How to Be Loved by a Witch (4)
I racked my brain, piecing together the memories.
Park Min-jeong. Her original corruption desire had been cigarettes. But thanks to me flicking that button with a click, it had warped into an obsession with me.
'Sure, it was a hassle for a while... but now she's blindly clinging to me.'
Well, she grumbled a bit more than that, but on the whole, it wasn't wrong.
'So what about a witch?'
Let's think back to the old news stories. One witch had hit only jewelry stores, another collected the facial skins of pretty women.
Given the consistency in their crimes, even after becoming a witch, that 'obsession' itself probably wouldn't vanish.
So. What if, the moment Jin Se-hee awakened as a witch, her corruption desire wasn't aimed at 'games' but at me?
"......"
Honestly, it was a dangerously reckless idea.
Park Min-jeong's case proved it—even a witch fixated on me with violent tendencies would end in catastrophe. It'd win a Darwin Award, no question.
'But if things go smoothly, it's a whole different story. I'd gain a witch who only has eyes for me, moves only for me, and obeys my every command without question.'
Doing it was easy.
Just twitch a finger and hit the 'Modify' button now that its one-month cooldown was up. Done.
Theoretically, injecting poison qi could alter a corruption desire too, but that was impossible right now. I'd have to cram in enough to make my body explode. Pure insanity.
'The real issue is the risk.'
Screw up, and she'd grab me and snap my waist in two... wait a sec.
'No matter what her corruption desire is, turning her into a witch is dangerous either way, right?'
Thinking it over, if risk was the concern, I shouldn't make her a witch at all. What a stupid thought.
'Ugh, you idiot. Backing out now?'
Better to think about Nebula instead. Their executives included plenty of ex-witches.
'They must have some safety measure to help witches keep their sanity.'
Good. Decision made.
I'll ask big sis.
If everything went according to plan, this wouldn't be some one-off delivery to Nebula. I'd get a powerful weapon to serve as my hands and feet from here on out.
And it'd help Chae Yu-bin too.
'Better than her mom turning into a monster and getting shipped off somewhere, right? At least she'd be by my side as a bodyguard.'
A bit of self-justification, maybe, but not wrong.
A few hours later. Sector 5. Fox Electronic. Seo-yul unnie's workshop.
"Unnie, you there? Got something to ask..."
I froze mid-step as I pushed open the door.
"......?"
This space should have been cluttered with wires and parts, with Seo-yul unnie greeting me. But the air inside was heavy now. No solder fumes—just a chilling, fishy killing intent pricking my skin.
"Oh... you have customers?"
I played it cool, scanning the room.
In the cramped shop's center, two women dominated the space with their sheer presence alone.
One was a bit shorter than me, clad in a black longcoat down to her ankles, her razor-sharp eyes glinting behind rimless glasses.
The other had a cigarette dangling from her lips.
She was massive. Not just big—hulking. Wavy long white hair. A tight sleeveless suit top and jeans, her chest hefty and her exposed arm muscles rivaling a bodybuilder's.
'What the hell are these women?'
Nebula? Debt collectors? Association auditors?
Whatever they were, not normal customers. My instincts screamed danger—run?
As I edged back, a familiar voice came from behind the counter.
"Oh, Ji-un's here?"
It was Seo-yul unnie. In her usual baggy tee, she popped up from behind the counter like nothing was wrong.
"Perfect timing. Was just about to call you." "Ah... y-yeah?"
Feeling their stares, I shuffled inside awkwardly.
The short-haired woman pushed up her glasses, scanning me head to toe like an X-ray.
"This the guy? Fox."
Her voice was low and husky.
"Yeah, the counselor I told you about."
Seo-yul unnie giggled, slinging an arm over my shoulder. Her hand felt cooler than usual—was that my imagination?
"Introduce yourself, Ji-un. These are folks from headquarters."
Headquarters. Nebula.
"Ah..."
I swallowed hard. So it had finally come.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jeong Ji-un."
I bowed as politely as I could.
The musclebound one, lounging nearby, exhaled a long plume of smoke and smirked.
"Huh, looks more manly than I thought. Figured he'd be some creepy nerd asshole."
"Watch your mouth, Bear. Verification ain't done yet."
The short-haired woman shot back curtly, then strode right up to me.
"Codename 'Viper'. Nebula HR."
"HR...?"
"Yeah. Your former handler got purged, so we're evaluating her underlings."
She pulled a tablet PC from her coat pocket.
"You're on the hold list thanks to Fox. 'Irreplaceable talent with unique abilities,' she says."
Viper's eyes narrowed.
"This proposal to supply witches—is it legit?"
Straight to the point. No beating around the bush.
I glanced at Seo-yul unnie. She winked like you got this.
One wrong word here, and that Bear woman's forearm could snap my neck.
"Yes, it's real."
"Specific abilities and plan?"
"...I've already selected a target and started the process. Recently awakened my mana circuit, so now I can diagnose magical girl syndrome symptoms."
"Diagnose—meaning what exactly?"
"Uh... I can roughly tell how to treat it and when it'll worsen. Right now, targeting a retired magical girl in Sector 5, Jin Se-hee."
Viper nodded dryly, tapping on her tablet.
"Counselor, huh... Not a bad position. Nebula has plenty of agents operating in the open—politics, business, even inside the Magical Girl Association."
"Inside the Association too?"
"Of course. Information is power. But the 'psychological counseling' angle is fresh. Mental issues give the Association headaches too. Yeah, Fox was right—you're useful."
"Heh, told ya."
She snapped the tablet shut.
"Play it right, we can slot you into our 'white-collar' division naturally. Covert employment."
"If you deliver results, that is."
Thick cigarette smoke blasted my face, followed by a massive shadow looming over me.
Bear.
She cackled, draping her arm over my shoulder. It felt like a sack of rice slamming down.
"Ugh..."
"Talk smooth all you want—no results, you're fucked. Don't wanna end up like your boss? Hustle."
Her thick forearm grazed my neck. Not just touch—a silent threat that she could snap my fragile bones anytime.
I nodded, sweating bullets.
"Y-yes, understood."
"Good! Got the posture!"
Bear slapped my back—hard enough to force the air from my lungs.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Cough...!"
"Oops, too hard? Why's a guy so scrawny?"
"I... work a desk job."
Viper tsked in disdain.
"Enough, Bear. He bolts from fear, it's on you."
"Bolt? This guy? Nah, where's he gonna go."
Bear guffawed, finally lifting her arm. I could breathe again.
I straightened my clothes and mustered the courage to ask.
"Um, one question."
"Shoot."
"If... the process succeeds and I complete a 'witch,' how do I hand her over? Just bring her in? Won't it be dangerous?"
"Oh, that."
Viper reached into her coat and tossed something at me.
Clink. A black leather choker slid across the table.
"What's... this?"
"Restraint device. Precisely, a 'mana control submission choker.'"
"Like... a dog collar."
"Close enough. Simple principle: Slip it on a subject mid-witchification, and it interferes with their mana circuit, forcing them down."
Come to think of it, both women wore similar ones.
Exact same design. Crude black leather chokers around their necks.
"You two have... similar ones?"
Casual remark. Then—
"Hey."
Bear's brow furrowed. She spat her long cigarillo on the floor and stomped over.
"Where you lookin'?"
"Huh? No, just your necks..."
"You pervert fuck. Eyes down!"
Her face flushed red—not rage, but like a girl caught with a secret.
"What? I didn't do anything..."
"Staring at necks like that is sexual harassment, asshole! Gave it this sleazy once-over! Pervert, pervert, fucking pervert! Dickless little shit!"
Dickless? Then what the fuck is a dick for?
Bear huffed, clutching her neck. This hulking muscle woman embarrassed? Cognitive dissonance hit hard.
'She came wearing it—why flip out on me?'
Unfair, but I shut up. Backtalk here, and her log-like arm crushes my skull.
"Cut it out, Bear. Why act so trashy?"
Viper adjusted her glasses and intervened, nodding at the choker.
"Ignore it. It's like an organizational rule."
"Rule...?"
"Proof of loyalty, safeguard against betrayal. All Nebula executives wear them."
She smiled coldly.
"And you'll be wearing one soon too."
"...What?"
I couldn't believe my ears. Say again?
"Me?"
"Yes. Right now."
Viper's tone brooked no refusal.
"Th-that's for handing over witches, right? I'm not an executive."
"True. But we need collateral to guarantee your sincerity first."
She tapped the table.
"You're unverified. Predecessor purged, you're remnants. To trust you with work, we need a leash."
"Ah."
A sigh escaped. Villain org style. Never expected trust, but this blatant?
I glanced at Seo-yul unnie. She shrugged from the counter like no choice.
"Put it on. No time."
Viper urged. Bear watched eagerly, arms crossed.
"Guy on a leash? Gonna be fun. Woof for treats, cutie."
"......"
Trembling, I picked up the choker. Cold leather against my fingers. Wearing this made me Nebula's dog for real.
No choice, though.
Click.
I looped it around my neck and buckled it. Leather squeezed my throat—not choking, but a heavy, shackle-like foreign weight.
"Suits you."
Viper nodded approvingly.
"Some notes. The choker slowly absorbs the wearer's mana. Barely noticeable normally. Miss the deadline, though..."
She held up two fingers.
"Two weeks."
"......"
"Exactly 14 days. Fail the mission, safety lock releases—sucks out all your mana and life force in one go."
"Then I'd..."
"Wither into a painful mummy."
Chills ran down my spine.
Then Viper pulled a thumb-sized glass vial from her coat. Clear liquid sloshed inside.
"This is the release key."
"That's... the key?"
"Yes. Special solvent. Simple: Drip it on the buckle, choker unlocks."
She rolled the vial toward me. It clinked to a stop by my hand.
"Succeed in corrupting the magical girl, vial detects corruption aura and opens. Unlock your choker, then collar the new witch. About 10 minutes—she'll be comatose post-transformation, so even a weak guy like you can manage. Fail, though... no hands left to try."
Grim joke. I pocketed the vial deep.
The leather band felt like a snake coiling tighter.
Two weeks. Corrupt Jin Se-hee, witchify her, deliver to Nebula.
Fail, and death.
"...Got it. I'll complete it on time."
"Good. Like the fire."
Viper stood. Bear cackled, rising too.
"Work hard, pup. Shake that tail later, got treats."
"Let's go, Bear."
The women left the shop.
Ding-a-ling—
The bell rang louder than usual.
Once gone, my legs buckled—I nearly collapsed.
"Haaah..."
I clutched my neck. This thing sucking my mana dry, huh.
'But it doesn't feel dangerous at all.'
How intricate was this thing? Too advanced to even sense the threat.
If anything, it felt familiar—like absorbing a patient's poison qi.