City ​​of Witches 320

Chapter 320 – #71_Gehenna’S Host Bar (3)

#318

1.
As soon as Takasho entered his office, he poured drinks.
Uncharacteristically, it was champagne.
The uniquely shaped bottle and the shield emblem.
Even Siwoo, who wasn’t particularly interested in alcohol, could recognize it at a glance.
It was Dom Pérignon from Moët & Chandon.

“Drink up.”

Takasho lit a cigarette one after another, so Siwoo took one as well.
He had come today for a lighthearted chat about love, but the atmosphere was like this.

-Pop!

With a skillful hand, Takasho removed the cork and poured the champagne into the tall, slender glasses.
The bubbles rose prettily.
Siwoo didn’t refuse and took a sip.

It felt like drinking stars, and the dazzling, sweet fruity flavor burst in his mouth.
He knew it was quite expensive, but it was worth the price.
It was incomparable to the alcohol he often drank with Eloa.
Actually, he mostly drank cognac and whiskey, so a direct comparison was difficult, but it was excellent nonetheless.

“Anyway, what the hell is going on?”
“How much did you hear from Paul?”
“Just that there are no customers and it’s running a deficit?”
“….Is that so?”

Takasho was silent again at Siwoo’s cautious words.
Siwoo had known him for almost six years, but this was the first time he had seen Takasho like this.

He had always seemed like someone who would laugh even if the sky fell, but…
Siwoo stood up and smacked Takasho on the back with a loud thud.

“Ugh! What the hell was that, you bastard?!”

Takasho, still holding his head, started to twitch.

“Don’t be so proud and just spill it. Are we friends or not? You told me about sending a dick pic to your crush, so why are you hiding this?”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but this isn’t that simple. If I worry you too, what kind of Takasho would I be?”
“Champagne.”
“What?”
“I’ll count it as payment for the champagne.”

Takasho stared blankly at Siwoo, who spoke bluntly.
Then, he bit his lip tightly and made the kind of face heroines make when they’re holding back tears.

“Siwoo… Siwoo… Takasho, you see…”
“Can you look away while you cry? I feel nauseous.”
“I like Siwoo so much!”
“Ughhh!”

Takasho jumped up and hugged Siwoo.
Siwoo screamed at the monstrous strength hidden beneath the suit.
The two of them put on a farce for a while before finally sitting down.

“Damn… you’re still disgustingly strong.”
“Would you believe it’s the power of love for Siwoo-kun?”

After hearing a brief explanation from Takasho, Siwoo got the gist of it.
There was a much better solution than trying to help alone.

“Okay, that’s enough. I need to ask for some help. Do you have a remote communication device?”
“I have one for work, why?”
“Just give me a moment. I know someone who’s perfect for this.”

Leaving Takasho bewildered, Siwoo immediately contacted the number on the business card.

2.
Not long after, the front door of the host bar swung open.

“Welcome!”

-Click, click, click

Along with the sharp sound of heels, today’s savior made her entrance.

Noble-looking navy blue hair and eyes.
A crimson velvet dress that caressed her curvy figure.
A fur shawl draped over her chest and shoulders.
High heels that looked like they could twist an ankle at any moment.
A lucky witch with a designer handbag slung over her hip.
It was Kybele Periwinkle.

In fact, Siwoo was a bookish nerd in the modern world, so he didn’t know much about business.
He thought that expert help would be needed to consult on the operation of such a high-end facility.

The person who came to mind was Periwinkle.
She might act like a carefree third-generation chaebol heiress, but she was someone who owned and managed a world-famous hotel brand.

She slightly raised her eyes and looked around.
It took her only three seconds to grasp the situation.

The corners of her lips, which had been slightly upturned, drooped.
She casually slung the designer bag, which she had been holding as if pondering, ‘How can I hold this more elegantly?’ over her wrist.
Her dignified posture suddenly became a slouch.
Periwinkle immediately glared at Siwoo with a displeased look.

“It’s an honor to have you accept my invitation, Ms. Periwinkle.”
“Hey, Shin Siwoo. Do you want to die?”

Siwoo, who had changed into a tuxedo given by Takasho, bowed politely.
Periwinkle scratched her head with a deflated expression and got angry.

“I dressed up thinking it was a date. Look at this cheeky bastard?”

Her voice and glare were sharp.
Not only Takasho but also the hosts who had greeted her were stiff.
The one who was throwing a tantrum was a witch, and everyone could sense that she was not just some mediocre witch.

“Didn’t you say to call you anytime, anywhere? Please come inside. Haha.”

A second moment of shock.
The hosts didn’t know Siwoo’s identity.
They only knew him as Madam Takasho’s friend, a man favored by a witch.

They should be on their knees, apologizing to the furious witch, but instead, he was joking around.
It was like sticking their heads into the gaping mouth of a crocodile.
Some were already closing their eyes and reciting prayers.

“…Gulp…”

It was a tense moment.
The scary witch was glaring at Siwoo with fiery eyes.
The anxiety that everyone here might get caught up in it if things went wrong was growing.

“Haa, what is this? I even got a new outfit and took off my underwear.”
“That’s a bit too much information.”
“If you say one more word, I’m leaving?”
“I’m really, really sorry too. It was a chance to have a one-on-one with the most beautiful Periwinkle in the world… It’s such a waste.”

Siwoo immediately started flattering her.
Periwinkle’s eyebrows twitched.

“Keep going.”
“Actually, I didn’t want to waste this opportunity either. But I’ve run into a problem that I can’t solve alone. I know a few witches, but Periwinkle was the first one who came to mind.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I think it’s because of my blind faith that you, Ms. Periwinkle, would be able to see through the complex situation and provide the clearest answer.”

Siwoo had a rough idea of what Periwinkle liked.
Surprisingly, she liked Siwoo’s bold and cheeky, older sister-younger brother vibe.
And since she had a cool personality, if he played along, she would readily roll up her sleeves and help.

“Okay, you pass! Let’s go inside.”
“You can give me the shawl.”
“If I don’t wear this, my nipples will show? I told you, I’m braless.”
“Ah, then never mind.”

Takasho was completely stunned by the unexpected situation.
In fact, what Siwoo had just shown was something Takasho could easily do as well.

But ‘who’ did it was quite shocking.
During his slave days, Shin Siwoo was a clueless fool who constantly clashed with Associate Professor Amelia.
Well, Amelia had been so abusive that it was understandable that he would have a grudge.

But the Siwoo that Takasho remembered was a naive, inexperienced virgin.
He didn’t have the ability to control a woman’s heart so skillfully.
Experience changes people, it seemed…

Only after Periwinkle had completely disappeared from sight did the remaining staff sigh in relief.

“Um, hyung-nim…”
“……”
“Hyung-nim!”
“Oh, ah. What is it?”

Liam, who had been reciting prayers earlier, cautiously approached.
The other hosts, who had been shivering, also gathered around Takasho one by one.

“Who the hell is that person?”
“It seems like he’s completely friends with that witch?”
“He’s treating that picky witch like a child…”
“He was rolling her around in his mouth like a candy?”

First, Takasho hid his admiration for his junior.
Instead, he spoke in a solemn voice.
It was because they had just seen the most ideal form of a host right before their eyes.

“Guys, that is the extreme and pinnacle that a host should strive for. We’re not just providing sexual entertainment, we need to build a spiritual bond. Remember everything you saw today.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“That’s the ultimate host…”
“Anyway, take care of your work. I need to join the conversation too.”

Takasho also hurriedly followed the two of them to the bar’s salon.

3.
Periwinkle, who had responded to the request for help, stuck close to Siwoo as if it were natural.
She even secretly stroked his thigh with a possessive hand.

“Hello. I am Mimaya Takasho, the madam of Rose Glass. It’s an honor to have you here.”

Takasho didn’t make a fuss even after seeing that.
He greeted her with a dignified manner, with a calm voice and gaze, and sat across from her.
Come to think of it, this guy had also been living by seducing witches.

“Madam? As expected, it’s a host bar.”
“Yes, a friend of mine recently opened a shop. It seems like it’s having a hard time with business. I’ve invited Ms. Periwinkle here to get her management consulting.”
“Hmm, I don’t like freebies…”

In fact, if she had come this far, she had already decided to grant Siwoo’s request.
He already knew why she was still dragging her feet.

“One night, two days.”
“Two nights, three days.”
“Then let’s make it two days without sleep.”
“No, I was originally going to make it three days without sleep.”

She wanted to secure a hot time with Siwoo.
Of course, Siwoo had nothing to lose either.
If having sex with a comfortable older sister like Periwinkle was the price, he was more than welcome to pay it.

Perhaps because they had already been intimate once, he felt strangely little resistance.
And now, Sharon wasn’t collapsing either.

But wouldn’t it be boring to just give up the initiative?
Siwoo wrapped his arm around Periwinkle’s waist and gently bit her ear.
Then, he whispered in a low voice.

“You’ll get punished if you’re greedy. Are you confident?”
“Puhahahaha!”

Periwinkle, who had always covered her mouth politely when laughing, burst into laughter.
She laughed so hard that she kicked the table several times.
If she were lying on the floor, she would probably be rolling around.

“What, what was that…! Hahaha!! It doesn’t suit you!”

Periwinkle, who had been laughing almost to the point of losing her breath, finally managed to regain her composure after three minutes, and with her body curled up like a shrimp, she opened her mouth.

“Haa… I had tears in my eyes. Did our Siwoo see something weird on the internet? You can’t use that kind of thing.”
“Ahem, I’m embarrassed.”

He was indeed embarrassed.
If it had been ■ ■ ■, she would have blushed and nodded obediently.
As he was absentmindedly muttering, Periwinkle nodded with a smile full of laughter.

“Since we had a good laugh, let’s make it two days without sleep, as you said. That’s 48 hours, okay?”
“Yes, I understand.”

Takasho couldn’t believe it.

Is that really Siwoo?
He made a witch burst into laughter with slightly exaggerated humor (and even a sex joke) and even got a sex date out of it.
It would be more plausible if Mimaya Takasho realized the futility of the world and became a monk.

“So, what’s the problem, Madam? Can you explain it to me step by step from the beginning?”

Takasho, who had been half-dazed by the bizarre scene unfolding before his eyes, nodded hastily.
Still.
If Siwoo, with his sharp mind, had called her, she must be a witch who would be of great help in this situation.
The future of the bar’s operation was at stake.
Takasho spread the envelopes he had been holding on the table and began his briefing with a confident gaze.

“Yes, I’ll explain with the prepared materials.”