I entered the studio.
Having already done several profile photo shoots before, I didn’t feel particularly nervous.
But that was just me.
Jiwooping’s heart, on the other hand, was pounding wildly.
“What if I’m not cute enough…”
She mumbled to herself, even though no one was listening.
It seemed she had misunderstood the phrase “the camera doesn’t capture your cuteness” as meaning she wasn’t cute.
Even Han Seoyoung had fussed over needing to look cute, so it was understandable why she was so tense.
But then again, this might actually work out better.
This shoot was for various promotional materials.
Sure, a cute look was great, but a serious image was just as necessary.
It wouldn’t hurt to have at least one poster with a solemn face, right?
It’s not like I was embarrassed by the idea of a cute photo being displayed nationwide.
“Alright, we’ll begin the shoot now. Relax, and try striking a comfortable pose.”
“……”
Her body stiffened like a toy soldier, and only a reserved smile appeared on her face.
“You can see the photos displayed on the screen, right? Try adjusting your poses naturally while checking the results.”
“Y-yes…”
The screen, angled for the model to see, displayed the photos.
This is perfect.
She might be a child, but there was a politician’s gravity in her expression.
Neither too much nor too little cuteness—just the balance I wanted.
But our party members thought differently.
“Your posture is so stiff. You’re usually so good at cute poses…”
“Right? She’s still cute, of course, but this isn’t quite what we envisioned.”
“Looks like we’ll need to step in and help out.”
With that, Han Seoyoung opened YouTube.
Familiar music soon filled the studio.
“I’ll give you my love~ Heo-chu-chu-chu-chu~”
“Pouring it all out~ Heo-chu-chu-chu-chu~”
“…..!”
Suddenly, her hips started swaying.
As if a switch had been flipped, her body reacted automatically.
Ugh. Damn it.
They had played the HeoChuPing Song.
Opening with their ultimate weapon, huh?!
“Oh wow, she’s dancing!”
“Look at those hips move—she must be shy!”
“Let’s join in!”
“It’s a love-filled HeoChuPing time~”
“Heo-chu-chu~ Heo-chu-chu~”
Han Seoyoung, Bong Soohee, and the other party members began dancing along.
“That, that’s not how you dance to this….”
Except for Bong Soohee, their dancing skills were all over the place.
I could barely hold back my urge to correct them.
Ah! That’s not how you do the HeoChuPing dance!
“Oh, really? Then could you show us how it’s done?”
“Like this…!”
Sway sway~
Shimmy shimmy~
In the end, Jiwooping’s restraint broke.
“Always~ Loving all my friends~ HeoChu!”
“Wow, she’s amazing!”
“She’s like Royal Jiwooping!”
“So cute!”
“Heheheh.”
It had turned into an impromptu talent show.
—
Photographer Lee Seongjun
In his chest, there was a mechanical device—well, not a literal machine.
It was as if his heartbeat could measure something like a machine did.
And that was…
a model’s combat power!
He assessed models’ appeal.
A good model possessed a combination of facial features, height, proportions, and natural talent, all bundled up into what people called “charisma.”
Whenever Lee Seongjun encountered a charismatic model, his heart would beat faster, as if it were a combat power scanner in an anime.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
That’s why, the moment he saw Kang Jiwoo, his pulse quickened.
“This is going to be my masterpiece!”
The realization that he had found a once-in-a-lifetime model filled him with excitement.
Click, click.
He started pressing the shutter, focusing all his energy on the shoot, his usual approach of erasing any traces of laughter.
But then…
“Hehe.”
Someone nearby kept giggling.
He didn’t mind the chatter from the party members; he wasn’t so sensitive that it would distract him.
“Hehehe…”
The sound of laughter was incredibly irritating.
It was such a foolish laugh, and it was so loud, it felt like someone was laughing right next to his ear.
“Ha ha ha ha.”
‘Seriously, who’s laughing so loudly?’
Unable to endure it anymore, he turned to look to his side.
Reflected in the mirror, Lee Seong-jun was grinning foolishly.
‘W-what?! That was my laughter? No wonder it sounded so loud…!’
The level of cuteness that made him unaware he was laughing himself!
Kang Ji-woo’s charm was overwhelming!
Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded even harder.
Had he ever been so captivated by a child model before?
No, even among adult models, this level of heart-pounding excitement was unprecedented.
The thought of creating an amazing piece filled him with adrenaline, and his mental “scouter” raced faster.
‘Let’s keep it together. Stay focused and work with a cool head. That’s how you get the best results.’
It was at that moment he resolved himself.
Han Seoyoung approached him cautiously and asked, “Writer, I’m sorry, but could we play some music?”
“Music?”
“Yes, the candidate seems a bit nervous.”
“Oh, if that’s the case, of course.”
Music to ease the model’s tension was played.
Lee Seong-jun had no idea what this would lead to.
“Heo-chu-chu~ Heo-chu-chu~”
As the music began, Kang Jiwoo’s hips wiggled rhythmically.
Short arms and legs executed precise choreography.
That serious expression on her face only heightened the contrast.
‘What is this insane cuteness?!’
“Pffft…!”
Laughter burst out of him uncontrollably.
It wasn’t a silly laugh anymore; it was the sound of a beast.
It felt as though he had reverted to a primal state.
Pure, unfiltered joy might have turned Lee Seong-jun into a caveman.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Not a single moment could be missed; it was all too captivating.
The shutter clicked faster and faster.
Thump! Thump! Thump!!
His heartbeat kept pace, accelerating wildly.
When the song ended, Han Seoyoung suggested, “Shall we sing a children’s song together this time? With choreography, of course.”
“Yes!”
The chosen children’s song was Four-Leaf Clover.
Kang Ji-woo began her charming routine, chirping like a sparrow.
“Between the deep, narrow valleys, where clear water flows in a small spring…”
“Ahhhkkk…!!”
‘Her cuteness is melting my brain!’
Lee Seong-jun could no longer think rationally.
He simply swam in an ocean of cuteness.
“Hidden among the pretty flowers, drinking dew and blooming, the four-leaf clover…”
His brain was melting.
That was the only way to describe it.
Before he knew it, the corners of his mouth were stretched all the way to his ears.
He had no time to worry about the foolish grin he was wearing.
He pressed the shutter, capturing it all with his camera.
All he could do was revel in the charm of the cutest child in the world.
It was the greatest pleasure he had ever experienced as a photographer.
It was right there in front of him.
Now, the song reached its highlight.
“La-la-la one leaf! La-la-la two leaves! La-la-la three leaves! La-la-la four leaves!”
At that moment, cuteness exploded.
Lee Seong-jun’s “model power level detector” also hit its limit.
Thump! Thump!! Thump!! Boom!! KABOOM!!!!
“Ahh?!”
When the power level is too high, the detector breaks.
Had his charm detector overloaded under the insane power level?
Was he… going to die like this…?
‘I haven’t even unveiled my masterpiece yet…!’
“Ughhh?!”
“Kyaah! Writer?!”
“Are you okay?!”
“Call 911!”
Thud.
Lee Seong-jun collapsed.
At the age of 37, he closed his eyes with the happiest expression in the world.
“They’re saying it was broken heart syndrome, caused by excessive emotional stress. Nothing serious though! Haha.”
Lee Seong-jun quickly recovered.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a severe case.
He was editing Kang Ji-woo’s photos while talking to Han Seo-young on the phone.
“As promised, I’ll send you the finalized work this evening. I think this might be the best masterpiece of my career!”
Ending the call in high spirits, Lee Seong-jun smiled brightly and resumed his editing.
Even in its incomplete state, the work was already bringing him immense satisfaction.
“Kospi to 5000, let’s go!!!”
He resolved to dive into the stock market today.
Kang Jiwoo.
If this charismatic monster wins, the Kospi is bound to skyrocket.
And if this perfect campaign poster starts appearing all over the city,
“Everyone will clutch their hearts!”
Citizens wouldn’t be able to resist voting for candidate number 5.
They entered the full-fledged campaign promotional phase.
From the photo shoot to posters and banners, everything was wrapped up in just one day.
“It’s such a relief we were able to get this done so quickly! If it weren’t for Assemblyman Park, we would’ve been in big trouble!”
“Hahaha! This is nothing! I’ve got connections with the printing shop owner. We hike and drink makgeolli together every weekend!”
This was all thanks to the network of Mr. Park Seokji.
If only Mr. Park had been a bit more ambitious, he could’ve become a much bigger politician.
Or maybe it’s a good thing he’s not—it means he’s here helping us instead of being unreachable.
“Don’t worry about quality! I’ve worked with them many times, and they’re not just fast—they deliver top-notch results!”
“Yes, Assemblyman Park! We’ll trust you on this!”
The party members’ voices were filled with excitement.
It was understandable.
The presidential election was now only about two weeks away.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was just around the corner.
The TV was broadcasting political news.
“Let’s start by checking the approval ratings.
The New Wind Democratic Party’s candidate Jo Seyoung is leading with 31.2%, though showing a slight decline within the margin of error.
The National Republican Party’s candidate Yoo Hangcheol is in second place with 25.1%, also slightly down within the margin of error.
The Future Marriage Ginkgo Korea Party’s candidate Kang Jiwoo is in third place with 24.0%.
The gap between the second and third candidates has now narrowed to within the margin of error…”
The difference with Yoo Hangcheol was just 1 percentage point.
Though there were no polls yet showing me in the lead, overtaking him was just a matter of time.
“……”
The party members watching the news fell silent.
It wasn’t that they had nothing to say.
They were at a point where they needed to choose their words carefully,
having climbed to a place where responsibility weighed heavily.
Han Seoyoung broke the silence.
“…It was just a few days ago when we thought this campaign was over after the candidate’s accident.”
Everyone turned their attention to Han Seoyoung.
I, too, focused on her while secretly fiddling with Doli and Siljangping under the desk.
“At that time, winning the election seemed like an unrealistic goal.
Even Representative Yoo Hangcheol laughed at us, and we couldn’t believe in ourselves either.
But now, everything has changed.”
Han Seoyoung pulled me to my feet.
“Gasp.”
I hurriedly hid the toys in my pocket.
“Winning is no longer an absurd goal. It’s all thanks to the candidate’s hard work.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap—
The party members applauded me.
I blinked, a bit bewildered.
Sure, my cuteness could be deadly.
But honestly, I wanted to praise the party members more.
I never expected them to unite this well.
They exceeded my expectations by far.
It’s just a shame there’s no way to express this.
I’ll just have to hug them later and tell them I love them.
“There are two weeks left. Let’s give it our all until then.”
“Right, right! Sleep is for after we’re in the administration!”
“Let’s do our best, everyone!”
“If we’re with the candidate, we can do it!”
I didn’t want to ruin the good mood.
But I was always wary of hope.
“To be honest, getting this far has been pure luck.
We’ve never stumbled, and we’ve avoided controversy—it’s been miraculous.”
Will my luck continue?
Maybe.
But as past lessons taught me, relying on luck wasn’t a good strategy.
Even our current approval ratings were already a miracle.
They were only possible because the concrete support bases of the two major parties had started to crack.
But concrete isn’t called concrete for nothing.
A few cracks don’t mean it shatters.
To pull core supporters away, we needed something innovative at every moment.
“Let’s say we surpass Yoo Hangcheol. But how do we beat Jo Seyoung?”
The difference from the frontrunner is 7 percentage points.
Although it’s said to be a 7% gap, there’s no more room to pull up the approval rating.
It’s much harder to climb from 24% to 31% than it was to go from 9% to 24%.
‘There’s no way Yoo Chul would agree to a coalition…’
No clever ideas come to mind.
Even Bong Soohee is reportedly experiencing stagnation with her recent promotional strategies…
“Yaaaawn…”
It was an evening of deep contemplation in many ways.
Meanwhile, at the campaign office of Cho Seyoung’s camp.
A heated argument was breaking out among the lawmakers.
“You already seated someone like Jang Sori, and now you’re trying to appoint a greenhorn as the Policy Director?
And two weeks before the election, you’re putting someone without any foundation as the Strategy and Planning Director?
What kind of nonsensical personnel decisions are these?!”
“This is for the sake of the party. Please prioritize the greater good…”
“I’ve given everything, focusing solely on securing the candidate’s victory! I’m not the only one; everyone here has done the same!
And now you’re discarding us like used rags? Is this just about filling positions with your own people after we’ve raised the approval ratings?!”
“How could you say something like that?”
The office atmosphere was tense.
Cho Seyoung, filled with a desire for reform.
Senior members facing sudden removal from key positions.
The conflict arose between them.
“Ah, screw it! Just forget it!”
Cracks were forming within the New Wind Democratic Party.