Excited.
Very excited.
It seemed the idea of appearing on TV was genuinely thrilling.
I understood.
Preparing for stiff debates and only appearing on serious news programs must have seemed boring to a kid.
In comparison, variety shows are funny, so naturally, they’d grab more attention.
“But still, wasn’t it a bit much to show up playing a recorder…!”
Even appearing with just a recorder would have been shocking enough.
But dressed in Dongmyo-style fashion? Now I looked like some eccentric you’d see on Subway Line 1!
“Please, maintain some dignity as a presidential candidate!”
“Candidate, please take a seat here.”
“Yes!”
I forced my excited body to calm down.
I resolved to respond to the interview with as much composure as possible.
Sure, it might have been cuter to let the youthful body do as it pleased, but…
Controlling my body required practice.
Besides, showing too childish a side might make it hard to earn the people’s trust.
“Please introduce yourself first.”
“Hello~ I’m Kang Jiwoo. Candidate number 5. Thank you very much~!”
Clap clap clap.
The hosts chuckled as they clapped.
Probably because of my outfit.
“Welcome, Candidate. But what’s with the hiking jacket and baggy pants? What’s going on with your fashion today?”
“I picked it myself!”
“Oh, you chose it yourself.”
“And also, this was a gift from Manjaengping!”
“Manjaengping?”
“Yes! He’s the coolest grandpa in Dongmyo!”
A prepared video began playing on the screen, visible to the hosts and guests.
It was footage of my campaign at Dongmyo.
“Ahaha, so you went shopping in Dongmyo!”
“No wonder it felt familiar!”
“Wow, pulling off this level of coordination in Dongmyo isn’t easy. How did you develop such a sense of style?”
The hosts volleyed playful questions back and forth.
I had planned a humorous answer, but my youthful body took the question very seriously.
“Because I’m a genius at dressing up!”
“Oh, a genius at dressing up, huh? Haha!”
“Manjaengping called me a genius too!”
Jiwooping was serious.
The problem was, only Jiwooping was serious…
Still, it got laughs, so it was fine!
“Alright, let’s dive into the main interview now. Every step you take seems to become a massive sensation. Let’s show some footage.”
A video of me eating a hotdog played.
There I was, chirping like a sparrow, running around.
Then tripping, dropping the hotdog, and bursting into tears.
It felt a bit odd to say this about myself, but…
“No wonder my approval ratings are rising.”
Jiwooping? Utterly adorable.
So cute it could be described as enchanting.
If cuteness had levels, mine would be on a tier above baby animals or other kids’ videos.
Maybe…
“Am I the cutest creature in the world…?”
It wasn’t arrogance or narcissism—just an objective observation.
I couldn’t think of anything that could rival my level of cuteness.
Damn it.
Even having such thoughts felt like my mind was being corrupted.
“They say you claimed at the time that hotdogs were the most delicious food in the world. Do you still feel that way?”
“Yes! I still think so, but sundae soup is delicious too!”
The hosts and staff couldn’t hide their warm smiles as they looked at me.
The relaxed atmosphere made it easy to let my guard down.
I focused harder to keep Jiwooping’s impulses from causing any mistakes.
“Another thing that went viral is ‘Jiwooping’s Grand Adventure.’ Yoseph, have you seen it?”
“Of course! The candidate took the bus alone, walked around the streets…”
“Right. I don’t know if I should say this, but strangely, it brought tears to my eyes after watching it.”
“Honestly, I cried. Actual tears fell.”
While elementary school kids loved Chirp Chirp Jiwooping, adults were different.
Jiwooping’s Grand Adventure definitely had more views and was frequently mentioned everywhere.
Even politicians and celebrities talked about me.
But the undisputed peak of my fame was…
“The Stone Wall Challenge also became a trend, didn’t it?”
The Wildflower Stone Wall Challenge.
It had spread beyond Korea to the world, gaining unimaginable popularity.
Honestly, the challenge felt more famous than me now.
“I wanted to ask, in Jiwooping’s Grand Adventure, you picked up a fallen bicycle, cleaned up trash, and built a stone wall. Why did you do those things?”
Why did I do those things?
The answer was simple.
In this area, at least, Kang Jiwoo and Jiwooping’s thoughts aligned.
“Bicycles are for the people to use the roads, so they shouldn’t cause inconvenience. And the president is someone who works for the people… That’s why I also picked up trash to keep the place clean….”
“Wow. You have such a warm heart. No wonder your approval ratings are so high.”
“And I stacked the stones to protect the flowers. Because the flowers were blooming between the rocks, I thought they might get hurt if people stepped on them while passing by….”
“That’s amazing. I think the whole world must be moved by your beautiful heart.”
One political commentator described Jiwooping’s Grand Adventure as “everyday politics.”
Not just the work conducted in the National Assembly and the Blue House, but politics practiced in daily life.
Moving people’s hearts through positive influence, and as a result, steering the world in a better direction.
Of course, none of these actions were premeditated.
But does it matter?
Dreams over interpretations.
If this was the kind of politics I could pursue, it might be a good way forward.
“Not that I’m planning to give up my original style of politics entirely, of course.”
I would strive to act wherever my reach extended.
Until my original personality could regain control and fully utilize my intellect.
“Our candidate has done something truly remarkable—Elon Mengsk posted on social media. At this point, it might as well be considered an official endorsement for Candidate Kang Jiwoo. By the way, do you know who Elon Mengsk is?”
“Y-yes…”
“Who is he?”
“Uh… um… uh….”
Say it, Jiwooping!
Tesla! Tesla CEO!
Show everyone your intellectual side!
“He’s, um, an American uncle….”
“Hahaha, right. An American uncle.”
Jiwooping control failed…!
But since it was cute, I guess that’s fine…!
The shoot went exceptionally smoothly.
Not just smooth—dare I say, it was enjoyable?
Jiwooping was still brimming with excitement.
At the same time, I felt a sense of ease.
Perhaps it was because I rarely spoke this candidly in front of the camera.
A clip from the TV debate flashed on the screen.
It showed me kicking my feet in the air because they didn’t touch the ground.
“Hahaha. Oh my, this is just too adorable! What are we going to do with someone this cute?!”
“Heheh…”
Even though I hear it all the time, my lips curled up whenever someone called me cute.
“Weren’t you nervous during the debate?”
“No! Because I practiced a lot with Director Ping… Although I was a bit scared, the other candidates were all good pings, so it was okay…!”
“That’s such a sweet sentiment. Your warm demeanor during the debate has already become a hot topic. Candidate Cho Seyoung even posted on social media after the debate, thanking you for the gratitude card she received from you.”
Just then, Han Seoyoung waved the card from among the staff.
I sprang up, took the card, and handed it to the two MCs.
“What is this?”
“A gratitude card… I made it yesterday….”
“Oh my, thank you so much! We didn’t prepare anything in return—what should we do?”
“It’s okay. Anyway, as a presidential candidate, I can’t accept gifts…!”
The gratitude card for the MCs.
That was Bong Soohee’s idea.
“Let’s talk about something more casual this time. Is there anyone who plays with you the most?”
“Uh… everyone plays with me a lot…”
“I see.”
“But, there’s one person I play with the most….”
“Oh, is it not someone who plays with you but someone you have to play with? Who is it?”
“Director Ping. Even though he’s an adult, he likes playing more than I do….”
“Hahaha.”
I also shared anecdotes about the party members.
Of course, I couldn’t leave out Han Seyoung.
“When we play too much, Siljangping starts counting numbers.”
“Counting numbers? What do you mean?”
“She tells me to stop watching TanniPing and counts—one, two, three… like that….”
My honest story had the staff bursting into laughter.
Han Seoyoung couldn’t lift her head, embarrassed.
Well, if you consider her role, she’s practically a mom.
Counting numbers is hardly unexpected.
“Oh, is it already this late? Let me ask one last question. As a child running for president, you must face many challenges. Would you like to share something difficult with us before you go?”
“Difficult things…?”
“Yes, if you share your troubles with us, they might feel a little lighter.”
“I… I have a lot of troubles….”
The words burst out in a moment of impulse.
It was an unstoppable surge.
Of course, you’d have a lot of troubles.
Your mind is filled with thoughts of animations, a longing to play with friends like Sojin, and a desire to attend school like a regular kid, yet you’re forced to endure hardship following adults around, claiming to aim for the presidency.
However, despite everything,
I shouldn’t let myself spill all my hardships.
That’s my responsibility as the party leader.
It’s the least I can do for the party members.
I must hold back from saying it’s hard.
My gaze shifted to the party members.
The murmurs momentarily stopped.
The surroundings grew silent, waiting solely for my response.
The urge to vent my struggles still lingered.
But I couldn’t lie in this situation.
So I tried something different.
Finally, my small lips moved.
“But, you know, there are more good things than hard things…”
Telling the truth.
It’s true that it’s hard, but it’s also true that the good outweighs the bad.
“Wow, what a fantastic answer. Truly fitting for a presidential candidate!”
The hosts praised me enthusiastically.
The party members watching smiled too.
At last, it was the final segment.
“‘Young Quiz’?”
“Yes…!”
The signature and closing segment of the program:
Quiz time.
I furrowed my eyebrows into a V-shape, clenched both fists, and listened intently to the question.
“This person is the highest leader of a country, elected by the people’s votes. They make critical decisions for the nation, handle diplomacy with other countries, and work hard so the citizens can live better lives. Who is this person?”
The correct answer was “President.”
Asking a presidential candidate a quiz about the president, seriously?
Even if I have elementary school-level wits, isn’t this underestimating me too much?
I confidently shouted out the answer.
“Oh, I know…!”
“Yes! What’s the answer?”
“Kang Jiwoo…!”
“Hahahahaha!”
A wildly wrong answer!
But hey, I got the laughs, so it’s all good!!!
It’s all good anyway!!!
The shoot ended.
The Young Quiz production team began tidying up the set and preparing for post-production.
Their movements were incredibly deliberate.
There was a reason behind it…
‘This is going to be a massive hit.’
The atmosphere during the shoot was just too good.
To them, Young Quiz wasn’t just their workplace;
it was their team’s creation.
And when they sensed that the outcome would be excellent, they couldn’t help but feel energized.
The main PD, eyes sparkling, gave instructions to the editing team.
“Let’s air about 15 minutes of Yoo Hangcheol’s footage, and allocate the rest entirely to Kang Jiwoo.”
“In terms of screen time and entertainment value, that makes sense, but… is that okay?”
“What’s the issue?”
“I’m just worried about fairness complaints.”
The suspicion of favoring a particular candidate.
It could stir up trouble.
‘We’ve already suffered from doing as the higher-ups ordered, so this time, I’ll just do it my way.’
To be honest, it was partly out of protest.
Hadn’t they ended up in trouble before just by blindly following orders to feature certain politicians?
Besides, these controversies typically faded within a month or two.
Thus, the PD made up their mind.
“Screw politics. We only care about entertainment.”
They resolved to focus solely on their primary role.
“I think the PD is absolutely right!”
“This could be our highest-rated episode ever! We can’t miss this opportunity!”
“It’s definitely going to be a hit! Jiwooping is a comedic genius…!”
Only three days remained until the broadcast of Young Quiz.
The countdown to the program’s highest-rated episode was on.