Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 197

After confirming we had already eaten, we ordered some simple desserts and drinks at the cafe.

The croffle [a waffle made from croissant dough] with cream looked quite appetizing.

Hai Anh complimented it, saying it looked really pretty.

“Is this more than just a waffle? It looks a bit different.”

“Ah, yes. It’s made by pressing a croissant.”

“Wow, I see.”

In Korea, accustomed to quick decisions, we would have exchanged greetings and immediately started talking about work. But Vietnam was different.

Much like the heat influenced daily life, there was a certain relaxed pace.

Also, as business partners, they valued relationships, so this period of casual conversation was necessary to build rapport.

“Shall we discuss the product now?”

Finally, the contract discussion began.

We explained why this product would be successful in Vietnam.

Hai Anh listened carefully and nodded.

“I see. Could I also review the prepared documents?”

“Of course.”

Just because they have a relaxed attitude doesn’t mean the contract negotiations will be relaxed too.

Rather, they show a more meticulous side than anyone else when it comes to contracts.

They prefer to include more details in the contract than to rely on verbal agreements.

After going through this process, we finally received a pleasant verbal confirmation.

“Okay. We will distribute and purchase the hairspray.”

“Thank you. You won’t regret it.”

“Of course, it should be that way. Today will be the last time we meet like this. We will communicate through the email listed here from now on. There won’t be anything too special.”

“I actually hope something special happens.”

“Pardon?”

I smiled at her.

“I’m looking forward to hearing that it’s selling very well.”

“Ah! If it’s something special like that, I welcome it too. You seem like a very interesting person. Can I hire you as an interpreter when I need one next time?”

“Well, I don’t think I’ll be flying to Vietnam anytime soon, so I can’t give you a definite answer.”

“But can I ask you again when I come to Korea? I might need you on my end too.”

“If I don’t have any work then, absolutely.”

She seemed to like me, and we exchanged contact information.

Only after parting ways with her did Professor Kim relax.

“Whew.”

“Are you okay?”

“I was nervous about what would happen if it didn’t work out. I’m glad it went well.”

“Why? Did you think it wouldn’t work out?”

“I’m confident, but their perspective could be different.”

“But you didn’t seem nervous at all.”

“Really? I’m amazing at keeping a poker face.”

“Ah, I guess so. But don’t be relieved yet. They can take the samples and cancel the contract if they don’t like them.”

“We did include that clause carefully.”

“Since the money hasn’t been exchanged yet, we should also double-check everything carefully.”

“Yes. I’ll have the lawyer review the contract. I didn’t see any problems when I read it.”

Professor Kim and I talked a bit more and then parted ways.

Now, I need to go see Siha.

***

There’s a game we always played when we were young.

Mimicking other people’s words or actions to tease them.

The kids at the daycare center are the same.

Jongsu tripped and fell, making a strange noise, ‘Eeeek!’

More embarrassed than hurt, he said to himself, ‘I want to be alone, everyone please leave.’

But Seungjun wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

“Eeeek! Hahaha! Eeeek! Oh, that’s so funny.”

“Hey!”

“What? Eeeek, Jongsu.”

“I never did that!”

“You just did when you fell.”

As he glared, Jaehwi came over to Jongsu and asked if he was okay.

The corners of his mouth were twitching, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

“Eeeek!”

“Ah! That little…!”

Jongsu reached out to Seungjun.

He backed away, trying not to get caught.

“Eeeek, a monster is coming. Hahaha.”

“Hey! Get over here!”

“Hahaha.”

Jongsu ran hard, but he couldn’t catch Seungjun.

He couldn’t keep up with Seungjun’s athleticism.

Meanwhile, Siha was playing house with Hana on one side with egg toys.

He was confident after making egg rolls before.

He kept tapping the eggs.

Hana, seeing that, said.

“Siha, honey. Are you still breaking eggs?”

“Ah ah. All done.”

“You said that before too. Geez. Will you finish it today?”

“Ah ah. All done.”

“You always say all done. How come I’m the only one busy at our house? There’s no end to cleaning.”

Hana imitates her mom quite well.

Of course, only the observant teacher notices.

You can’t ignore the experience that comes from experience.

Siha was busy breaking the egg toys, one by one.

“Ah ah. Siha big. Egg roll big.”

He put a lot in to make it big, but the irony is that the bucket in front of him is small.

“All done.”

“Is it all done now?”

“No. Siha stir. Stir.”

“Sigh. Still far?”

“Ah ah.”

He stirred the bucket diligently with a spoon.

He swirled it around and looked around.

Jongsu and Seungjun were resting for a moment, and Hana was cleaning the floor with a toy vacuum cleaner.

The teacher watched them and had a good idea.

“Okay, everyone! Shall we play a mimicry game?”

“Mimicry?”

“Yes. It can be your mom, dad, older brother, or even animals. I’ll give a snack to the person who imitates the best.”

“Wow!”

“But it’s no fun if we just do it, so let’s decide the order with rock-paper-scissors.”

The children’s faces were filled with question marks.

This is a game that is related to associative memory and can also develop children’s creativity.

The teacher showed them an example first.

“Okay, Siha. Rock-paper-scissors!”

“Ah ah. Paper!”

Rock and scissors.

The teacher put her fist over the scissors to make something.

“Tada! It’s a snail. Snail. Snail.”

“Ah ah!”

Siha was surprised by the teacher’s skill.

Other children seemed to think it would be fun too, and their eyes lit up.

Jongsu said in a small voice.

“Snails don’t cry.”

The teacher smiled wryly.

Jongsu? That’s not the point, is it?

“Siha, now Siha has to imitate something with rock and scissors. If you can’t, you lose.”

“Ah?”

Siha was deeply troubled by the sudden question.

The teacher smiled and counted down.

“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!”

Before she could say ‘땡! [땡 (ddaeng) is a Korean onomatopoeia for a buzzer sound, often used to signal failure or being incorrect]’, Siha responded.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five.”

“No, I didn’t mean to count up.”

The teacher looked at Siha, dumbfounded.

I never thought he would come up with such an idea… I didn’t even think about it.

Creativity increased beyond the intention.

Or maybe it was a trick.

“Anyway, we’ll have a competition like this one by one. Everyone will have fun, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then pair up and do it.”

That’s how the battle began.

Hana and Siha. Seungjun and Jongsu. Yundong and Eunwoo. Teacher and Jaehwi.

Siha and Hana played rock-paper-scissors first.

They both chose rock.

Siha looked at the two fists and put them together.

“Egg roll!”

He talked about the food that wasn’t finished earlier.

Hana looked at it and said.

“Ah. I was thinking about that too.”

She immediately declared defeat.

Seungjun and Jongsu next to them were having a fierce battle.

The result was Jongsu’s victory, who had more knowledge.

That’s how Siha and Jongsu’s match was made.

The fallen twins cheered for Siha.

“Siha. Win! Defeat the Eeeek monster.”

“Siha. We have to finish playing house after this.”

“Ah ah.”

“Hey, you guys!”

That’s how peaceful Siha and angry Jongsu took out their weapons.

Paper and paper.

Jongsu showed off his knowledge first.

This match was very advantageous.

He put his hands together and bowed.

“Welcome to the temple. I’m a monk.”

“Monk?”

“Ah. Don’t you know a monk?”

“Don’t know.”

“Ah, you don’t even know that. I live in a temple without hair like this.”

“Why?”

“Huh? That’s to practice.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Hurry up. It’s your turn.”

“Ah ah.”

Siha approached Jongsu and grabbed his cheek.

Jongsu made a sound, ‘Ouch!’, because he put a little force into it.

“Cute. Cute.”

“Ah. What is it?”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend].”

“Huh? Does your older brother grab your cheeks and say you’re cute like this?”

“Ah ah.”

He saw Sihyuk doing that to a puppy.

Of course, he gently touched Siha’s cheeks.

Jongsu thought something was strange, but he showed off his next knowledge.

“Flap. Flap. Bird. Bird.”

“Ah ah. Good job.”

“No. I didn’t mean to praise you. Are you doing this on purpose to waste time?”

Jongsu became convinced as he spoke.

So, he counted down to avoid getting caught up in Siha’s pace.

“Five! Four! Three!”

“Ah ah. Jongsu finish. Siha play house go. Bye-bye.”

“Hey!”

That’s how Jongsu won.

But somehow, he felt like he lost because he got caught up in Siha’s pace.

He was definitely thrilled to have succeeded in revenge when he beat Seungjun, but strangely, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when he was with Siha.

That’s because Siha has no intention of winning and is only full of enjoying himself.

The small difference in their thoughts led to different attitudes.

The teacher thought it was fun to see the discrepancy.

“Okay. Now we have to go to the finals. It’s over if you do it with the teacher.”

“Umm.”

That’s how Jongsu’s victory was concluded.

As he turned around after receiving congratulatory applause, Siha and the twins went to the sink toy.

And the imitation game of mom, dad, and older brother began.

His mouth pouted at the sight of them not paying any attention.

“Jongsu.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Jaehwi.”

“You really know a lot. Things I didn’t even think of kept popping up.”

“Hehe.”

Jongsu felt good at Jaehwi’s words.

***

-On the way home with Siha.

He always chatters about what happened today.

He made egg rolls and puts his fist in my mouth.

“Hyung. Eat.”

“Huh?”

“Egg roll.”

I could bite his small fist in one bite, but I didn’t want to.

But look at those sparkling eyes.

I want to bite his chubby cheeks, but I have to bite his hand, which is a bit sad.

Let’s pretend to eat it.

“Yum yum.”

“Hyung. Delicious?”

“Wow! Did Siha make this?”

“Ah ah!”

“Really. Really. It’s delicious. Let’s put less salt next time.”

“Ah? Salt?”

Looking at the reaction, it seems like he didn’t add salt.

But why is his hand… I mean, the egg roll salty?

No one will ever know the truth. Yes. That’s right.

But he’s not really asking if that’s delicious, is he?

I just thought it was a kind of game.

“Shall we get out of the car now?”

“No.”

“I’ll listen to you a lot at home.”

“No. Siha car too.”

“I have to listen to Siha’s car too?”

“Ah ah.”

I see. I have to listen to everyone diligently.

It’s good to talk often. I think he’s been talking a little more lately.

“So, what games did you play today?”

“Rock paper scissors.”

“Don’t you do that quite often?”

“No. Rock paper scissors. Imitation.”

“What imitation?”

“Imitation.”

“Ah! Imitation?”

“Like this. Like this. Did.”

He played rock-paper-scissors with both hands by himself and put out the same thing.

Two scissors.

He raised his hands and put them on his head.

“Hop. Hop. Rabbit!”

“Oh! That’s how you do it. That’s fun. But it’s hop hop [onomatopoeia for hopping].”

“Hop. Hop.”

“You shouldn’t introduce rabbits like that to other people. Got it?”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

I thought it would be good if Siha was a little careful with his pronunciation…….

For a while, I listened to Siha’s words in the car.

It must have been a very fun day.

And the next day.

I had no choice but to hear a story of being hit in the back of the head.

“What? The contract fell through?!”