Chapter 6: Single bingle next country presidential candidate’s current status

Tanning toys: their types and prices.

Why do I know this? Because of a touch mishap.

The internet’s ads are so aggressive that a slight misstep sends you to an ad page.

Yesterday, while reading an article analyzing the election trends, my finger slipped, and I accidentally clicked on a Tanniping ad.

My brilliant brain memorized the types and prices of toys displayed on the ad page in less than 30 seconds.

Well, it wasn’t actually 30 seconds—I did browse for a bit longer.

Ahem. It’s not because I wanted the toys or anything.

I was just analyzing the preferences of future voters…

Anyway.

The important part is that my allowance has improved my concentration.

My once-restless body now sits still on a chair.

It’s already been an hour.

“Candidate, hang in there! Heartping is waiting for you!”

“It’s not Heartping, it’s Heochuping.”

“Oh, right! Heochuping! Fighting!”

With Han Seyoung cheering me on, I practiced diligently.

Other party members also encouraged me, bringing snacks and drinks.

Despite the somewhat chaotic atmosphere, the practice went smoothly.

Then, I stepped back onto the stage.

“Hello! I’m Kang Jiwoo! On xxth morning, I transformed into a girl’s body, and…”

Though still a bit shaky, it was much better.

Most importantly, I was confident enough to glance ahead occasionally.

“Uh, where was I?”

I’d sometimes lose my place, but I didn’t stop altogether.

“…I, Kang Jiwoo, will continue to strive! I will become a trustworthy presidential candidate!”

“Candidate, it’s ‘trustworthy,’ not ‘Shin nae.’”

“Shin nae…?”

Some pronunciations were just beyond me.

“Ha ha, they said ‘Shin lae’—so cute even when mispronouncing!”

“You’re doing so well!”

“Applause!”

“Wow!”

“Kang Jiwoo! Kang Jiwoo!”

The party members clapped and chanted my name.

It reminded me of giving speeches to party members in the past.

I used to receive such enthusiastic cheers back then too.

Though the atmosphere now feels like a kindergarten talent show.

Honestly, being applauded for just reading a script is a bit humiliating.

But in this situation, my pride is useless.

If I can’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it.

“Thank youchu!”

“Hahaha!”

“Awesomechu!”

“Kang Jiwoo is so cutechu~”

I’ll savor this applause!

But there was an unexpected reaction.

“Oh my, Madam Committee Member, are you crying?”

“Who’s crying?”

“Were they so cute that it moved you?”

One female party member had tears in her eyes.

“Sorry, I’m just being silly. It reminded me of my daughter at home…”

This was attorney Lee Soyoon.

She had a daughter in kindergarten and was at a busy stage as a mother.

Despite this, she joined the campaign wholeheartedly upon hearing I was running.

She entrusted her childcare to her mother and husband temporarily.

“Actually, my kid had a kindergarten talent show recently… I promised to go, but I lost track of the date after several sleepless nights. I missed it.

I felt so guilty…”

The reason she’s here instead of watching her child’s performance is simple:

She said she must see me, Kang Ji-woo, become president.

She believes I can change this country’s future.

‘What makes me so special…’

As these thoughts cross my mind, I refocus myself.

Why are we gathered here?

To seize power?

To build political connections?

Some might have those motives.

But I know Lee Soyoon’s sincerity.

She’s here to change this country,

To create a better future for her daughter and the children of this nation.

So I can’t afford to waver.

I won’t let myself weaken.

I’ll steel myself like iron.

For those who trust and gather around me, I will grow stronger.

Step.

I quietly walked over to her and tugged on her coat.

“Ma’am.”

“Huh…?”

I wanted to tell her.

How truly grateful I was.

That she was my hero, our hero.

I wanted to say that her daughter would one day be proud of her too.

But I was a bit timid.

“I love you.”

I condensed it all into those words.

“Yes, I love you too. And… thank you so much…”

She quietly sobbed in my arms.

All of our hearts quietly burned with emotion.

“Our candidate is both adorable and profoundly thoughtful.”

“Alright, let’s pick up the mood and get back to work!”

“Yes! Let’s face this with a smile, no matter how hard it gets!”

As everyone rallied together enthusiastically, Han Seoyoung’s expression darkened.

“Everyone, please focus for a moment.”

“What’s going on?”

She bit her lower lip.

It was clear something bad had happened.

“Candidate Yoo Hangchul has released an illegal recording of our candidate.”

“…!”

So that’s why things had been so quiet.

Chew it up, tear it apart, savor it, enjoy it—

Such is the art of modern politics.

The video was released on a YouTube channel.

The channel claimed to be a news outlet, but nobody thought of it as a legitimate source.

The origin didn’t matter, whether it was filmed illegally or not.

What mattered was that, during the presidential campaign, a scandal video targeting a candidate’s eligibility had emerged.

It consumed all attention and interest.

Party members huddled around a smartphone, watching the video.

“Isn’t that our candidate’s office building?”

“Did these jerks secretly film this? Are they dying to get jailed?”

“You can see the candidate through the window.”

“Is she… dancing?”

Unexpectedly, the video was utterly adorable.

It simply showed Kang Jiwoo bouncing and dancing alone in an empty office.

A music show seemed to be playing on a screen, and she appeared to be mimicking the choreography.

“Is that it?”

“The issue is Yoo Hangcheol’s wording.”

The video was followed by a large YouTube interview clip.

In it, Yoo Hangcheol referred to the secretly recorded video, bantering with the host.

“Personally, I cherish her as a junior in politics, but her recent behavior is just bizarre. She seems mentally unstable.”

“Some are speculating she might need psychiatric counseling.”

“If her TS syndrome is a lie, Kang Jiwoo could end up in prison. That’s a violation of the Public Official Election Act.”

“And if it’s true?”

“If it’s true, that’s even worse. It proves she lacks the ability to perform her duties. Electing someone who dances while watching TV to the presidency? That’s practically treason! If you knowingly elect someone incompetent, you’re a traitor! Am I wrong?”

“…..”

“…..”

Tension filled the small auditorium.

A video of her bouncing around while watching TV.

The act itself wasn’t problematic.

The only issue was that Kang Jiwoo had run off in embarrassment.

Aside from that, it was simply a cute video.

The problem was Yoo Hangcheol’s words carried weight.

“Even though the term ‘traitor’ is inflammatory, as a voter, I might have thought he had a point.”

“Can reading from a speech script really prove her capability to perform her duties?”

“It seems like we need a countermeasure…”

As everyone worried,

Bong Soohee strolled past and nonchalantly remarked, “Ignore it.”

“Huh?”

“Looks like they’re about to face backlash.”

“Backlash?”

Bong Soohee pulled back the curtain dramatically, revealing Kang Jiwoo hiding behind it.

“Eek!”

Kang Jiwoo tried to run away again, but Bong Soohee lazily chased after her in a game of tag.

“What backlash?”

“Public opinion is currently split into three groups.

First, those who think she should be disqualified.

Second, those waiting for the press conference.”

Bong Soohee swiftly caught Kang Jiwoo, who had hidden behind a podium.

“Kyaaah!”

She lifted her up with both hands, a scene reminiscent of a certain lion in an animated film.

“And the third group: She’s absolutely adorable.”

“…?”

Kang Jiwoo is cute!

Just plain cute!

While it was true that many doubted her ability to perform her duties after seeing the leaked video, for many others, it became the moment they fell for her charm.

“If that’s the case, could it be that candidate Yoo Hang-chul ended up helping us?”

“We’ll find out once the approval ratings come out tomorrow.”

“Honestly, we can’t fully trust the approval ratings either. Since the youth tend to have weaker voting power, we need to calculate the expected votes carefully.”

They dispersed in a slightly unsettled state.

However, the attitudes of the party members were different from yesterday.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s approval ratings.”

“The online response seems great!”

“Every day feels like it’s filled with dopamine!”

They appeared much more energetic and lively.

Takahashi Jun, who lived in Tokyo, was a Korean-Japanese well-versed in both Korean and Japanese cultures.

His hobby was “sharing posts from online communities.”

Some might question the value of such a hobby, but for Jun, who majored in sociology, it was quite fascinating.

“The reactions are always intense when I share stories trending in Japan with Korea, and vice versa.”

South Korea and Japan are neighbors, rivals, and sworn adversaries.

If they fought on the seas in the past, now the internet is the battlefield.

The internet, teeming with ambitious figures, is the modern front line of the Korea-Japan war.

That day, Jun stumbled upon an interesting post.

Title: Current Status of a South Korean Presidential Candidate

(A video of Kang Jiwoo dancing in her office)

“This election is all about candidate #5.”

“What is she even doing? lol”

“Oh, wow, haha”

“Adorable.”

“This is the power of a nation… Just, wow.”

“Ddu-da-da ddu-da!”

“Huh? This is a presidential candidate? Is this real?”

A girl this cute, running for president?

Jun was just as shocked.

He immediately translated the post and uploaded it to a Japanese community.

“Is this for real?

A female elementary schooler as a presidential candidate? Wwww Is this a joke?

From now on, please call Japan East Joseon!!!

Who is she? She’s so cute!

I hope she wins.

Does she have any plans to debut as a YouTuber?

What are you even suggesting to someone you don’t know wwww”

The reaction was explosive, as expected.

Jun smiled contentedly.

Even he found Kang Ji-woo incredibly adorable.

He thought she might quickly gain a fandom in Japan.

Comments flooded in with questions.

“Any more videos or photos?”

“OP, give us more!”

“If not, at least share her social media handle.”

Jun replied to the comments.

“She hasn’t officially appeared much yet, so there isn’t more. I heard there’s a press conference tomorrow. I should be able to get more footage then.”

“A press conference? Where can we watch it?”

“Can we donate? If I donate 100,000 yen, do you think she’ll dance as a reaction?”

“Wwwww Definitely do it. That would be hilarious.”

“Hey, I work for the National Pension Fund, and I think I can donate about 1 million yen tomorrow.”

“Are you planning to misuse the nation’s pension funds, you perverted otaku? Wwwwwww”

“Let’s report this guy for real.”

Just one day until the press conference.

Kang Jiwoo had already gained fans in Japan.