Han Seoyoung was anxious.
Yoo Hangseol had shown up unexpectedly and requested a private meeting with Kang Jiwoo.
“He’s probably here to push for consolidation, right?”
Han Seoyoung could guess his intentions.
The problem was, she didn’t know how to respond.
She couldn’t recklessly dismiss a political heavyweight, but leaving him alone with Kang Jiwoo made her uneasy.
“Stay calm. It’ll be fine. This is our base camp. No matter how influential Representative Yoo is, he can’t act recklessly here.”
It was just five minutes.
Surely nothing significant could happen in such a short time.
“Ahhh!”
“Candidate?!”
A scream erupted from the room.
Han Seoyoung’s heart sank, and she flung the door open.
Click!
“……?”
The scene that unfolded was unexpected.
“What do you think? Isn’t the airplane ride fun?”
“Kyaa! Hehehe…!”
Yoo Hangseol was lying on the floor, giving Kang Jiwoo a piggyback airplane ride.
“Um… Representative Yoo?”
“Has it already been five minutes?”
“Just about.”
Yoo Hangseol had a broad grin on his face, utterly charmed by Kang Jiwoo.
‘Our candidate is pretty adorable, but still… Giving him an airplane ride without permission? Really?’
Han Seoyoung quickly approached and pulled Kang Jiwoo away.
Yoo Hangseol stood up, brushing off dust with a slightly sheepish expression before regaining his usual solemn demeanor.
“Ahem. This little guy really has become a child.”
“I told you, there’s no way it’s an act.”
“When I suggested consolidation, he started talking in some alien language. What’s ‘ddu-ddai’? What does that even mean?”
“Oh, that’s…”
Han Seoyoung was about to brush it off casually.
But then, to her surprise, Bong Soohee appeared out of nowhere.
“I’ll translate for you.”
Bong Soohee spoke to Kang Jiwoo in a playful tone, asking, “Ddu-ddae?”
Kang Jiwoo responded with a string of gibberish: “Ttum-dda-ttut-da.”
It was evident to anyone that he was just saying random nonsense.
Feigning understanding, Bong Soohee nodded and relayed to Yoo Hangseol,
“He says, ‘How could a wolf submit to a dog?’”
“……”
Yoo Hangseol’s expression hardened dangerously.
The office staff’s faces turned pale as well.
No matter how eccentric Bong Soohee was, no one had expected her to spout such nonsense to the leader of the conservative party and second-place presidential candidate.
Han Seoyoung quickly intervened to smooth things over.
“Director Bong just has a peculiar sense of humor…”
“Enough. Let’s talk on the rooftop.”
Yoo Hangseol pulled out his smartphone and placed it on the table.
“Leave your phone here.”
It was a clear signal: no recordings, just a private conversation.
“Understood.”
Han Seo-young followed him out.
“The elevator is this way.”
“Let’s take the stairs instead. Good exercise.”
“The rooftop is eight floors up. Are you sure?”
“I’ve climbed 20 flights without stopping before.”
Han Seoyoung had only asked because she wasn’t sure she’d make it, but Yoo Hangseol seemed completely serious.
And so, the late-night staircase meeting began.
“What’s the mood in the party?”
“Positive. The approval ratings have risen, and the candidate is just so adorable.”
“That atmosphere won’t last.”
Yoo Hangseol started off bluntly.
“Is that your hope?”
“I want Representative Kang to succeed. But the fate of third parties is always the same. They claim innovation, but in the end, they’re just a mishmash stew, grabbing anyone they can from here and there. No clear direction.”
Han Seoyoung had a deep affection for the party.
It was a party she had built from the ground up with Kang Jiwoo.
Even if they had merged with other parties along the way, calling it a “mishmash stew” was hard to swallow.
Above all, she was representing the party at the moment.
So she decided to respond with courage.
“Better a stew than the giant parties, which are little more than shrines to power-hungry leaders.
Practically dictatorships.”
“If that’s what you believe, then you’ve still got a long way to go. No matter how corrupt they may seem, the ones holding real power are the two major parties. Representative Kang’s rise in approval is notable, but do you really think he can win?”
“That’s something we won’t know until the end.”
Yoo Hangseol stopped in his tracks and stared intently at Han Seoyoung.
“Your real goal is victory? This party is something else.”
“…”
To be honest, Han Seoyoung knew it was a long shot.
Although the approval rating was on the rise, public analysis dismissed it as a temporary spike.
“Representative Kang’s approval rating is bound to fall eventually.”
“Phew… We think differently.”
“A monk can’t shave his own head. The people involved often can’t see clearly, but I can see it all. Are you preparing well for the second TV debate? You’re not planning to gloss over it with that ‘Ddu-dda’ nonsense again, are you?”
TV debates.
Presidential candidates were required to participate in three public debates before election day.
The first had already taken place, leaving two debates ahead.
“Representative Kang performed brilliantly in the first debate. Cho Seoyoung and I were completely outclassed. What about the second debate? Honestly, at this rate, it wouldn’t be hard to reel her in. Cho’s camp will come prepared, sharpening their knives to a fine edge. Are you ready for that?”
“Well, uh… That’s… classified… huh… gasp…”
Breathing became increasingly labored.
As Han Seoyoung climbed the stairs, supporting herself on her knees, Yoo Hanseol seemed perfectly fine, not even short of breath.
“Running out of materials, huh? How are you going to produce promotional content? Planning to put some other guy’s face on the posters for the election?”
“Huff… The funds… We’re planning to secure them through a fundraising campaign…”
“Sure, because fundraisers will work for a candidate barely scraping a 15% approval rating. Or are you aiming to push it to 20% in the short term and then issue it? If you had that kind of political skill, you might as well apply for U.S. citizenship and run for president there!”
Yoo Hangseol’s pessimism continued.
It wasn’t just hard to argue against him; Han Seoyoung was so out of breath that answering was nearly impossible.
“Soon, Cho’s camp will move. Their attack dogs will relentlessly hound you, while YouTubers will spread baseless rumors to tarnish your candidate’s reputation. Can that kid handle it?”
“…”
“If approval ratings stagnate, eventually, there will be traitors. Spies who’ve been lying low will turn on you at the last minute with internal sabotage—it’s all too common.”
By this point, there wasn’t even a thought to respond.
All Han Seoyoung could do was listen.
“Is completing the election really worth taking all these risks?”
There was no answer.
Han Seoyoung was afraid.
Afraid that the future she longed for would never come.
Afraid that the worst-case scenario she could imagine might become a reality.
And the worst-case scenario seemed far more likely than success.
At least more likely than winning the election.
“The night breeze feels nice. Catch your breath.”
“Huff, huff… Phew…”
Finally, they reached the rooftop.
The rain had stopped.
Yoo Hangseol clasped his hands behind his back and enjoyed the night air comfortably.
“Why complicate things?”
“What do you mean…?”
“With Kang Jiwoo in this state, her political career will be over once the election ends. Without Kang Ji-woo, what power does Han Seoyoung have?”
Han Seoyoung’s power?
She didn’t have much.
It wasn’t as if she was there to gain power, but she wasn’t sure if she could continue her political career without Kang Jiwoo.
“If we unify, I’ll definitely win. Handing you a few positions is nothing.”
“I’m not in politics just to get a few positions.”
“I know that. But have you asked your team members? The ones working all night down there?”
“I trust they’ll make the right judgment. I’ll head down first.”
As Yoo Hangseol descended the stairs, he spoke without turning back.
“And work on your stamina. A young person being this week? You’ll need endurance for the election.”
Now, Han Seoyoung was alone on the rooftop.
Leaning against the railing, she took deep breaths.
In the chilly night breeze, she thought quietly.
“It’s not that Yoo’s words didn’t make sense. The election will only get tougher.”
The conversation with Yoo Hangseol.
At first glance, it seemed like he was simply throwing insults, but there was a deeper meaning behind his words.
Kang Jiwoo had limits.
A lack of intellect.
It was a fatal flaw for a presidential candidate.
The more public appearances she made, including TV debates, the more this flaw would become evident.
“Soon, the real political offensives will begin.”
The major parties’ negative campaigns hadn’t even started yet.
Would they hold back just because she was young?
Fear of backlash wouldn’t stop them.
Politics wasn’t that lenient.
There were more than enough ‘professionals’ armed with razor-sharp knives to launch full-blown negative attacks, even against an elementary schooler.
“Internal cracks can’t be ruled out either. If approval ratings rise, some will scramble for positions; if they fall, others will sell out the party first.”
Although she hadn’t said it aloud, it had been a struggle to get this far.
How difficult had it been to consolidate the opinions of so many different parties?
The party members, all with their unique views, had been quiet so far—not out of satisfaction, but because they were waiting for their moment.
“I’m not giving up, though…”
It was true that her head was a mess.
At that moment, she heard a noise near the entrance.
Thinking it was Yoo Hangseol returning, she tensed up, but what appeared instead was the adorable Kang Jiwoo, who was less than half of Yoo Hangseol’s size.
“Siljangping!”
“Candidate?”
Kang Jiwoo ran over and hugged her thigh tightly.
Han Seoyoung naturally lifted Kang Jiwoo into her arms.
She was used to this pattern by now.
“Did you take the elevator up?”
“Yes. I got worried because Siljangping didn’t come down.”
“Haha. Thank you for worrying about me.”
Her worries melted away as she looked at Kang Ji-woo’s face.
Holding Kang Jiwoo in her arms made her feel an indescribable happiness.
And Kang Jiwoo wasn’t just cute in appearance.
“Siljangping, I’ll practice diligently and earn money.”
“Earn money?”
“Yes… Because grown-ups keep fighting about not having money. If I practice hard and earn money, they won’t have to fight anymore, right?”
What exactly was she going to practice to earn money?
Han Seoyoung didn’t know the details of the plan, but that only made it all the cuter.
‘This is unfair! Being adorable and thoughtful at the same time?’
She couldn’t help but smile.
As she entertained the mischievous thought of stealing a kiss when no one was looking—
“Director Han, did you have a good talk? What were you discussing?”
Park Seokji and Bong Soohee appeared, accompanied by some party members who hadn’t left yet.
“Oh, nothing much. It was about the unification proposal, as expected.”
“Why talk about unification? The candidate is doing well right now! We’re not unifying, are we?”
“Of course not. It’s not even something I have the authority to decide in the first place.”
The party members also chimed in.
“Isn’t increasing the approval rating the solution to the funding issue?”
“Let’s work harder together!”
“Let’s change this country for once!”
The atmosphere was good, but the reality of the election remained harsh.
“But what about our TV debate?”
The question came from a secretary.
Though they were preparing materials for the debate, it didn’t seem like Kang Jiwoo would be able to handle them.
It was a topic that had come up a few times in meetings, but the issue kept being pushed aside.
“I’ll practice hard!”
Though Kang Jiwoo’s enthusiasm brought a smile, it didn’t inspire confidence.
As a result, some of the party members began subtly voicing differing opinions.
“If we’re going to unify, now is the best time.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“Isn’t it rational to consider this as our peak approval rating? Once the debate airs, the approval rating will drop, and we’ll run out of funds for promotions.”
“I agree with Representative Hong. We all want to support and cheer for our candidate, but shouldn’t we consider the practical issues?”
“If we bring up unification while our approval is high, our party can benefit more, can’t it?”
Unification bargaining—the only choice for a candidate with ambiguous approval ratings that guaranteed a “return.”
“We made a promise when we merged, didn’t we? To see the election through to the end!”
“We did back then. But now Representative Kang has become… a child. Honestly, does our party have a future after this election?”
“Why wouldn’t we? I’m still here!”
“Honestly, relying on Representative Park is a bit…”
“Unbelievable! Do you all have no loyalty?”
“Why are you raising your voice again?”
Shouting erupted among the party members, and the rooftop quickly descended into chaos.
“Everyone, calm down!”
Han Seoyoung broke into a sweat trying to mediate between the representatives.
“Honestly, isn’t it a fact that we don’t have a debate strategy? Or are we supposed to send her to get pummeled without knowing why?”
“Why not go with the cute concept?”
“Do you really think that’ll work in a debate? Appealing to emotions will obviously backfire!”
“So, are you saying we should just give up?”
As the shouting continued, Kang Jiwoo stood off to the side, hesitant and on the verge of tears.
“I-I’ll… work really hard…”
Her voice was so small that the adults didn’t hear her.
Except for one person.
Bong Soohee was watching her intently.
Suddenly—
Bong Soohee turned on her smartphone flashlight and shone it at the party members.
“Ah! What’s with the blinding light?”
Though a bit rough, it was undeniably effective in grabbing everyone’s attention.
All eyes turned to Bong Soohee.
“What is it, Director Bong? Do you have something to say?”
“I just got an idea.”
“An idea for what?”
“A foolproof debate strategy for Kang Jiwoo.”
“A… foolproof strategy?”
This month’s outstanding committee member, Bong Soohee, seemed to have found a breakthrough once again.