Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 163

-Game Development Club Room

After dropping Siha off at daycare, I sat down at my laptop.

I started the morning by tackling translation work to meet today’s quota.

After that, I’d grab lunch, and in the afternoon, I’d focus on other tasks.

Game scenario writing, specifically.

The narrative and the beginning were perfectly finished.

I’d been working on it in the game development club room up to this point.

The most time-consuming part was the lack of manpower.

‘Now, I just need to write comfortably and pass it on.’

The middle and later parts of the game might not even be created, but I’d still write the rest of the story.

I felt quite relaxed even while writing this story.

Perhaps it was thanks to the long development period that I had plenty of time in terms of the amount I needed to write.

Not only that, but I decided not to write the sub-stories (sub-quests) of the five branching characters.

This was solely for the completion of the main story centered around the protagonist.

If the company confirmed the game’s sale, another scenario writer might create the sub-stories of the protagonist’s friend characters.

‘It’s a common occurrence.’

The task of taking over and continuing to write a game scenario.

It usually happens in app games.

However, since there’s an initial setup, if you have the skills, you can make it more interesting.

‘Hmm. What would it feel like?’

The feeling of the protagonist’s friend’s story being developed by someone else.

It might feel like reading fanfiction.

Why aren’t *Three Kingdoms* fanfics written with Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, etc., as the main characters? [The *Three Kingdoms* is a famous historical Chinese novel.]

Perhaps it would feel something like that.

“Oh! You’ve completely become a member of our club.”

Ahn Gyeongho greeted me as he entered the club room.

“I am a member here. Since the second semester.”

“Hahaha. But you give off a somewhat detached feeling, should I say?”

“Why? Do I seem out of place?”

“There’s a bit of that feeling. We’ve become close, but it’s like, how should I put it? It feels like you shouldn’t be here?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m a contract worker?”

“Ahaha. Hey. You’ve contributed so much to the game.”

“The scenario doesn’t take up a big part of the game anyway.”

“Instead, the scenario is the only thing that can give a distinctive characteristic.”

“I admit that. It feels like a meaningful task.”

“The problem is that the treatment isn’t great yet. Just saying, but I don’t recommend making this a career.”

“Why? Is it that bad?”

“It’s just what I’ve heard. Usually, the planner is also in charge of the story. And Korea doesn’t make games as much anymore. Even if they do, it’s hard to find story-centered games these days.”

“Hmm.”

Come to think of it, that seems to be the case.

Even in app games, there’s the essential [auto-hunting feature].

The fun isn’t in watching the story but in growing and nurturing your character.

[Daily quests] often become something you do out of habit. [Daily quests are tasks that players complete each day to earn rewards.]

‘There’s nothing to think about.’

It’s easy to enjoy without having to think, like a strategy simulation.

Still, there are many people who enjoy strategy games.

‘The story is definitely becoming less prominent.’

This might be the trend of the game era.

Ahn Gyeongho saw my face deep in thought and patted my shoulder.

“Why are you worrying so seriously again? If you still want to do it, you can do it as a side job. You’re good at translation and interpretation, too.”

“That’s true.”

“If you’re affiliated with a game company, it’s not bad to go in that direction. These days, there are many projects developed in collaboration with overseas companies.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Yeah. They outsource development to foreign countries.”

The good thing about joining a club like this was this.

Accurate on-site information from a fellow member.

He must have researched a lot and met with current developers, as he was very knowledgeable.

Yet, he’s thinking of going to a foreign company.

Perhaps it’s a great challenge.

Because no one easily thinks of breaking through that barrier.

‘He feels like the global talent needed these days.’

That’s how the three in this club were.

Perhaps they were thinking realistically.

“But where are the others?”

“Ah! They’re attending lectures. I naturally have a free period. I don’t take liberal arts courses. Haha!”

“Oh, really? You must have diligently taken them in advance.”

“You’re the same.”

“Well, I only need to take major courses.”

In the fourth year, you can drop one more.

Around that time, there are almost no lectures to prepare for employment.

There are also benefits for those who exceed the course years.

The tuition fee varies depending on the credits you take.

If only 3 credits are given, the full tuition fee for that semester is reduced to one-sixth.

‘Maybe it’s a good system?’

It’s a system prepared for students who haven’t met the graduation requirements or want to postpone graduation.

It must be for employment.

In today’s world, having a long gap after graduation is a flaw.

Of course, not all companies are like that…

“The protagonist seems to be almost finished.”

“Oh! Awesome!”

“You need to write it quickly so we can develop it.”

“No. We can’t develop that part.”

“I’m just saying.”

“But aren’t the others going to write?”

“Well, maybe one or two? I’ll have them write something like a movie scenario. The next person will make it based on that. Or it might be buried. I’ll write this leisurely.”

“Okay. Write it at your own pace when you have time. Ah! But this is fun.”

“Huh?”

Ahn Gyeongho shook the pop-up book Siha made.

I chuckled at the sight.

“It’s well-made, right?”

“Yeah. The setting is unique, so I keep laughing. The dragonfly net goalpost is amazing, right? Kids’ imaginations are wow.”

I chatted with Ahn Gyeongho for a while and continued working.

The sound of the fan turning and the keyboard tapping filled the room.

A slightly warm friendship.

The sense of belonging that can only be felt in a club added to the joy of working.

***

-Daycare.

Seungjun also wanted to create a club.

Specifically, a soccer club.

According to his dad’s explanation, it was a heavenly club where you could teach soccer to close friends and kick the ball together.

Of course, it’s not as heavenly as Seungjun thinks.

“Siha! Let’s make a soccer club too!”

“Ah? Donghoe [club]?”

Siha pointed here and there with his finger.

“Hoe? Hoe?”

“No. Not hoe, hoe, but soccer club.”

“Moya [what]?”

“We make a team and play soccer. We also teach each other! How about it? Don’t you want to do it?”

“Ah?”

Siha pondered for a moment.

He had fun playing soccer with Seungjun before.

Hyung [older brother] looked cool playing soccer too.

Then, can he play soccer with Hyung?

His eyes sparkled.

“Ah, ah. Do! Hoehoe [club club] soccer! Hyung. Hyung.”

“Yeah! Siha hyung [older brother] will play soccer together too. Hahaha!”

Sihyuk unknowingly became a member of the soccer club.

Seungjun saw Hana.

“Hana, you do it too.”

“No! Soccer no fun.”

“Siha hyung [older brother] will do it too.”

“Then Hana will do something else! I’ll cheer!”

“Ah! We need someone to cheer too. Then do that.”

“Yeah!”

That’s how the three of them gathered and started plotting.

“Then let’s decide on a name.”

“Pepe!”

“No. That’s not it.”

Siha became sulky as he was immediately denied.

The name must include Pepe.

Pepe Soccer!

How wonderful a name.

But he was disappointed that Seungjun didn’t recognize it.

Seungjun subtly checked Siha’s mood.

“Ahem, ahem. Pepe is good, but let’s come up with a better name.”

He couldn’t yield soccer to Siha.

Hana sparkled her eyes and raised her hand.

“Hana that [do it]!”

“That?”

“Yeah! Idol Soccer Club!”

“Let’s think of something else.”

“Heeing. Why! This good?”

“No. That’s not it.”

The teacher watching from behind shook her head, thinking that name wasn’t it either.

Pepe Soccer was better.

No, was it not?

Seungjun suggested after much deliberation.

“Thunder Three.”

“Ah?”

“Thunder~Three~ Since there are three of us, Three~”

“Ah, ah! Three!”

Siha knows Three.

Because it came from Emperor Penguin Three.

It seemed strong to use Three.

But there was one word he didn’t know.

“Thunder?”

“Yeah. Rumble, rumble! Flash, flash! Lightning is Thunder.”

“Ah?”

Siha had never actually seen lightning, so he tilted his head.

Lightning briefly passed when the typhoon came, but unfortunately, Siha didn’t see it.

That’s when the teacher stepped in.

“Siha, are you curious about Thunder? Here. This is lightning.”

The teacher showed foreign examples on her phone.

Examples of tremendous lightning overseas.

Instead of falling from the sky to the ground, it frolics above the clouds.

It spreads out, branching out like roots.

It multiplies in an instant, like a tree branch growing.

Siha looked up in surprise.

Seungjun and Hana were also captivated by the amazing scene.

It was a scene that couldn’t be seen in Korea.

Bbamppabababam. Bbabababam.

At the same time, EDM sounds came out.

The repeating video and song aroused excitement rather than fear.

“Ah, ah!”

Siha wiggled his body as if he was excited.

Seungjun and Hana also forgot about the soccer club and shook their heads.

“How is it? Amazing, right? Tremendous.”

“Ah, ah! Thunder!”

“Wow! Cool!”

“Song good!”

The three of them moved their bodies.

Other children, curious, approached the teacher and watched the video.

That’s how the dance craze started.

“Okay. This is a children’s club. Exciting, right?”

The teacher also started to ride the rhythm.

She looked like she had experience playing in college.

She was about to melt into the excitement of the club after a long time, but she felt the director’s sharp gaze.

She was saying with her eyes.

‘What are you doing? Get a grip? A club?’

“Ahem. Anyway, lightning is what this is.”

She ended the video.

The hot EDM blood had been boiling for a long time, but it was slightly simmered.

It cooled down with a hiss, and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

The children looked at the teacher with questioning eyes, regardless of that.

“Ah? Sam [teacher]. Song.”

“Ah! Why turn it off! I just started dancing!”

“Maja [right]!”

The teacher changed the subject.

“Weren’t you making a soccer club now? You need to find 11 people for soccer. To do it properly, you need 22 people.”

Siha counted how many 22 people were with his hands.

Siha can now count to ten.

“Ten!”

“Yeah. You need to have ten more than that.”

“Ah? Ten more?”

“Yeah.”

Siha looked at his fingers.

He didn’t have enough fingers to count ten more.

After thinking about it, he took off his socks.

He wiggled his toes and counted ten more.

“Ah, ah! Sam [teacher]. Ten.”

Siha showed his fingers and toes at the same time.

“Yeah. That’s what you call twenty.”

“Sumul [twenty]?”

Siha learned a new number today.

From one to ten. And twenty was added.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know the middle numbers from eleven to nineteen.

Well, it’s only a matter of time before he knows that.

“Now, let’s put on socks.”

“Ah, ah.”

While the teacher was putting on his socks, Seungjun told the other kids to come to the Thunder Three soccer club.

But they all refused, as if they weren’t interested, and he became sulky.

Then Sihyuk arrived.

“Siha, let’s go early today.”

“Ah, ah! Hyung [older brother]!”

Siha ran to Sihyuk and hugged his legs.

He hung on and fell straight down.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Hyung [older brother]. Siha. Thunder haesseo [did thunder].”

“Huh?”

“Seungjun. Hana. Thunder haesseo [did thunder]. Thunder Three.”

“Oh! Really?”

Seungjun poked his head out and looked at Sihyuk.

“Siha hyung [older brother] is also in Thunder Three.”

“Huh? Me too?”

“Yeah. Thunder Three Soccer Club. Let’s go together.”

“Huh? Where, where are we going together?”

“Of course, here at the soccer field! It’s Saturday. Saturday. Let’s go when Dad goes to the soccer club.”

“Ah. Seungjun’s dad is going to the club?”

“Yeah. They play soccer with each other. So I made one too.”

“Yeah. You have to make one to play soccer together.”

Sihyuk was a little sad.

No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to play with the adults’ club.

“So Siha hyung [older brother], let’s go too.”

“Uh. That’s.”

Then Siha patted his stomach.

“Hyung [older brother]. Siha too.”

“Ah. Siha wants to go too?”

“Ah, ah. Hyung [older brother]. Soccer. Gachi [together].”

Seungjun said excitedly.

“Siha hyung [older brother]. Teach me soccer.”

“Hahaha. Okay. Then let’s go play ball together on the weekend. There’s a small futsal field next to the university soccer field. We can do it there.”

“Awesome!”

“Is Hana going to play ball too?”

“No. Hana cheer! But can’t go.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Hana decided to go to singing class.”

“Oh! Really? Then you have to sing well and come.”

“Yeah!”

In the end, the three boys decided to play ball.

Sihyuk thought it would be quite comfortable.

Not because Hana wasn’t coming, but because Seungjun’s dad would take Seungjun to and from home.

That’s how Sihyuk joined another club, no, a society.