Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 21

“Cartoons? Why cartoons?”

“I thought it would be nice to play something Siha enjoys at this weekend’s gathering.”

“I appreciate you being so considerate.”

“I need to score some points with Siha too. I think I already have a villain image.”

He knew?

I didn’t think he would.

“Everyone is nice, so I think you’ll like them too, *hyungnim* [term used by males to address older male friends or brothers].”

“Thanks for caring.”

“It’s nothing. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Baek Dong-hwan is so different from me.

His sociability is no joke.

I don’t think I could be this friendly.

“Then, see you this Saturday.”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

***

Saturday morning.

Someone was slapping my face.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Siha looking down at me.

“Hyung.”

“Siha~”

I hugged Siha and closed my eyes again.

Going to school after a long time was so tiring.

Doing translation work and childcare was exhausting.

I wanted to sleep in a little more on weekends like this.

“Ah, hyung.”

“Siha~ Hyung wants to sleep a little more. Let’s sleep together.”

“Ah.”

Siha wiggled in my arms.

I heard that kids need to sleep a lot to grow well, but our Siha is full of energy.

I lifted my body, which had no energy, like a deflated balloon.

“Right. A person has to be diligent. Right?”

“Ah.”

“But Siha, why did you wake up so early?”

Siha lifted his head, walked to somewhere, put on his penguin bag, and came out.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. Where are you going? Ah!”

Come to think of it, we had a gathering today.

I told Siha about it yesterday, and his eyes sparkled.

“I have to go meet new friends.”

“Ah.”

“They’ll be new *hyungs* [older brothers or male friends] and *noonas* [older sisters or female friends], though.”

“Ah.”

“But it’s not lunchtime yet?”

“Hyung. See.”

“Are you going first? You can’t do that.”

I grabbed Siha’s penguin bag.

I arrested the criminal trying to leave the house.

“You’re still in your pajamas, and you haven’t washed your face. Where are you going?”

“Ah.”

“Wait a little longer while Hyung gets up.”

Nod, nod.

Siha sat quietly in his place.

Whenever he tries to go somewhere, he always brings that penguin bag.

The bag is bulging with what he put inside.

“One is probably a tissue… Let’s see.”

I opened Siha’s bag.

A box of tissues with no shape left, a jelly toy from Moon Do-hwan, my laptop wireless mouse, my pencil case.

‘When did he take these and put them in here?’

Today was Phantom Siha.

He packed everything for the party.

“Good job on being prepared. But let’s take out what you don’t need.”

Siha shook his head when I took out the mouse.

“This is Hyung’s.”

“Ah.”

Shake, shake.

“Okay, okay. I’ll put it in. You don’t need this, right?”

He shook his head again when I took out my pencil case.

“Re, really? I’ll put it in for now. You need this, right?”

The jelly toy.

Siha reached out his arm, so I handed him the toy.

Swish! Thud.

He still treated the jelly toy the same way.

Moon Do-hwan would be sad if he saw this.

“Do you need the box of tissues?”

“Ah.”

Nod, nod.

In the end, only the jelly toy was taken out and everything else went back into the penguin bag.

“Let’s wash up and eat first.”

“Ah.”

I washed Siha and fed him.

As I played with Siha, it was soon lunchtime.

“Shall we head over next door? Let’s wear something nice since we’re meeting new people today.”

“Ah.”

Siha’s favorite penguin suit.

After putting on the hood, he looked like a perfect penguin.

“Don’t you like this outfit too much?”

“Ah.”

“I should take you to see real penguins later.”

“Peng?”

Siha looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Yeah. Hyung will let you meet them when I have some time.”

“Peng?”

“Yeah, yeah. Penguins.”

I took Siha’s hand and left the house.

Even though we were just going next door.

Ding-dong.

Baek Dong-hwan came out right away after I rang the bell.

“Hyung. I’ve been waiting. Hello, Siha?”

“Ah.”

I took Siha inside.

Looking at the shoes, it seemed like there were two more people.

If it were the 2nd and 3rd floors, there should be four more people, but it seemed like only two people came.

I was glad that there weren’t many people.

“Hello.”

When I greeted them, the two people bowed their heads.

As an awkward atmosphere lingered, Siha came forward.

“Ah.”

He put his hand on his cute belly and bowed his head.

‘Did he learn this at daycare?’

I looked at him with a proud smile.

Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, as smiles appeared on their faces.

The surrounding atmosphere began to thaw as if a warm wind was blowing.

“The baby is so cute. How old is he?”

“Ah.”

Siha folded his fingers.

He folded them awkwardly, so I couldn’t tell if it was five or three.

“He’s three years old.”

“Wow, he’s really young. Hello. I’m the uncle who lives on the second floor.”

“I’m from the third floor.”

When one person held out his right hand to Siha, Siha held out his left hand.

“Siha, you have to hold out your right hand.”

“Haha. This is the first time I’ve shaken hands like this.”

It was just Siha holding his hand in a small way, but the neighbor didn’t seem to mind.

Baek Dong-hwan looked at that and said.

“Hyung, I ordered boneless fried chicken. Can Siha eat it?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. He can eat it. Come to think of it, I’ve never fed it to him before.”

The two people in front of me reacted to that.

“This is a big deal. Siha will fall in love with chicken and ask you to order it every day.”

“Korea is all about chicken and Coke. He’ll probably be very surprised.”

At that moment, the bell rang.

Ding-dong.

When I opened the door, I smelled the savory scent of chicken.

Siha ran to me and clung to my leg.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. Looks delicious, right? This is chicken made from a cluck-cluck. Ah, can I say it like that?”

Chicken made from a cluck-cluck.

I don’t know what Siha will think.

“Ah.”

It seemed like he was already captivated by the savory smell.

“See.”

He even waved to the delivery person.

The delivery person thought Siha was cute and waved back with a smile.

“Shall we go to the table then?”

“Ah. Hyung.”

“Yeah? Do you want to hold it?”

Nod, nod.

I gave Siha the chicken bag.

I don’t know where he got that strength…….

As I watched him lift it lightly, people around me gave him a thumbs up.

“So strong!”

“There’s even Coke in here.”

“Ah.”

I burst out laughing as I watched him walk with difficulty, one step at a time.

I guess 1.5L is heavy…….

Still, since he was trying to carry it alone, I gently supported it from underneath.

Even though I had to squat down, I somehow made it to the table.

“Then, let’s open the chicken.”

“Ah.”

As I tore open the bag and picked up a piece of chicken, Siha swallowed hard.

“Siha, let’s put on your bib first. Okay, let’s eat!”

“Ah.”

“Hyung, there’s something Siha needs to eat first before that.”

“Huh?”

Baek Dong-hwan smiled and took something out.

“Oh? What is that?”

“It’s a cheese ball.”

He took out a round cheese ball and put it in Siha’s hand.

“Siha, try eating this. Ah, Dong-hwan, do you have milk? I think milk would be better than Coke.”

“Milk is always stocked at my house for my morning workouts. I’ll go get it.”

“Hyung.”

Siha swallowed and held out the cheese ball.

“Yeah? Oh, thank you. Are you giving it to Hyung first while swallowing like that?”

“Ah.”

“You’re so kind, our Siha. Then Hyung will eat it after Siha eats it first.”

Siha looked at the cheese ball again and put it in his mouth.

Crunch. Munch, munch.

Siha’s eyes widened by 1mm.

He flapped his arms and expressed how delicious it was with his whole body.

“Is it that delicious?”

“Ah.”

He was eating like a hamster eating sunflower seeds; it was so cute.

I wanted to keep watching this, but I cooled the chicken I was holding by blowing on it.

Siha wouldn’t be able to eat it if it was too hot.

Click. Click.

The person in front of me took a picture.

“Please send it to me later.”

“Yes. That’s why I took it. My cousin also has a baby, and I always take pictures of him eating like this. Parents don’t usually have time to take pictures.”

I bowed my head in gratitude.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah? Did you already finish it? Shall we try the chicken then?”

At that moment, Baek Dong-hwan held out the milk.

“Here. I have milk too.”

“Thanks.”

I put the chicken in Siha’s hand.

Everyone was just watching Siha eat without eating the chicken, which was a little funny.

“Okay. Try eating it.”

“Ah.”

He took a bite and munched diligently.

Siha looked at me and opened his mouth.

“Ma, *mashita* [delicious].”

Just as I was about to open my mouth in surprise, everyone around me was already making a fuss.

“He spoke!”

“I thought only Hyung could speak!”

“Chicken is the truth!”

I gave Siha milk instead of Coke.

“Finish with milk.”

Gulp, gulp.

“Shall we eat now too?”

We couldn’t just keep watching.

***

We ate chicken and had a great conversation.

After eating, we had a simple movie viewing time.

Of course, it was an animation.

I was curious about what Siha’s first animation that Baek Dong-hwan had specially prepared would be.

“This is a popular animation for kids these days. Penguin Monster!”

“Penguin Monster?”

“Siha was carrying a penguin bag like today before. I thought he liked penguins a lot, so I chose this.”

“Oh, really?”

“Kids really like the monsters that come out here. They’re cute.”

I don’t know much about cartoons these days, so I just nodded.

“Shall we play it then?”

The cartoon started.

I roughly understood the story.

The main character was a human, and there was a monster traveling with him.

As the title Penguin Monster suggests, the main character’s partner was an Emperor Penguin.

It was a story about these two characters.

Siha was watching with great interest, probably because the penguin came out.

Baek Dong-hwan said.

“Now they’re going to have a monster match. They’re going to have a match with the monsters they have.”

“Ah-ha.”

I’ve heard this story somewhere before, but I must be mistaken.

I kept watching next to Siha.

The main character’s opponent said.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“No. Our skills aren’t just this. I can’t use it in a real battle yet, but… I’ll show you. Emperor Penguin!”

“Peng!!”

The main character looked at the Emperor Penguin and said.

“Show me your greatest power.”

“Peng!”

“Hmph. I’ll wait. But you still won’t be able to beat us.”

“Don’t regret it.”

The Emperor Penguin began to put strength into its wings.

“Peeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

Crackle. Crackle.

Sparks flew around, and the penguin’s fur began to turn golden and then back to navy blue.

Siha’s eyes sparkled at the sight.

He stood up, probably excited, and started watching.

“Peeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

The Emperor Penguin cried out.

The characters around him were surprised and whispered.

The enemy narrowed his eyes, sensing that something was wrong.

“Peeeeeeeeeeee.”

The fur turned golden and became longer.

“Peeeeeeeeeeee!!!!”

When it was sparkling and completely golden, the main character said.

“This is… Super Emperor Penguin… Three… Da.”

The cartoon ended with the appearance of the cool Super Emperor Penguin Three.

[To be continued]

I slightly opened my mouth.

What kind of cartoon ends in the middle of a transformation?

But it wasn’t the same for Siha.

“Ah! Hyung! Hyung! Ah!”

He was so excited that he was pulling on my clothes.

Baek Dong-hwan nodded next to me.

“This is the scene that kids picked as the best. Cough. Super Emperor Penguin Three…….”

Why are you admiring it?

But I was curious about something at this point.

“But what about One and Two?”

“Those are different techniques. That’s the third technique.”

“Hyung! Hyung! Peng Peng.”

“Yeah, yeah. It was amazing, right?”

Then Baek Dong-hwan smiled.

“I have something prepared for this!”

What else?