City ​​of Witches 169

Chapter 169 – #37_Friendship?(2)

#167
1.
Working at a convenience store is simple.
Scan barcodes for purchases, swipe cards or take cash and give change, sort disposables, stock shelves while checking inventory, and occasionally mop the floor. That’s about it.

Because of Sharon’s beauty, there were occasional troublemakers or overly clingy people, but that’s all in the past since she bought the ‘Thin Shadow’ charm specifically for that reason.

As the name suggests, it’s a charm that drastically reduces the wearer’s presence, and it’s no exaggeration to say that most witches in this era carry one. Witches are all blessed with stunning beauty, and beautiful looks tend to attract pests.

It’s not a high-performance artifact like Siwoo’s music box that completely eliminates magical energy or blocks out sound, but if it can get rid of annoying attention for 500,000 won, it’s a bargain. When I didn’t know about it and walked down the street, I’d get hit on every ten steps, no lie, which was exhausting.

“Should I quit this soon?”

Sharon glanced around the empty convenience store and plopped down on the chair behind the counter. Originally, she would study stocks or look into cryptocurrencies during this time. But after experiencing the bitter taste of both, her enthusiasm had waned. She ended up just spacing out.

Moreover, the reason Sharon had to work six hours a day was to cover basic living expenses, including rent. But now, she no longer needed to worry about rent, and it seemed more important to focus on making money while teaching Siwoo magic. If things continued like this, she’d end up completely relying on Siwoo.

“Siwoo… Siwoo, hmm….”

Sharon, with her arms crossed and legs crossed, muttered his name that had suddenly come to mind. She remembered what happened this morning.

The ‘Want to touch my chest event’ that Sharon had bravely prepared for Siwoo, who was feeling down and sad. Looking back, she thought it was quite bold. No matter how close they were, showing her bare chest was embarrassing and awkward.

“Honestly…”

Sharon had opened her chest in front of Siwoo and even let him fondle it. As a result, she had seen him regain his energy and become more cheerful than usual, so enduring the shame was a worthwhile endeavor.

Sharon absentmindedly stroked her chest.
‘Your chest is pretty.’
It was the first time she had ever heard that.

“Hmm…”

Is it really pretty? It’s just uncomfortable when I run, and it even has a dark spot. She had never shown it to a man before, so she lacked confidence and couldn’t tell if Siwoo’s words were just sweet talk.

Showing this to Siwoo and even letting him touch it…
In some more explicit movies, there are scenes where men caress women’s breasts during lovemaking. She was curious about what it felt like, but honestly, Sharon didn’t feel much of anything. Sometimes, when her nipples were pressed firmly by his thick palms, she felt a ticklish sensation, but it wasn’t much different from when she touched them herself.

“But why is this happening…”

But why does her face feel so hot whenever she thinks about that situation? Why does the skin on her chest that he touched feel tingly and hot? Romance movies never taught her about this.

Still, she felt proud. She could clearly feel that Siwoo liked it. Although she was aware that it was a bit shameful…

“So what? It’s not like I’m doing anything bad.”

She had told him to ask her to touch them whenever he was having a hard time, but kind Siwoo would never show that he was struggling, and even if he was, he was unlikely to ask Sharon directly. So, Sharon planned to offer it first from time to time.

Anyway, that’s enough daydreaming for today.
Before her shift ended, Sharon checked the store one last time and then happily left the convenience store.

“Huh?”

And then she suddenly noticed.
Her steps towards the apartment elevator felt as light as a feather. Even an awkward hum came out on its own. It wasn’t just because her shift was over. After thinking about it for a moment, she realized it was because she would soon meet Siwoo once she got on that elevator.

[I think of you even when we’re not together]
[I want to give you any treasure in the world if it’s for you]
[Just imagining meeting you makes me happy and joyful]
[I didn’t know why, but now I know]
[I was in love with you]

Suddenly, the words of an actress from a movie she had seen a while ago came to mind.
Thinking of someone when you’re not together + wanting to give them anything + being happy just imagining meeting them =?

“Is this… love?”

Sharon was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. It was a light laugh at herself for even thinking such a thing.

“Nah, what love? Does love pay off debts?”

Anyway, Sharon returned home with light steps.

2.
“Did you catch anything?”
“No?”

Sharon, dressed in her witch attire, stood on a utility pole, looking at her compass. It was the same routine as always. After Sharon finished her convenience store shift, she would put up flyers while also tracking down homunculi. However, Sharon had to admit her mistake regarding the issue of Siwoo being by her side.

Unlike before, when she only had to worry about hunting homunculi, Sharon had a problem. It was the presence of Della, who had threatened to take over Sharon’s hunting grounds. That’s why she originally intended to hunt alone, leaving Siwoo behind. If she encountered Della, she planned to beg for mercy, even if it was humiliating.

But there was a problem. There was no good reason to leave Siwoo behind. Siwoo had told Sharon that he had defeated Della himself.

If Sharon told him to stay in the room and explained the reason, it would be a subtle indication that she knew about his lie. It would be trampling on the face she had just given him, and Sharon’s support would also be in vain.

In the end, Sharon chose to pray earnestly. Surely nothing would happen in just one night? She hoped that Della wouldn’t appear today, as she would think of a better excuse starting tomorrow.

“Is it another bust today… Are things okay lately? It feels like we haven’t caught anything for weeks.”

Sharon didn’t know whether to be relieved or depressed about the continuous failures. It was fortunate that neither Sharon nor Siwoo were in a difficult situation. But conversely, it was unfortunate that they hadn’t found a way to pay off their debt today either.

Let’s just go back. This is too dangerous. Sharon, having made that decision, jumped down from the utility pole and tried to persuade Siwoo.

“Should we call it a day and go back?”
“Already? We’ve only been out for about 30 minutes.”
“I’m just a little tired… I want to rest at home today.”

Moreover, Sharon had almost no magic power left. If they encountered small fry like they had before, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if they happened to encounter a dangerous homunculus today, they would have to rely solely on Siwoo’s strength.

“Ah…”

Since it was Siwoo who had found Sharon after she had been defeated by Della, he looked like he understood.
At that moment.

“Oh…”

As if by a lie, the needle of the compass began to move. It meant that there was a homunculus wearing an otherworld barrier nearby. Unfortunately, Siwoo saw the compass. Why did it have to happen now when it usually didn’t even work properly! Sharon inwardly screamed.

“I’ll go alone.”
“What? Absolutely not!”
“But you look tired, and you haven’t fully recovered your magic power. It’s perfect timing since I wanted to test something out.”

Sharon felt like her insides were burning at Siwoo’s nonchalant words. She didn’t know if he was serious or just bluffing, but homunculi were not to be taken lightly. And considering Della as well… Her head was spinning. Let’s try to persuade him first.

“Do you think homunculi are like slimes? They’re not as easy as you think. It could be really dangerous!”
“I’ll be careful. And isn’t it probably just the black dog we always catch? I think I can handle that much on my own now. I’ll get out of there right away if it seems dangerous. And while we’re ignoring it, someone else might get hurt by the homunculus.”

In the end, Sharon couldn’t find a way to persuade Siwoo. The reason Siwoo was actively helping with the hunt, which had nothing to do with him, was to prevent the damage that homunculi could inflict on civilians.

Siwoo was basically a good person.
Even if I tried to stop him, he would probably go alone, so it would be better to stay by his side and look after him.

“Haa, then I’ll go with you. I need money anyway.”
“I’d be glad if you did.”

Siwoo smiled and ran towards where the needle was pointing, along with Sharon, who looked reluctant. And as they stepped into the middle of a busy street, the entire area, including the department store, was enveloped in an otherworld barrier. The center of the barrier was the tall department store, which was connected to Sinchon Station underground and had 12 floors above ground.

“Shall we go?”
“I’ll lead the way.”

The department store, which was already closed and dark, was the same inside the otherworld barrier. The magic power stored in Siwoo’s mark amplified and amplified, and particles of shadow flowed out, forming armor that covered his body. Sharon also stood in front of the department store entrance, holding her staff and keeping watch. Since the department store was at the center of the barrier and the compass needle was pointing inside the building, the homunculus must be inside.

“I’ll open it.”
“Yeah, it feels like we’re trespassing.”
“Aren’t we?”

After exchanging a silly joke, Siwoo grabbed the doorknob. He only pulled it slightly, but the strength coming from his armor was immense. The frame of the tightly closed door warped with a sound like a tin can being crushed, and the glass between the frames shattered and scattered. The sound was particularly loud because the surroundings were quiet.

“…The alarm didn’t go off?”
“Stop holding the doorknob and let’s go in.”
“Oh, it’s just kind of fascinating.”

Sharon might be used to this kind of life, but Siwoo wasn’t. Breaking into a closed department store, especially at a time when there was no one around. Even if it was inside an otherworld barrier, it was still fascinating.

“Siwoo, what did you mean when you said you wanted to try something?”
“Ah, I changed the shadow particles I usually use a little. I just added one or two more strokes. I was curious how I could use it in a real fight.”
“How did it change?”
“I mixed it with a little bit of the earth element formula you told me about. I was hoping you could point out any shortcomings.”

Sharon barely managed to suppress her shock at Siwoo’s words. How long had it been since she told him, and he was already trying to incorporate it into his existing magic?

But she didn’t show it. It wasn’t too late to judge after seeing the results in front of her. …Of course, she had a strange belief that Siwoo would somehow produce a valid result.

And so, Siwoo and Sharon went deeper into the first floor of the department store.

“It’s quite dark.”

The first floor, which was selling cosmetics and seasonal clothing like any other department store, was so dark that it was almost impossible to see. There were no windows in the department store, so even moonlight couldn’t enter, and the only thing illuminating the dark interior was the green emergency exit lights. It was eerie, and somehow the interior felt a little colder than usual.

“I’ll light it up a bit.”

About five decorative lights lit up around Sharon. It felt more like a unique date. She didn’t bother saying it out loud.

But when they had searched about half of the first floor, Sharon noticed something and looked at Siwoo. At almost the same time, Siwoo seemed to have felt the same thing and was looking at Sharon. The two of them had the same thought.

“Something’s weird.”
“Doesn’t it feel a bit strange?”

A sense of unease.
The search range of Sharon’s compass was 150 meters in radius.

“We walked more than 150 meters from outside the department store to here, right?”
“Exactly. Then something should have appeared…”

In other words, they should have encountered a homunculus by the time they had searched the first floor, or even if they had missed it, the needle of the compass should have moved.

“The needle has been pointing in one direction the whole time.”
“Let’s get out of here.”

Siwoo immediately prepared to leave with Sharon. They had no idea what exactly was happening. But somehow, it didn’t feel good.

“Huh?”

And at the same time.
The compass started spinning around as if it was broken. It was trembling wildly, as if it didn’t know where to point.

-Grrrrr

A low growl that rumbled in their throats could be heard from all directions. It was the black dog that Sharon and Siwoo had been hunting.

“Siwoo, I don’t have the energy to protect you.”
“Sorry, I was being stubborn.”
“Apologies later, it’s not your fault, and did you know this would happen?”

Even Sharon hadn’t expected this. It was unheard of for the same homunculus to gather in such numbers, and even if there were about 10 of them, Sharon could have easily handled them.

Anyway, the growls coming from all directions were not from just one or two. From the display cases of the cosmetic shops, the escalators, the clothes racks, the hallways, and the stairs.

The red eyes that flickered and appeared one by one from all over were more than 50, even by a rough count. A pack of beasts that had succeeded in cornering their prey finally revealed themselves. As if to take revenge on the two witches who had taken the lives of their kin.