City ​​of Witches 324

Chapter 324 – #71_Gehenna’S Host Club (7)

#322

1.
At the very center of the host club.
Seated at table number one, Siwoo was being bombarded with a barrage of eager questions.

“Can you show me some magic?”

The first customer, who had lined up since dawn to be the first to enter, was looking at Siwoo with sparkling eyes.

The old Siwoo would have been half-terrified.
Actually, even now, he wasn’t exactly thrilled.
You really had to experience that look to understand it.
It felt like being a frog on a test bench.

But today, he had immediately set his mind right.
He had volunteered as bait for once, and if a customer who took the bait ended up with a bad experience and never returned, he wouldn’t be able to face Takasho.

“Of course, you came all this way because of me, so I should show you.”
“Really? You’ll really show me?”
“Bloom.”

In fact, for this level of magic, there was no need to even chant, but as a service, Siwoo conjured a clump of shadows.
The witch, with a crazed expression, drooling, brought a slide glass to the magic floating in Siwoo’s palm.

“U…ah! Uu…ah! It’s a shadow?”

For reference, that was a magic pattern collector made of quartz.
Quartz’s characteristic framework silicate structure is not only easy to store magic patterns, but also has superior durability compared to glass, making it a popular choice for collectors.

“Yes, it basically has a hook shape, which interferes with the manifestation of magic. These days, I’m working on combining it with elemental magic to achieve structural stability.”
“Really? Even elemental magic? It must be difficult to combine magic from different domains… You’re amazing!”

She was a very polite and kind witch, perfect as the first customer.
She even ordered a mid-grade liquor, feeling sorry for just taking up a seat.

“It’s an amorphous particle, so how do you bind it?”
“It’s not difficult if you use linear bonding to set up a virtual space. You just create the outline that way, and then connect the hooks.”
“Ah! So you’re going quite basic?”

And so began the magic discussion.
The question of whether this was really “a host’s hospitality” did cross his mind, but he was more comfortable with this.

“If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.”

The short, cute witch hesitated for a moment before asking Siwoo.

“Then, will you come to my house?”
“It’s a very kind offer, but I think that would be a bit difficult. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s probably a bit of an unreasonable request. I don’t have much money, so I don’t come to places like this often. I’ll be satisfied with the sample I got today.”

She was willing to back down here.
It was the complete opposite of what Siwoo had expected, who had anticipated a crazy obsession, and he even felt like he wanted to give her something.
While they were having various other conversations, the sand in the hourglass measuring 15 minutes ran out.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe I’m talking to a male witch in my life. I have to brag to my friends.”

The first witch, who had a good impression of Siwoo, got up from her seat with a happy gait.
He saw her off from her seat and sat back down.

“Is it not as big of a deal as I thought?”

He felt a bit of confidence that he could do well.
Witches basically looked down on men, but Siwoo’s position was a bit special.

He was a man, but he could also use magic.
Being able to start serving on a more equal footing was an overwhelming advantage that other hosts couldn’t have.

“Welcome. Thank you for visiting.”

Of course.
Not all witches thought that way.

The next witch who came in was a tall, blonde witch, about 175cm tall, and when she wore heels, she was about the same height as Siwoo.
As soon as he met her supermodel-like proportions and fierce gaze, he muttered to himself, ‘I’m screwed.’

Unlike the previous customer, who looked around curiously and sat down cautiously.
This witch sat down with her legs crossed, as if she was used to it.

“So, they’ve opened a host club in Gehenna. Good for them.”
“Hello. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Shin Siwoo, and I will be in charge of your service for 15 minutes.”

He introduced himself politely, following the etiquette he had learned from Takasho while standing, but all he got in return was a snort.

“So, you’re the guy who became a witch even though you’re a man?”

Not all witches thought of Siwoo’s existence as something strange or good.
For some witches, magic was a sanctuary.
Siwoo was an impure element who had invaded the sanctuary that was only allowed to them.

And a nasty impure element who was pretending to be a witch with magic he had learned over the shoulder.
It seemed that the second customer was not very pleased with Siwoo’s existence itself.

“I have been fortunate enough to become so.”
“I’m not particularly interested in your meager skills. I just came to see what you look like since you’re a spirit.”

Siwoo experienced a strange feeling.
Was it because he had the host emotion module installed by Takasho the previous day?
He wasn’t particularly bothered by the blatant provocation.

“Is that so? How do I look in person?”
“……”

Siwoo maintained a subtle smile for customer service as he opened the cork and poured champagne into a glass.
The witch didn’t even look at it, but stared intently at Siwoo’s face.
The witch, who had been moving her lips as if she was about to say something, but remained silent, saw Siwoo pouring the liquor and sitting down, and then spoke in a sharp voice.

“Is this your first time doing something like this?”
“Do I look awkward? I’m not usually a nervous person. But I feel a bit nervous being next to you, witch. I apologize if I offended you.”

This was the concept that Takasho had set up.
A handsome, innocent, single virgin.
An introverted nerd concept who didn’t even know he was handsome.

Honestly, when he first heard about the concept, he had a moment of ‘what the hell am I doing’ and felt like he was losing it.
But since it was true that he had been single for a long time, he could do method acting.

The witch frowned at Siwoo’s reaction, which casually brushed off her criticism.
She probably wanted to see him get flustered or angry, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Compared to when Amelia used to scold him with her full intensity, this was nothing.
It was like Amelia was giving him a barrage of fixed damage with a calm tone when she was angry.
This witch was like a cat hissing in front of him.

Unlike his days as a slave, his life wasn’t in danger just because he rubbed someone the wrong way.
It was like playing a B+ difficulty game after only playing S difficulty rhythm games.

“No? That’s not what I meant. Shouldn’t a host basically ask for the customer’s name first?”
“I apologize. May I ask for your name?”
“It’s too late, you’re lacking in the basics. And you’re not even using a pseudonym?”

Ah.
Come to think of it, there was that.
Except for the manager, Takasho, all the hosts working at the bar used their own pseudonyms.
Of course, Siwoo had given up on it because it was embarrassing, but it seemed that this witch had decided to pick on everything.

“You’re lacking in the basics, so what kind of service are you going to provide…”

This was the time to use one of the skills that Takasho had taught him.
Siwoo, who had been avoiding eye contact with his soft gaze, looked directly into the witch’s eyes.

Takasho said.
If you want to flatter and lie, look into a woman’s eyes with the heart of a clear mirror.
Women do not doubt lies that are made while making eye contact.
Lana.

“You suddenly got serious? Are you angry? If you get angry at this level, you’re not qualified as a host. I bought your time to have fun, you know?”
“I forgot something important.”

She seemed to be angry at the excessive provocation, but her tone was soft, the complete opposite.
The witch seemed flustered by the incongruity and raised her eyes.

“Then, would you give me a name, witch?”
“What? Why would I?”
“If it’s a name given by you, I think I can cherish it while working as a host.”

It’s only been two weeks.
He hid those words inside.

As soon as he finished that line, the witch’s eyes, which had been consistently venomous, were seen shaking back and forth.
She was also seen swallowing her saliva.
In contrast, Siwoo maintained a calm smile and responded to the service with the heart of a saint.

“……”

No matter how much she tried to provoke him, he didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
If that was all, she might have been more competitive and angry.
But he had admitted his mistake and apologized, and was handing over a ‘special role’ of asking her to give him a name.

The meaning of a name in witch society was deeper than one might think.
Even if it was just a pseudonym for a host.
And decisively, it seemed that the closer she looked, the more handsome he was…

“My name is… Ceres Sikonax.”
“It’s the name of a goddess. It suits you very well.”
“Really? I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Then, what would be a good name for me? We still have about 10 minutes left, so it might be fun to think about it together.”

This man was suddenly coming in hot.
Ceres, who had been attacked in an unexpected area, blinked her eyes and crossed her arms.
The rejection of the arrogant title of male witch had already been diluted, and instead, she was now thinking about what kind of name would be a bit stylish.

“Hmm, what would be good?”

Takasho, who was listening to the conversation next to them, had a satisfied smile on his face.
He had been worried because she was a picky customer from the start.
But it was an unnecessary worry.

Siwoo, who had seduced not one, not two, but three witches, and even a trainee witch, was not the Siwoo of the past.

Look at him now.
He didn’t seem to intend it, but he was naturally flirting.

From experience, that unrefined charm appeal was fatal to women’s hearts.
The reason why makeup that looks like you didn’t try is popular among women is because it’s not artificial.

When Takasho was at the top, all the juniors who had been closely following him had that kind of vibe.
They were all soft-hearted, so they usually failed at customer management or ended up falling in love, and they retired soon after.

If this was Kabukicho.
If Siwoo had gained enough experience and competed with Takasho, who would have been the winner?
Siwoo’s service was excellent in many ways, to the point where he had such silly thoughts.

After that, there were no major troubles.
Takasho, with his quick wit that he had gained from working in host clubs, supplemented the parts that the customers needed before they even asked.

The 30 hosts, who had been training in customer service for almost three months, also satisfied the witches without any major problems.
They had temporarily banned second appointments, considering the number of customers that would be coming in, but it seemed that many witches were already thinking about second appointments.

And so, the grand debut of Glass Rose in Gehenna ended lavishly.

At 2 a.m., when the witches had left and the place had become quiet.
The hosts, who were full of exhaustion, gathered in the center of the bar after finishing cleaning.

“Attention!”

It was time to settle the accounts since the day’s business was over.

“Everyone worked hard today. I think your efforts have paid off.”

Takasho stood on the stairs and encouraged his colleagues who had struggled for the day.
Standing on the stairs, he looked at the faces of the hosts who had been through thick and thin with him for the past few months with a calm gaze.
They were all exhausted from serving customers while being nervous and drinking, and from working for over 12 hours and cleaning up, but their expressions were bright.
Some of them were even grinning.

“Now, I will announce today’s sales.”

At that moment, everyone was nervous.

“Daily sales: 2,112 gold pounds.”
“Huh…?”
“Huh?”
“T-two thousand pounds?”

The hosts were in an uproar at the staggering amount, their minds going blank.
Even Siwoo, who had collapsed and was leaning against the stairs after dealing with over 100 witches in a row, was gaping.
Roughly 1.7 billion won and 74.08 million won in one day.
Maybe it was because it was money, but he could do the mental calculations quickly.

“If we take out the cost of the liquor… 1,267 pounds.”
“……”
“……”

The commotion subsided and silence fell.
Of course, if they excluded the monthly debt and interest, the cost of the side dishes, labor costs, basic liquor sets, and other management costs, it would drop by half.
But if they only calculated the cost of the liquor, they would have a net profit of 1 billion won and 64.44 million won.

In just.
One day.
Everyone was dumbfounded as they looked at Takasho, who was continuing his announcement in a calm voice.

“There will be a special circumstance because it’s the first day. It won’t be like this every day. And we’ll be busy tomorrow and the day after, so for a while. Don’t let your guard down and rest.”
“……”
“……”
“But still…”

Takasho lowered his head and clenched his fist, shedding hot tears.

“We did it! Guys! You worked so hard! Please continue to do well in the future!!!!”
“Hwaaaah!!! Takasho hyungniiiiiim!”
“It’s all thanks to Shin Siwoo! Praise him, you guys! He’s my friend!”
“Siwoo! Siwoo! Siwoo!”
“Takasho! Takasho! Takasho!”

After that, it was a scene of chaos that made them feel like they had to clean up again.
They hugged each other and jumped around, while they put Takasho on their shoulders and ran around the place, and Siwoo was tossed in the air several times.

The reward for the hard work they had put in to reduce the deficit every day, to worry about their jobs that could disappear at any time, and to desperately hone their customer service skills that they didn’t know if they would be useful, was too sweet.

Siwoo and Takasho put their arms around each other’s shoulders and danced for a long time, cheering like crazy.
It was a wonderful night where a man’s dream came true.