Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: The Mayor and Memories
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The next morning.
I launched into the operation with a resolute determination.
Operation name: Trash Returns.
Objective: Convince my little sister, Lee Ga-eun, of my unwavering trashiness to dispel her suspicions.
"Alright. Phase one: Alcoholic addict persona."
I headed to Grandpa's liquor cellar.
Ah, this fragrant symphony of alcohol.
From whiskey aged for decades to rare wines, this place was packed with every luxury spirit imaginable—a true paradise for booze lovers.
Of course, I don't particularly like alcohol.
Because getting drunk means losing control.
And losing control risks exposing my secrets.
Plus, Zero Cola tastes better anyway.
But today was an exception.
I grabbed what looked like an expensive bottle from Grandpa's cellar.
The amber liquid shimmered beautifully inside the crystal bottle.
I sneaked up to Lee Ga-eun, who was meditating in the garden bathed in the early morning sunlight.
"Ga-eun!"
As bright and frivolous a voice as possible.
"My cute little sis, good morning! Wanna have a morning drink with your big bro?"
Jingle jangle.
I shook the bottle ostentatiously for her to see.
"This stuff's super expensive! Limited edition premium liquor! Snuck it out without Grandpa knowing!"
Her red eyes turned toward me. Emotionless.
"Drinking in the morning?"
A cold voice.
"Fitting for an alcoholic addict."
"It's just... I wanted to catch up with my sis after so long! Yeah! Sharing some Korean brotherhood spirit!"
"With premium liquor?"
Lee Ga-eun stood up from her spot.
And walked right past me.
"Don't need it. You drink it yourself."
Okay. Phase one cleared successfully.
My trash powers were still alive and kicking.
Good, keep it going like this.
The second operation commenced right after lunchtime.
This time, the persona was gambling addict.
I approached her again, hwatu cards in hand.
I spread the cards out dramatically in front of her as she read in the study.
"Ga-eun! Bored? Wanna play a quick Go-Stop? With money on the line!"
The sweet temptation of dopamine. She couldn't refuse.
Without taking her eyes off the book, she replied.
"Childish. Pass."
"Aw, come on. You used to crush it back in the day! Pro-level stuff!"
That moment.
Lee Ga-eun's movements froze.
She slowly lifted her head to look at me.
"I've never played Go-Stop."
Her eyes sharpened.
Oh.
Slip-up.
"Oh, really? Was that it? Haha! Must've mixed it up! Poker maybe? Hahaha!"
Cold sweat poured down my back like a waterfall.
"Hey."
She called lowly.
"Keep annoying me, and I might prepare a room for you on Ganghwa Island. Nice and cozy."
A faint smile played on her lips.
"You could play with me all night there. Sound good?"
I shook my head vigorously.
"No! I'm good! Big bro's busy! Sorry!"
I hastily gathered the cards and fled the study.
I hid behind a pillar on the veranda, peeking at Lee Ga-eun meditating—or pondering?—by the pond in the distance.
What thoughts were swirling in that head of hers right now?
'Big bro's acting weird. Something's off. Like his screws got replaced with the wrong size. Gotta disassemble and check.'
She was definitely thinking something sinister like that.
This wouldn't cut it.
If I went back to Neo Incheon like this, my penthouse would turn into a Ganghwa Island detention branch.
I didn't want to start every day with Lee Ga-eun's morning handcuffs and whip.
I needed a stronger blow.
Alcohol, gambling.
Not enough.
The core of the character Lee Garam.
His identity. The essence that defined him as trash.
Right. Womanizing.
Trash Returns Phase 3. Playboy operation.
The plan was simple.
In front of Lee Ga-eun's eyes, I had to become the ultimate playboy.
*
In the drowsy afternoon sunlight.
I headed to the gazebo in the middle of the garden.
Seria was there, sipping coffee while watching the koi.
Lee Ga-eun was still by the pond in the distance.
Perfect distance.
Close enough for her to hear my voice, far enough that if she charged in rage, I could summon Nero in time.
Nya!?
Sorry, thanks. Nero.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat and plastered on the sleaziest expression possible.
Shoulders shrugged, chin up, strutting like the world's most charming man as I approached her.
"Seria."
At my call, she set down her teacup and looked up.
'What foolish stunt now?'
Her turquoise eyes conveyed that message.
"Coffee alone must be bitter, right?"
I sat across from her, voice dripping with sleaze.
My own line gave me goosebumps, but I had to endure.
"I put in five spoons of syrup. It's fine."
Seria replied calmly.
Damn. Off to a rocky start.
"Haha, not like that. On a fine day like this, in this beautiful garden, it's a shame for such a beautiful secretary to be alone."
And the finisher!
A wink!
The killer wink!
My acting was Oscar-worthy as always. Best actor goes to me again.
Seria stared at me for a moment.
"Mayor."
"Yeah?"
"Are you in heat by any chance?"
"Pfft-!"
I spat out my coffee.
Sorry, koi! You like caffeine too?
"Or maybe infected with a parasite that controls breeding urges."
"What kind of talk is that!"
Heat? Parasite?
What did this woman just say!
"Otherwise, I can't believe you'd spout behavior that no intellect filter could allow. You're an idiot, sure, but you at least upheld basic social norms."
The venom level was double the usual.
Her boss dragging her to his family home to hit on her—must be nightmare fuel.
But I had a greater purpose!
"Haha! Seria, you kidder! Not bro, me! Just decided to be more honest!"
"Honest?"
"Yeah! Honest!"
I reached for her hand with my sleaziest smile.
Her white hand resting innocently on the table.
Normally, she'd dodge like a ghost...
Swish.
"......?"
Huh?
Caught.
Seria's hand stayed in mine.
Soft and cool to the touch.
Wha?
Whaa?
Weird.
Normally, she'd evade in 0.1 seconds or twist my wrist instead.
Today, she just let me?
She even gripped back lightly.
'What's this? Why? Not like usual.'
"Can I be honest too?"
"Uh... sure?"
Seria leaned forward.
Her face drew closer.
"Mayor."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Truth is, I think you're kind of..."
"Kind of?"
"...cute."
"What?!"
I jolted back in shock.
Squeeze.
But caught!
Couldn't escape her grip!
Emergency! Super emergency!!!
Cute?
Me?
Flustered.
So flustered.
Original plan: Reach for hand, get smoothly rejected, Lee Ga-eun sees the pathetic sight and confirms 'total trash.'
But it derailed into cosmic horror territory!!
"Tch."
That was then.
A sound from the pond in the distance.
A small but clear tongue click.
I turned. Lee Ga-eun had stood up and was glaring our way.
Her gaze fixed on me.
"Whoring around even at the family home? With your own secretary? Hopeless."
Done!
Success!
Finally!
That was when.
Grip.
"Mayor."
More strength in Seria's hand.
Hurts.
Squeeze.
Tighter.
Squeeeze!
Bones gonna snap.
"Satisfied now?"
Her turquoise eyes pierced me.
Smiling face, but eyes not smiling.
"Urk! Y-Yeah! Totally satisfied."
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
"Then can I let go of this hand?"
Crack.
Ominous sound from my finger joints.
"Aaah!!! Yes! Of course! Absolutely!"
I yanked away in panic.
Pushed the chair back, creating maximum distance.
Seria lifted her teacup as if nothing happened.
Gracefully. Leisurely.
Like it was all a dream.
I rubbed my throbbing hand, staring blankly at her.
But it worked.
Process was a mess thanks to Seria's unpredictability, but I successfully imprinted 'trash playboy' on Lee Ga-eun!
Operation: Trash Returns.
Result: Massive success!
***
With that, I spent the rest of the holiday as corpse-like as possible, doing nothing, thinking nothing.
The perfect realm of non-action.
Wu wei, natural inaction.
Achieving all by doing nothing.
Of course, I didn't want to achieve anything.
Just lie there.
Isn't that the true holiday, true vacation?
But time is always finite.
Mine too.
Departure time arrived.
The end of the long—or short—hell, no, Chuseok holiday.
Before heading home, I went to my room to pack.
Creeak.
The old wooden door opened with a friction sound.
And there.
Was something that shouldn't be.
On my bed.
Black uniform coat. Jet-black long hair.
My little sister, Lee Ga-eun.
Lee Ga-eun, my little sister, was sprawled face-down on my bed.
Face buried in the pillow.
Her shoulders trembled faintly—not just breathing.
Sniff sniff.
Sniff sniff sniff.
Clear inhalation.
No, this was indulgence beyond sniffing.
Silence flowed.
I froze gripping the doorknob; she was lost in pillow communion.
A bizarre, chilling sight.
When should I let her know I'm here?
"Um..."
As I barely spoke.
Slowly, very slowly.
Lee Ga-eun lifted her head.
An awkwardly surreal expression.
Like a squirrel picking acorns in the woods locking eyes with a forest ranger.
Boing!
She sprang up like a spring.
Her face flushed tomato red.
"Wh-What!"
She yelled first. Pot calling kettle.
"Why barge in without knocking!"
Voice an octave higher, slightly cracked.
"This is my room?! You're the intruder?! Don't intruders knock? And that's not the point! Why on someone else's bed! Sniffing their pillow!"
My utterly reasonable, logical retort.
Her face burned even redder.
Beyond tomato, now paprika.
Wait.
Objectively analyze this.
Little sister sniffing brother's pillow in his room.
What does it mean?
Crime. Report it.
But where to lock up Ganghwa warden if she commits a crime?
Self-incarceration?
Or maybe.
No way.
Brother complex?
Brocon for short.
A light novel fantasy manifesting in 21st-century Neo Incheon?
Impossible.
Lee Ga-eun a brocon?
After scorning and despising me?
But psychologically, hate and love are paper-thin.
So all that violence was twisted affection?
Little sister. Imouto.
What even is a little sister?
Biologically, a younger female from same parents.
But can dictionary definitions explain this surreal scene?
What is that?
That unknown lifeform indulging in brother's scent-soaked bedding.
Can we call that a little sister?
And deeper issue.
Do we call shared-genetics 'sister'?
Or shared-space-and-memories bond?
If I'm not original Lee Garam, does the relation hold?
Mind dominates body, or body defines mind?
Am I Lee Garam or not?
Then is that Lee Ga-eun my sister or not?
If 'I' is unclear, can 'my sister' possessive exist?
All is relative and...
Click.
Cold metal sound snapping the thought chain.
Gray handcuffs in her hand now.
While my inner monologue raged, cornered Lee Ga-eun resorted to violence as always.
"Want to die? Wanna die?? No, I'm killing you!!!"
Black, chilling aura rose like heat haze around her.
But oddly, not scary.
"No, why do you hate me so much!"
Irritation bubbled instead.
"I'm trying to big-bro for once, and this is what I get!"
Yeah, I tried.
Offered drinks, suggested Go-Stop.
"Because I didn't play with you before?"
I said mockingly.
"Super duper love your big bro, but he won't play, so lonely? Upset? Can't sleep? Miss bro's scent that much??"
Mockery at 200%.
Lee Ga-eun froze solid. The menacing aura vanished like a lie.
"Wh-What nonsense...! Who said lonely!"
Her denial trembled urgently.
But why?
It sounded like affirmation.
Beep.
My danger sensor blared.
Honed from Sugar Girl's mood swings: my 'Menhera Psych Scan' skill warned.
That was abandoned sorrow. Forsaken grudge.
In short, 'pay attention to me' tantrum.
Lee Ga-eun, you're a menhera subtype too.
I sighed exaggeratedly and approached.
She instinctively shrank.
Swish—
I stopped before her, reached out, placed hand lightly on her head.
"Got it, got it."
Then ruffled her hair gently.
"Sorry, Ga-eun. Big bro was too neglectful? Busy with work excuse, left my pretty sis alone too much."
Her shoulders quivered.
Head down, face hidden.
But trembling chin. Pursed lips. Red ears.
All signals screamed.
'Effect tremendous!'
"...Idiot."
Mosquito voice leaked.
Smack.
She swatted my hand away.
Didn't hurt.
Powerless, perfunctory rejection.
Puzzle pieces clicked perfectly.
Thinking back, it fit.
In the original, Lee Ga-eun never killed Lee Garam.
Scorned, ignored, threatened, cuffed, tried kidnapping to Ganghwa—but never crossed the line. Even granted his revenge request.
Why?
That trash bro was the only one who treated her 'normally.'
Flashback.
Memory fragments surfaced from somewhere.
Childhood, everyone feared and avoided her. Whispered 'monster.'
Only Lee Garam treated her like 'just sis.'
'Bro, wanna dissect a person.'
'Practice on a frog first before humans.'
Catching bullfrogs for her uncontainable violence.
'Bro, wanna hit that kid.'
'Yeah? Hit without getting caught. Blind spot here, no CCTV.'
Teaching how to bully undetected at school.
'Bro, messed up again.'
'Got it. I'll take the blame.'
Covering her mishaps.
That bro.
Suddenly drowned in booze and women, distanced himself.
Hurt. Sulked.
But didn't know how to express.
S-rank but F-rank emotions.
So just curt, thorny words.
Colder she got, further he drifted.
Ha.
Way simpler than thought, these siblings.
Wait.
Why do I know this?
Was it in the original?
Then what are these memories?
Residual body memories?
"...Idiot."
Lee Ga-eun muttered.
"Same then as now. Nothing changed. Not one bit."
"Has changed."
I replied confidently.
"Now I'm the mayor. Neo Incheon's great leader. Citizens' hope. The rising dragon Lee Garam."
"...Shut up. Don't be gross."
No thorns in her voice anymore.
*
After the brief commotion, true farewell time came.
Lee Ga-eun left at dawn, excusing 'Ganghwa emergency.'
Emergency?
No such thing.
Korean villains take Chuseok off too.
Probably hiding puffy eyes.
We exchanged final goodbyes on the veranda.
"Bro! Come again! Play with Nero more!"
Lee Ga-in clung to my leg, beaming. I patted her head.
"Heh heh, Garam. You're all grown up now. Don't tarnish the family name."
"Our pup, eat well. Call grandma anytime if tough."
Nya nya nya!
"Not pup, it's a cat."
Bidding grandpa and grandma farewell, I got in the car.
"Farewell."
Seria bowed with impeccable, perfect smile.
Seria bowed with impeccable, perfect smile.
Top daughter-in-law material.
But.
Thud.
Car door shut.
"Hmm."
Back to normal.
"Tired."
"Good work."
"Thanks to you, Mayor, a valuable experience."
"No sarcasm."
"It's fact."
The refined, cold, terrifying iron-blooded secretary.
Lee Ga-eun's easy.
Clear keyword: love-hate.
But Seria Park? Different.
No clue what abyss hides behind that smile.
I resolved once more.
Impeachment is the answer.
Until that day.
I won't give up.