Chapter 28: Calculate the Volume of a Cylinder

The second TV debate was a crucial turning point.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that my fate would be determined by how this debate unfolded.

What if I failed here?

“Unrecoverable. Winning would be out of the question.”

Forget winning—I might even have to worry about recouping my campaign expenses again.

That’s why, over the past few days, I have used every ounce of mental strength to convince my body.

“Let’s study! Study hard!”

I studied too much.

After just 10 minutes of looking at the material, my body wanted to flop down.

At the same time, a deep fatigue swept over my mind.

But I couldn’t stop persuading myself.

“Aren’t you ashamed in front of the party members? Everyone’s counting on you!”

Sigh…

“If you slip up here, it’s all over!”

Beep!

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

I kept losing focus, and drowsiness frequently overtook me.

The one thing that saved me was, oddly enough, Tanniping.

“I want to be a Royal Tanniping…”

“Royal” was a title bestowed only upon the chosen Tannipings.

Recently, this young body of mine had been consumed by the desire to become a Royal Tanniping.

“Hey, you can do it too. You can be a Royal Tanniping.”

That became the key.

The key to jump starting my focus.

“If you slack off now, you’ll just be an ordinary Tanniping. But if you study, you can become a Royal Tanniping!”

“To become a Royal Tanniping… I have to study diligently…”

It was a kind of trick, really.

But having motivation didn’t solve everything.

There wasn’t enough physical time.

In the end, I had no choice but to push myself and use every spare moment.

When I woke up in the morning, 

While eating and brushing my teeth,

During car rides,

During lunch breaks,

On my way home from work,

And again before going to bed.

I persuaded this young body to memorize the debate script.

“Huh… When will I finish memorizing all this?”

It was a bit much for a child to memorize.

But who am I?

“A four-year consecutive honors scholarship student at Korea University. Top of my class.”

Memorization was my specialty.

By applying my own memorization techniques,

This young body managed to memorize over 80% of the script.

“You’ve worked so hard…”

Honestly, it was impressive that I had come this far.

Thanks to this, I felt confident enough for a children’s debate.

Even if those kids threw a few tantrums…

I just had to focus on doing my part.

“Let’s go, Tanniping. You’re about to become a Royal Tanniping.”

“…!”

I clenched my fists tightly.

My eyebrows curved into a confident “V” shape.

The steady practice had bolstered my confidence.

Step aside!

From now on, my nickname is Pink Gladiator!!

Na Yeongjae, the Perfect Child, he had to suppress the twitching at the corners of his mouth.

“As expected.”

Kang Jiwoo’s skills were insignificant.

Compared to the children’s committee members gathered here, she was far below average.

She hadn’t become a presidential candidate because of her competence.

It was merely due to luck and a series of accidents.

So, he thought, he would make it known to everyone.

That Kang Jiwoo wasn’t fit to become president.

If a child were to become president,

It should be one of the children’s committee members.

Specifically, him—Na Yeongjae, the Perfect Child.

“It’s already over. My victory is assured!”

When Kang Jiwoo faltered and struggled to find her words,

He turned to continue the debate with the other committee members.

“…I will make children happier. By promoting the Public Children’s Playgrounds Project, I will create safe and fun spaces for kids.”

“…!”

Kang Jiwoo began reciting her welfare policies.

Though she stumbled a bit, that wasn’t the important part.

“She’s reciting from memory…?”

She was speaking with everything memorized,

Looking directly into the camera.

“Additionally, we will expand after-school care programs so that children can continue to learn while their parents are at work…”

People’s expressions began to change.

The atmosphere in the debate hall shifted.

The momentum seemed to be swinging in Kang Jiwoo’s favor.

“Kim Yeoul, what are you doing? Cut her off!”

Na Yeongjae shot a glance at Kim Yeoul, the Adorable Ping.

She hastily interjected.

“It’s ‘Bang-gwa,’ not ‘Bang-ga,’ right? And who are you planning to oppress? Your pronunciation is a total mess!”

“Everyone, let’s give Candidate Kang Jiwoo the chance to finish speaking before asking questions.”

“……”

However, thanks to the moderator’s intervention, Kim Yeoul’s attack was thwarted.

Kang Jiwoo, unlike before, continued her speech steadfastly without hesitation.

“Also, also, the budget can be fully secured. If we use the precious taxes given by the citizens properly, I believe the party members will be sufficient….”

“But we already have enough funds?”

This response left the child committee members speechless.

Of course, they could have pressed her further with more specific questions.

But.

‘We had no time to prepare either…!’

Kang Jiwoo’s campaign was practically planned as a surprise event.

They hadn’t prepared sufficient debate materials.

As a result, they didn’t know what more to say!

Regardless.

Kang Jiwoo continued her speech.

“And I… believe that the development of science will change our future. That’s why I think it’s important for budding dreamers to become familiar with science early on…”

The smallest child in the debate hall.

A tiny and precious figure, like a sparrow.

The sight of her bravely speaking with a determined expression was truly admirable.

“JiwooPing, you’re amazing!”

“Oh, at least she memorized some lines!”

“Her slurred pronunciation is ridiculously cute, haha.”

“‘Oppression’ and ‘science’… Those seem to be her two main pledges, lol.”

The chatroom scrolled rapidly.

“We’ll oppress and promote science, thank you~ Victory!”

Mothers and children on-site had their eyes sparkling as they focused on Kang Jiwoo.

The more this happened, the more distorted the expressions of the child committee members became.

‘Her combat prowess is completely different from what we researched…?!’

Kang Jiwoo had memorized an impressive amount.

Even Na Youngjae, the epitome of a model student, was a little surprised.

“…That concludes my formal announcement.”

The child committee members glanced at the mothers seated in the front row of the audience.

Their gazes were sharp and demanding.

“Do it properly! Crush her already!”

Grit.

Clenching his teeth, Na Youngjae, now brimming with determination, launched another attack.

“Candidate Kang Jiwoo, how old are you now?”

“I, I… I’m 9 years old”

“So, you’re in second grade. At that age, you should have already completed elementary-level math and started studying middle school math, correct?”

The pride of an elementary school student in the Gangnam 8th District.

Elementary students there don’t do elementary math.

That level is already mastered in preschool…!

“Since middle school math might be too difficult, let me ask you an elementary-level question.”

“Yes…”

“If a cylinder has a radius of 4 cm and a height of 8 cm, what is its volume?”

On the other hand, Kang Jiwoo had never learned math.

Having never attended school, this was only natural.

“A cyl…cylinder? Who’s that…?”

“You don’t even know a question elementary students can solve, and you think you can be president?”

“Cyl… cylinder…? Um…”

This was practically a negative comment.

To throw such a remark at a campaign debate was akin to delivering a hard foul during a friendly soccer match.

But there was no turning back now.

Na Youngjae shot a glance at Choi Rina.

She quickly followed up with her own attack.

“I’ve listened to Candidate Kang Jiwoo’s speech carefully. However, I would evaluate her as follows: ‘She is too short to be the president.’ Can you translate this?”

“I, I don’t really know English…”

The audience’s expressions were mixed.

Half looked puzzled.

The other half looked intrigued.

Using math problems and English skills as grounds for criticism?

To be honest, it was a dirty tactic.

But there was some logic to it.

“Can someone without basic knowledge really qualify to be president?”

“If they can’t overcome even this level of adversity, are they fit to represent us?”

“…This might be too much, right?”

“Yeah, it’s too much.”

Han Seoyoung and Bong Suhee exchanged a few quiet words.

“Still, you did very well. I never expected you to have memorized the entire script already.”

“Jiwooping did her best.”

Today’s results were significant.

It must have been a valuable experience for Kang Jiwoo as well.

However, it left one lingering question…

Is Kang Jiwoo truly qualified?

That question would remain a challenge to be addressed in the future.

“Manager, I think it’s time to wrap up the debate…”

Just as Han Seoyoung was about to conclude the discussion,

“Wait a moment! Please clear the way!”

Vroom~

Out of nowhere, a new campaign vehicle appeared.

A vehicle that hadn’t been present earlier.

It was the campaign car for Candidate No. 6.

“I’m so sorry! I’m a bit late!”

A bright, clear voice rang out.

Standing on the campaign car was none other than Lee Sojin.

She was the daughter of a supermarket worker who had received a Tanyping Deluxe toy as a gift from Kang Jiwoo.

“So… Sojinping…!”

Startled by her unexpected appearance, Kang Jiwoo jumped to her feet, eyes wide.

The audience’s attention also shifted to Lee Sojin, the newcomer.

Hop.

Lee Sojin leaped down from the campaign vehicle.

With a confident stride, she took a seat in the debate venue.

Then, glaring at Choi Lisa, she said sharply:

“She is too short to be the president. That means she is too small to become a president. But she has a big heart. Candidate Kang Jiwoo’s heart is bigger than that of adults, so you don’t need to worry…”

Kang Jiwoo happily hugged Lee Sojin.

Lee Sojin beamed and returned the embrace.

Click-click.

Cameras flashed as journalists captured the moment.

Faced with this new competitor, Choi Lisa scoffed.

But it took less than a minute for her composure to crumble.

“Hello, my name is Lee Sojin, and I am Candidate No. 6. So, Lisa, you’re really good at English. How did you learn it?”

“My name is Lee Sojin. I am Candidate No. 6. Lisa, you’re very good at English. How did you study it?”

‘Who is this kid? Was she educated abroad?’

Sojin was a second grader in elementary school.

For her age, her academic achievements were extraordinary.

Especially in English, even her school teachers were often amazed.

Gangnam’s elite schools?

Math Olympiads?

English immersion kindergarten?

Overseas education?

None of those had any connection to Sojin.

Yet here she was, effortlessly outshining the other young candidates.

‘No, her pronunciation isn’t that of someone who studied abroad… Could it be…?!’

Yes.

Sojin was a born genius, excelling academically by thoroughly studying her textbooks, doing both preview and review exercises, and consistently ranking first in her school.

“Lisa?”

“Ah, I’m fine, thank you…”

“?!”

Lisa stammered something incoherent.

In the face of Sojin’s overwhelming aura, the pride Lisa had in her English immersion kindergarten background shattered completely.