“Running for president? Doesn’t seem like much,” said a woman, likely a mother, smirking amidst the crowd surrounding Kang Jiwoo.
“Hoho, an empty wagon makes the most noise,”
someone added.
“Well, isn’t it expected? The children’s committee members are the top 0.1% nationwide.”
These were the parents of the children’s committee members.
To them, this was a competition—a chance to prove that their child was better than a presidential candidate.
“He doesn’t even speak as well as kids his age.”
“Exactly. You saw him earlier at the broadcasting station experience booth, right? Even reading, he was stammering.”
“Those party members are so ridiculous. If they’re afraid of debates, fine, but putting him here? He’ll be crushed. And they seriously think he can participate in the real presidential debate? It’s laughable.”
“Exactly. By that logic, Jungseok here is presidential material. Hahaha.”
“Ah, but would he match up to Youngjae? Hohoho.”
As they crossed their arms and critiqued to their heart’s content, a deep, raspy cough sounded from behind.
“Greetings!”
“W-Who are you?”
“I’m Congressman Park Seokji! I’ve come to assist our candidate Kang Jiwoo! Please take good care of us! Hahaha!”
“Ugh…?!”
It was as if some powerful wave emanated from Park Seokji’s voice.
His booming voice aside, his very presence was overwhelming—
Large eyes and nose, thick caterpillar eyebrows, and rugged cheeks.
If cast in a movie, he’d undoubtedly play a villain.
The intense aura stunned the parents into silence.
‘What kind of old man has this much energy…?’
Left with no choice, the parents clamped their mouths shut.
The announcer’s voice reverberated through the venue:
“Attention, everyone! Today is the day we elect the president of Kids Nation! The flower of democracy! Please welcome the candidates with loud applause and cheers!”
“Yaaay!”
Clap clap clap!
Cheers erupted along with upbeat music as the campaign vehicles emerged from the tunnel.
Mini-sized trucks tailored for children appeared, each carrying a candidate and members of the children’s committee.
“Introducing, Number 1! The math prodigy, Kim Jungseok!”
“Jungseok! Over here! Here!”
Kim Jungseok .
A math genius who had placed first in math competitions for three consecutive years.
He was the top brain of the children’s committee, but social skills weren’t his forte, and his nervousness was evident.
“Next, Number 2! The cutest girl in the world, CutesyPing Kim Yeoul!”
“Kyah! So adorable!”
“Kim Yeoul ! Kim Yeoul!”
Self-proclaimed “CutesyPing,” Kim Yeoul .
The committee’s visual.
Her activities on YouTube had already garnered her a significant fanbase among children.
“Now, Number 3! The diplomatic prodigy and English expert, Choi Lisa!”
“My name is Choi Lisa! If I become president, I can make Korea sooo rich!”
“Wow, Lisa, you’re amazing!”
Choi Lisa wasn’t a study-abroad kid but a graduate of an elite Gangnam English kindergarten.
Her foreign language skills and unique confidence were her strong suits.
“Next up, Number 4! The epitome of perfection, Na Youngjae !”
“Waaahhh!”
“Youngjae! Youngjae!”
“He’s so handsome!”
“NaYoungjae! Let’s make him president!”
Na Youngjae, also known as “The Perfect Son.”
Handsome, athletic, eloquent, and brilliant—
A walking six-sided talent hexagon.
His face, popular on YouTube, had drawn a significant fanbase among children and even mothers.
“Our kids are so wonderful and amazing, aren’t they?”
“Indeed they are.”
“Especially Youngjae. He’s so composed and admirable. He might really become president someday, hahaha.”
“Hohoho, I have no such ambitions. I’ll let him do whatever he wants in the future~”
Though they were still just children, their dazzling confidence made them seem like the stars of their own lives.
The mothers felt a pride so intense it could dislocate their shoulders.
‘Thanks to the presidential candidate, our Youngjae’s getting even more attention. How could I be more grateful?’
Youngjae’s mother wore a victorious smile.
And finally—
It was his turn to appear.
“Prepare yourselves! The real presidential candidate has arrived in Kids Nation! The pink whirlwind sweeping Korea… Introducing Number 5! Kang Jiwoo!!”
Kang Jiwoo’s truck appeared.
Oddly enough, Jiwoo was waving in the wrong direction—toward the wall.
There wasn’t a single person there.
“Candidate! It’s the other way! Over here!!”
“Huh…?!”
Kang Jiwoo turned around hurriedly, looking slightly flustered.
She waved both hands with a bright smile.
“What, what’s this? Why is she so cute…?”
“She’s not just cute in appearance; even the way she acts is adorable!”
“The kids before were also pretty and cute, but she feels like she’s from another world….”
“It’s like her art style is different from everyone else’s….”
Kang Jiwoo—her cuteness was on a whole other level.
Even though the other child committee members were undoubtedly beautiful, being next to Kang Jiwoo made them seem ordinary.
The committee mothers whispered among themselves.
“Her hair—she must have gotten it done at an expensive salon, right?”
“Of course. Politicians are like that.”
“Her clothes look incredibly pricey too. They must have spent a fortune.”
In reality, they hadn’t made the best choices because they were trying to save money.
Even so, Kang Jiwoo’s appearance was flawless.
Her perfection was enough to make mothers who had spent hundreds on dressing up their kids jealous.
And it wasn’t just the mothers who felt that way.
Overwhelming with sheer cuteness!
“Jiwooping is insanely cute-ping! Haha.”
“Every little gesture is too adorable, haha.”
“She’s just on a whole other level. Her existence itself is pure charisma, lol.”
Everyone at the campaign site felt it,
and so did the viewers watching the broadcast.
‘Her level of cuteness is just different…!’
It was clear—this child’s cuteness was on another dimension.
No wonder people thought she was capable of bringing fresh energy to the political scene with cuteness alone.
It was a moment when one couldn’t help but think, “She truly is Kang Jiwoo.”
However, looks alone couldn’t solve everything.
‘Reality is harsh! If she messes up during the debate, her approval ratings will drop!’
The Kids Nation Presidential Experience continued until the voting stage.
The next agenda was the debate.
[LIVE: Kang Jiwoo – Kids Nation Campaign – Preview of the Presidential Debate!]
“Is it just kids debating?”
“But why is this a ‘preview’ of the presidential debate?”
“Even if you brought in some random people, the level would probably be the same. Haha.”
“LOL, this really is a preview, huh?”
Thanks to the title, the viewership had already surpassed 10,000 and was heading toward 15,000.
Not only had it broken previous records, but the viewership was also ten times higher than that of other candidates.
‘The buzz strategy is definitely working.’
Han Seoyoung smiled as she checked the viewer count.
The party’s campaign strategy had worked perfectly.
If there was one problem…
“Candidate, your face is completely pale. Are you very nervous?”
“Uh… my face is naturally pale….”
She denied it with words, but it was clear she was extremely tense.
“It’s just an experience, and your opponents are all children too, so there’s no need to worry. Just think of it as practice and enjoy yourself.”
“Yes…”
“Haha. Our Jiwoo seems really nervous. Here, let Grandpa give you a boost! Woo-sha! Woo-sha!”
“Eek!”
Park Seokji massaged Kang Jiwoo’s shoulders.
She burst into laughter, seemingly ticklish, and her tension eased a little.
Though Han Seoyoung wasn’t as relaxed.
‘I’m more nervous…’
This was merely an event,
an event with no actual influence on the real presidential debate.
Even if Kang Jiwoo didn’t perform well here, it wouldn’t matter.
Lowering expectations for the debate was another part of the strategy.
‘But still, I hope she does well…’
Why was she so nervous?
Was this the heart of a mother?
Han Seoyoung, feeling conflicted, sent Kang Jiwoo into the debate hall.
The debate began immediately.
Originally, six children were supposed to participate, but one couldn’t make it, leaving one seat vacant.
“Kim Jungseok, you have the floor. Please speak freely.”
“…Yes.”
Kim Jungseok, a math prodigy, was given the first chance to speak.
All eyes were on him.
Chairman Na Youngjae gave him a meaningful look.
It was the signal to go all out.
But…
‘I can’t look at Kang Jiwoo’s face…!’
Kim Jungseok couldn’t bring himself to properly look at Kang Jiwoo.
For some reason, every time he saw her, his face felt like it was going to explode. He couldn’t hold it in.
“Kim Jungseok?”
“I… I, if I become president…”
“?”
Kim Jungseok was unable to perform well.
Overwhelmed by the charm of his opponent, he self-destructed!
However, there were still three young committee members left.
“I am Kim Yeoul, candidate number two, representing ‘CutePing.’ If I become president, I promise to produce CutePing toys modeled after me and gift them to children across the nation!”
“Hahaha, CutePing? That’s just too adorable~.”
It was a charming and childlike idea.
But the following attack was far from cute.
“I have a question for Candidate Kang Jiwoo. I plan to distribute CutePing widely. What welfare policies do you plan to implement?”
Kim Yeoul softened the atmosphere with CutePing but then threw a powerful hook.
The debate turned noticeably serious.
“Regarding welfare policies…”
Just as Kang Jiwoo was about to answer—
“It’s not ‘welfare policies,’ it’s ‘welfare policies,’ pronounced correctly,” Kim Yeoul interrupted.
Kang Jiwoo, clearly flustered, started to stammer.
“Wel-welfare po-poli… wel-fare pol-tweet-tweet…”
To make matters worse, his tongue got tied!
Watching this, Kang Jiwoo’s fans could only clutch their hearts in despair.
> “TweetPing. Sniff“
“Pol-tweet-tweet. LOL”
“Why is this even necessary?”
“Can’t the party just skip this?”
“Why insist on events that tank approval ratings? Isn’t this just Kang Jiwoo’s fault for being bad at debates? Seriously clueless lol.”
As sharp criticisms continued, the young committee chair, the model student Na Youngjae, added fuel to the fire.
“I understand that the current welfare budget is insufficient. You’d likely increase it. Could you explain how you plan to secure additional funds?”
The debate’s level suddenly shot up.
On top of that, the children were mounting a joint offensive.
Some viewers, enraged, voiced their discontent:
“What’s this?”
“Why are they ganging up on him?”
“Poor Ji-wooPing. Sniff.”
“Ugh, my heart aches. Just let him win without debates…”
“There’s no way democracy means bullying someone this cute. Sniff.”
“Aren’t those kids way older? Isn’t this unfair?”
“Why pit him against such sharp kids? Damn New Korea Party! Set up a debate where Jiwoo can win, like with Tinniping toys or something!!!”
The most flustered of all, however, was Han Seoyoung.
As soon as the debate began, she grew restless and eventually stormed over to a staff member to complain.
“This wasn’t supposed to be a serious debate! And you didn’t mention such advanced kids would participate!”
“Well, we… we tried to…”
The staff member stammered in response.
“Seriously… I’m losing it!”
Amid the commotion, Park Seokji appeared as if summoned.
“Manager Han, what’s the issue here?”
“We agreed earlier that this event wasn’t supposed to be this intense! It was supposed to be much simpler!”
“Hmm. There are too many eyes watching. Let’s calm down. So, should we cancel this now?”
“Yes, I think we should. At this rate, the candidate will feel extremely demoralized. It will affect the main debate, and we’ll suffer a major loss.”
The party members seemed to agree with Han Seoyoung.
Excuses like claiming they were out of time to continue the event were ready.
They would likely face criticism later for avoiding further debates with the children,
but saving Kang Ji-woo now seemed like the better choice.
At that moment—
Step, step.
Bong Soohee stepped forward, blocking their path.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Trust JiwooPing.”
“Suddenly, what are you…”
She held out her smartphone.
It was a chat log between Bong Soohee and Kang Jiwoo.
“What is this?”
“It’s… practice footage. JiwooPing sent it to me. He never skipped a single day.”
“Ah…”
It was a video of Kang Jiwoo practicing debates.
If it was a few, three a day.
If it was many, five, or even ten on some days.
Kang Jiwoo practiced debates whenever she had the chance.
“Before bed, in the morning, while traveling, during lunch breaks… Jiwoo-ping kept practicing nonstop.”
“I didn’t know she was working this hard…….”
“Well, it makes sense. You’re busy enough to get nose bleeds everyday yourself.”
The claim that Han Seoyoung got nose bleeds every day wasn’t an exaggeration.
Once or twice a day, her nose would bleed.
Overwork, stress, and the burden of taking care of Kang Jiwoo added up.
She was living a life so demanding that even having two bodies wouldn’t suffice.
That’s why this was all the more moving.
‘Even when I wasn’t watching, she was putting in the effort…
I only thought of Kang Jiwoo as a child.
The fact that she had been practicing on her own, that she had been working so hard to meet everyone’s expectations with her small body, it was so admirable that it brought tears to my eyes.’
Han Seoyoung, Bong Soohee, and the party members all looked at Kang Jiwoo.
“Director Bong.”
“Yes?”
“After watching all the videos, you can predict it, can’t you?”
“Can the candidate do well?”
“Can she win against those sharp-minded kids in the debate?”
Bong Soohee nodded lightly.
Her gaze remained fixed on Kang Jiwoo.
The answer she gave was concise.
“She’ll win.”