Chapter 24: Jiwoo Ping’s Great Adventure

[Jiwoo Ping’s Great Adventure]

[This video captures the journey of candidate Kang Jiwoo, who fled the office.]

The video began in front of an office building.

“I escaped…!”

Kang Jiwoo jumped up and down with joy outside the building.

Perhaps afraid of running into party members, she didn’t jump for long.

After briefly looking around, she began taking short, brisk steps.

Tap, tap, tap.

She walked alone on an unfamiliar road.

It was evening, slightly past the usual time for leaving work.

“Look at that girl.”

“How does she have such pretty pink hair?”

Her hair color stood out wherever she went.

While it could have looked unnatural, it suited Kang Jiwoo’s cute appearance perfectly.

“Wait, isn’t that Kang Jiwoo? The presidential candidate!”

Some people recognized her.

However, no one dared to approach.

Spotting Bong Soohee filming from behind, they decided it wasn’t a good idea to get close.

Most of the other passersby only turned their heads briefly.

They didn’t find it particularly unusual to see a pink-haired child wandering alone.

It was, after all, a busy street, and people were tired after a long day at work.

The first place Jiwoo stopped was a bus stop.

A line of office workers was waiting for their commute home.

Jiwoo slowly examined the route map, nodded as if understanding, and got in line.

She looked up blankly at the woman standing in front of her.

Then she tugged on the woman’s coat.

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

The woman turned around, removing her headset.

“Hello~”

“Oh, hello…?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“If I take bus number 37, can I get to the market?”

“Yes, you mean Yeongpo Traditional Market? You can take the 37 or the 37-1.”

“Thank you~”

The woman smiled warmly and turned back.

But once again, her coat was tugged.

“Can I ask something else…?”

“Of course.”

She assumed it would be another question about directions.

The child was so cute that she even considered escorting her to the destination.

However, the next question was entirely unexpected.

“Who are you voting for in the presidential election?”

“What? The president…?”

“Yes, I’m running for president. I’m candidate number 5.”

“…?”

“But you don’t have to vote for me. I was just curious…”

The small pink acorn stood boldly among the tall office workers.

The woman chuckled, finding the audacious little one adorable.

Even the man behind them couldn’t suppress a smile.

Just then, the bus arrived.

Jiwoo boarded along with a few others.

Bong Soohee, pulling her hat low, also got on.

The filming continued.

“Hello~”

Jiwoo greeted politely as she climbed aboard.

The driver, who had been gripping the steering wheel robotically, suddenly broke into a wide smile, as if freed from a long curse.

“Welcome aboard.”

It was just a greeting, but the atmosphere on the bus seemed to brighten.

All the seats were taken.

Fortunately, it wasn’t crowded enough to require squeezing in.

Jiwoo grabbed the pole near the driver’s seat and stood there.

Her gaze alternated between the driver and the windshield.

Then she started muttering to herself.

“Wow, such a huge bus…”

“Wow, so many buttons…”

“…”

“Wow, he’s really good at driving…”

She kept marveling at the bus.

It was Jiwoo’s first time riding one.

To her, operating such a big vehicle seemed incredibly cool.

“Wow, does it transform into a robot too…?”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and grinned.

“Kid, where are you headed?”

“I’m going to see my grandma…”

“Where does your grandma live?”

“At the market. She’s the boss of a sundae soup stall!”

“Ah, Yeongpo Market, huh? I’ll let you know when it’s time to get off.”

“Thank you~”

“Such polite manners.”

Jiwoo bowed deeply.

Though she tried to act mature, she was still just a child.

Unable to stay still, she kept dangling her body from the bus pole.

Hanging loosely like that, she gazed at the bus driver.

“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Who are you voting for as president?”

“President…?”

“I’m a presidential candidate number 5, Kang Jiwoo. But you don’t have to vote for me. I was just curious.”

“Oh! You’re that Kang Jiwoo!”

The driver finally recognized her. 

She was a candidate gaining significant support recently, but her face had only become familiar to the public in recent days.

As such, even those who knew of her wouldn’t easily recognize her at first glance.

“I’ll vote for number 5! But can you promise me one thing?”

“A promise…?”

“If you keep dangling from the pole like that, you might fall. Stay upright while the bus is moving.”

“…!”

Hearing that he’d vote for her, Kang Jiwoo seemed a bit thrilled.

A short while later, a seat became available.

Since there were still a few people standing, Kang Jiwoo hesitated, glancing around.

The woman she had spoken to earlier called out to her.

“Have a seat here.”

“Th-thank you…”

Kang Jiwoo climbed onto the seat.

Next to her was a female student with earphones on, likely a high schooler returning home after academy classes.

The girl was studying, looking over her notebook.

Kang Jiwoo peeked curiously before outright reading her notes.

“…?”

Sensing the gaze, the student turned her head.

At first, she seemed slightly annoyed, but as soon as she saw Kang Jiwoo, she chuckled.

‘She’s really adorable…’

How could anyone not smile at such a cute sight?

Their eyes met.

Kang Jiwoo quickly averted her gaze and murmured softly.

“I-I know this too…”

“Oh, you do?”

“Yes! I’ve been practicing debates a lot, so I learned it!”

“Really? Then can you explain what democracy is?”

“Yes. Democracy is… electing the president.”

“Wow, that’s so smart!”

The girl clapped her hands.

Others nearby joined in, clapping along.

Clap clap clap.

“Heheh.”

Kang Jiwoo puffed up with pride, her seated posture straightening as if she had grown taller.

She looked like a sprouting bean sprout.

“Who will you vote for, unni?”

“I can’t vote.”

“What? Why not?”

“I’m too young to vote.”

“Oh, I see. Then, who will your mom and dad vote for? I’m just curious…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell them to vote for number 5.”

“Thank you…!”

Before long, everyone on the bus was watching Kang Jiwoo.

Their expressions were identical, as if copy-pasted.

‘She’s so cute it’s driving me crazy…!’

They wore the same melting expressions, as if their hearts were breaking in real-time.

“Goodbye!”

“Take care!”

Kang Jiwoo waved at the bus driver.

The passengers also waved back.

“Bye-bye!”

“Stay safe!”

“Go, number 5 Kang Jiwoo! Fighting!”

Kang Jiwoo cheerfully waved and hopped off the bus.

A few passengers followed her off, not walking alongside her but trailing at a slight distance, taking pictures.

‘Now I really won’t be recognized.’

Thanks to her, Bong Soohee’s identity remained hidden, reducing the chances of exposure.

“Oh? Aren’t you Director Bong Soohee?”

Among them, someone recognized Bong Soohee.

Perhaps they were a passionate supporter of Kang Jiwoo or a party member paying dues.

“Shh, secret filming.”

“Secret…?”

It wasn’t really “secretive,” but rather blatant.

Anyway, Kang Jiwoo didn’t pay much attention to the citizens and cameras following her.

It seemed to be thanks to the instincts she’d honed during her campaign activities.

“……!”

Kang Jiwoo, who was walking along with a steady pace, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Why did she stop?”

“Did she see something interesting?”

“Maybe she found some money on the ground?”

The adults’ guesses were all off the mark.

What caught Kang Jiwoo’s attention was a fallen bicycle.

It was a yellow shared bicycle, the kind you could find easily anywhere in the country.

The problem was its condition.

Because it was for public use, it was often left carelessly on the roadside or abandoned altogether.

“…”

Kang Jiwoo started trying to pick the bicycle up.

She worked hard but seemed to struggle.

She grunted and changed her position repeatedly, trying to lift it.

“She’s trying to set the bicycle upright!”

“Aww, poor thing. She’s not strong enough, is she?”

“Let’s help her!”

As the bystanders moved in to lend a hand,

Kang Jiwoo managed to set the bicycle upright all by herself.

“Phew.”

She clapped the dust off her hands in a tough manner and resumed her walk.

After walking for quite a while longer, she stopped again.

“What’s she up to this time?”

“She’s looking at the ground, isn’t she?”

“Did she find something? A coin, maybe?”

Once again, their guesses were completely off.

What Kang Jiwoo was looking at was a dandelion blooming between the paving stones.

“Wow… how did you grow here?”

Fascinated by the dandelion growing out of the cracks, she stared at it for a long time.

Then, as if making a decision, she began gathering small stones from a nearby flower bed.

She built a miniature stone wall around the dandelion.

“Looks like she wanted to protect the flower.”

“It does make the flower look prettier that way.”

“She’s so sweet. I hope no one dismantles it.”

With the mini stone wall completed, Jiwoo’s little adventure wasn’t over yet.

She picked up a plastic bag blowing along the street, picked up litter and filled the bag, chatted with citizens while waiting at a crosswalk, raised her hand high to signal while crossing the street, got scared by barking dogs and spirited away, then greeted the little puppy causing the commotion once she realized it wasn’t threatening, and even greeted a merchant she had met during her earlier campaign stop.

Finally, she reached her destination.

A dark alley in the market.

Only the sign of an old restaurant lit up the quiet surroundings.

Ding-a-ling.

Kang Jiwoo entered a sundae soup restaurant.

The adults following her hesitated at the entrance.

“Huh? Isn’t this the place where she put cheongyang chili in her soup during today’s campaign stop?”

“Why’d she come here alone?”

Before their curiosity could grow, Bong Soohee stepped forward.

She cleared her throat and readied her public-relations tone.

“Hello. I’m from Kang Jiwoo’s campaign team. Thank you so much for accompanying the candidate today. However, we kindly ask you to head back for now. She has a personal matter to attend to inside.”

“Ah, understood.”

The people dispersed without complaint.

The camera focused on the inside of the restaurant.

Through the semi-transparent glass, two silhouettes could be vaguely seen.

In the quiet, dark market alley, inside the lonely, brightly lit restaurant, Kang Jiwoo was captured embracing an elderly woman tightly.

The screen darkened, and text appeared.

[Jiwooping’s Grand Adventure: fin.]

The video ended like that.

That night, a post was uploaded to a political community.

Title: Summary of Today’s Issues for Leading Presidential Candidates

Here’s a summary of the issues for the top three candidates: Cho Seoyoung, Yoo Hangseol, and Kang Jiwoo.

Cho Seoyoung

1. Campaign food tour at Yeongpo Market.

2. Caught on camera putting a used fish cake skewer back into the broth, sparking controversy.

3. Launched a negative campaign targeting Kang Jiwoo.

4. The YouTuber Freedom Guardian TV released a video exposing allegations of child abuse involving Han Seoyoung, a district representative and member of Cho Seoyoung’s campaign team.

5. Cho Seoyoung stirred controversy with her remarks defending Han Seoyoung, saying, “Sometimes, when disciplining kids, you might hit them a little.”

Yoo Hangseol

1. Campaign rally in downtown Gangneung.

2. Created controversy by shoving a citizen during the rally.

3. Directed harsh, negative comments at Cho Seoyoung, saying, “She probably got beaten a lot as a kid, and that’s why she turned out like that.”

4. Sparked controversy while mentioning “Cutie Forty,” with the remark, “No matter what a woman in her 40s does, she’s not cute.”

Cho Seoyoung and Yoo Hangseol had almost no positive news coverage.

On the other hand, Kang Jiwoo…

Kang Jiwoo

1. Ate a hot dog at the market and jumped repeatedly out of excitement because it was delicious.

2. Correctly answered a political quiz question posed by a female student on a bus.

3. Picked up a fallen shared bicycle.

4. Completed a mini stone wall construction around dandelions.

5. Comforted the owner of a soup restaurant who had been diagnosed with dementia.

These were the actions of the three presidential candidates.

I tried my best to write objectively. Let me know if anything is inaccurate.

The difference in their behavior was truly on another level.

The public’s reactions were explosive as well. Hahahahaha.

Kang Jiwoo is so cute, seriously, hahahaha.

But, compared to others, it’s true.

If Cho Seoyoung or Yoo Hangseol become president, we’ll probably see news like that every day.

But if Kang Jiwoo becomes president, the news will probably just be about trivial and cute things like “Dandelion stone wall completion” or something like that, hahahaha.

I think it would be much better for mental health though, right?

Jiwoo’s fanbase has no controversies.

The only controversy for Jiwoo’s fanbase today was dropping a hot dog, haha.

Such trivial matters, hahaha.

A genius president has a whole different approach! (short)

A majestic president, the “Farmer President”!

The fresh and cute actions received overwhelmingly positive evaluations.

I’m slowly starting to think that Kang Jiwoo could really be a good president…

And now…

Next, we have news on the presidential election. Let’s first look at the support ratings for each candidate, as released by the polling agency.

The long-awaited moment for the support ratings to be revealed.

The candidates’ actions immediately reflected in the support ratings.