Chapter 748
Chapter 748
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 748
Chapter Title: Let's End It Here
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1.
“Haa...”
His footsteps felt heavy.
Even on such a fine moonlit night, the cigarette tasted especially bitter.
He'd heard the gist of it from Amelia.
She'd called it a "fight," but it was more like Sharon had unilaterally blown up at him.
The story went like this.
The Gehenna team dispatched to rescue Si-woo consisted of Amelia, Eloa, and Lurye—a total of three.
Lurye hadn't originally been slated for the rescue squad, but she'd joined after Dorothy got the intel first.
But the key point wasn't that. It was that Sharon's name was conspicuously absent from the list.
Si-woo saw it as a necessary measure taken on Amelia and Eloa's own initiative.
Sharon had been living boldly in the present world like a wildflower ever since her succession, all to pay off her debts.
She'd matured early because of it, but she was still a "young witch" not much younger than Si-woo.
Even factoring in her status as a great witch of the 20th hierarchy, the mission's difficulty made it too dangerous for her to get involved.
Amelia and Eloa both understood Sharon's feelings for Si-woo, but to prevent any reckless moves, they'd kept it secret.
At the time, rescuing Si-woo safely had been their top priority, so they'd made the cold call.
Even if Si-woo had been there, he would've decided the same.
But for Sharon, who'd been agonizing over his disappearance, the revelation had hit like a thunderbolt.
The two people she trusted and relied on most had deliberately left her out. Intellectually, she might get it, but her heart refused to accept it.
Still, Si-woo had grown a bit more after facing another brush with death.
Handling this mess was just another step on the path ahead.
He had to take responsibility, comfort her, hear her out—even her resentment—and rebuild their warm relationship like before.
Periwinkle had given him similar advice once.
If having multiple lovers made him feel guilty, then love them all so fiercely that the guilt vanished.
"Yeah. I can do this."
He cautiously entered the annex where Sharon's workshop was.
As he passed through the pitch-black hallway without a single light and headed for the stairs...
-Clack, clack.
The sound of heels hitting the floor, muffled slightly by the carpet.
And trailing behind it was Sharon, dragging a massive suitcase.
"Sharon."
Forgetting all else for the moment, his heart raced with joy at seeing her.
Someone he'd thought he might never see again. It felt like the thrill of a soldier returning from deployment.
But there was no Sharon rushing toward him in tears.
No Sharon leaping down the stairs to fling herself into his arms like a butterfly.
"Oh, you're up?"
Just a cold voice and mint-green eyes, icy as a stranger's, scanning him indifferently.
His heart froze solid.
A gut feeling that something was seriously wrong prickled his back like a poisoned feather.
Sharon let out an inexplicable sigh and descended the stairs.
Each step made the heavy suitcase jolt.
Stepping out of the dim stairwell into the moonlight, she wasn't smiling at all.
Si-woo suddenly remembered her cool-beauty cat-like features, something he'd forgotten.
Whenever she was with him, she was always grinning like a golden retriever.
Sharon tried to pass him with deliberate distance, brushing by like ships in the night.
Si-woo stood awkwardly frozen in the unexpectedly grave atmosphere.
"Where are you going?"
"Yeah."
"Where?"
"Do I have to tell you?"
Sharon brushed past him down the stairs, treating him like a clingy ex-boyfriend being pathetic.
Come to think of it, where was she headed with that huge suitcase?
Why was Sharon dressed for a full outing in the dead of night?
His panic-frozen thoughts thawed into a swelling heat of doubt.
The melted doubt refroze into a rational instinct: if he let her go now, he'd never see her again.
He bolted down the stairs and grabbed her wrist.
"Sorry, could you let go?"
Her sharp gaze felt like it was slicing his hand.
"Sharon."
"I asked you to let go."
"Sharon, wait. Let's at least talk about what's going on."
It wasn't that he didn't get it.
There were too many guilty pricks; he couldn't even lift his head.
All the anguish he'd caused her so far, and now adding another lover to the mix.
From a third party's view, he'd cherry-picked the worst behaviors.
How must it have looked in the eyes of his girlfriend Sharon?
Maybe he'd been unconsciously riding her kindness, making excuses like "she understands" or "it's unavoidable"?
The thought made him anxious beyond words.
He couldn't think of how to convince her.
"I'm going to the present world."
"Where in the present world? So suddenly? It's too dangerous out there right now."
"Si-woo-ya."
Hearing her special pet name "Si-woo-ya" squeezed his chest tight.
The anxiety from those footsteps echoing down the dark hall had taken clear shape.
"Are you really that oblivious? Or just pretending? Think acting like my boyfriend changes anything?"
Irritation frosted over Sharon's expressionless face.
Si-woo blocked her path, pathetically making excuses.
"It's not acting like your boyfriend... I get why you're acting like this. But let's calm down and talk it out first."
"Talk? Fine. Won't take long."
The words that dropped from Sharon's parted lips were...
"Let's break up."
It was a breakup declaration more terrifying than any vicious curse.
2.
He felt like he'd said a ton, desperately.
But he couldn't recall exactly what.
He could memorize a phonebook-thick spell formula after skimming it, yet Sharon's words were burned into his brain, every single one.
'Sorry to hit you with this right after you got back so hard. I know I'm being too much.'
'No, I've thought about it plenty over time. Agonized a lot. But this feels right.'
'Time with you was so fun. But every time you pull something like this, every day I spend worrying... it wears that happiness away. That's why? Now even being with you doesn't make me happy.'
'No, stop. Don't even say it's the last time. I'm really tired now.'
'I really didn't want to say this... How many chances have I given you?'
'Anyway, you don't really need me, right?'
'Selfish, but I hope you do well. Thanks for everything. Really.'
He was numb.
Like getting your head hammered repeatedly with a mallet, then the pain numbed out. Except the throbbing all dove straight to his chest.
He learned people could physically feel heartbroken when truly sad.
"......"
He couldn't grab Sharon as she shut the door and left.
No fiery emotions left to burn it all down. If he forced her to stop or chased after her like ashes scattering white, it'd seem like he wasn't even taking her final sincerity seriously.
Like he'd snatch away that last shred of chance.
He just couldn't move.
3.
Early dawn.
Even witches who didn't need sleep would find the streets emptying out.
It was also when Gehenna's one-and-only host bar, Rose Glass, prepped for its first shift.
"Fwaaah..."
Takasho stretched long, then tapped the bottom of his cigarette pack to pop one into his mouth.
The intel he'd provided had unintentionally dragged Si-woo into a trap.
No matter his intentions, it was like recommending a stock that tanked to zero after his friend went all-in. His conscience couldn't rest easy.
Because of it, he'd even postponed his marriage to Adonai Count and lost sleep.
But last night, hearing Si-woo was back, he'd finally gotten a solid rest.
Out in the back alley checking liquor inventory, Takasho ran into an unexpected guest.
"Ugh! What the hell is this!"
"Ueeehh..."
A man sprawled on a pile of trash bags like a bed.
Shin Si-woo, whom he'd figured was enjoying hot reunions with his lovers by now, was rendezvousing with garbage behind the host bar.
"What are you doing here? Thought you were trash. Ugh! What's that booze smell! Why'd you burst all the bags!"
"Oh, Takasho. Good to see you."
The stench of alcohol hit harder as he opened his mouth.
A glance aside showed several empty bottles scattered on the ground.
Even Takasho, seasoned from host years, winced at the proof and volume—enough to wreck anyone.
First time seeing Si-woo this smashed since becoming a witch.
"Feels nice here. Good smells."
Out of his mind, Si-woo rubbed his cheek on a black bag, mumbling thickly.
Takasho eyed the trashed alley—like wild cats had partied all night—and said awkwardly,
"That thing you're using as a pillow? Bag of napkins from the witch ladies."
"Oh, witches alright. Felt so fluffy. Call the manager. Gotta tip 'em."
"......"
Takasho scratched his head.
Not in his right mind.
But he couldn't just leave a buddy back from mortal peril—especially one he owed big time—here.
"What kinda bullshit is this."
Takasho hooked an arm under Si-woo's and dragged him like luggage.
In the process, he pieced together what happened.
"Takasho... snif, I got dumped."
"What? Finally some good news?"
"Sharon broke up with me."
"Sharon did? She's got good taste."
"I'm trash! Leave me with the trash! That's my home now!"
"Ruins the view. Can't do that. Gotta apologize to the trash."
"No clue what to do. Save me! Help!"
"I'd help, but sober up first. Ah...!"
Takasho teased the pitiful, snot-nosed, teary Si-woo appropriately—then realized something.
Key fact to remember here: Si-woo had become the protagonist of a harem even emperors couldn't dream of.
But just a few years ago, he was a total herbivore loner.
He'd only had peaceful romances since—no manual for fighting with a girlfriend, arguing, or facing breakup crises.
"Gotta help him with this."
Takasho grumbled but laid Si-woo out on the manager's room sofa.