Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 411

Hyung, aren’t I cute? 411

I don’t know what Siha is good at.

Maybe drawing? But I don’t think there’s a drawing game?

That’s what I was wondering. Siha grabbed my hand and led me to a bowling game.

It’s not like rolling an actual bowling ball, but you still roll a ball to knock down the bowling pins on the screen.

“Siha is good at bowling. I did it at daycare.”

He’s probably talking about that toy bowling set.

Well, toy bowling is kind of similar to the bowling in this arcade.

The only difference is that the pins you have to knock down are digital.

Uncle grinned.

“Uncle is good at bowling too, you know?”

“Really?”

“Of course. Semi-pro. Semi-pro.”

“Sherry Pro?”

“Who are you going to hit?! Ahem. Semi. Pro!”

“Sherry Pro?”

“Why is the pronunciation getting stronger? Are you doing it on purpose?”

“No.”

Anyway, we decided to go bowling.

Clang, clang, the money went in, and a ball came out from under the bowling lane.

Siha grabbed the ball.

“Siha, fighting.”

“Hwaiting!” [A Korean expression of encouragement, like “Go!”]

Siha rolls the ball.

The pins on the screen fall down. Strike!

“Oh! Siha. You did great! You knocked them all down!”

“It’s because Hyung gave me hwaiting!”

We high-fived.

Uncle is next to us, grabbing a ball and concentrating.

It’s just a game, but his posture and expression are almost professional.

But is there really a need to throw this ball with a bowling stance?

“Hoo-ah!”

Unlike Siha’s ball, it flies quickly with a whoosh.

If this were a real pin, the pins might fly away with force and get a strike.

But this is just a game.

Unfortunately, one pin remained.

“No, why!”

Well, the machine’s judgment is like that, so it’s funny to say anything.

Still, he finished off the last one.

“Siha, good job.”

“Yes!”

Siha carefully rolls the ball.

It goes right into the center; he seems to be rolling it really well.

Another strike. I should acknowledge that he’s good at bowling at this point.

Of course, the speed of the ball is very slow, though.

“If you go to a real bowling alley, that would definitely fall to the side.”

“Why? It can be a slow strike.”

“It’s because the length here is short. It’s not a real bowling ball either.”

In the end, Uncle lost.

Siha won this time.

It was truly a match without any handicaps.

“Siha, good job!”

“Hyung. I won! Uncle lost to Siha. He said Sherry Pro!”

“Semi-pro, Siha.”

Uncle says let’s do something else. He says he’s going to choose this time.

What kind of prank is he going to pull this time?

“Let’s play air hockey here. Hockey.”

There’s a racket that looks like it’s for making Hotteok [a Korean sweet pancake]. It also looks like a stamp.

“Good job stamp!”

“Yeah. It looks like that.”

You grab this and bounce the flat Hotteok-like ball to put it in the opponent’s goal.

I thought of it as Hotteok, but it really reminds me of Hotteok. I wonder if they sell Hotteok around here? I suddenly want to eat it.

“Isn’t Siha’s arm too short for this?”

“You can team up with Si Hyuk. Hahaha!”

“Well, okay.”

It seems like they’ve set up a good platform so that the kids can do well too.

“Siha. Let’s go up here.”

“Yes! Together with Hyung.”

“Okay.”

First, I let Siha try it once.

“Okay, hit it, Siha.”

“Eit!”

Thud! The ball slowly slides and comes to a stop in front of Uncle.

“Oh my! Really.”

Uncle stretches out his arm and hits it away.

Siha counters again with ‘Eit!’

That’s how the slow rally goes.

I thought Uncle had indulged him enough, so I hit it hard once.

Siha couldn’t react, but he automatically blocked it by placing the racket in the middle.

“Uncle! Fast!”

“Hahaha. This is how it’s supposed to be done. Hoo-ah!”

Bang! Clang.

Uncle scored 1 point.

Siha takes out a ball from below and puts it back on the field.

With the ambition to hit it hard this time, he hits the ball with all his might.

“Eh!”

The ‘Eit!’ merged into ‘Eh!’

It flew with all its might, but it wasn’t enough to score.

Uncle immediately countered.

Knowing that would happen, I put my hand over Siha’s hand and reacted immediately.

Short hit.

Bang! It happened so quickly that Uncle reacted late and missed it.

Clang.

Thus, 1 to 1.

“Hyung is amazing!”

“Yeah. Thanks. Siha, you were doing well too?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You were blocking Uncle’s attacks well. That alone is amazing.”

“!!!”

“Now, let’s attack together with Hyung.”

“Yes!”

Uncle grumbled in front.

He asked if they saw him as some kind of bad guy or demon.

“You are a demon, aren’t you?”

“Uncle is a demon?”

“These guys?”

Uncle attacked again.

Siha shouts a strange cheer, ‘Eh!’, and counters with me.

That’s how we had fun at the arcade.

Of course, the winner of the hockey game was Siha and me. It seems like Uncle let us win a bit.

***

Now it was time to buy some popcorn and drinks and go in.

Well, it probably won’t start right on time.

Anyway, it seemed like we could buy them leisurely and go in.

As I was waiting with Siha to buy popcorn, I felt someone poking me on the back.

I wondered what it was and turned around to see Seo Su-hyun.

“Oppa, hello?”

“Oh? Are you here to see it today too?”

“It was released, so of course, I have to come see it. Siha is in it.”

“But I didn’t know we’d be in the same time slot? Which theater are you in?”

“Theater 4.”

“Oh! Same as us?”

“Really? It’s a real coincidence. Amazing.”

“I know.”

I don’t know how there could be such a coincidence.

Siha turns around and shouts, “Frog Nuna!” It seems like Siha is happy to see her too.

“Frog Nuna. Did you come to see Siha?”

“Yes. I came to see Siha. When does Siha come out?”

“That’s a secret.”

“You don’t come out at the end, do you?”

“!!!”

Siha was writing the answer on his face while saying it was a secret.

Our Siha can’t lie! It all shows on his face.

He avoids looking to the side.

“Siha doesn’t know. I don’t know anything. Uncle. You don’t know, do you?”

“Huh? You come out at the end.”

“Uncle! Siha said it was a secret.”

“Oh? I didn’t hear that?”

Looking at that expression, he definitely heard it.

He’s thinking of teasing Siha even at this timing. He teases him every day as a contrarian.

“Uncle. Idiot!”

“If Uncle is an idiot, Siha is even more of an idiot.”

“Why?”

“Because Uncle is smarter than Siha.”

“No. Hyung is smarter!”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Siha language interpretation. Hyung is smarter than Uncle. Siha, who is like Hyung, is smart. Therefore, Siha is smarter than Uncle.

That’s the story.

“Now, if Siha says it’s a secret, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Okay. I’ll spread the rumor all over town. I’ll spread the rumor to the nearby bakery and the part-timer selling popcorn over there.”

“No!”

“I have to spread the rumor~”

“Waaah!”

It’s more fun to watch this than the movie.

Seo Su-hyun said.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“You have a huge dad smile on your face.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know.”

I touched my face.

It seems like the corners of my mouth were raised a lot.

It’s natural. Whatever.

“Where are your seats?”

“Me? Here.”

“Oh? Next to us?”

“Really? Wow. Amazing.”

Seo Su-hyun covered her mouth.

I tilted my head. Does this kind of coincidence usually happen?

Uncle is in front, making a face that says ‘Ooh~’ and makes me want to hit him.

Why is my fist suddenly clenched?

“Uncle. Don’t make weird connections.”

“What am I doing? I didn’t say anything.”

“Your expression made me want to hit you.”

“You’re supposed to say that in your head, but it came out of your mouth without you realizing it? Right?”

“No. It came out sincerely.”

“Does sincerity usually come out of your mouth?”

“Yes. Only for Uncle.”

“Then let me try once.”

“What are you going to do again?”

He points at us with two fingers.

“It. Would. Be. Nice. If. It. Worked. Out.”

“Should I change the password to the house?”

“It wouldn’t be nice if it worked out?”

“Excuse me? Uncle?”

Seo Su-hyun smiles and wiggles her eyebrows.

Uncle glances elsewhere and says to Siha, “Popcorn is caramel popcorn, after all!” and skillfully changes the subject.

I sighed. Geez.

“Sorry if it was uncomfortable.”

“It wasn’t uncomfortable at all.”

“Then I’m not sorry.”

“This oppa [Korean term for older brother or male friend], really.”

As we were talking, it was our turn to order. The line was quite long, but it came quickly than I thought.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll buy it for you.”

“It’s okay.”

“Don’t refuse.”

“Then, peach iced tea. I’m okay with popcorn.”

“Okay.”

I ordered and received the cup.

I tore open the straw and put it in.

Then we went into the theater together and sat down.

Seo Su-hyun, me, Lee Siha, and Uncle. All in a row.

Just in case, I took out a portable wet wipe from my bag.

“Su-hyun.”

“Yes?”

“Use it if you need it. Iced tea is sticky if it gets on your hands. It might get on you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Tell me if you use it. I also carry a trash bag here. It’s uncomfortable to hold it in your hand.”

“Why do you carry this around?”

“Just because. I thought it would be good for Siha’s education.”

“Ah, I see. But I feel bad talking to you while watching the movie.”

“I’ve seen it a lot, so it’s okay.”

“I guess so.”

“I can memorize it with my eyes closed. It doesn’t matter if I don’t watch it.”

“Then I can just look at your face instead of the movie.”

“Huh?”

Seo Su-hyun covers her face with a wet wipe and shakes her head.

“Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Uhm.”

I didn’t know how to react to that either.

It felt ticklish and I felt like I had to look to the side for no reason.

Just as our silence continued.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“If I see Siha, I’ll be happy!”

“Huh?”

It seems like Siha heard everything.

I don’t know what kind of emotion was in it.

Next to her, Seo Su-hyun was still covering her face with a wet wipe, saying, “How did Siha hear everything too…”

That’s not what I gave it to her for.

Anything will work if it’s used well.

“Yeah. You can see Siha.”

“Yes. Should Siha see Hyung too? Siha watched the movie.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Uncle muttered next to Siha.

“Am I the only one who came to see the movie?”

Other audiences also came to see the movie.

***

At the end of the movie, when Siha comes out, Seo Su-hyun wipes away tears.

It seems like she was immersed in it.

The ending credits roll and the lights in the theater turn on.

“Siha. That was great. You were cool.”

“Frog Nuna is cool too.”

“Huh? Yeah. Thank you.”

Seo Su-hyun glances at me and then lowers her head.

It seems like she’s remembering what she said earlier.

I feel like I can’t look at her because of the atmosphere.

“Shall we go out then?”

“Ah, yes.”

Next to her, Siha asked Uncle several times if he saw him.

“Uncle. Did you see Siha?”

“Yeah. I told you I saw you. You were well captured on CCTV.”

“What did Siha say?”

“What is this confirmation process? He said he wanted to see you. Okay?”

“And?”

“What else did he say?”

“You didn’t watch properly. Uncle, watch again.”

“No. How do you remember all those lines?”

“Siha didn’t say much.”

“Hmm. Do you miss Grandma?”

“No!”

It seems like he really doesn’t remember, not that he’s teasing.

What was it. It’s hard to remember all the lines exactly. Maybe he’ll only remember the line about missing Dad.

As we were about to leave, we heard whispering around us.

“Oh? Could it be?”

“Isn’t that him?”

“I think that’s right? Should we ask?”

“I think that’s the kid from the movie earlier?”

“His face is exactly the same?”

Oh no. Honestly, I didn’t even think about this. When was that filmed? Our Siha has grown up a bit. He’s gotten bigger.

I thought he wouldn’t be recognized if he grew up this much? Siha is five years old now.

“Oppa. What should we do?”

“I don’t know. Should we leave quickly? But Siha has grown up a lot, so shouldn’t we just say he’s someone else?”

“What are you talking about? He’s the same.”

“He’s grown up?”

“He’s grown up a little.”

“He’s grown up a lot. He’s grown about two cheeks more? He’s had a growth spurt.”

“Oppa. I don’t think that’s right. It’s always been like that, and you keep saying Siha’s eyes are wide even though he doesn’t open them wide…. You’re exaggerating too much.”

No! Other people’s eyes may look small because their growth is slow, but in my eyes, it’s a growth spurt!

Anyway, I didn’t lie!

Don’t you know the theory of relativity? Everything is relative.

“Excuse me…. Are you Siha from ‘Worker Ant’?”

Come to think of it, they used Siha’s name as it is in the movie. Geez.

I was careless.

I should have thought that there would be people who would recognize him like this.

Who would have known? That this movie would win the Palme d’Or [a prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival].

What should I do? Should I say no?

“Yes! It’s Siha! This is Hyung!”

Siha introduced himself and me very brightly.