Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 205

Hyung, am I cute? Episode 205

-Si-hyuk’s Parenting Diary.

-Lee Si-hyuk, 8 years old.

My son won an excellence award for his slogan at school today.

I was so surprised because it was so sudden.

To be honest, when he asked me for money because he needed school supplies, I gave him extra to buy snacks.

Of course, our Si-hyuk thriftily returned the change.

Anyway, I didn’t know it was for creating a slogan for Science Day.

I’ve often seen parents working together or brainstorming for these things, but my son did it all by himself and won an excellence award, so I can’t tell you how proud I am.

And I also felt a little guilty.

“That’s amazing, Si-hyuk! Should Dad help you next time? Other parents do that.”

“These things are done alone. And Dad needs to rest because he works.”

My son’s warm consideration made me feel uneasy. I just felt strangely uncomfortable.

The weather was nice and sunny today, but why does my heart feel so warm and yet so heavy?

I had to calm my heart while looking at my son, who received an award even though I haven’t done much for him.

I ended up scolding him, though not really.

“We have to brag about this all over town!”

“Aah! Dad, don’t! What are you going to do with that phone!”

“Of course, I have to brag!”

“Please don’t!”

Si-hyuk covered his face, embarrassed.

I contacted the editor at the publishing house where I work and bragged loudly.

That my kid received an excellence award for his slogan.

It’s not the top prize, but seeing him receive this on his own makes me think he might have a talent for writing.

I even told him to sign a contract quickly and grab him before it’s too late to publish a book later.

I praised my son with such a fuss.

Because if I don’t do this, I’ll really feel like I’m doing nothing.

I can do this much as a father, right?

Of course, the person on the phone might be thinking, ‘Why are you calling about something like this?’

“Si-hyuk, should I ask a reporter I know to write an article? ‘8-year-old Lee Si-hyuk! Receives Excellence Award!'”

“It’s not the top prize, it’s just an excellence award, why would you write an article about it!”

“Oh! So you’re saying I should write an article when you receive the top prize next time?”

“No~! That’s not what I meant! Ah, never mind!”

Si-hyuk, very embarrassed, covered his face with a pillow in the living room.

But he doesn’t completely dislike me doing this, as he quietly says, ‘I’ll try to get another award next time.’

I burst out laughing at that.

So I told Si-hyuk.

Even if you don’t win an award, Dad is proud of you. You are the best son to Dad.

You are a bigger prize than the top prize or the grand prize.

***

Si-ha won an award.

Grand prize in the lower grades section.

My heart is overflowing, and I want to brag about it all over town.

My brother is really amazing. He won the grand prize.

Is this how my father felt about me?

I was embarrassed back then, but now I think I know how he felt.

It wasn’t just about wanting to brag, but about wanting to praise his son in another way.

Various thoughts crossed my mind, and I blankly put down my phone.

Let’s organize the emotions I slowly recalled and say it.

Si-ha, you did really well.

Press.

“Hyung!”

Si-ha wrapped a lettuce wrap [a Korean dish where grilled meat and other ingredients are wrapped in lettuce] and pushed it next to my mouth.

Um. Si-ha, that’s not my mouth.

I opened my mouth and ate it.

Thanks to that, the emotions that were boiling up were wrapped up and eaten.

I’m calming down? Thank you. Si-ha.

“Oppa, what are you spacing out about on the phone?”

“Si-ha won the grand prize. In the Ministry of Future’s lower grades section.”

“Really?”

“He drew a picture for an advertising campaign before. They said they’d give him the Superintendent of Education Award.”

“Wow! That’s really amazing!”

“Yeah.”

“So, is it going to be on TV as an advertisement?”

“It’s not that kind of thing. It’ll probably be displayed in a gallery or something.”

“Wow! That’s really amazing!”

I looked at Si-ha.

He’s diligently preparing a second lettuce wrap to put in my mouth.

Who taught him how to make lettuce wraps!

It must be Seo Su-hyun.

Teaching him things like that while I’m on the phone.

“Si-ha.”

“Hyung. Ah~”

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll congratulate you before I eat. Congratulations, Si-ha. You’re getting an award.”

“Award?”

“Yeah. You drew the picture so well that they’re giving you an award. That picture of you showering.”

“Ah, shower! Empty bottle!”

“Yeah. That one.”

I took the lettuce wrap that Si-ha gave me.

Somehow, the meat tastes better than before.

I don’t know if it’s because Si-ha received an award or because he made the lettuce wrap himself.

Like the various ingredients in the lettuce wrap, it was just complexly good.

“Hyung. Si-ha award, good?”

“Yeah. You’re getting an award. I think it’ll be displayed in the gallery in the library. They said to come to receive the award later? I think they’ll take pictures too.”

“Why?”

“Um. I guess it’s because it’s a really big award, so they want to take pictures with a ‘You did so great!’ kind of feeling?”

“Hyung together.”

“Haha. Of course, Hyung will take pictures with you too. Ah, maybe?”

“Ah.”

He nods as if that’s all that matters.

Whether or not he takes a picture with Hyung seems more important than the award.

Seo Su-hyun looked at us and asked.

“Oppa, should I go too?”

“Yeah. No, never mind.”

“Tch! Still, that’s amazing. Will there be an article about this if you get this award?”

“Huh? Will there be an article about this?”

“It’s the Superintendent of Education Award, right? Then there will probably be an article. An internet article. Well, not many people will be interested.”

“Probably? I heard about this contest for the first time.”

“Only people who are interested do it. Well.”

“Um. Still, just in case, I should ask them to write vaguely about Si-ha in the article. Anonymity is fine too.”

Seo Su-hyun said while slurping noodles.

“If there are several people who win the grand prize in each category, they won’t do an interview-style article about one person, right? They’ll all take pictures together.”

“I think so too, but just in case… He’s too young.”

“Ah, I see. It would be a headache if they decided to promote him as a painting genius, taking this opportunity.”

“Exactly.”

I don’t want any strange calls.

He’s still too young to gain fame.

I don’t think I’m reacting sensitively.

These days, news topics are like snacks that are eaten and thrown away.

It wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

***

-The day of the advertising campaign contest award.

They choose several winners, but only the grand prize winners are directly awarded.

Ministry of Future lower grades, upper grades, youth division, adult division.

A total of 4 people are directly awarded and take a picture together.

It can be a show of how we are contributing to culture by holding these events.

Of course, it’s not bad.

Rather, I think the purpose is good.

Creating these arenas of challenge.

Isn’t it great for someone to grow?

Whether or not you receive an award is not important. Just having this opportunity allows people to challenge themselves and grow.

“Hyung. Where is this?”

“Yeah. This is the library. There’s a small gallery on the first floor here. People often pass by and see it.”

“Gallery?”

“Um… A place where they put cool paintings is called a gallery.”

“Ah, gallery. Gallery.”

Si-ha said, muttering as if trying to memorize it.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, he pulled my hand.

“Hyung. Si-ha picture too?”

“Yeah. Si-ha’s picture will be placed… no, it’s attached from today. So, we’re here to receive the award today.”

“Cool?”

“Of course, it’s cool because Si-ha’s picture is hanging there. Aren’t you excited?”

But he seemed to have a question.

Tilting his head.

“Si-ha picture. On pad [tablet]. Picture over there?”

“Ah. That’s, you see. When Si-ha draws a picture, he can send it to other people. I think they’re going to print it out and display it.”

“Printer?”

“Um. A printer is something that makes Si-ha’s picture come out on paper with a ‘ta-da!’ sound. You saw Hyung print out the poster before, right? The one where the same thing Si-ha drew became three?”

Si-ha nodded as if he remembered.

Explaining things is the hardest thing in the world. This is why they do eye-level education [teaching methods tailored to the student’s understanding].

“Si-ha know. Goblin shoot [a special move from a cartoon]. Goblin shoot.”

“Huh?”

“Seung-joon. Goblin shoot. Ball ttadak [sound effect]. Many ttadak.”

The goblin shoot where the ball is made into several balls.

I never imagined that Seung-joon would have seen that cartoon.

It’s a really old cartoon…

“Si-ha. That’s not it. Only one soccer ball is real in the goblin shoot. But all three of Si-ha’s pictures are real!”

“Ah?”

Si-ha widened his eyes with an expression that said, ‘Is that a fact!’

Anyone would think he had gained some great enlightenment.

“Right. Si-ha picture all there. Poster three. All there.”

“Right?”

“Ah.”

As we were talking, we entered the gallery.

There were really various paintings inside.

Someone read a book and drew a picture about the content. Like book design.

Other people seemed to have drawn well while raising awareness about water scarcity.

I could tell that the ones drawn by lower grade children were drawn by lower grade children, even if they didn’t say it on the sign.

The brushstrokes of lower grades are obvious.

“Wow. Si-ha. There’s the grand prize winner right there.”

“Ah!”

Four grand prize winners were placed separately.

The difference is clear at a glance. In terms of creativity and painting skills.

What’s amazing is that Si-ha’s skills are not inferior to those three.

“Si-ha picture!”

“Yeah. That’s Si-ha’s picture.”

“Other picture!”

“Yeah. That’s a picture someone else drew.”

Si-ha stared intently at the four works.

Is he feeling something?

Just when I thought that, he turned his head away without looking much.

“All saw.”

“Huh? Already? How are those three pictures over there?”

“Drew well.”

“Oh. Really? More than Si-ha?”

“No.”

What is this? This confident confidence?

Mine is naturally the best! Is that the feeling?

As expected, you must have confidence in your work.

“Of course, Si-ha’s picture is the best.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly in humble mode?

Yes! Sometimes people need to know how to be humble.

But I don’t know which tune to dance to.

“Si-ha picture. Hyung there.”

“Huh? Then are these two people Hyung?”

“No.”

“You’re being very mysterious today. Where’s Hyung?”

Si-ha raised his hand and pointed to one place.

Following his eyes, there was only one thing visible.

The crown of my head.

“That cowlick [a tuft of hair that stands straight up] was Hyung’s cowlick?!”

“Ah? Cowlick what?”

“That swirling tornado of hair.”

“Ah! Right! Hyung cowlick.”

“I see. Only that part is Hyung’s cowlick.”

I didn’t know the profound meaning of that picture.

Wait a minute! So, my cowlick is being exhibited after receiving the grand prize!

Thinking about it that way makes me feel embarrassed.

Let’s keep this fact between me and Si-ha.

“Pfft.”

I heard laughter from behind.

I frowned. Of all people, he had to find out this important fact.

Turning my head, Professor Jang Ha-jin, whom I hadn’t seen since the festival, was there.

He coughed awkwardly as I stared at him.

“Ahem. No, the conversation between the two of you was so funny. I also saw that picture when I was doing the final judging, but I never imagined it would be your cowlick.”

“Hello, Professor. You’ll keep it a secret, right? Si-ha. You have to say hello.”

“Hello!”

Jang Ha-jin smiled as if Si-ha was cute.

“Of course, I have to keep it a secret. It’s like the hidden intention of the artist. Haha.”

“Ah. That’s right. I have something to ask you, Professor. Will this be in the news?”

“It will be.”

“Then about Si-ha in the article…”

“Haha. I know what you’re worried about, but they won’t cover it in detail. They’ll write it in a way that something was held and the grand prize was awarded.”

“Ah… That’s a relief.”

Professor Jang Ha-jin smiled bitterly.

“Actually, it was worth worrying about. There was a fuss inside about announcing it.”

“Ah. Really?”

“So, I said something. If you make it a topic and announce it like that, does this campaign have any meaning? And the kid is still young.”

“Thank you so much.”

“But I understand those people psychologically.”

“Haha. Right.”

The desire of those people to announce it is different from the parents’ desire to brag.

Jang Ha-jin stroked Si-ha’s head.

“See and learn a lot.”

“Huh?”

“Haha. I’ll tell the reporter separately.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The award ceremony time has come.

I shook hands with people from somewhere with a small prize.

Pictures were taken, and the schedule proceeded quickly.

It was a bit anticlimactic.

I had a different impression in this space.

What each person wants to brag about is truly different.

Si-ha held up the certificate towards me and unfolded it.

“Hyung. Cowlick award. Cowlick award.”

“Shh.”

Si-ha wanted to brag about my cowlick.

Please don’t.