Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 187

-The second day of the university festival.

If yesterday was just a taste to get everyone excited, today is the festival’s main event.

The campus was even more packed and buzzing with energy.

People were comparing notes on yesterday’s sales and bracing themselves for an even busier day.
The daycare center kids’ performance was also a hot topic.

“Hey, what events are happening today?”

“Didn’t we check out almost everything yesterday?”

“I think the sculpture department has a gallery opening. Should we go see that?”

“Just a bunch of statues? Nah. Anything actually fun?”

“Maybe the schedule has something interesting?”

Just then, Park Kyung-joon showed up, his arms slung around a couple of students’ shoulders.

“Hey, why didn’t you guys come to the club plaza yesterday?”

“Ah, it was too crowded, so we skipped it. Plus, we had class.”

“Tsk, that’s why you’re always behind on the news. There’s a really cool event today. You didn’t happen to see this poster, did you?”

Park Kyung-joon held up a photo he’d taken of a poster on one of the booth pillars.

It was Siha’s poster.

The two students exchanged puzzled glances.

“You guys need to get more involved in school events. Get on social media once in a while.”

“I don’t think we need to take advice from someone who’s always locked in his room coding……”

“The daycare kids are doing a dance performance today! It’s the perfect way to recover after all that studying.”

“Wow, that sounds cute.”

“They came to our club booth yesterday and had a blast playing games. Just watching them was therapeutic.”

“Wow, that sounds fun! Is it just one song, though?”

“Yeah, they said it’s in the small auditorium. We should grab seats before it fills up.”

“Hahaha, the timing’s perfect. I might go check it out. It’s not a long performance, either.”

“Right.”

Park Kyung-joon kept talking about it even after they arrived at the department.

He wasn’t really trying to promote it, just chatting casually.

A butterfly flaps its wings [a reference to the butterfly effect, where a small action can have large consequences].

The thing is, the flapping wasn’t confined to just their group.

People passing by the Korean language department booth, students bustling around the game development club, and others who had checked the schedule on social media all took notice.

The two posters played a big part, reminding people about the upcoming performance.

Sihyuk was unknowingly heading into a storm.

***

-30 minutes before the performance.

The small auditorium was already half-full, even before the show started.

I gaped slightly as I took it in.

‘Why are there so many people here? Don’t they have anything better to do? Did they really come to see the kids dance?’

I was just hoping to fill the first four rows when I promoted it, but I never expected this many people.

Judging by the steady stream of people coming in, the auditorium was going to be packed.

So many people coming to see just one song.

Actually, maybe that’s why.

It’s easy to watch a short performance and then go grab a bite.

After eating, the main performances will start on the school stage.

‘Did I just luck out with the timing?’

I scratched my head.

I was worried about the kids getting nervous.

I glanced at Siha and the others backstage.

They were chattering excitedly, promising to dance their hearts out.

Then Seung-joon peeked out from behind the curtain and quickly ducked back in.

“Wow! Awesome! There are so many people!”

“Really?!”

The kids all crowded to peek through the gap in the curtain.

Some of the audience members heard them and chuckled.

It would have been cute even from the outside.

“Kids, you can’t show yourselves like that beforehand.”

“Ah! Right!”

“Ahhh! Shhh!”

Siha, that’s supposed to be a quiet shush.

But whether Siha’s shush worked or not, the murmuring stopped.

Did that actually work? Students, are you being too obedient?

Now that they’ve seen everything, the kids retreated and went back to their seats.

“Siha, are you okay with so many people here? Aren’t you nervous?”

“Hyung, ith okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.”

“Keuh.”

It’s okay because hyung is here!

I knew I wanted to be by your side today!

Hyung will hold the camera up front and take great pictures.

I even scouted out the perfect spot for it.

I’m thinking of becoming Siha’s personal cameraperson. Would that be okay?

“Everyone, don’t be nervous and just do your best. Even if you make mistakes, the hyungs [older brothers/male seniors] and noonas [older sisters/female seniors] out there will still love it.”

“Why?”

“Because they all know you worked hard. It’s okay to mess up, but you have to keep dancing until the end. Got it?”

“Why?”

“No, you have to dance until the end… Are you planning to stop in the middle?”

“Siha. Forgets.”

“The teacher will be dancing with you from the side of the stage. If you forget, look at the teacher. And if you can’t even see that! Then there’s a special method!”

The kids all looked at me, curious.

They seemed to be worried about the same thing as Siha, even if they didn’t say it.

I had to reassure them in times like these.

But I heard the teacher muttering behind me.

“That… That’s my role… Teacher’s role… The meaning of my job……”

Hearing those words made me feel a little bad.

I guess it doesn’t really matter who does it.

“Hyung?”

“Ah! The special method is……”

I told them the ultimate move just in case and said goodbye to Siha.

I left the rest to the teacher.

Now I had to go back to my seat and do my part.

‘Um, let’s see.’

Looking at the audience, it was almost completely full.

I spotted friends who had reserved seats here and there.

I had prepared something in case the kids got nervous.

A placard made using a Wi-Fi tablet.

Each of the seven kids’ names was written on it so they could recognize them.

They should at least be able to read their own names.

Hearts and other drawings were also added.

The tablets were sponsored by the game development club.

“Soohyun, are you ready? I’m counting on you.”

“Oppa [older brother/term of endearment for an older male], don’t worry. It’s not that hard.”

“Just try not to scream when the kids come out.”

“Ah! Are you worried about scaring the kids?”

“No. If I hear frog noises mixed in with the screams, the kids will burst out laughing and forget the dance.”

“This oppa, really!”

The other students in the department giggled and laughed.

Seo Soohyun glared at me, her face reddening.

“I’m just kidding. I’m counting on you.”

“I know that without you telling me. I’m cheering for the kids, not doing you a favor.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I gave the department students one last check and then sat down.

Now there were only 10 minutes left.

The auditorium was packed, and people were starting to sit on the stairs leading down from the seats.

‘Anyone would think this was an idol concert.’

Even though it’s a small auditorium, it’s not that small.

“Oh? The curtain is opening.”

The moment someone said that, the lights went out.

***

On the darkened stage, glow-in-the-dark tape formed circles.

Like a full moon.

Someone stepped forward, and a pin spotlight illuminated them.

It was Ha Eunwoo.

A child who loved and adored rap.

He moved his mouth with a slightly mischievous expression.

He was lip-syncing to the rap music that started to play.

[yo. Pay attention to what I say from now on. Listen carefully.

Purr. Let’s start the party.]

The pin light turned off, and the glow-in-the-dark tape became visible again.

The prelude began, and the full moon seemed to rise.

According to the lyrics.

[On the day the full moon rises, I rise.]

The children were surrounding Yundong.

The lights came on, and Yundong stepped out from the center.

As the song played, the children began to spread out.

And they began to dance.

[Howling towards the sky, who are you calling?

The moonlight coming down in the faint mist draws everyone’s attention.

The sound of knocking in my ear, it’s hunting time, alight.

Even if you hide in the shadow of the moon,

We’re watching you, we’ll drag you to the party.]

“Kyaaaa!”

The Wi-Fi tablet placard lit up and waved.

The parents in the front row also responded enthusiastically.

The children were slightly startled, but they followed the dance moves well.

Siha looked ahead.

Seungjoon’s mom and dad, Jongsoo’s mom, Jaehwi’s mom, etc.

And hyung was there, smiling softly.

While the other children had moms and dads, Siha had hyung.

And over Sihyuk’s shoulder, pink and blue lights were created in a straight line like glow sticks.

They waved back and forth.

As if they were cheering.

“Ah.”

Siha danced even more energetically as he watched.

One, two, three.

There were three people cheering in front.

I couldn’t help but smile happily, and my eyes crinkled.

Sihyuk’s mouth slightly opened as he filmed Siha.

Because Siha was smiling so brightly.

Then the highlight of the song came on.

[Can’t you hear this sound, Howl Howl.]

Move diagonally and shake your hands twice as if spitting out words.

The signature choreography.

[Now I’m approaching you, Awl Awl.]

Move diagonally to the opposite side and shake your hands twice.

People followed along with the repeated lyrics.

Because it was such a familiar song.

“Can’t you hear! This sound! Howl Howl!”

“Now approaching! Your side! Awl Awl!”

Siha danced with all his might.

The voices of parents singing along and cheering could be heard.

Although Siha couldn’t hear the voices of the lights, he could feel what they were saying through the shaking glow sticks.

“Now approaching! Your side! Awl Awl!”

The pink lights were so excited that they moved closer to Siha.

Waving the glow sticks like crazy.

The blue lights seemed flustered, and their shaking slowed down.

The lights leaking to the side seemed to be sweating.

“Ah?”

Siha also stuttered because he was flustered by the lights.

A mistake that happened near the end of the song, when the choreography was almost over.

But fortunately, it wasn’t very noticeable because the last part involved the children crawling on the floor, representing the approaching wolves.

When the song ended, cheers erupted.

Clap clap clap.

The children stood up one by one.

Siha realized that he had made a mistake.

Hyung had told him to use the ultimate move if he made a mistake or couldn’t remember.

He said it would solve everything.

“Siha. Mistake.”

The children looked at Siha.

Their eyes seemed to ask if he had really made a mistake.

The lights also seemed embarrassed and cast a pink glow around them.

Sweating.

“Boreumdal [full moon]!”

Siha drew a circle with his small hands.

People watched quietly in silence, wondering what Siha was going to do.

What is it? What is he trying to do?

Siha then ‘bit’ the full moon with his mouth.

Then he made a heart.

“Thank you~”

“Kyaaaa! Cute!”

“He ate the full moon, hahaha.”

“What is that? Cute!”

Sihyuk covered one eye with his hand.

He had told them to make a full moon and then a heart.

But he never told them to say it out loud.

And he had explained that it was a way of sending a sorry and grateful heart for the mistake during the choreography.

He never expected Siha to say it out loud after it was all over.

But that only fueled the older sisters’ hearts even more.

“Hahaha! Me too! Thank you!”

“Hana too! Thank you!”

The children made hearts one by one.

It wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been because Siha had done it first, but people watched with satisfaction.

The teacher came out and held the microphone.

“Everyone, did you enjoy it?”

“Yes!”

“Then everyone at Gangin Daycare Center! Say hello to the moms, dads, hyungs, noonas, unnies [older sister/term of endearment for an older female], and oppas who came to see us! Thank you!”

The seven children bowed.

Then Park Kyungjoon stood up and shouted.

“Encore! Encore! Encore!”

Shin Kyung-hwan looked at him in disbelief.

“You crazy bastard, sit down!”

“Ah, why? We have to do an encore for this. Encore! Encore!”

Everyone heard that and started shouting for an encore.

The teacher scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Uh… An encore isn’t possible due to circumstances, but how about we watch some personal skills for a moment? Yundong, the dance prodigy who is the leader here, and Eunwoo, the rapper, are really good.”

Then Park Kyungjoon stepped up again and asked.

“Then what position is Siha, who made the heart at the beginning, in the idol world!”

Shin Kyung-hwan next to him was covering his face as if he was embarrassed, and Chairman Kim Kyung-ho also turned his head, pretending not to know.

Sihyuk also had an expression on his face that said, ‘I’m just standing here, why are you dragging me into this?’

Park Kyungjoon laughed cheerfully, not caring about the reactions.

But the audience seemed very curious, too.

Everyone focused on the teacher’s mouth.

“Siha is……”

Siha is?

“He’s the golden maknae [youngest member of a group, typically multi-talented]!”

At those words, Sihyuk nodded with a satisfied expression.

Of course. Siha is the golden maknae who is good at everything.