So good…! So good…! Takasho might just die of happiness…!”

Watching Takasho rolling around on the floor in delight, Siwoo couldn’t help but smile contentedly.

With two bags of potato chips opened and warm ramen in front of them, the two chatted.

To Siwoo’s question about what exactly had happened, Takasho answered.

“After you left, I did a lot of thinking too. You lived the same slave life as me, but you learned proper Magic and succeeded. I felt so empty, wondering what the hell I’d been doing all that time.”

Every time Takasho slurped the noodles, he made an ecstatic face, then drank the broth and trembled as if reaching a climax.

As the gift-giver, nothing was more satisfying than seeing someone enjoy it that much.

“So I thought I should try pursuing my dream too.”

“Dream?”

“It felt too empty to just die as a joy-boy for the Witches.

Becoming the owner of a host bar. Isn’t that what you’d call the true king of the night? A man should dream big.”

Takasho gulped down his drink, then thumped his chest as he spoke.

“So I went to Count Adonai. As you know, the Adonai Trading Company handles Gehenna’s logistics. I asked if he’d lend me money to start a business.”

“And he lent it to you?”

It was true that Takasho was quite popular with many Witches, but he was still just a slave.

No matter how remote the area, setting up a shop this size on prime land in Renomond Town would require a significant amount of money…

“I explained thoroughly. As you know, Gehenna lacks entertainment. Especially places for Witches to relieve their lust-filled bodies—there are only two.

The Velvet Brothel in Taro Town and the ‘Hydrangea Garden’ at the Levana Grand Bathhouse. That’s it.

So our host bar perfectly fills the gap in between.

For Witches who aren’t rich enough to buy a bathhouse membership, for those who want not just physical relations but the ticklish push-and-pull, the feeling of being treated special, the emotions of a pseudo-romance.”

“Sounds plausible.”

“And, I staked my life on it. If the business doesn’t turn a profit within a year, and doesn’t break even within three years, I’ll volunteer to be a Magic Experimental Subject.”

Siwoo chuckled.

He naturally thought it was a joke embellished with bravado.

But Takasho’s expression was utterly serious.

It was the look in a man’s eyes.

“Are you insane?”

“Compared to the fifty years of a human life, it’s but a fleeting dream. Who, once born, does not die?”

“…….”

“Shin Siwoo, I’m serious.”

This is dizzying.

It’s commendable that a friend has grand ambitions and is spreading his wings, but staking his life on it seems a bit reckless.

Siwoo thought to himself that if things went wrong, he’d have to ask his Master for help.

He couldn’t just sit back and watch his friend volunteer for Magic experiments and become a test subject.

But there was no need to worry prematurely, so he continued the conversation.

“So, is the operation going well?”

“We’re still in the soft-opening phase, but the business potential is there.”

“How do you handle things like management?”

“We train slaves with decent looks who come in as public slaves to be hosts, and we import alcohol directly through the Adonai Trading Company. Count Adonai has direct connections with both the city hall and the trading company, which is why I went to him.”

It seemed reckless and a bit vague.

But still…

“You bastard, you’re cool.”"Right? I think the same thing every time I look in the mirror."

Honestly, it looks cool.

Not the neat change in outward appearance, but the passion that would risk even their life for a dream.

"Anyway, friend, since we're meeting after so long, let's hear how you've been. Did you get a girlfriend?"

A girlfriend...

Well, someone incredibly close to that has appeared.

I should introduce her to Takasho sometime.

"I did, actually. Is she a Witch, by any chance?"

"You're like a ghost, you bastard."

"If you have a photo, show me. What's her name?"

"Sharon Evergreen."

"Wow, even her name is pretty. Let's see~"

I opened my phone's Gallery and showed the few photos I had of Sharon.

Takasho swiped through the phone, looking at the pictures.

There were no properly posed shots.

Just some selfies we took together while living together, occasionally when eating something delicious or when we went out somewhere?

Moreover, no matter how generously you put it, Siwoo's photography skills were hard to call excellent.

But Sharon's appearance, which was flawless from any angle, and her excellent bust transformed even these casually taken photos into pictorials.

"You damn Jap."

Takasho's eyebrows rose menacingly as he scanned the photos.

"You go on dates with this noona, ask 'What do you want to eat today?', and engage in irresponsible, indiscriminate carpet bombing in bed? You're living a daily life where you have sex to your heart's content, sleep in, wake up rubbing sleepy eyes, share a sweet morning kiss, then share a cozy coffee together, and when your eyes meet, you smack each other's butts?"

"Wow, what the hell, what are you?"

He's hitting all the marks.

It's a bit scary.

"You deceitful bastard!"

"Well... you've been with plenty of Witches too."

"Siwoo... I've told you over and over... Witches aren't girlfriends to me... Sigh... I'm jealous. Damn, I should've studied Magic harder too."

With an almost tearful expression, Takasho kept swiping, and what caught his eye next was

a photo of another Witch.

This time, it was Eloa.

It was a relatively recent photo, taken right after sparring, when she suddenly appeared in front of Siwoo, who was photographing the sunset, and playfully messed with him.

A tremor ran through Takasho's body.

"Hey, Jap. Who is this lady?"

"Uh... a Witch I know. She's teaching me various things right now."

"Vaaarious thiiings? Whaaat thiiings? You bastard! Are you messing with me now? Is this why you came to meet me?"

"You said you wanted to see it, so hand over the phone, man!"

Takasho, furious and flailing, started swiping through the photos faster and faster.

After some sparsely taken photos of the Master, there were photos taken when the Twins came to play in the Mortal Realm.

There, Takasho's hand stopped with a jolt.

It was a photo with Siwoo in the middle and the Twins pressing their faces tightly against his until their soft cheeks were squished.

I still remember Odil and Odette bickering back then, each trying to get more of their own face in the shot.

Anyway, you couldn't deny they looked suspiciously close.

"These are the Gemernai Twins. Hey, Shin Siwoo. You told me to just look at Apprentice Witches."

"Give it back now."

"They say a thief who learns late doesn't know he's staying up all night..."

Siwoo snatched the phone back in shock.

He had completely forgotten about this photo.

After simmering down for a moment, Takasho's expression became one of enlightenment.

"That's right, come to think of it, I'm your Master. It must be a Master's heart to rejoice in their disciple's successive victories."

"Can't say you're wrong."

After all, the proportion of Takasho's advice that was actually efficient was quite high.

"So, speaking of which. Do you want to work at our shop?"

"No thanks, I have to go back soon anyway. I'll visit often to hang out."

"Is that so?"

Takasho, who had shown an anger that might have been jealousy or something, whether it was a joke or not, soon broke into a refreshing smile.

Actually, he's always been like this.

A friend who genuinely cheers you on when things go well.

"Next time, introduce me to your girlfriend. I'll properly build up your pride."

"She actually said she wanted to meet you after I talked about you."

Just as we were about to continue our chat.

-Knock knock

Along with the knock, the blond man who had led Siwoo into the shop earlier entered.

"Sorry to interrupt your good time, gentlemen. Hyung-nim, someone from the Chamber of Commerce is here. I think you need to have a word with them."

"Which side?"

"Seems to be the person in charge of liquor distribution. There's been some trouble with tariffs this time."

"Is that so?"

Takasho straightened his disheveled suit and stood up.

He patted Siwoo's shoulder a few times and rose from his seat.

Standing up again, he had the unmistakable back of a proper businessman.

"Siwoo, sorry you came all this way. I have to go first today."

"No need to be sorry. I'll show my face again soon."

"Yeah, I'm really glad to see you're doing well. Next time, let's talk over drinks until we're completely wasted."

Thus, Takasho walked away.

As Siwoo was also preparing to leave, the blond man hesitated, looking at Siwoo.

"Um..."

"Is something the matter?"

"Are you close with Witches?"

"For now, yes."

"I don't know if I should say this, but there's something I'd like to ask of you... Actually, our Hyung-nim..."

Just as he was about to say something, Takasho's voice came at the perfect moment.

"What are you doing, Paul! You come too!"

"Yes! Hyung-nim! ...It's nothing. My apologies. Take care."

The blond man, who had been about to say something, left in a flash without a chance to speak.

A Word from the Author (Author's Note)

I slept wrong and my back won't straighten.

Agony from hell!