Chapter 23: Taichi Master

Park Malja sat in the corner, trembling and muttering to herself.

“It’s… it’s so cold…”

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded shrill.

Sensing the urgency, Kang Jiwoo quickly ran to the coat rack.

Standing on tiptoe, she barely managed to grab a jumper.

“Grandma, here. Use this to keep warm.”

“Alright…”

It was just one piece of clothing, but it provided some warmth.

Kang Jiwoo, feeling it wasn’t enough, started to retrieve an electric heater from a corner.

“Be careful, dear. You might get hurt.”

“I know how to do this.”

She plugged it in, turned it on, and pushed it closer to Park Malja.

“…”

How commendable this little one was.

With her small frame, she adeptly handled everything.

The warmth of the heater spread over their bodies.

Kang Jiwoo sat next to Park Malja.

Then, with her short arms, she gave the older woman a tight hug.

“Grandma, please don’t get sick…”

“Alright, dear. With you taking such good care of me, I already feel better.”

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I really do feel better now. It’s quite miraculous. Just a while ago, I was so cold it felt like my bones would freeze.”

Indeed, warmth was returning to her body.

As her body thawed, she began to wonder why Kang Jiwoo had come.

“By the way, dear, did you come all the way here alone?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you come again? To scold this useless grandma?”

“No, I like you, Grandma.”

At those words, a smile spread across her face without her realizing it.

How long had it been since someone said they liked her?

“You like this grandma?”

“Yes. Because… I don’t have a grandma.”

“Why don’t you have a grandma?”

“When I was little, I grew up in an orphanage. So I don’t have a mom, dad, or grandma.”

Ah, I see.

You’ve been alone in this world from a young age too.

This little one, already familiar with loneliness, must have sensed it in me and come to comfort me.

It was both endearing and heartbreaking.

Park Malja hugged Kang Jiwoo tightly without a word.

A moment of silence passed.

The heater’s warmth now felt a bit too hot.

The grandmother stood up.

“Dear, should I make you some soondae soup?”

“Grandma, you should rest if you’re sick.”

“I’m not sick anymore. And this grandma has been making soup for 40 years. I’ll whip up a bowl even right before stepping into my grave.”

True to her word, Park Malja served up the soup in just five minutes.

Hoo, hoo!

Kang Jiwoo blew on the broth energetically with her spoon.

Then she took a hearty sip.

Nyam.

“Ah~ This is so good!”

“Haha, is it that delicious?”

“Yes! It’s amazing!”

Kang Jiwoo’s face lit up like a dandelion in spring.

“Ahhh~”

The soup tasted perfect.

It was just as I remembered.

The flavor still lived up to its reputation as one of Seoul’s top three soups.

“You sound like a grown man. Want me to get you a bottle of soju?”

Ah, soju with soup is irresistible!

“What’s that?”

Of course, as a child, I had no idea what soju was.

“Haha, kids can’t have it.”

Park Malja laughed warmly, unable to take her eyes off Kang Jiwoo.

For a long while, she looked at her like a cherished grandchild, then murmured,

“At first, I thought my grandchild had come back.”

“Grandchild? Are they about my height?”

“No, my grandchild is all grown up. Grown up and gone now.”

“Where did they go?”

“To heaven.”

This was news to me.

I had no idea the grandmother had gone through something like that.

“Grandma, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It’s okay… but, um…”

The words kept getting caught on my tongue.

Park Malja smiled gently, allowing me to finally speak.

“Can I ask why they went to heaven?”

“Well… it seems God wanted to see them early.”

“Not that… I mean…”

Her gaze drifted into the distance.

It was as if she was recalling something deeply buried in her heart.

The woman sat in silent thought for a moment.

A wistful smile spread across her face, as if she were looking at her grandchild.

“Our Heejung, you see… he died unjustly in the military.”

“The military…?”

“Yes. At first, they said it was suicide. But Heejung wasn’t the kind of person to do that. It turned out he died while doing something unnecessary because some high-ranking general was visiting.”

A heavy story unfolded.

Surprisingly, it was a case I also remembered.

At the time, I had just finished my own military service, so I had a keen interest in military-related incidents.

“If it hadn’t been for Prosecutor Cho Seoyoung, our Heejung might never have found peace, even in death.”

Cho Seoyoung.

She was the hero of this case.

She exposed the military’s cover-up and restored the honor of the woman’s grandson.

This was the reason the grandmother became such a fervent supporter of Cho Seoyoung.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve talked to anyone about this.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry? For what? I’m happy I got to talk about it again. People don’t usually want to hear stories like this…”

“I want to hear more. Because… when I become president, I want to make sure no soldiers get hurt anymore.”

“What a thoughtful child. Then I suppose I should vote for you on election day.”

Fortunately, the grandmother seemed to be in good spirits.

She talked at length about her grandson, sharing not only the tragic story of his death but also the fond memories they had together.

In the end, she even apologized to me.

She said the spicy chili peppers in the dish were an accident, not intentional.

“This old lady must be getting senile. I have no one to take care of me, so I get scared sometimes. But when you came to see me, I was so relieved and grateful. Thank you, dear.”

She gently patted me several times, as if I were a treasure.

I blinked sleepily, nestled in her arms like a baby kangaroo in its pouch.

Ding.

The door opened, and a woman rushed in hurriedly.

It was Han Seoyoung, her face pale.

“Candidate…? Are you alright?”

“My dear, I suppose it’s time for you to go home now.”

It was time to part ways.

Park Malja quickly packed some sundaeguk (blood sausage soup) for us.

She even included an assortment of sundae and handed it generously to Kang Jiwoo.

“If you think of me, come visit again, alright?”

“Okay…”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Han Seoyoung bowed deeply.

It was time to leave, but Kang Jiwoo hesitated, as if her feet were glued to the floor.

“My dear, do you have something to say?”

“Yes…”

Kang Jiwoo glanced nervously at Han Seoyoung, then clung to Park Malja as if asking her to bend down to listen.

When Park Malja leaned down, Kang Jiwoo stood on tiptoe and whispered softly.

“Grandma, you know… you don’t have to vote for number 5. You can vote for Candidate Cho Seoyoung. Candidate Cho Seoyoung is a great candidate too…”

Her maturity and thoughtfulness brought a smile to my face.

“Alright. I’ll think carefully about who to vote for.”

“Grandma, bye-bye.”

Kang Jiwoo waved her hand as she left the store.

Only then did she finally step outside.

“She told you not to vote for her? Ha!”

Is there another presidential candidate in the world who would tell someone to vote for someone else?

Her endearing honesty seemed to sweep away even the lingering sadness.

—

The next morning.

Park Malja was up early, preparing for her day and setting out breakfast.

Just as she was about to eat, the door creaked open cautiously.

“Ahem…”

It was Mr. Shusan.

Even though he always claimed he wouldn’t come, he’d show up the next day to check on her—such a warm-hearted man.

“Come in. Eat with me.”

“You made food for me too?”

“Of course. How could I forget when we always eat together?”

“Ahem.”

Still looking a bit awkward, he sat down.

As she picked at her side dishes, the grandmother spoke softly.

“About yesterday… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“They say the market vendors suffered because of me. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I must be going senile these days. My mind keeps wandering.”

“…It’s been a long time since I’ve heard an apology from you.”

“Just eat.”

Park Malja grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

As the news came on, Mr. Shusan groaned in protest.

“Politics again?”

“Of course. A person should keep up with the news.”

“I thought you’d changed a bit, but…”

In truth, she had changed a little.

She wasn’t watching Cho Seoyoung’s news but Kang Jiwoo’s instead.

“You said you didn’t like Kang Jiwoo, but now you seem to adore her. What changed?”

“Oh, I still don’t like her… but she’s practically my granddaughter now. Just look at her, so adorable. Ha ha! Look at her eat so well! Ha ha ha!”

“……”

Shusan Ajushi stared at Malja without even turning his head.

His face, which was always crumpled and full of irritation and worry, now blossomed into a broad smile.

“Haha, that kid is really something. Definitely presidential material!”

“Mother, you look great when you laugh like that! By the way, please deliver three bowls of sundae soup for lunch later. Shussan’s wife said she wants some too.”

“Do you want the special ones?”

“Just the regular ones.”

“Ugh, this brat…”

“Haha, you’ll do it, right?”

“Fine, fine, you rascal.”

That day, the market had an unusually cheerful atmosphere.

Title: K-Mukbang Update

(Kang Jiwoo’s Mukbang GIF Compilation)

From now on, the mukbang world belongs to Kang Jiwoo.

If you think Kang Jiwoo should be president, smash the like button.

Recommendations: 1,256

The internet was ablaze.

It was flooded with clips of the pink-haired child enjoying market food with great delight.

The highlight, of course, was the hot dog.

One scene, where Kang Jiwoo cried sorrowfully after dropping a hot dog, became a viral meme.

There was also a controversial moment.

“That grandma deliberately put chili peppers in the soup, they say.”

Why???

“She’s a hardcore Cho Seoyoung supporter, lol.”

“Still, doing that while a kid is eating? What kind of psycho is she?”

Most people criticized the grandmother.

Even Cho Seoyoung’s supporters said this tarnished their candidate’s image.

It was almost a unifying moment across political spectrums.

But then…

The very next day, the situation took a dramatic turn.

This was due to a post on Han Seoyoung’s social media:

(A photo of Malja, Han Seoyoung, and Kang Jiwoo smiling together)

*”The owner of the ‘Market Sundae Soup’ shop is battling dementia. We’ve confirmed that yesterday’s incident, where chili peppers were added to the soup, was an unintentional mistake caused by her condition.

Our party has promised to help her receive dementia-related welfare support and to visit the hospital with her.

We will strive to build a country where dementia patients are not marginalized.”*

The post completely flipped public opinion.

Title: Why Jiwooping is a Genius at Political Taichi

“Everyone must have been shocked by the chili pepper soup yesterday.

It looked like an attack by a crazy Cho supporter, right?

But Jiwooping turned even the chili pepper soup incident into a Taichi masterstroke…

She identified the problem, confirmed it was due to dementia, took a picture together, and even promoted her welfare policy in the meantime.”

“Ah… she’s just…”

“Da-Jiwoo!

“Jiwooping is truly presidential material!”

“Taichi Master Kang Jiwoo!”

“Jiwooping is so kind and deep-hearted.

Her patience is incredible.

If it were me, I’d have smashed the bowl as soon as I saw those chili peppers.”

Title: Am I the Only One Starting to Seriously Root for Kang Jiwoo?

“Honestly, I first supported her as a joke.

‘An elementary school kid as president? Lol, hilarious.’

But now…

Wait, doesn’t it actually sound plausible?

Jiwooping isn’t just cute.

She’s warm-hearted, insightful enough to detect a dementia patient’s condition, and a freaking Taichi master!

She’s a million times better than that unlikable bleach duo of Cho Seoyoung and Yoo Han.

I’m losing my mind over here…”

Chili Pepper Sundae Soup Incident

Initially seen as an intentional act of terror,

it turned out to be an innocent mistake by a dementia patient.

And Kang Jiwoo was the first to uncover the truth.

It was a political story like no other in history.

The touching narrative transcended gender and age, spreading far and wide.

Meanwhile, a new video was uploaded to Kang Jiwoo’s YouTube channel.

The title was: Jiwooping’s Great Adventure.

It documented Kang Jiwoo’s journey to the sundae soup restaurant alone.