Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 184

Hyung, am I cute? 184

Festival!

Some celebrate their freedom after finishing midterm exams, while others are buried in the library, racking their brains.

But with most exams over, the school is buzzing with energy.

The lively activity at each booth is infectious.

There might not be many customers in the morning, but preparing with friends is still enjoyable.

Everyone is pitching in to build a sandcastle for the festival.

It’ll crumble in three days, but we’re still putting our best effort into it for that short time.

Maybe it’s meaningful precisely because it has an end.

If every day were a festival, we wouldn’t call it a festival; it would just be everyday life.

“Siha, everyone’s busy preparing for the festival, right?”

“Ah, Siha too. Siha too.”

“Yeah. Siha is preparing for the dance today, right? You’re dancing tomorrow.”

“Hyung coming?”

“Of course, I have to go. Hyung will be watching closely to see how well Siha dances.”

“Siha. Like this. Like this, do.”

Siha made a circle with both hands.

His small hands were so adorable and cute.

I’m finally going to see Siha’s dance, which he’s been keeping secret from me.

I have to see with my own eyes just how good he is.

The head teacher said she’d film it, so I can watch comfortably.

“Hyung will promote it a lot. That’s why I prepared more Siha posters. Can you see the rolled-up ones in the back?”

“Ah!”

I scanned Siha’s poster drawing and printed two more copies.

If it’s okay, I was planning to put them up in other booths to help promote the daycare’s performance.

“Then Siha, practice well at daycare today. Let’s play with Hyung in the afternoon when you’re done.”

“Ah!”

Most people are busy with preparations in the morning.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the festival truly kicks off in the afternoon.

Of course, someone needs to guard the booth since the items are already there.

That’s why it’s important to have many people participating.

‘From the second day on, it’ll be quite crowded, even in the morning.’

We arrived at the parking lot and got out of the car.

I dropped Siha off at daycare.

“Siha, fighting today too!” (Fighting is a Korean expression of encouragement, like “You can do it!”)

“Ah! Pighting! Hyung. Pighting! Sell picture. Pighting!”

Siha, the poster in Hyung’s hand isn’t exactly for selling….

I guess you could say I’m selling it in a way?

I thought about that as I watched Siha go inside.

I went straight to the Korean Language and Literature Department’s booth, where I saw Seo Su-hyeon leading the charge.

“Quickly, quickly, put the skewers in the Sotteok-sotteok [sausage and rice cake skewers]. We need to sell them in the afternoon.”

“Who planned this with beef! It’s so inconvenient!”

“That’s what you get for not coming to help yesterday.”

I was taken aback by the argument and quietly sat down.

I didn’t come to skewer the skewers yesterday either.

Seo Su-hyeon looked at me with fierce eyes.

“Hi.”

“Oppa [older brother, used by younger women to address older men]! Why didn’t you come yesterday! I asked you to skewer just five, no more!”

“I was busy. It was exam period.”

“Exaaams?! Exaaaams?! I know you don’t have many lectures to attend, Oppa?”

“I work. You’re really like an American bullfrog today. Is it because of the beef?”

“This Oppa, really!”

I chuckled and took out one of the posters I had in my arms.

Seo Su-hyeon looked at me with questioning eyes.

“This is a promotional poster; can I put it up in a visible place here?”

“Oppa. Did you make a promotional poster for our department?”

“Huh? Well, wouldn’t it be promoting it too?”

“What? This Oppa is suspicious. Let me see the poster.”

Seo Su-hyeon took the poster and unfolded it.

There were seven children dancing.

Hmm. It’s quite embarrassing. Why?

“Isn’t this Siha’s drawing? The dance they’re doing at daycare tomorrow.”

“Ah. Right.”

“This Oppa, really?! You’re trying to promote it at our department’s booth?”

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat.

It’s not like I coughed because I was embarrassed.

I expected this kind of reaction.

“Listen carefully. Right now, our department’s booth is trying to sell Sotteok-sotteok and drinks. But in the end, the main draw will inevitably be Sotteok-sotteok.”

“What is this Oppa trying to say again….”

“But if I were to point out a disadvantage, wouldn’t it be that there’s ‘only’ that?”

“Only? This will be very popular.”

“But it’s beef. There may be people who just want sausage.”

“Everyone likes beef.”

“Pork might like it. Anyway, that’s not the problem.”

“Then what is it?”

I held up the Sotteok-sotteok drawing that I was going to put on the Korean Language and Literature Department’s booth.

A picture cut out along the lines.

This was going to be attached to the pillar of the Korean Language and Literature Department’s booth.

“We need something to talk about. A store’s success isn’t just about the taste. Atmosphere, smell, buzz. To capture all of this, we need this poster!”

“The first part is tempting, but the last part is weird?”

You’re croaking today, Seo Su-hyeon.

She doesn’t know that Siha’s drawing is omnipotent. Tsk tsk.

“Look closely at the hands of Siha’s poster here. They’re shaking their fists, right? Of course, people think that when they shake them.”

“Why is that?”

“But what if you put this picture here?”

I attached the Sotteok-sotteok picture to the children’s hands.

A magic that quickly turns into a picture of children holding Sotteok-sotteok and dancing excitedly.

“How is it? Wouldn’t people come to eat because it’s cute? It also promotes it and creates a cozy atmosphere.”

“Uh…. Um.”

“You’re going to put the fresh fruit juice picture there too, right? How much will the booth atmosphere change? Hehe. The kids love it too?”

Other students nodded, thinking my words were a pretty good idea.

Seo Su-hyeon seems to think it’s okay too, looking at the Sotteok-sotteok picture in the children’s hands.

“Then I’ll put it on that booth pillar? It’ll be very visible as you come in. It’ll be a complete photo op too.”

“That’s true.”

“Photo zones are also promoted. Right on SNS [Social Networking Services]!”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

I smiled and tore off the Scotch tape and stuck it firmly on the pillar.

So people can see it well.

I brought glue and put the Sotteok-sotteok picture on top of the poster.

The children are excitedly holding Sotteok-sotteok.

This is perfect.

“I even printed out this poster thinking about our department. How is it? Isn’t this much better than making 5 yesterday?”

“I admit that. It sounds good when I listen to it.”

As expected, you would recognize Siha’s drawing, Seo Su-hyeon.

Siha. I worked hard to promote the daycare today.

There won’t be a shortage of people.

‘Well, I don’t know if many people will actually come to see it.’

Still, I think it would be a success if only 0.1% of the people who saw this came.

Seo Su-hyeon cleared her throat and took the lead again.

Then she tilted her head and approached me.

“Oppa. But are you going to put the one poster that’s left here too?”

“Ah, no?”

“Then?”

“I brought one as a spare, just in case.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

That’s a lie. I have to go to the game development club’s booth and put that one up.

There’s no need to persuade them.

Hehehe. That’s why I had the fashion design students who run Parang Mall sell Waipads together.

The behind-the-scenes work is already complete.

“Something’s suspicious?”

“What’s suspicious? People are already trying to buy it. We’ll need to make more skewers in the afternoon? I’ll help a little.”

“I’d appreciate that. Can you slice some of the cooked beef over there? You can just grill it lightly later.”

“Okay.”

My last bit of conscience makes me slice the meat.

I have to help with this to feel less sorry.

Su-hyeon, I’m sorry. I’m planning to put one more promotional poster in another place.

I went to the cutting board and quickly sliced the beef.

***

-Daycare.

Today is the first rehearsal for tomorrow.

The teacher clenched her fist and showed her enthusiasm.

We’ll practice like this in the morning and go enjoy the festival with the kids in the afternoon.

Of course, Siha moves with Si-hyeok.

“Everyone knows we’re practicing today, right?”

“Yes!”

Hana looked at the teacher with sparkling eyes.

“Teacher! Let’s rehearse quickly. Hana wants to rehearse!”

“Me too!”

“Ah!”

The children showed a willingness to do it themselves without the teacher having to ask them to practice.

It’s amazing.

If someone who didn’t know saw it, they might say they were forced to do it, but that wasn’t the case.

The children practiced and matched their steps on their own.

They worked really hard.

Of course, they lost focus and did other things and joked around, but they generally followed along well.

The appearance of such children felt a little different.

‘How can they practice like this?’

Do they think it’s a game to do together?

Or was there something they wanted to achieve together?

It may have been driven by the children’s pure desires.

“Before that, I have something to show you. It’s the clothes you’ll wear when you dance! They finally arrived! I was so nervous because the delivery was suddenly delayed by the company.”

“Wow! Pretty!”

The clothes that the teacher unfolded were black sweatshirts.

The plan was to wrap glow-in-the-dark tape around the right arm.

It was to add a visual element when it gets dark on the stage.

“How is it? Is it good?”

Jae-hui ran up with sparkling eyes and checked the clothes.

He said, ‘It’s okay,’ but the teacher was sweating on her back.

If it wasn’t good, the clothes might have been returned.

“I made the pants easy to move around in too. You can use them as pajamas at home when you’re done later.”

The children listened to the teacher’s words attentively.

Some children were already taking out their clothes and trying them on.

“Does everyone want to try it on?”

That’s how the children changed their clothes.

The teacher wrapped glow-in-the-dark tape around the arms of the children.

She closed the curtains and turned off the lights.

It’s not that bright yet because it’s still daytime, but it still shines.

Seung-jun said.

“Wow! It shines! Transformation!”

“Ah. Siha too! Red!”

“Hana is pink!”

The teacher chuckled.

Siha, isn’t red the color red? That’s fluorescent.

But somehow, I knew it would turn out like this.

“Okay. Shall we practice wearing this now? Just once when we haven’t sweated yet.”

“Yes!”

Seven moons move and dance hard.

Today’s practice is for tomorrow.

***

I could only go find Siha after putting up the poster at the game development club.

When I entered the daycare, I saw Siha in front of the shoe rack.

He waves his penguin bag and greets me.

“Hyung!”

He runs over without wearing shoes and spreads his arms.

I hugged him tightly and lifted him up.

Is there a 3-second rule for socks? It wouldn’t have turned black, would it?

I had such absurd thoughts.

“Siha, did you practice well?”

“Ah. Practice. Siha. Wait. Did.”

“Did you wait a long time for Hyung? When were you here?”

Siha put his hands together and said in my ear.

“Whoosh.”

“Pfft. No, why do you always put air in before you speak?”

“Hyung! Siha word!”

“Okay. Tell me well.”

“Whoosh.”

“Cough.”

“Siha. Three hour. Three hour. Wait. Did.”

A small breeze comes in, circling around the auricle once.

It tickles, but I keep laughing.

I don’t know why I have to talk so secretly.

“Did you wait three hours?”

“Ah.”

“Here?”

“Ah.”

“Aren’t you lying?”

“No. Siha. Line up. Jelly. Jelly. Line up.”

Siha pointed to the floor with his finger.

There was a jelly toy there.

I think he meant that he waited for me in line instead of Siha.

I feel like I’ve become Si-hyeok’s restaurant.

I grabbed Siha’s nose lightly.

“When did you become so good at talking? You’re very eloquent. Haha.”

Uh? It’s a scene I’ve seen a lot, but?

Well, it must be déjà vu.

Then the teacher said.

“Um. Is that a different meaning from the eloquence I know? I still don’t seem to understand a lot…. Is it a misunderstanding?”

“Teacher, you still have a lot to learn. Language originally communicates through the heart.”

“I don’t think so…….”

The teacher still has a long way to go.

“Then I’ll take Siha with me. There’s a place I definitely want to stop by.”

“Yes. Go ahead. I’m thinking of taking the kids too.”

Then Hana and Seung-jun ran over.

“Ah! I still want to play with Siha!”

“Hana too! Hana wants to play with Si-hyeok oppa too!”

“Ah! Siha too! All together!”

“Hahaha.”

I scratched my head.

The teacher said.

“Then shall we all walk around together and then part ways? I’ll take care of Seung-jun and Hana.”

“Ah, shall we?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

After all, festivals are more fun when you enjoy them together.

“Ah. That’s right. Siha, there’s a place I want to show you first. You’ll love it too.”

“Ah?”

Looking at Siha, who was tilting his head, I was filled with anticipation.

Because I’m sure Siha will really like it.