Explore the Inner Workings of LALATOWN and Its Key LeadersExplore the Inner Workings of LALATOWN and Its Key Leaders
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Hyung Joo Kim
• 1d
CLASSIFIED
The Power Structure of LALATOWN
I am revealing classified information today.
Please show the proper respect.
Every town has a government. Every government has a power structure.
LALATOWN is no exception.
Some of these citizens still live beside me. Some now live only in memory. But every one of them helped build the town.
Let me introduce the real power behind LALATOWN.
Frankie (Mayor)
Frankie is the Mayor of LALATOWN.
A gentle giant. He requires very little in life, except Sarang.
In fact, Frankie refused to approve this public release unless Sarang appeared at the same rank. The two photos included above are officially recognized as “couple pictures,” despite the fact that Frankie insisted on staying approximately three feet away from Sarang at all times.
Frankie lives in the House of Frankie, a special place in LALATOWN where his favorite toys hang from every tree branch. I am personally responsible for maintaining the property and watering the grounds.
Frankie arrived after a difficult beginning. Abandoned and frightened, he spent his days hiding under a bed. He would not come out for anyone.
Except Dolsae.
Dolsae crawled under the bed, stayed with him, and slowly brought him back into the world.
When Frankie wandered away and refused to come home, Dolsae found him and escorted him back.
If Frankie is the Mayor of LALATOWN, Dolsae is one of the reasons he became one.
Dolsae (Five-Star General)
Dolsae protected every corner of our home and property.
He was brilliant, brave, and endlessly kind.
We often called Frankie the George Clooney of cats because of his perfect black-and-white markings, but it was Dolsae who helped Frankie become Frankie.
After Dolsae passed away unexpectedly, Frankie stopped eat.
He became depressed, and seemed unwilling to continue.
That is how Sarang entered the story.
Sarang (First Lady)
We did not go looking for Sarang.
We simply found her.
She happened to be close to Dolsae’s age and, strangely enough, had also lost six teeth, just like him.
We were told she might not have much time.
Instead, she spent eight happy years with us.
Frankie fell in love immediately.
He began grooming again. He became joyful again.
For the rest of her life, Frankie looked at Sarang as though she were the center of the universe.
And perhaps she was.
Jjanggu (The Last Gentleman)
Jjanggu arrived later.
Every house needs at least one black cat.
Jjanggu loved Sarang deeply.
He hunted for her. He brought gifts. He tried his best.
Unfortunately for him, competing with Frankie was impossible.
So Jjanggu accepted his fate.
His heart remained warm while his face remained intimidating.
A true gentleman.
Bonggu (Chief Tennis Ball Administrator)
Bonggu never travels without a tennis ball.
Administration is a serious responsibility.
Part Border Collie. Part Dachshund. Part unstoppable force of nature.
I met Bonggu when he was only three months old.
The very night I decided to adopt him, he became sick with parvovirus.
He survived.
Two weeks later, we were reunited.
The Department of Tennis Ball Affairs has operated successfully ever since.
Hiro (Minister of Toilet Paper Operations)
Hiro arrived through a Korean student who heard I loved cats.
He was a Himalayan cat with a deep appreciation for paper products.
Toilet paper. Tissues. Documents.
Nothing was safe.
He also adored Saja.
Unfortunately, Kkamang occasionally had opinions about that relationship.
According to unofficial records, one incident involved Hiro being escorted into the mountains and temporarily misplaced.
A search operation was launched.
Hiro was recovered.
The investigation remains open.
Saja & Kkamang
(Founding Members of LALATOWN)
These two arrived a year apart and stayed nearly twenty years.
Before there was a LALATOWN, there was Saja and Kkamang.
They are the reason I became a cat person.
They are the beginning of the story.
Every town has founders.
LALATOWN had two.
And their influence can still be felt in every corner of the neighborhood.
Respectfully submitted,
The Caretaker of LALATOWN
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