Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 462

Hey, hyung, aren’t I cute? Hey, hyung, aren’t I cute? Extra-37 (462/500)

Extra 37: Taekwondo Test (2)

These days, it’s not always easy for families to make it to Taekwondo tests.

With many households having two working parents, some people question whether attending every single test is really necessary.

After all, there seem to be Taekwondo tests all the time.

Despite that, a good number of people showed up for this first test.

They were curious to see how their child was doing and behaving at the Taekwondo gym.

I also practice Taekwondo with Siha at home every day, so I was interested to see how he would be in a formal gym setting.

Of course, being with family is different from being with friends.

“Hyung, you’re definitely coming today, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He makes sure to ask me this on the way to school.

Did he think I might not come?

“Who are you bringing?”

So, he wasn’t worried about me not coming, but rather who I’d bring along?

Oh? I was only planning on going with Uncle.

“Is Hyunie noona [older sister/female friend] coming?”

“Suhyun?”

“Yeah.”

Siha asks with a bright expression.

Has Suhyun become part of our family now? Is that why he’s asking? I didn’t actually invite her.

But Siha seems to think differently.

“Baekdong hyung and Uncle Moon-do and also, also…”

“Siha, that’s too many people.”

“Why?”

It sounds like he wants the whole extended family to show up. Seriously, what’s with bringing so many people? How important is this Taekwondo test?

“I had to tell the head instructor in advance. I already told them only Uncle and hyung are going.”

“Even if you tell them now, it’s still in advance, right?”

“The day of isn’t in advance. You have to tell them at least 3 days before.”

“3 days before. Then I guess it can’t be helped.”

I’m not sure if he understood because the number 3 was involved, or if he understood the concept of ‘in advance’.

What exactly did he nod at?

I had no idea.

I used to understand him perfectly, but as Siha grew up and interacted with other people, there were times when I couldn’t quite figure out what he was thinking.

But I know one thing for sure: Siha likes hyung.

“Then have a good day at school today.”

“Yeah!”

We’re already at the school gate. Siha waves to me and heads off.

He glances back and waves again.

He takes a few more steps and waves again.

Seriously. When is he actually going to go into school?

The greeting finally ended when he disappeared from sight.

Just because we’re in front of the school gate doesn’t mean we part ways quickly.

Well, I’m used to this kind of scene by now.

‘I should go home and get some work done.’

Since there’s a Taekwondo test today, it would be better to have lunch with Uncle at home and then head out, rather than working at the cafe.

“Uncle.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you exercising?”

Uncle was doing pull-ups on the bar installed in the doorway, making loud huffing noises.

He only ever exercises like that when Siha isn’t around.

When Siha is around, he scratches his belly and lies on the sofa.

Or maybe he’s lying down because he’s exhausted from exercising like this?

Uncle came down from the pull-up bar and asked.

“Yeah. But are you going to work here?”

“Yes. I have to work. Let’s have lunch together later and go see him.”

“I don’t know why everyone is making such a fuss about a Taekwondo test. I know he has a lot of belts, but do we have to go see him every time?”

“They usually only watch when they get the yellow belt. After that, the parents get tired of going.”

“Right? I thought so. It’s not like he only has one belt, and it’s not even for a black belt, so why bother?”

That’s true.

But I can understand why some people want to go. Because there are people who want to see him.

I want to see him at least once.

“There’s so much to prepare when there’s something like this.”

Uncle grumbled.

“What are you preparing, Uncle?”

“What do you mean? I have to prepare the camera, check the lighting, and oh?!”

He was just complaining about why we had to go, but doesn’t he actually enjoy this kind of thing?

How is it that he’s preparing more than I am?

“You can just take pictures with your phone. Why do you need a camera?”

“It’s different. The quality is different.”

“Phones are good these days too.”

“Tsk, tsk. You don’t understand the feels. The feels. This is all going to be memories.”

“Yes, yes. I understand. Then should I pack a lunch too?”

“Why would you pack that? It’s more delicious to buy food outside.”

“Uncle. Tomorrow morning, it’s instant rice and seaweed for you. Taste the flavor of a big corporation [sarcastic way of saying he’ll get cheap food].”

He always has one more thing to say.

“Ah! Why! Sihyuk! I think your food is better than my mother’s savory cooking! I misspoke!”

“Didn’t you say that Mom was terrible at cooking back then?”

“Ah~ It’s time for me to go to the gym~”

“Lee Hwa-sang?”

Uncle ran away, ignoring me.

I chuckled.

Still, Uncle was the one who ate my food the best.

***

Taekwondo gym.

Today was the test day, so the atmosphere was a bit more solemn.

The children were lined up and sitting with their hands on their knees, looking very proper.

The parents blinked, amazed by their children’s different appearance than usual.

The children, who were always just playing around at home, were now behaving so maturely, which was amazing.

They must be thinking that it was a good decision to send them to Taekwondo since they adapted well to the gym.

“Siha, Sihyuk hyung is here.”

Seungjun said to Siha in a small voice.

Siha turned his head back, and Sihyuk waved to him.

Siha also waved slightly before straightening his posture.

The head instructor was watching.

He put his fists on his knees and focused his eyes.

He wanted to show hyung a cool appearance today.

The head instructor opened his mouth.

“Okay. We will now begin the test. Don’t be too nervous and do your best with what you’ve learned so far.”

“Yes!”

The first thing they started with was surprisingly a simple flexibility test.

They showed how flexible their bodies were with stretching, which was also included in the test.

The kids who were always messing around had already shown it at home, but the other kids also showed off their flexibility.

They could still do it because they were young.

Siha also stretched his legs hard.

“Eit!”

He brought his legs together and bent forward.

His hands touched his feet.

Uncle was taking pictures of that scene with his camera.

“Oooooh. Siha is doing well.”

“Uncle. Please be quiet. It’s all going to go into the audio camera.”

“You can take out the sound from that part, so it’s okay. And it’s not bad to have this kind of thing in there. It’s all memories. Memories.”

“Memories or whatever, please be quiet.”

Sihyuk shook his head, looking at his uncle, who was making a fuss.

He doesn’t act like that.

Of course, he thinks Siha is the most flexible, the most mature, and the best here.

Sihyuk just gives Siha a thumbs up.

“Next, we will do Taegeuk 1 [a basic Taekwondo form]. Everyone, get ready!”

“Ready!”

“Taegeuk 1, start!”

The poomsae [form] is not judged one by one, but performed by several people.

It was a test where you could easily see who was doing well even if you looked at several people.

And the head instructor, who had already seen them practice and correct their mistakes, knew what their skills were.

It was actually a composition made to give the children the experience of taking a test and for the parents to see.

But that doesn’t mean they were just looking at it casually.

Siha worked hard with his short arms and legs and put in a shout at the end.

“Eoi!”

With strength at the end!

Siha had a proud expression on his face that he had done everything.

Clap clap clap.

Applause followed, and the children straightened their postures.

The head instructor wrote something with a pen as if he were scoring on a piece of paper.

“Then, finally, there will be breaking. Seungjun, come forward.”

“Yes!”

“What will you break with?”

“Front kick!”

“Okay.”

The head instructor held up the board.

Seungjun chose a kick as expected.

The soccer player can’t use his hands. Only the goalkeeper can touch the ball with his hands.

“Eoi!”

Seungjun broke the board with a great kick.

“Goal in!”

“???”

Why is he shouting ‘Goal in’ at the end?

Seungjun’s mom covered her face with her hands at that sight. A little embarrassment rose up.

“Next is Hana!”

“Yes!”

“What are you going to do it with?”

“Fist.”

“Okay.”

Hana finished normally, unlike Seungjun.

Seungjun’s mom stroked her chest.

“Next is Yeonju!”

That’s how Yeonju, Jongsu, Jaehwi, Eunwoo, and Yundong took turns breaking.

The last one to come out was Siha.

“Finally, Siha!”

“Yes!”

“What are you going to break with?”

“Can I use a gun?”

Ha ha ha.

All the parents laughed at Siha’s absurd words.

The head instructor gave an awkward smile as if he was in trouble.

“Wouldn’t I be broken if it was a gun?”

“Then I won’t do it. The head instructor is in danger.”

“Then. Then. Please use something that uses your body.”

“Then I’ll do a kick too.”

“Okay. A kick is good, right? Let’s do the front kick we learned.”

“Yes!”

The head instructor held up the board.

“Should I hold it higher?”

“Yes!”

“Can you reach this?”

“I can do it.”

“Okay. Is that so?”

No matter how the head instructor looked at it, it was at a height that Siha’s feet wouldn’t reach.

It looked like he would barely reach it, but I wouldn’t say he would break it?

Siha wanted to show hyung a cool appearance, so he raised it higher.

“Eoi!”

Whoosh.

The foot went up high and came down.

In the end, it didn’t reach.

Sihyuk muttered as he watched that scene.

“Ah, that’s too bad. It touched, but it didn’t break. It would have broken if he was a little taller.”

Uncle looked at Sihyuk as if he was dumbfounded.

“What touched? It didn’t touch at all. Are we watching the same thing?”

“Uncle, you should just shout that it was really close next to me.”

“I told you to be quiet earlier.”

“You’re supposed to cheer when things don’t go well. Siha, fighting! [common Korean phrase for encouragement]”

“Oh my. But Sihyuk. It didn’t touch.”

“It touched.”

Sihyuk said that shamelessly.

Uncle shook his head as if it was starting again.

“Hyung, look at me.”

Siha regained his composure.

The head instructor was regretting that he should have lowered the board a little.

“Head instructor, why are you lowering it?”

“No. You didn’t reach it, did you?”

“No, I can do it.”

“Um. Okay.”

The head instructor made the board the same position as before.

“Eoi!”

Siha shouted and jumped and kicked.

Crack.

The board broke.

The head instructor opened his eyes blankly.

I didn’t teach him to break it by jumping like that?

“Eoi!”

Leaving that head instructor behind, Siha looked at hyung and took his stance again.

Sihyuk clapped and said.

“He would have broken it even if he had done it with two boards.”

The head instructor thought.

That’s not true!

***

After all the tests were over, the head instructor called out the successful candidates.

He handed out yellow belts to each person.

Siha also received one, and like the other children, he untied his white belt and immediately tied the yellow belt.

Seeing Siha tying the belt by himself like that, I feel that he has grown a lot.

You might say that you feel growth from just that, but that’s because everyone has different feelings.

Anyway, our Siha has become as strong as a yellow belt.

“Hyung, how is it?”

“You’re so cool. You were so cool when you were breaking too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

I whispered to Siha.

“Siha was the best of the kids here, right?”

“!!!”

If the other kids heard that, they would have protested, saying, ‘What?!’

So would the other mothers.

So I told him secretly.

But Siha seemed to like it.

“Hyung, you’re the coolest of the people here.”

“Pfft.”

It tickled me to death when he whispered in my ear.

Ah, I don’t think it would tickle when I do it, but why does it tickle so much when I receive it?

“What are you two talking about again?”

Uncle comes over, grumbling.

“Let me know too.”

Siha hands Uncle the white belt, looking at him.

“I’ll give this to you, Uncle.”

“White belt? Eh. I don’t need this. I’m not skilled enough to get a white belt.”

Siha looked at Uncle as if he was surprised.

“Uncle, then are you below a white belt? A transparent belt?”

“I’m not saying below, I’m saying much higher. Why do you think I’m below a white belt?!”

“Then are you a yellow belt? Should I give you the one I tied?”

“Why are you only raising it by one level? Of course, Uncle is a black belt.”

“Uncle, do you have a Taekwondo certificate?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Eh. Why are you a black belt if you don’t have one.”

Siha hit Uncle with the facts.

But Uncle doesn’t give in here.

“I’m stronger than a black belt.”

“Then can Uncle knock down a tree with a kick?”

“Haha. Uncle has even kicked a bomb.”

“Liar!”

When I saw it, it looked like he kicked it when someone dropped a grenade. Could it be real??

Anyway, Siha safely got his yellow belt.

Siha took the test, but strangely, I’m tired. Why?

“Hyung. Let’s watch the video that Uncle took together.”

“Huh?”

“Uncle too!”

“Huh?”

Rewatching the video that was taken.

The test is not over yet.

We’ll just watch it once, right? Right?