Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 182

Hyung, Am I Cute? 182

The Main Gate.

Students hurry to their 9 AM lectures.

Some, unprepared for the morning chill, hug themselves.

Others stroll by, chatting with friends.

Occasionally, a student arrives early, pausing to take in the surroundings.

The notice board, prominently displayed,
is just another wall to those rushing by.

Yet, some stop to look.

“Wow! What is this?”

“Is it a monster?”

“It says they’re performing a dance at the festival from the daycare center?”

Yoon-dong’s drawing broke the morning silence at the main gate.

The unusual artwork draws the attention of passing students.
A strange drawing of a person with multiple limbs.

“Are they going to show a monstrous dance? Is that the idea?”

“It’s just popping [a style of street dance characterized by sudden tensing and relaxing of muscles].”

“Lacking in expressiveness, that’s all.”

“Hey, this is kind of fun.”

“Yeah, really. It is. Should we go later?”

“Come on. There’s no way they’ll be good. They’re just kids.”

“The kids will be cute. It’d be therapeutic to watch, right?”

They move on, each with a different reaction.

Still, they wonder why such a drawing is at the main gate.

But, it was very successful in attracting attention.

If it were just a plain drawing, it wouldn’t have garnered this much interest.

The students walk different paths from the main gate.

The College of Humanities, the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Sciences, and so on.

As if to show that even though they enter through the same gate, their paths diverge.

Once 9 AM passes, the main gate becomes deserted.

The main gate waits for more people to come.

Just then.

A person approaches and looks at the notice board.

“Hmm. So this is the daycare center’s dance poster?”

He takes out his camera and snaps a picture.

Click.

He works in the student council and is in charge of taking promotional photos and videos for the festival.

‘I think they said to put them up on seven bulletin boards, right? Maybe?’

He tries to recall, but he can’t remember because he has so much work.

He takes out his phone and texts the president of the student council.

-Where are the daycare center posters placed?

-Main gate, back gate, two places in the cafeteria, two places in the library, and one in the middle bulletin board.

-Okay, I’ll take pictures of them all and come to the student council.

-Wow. It’s great that the daycare center is doing this. It makes it easier to plan the university festival schedule. It fills a slot.

-lol [laughing out loud]

-Please promote it well. It’s in the afternoon, so I don’t know if many people will come.

-I’ll take care of it.

-I’m sure you will. Oh, but is it really not possible in the evening? We don’t have enough volunteers for the festival right now.

-There are a lot of songs, right?

-There are only songs! It needs to be diverse to be fun. It can’t be all songs like a karaoke.

-That’s true.

-I wish we could put something in the middle to change the atmosphere.

He texts as he moves.

Usually, stage events start at 7 PM, so it’s hard to ask the daycare center.

-Even if they perform at 7:30, it’ll be over if the kids get scared. There are so many people, they might be scared.

-That’s true.

-Get the clubs to participate in various ways. Something cutting-edge! That kind of feel would be good too.

-Should I ask the game development club? The Kyung Trio is fun.

-They’re fun because the three of them bicker.

The president doesn’t reply to his cynical answer.

He’s currently racking his brain over the concert lineup.

-There’s a poster at the College of Humanities cafeteria. I’ll contact you later.

-Oh, but ask them when you go to the daycare center. You have to go there for the promotional video anyway.

-Okay, I’ll ask. Don’t expect a good answer.

-Okay;;;

He puts his phone away and picks up his camera.

Focusing on the poster.

“Huh?”

His eyes widen.

Surprisingly, the poster is better drawn than he thought.

“Wow. This is amazing. The College of Humanities cafeteria poster is the main one? Did someone who knows how to draw make this?”

The drawing shows seven children clenching their fists and shaking them up and down.

The children’s stage emits a yellow light like a full moon.

And the most unique thing is.

“The shadows are penguins?”

The shadows behind the children are in the shape of penguins.

“What does that mean? I need to ask about this too.”

He takes a picture.

Click.

He decides that this will be the main poster for the daycare center to be uploaded on the site.

***

After dropping Si-ha off at the daycare center, lunchtime arrives.

Seo Soo-hyun suggests eating at the school cafeteria together, but there’s a long line.

Still, it’s so convenient these days since you can pay for the cafeteria food with a machine.

“Is there something delicious today? Everyone’s looking at the bulletin board?”

Seo Soo-hyun looks at her phone and shows me the cafeteria menu.

“Oppa [term used by a younger woman to address an older brother or male friend], the set meal looks good today? Beef soup is coming out. And rolled omelet.”

“Beef soup and rolled omelet are good.”

“But it looks like they’re looking at a poster, not the cafeteria menu?”

“Oh? They are.”

I can see the poster in the distance.

I can’t see it in detail because the line is long.

I should have eaten out if I knew it would be like this.

No. I need to save money on food and save money.

I need to save money so I can buy Si-ha more snacks.

Si-ha. Are you watching? My tearful efforts, I mean.

No. You don’t need to know.

Seo Soo-hyun says.

“I wonder what it is.”

“It must be something the daycare center made. They’re dancing at the festival this time. That poster.”

“Wow! Is that Si-ha’s drawing?”

“I don’t think so? He said he drew Pepe? There are seven people drawn there.”

“Oh, that’s right. Who could it be? Is it Hana?”

We go to the front of the poster with such curiosity.

Now I can see it in detail.

It’s a well-drawn picture. But is this Si-ha’s drawing style?

“Oppa. Pepe is there.”

“It is. It’s there?”

I can’t believe Pepe is in the shadows.

Maybe the stage below is the moon.

He said he was dancing to a song about the moon.

Si-ha is amazing anyway. He put in all the components and added his favorite Pepe.

‘What do people think when they see that picture?’

Seo Soo-hyun takes a picture with sparkling eyes.

Seeing that, I feel like I should take a picture too, so I pick up my phone.

“Oppa. Si-ha drew it really well?”

“I know. Actually, it seems like it’s going to be a story about seven people being penguins?”

Then someone calls me from behind.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“I’m Hong Gwang-yeong, in charge of student council promotions.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I happened to hear you, but are you close to the child who drew this picture?”

“He’s my younger brother.”

“Really?! That’s great. Would you mind talking over a meal?”

“Ah, yes. Sure.”

Before we know it, it’s our turn, and we pay for the cafeteria food with the machine.

We sit at the cafeteria and face each other.

“Actually, I’m thinking of putting that poster in the school festival promotion.”

“Ah, yes.”

“So I’m trying to get permission.”

“Use it. Do you need permission for something like this? Can’t you just use it? It’s a festival poster anyway.”

“Hey. What kind of world do we live in where we just use things without permission? By the way, what’s your name?”

“Lee Si-hyuk. Korean Literature major. This is Seo Soo-hyun.”

“Ah. Lee Si-hyuk. Lee Si-hyuk. Hmm? That’s familiar? Ah! Interpreter Lee Si-hyuk! I knew I had seen you somewhere.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You interpreted at the Guns competition. I watched that video and was like, wow.”

“Ah…….”

I didn’t know there were still people who remembered that video.

Why did I even think of taking on the interpretation for such a big competition?

What else? Because of the money.

“Actually, I like games, so I always watch that competition. I’m also interested in making promotional videos, so I watch those often.”

“I see.”

Hong Gwang-yeong lowers his voice.

“Ahem. Actually, I asked if the daycare center kids could perform on stage in the evening, but they turned me down.”

“Ah, that would be difficult. It’s hard for all the mothers to allow it. Of course, there may be some who allow it.”

“I see. But I was wondering if everyone had to come out.”

“Yes?”

“If you came out with your younger sibling, wouldn’t the child be less scared and do well?”

“???”

I’m stunned by what he said, as if I had been hit on the back of the head.

So you’re asking me to stand on stage with Si-ha at the festival?

“Dancing on stage is a bit much. How about Soo-hyun next to me? She’s a YouTuber. She’s famous. It’s called 슈 Channel [Shu Channel].”

“Pfft.”

Seo Soo-hyun chokes, startled by the sudden introduction.

Hong Gwang-yeong’s eyes light up.

“Oh! The chemistry with the host would be great. Okay, I’ll take that. How about you, Si-hyuk?”

“Ahem.”

Seriously. He doesn’t know how to give up.

I have to play with Si-ha, I don’t have time to spend on stage.

Of course, it’s not a long performance, so I can invest that much time.

“Clubs are competing to participate because they get participation fees. Of course, the amount isn’t that big.”

“How much is it?”

“If the two of you come out, it’s 50,000 won [approximately $40 USD]! Anything more than that is beyond my authority.”

“Oh oh.”

If I dance for 3 minutes and chat with the host for about 10 minutes.

5,000 won per minute, wouldn’t that exceed the minimum wage?

“Still, I can’t do it.”

“You’re completely firm. If you can’t, you can’t. But you’re still going to enjoy the festival, right?”

“Yes. Of course. I’ll be with Si-ha.”

“Oh! Then I’ll reserve a seat right in the front for you.”

“No. Not that far.”

“No. It’s hard to get out if you’re in the middle with a child. I’ll arrange for you to be at the end of the front row.”

“Then I’m grateful.”

But Hong Gwang-yeong’s eyes are really unsettling.

I refused, but why does he look so refreshed? What is it? Am I missing something?

“Soo-hyun. If you apply to the student council, I’ll let you pass. A YouTuber is better than someone who just sings.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

That’s how I finished my meal.

***

-Daycare center.

The children who finished the poster are now stretching to practice dancing.

This is also the teacher’s education to teach stretching!

It’s nice to be able to teach them various things under the pretext of the festival.

“Okay! Pair up one by one and stretch. Hana, do it with the teacher.”

“Okay!”

Seung-joon and Si-ha face each other back to back.

Their arms intertwined, and Seung-joon lifts Si-ha.

Si-ha’s belly bulges out.

“Fun!”

Si-ha looks at the ceiling.

The sensation of his feet floating and shaking up and down is like riding in a car.

“Eucha!”

Seung-joon wiggles his butt, making Si-ha shake up and down.

“Ah ah!”

“Hahaha! Si-ha. Now do it for me.”

“Si-ha. Do it!”

This time, he wiggles Seung-joon’s waist instead.

The children laugh, finding such stretching fun.

Hana is also burning with enthusiasm.

“Teacher. Hana will do it for you.”

“No. Hana’s back is in danger.”

“Hana is strong? I even won against my dad in arm wrestling.”

The teacher smiles gently.

Hana. Your dad let you win on purpose.

She couldn’t bring herself to say such a truth, so she purses her lips tightly.

Then Jong-soo says.

“He let you win on purpose!”

“No! He said Hana is so strong that he can’t win!”

“Tsk tsk. You believe that? Dads are strong, so they can lift rice. Can you lift rice?”

“No. I can’t.”

Hana becomes sullen.

When he brought up such an analogy, she thinks, ‘Did my dad really let me win on purpose?’

Seung-joon frowns at the sight.

“Hey. Jong-soo! You lose to me in arm wrestling too.”

“What?!”

It’s something Jong-soo can never let pass.

The war of nerves starts again.

The teacher knows that it’s better to let them compete than to stop them.

“Then, before we learn the dance, shall we all arm wrestle?”

Everyone agrees.

Hana also has a face that says she can’t lose.

Si-ha just thinks, ‘I want to stretch and float around.’

“Then Seung-joon and Jong-soo, shall we arm wrestle first?”

Seung-joon and Jong-soo nod.

The two children lie down and grab hands.

Still, they’re boys, and their hands are surprisingly strong.

“Then the teacher will let go of your hands and say ‘start,’ and you do it. Got it?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Then start!”

Seung-joon and Jong-soo’s faces turn red.

A close fight.

Hana holds her hands tightly and cheers for Seung-joon.

“Oppa. Win!”

“Ah ah. Seung-joon! Go!”

The teacher smiles bitterly.

Si-ha. Seung-joon is not a monster from a cartoon…

Anyway, the feeling of cheering is the same.

Jong-soo also receives cheers from the children.

“Jong-soo. Cheer up!”

“Oh! Fighting!”

“Cheer up.”

Even if it’s so close, one side will lean.

Victory goes to Seung-joon, who likes to exercise.

“Yes! I won!”

Jong-soo slams the ground with his hand as if he’s upset.

Jae-hwi approaches Jong-soo.

“Jong-soo. Are you okay?”

“If I had studied less and exercised!”

“You still did well!”

“To lose to Seung-joon!”

Jong-soo looks at Seung-joon with burning eyes.

And he turns his target to Si-ha and says.

“Lee Si-ha. Let’s arm wrestle.”

“Ah? Si-ha?”

“Yeah. You.”

“Si-ha. Lost. Bye bye.”

Lee Si-ha, who coolly says he lost.

Jong-soo slumps to the floor in vain.

“Si-ha ran away, but why do I feel like I lost?”

Some people go down this road, while others go down that road.

Just like people go their own way from the main gate.

Yoon-dong is the same.

“Teacher! Let’s practice dancing instead of arm wrestling!”

Yoon-dong is only interested in being able to dance at the daycare center.

He’s burning with enthusiasm for the first time in a while.

“Okay. Then shall we listen to the song and learn what kind of dance it is?”

The teacher plays the song.

The title of the song is ‘Full Moon.’