Chapter 21: I’m Going to Become a President Go Soo!

At the scene, several cameras were present.

There were cameras live-streaming through Kang Jiwoo’s YouTube channel.

Additionally, cameras from a few broadcasting stations had followed along.

In short, Kang Jiwoo’s ecstatic reaction of jumping up and down after eating a hotdog was being broadcast live.

“Potato hotdog! Delicious! Delicious!!”

“Hoho, thank you so much for enjoying it so much~”

The live chat was filling up rapidly.

Jumping around just because the hotdog’s good?

So adorable lololol

A legendary campaign scene in Korean political history;

Look at her devouring that hotdog lol

Watching this made me decide to go buy a hotdog.

The GOAT of mukbangs.

How delicious must it be for her to react like that? For children, everything is a new experience. That’s why it’s so pure and adorable.

These days, it’s rare to even see children.

Perhaps for that reason, the market folks were all beaming with warmth in their eyes.

Their blatant expressions of joy were so obvious that the cameras caught it clearly.

The difference from when Jo Seyoung came is huge.

lol remember when Jo Seyoung ate fish cakes with a sour face?

Bet she thought, “This tastes awful,” deep inside.

Jiwooping is genuine.

If it’s your first potato hotdog ever, how can you not smile? lol

Even viewers watching through the cameras could feel the difference.

By then, even the market vendors were thinking,

‘At least no one will accuse her of being hypocritical like someone else.’

Cho Seoyoung.

Anyone could tell she lived a wealthy life, and still does.

Having money isn’t a crime.

The problem was that her party’s image didn’t match her luxurious aura.

Her attempts at a forced “commoner cosplay” always backfired, earning her criticism.

“Hotdog! Hotdog!”

Kang Jiwoo was still hopping around excitedly.

But then she tripped over a small stone.

Thud!

She dropped her hotdog and whimpered, looking ready to cry.

Even her words were so adorably pitiful.

“Hic… Potato hotdog is… the most delicious… thing in the world… Hic… but I dropped it… because I was careless…”

“…!”

At her words, people started fumbling in their pockets.

Some burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, she says it’s the most delicious thing in the world. How funny.”

“Look at her face, like she lost everything, just over a hotdog.”

“Boss! I’ll pay for it, so make her another one!”

The hotdog stand owner also couldn’t stop smiling brightly.

“If she says our hotdog is the best in the world, how could I not make her another one?”

“Exactly! With that reaction, how can you not give her a freebie?”

In no time, a new potato hotdog was ready.

“What’s your name, sweetie?”

“My name is… Kang Jiwoo…”

Kang Jiwoo had stopped crying.

Though her eyes were still red, she managed to pull herself together and fixed her gaze on the new hotdog.

“Since our Jiwoo enjoyed it so much, this one’s on the house. It’s on me.”

“Gasp… A free… hotdog…?”

Her eyes sparkled like stars.

“Of course! But this time, make sure you don’t drop it!”

“Thank you so much…”

Kang Jiwoo cautiously took the hotdog.

This time, she didn’t jump around like before.

Her eyes remained glued to the hotdog.

Her steps were as careful as a stray cat’s.

“Careful… careful… Can’t drop it… It’s the most delicious thing in the world…”

Her determination not to drop it was palpable.

This campaign is demolishing all previous ones lololol

Jiwooping for President!

Market vendors have probably already switched to vote for #5.

How could anyone witness this and not vote for her?

As her adorable actions were captured on camera, the number of viewers steadily increased.

It started with a few hundred.

When she jumped with joy while eating the hotdog, it reached a thousand.

When she dropped it and burst into tears, it climbed to five thousand.

Naturally, the broadcast attracted trolls, supporters of rival candidates, and even clueless newcomers.

Yet the chat wasn’t particularly chaotic.

What’s this broadcast about?

Mukbang.

Mukbang, yup.

A kids’ show lololol.

Kids’ show, huh? lololol.

True lol.

Electing an elementary school kid as president?

Why?

Because she’s cute?

Then why not put a kitten in office instead?

Jiwooping is cuter than a kitten.

That’s the truth lol.

Even cat lovers would vote for Kang Jiwoo.

Cat moms must be dying of laughter right now lololol.

I’m a cat mom, and I’m voting for #5.

Voting hasn’t even started yet, geez lol.

Typical #5 voters: Creepy folks who adore elementary school girls.

“Is liking young elementary school kids creepy?”

“I’m just saying they’re cute. What’s so creepy about it?”

“LOL, I don’t even get why this is supposed to be creepy.”

“Wackyawpahughnongjooktoonsplobongmalangkirukkiruk LOL.”

“Ugh, kick that guy out already.”

“Oongnonguuu.”

LOLLOLLOLLOL

“Oongnong, seriously LOL.”

“Are you doing a comedy skit or what? LOL.”

Kang Jiwoo had plenty of supporters, but most of the people tuning in were just there for the fun of it.

They didn’t see Kang Jiwoo as a politician.

They saw him as an internet broadcaster.

And the most important virtue for a broadcaster?

“Forget everything else, pure entertainment is king, LOL.”

Entertainment.

As long as something’s entertaining, everything else is forgiven.

We live in a world where entertainment is power.

An elementary schooler running for president and his unique campaign antics delivered a level of dopamine far beyond conventional broadcasts.

Viewer count: 9,908

Kang Jiwoo’s campaign live stream was bustling with activity.

The viewer count was nearing 10,000.

It was a number that dwarfed the viewership of the first and second-place candidates.

“Candidate Kang Jiwoo~ Would you like to try this as well?”

“Yes!”

Since the hot dog incident, the market vendors had been incredibly welcoming toward me.

I didn’t even approach them first, but they kept offering me the food they were selling.

“How does the dumpling taste? Does it suit your palate?”

“It’s so hot…!”

“Hahaha.”

Honestly, I was a bit worried about campaigning in the market.

It was because of my physical urges.

Ever since I became a child, I found it harder to suppress my reactions.

If I ate something that didn’t taste good, it was hard not to blurt out, “This tastes bad. I don’t like it.”

But my worries turned out to be unfounded.

“Wow, you even eat silkworm pupae?”

“Yes! I eat these well! They’re nutty and delicious!”

“You really know how to eat, huh? Amazing!”

It’s true that my childlike body has developed a childlike palate.

It’s also true that my physical transformation made me more sensitive to spicy food.

But my original tastes hadn’t disappeared entirely.

I still loved foods like pork stir-fry, cutlets, and hot soup.

They were just a bit lower on my priority list now.

And honestly, most things I ate in the market were delicious.

In a traditional market like this, bad food doesn’t survive.

“You remind me of my grandchild. Would you like to try one of these too?”

“Uh, but if I eat too much, it’s not good….”

“Are you full?”

“No, I’m not full, but… our party doesn’t have much money. So if I spend too much, the adults will fight, and I have to eat only a little….”

Han Seoyoung gave a sheepish smile at my words.

“Ahem. Candidate, we can afford this much….”

“Really?”

“Of course. Eat whatever you want. Just don’t overeat, okay?”

“……!”

So I wandered around the market, sampling all kinds of food.

Honestly, it was such a happy time.

Maybe because I was experiencing it with a child’s sense of taste, everything felt exceptionally delicious.

“Wow, you eat so well!”

“Haha, look at those cheeks puffed up like a squirrel from all the food!”

“The kid’s reactions are so adorable~”

“Just for his eating, he’s presidential material!”

“Right? Just watching him on the news would make me happy.”

The vendors seemed to feel my sincerity as well.

Sensing the moment, I shouted to them.

My mouth was still shiny with sauce and oil from the food, but there was no time to wipe it.

“I’m going to become a great president!”

“Hahaha.”

“You already are, kid!”

Kang Jiwoo was surrounded by cheerful laughter.

“If you keep doing what you’re doing today, you’ll do great!”

“Fighting!”

The atmosphere was warm and friendly.

Our strategy of campaigning in Cho Seoyoung’s stronghold seemed to be a huge success.

“Candidate, shall we head back now?”

Han Seoyoung and the party members urged me to get moving.

But…

I kept turning my head.

I couldn’t seem to move my feet.

It was like the ground had turned sticky.

“Candidate?”

“I smell something delicious….”

The smell was intoxicating.

An unbelievably delicious smell…!

“Bang-bang-bang-bang!!”

I instinctively ran toward the source of the smell.

The familiar entrance of an alleyway greeted me.

There, I discovered a restaurant with 40 years of tradition.

“Candidate, is this the right place…?”

“Yes!”

“But this is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) place.”

It turned out to be ‘Market Sundaeguk.’

“I know this! It’s white and super delicious!”

This would make a perfect spot for today’s final mukbang.

—

As Kang Jiwoo’s rise continued, the media’s attention fixated on him.

Here and there, it was all about Kang Jiwoo.

Liberal and conservative outlets alike were dominated by his name.

“Is it true that Candidate Kang Jiwoo has become a sensation in Japan as well?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Recently, Japanese news introduced him as ‘the cutest presidential candidate in the world,’ and the star was none other than Kang Jiwoo.”

“Ridiculous.”

Beep.

Grandma Park Malja changed the TV channel.

However, even the next news channel was talking about Kang Jiwoo.

It was all due to the recent Japanese reports.

In the end, she settled for a home shopping channel.

“The Kang Jiwoo dress that’s selling like hotcakes! Get yours now!”

“Damn it!”

She turned off the TV entirely and threw the remote aside.

The atmosphere in the restaurant grew cold.

“Mom, calm down. You’re always scowling and angry… You’ll scare away the customers.”

“Calm down? How can I, when Cho Seoyoung should be the president, but all anyone talks about is this kid?”

“Stop watching political news. You always get angry, and now the market folks avoid you because of it.”

Grandma Park Malja ran a sundae soup restaurant in a traditional market in Seoul.

It was an incredibly famous eatery, even featured on TV and YouTube channels.

Yet, the other merchants in the market avoided her because she was a fervent supporter of the New Wind Democratic Party.

“The country’s in crisis! Someone has to speak up!”

“Mom, it doesn’t matter who wins. Honestly, do you even like Cho Seoyoung? The way she acts on TV is so off-putting. I’d only vote for her because there’s no one better.”

Park Malja quietly went into the kitchen.

Moments later, she came back holding a salt shaker and started sprinkling it furiously.

“How dare you! What’s wrong with Cho Seoyoung? She’s a prosecutor! A prosecutor who catches bad guys!”

“Come on, Mom! I’m not done eating yet! Wait until I finish before you sprinkle salt everywhere!”

“Just get out of here, you rascal!”

Despite her outburst, she didn’t actually chase him away.

After all, if the shameless seafood vendor didn’t visit, Grandma Park Malja would feel lonely.

“Mom, stop watching political news and try to smile more. I can’t even remember the last time I saw you happy.”

“There has to be something worth smiling about.”

“Happiness isn’t about finding something to smile about. You smile to be happy. And why wouldn’t you have something to smile about? Didn’t your favorite Cho Seoyoung come by earlier?”

Park Malja remained silent.

Cho Seoyoung.

She had indeed visited the market.

Overjoyed, Park Malja had rushed barefoot to shake her hand.

But all she received was an unpleasant expression and a wall of security guards.

“It was because of the guards, right? Those jerks! They don’t know how much my mom loves Cho Seoyoung!”

“Stop talking nonsense and eat your food.”

She placed a complimentary dish of sundae on the table.

“You’re the best, Mom!”

The seafood vendor grinned and gave her an exaggerated wink.

While munching on some sundae, he casually mentioned:

“By the way, did you see that little kid earlier?”

“I’m not interested.”

“She was so cute! She ate so well too… I wonder if she’ll come for sundae soup?”

“If she does, I’ll toss her out with salt.”

“Come on, Mom. You can’t throw salt at an elementary schooler…”

Just then, the doorbell chimed.

“Hello~”

A polite greeting from a pink-clad little girl.

With her short legs, she walked toward the menu and smacked her lips as she looked at it.

Then, glancing around nervously, she muttered,

“Sundae soup… I really want to try it…”