Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 39

I was picking crab meat for Siha.

Alisa, sitting across from me, was also diligently picking crab meat for Siha.

A mountain of crab meat was accumulating in front of him.

“Ah, hyung!”

“Yeah. Is it good?”

“Ah!”

Siha ate it well, spoonful after spoonful. It warmed my heart to see him enjoying it so much.

“Should we eat too, then?”

“Okay.”

I ate rice and tofu while watching Siha.

I was busily eating the cool soup when I got curious about the time and checked my phone.

Tingle.

“Ah!”

“Hyung?”

“What’s wrong?”

I waved my hand dismissively.

“It’s okay. Just static electricity…”

“Si-hyuk, you’re speaking English now.”

“Huh? Am I? Without even realizing it… Um. How do I pronounce Korean again?”

“Ahahaha. That’s a funny joke.”

I wish it was a joke.

I didn’t know why this was happening, and a cold sweat broke out.

Korean felt foreign, like a language I was unfamiliar with.

I looked at Siha and forced a bright smile to ease his worried expression.

“Ah, hyung.”

“Um, good! Siha!”

“Ah?”

I gave a thumbs up after eating the spicy crab stew, and Siha started eating his rice too.

I finished my rice first and quietly started thinking.

I opened my mouth slightly to test myself.

“Siha. Siha. I love you. Siha. I love you.”

Fortunately, Korean came out. I was so embarrassed earlier. My mind had gone completely blank, and I couldn’t speak Korean.

“Hyung. Siha too.”

“Huh? Ahahaha. Did you hear what Hyung said?”

“Ah.”

Alisa, who was behind me, chuckled.

“Are you not speaking English anymore? I thought you were starting Siha’s early education.”

“No way. You can’t do things like this carelessly.”

“But it’s a bit strange. It seems like your pronunciation has gotten better. So quickly? Should I say it’s become richer? Why is that?”

“I don’t know. Why is that?”

I shrugged.

Alisa said, “Thank you so much for today. I’ll go now. See you next time.”

“Goodbye, Alisa. Siha, Alisa is leaving.”

“Ah. Alisa. Bye!”

“Bye-bye, Siha.”

After saying goodbye to Alisa, I returned home with Siha.

I immediately checked my English pronunciation.

My tongue curled naturally. Unlike before, it felt like I was using my whole body to pronounce the words.

“Is this the cause?”

I put my hand on my vocal cords and felt it clearly. When pronouncing English, chest voice, nasal voice, head voice, voiceless voice, and abdominal voice were naturally blended, without even being conscious of it.

So, it felt natural, as if I was using my whole body.

“My facial muscles feel a bit stiff too?”

Perhaps it’s because the facial muscles also have parts that are used depending on the pronunciation.

I was a little surprised by my clearly improved skills.

“Hyung.”

Siha ran to my legs and clung to me, thinking I was playing a strange game.

“Ahahaha. Siha. What’s wrong?”

“Hyung. Bebebebe.”

“Huh? Ah. English?”

“Ah.”

“In that case, you say ‘blah blah’.”

“Sarasa Sara?”

“Blah blah. Oh, I can’t understand.”

“Sarasa Sara.”

While we were playing around like that, Siha’s attention turned elsewhere – to the kidney beans.

The kidney bean stalks had grown a lot.

Siha pressed his face against the veranda window.

“Ah. Hyung.”

“Yeah. They’ve grown a lot, haven’t they?”

I opened the veranda door and pondered why this was happening.

I took out my phone, but there was no indication of anything unusual.

Could it be that my abilities are being enhanced not only by the laptop but also by something else?

But why English pronunciation of all things?

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. They’ve grown a lot, haven’t they?”

Siha wandered around the kidney beans and saw the wire. He must be curious about the curly stalks climbing up.

“Siha will grow up like this too, right?”

“Ah.”

Nod nod.

He must be saying that he can’t grow up like that.

After finishing his observation, Siha went back into the room.

Does he observe them once in the morning and once in the evening?

I closed the veranda door, thinking that it was still a bit chilly at night.

“Siha, let’s wash up and play.”

“Ah.”

I washed Siha and sat down. Now it was Siha’s drawing time.

I was curious about what kind of picture he would draw today, but first, I sat in front of the laptop.

‘Shall I start translating?’

Dada Dada [sound of typing].

I didn’t feel like my translation skills had changed much.

‘Just better pronunciation, and that’s it?’

Well, if other abilities had improved further, I might have fallen asleep like last time. That would have been a problem.

I took out a business card from my pocket.

Toode Agent.

The agency’s name was Ulster.

I didn’t know what kind of compound word it was, so I searched for the agency name.

‘It’s quite famous, isn’t it?’

I thought they were scammers, but they were a pretty well-known agency.

‘But why did they come to Korea? Is there a fashion show or something?’

While I was thinking that, I received a call.

[Hwang Ki-joon]

***

-Lawrence Medical Translation Company

CEO Hwang Ki-joon was deep in thought. He had told Jang Hyuk’s son to come, but he didn’t know what to tell him.

Hwang Ki-joon had heard about his interpreter days. It was a truly unbelievable and amazing story, and he even wondered if it was just a boast.

But the process of getting to that position was not smooth at all, even involving giving up the hard-won results.

Knock knock.

“CEO.”

“Oh. Yes. Has the guest arrived?”

“Yes.”

“Then take them to the reception room. I’ll be out soon. Oh, right. Is the medical device translation work all done?”

“Yes. We just need to review it now.”

“Then do that first and send it. I got a call earlier asking to hurry up. It seems like the device is coming in soon.”

“Yes. Then I’ll hurry up and send it.”

“Okay. Good work.”

Hwang Ki-joon opened the drawer. Inside was a pocket watch. It was Lee Jang-hyuk’s item that he had left as a gift a long time ago.

Today, it seemed like it would be returned to its owner.

Hwang Ki-joon got up from his seat and left the room. When he entered the reception room, there was a grown-up son who resembled Lee Jang-hyuk and a chubby baby.

“Did you wait long?”

“No. Not really.”

Hwang Ki-joon shook hands with Si-hyuk.

“But there’s nothing for your younger sibling to play with. What should we do?”

“It’s okay.”

Then Siha pointed to something in the reception room.

“Ah, hyung.”

“Huh?”

The thing Siha pointed to was a stethoscope hanging on the wall.

Hwang Ki-joon smiled and picked up the stethoscope.

“Are you interested in this? Here you go.”

Siha received the stethoscope and put it around his neck. He put it on his stomach and then put the stethoscope on Si-hyuk’s stomach.

Hwang Ki-joon smiled slightly at Siha’s appearance. He was curious, perhaps because he resembled his mother.

‘Should I tell him this story?’

Hwang Ki-joon had such thoughts, but he shook his head. He didn’t want to tell unnecessary stories to children who were living well.

Si-hyuk said, “I’m sorry. This isn’t something to play with.”

“Ah, that? It’s just for decoration. Actually, it’s a medical translation company, so I thought it would be nice to decorate it with something plausible. The white coat over there is also for interior design.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“That stethoscope is probably broken, right?”

“That’s a relief then. Thank you.”

Siha put the stethoscope on Si-hyuk’s hand next to him.

“Ah.”

Si-hyuk gently stroked Siha’s head.

Hwang Ki-joon looked at Si-hyuk and Siha and handed over the pocket watch in his hand.

“This is Jang Hyuk’s, but I’ve been keeping it.”

“Yes? This watch? It looks expensive…”

“Not expensive at all. He gave it to me as a gift, but it was actually a loan.”

“Why was it a loan?”

“That’s… It’s a bit of an embarrassing story. Ahem. Back then, Jang Hyuk went on a trip to Shanghai and handed over the pocket watch with a solemn expression.”

“Ah… Doctor Yun Bong-gil?” [Yun Bong-gil was a Korean independence activist who detonated a bomb, killing Japanese dignitaries.]

The story of Kim Gu [another independence activist] and Doctor Yun Bong-gil exchanging pocket watches was a famous story.

“That’s right. Should I say he was immersed in Doctor Yun Bong-gil’s lines?”

“When was that?”

“It was when he was a college student. Anyway, Jang Hyuk was really good at studying. It’s not that he got good grades, but what should I say? Should I say he had a good head for studying? Should I say he was good at applying things? That’s how he was.”

“Is that so?”

Si-hyuk grabbed the pocket watch.

“Is there a reason why you dreamed of becoming an interpreter? I’m curious about that.”

“Ah, that?”

Hwang Ki-joon chuckled. It was a really trivial reason, or maybe it was a reason that wasn’t trivial.

“There are various complex reasons, but the decisive reason was after meeting foreign buyers.”

“Wow.”

“But do you know what’s funny?”

“What is it?”

Hwang Ki-joon looked around and leaned in, saying, “While helping us with translation work, I met a unique medical buyer.”

“Unique?”

Hwang Ki-joon lowered his voice even more.

“The truth is, I found out that the medical buyer was actually the CIA.”

“Yes?”

“I’m serious, you know?”

“What are you talking about…”

Si-hyuk smiled slightly and then hardened his face. Hwang Ki-joon leaned in as if he was curious.

“Why? Is there something that comes to mind?”

“I remember a friend who taught me something a little unusual when I was young.”

“Oh. Really? What is it?”

“Opinion manipulation warfare?”

“Puhaha.”

Hwang Ki-joon laughed as if it was funny.

“Ah, sorry. It’s just too funny.”

“It’s okay. It’s funny to hear it like this too.”

“Is there anything else you want to hear?”

“Hmm. Did my father ever regret quitting being an interpreter?”

“He would have been disappointed, but he never regretted it. He always bragged about his son. ‘Si-hyuk did this. Yesterday, Si-hyuk called me Dad 27.5 times.’ Something like that.”

“How did he call it 0.5 times?”

“I don’t know either.”

Si-hyuk grinned as if he was in a good mood.

Hwang Ki-joon glanced at Si-hyuk and opened his mouth.

“How have you been doing lately?”

“I’m just taking care of Siha. I also go to school and take him to daycare. I also do translation work. Actually, I needed to earn money.”

“Hoo. Translation work?”

Hwang Ki-joon’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes. I have to earn money. Actually, I was going to drop out of school, but… An older friend told me to take some time to think about it, so I’m still going.”

“Drop out?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. This is just an assumption, but if I were Jang Hyuk, I would have told you to go to college. Of course, college isn’t everything in life, but I hope you can make memories while living your college life, even if it’s just a little bit.”

“Memories?”

“Yes. Don’t work hard alone, but see your friends. It’s lonely when you’re alone. Your heart gets tired.”

Hwang Ki-joon felt sorry for Si-hyuk. In a way, the role Si-hyuk had to play was both a father and a mother.

It felt a bit irresponsible to tell such a child to continue going to college. He had talked to him a little, but Si-hyuk had no dreams, just like Lee Jang-hyuk, who had given up on his dreams.

Hwang Ki-joon wanted to make Si-hyuk think about a broader perspective, even if it was a bit irresponsible. Still… He wouldn’t have given this advice to anyone else.

Hwang Ki-joon thought about Jang Hyuk’s words: 「It seems like the child is growing up being mindful of others. What should I do? At least I want him to do what he wants to do to his heart’s content…」

Hwang Ki-joon thought he had to convey Jang Hyuk’s feelings.

“How about watching what it’s like to work here? Sometimes we have meetings with medical buyers, and it wouldn’t be bad to participate in those. It seems like you’re pretty good at English too.”

“Yes?”

“I just want you to think about various things and decide on a job. Don’t just think about Siha. Siha will be 5 years old when you graduate from college later, right? And 3 years after that, he’ll be in elementary school. At this point, it seems like you can get a job…”

“Thank you, but I’ll decline.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Si-hyuk’s eyes brightened.

“Can I ask why?”

“Because I want to be by Siha’s side.”

“Hahaha. That’s good too.”

“But that’s a bit interesting. Interpreter. Yes. I’m very interested.”

“Really?”

Hwang Ki-joon was delighted. It was a great achievement just to get him interested in something other than translation.

“Thank you for today. Siha is getting bored of just playing with the stethoscope now.”

“Okay. It was nice talking to you today. Be careful going. Oh, should I give you a ride?”

“No. It’s okay.”

“Okay. Siha, be careful going too.”

“Ah.”

Si-hyuk threw a word as he went outside.

“Oh, right. I glanced at the translation you did while coming here, and the paper on the removal of nerve sheath ganglion cysts was amazing. Pushing away the muscle fibers and *ttwak!* [onomatopoeia for a snapping sound] intuitively writing about the soft area attached to the cyst.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, I’ve been holding you back too much, haven’t I? Then I’ll be going.”

Hwang Ki-joon blankly watched Si-hyuk leave and then came to his senses.

‘Get him interested in something other than translation?’

He needs to translate!

How long does it take to train someone to do medical translation!

“Si-hyuk! Wait a minute!”

Hwang Ki-joon hurriedly chased after Si-hyuk.

“Medical memories might be better than college memories~ The pay is high here?!”

He shouted like that.