Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 148

A butterfly flutters its wings.

Creating a small breeze, it taps against the window.

Though the window remains still, a microscopic view would reveal its vibrations.

It’s as if announcing its delicate flutter to the world.

Only the immediate surroundings of the butterfly can perceive the wind it creates.

The rumors at the daycare are similar.

A gentle breeze stirring within a small world.

“I heard Si-hyuk is doing the PowerPoint [PPT] for the upcoming poetry and art presentation?”

“Oh, really?”

The two women seated in the cafe were Jong-su and Jae-hui’s mothers.

They were gossiping about Si-hyuk, having heard the story through the grapevine.

“That’s what I heard. I heard all about it.”

“Wow. He’s doing it himself instead of leaving it to the teacher?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s quite dedicated of him.”

Si-hyuk was quite well-known among the mothers, though he was unaware.

This was because his situation was unique.

Raising a three-year-old at the age of 23 is not a common occurrence.

Moreover, it was only natural for mothers concerned about their children’s social circles to inquire about Si-ha and Si-hyuk.

Jong-su’s mom suddenly frowned.

“Wait a minute.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Jong-su’s mom?”

“Thinking about it, it’s a bit risky, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“Well, you know. Si-hyuk is a smart Kangin University student and must have made PPTs often. If he makes something amazing, our Jong-su will feel inferior.”

“Come on. He wouldn’t do that on purpose.”

“No, no. We need to be sure about this. Ugh. In that case, I should make Jong-su’s PPT.”

“Huh? You’ll do it, Jong-su’s mom?”

“Yes. I heard from my son that he made a bet with Si-ha.”

Jae-hui’s mom looked surprised, as if she hadn’t heard about it.

“Jae-hui didn’t say anything about that.”

“I heard Jae-hui was also in on the bet?”

“What?!”

Jae-hui’s mom’s face turned serious.

She had been treating it as someone else’s problem, but her eyes changed when her child was involved.

“Right. I knew it. Si-hyuk has a cunning side. He’s doing the PPT to help Si-ha win.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Si-hyuk has no interest in the competition.

He simply wanted to translate the inspiration he received from Si-ha into the PPT as faithfully as possible.

But there was no one to explain this for him.

Jong-su’s mom said.

“Anyway, I absolutely can’t stand seeing my child feel inferior.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t.”

“Jae-hui’s mom, aren’t you going to prepare a PPT?”

“Oh my. Jae-hui will do well on his own. Can’t you tell from his fashion sense that he takes after me?”

“Is that so?”

Jong-su’s mom narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Jae-hui’s mom.

Jae-hui’s mom’s expression didn’t change.

But inside, she felt a pang of guilt.

She was planning to pour her PPT skills, honed from her time at work, into Jae-hui’s presentation.

‘Lee Si-hyuk. Isn’t his experience limited to being a college student?’

She was going to show him what a field-tested, practical PPT was all about.

“Well, if Jae-hui’s mom says so.”

“Haha. Jong-su will do well too.”

“Thank you. You’re the only one, Jae-hui’s mom.”

Jong-su’s mom didn’t completely believe Jae-hui’s mom.

She knew that even if she appeared as leisurely as a swan, her feet were paddling furiously beneath the surface.

Perhaps Jae-hui’s PPT would be born with a sensational background.

An invisible competition was beginning.

***

-Seung-joon and Hana’s house.

Meanwhile, Seung-joon and Hana were grabbing their mom’s skirt and shaking it from both sides.

“Mom! Mom! Si-ha is making something amazing with Si-hyuk hyung [older brother]!”

“Mom! Mom! Hana too. Hana too.”

Seung-joon’s mom gave a wry smile, looking troubled.

She knew how to make PPTs, but she couldn’t make them too flashy on her own.

“Mom can’t do it well alone~ Then shall we all do it together?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

She sat down in front of the computer with the twins.

The screen turned on, and she opened the PPT.

First, she wrote the title in large letters and wrote Seung-joon’s name.

“Okay. Now we just need to attach the picture. Seung-joon, would you like to try first?”

“Yes.”

Seung-joon grabbed the mouse.

He clicked on the picture and put it right into the PPT.

“Wow! My picture is attached!”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes!”

Hana, who was next to him, started fussing that she wanted to do it too.

Seung-joon’s mom had no choice but to decorate the PPT with Hana as well.

And so, the three of them began their small but happy creation.

***

I loosened my hands in front of the laptop.

There was a cracking sound from my finger joints.

I glanced at Si-ha, who was drawing in the room.

“Hmm.”

I should work on the PPT now.

Since tomorrow was the presentation, it would be nice to decorate it properly.

But there was one problem.

How do I decorate it prettily?

The first page has the title and name.

The second page has a picture of Si-ha’s drawing.

The only way to decorate it further is to add animation.

“Should I include the words as well?”

There are words in the picture, but it might be better to add new words to make the poem more visible.

Let’s try it first and delete it if it’s not good.

Unlike a real sketchbook, the white canvas of a PPT can always be easily corrected and erased.

I first selected a font and wrote Si-ha’s poem.

I increased the size so that it didn’t cover Si-ha’s drawing.

I didn’t like that, so I added an animation so that the lines appeared and disappeared one by one.

It’s not a big task, but wouldn’t it stand out just by doing this much?

The line breaks are there to allow reflection on the previous meaning.

So, it might be better to just show one line at a time.

“Si-ha, are you busy?”

“Huh?”

When I called Si-ha, he peeked out from the doorway.

His face was half-hidden.

He was striking a pose that was the opposite of hiding behind the wall, and it was so funny.

“Is that how you’re secretly watching?”

“Ah ah.”

“I can already see everything?”

Si-ha hid his face against the wall.

Now I can really only see Si-ha’s body.

Does he really think I can’t see him?

Anyway, he’s really cute.

“Si-ha, I can see you.”

“Ara [I know].”

“Oh! You knew?”

“Ah ah. Ara.”

“But why did you only hide your face?”

“Hyung. Si-ha face. Find.”

“Huh? You want hyung to find Si-ha’s face?”

“Ah ah.”

In times like these, I should get Si-ha to talk a lot by asking the question ‘why?’ that he often asks these days.

Since there’s a presentation coming up.

“Why?”

“Hyung. Si-ha like.”

“Yeah. I like you. I like Si-ha.”

“Like this. Like this. Hide. Hyung. Find face.”

“Are you showing me only your body so that hyung can find your face?”

“Ah ah.”

He’s a genius?

Instead of secretly watching, he’s hiding his face so I can find him.

In the end, isn’t he manipulating other people according to his will?

Into the palm of his hand.

‘This is the study of emperors!’

I stared at Si-ha, who had revealed his face again.

Chubby cheeks, bright eyes, and even a poker face to manage his expressions.

If he had been born in the old days, he would have been destined to be a king.

What do chubby cheeks have to do with it?

Even in the old days, wouldn’t cuteness have worked?

“Is Si-ha destined to be a king?”

“Destined?”

How should I explain it? I just said it as it was.

“Ah…. I mean, is that the face of someone who will be king? Maybe Si-ha was born to be a king.”

“No.”

“Huh? No?”

“Ah ah.”

It seems like fortune teller Lee Si-hyuk was wrong.

He’s already a king, but he’s destined to be a king. Tsk!

“Why?”

“Si-ha. Si-ha. Hyung. Hyung.”

“I see. You’re destined to be hyung’s younger brother?”

“Ah ah.”

“Si-ha knew everything from the beginning?”

“Ah ah.”

“You’re lying!”

“No. Si-ha know.”

His expression was so serious that I wondered if it was real.

Yeah. Si-ha would know everything.

“Si-ha. One year old. Hyung. Know.”

“You remember when you were one year old? You knew I was your hyung as soon as you saw me?”

“Ah ah. Hyung. Let’s go. Eat.”

“Uh……”

This is really like a lie?

Does he really remember when he was one year old? Did I eat snacks in front of Si-ha when he was one year old?

I feel like I’m being properly manipulated by Si-ha.

The ‘why?’ attack didn’t work.

I should change the subject.

“Si-ha, come here. Hyung made a PPT.”

“Ah ah.”

I clicked on the slide show on the PPT, which only had two pages.

The bouncy title was embedded first, and the rest remained neatly still.

You have to focus on one thing.

If you move haphazardly, it’s distracting.

“Hyung. Letters.”

“Amazing, isn’t it? The letters move.”

“Ah ah.”

“This is called animation.”

“Ani?”

“You already know the abbreviation. Si-ha is amazing as expected.”

“Ah ah!”

“And if you press enter like this. Ta-da!”

Si-ha’s picture was revealed before the letters came out.

“Si-ha, you can say the poem here. Can you do well?”

“Ah ah.”

Practice is essential to do well in the presentation without getting nervous.

But I didn’t want to make a fuss about practicing that much.

I just wanted him to go and experience it once.

Even if he doesn’t do well, even if he stutters.

It’s definitely not because I want to see Si-ha’s cute stuttering.

‘You did well. Let’s do better next time through this experience.

Let’s practice so we don’t make mistakes.’

I want to say something like this.

That practice is only necessary next time.

‘Because these presentations are bound to be compared.’

It’s clear who’s better just by the presentation.

In the end, you’ll end up comparing yourself to others.

Teaching him how to wisely overcome that is also my role.

“Si-ha, when you say the poem, the poem will come out here.”

“Ah ah.”

I pressed enter.

The words that appear when Hana comes to mind and disappear.

Each phrase is a short word, but I can tell.

This is Si-ha talking to me.

Even if it’s nothing to other people, it’s not to me.

You don’t know how much meaning this poem gives me.

Even if it’s a short phrase, the impression I feel is infinitely deep.

“Si-ha, how is it? Do you like it?”

“Hyung. Si-ha too.”

“Huh?”

“Si-ha too. Ani. Know.”

“Si-ha knows how to do animation too? Haha.”

Si-ha is exaggerating a lot today.

I stroked Si-ha’s head as if everything he said was right.

I should make animation together again so that it doesn’t become an exaggeration.

I should have made this together, but my thoughts were short-sighted.

But we can do it from now on.

Buzz buzz.

Just in time, my phone rang.

“Si-ha, just a moment.”

I put Si-ha, who was sitting in front of me, aside and answered the phone.

Si-ha toddled into the room.

“Yes, Teacher Da-hee.”

「Yes, hello. Si-hyuk.」

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

「It’s just that things seem to have gotten a bit bigger…….」

“Yes? What do you mean?”

「I don’t know how they found out…. I think the kids who saw you and Si-ha yesterday spread the word…….」

“What did they spread?”

I wondered if there was a bad rumor.

Thinking about what happened with Si-ha yesterday, we didn’t talk about anything special.

I just thought Si-ha was cute.

I heard Teacher Yoo Da-hee’s troubled voice in my ear.

「That’s…. Um.」

“Please speak freely.”

「So, it’s a presentation competition. First of all, the name.」

“That’s right.”

「And all the kids at the daycare made bets. If they lose, they’ll be the subordinate of the winner for just one day.」

“Yes? Haha. That’s cute. They made such a bet?”

I wonder if Si-ha is really going to be king.

「Yes. Originally, I was going to make the PPT. But you said you would make it. The rumor spread to the mothers.」

“Ah…. Is it my fault?”

「No. That’s not it. Anyway! It’s easier for me, but the mothers are clamoring to make it themselves.」

I don’t know if the kids’ bet has turned into an adult fight.

I didn’t expect this…….

The teacher must have called to tell me that this is what happened.

Well, the mothers are all making the PPTs themselves.

I can’t help but notice.

“Yes. I understand.”

「Haha. Things have gotten bigger. It’s just a kind of play…….」

As a daycare teacher, it can be quite absurd.

“Well, the better, the better. Isn’t this fun too? Because we’re making PPTs with the kids.”

「That’s right! I’m glad. Anyway, I told Si-hyuk for fair play. It seems like everyone knows.」

“That’s right. Thank you. I should work hard too.”

「Yes. Fighting~ [Good luck!]」

“Yes. Thank you.”

This is really, I don’t know why they’re so eager.

I didn’t think much about it, but when I heard this, I felt a strange sense of competition.

But making the PPT more elaborate than that didn’t seem like a good idea.

Too much animation will only reduce concentration.

‘I should just make it with Si-ha.’

Since there are no better ideas, let’s just finish the PPT here.

“Hyung!”

“Huh? Ah! Si-ha, would you like to make an animation with hyung?”

“Huh? No. Si-ha. Did!”

“What? When?”

“This!”

Si-ha proudly showed me the tablet.

I looked at Si-ha with a surprised face.

When did he draw this?