Chapter 99

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 99

Chapter Title: The Mayor and the Mask

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Hallyu.

K-Pop, K-dramas, K-beauty, K-food, and now even K-ninjas.

Once again, my self-destruct plan washed away like a sandcastle before the massive wave of Hallyu, ending in utter futility.

It exploded like dynamite.

No, not an explosion—a dud.

Not dynamite, but a wet firecracker.

The sad ending where it fizzles with a sizzle... and goes out with a pathetic puff.

A few days later.

I trudged down the long hallway of City Hall.

The corridors were bustling as always.

Civil servants scurrying with stacks of documents tucked under their arms.

Shouts leaking from the complaints office.

The printers' endless whirring.

The vivid frontline of South Korea's administration.

That was when it happened.

A shadow blocked my path.

"Mayor! Good to see you!"

I looked up.

A face that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar, unfamiliar yet familiar.

Anyway, a handsome young man stood before me with that vibe.

And the next moment.

Swoosh—

His upper body folded at a perfect right angle. A 90-degree bow.

"I'm Yuta Kurokumo, starting as a contract worker in the Audit Team from last week. Allow me to greet you properly!"

Yuta Kurokumo.

Heir to the Kurokumo clan.

Just your average Japanese layabout youth who lived off playing and eating.

"...Raise your head."

"No, sir. I'll stay like this until you pass."

"No, just get up. Your back must hurt."

A few days ago, Elder Genji had come to me with a cautious request.

Could I give his successor Yuta a chance to work at City Hall?

Serving at the side of those in power—that was the duty of a vassal, he'd said.

I inwardly cheered.

A parachute hire! An incompetent employee using the mayor's connections!

The clan heir comes in on the mayor's pull and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠causes all sorts of mishaps?

This was my express ticket to impeachment!

Just imagining it made me happy.

"How's the Audit Team work treating you?"

"Yes, sir! It's great fun!"

So bright.

Too bright. It's worrying.

"Uncovering the city's underbelly teeming with corruption and conspiracies—it's like stalking the enemy's vitals in the shadows. It suits me perfectly. My colleagues have all been great to me, too. Especially Auditor Kang Hyunwoo—I've learned so much from him."

But.

Reality was different.

True to his status as clan heir, Yuta was highly competent.

His infiltration and intelligence-gathering skills, honed by the Kurokumo secret arts, synergized perfectly with the Audit Team's duties.

Thanks to his ability to stealthily approach, secure evidence, and vanish without a trace, his colleagues were already calling him 'Ghost' and treating him with awe.

The Audit Team's top duo: 'Undead (Kang Hyunwoo)' and 'Ghost (Yuta)'.

What the hell was happening to the City Hall Audit Team? Some occult club? Or an Everland haunted house?

On top of that, Yuta's warm and kind personality had already earned him the team's full trust.

No.

He couldn't adapt this well.

A centuries-old assassin clan turning into ordinary K-office workers?

This was historical distortion and genre betrayal. The moment oriental fantasy turned realism.

You were supposed to lurk in society's shadows, striking terror into citizens!

And the root of all this peace was simple.

The Kurokumo clan's ninja-like stealth and adaptability.

They blended into society too perfectly. As if they'd been part of it from the start. Like salt dissolving invisibly in the sea!

People had no idea. That killers breathed right next door, in their favorite pizza joint, even in City Hall's Audit Team.

So the solution was simple.

Let them know.

Reawaken the forgotten fear.

Evaporate the seawater to leave only salt crystals.

'Everyone! Ninjas are hiding in our society! The mayor arbitrarily brought in a Japanese assassin who's targeting your backs!'

A way for everyone to know.

The surest, most dramatic way.

My brain cells convened an emergency internal meeting in Lee Garam's head.

A few more days later.

The mayor's office was shrouded in darkness.

Curtains drawn, lights off, movie theater vibes.

The only light source: the wall-mounted TV.

Its blue glow cast ghostly shadows on my face and Nero's.

Ding-ding—

With cheerful sound effects, popular MC Jo Young-seok's face filled the screen.

I lounged diagonally on the sofa, tossing popcorn into my mouth, deeply engrossed in very mayoral duties.

"Mayor."

Ah.

Here she comes again.

"What beneficial, productive city business are you up to this time?"

I didn't turn around. I knew from the voice alone.

Seria Park. My competent ninja—no, secretary.

"This isn't slacking, Seria. It's part of city promotion."

"Watching a dating variety show counts as city promotion. Quite the novel idea. As fresh as your brain structure, Mayor."

"Look there. One of our city employees is on. Spreading word of Neo Incheon's talented workforce to the citizens—that's a mayor's key duty, isn't it?"

She stopped nagging and sat naturally beside me.

Then casually snatched the popcorn bowl from my hand.

"Hey, that's mine."

"So chatty, Mayor. Focus on the research."

Crunch—

Seria fed one piece to Nero, then chewed one herself.

A bad secretary and an even worse cat's collaboration.

Since when did those two team up? An alliance to steal my popcorn?

On screen, masked men and women ate pasta in an awkward atmosphere.

"Isn't that the Audit Team newbie? Yuta Kurokumo?"

"You spotted it! Right, that's the guy!"

Seria nailed it.

"How'd he end up on a show like this?"

"Of course! I recommended him! My keen eye spotted his pure charm and potential!"

Yes. This was all part of my grand plan.

Codenamed: 'Ninja-Out Operation on a Dating Show!'

The hottest dating reality show right now.

Masked young men and women nurture love without knowing each other's identities—a clichéd concept like that.

Participants wear masks until the final confession, calling each other only by numbers.

Aiming to discard prejudices and find true love based purely on inner attraction.

The real-time comments scrolling at the screen's bottom overflowed with praise for Yuta.

'Laugh at his cuteness all you want now.'

You'll find out soon enough.

The eerie edge of a 400-year-old assassin hidden behind that pure smile.

When that moment comes, your praise will turn to screams.

I grinned wickedly and crunched my popcorn.

The show proceeded smoothly according to my script.

Yuta captured the female contestants' hearts with his signature purity and politeness, eventually pairing with one for the confession moment.

"I... don't know much about the world. But being with you, #4, makes me see colors of the world I never knew. Will you be my first world?"

Kuh. Listen to those lines.

Who wrote them?

Yuta removed his mask.

A pretty boy face straight out of a shojo manga.

Screams erupted from the female panelists in the studio. And that ominous reverse gaze.

"Oh my! He's handsome!"

"Look at those eyes! So mysterious!"

Damn.

I expected the looks, but the reverse gaze working too?

A killer's sinister eyes turning into 'unique and mysterious' charm points.

I overlooked this trash city's aesthetic standards again.

The female contestant's face flushed beet red.

"Y... Yes... I like you..."

As the two shyly reached for each other's hands.

"Hold on!"

A wicked voice cut through their romance.

MC Jo Young-seok.

He strode to center stage with his signature sly smile.

"A beautiful couple is born! Viewers, give them a round of applause! But..."

He trailed off meaningfully.

"Doesn't love start from knowing everything about each other? Our production team has obtained some very interesting info on contestant #7, Yuta Kurokumo."

Here it comes.

Jo Young-seok! True broadcaster! The last conscience in this world!

You're the only savior to ruin me! End my political life!

At his gesture, an image appeared on the screen behind the stage.

The clan crest with black clouds. And the vicious Kurokumo assassins imprisoned in Japan.

"Black Clouds. The Kurokumo clan. A legendary ninja family that's upheld assassination as their trade for 400 years since Japan's Edo period. Yuta Kurokumo is the direct heir to that killer clan!"

The studio froze in an instant.

Everyone stared at Yuta, petrified.

Even the female contestant holding his hand lost all color from her face.

Yes! Now it begins!

Shock! Horror! Pandemonium!

Neo Incheon citizens, tremble!

Ninjas hide among you!

Faces filled with shock and terror.

All eyes turned to one spot: the innocent boy—no, heir to killers—unmasked.

Now Yuta's turn.

The cliché ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was set.

First, deny it.

Call it blatant lies, plead tearfully to viewers not to fall for the smears.

Then Jo Young-seok drops decisive proof, and only then does he chuckle darkly, unable to hide anymore, revealing his true colors.

'Kuhuhu, yes, that's right! I am Yuta of the Kurokumo!'

Villain reveals must follow procedure for full flavor.

Yuta slowly rose from his seat.

He stared straight into the front camera.

"Yes. That's correct."

...Huh?

"We are the Kurokumo clan."

I reflexively muttered.

No, correct what? What's correct?

Deny it! Shamelessly dodge at first!

Stick to the plot! Don't forget villain aesthetics!

"For centuries, our clan has lived wielding blades in the shadows. That was our given mission, our only way of life."

He paused, turning to the pale female contestant.

"But not anymore. We don't want to live like that. Now we seek ordinary days in the light."

He smiled softly at the dazed woman looking at him.

"And I want to start that new life with you."

No, wait.

Why's the mood flowing like this?

This is a criminal expose scene, not a proposal event.

Yuta stepped closer, gently taking her hand.

"For you, I could take even a hundred lives."

You madman!

I nearly jumped from the sofa.

How do you say that with such a pure face!

That's not a love confession—it's a murder threat!

Don't cross romance and thriller boundaries so casually!

But my common sense shattered once more before this trash city's nonsense.

Tears welled in the female contestant's eyes.

Not tears of fear, but of emotion.

"Y... Yes!"

She nodded vigorously, voice choked.

Then threw herself into Yuta's arms.

Waaaaaaaa—!

Thunderous applause and cheers exploded in the once-frozen studio.

Panelists wiped tears; contestants gave standing ovations.

Real-time chat flooded the screen bottom.

No.

This isn't it.

I clutched my head.

Where did it all go wrong?

Why did my perfect script always devolve into trash drama like this?

Then, the one man who kept his wits seized the mic again.

My last hope, Jo Young-seok.

"Wait, everyone! That's not the point! Mayor Lee Garam! Mayor Lee Garam brought these dangerous killers into our city! We must hold Mayor Lee Garam accountable for threatening citizens' safety!"

Yes! Jo Young-seok!

The final beacon in this rotten industry.

Pierce to the essence!

Don't forget I'm the culprit behind it all, Lee Garam!

As Jo Young-seok's cry echoed through the studio.

Swoosh.

Yuta's head slowly turned.

The pure smile he'd aimed at his lover was gone.

His eyes now gleamed with cold, sharp killing intent I'd never seen before.

"Mayor Lee Garam... is our clan's benefactor who gave us a chance at a new life."

His voice was low and quiet, but its weight crushed the entire studio.

"Insulting my lord... is unforgivable, no matter who it is."

It felt like all studio lights went out at once.

Only Yuta's overwhelming pressure dominated the space.

He turned back to the camera.

And.

"Mayor Lee Garam! Thank you so much! Thanks to you, I met the person I love."

A perfect 90-degree bow.

Through the broadcast camera, to all Neo Incheon citizens, the legendary assassin clan's heir bowed deeply.

Infused with absolute loyalty and gratitude toward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me.

With that scene, Jo Young-seok's eyes rolled back.

"Gahk!"

Foam bubbled from his mouth; his body shuddered violently before collapsing backstage.

"Aigoo, this guy's at it again."

"Ambulance! Call the ambulance!"

"It's already on standby!"

The screen went black, and soon a cold electronic beep heralded an emergency subtitle.

Beep—

I flopped onto the sofa.

Ruined.

Ruined again.

Ninja scandal turns love story.

Horror flick genre-swaps to romance.

I never approved that!

"Mayor."

Seria said, munching popcorn.

"Heartwarming. Your good deed birthed another couple."

"It was a conspiracy, not a good deed..."

"Pardon?"

"No, nothing."

I hung my head.

A week passed.

My impeachment plan failed once more, spectacularly and gorgeously.

And the debris of that failure blanketed Neo Incheon in bizarre forms.

Yuta shot to stardom overnight.

His line, "For you, I could take even a hundred lives," was crowned the year's most romantic quote.

Memes with shy-smiling clips captioned 'Killer Smile (Real)' swept the internet.

Among young women, "I want a ninja boyfriend too" trended, turning Kurokumo-run shops into pilgrimage sites swarming with customers.

I lay corpse-like on the mayor's office sofa.

Only the peace of total surrender enveloped me.

"Romantic."

Seria coolly summed up my failure.

She stood by me now, scrolling related articles on her tablet.

"Thanks to your excellent talent recruitment and promo strategy, a beautiful couple was born, and the city's economy got a boost."

"Kill me..."

"Pardon? What was that?"

"No, nothing."

Grrr—

Nero rolled on the desk, swishing his tail mockingly at me.

You insolent furball.

I shot up and reached for his chubby cheeks.

"You damn cat! Thrilled your owner's done for, huh?!"

Streeetch—

Huh?

Nero's cheek in my hand stretched like rubber.

10cm, 20cm, 30cm...

Like taffy, endlessly elongating.

"Wh-what?!"

I let go in shock.

Slap!

The cheek snapped back, slapping Nero's face.

Meooow!?

Nero cried pitifully, looking baffled.

"Seria, look. Nero's cheeks stretched."

"Yes, I clearly saw you bullying Nero, Mayor."

Meow! Meoo!

"Taking it out on an innocent cat. What a rotten owner. Right, Nero?"

Meow meow meow!

Nero buried his face in Seria's arms, wailing like a tattletale.

"Yes, the mayor's awful."

Ugh... Now they're both ganging up to tease me!

The cat.

The secretary.

The ninjas.

All betrayed me.

Is there truly no one on my side in this world!!