Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 211

Hyung, Aren’t I Cute? (211/500)

If children are protected by Jack O’Lanterns, who on earth protects the adults?

Perhaps they have to figure out how to survive on their own.

I shouldn’t have answered this call.

Just hearing his voice after so long made my heart pound as if I were a child again.

A person I needed so much in the past.

A person I never want to see again.

So, without answering, I ended the call.

Click.

“Hyung?”

Siha blinked and looked at me.

I gently touched his cheek, and his face was stiff.

I smiled.

“Hyung? Okay?”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Hyung’s face is weird.”

“Oh? Is it? Haha.”

If it looks strange even when I’m smiling, what kind of face am I making?

I shook my head, thinking this wouldn’t do.

The phone rang again, but I ended the call and blocked the number.

I don’t want to see him anymore.

“Siha, if you’re done eating, let’s get up now.”

“Ah ah!”

I left the restaurant as if chasing away some fact that had been there.

People outside were dressed up and walking around.

I felt a little relieved when the chaotic sights distracted me and the cold air entered my lungs.

“Wow. People are having so much fun. Right?”

“Hyung and Siha too. Wore pumpkin cape.”

“Hahaha. That’s right. We’re wearing capes.”

Then a parade of costumes passed by.

A huge pumpkin carriage was being pulled, and in between, there were people promoting clubs and stores.

People were laughing and taking pictures of it.

“Hyung. Follow. Follow. Big pumpkin!”

“It’s really big.”

Siha wanted to follow the pumpkin.

Being among so many costumes seemed to make me feel much more comfortable.

I could just become a monster with them and hide so that bad ghosts wouldn’t find me.

I felt like I understood the Celts’ feelings back then.

Although it’s just superstition, wouldn’t it be nice to find peace of mind at such an event?

So, I let myself be distracted with Siha and entrusted myself to an environment where I couldn’t think of anything else.

How long had we been walking?

Siha looked around, as if he had lost interest.

“Hyung!”

“Yeah?”

“That!”

I looked and saw someone running a business on the street.

Darts to pop balloons.

The prizes varied depending on the number of balloons you hit, but it didn’t seem worth it no matter how I looked at it.

4,000 won for 7 darts. 8,000 won for 16 darts.

There were prizes from 4 balloons, but these things are just for fun.

“Hyung!”

“Yeah. Do you want to do this?”

Siha looked at me with sparkling eyes.

Nod nod.

You probably don’t know that just that one motion makes me open my wallet.

No. Do you know?

You’re so cute that I can’t help but let you do it.

Ah. My wallet opens naturally.

But it feels like a loss if I don’t do 8,000 won worth.

You know how it is.

They sell bread, but it’s more profitable if you buy 10.

How can you not buy this?

Isn’t it enough to take 10 home and share them with your family?

7 darts actually leave a lot to be desired after throwing them a few times.

“Mister. Give me 16 darts.”

“Yes! I received 10,000 won. Here’s 2,000 won. The prize for 16 darts starts from 6 balloons.”

Did you see this scam?

7 darts is from 4 balloons, but the 16 dart challenge is from 6 balloons?

The hand receiving the 2,000 won trembled.

You shouldn’t be stingy about this. You have to enjoy it enough.

“Siha. I’ll hold you, so hold this and throw it. Got it?”

“Ah ah!”

I lifted Siha with one arm.

Naturally, I grabbed a dart with my remaining left hand.

“Okay. Watch carefully. This is how you throw it. Aim well and like this.”

Whoosh! Pop!

The balloon burst, and Siha’s body was already in an excited state.

“Hyung! Hyung! Siha too! Siha too!”

“Okay. Now you know? You only need to hit 5 to get a prize. Let’s do well.”

“Ah ah.”

I turned my body to the side so that Siha could throw comfortably.

His cute little hand grabbed the dart.

He moved it back and forth a few times like I did, then threw it with a whoosh.

Thud. It hit an empty spot and fell off.

“Ah! That’s too bad!”

The people around watching looked at me with questioning expressions, as if saying, ‘Not bad at all?! It didn’t even go near!’

Hmm hmm. W-well. It went near, didn’t it? Near!

“Siha. Let’s throw it again.”

“Ah ah!”

Siha was determined and now only opened one eye.

Indeed. Siha is adjusting the zero point now.

Whoosh! Thud.

“Ugh! It almost came!”

The people around chuckled.

Excuse me? Why are you laughing? It really almost came!

“Siha. You can do it.”

“Ah ah. Siha can do it!”

He grabbed the dart again.

This time, he squinted.

Can he see well like that? I wondered, but Siha suddenly opened his eyes wide.

“Ah ah. Hyung. Sparkle sparkle.”

“Huh?”

“Like this like this. Sparkle sparkle.”

He drew a round parabola with his finger.

Okay. If it’s drawn like a picture, he’ll hit the balloon.

“Here. Here.”

“Ah, stand here?”

“Ah ah. Here. Do it like this and hit it!”

“Oh! That’ll work.”

It’s a sudden calculation, but it’s clear that it will work if you do it that way.

Siha tapped the air.

Is a picture being drawn? A parabola, that is.

You know that game where you shoot balls of the same color to make them explode [likely referring to a puzzle bobble type game].

It shows you a dotted line to let you know where you can hit.

Siha’s explanation feels like that.

“Ah ah. Sparkle.”

Siha threw the dart.

It really drew a parabola as planned and hit the balloon below.

Thud. It bounced off.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t strong enough to burst.

“Ah! It hit but didn’t burst.”

Sullen.

Siha pouted.

“No. You can do it. Let’s hit it one more time.”

“Ah ah.”

When Siha held the dart, I took out my left hand and held it together.

“Shall we hit it together, Hyung?”

“Ah ah.”

“Then let’s hit the same spot we hit earlier. Can you do it?”

“Can do it!”

“Okay.”

Siha threw the dart.

I sent it half a beat later.

It hit the same balloon at the same time, and the balloon burst with a pop.

Siha was so happy that he hugged my neck.

“Hyung! Siha did it!”

“Yeah. Siha did well. You’re a genius, Siha? How did you hit the same spot? Wow. Are you going to become a medalist in shooting or archery later? Maybe even win a gold medal.”

“Ah? Gun?”

“Yeah. Gun.”

I praised Siha like that.

Even if I had thrown it half a beat later, my dart would have arrived first.

Unless your dynamic visual acuity [the ability to accurately perceive moving objects] is that good, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

But the surroundings are buzzing.

“Wow! That’s crazy.”

“Isn’t the dad more amazing than the kid?”

“I know. Aiming at the same spot and hitting it in sync. The control is insane?”

“I should have known from the beginning when he hit the balloon right away.”

No. Excuse me?

It’s not like shooting where you’re so far away.

Well, even so, you can’t ignore the fact that it bounces off the balloon.

But if you give it too much force, it’ll go off in a different direction.

Anyway, this is also a trick.

“You threw 6. Now you’ve hit 2. You only need to hit 4 out of the next 10 to get a prize.”

“Ah ah!”

“Then shall we do 5 for Siha and 5 for Hyung?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Hyung. 10.”

“Ooh. Hyung 10?”

Siha nodded brightly.

Hehehe. Then I have no choice.

I sat Siha in front.

“Watch carefully, Siha.”

I’ll hit the rest and get you a good prize.

When I grabbed the dart, the people’s reactions changed.

The boss’s eyes, who had been watching from the side, also shook anxiously.

“Huh? Why is it his right hand?”

“He was right-handed?! Wow. He threw it with his left hand earlier. That’s even more amazing?”

“Was he hiding his right hand? Was that the concept?”

Excuse me. That’s not the concept.

It’s just that my right hand has more strength when I’m holding Siha, so it supports him better.

I threw the dart coolly while listening to those misunderstandings.

I chose the second best prize.

A doll keychain.

But isn’t it too small?

***

The keychain doll was attached to Siha’s penguin bag.

A pumpkin doll for Halloween.

No matter how I look at it, there’s a problem with calling it the second best.

Well, what can I do? It’s a business that sells fun, not prizes.

I’m not stingy about this.

It’s enough if Siha enjoyed it.

“Hyung. Pumpkin doll.”

“Yeah. It’s with Pepe [likely a reference to a penguin character]?”

“Hyung. Here too.”

Siha fluttered the hoodie he was wearing.

A penguin and a pumpkin together.

I smiled as I watched it, but something important came to mind.

I’m wearing the same thing as Siha right now.

I’m so proud that I threw the darts well, and suddenly I feel embarrassed.

“Siha. Shall we go home now?”

“Go home.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

I held Siha’s hand and walked down the street.

I feel relieved.

I hope this daily life continues forever.

Sometimes it’s difficult and embarrassing, but I still have a happy heart.

Isn’t that enough?

I know that this time with Siha is so precious.

And I want to protect it.

The process of my brother growing up into an adult.

“It feels like we enjoyed the finishing festival [likely referring to the end of year festival]. Right, Siha? Do you remember the festival?”

“Ah ah. Festival fun!”

“Hahaha. You’ve experienced university festivals, so won’t the ones at school be boring later?”

“No. Fun.”

“How do you know that? You haven’t even gone to elementary school yet?”

Siha folded his hands one by one and said.

“Seungjun, Hana, Jongsu, Jaehee, Eunwoo, Yundong. All there so fun.”

“Ahaha. What are you going to do if you don’t go to the same elementary school?”

Siha made a shocked expression at my words.

He also stopped walking.

Not going to the same school?

“No. Go together.”

“Yeah. Maybe we’ll go together. Well, anything is fun if you have friends. Does Siha know that well?”

It doesn’t matter what the event is.

It’s important who you enjoy it with.

Siha seems to know that well.

Is that why he always tries to be with me?

I feel like I’m learning from Siha again.

Nod nod.

Looking to the side, Siha was half-opening his eyes as if he was sleepy.

“Siha. Are you sleepy?”

“No. Siha not sleepy.”

“Hehe. I can’t believe you if you don’t open your eyes properly. You played a lot today, so you’re tired, right? Do you want a piggyback ride from Hyung?”

“No. Siha opened eyes.”

But why are those eyes closing more and more?

“You won’t be able to see if your eyes are closed?”

“No. See. Hyung here.”

“I can tell even with my eyes closed! Come on, let’s get on. Hyung wants to give you a piggyback ride.”

“Ah ah.”

Only then did Siha get on my back.

He soon fell asleep.

Oh dear. If you’re tired, you can just get on Hyung’s back. Why are you being stubborn?

If it’s consideration for me, you don’t have to do that.

It’s good to be mature, but I want you to be young right now.

“Snore-”

I listened to Siha’s soft sleeping sound and headed home.

***

-Sihyuk’s Childcare Diary.

-Lee Sihyuk, 5 years old.

I didn’t know it was Halloween today.

I only found out after my son came home from daycare with a bunch of snacks and I asked him what they were.

I’ve never taken care of this kind of thing, so I wondered if I should do something, but he just shook his head.

Why is our son so mature?

No, is it right to be mature?

Isn’t he holding something back?

“Sihyuk. Shouldn’t we buy something like a Jack O’Lantern to decorate?”

“No. It’s okay. I did it all at daycare.”

“Really? Okay. Then let’s go eat something delicious.”

“We can eat rice at home.”

“Actually, Dad didn’t make rice! It’s too [I’m] hungry to do it now, so let’s eat out. Okay?”

“Okay.”

I was caught in a strange emotion as I watched Sihyuk nod.

Just so sorry. Limitlessly sorry.

It must have been a shock to the child that he didn’t have a mother.

I… I don’t know what to do.

Was this choice… too harsh for you?

Our son, who didn’t even cry when I said I was divorced.

I felt strangely bothered by that.

I can feel that my son has changed a lot since that day.

Where did it go wrong?

I definitely didn’t regret the choice, but I keep regretting it.

Let’s pull ourselves together.

The head of the family must not waver. If parents are anxious, children are also anxious.

Yeah. Let’s raise Sihyuk well, as if to show off.

Since the child has changed, I have no choice but to change accordingly.

So that he can feel more at ease.