Park Seok-ji is a seasoned politician who has been elected four times in one district.
It wasn’t because the area was his stronghold.
He had even been elected once as an independent candidate.
He had a secret.
A secret to winning the hearts of the local residents.
And after observing him closely, it turned out the secret was surprisingly simple.
“CEO Choi! How have you been?”
“Representative, fancy meeting you on the street!”
The two greeted each other warmly.
After exchanging a handshake and some pleasantries, they went their separate ways.
Park Seok-ji didn’t walk far before stopping again.
“Sir! It’s been a while!”
“Representative, I’ve been seeing you a lot on TV these days. All good news, it seems.”
“It’s all thanks to this young CEO! Life’s been so good, look at how much weight I’ve gained!”
“Haha, indeed.”
At first, I thought Park Seok-ji was simply greeting old acquaintances.
Maybe they were alumni or mutual friends.
But the encounters and greetings continued endlessly.
It was hard to believe this was the network of just one person.
Eventually, it reached the point where:
“Representative Park! Come over here and have a drink with us!”
“Oh my, isn’t this Dong Representative’s younger sibling? Of course, I can’t refuse a drink from the residents!”
He readily joined a group of older men and women drinking.
He downed a glass of makgeolli with enthusiasm.
“How’s the economy these days?”
“It’s tough. You need to help us out, Representative.”
“Don’t worry. When our Jiwoo becomes president, the economy will bounce back!”
Their eyes turned to me.
They smiled as if I was adorable, though they seemed skeptical about the economy improving.
“You’re certainly cute, but can the economy really improve?”
“Why wouldn’t it? You know Elon Mengsk, right? The world’s richest man is reportedly coming to Korea just to meet Jiwoo! Even U.S. President Trumpette has already sent love calls!”
“Really…? Is that true?”
“Of course! Once economic cooperation with the U.S. strengthens, the money will flow in no time! Besides, this little one is so sharp and capable…”
Park Seok-ji then spent a long time bragging about me.
It felt like a grandfather boasting about his grandchild.
Then, out of the blue, he turned to me with a question.
“Jiwoo, you’ll do well as president, right?”
“…!”
I froze the mid-bite of the scallion pancake someone handed me.
Of course, I wanted to shout that I’d be confident.
But Jiwoo Ping looked a bit scared.
Honestly, I wasn’t brimming with confidence, but saying I was confident would be a lie…
“You’re so cute~”
“You look even better in person than on TV.”
“Who cares if you don’t do well? You’re so cute, we’ll forgive you~”
The adults said these things.
It must’ve been a joke.
Or maybe they were serious?
Anyway, Jiwoo Ping seemed a little hurt.
It felt like they weren’t taking her serious attitude seriously, which upset her.
She clenched her fists tightly.
After swallowing the pancake, she shouted,
“I’ll become a great president…!”
“Haha!”
“Of course! Become a great one!”
“Make this country a wonderful place to live in!”
We didn’t stay at one spot for too long.
If we did, we wouldn’t be able to make it home that night.
“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave~”
“Sure, take care, brother.”
“Let’s meet again soon.”
I stood up, holding Park Seok-ji’s hand.
Even after that, the friendly encounters continued.
What was amazing was his memory.
“President Jung! It’s been a while! Thank you so much for your help last time!”
“Not at all. I’m grateful that you reached out to me.”
Park Seok-ji didn’t just feign familiarity.
He remembered the names of the residents, their jobs, and even past events.
He once said he had thousands of phone numbers, and it didn’t seem like an exaggeration.
While his vast network was impressive, his ability to remember all those details was remarkable.
Jiwoo Ping, clearly impressed, opened her notebook and began writing.
How to Excel in Politics:
1. Meet many people in the nation.
Politics that communicates with the people.
Not just standing in front of the cameras, but running on two feet to engage directly.
That was Chapter 1 of politics, as taught by Park Seok-ji.
“You’ve already started. Let’s go inside.”
The welfare center, which was supposed to host an event, turned out to be smaller than expected.
It was a performance planned for the local elderly.
The event included performances by a citizens’ choir and nearby university clubs, showcasing the participation of the local community.
Even there, Park Seok-ji greeted everyone enthusiastically.
After the performance ended, I went on stage with Park Seokji.
In the audience, about 40 to 50 elderly people had gathered.
“We’re a bit late! This is Congressman Park Seokji. Greetings!”
Clap clap clap~
“Everyone, the presidential election is right around the corner. Our party has introduced an outstanding candidate this time. Let me introduce candidate Kang Jiwoo!”
Suddenly handed the microphone, I hesitated but bowed deeply to greet them.
“Hello~ I’m Kang Jiwoo~”
Clap clap clap clap
The response was great.
Thanks to Park Seokji’s good reputation, it seemed they were viewing me positively too.
But I didn’t know what to say next.
So, I looked at Park Seokji.
“……”
He just smiled warmly.
It felt like he wanted me to say something, anything.
“Uh… I have something to say…”
Jiwoo-ping cautiously began to speak.
I considered stepping in to control things, but I decided not to.
Their genuine and kind heart reassured me that no major mishap would occur.
“Grandpas and grandmas, I love you~”
“Hahaha!”
“We love you too!”
The response wasn’t bad, thankfully.
In fact, my appearance was kind of a cheat code in front of the elderly.
Seniors often find young people adorable.
But things couldn’t go that smoothly forever.
“Sing! Sing!”
With applause, a chorus of requests for a song broke out.
“……”
Before I could panic further, Park Seokji grabbed the microphone.
“Let me sing one for you!”
He confidently belted out a trot song, showcasing his incredible vocal range—completely a cappella.
Meanwhile, I stood beside him awkwardly…
Shimmy shimmy~
And began dancing to the rhythm, flailing around with carefree moves.
“The candidate is dancing too!”
“Yes! Good job!”
“Hahaha!”
What was surprising was that this was entirely Jiwoo-ping’s own will.
To deliver an answer filled with sincerity and to transform into a true politician, Jiwoo-ping resolved to give their all to Park Seokji’s campaign.
Though my face turned beet red, Jiwoo-ping’s social “skill level” went up!
“Everyone! What’s the number for president?!”
“Number 5!”
“Vote for number 5 and set the nation straight!”
“Wooooo~!”
It was a short but impactful stage event.
Holding Park Seokji’s hand, I left the welfare center.
“Hungry?”
“Yes…!”
Walking around, greeting people, and entertaining them had already left me starving.
Was it finally time for a feast?! My eyes sparkled.
“There’s one more thing. Let’s deliver these lunchboxes, then head back.”
“Yes….”
If you don’t work, you don’t eat!!
The practical lessons in politics weren’t over yet.
I jotted down more notes in my notebook while riding in the car.
How to be a good politician:
1. Meet lots of citizens-pings.
2. Practice singing.
The final task was delivering lunch boxes to elderly people living alone.
Not every day, but Park Seokji often personally delivers them.
“Our congressman, how many years has it been… Seeing you again is such a joy.”
“You’re right, sir. I should’ve visited more often. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I don’t have much to give, but take this to drink.”
“You remembered I love this coffee? Thank you! Haha!”
“Come again~”
“Of course.”
The last house was done!
Leaving with the coffee the elderly lady gave us, it felt like completing a quest and receiving a reward.
“All that’s left now is going down…”
The last house was in a hillside neighborhood, which meant descending a long flight of stairs.
As we looked down, even Park Seokji seemed a bit overwhelmed.
“Grandpa… Are your knees hurting?”
“They’re not what they used to be.”
“Should I carry you? If it’s too hard for you…”
“Hahaha! Can you carry this old man?”
“Hmm… I think I can manage…”
Jiwooping was sincere.
Of course, there was no such strength.
He simply didn’t know because he had never tried using it.
No, in the first place, wasn’t it obvious that he wasn’t even the right size to carry someone on his back?
“Assemblyman, why don’t we rest on that bench for a moment before continuing?”
It was a suggestion from Mr. Kim, Park Seokji’s aide.
“The weather’s nice; let’s do that.”
We sat down on a shabby bench and took a short break.
Unexpectedly, the bench turned out to be in a spot where we could see the whole neighborhood at a glance.
“Jiwoo, you must have had a tough day, didn’t you?”
“No… not really….”
“You can be honest.”
I sniffed, holding back a runny nose,
then wiped my nose awkwardly with my dirtied hand.
“Yes… it was really hard…. I didn’t know politics could be this tough….”
Before I realized it, my true feelings slipped out.
With my energy drained and the dim scenery loosening my guard, my heart grew candid.
“Ha ha ha, kid. It’ll only get harder from now on. But the harder it gets, the more fun it’ll be.”
Today, Jiuping learned about Park Seokji’s politics.
And he started to see Park Seokji in a different light.
“Do you try to meet them every day…?”
“Not every day, but I try.”
“Wow….”
“‘Wow’? What’s so ‘wow’ about it?”
“Grandpa has so many friends… sings so well… and speaks so wonderfully. That’s why I said ‘wow.’”
I felt the same way.
It was a day where I caught a glimpse of the experience, expertise, and conviction of a four-term assemblyman.
“Ha ha ha, this is what you call being meddlesome.”
“Meddlesome…?”
“Yeah, meddlesome.”
Jiwooping suddenly felt curious.
“But… Grandpa, how many people do you actually know?”
“I have thousands of contacts, but honestly, I can’t remember them all. Even the elderly man we met at the last house—I didn’t remember him. I just pretended to know him.”
“Is that okay?”
“It’s not a matter of being okay or not.”
“But you said we shouldn’t lie to the people….”
Park Seokji patted my head.
“It’s a well-intentioned lie.”
“Was Seon lying…?”
“It means a kind lie.”
By that time, the sweat on my body had cooled.
The temperature lingered between chilly and refreshing.
It was about to get a bit cold, but even that wasn’t unpleasant.
As I washed away my fatigue with the sweetness of a drink, I listened intently to Park Seokji.
“There are so many lonely people in this world with no one to turn to. For those people, even just having a congressman’s phone number can feel like a lifeline. Knowing that a congressman remembers them—that small thing can become a source of great comfort.”
“Hmm… I see…”
“Yes. It’s the same with what we did today. Even if it was just a small performance, having something to watch is nice, isn’t it? And even if it’s just a lunchbox, having someone bring it to you can be heartwarming.”
Perhaps it was a trivial, small performance.
Not a feast or an omakase meal, but an ordinary lunchbox.
To some, it might not mean much.
To others, it might hold no value at all.
But to someone, it might mean everything.
And a life where that’s all one has—at my young age, I couldn’t even begin to fathom such a reality.
“People decide to die for various reasons, but even having just one reason to live can keep them going. My goal is to create that one reason for my constituents.”
Park Seokji.
He was a politician with a dream.
And to some extent, he was a politician who had achieved his dream.
“Grandpa Ping… you’re amazing….”
At least, that’s how he seemed in my eyes.
Jiwoo Ping opened her notebook and began jotting down notes.
How to do politics well.
1. Meet with the people often.
2. Practice singing.
3. Make sure the people don’t feel lonely.
“What’s this… Well, shall we head down now? Let’s go eat something delicious!”
“Yes!”
We began descending the stairs.
Park Seokji, as if suddenly remembering something, added,
“Oh, by the way, my grandfather has something at home—a big Jindo dog!”
“A dog! I want to see it!”
“Well, you see… That dog, it barks furiously, is incredibly aggressive, and has even bitten someone before.”
“If it’s like that… then I probably shouldn’t…”
“Yeah. Just don’t get too close to it unless necessary.”
A dog as big as a Jindo could really be as big as me.
Let’s absolutely avoid approaching it just because it’s cute!
Krrrrrrrrr…..!
Name: Jinsoon
A dog raised in Park Seokji’s yard.
She was in an exceptionally bad mood today.
The reason?
Her owner’s footsteps were accompanied by unfamiliar ones.
Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof!
(Intruder alert!!!! Everyone be cautious!!!!!)
The door hadn’t even opened yet.
But still, Jinsoon barked so loudly it echoed through the neighborhood.
Creak—
Finally, the door opened.
A small child peeked out from behind Park Seokji.
Woof.. ?
The moment their eyes met, Jinsoon stopped barking.
Her head tilted in confusion.
Jinsoon alternated her gaze between Park Seokji’s face and Kang Jiwoo’s face.
And then, she came to a conclusion.
(Are they of a different species?)
There was no way those two were the same type of being!
Jinsoon became curious about Kang Jiwoo.