Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 212

Hyung, Am I Cute? 212

-18 years ago. Lee Si-hyuk, 5 years old.

Lee Jang-hyuk prided himself on having lived more diligently than anyone else.

But that didn’t bring him much wealth.

He simply lived with the goal of not losing hope and climbing upwards.

He gritted his teeth and endured even more because Si-hyuk was there.

There is no flower that doesn’t get wet. Even if it’s soaked in the morning dew and trembling, the sun will naturally rise, so he didn’t want to collapse here.

If he waited just a little longer, warm comfort would fill the earth.

“Mr. Jang-hyuk. What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Daniel, the son of the chairman of Nine Hearts Corporation, asked, his eyes shining.

“I was thinking about the day we first met.”

“Hahaha. That day, you say. I remember it too. I never thought I’d get into a car accident in a place other than Singapore.”

“Yes. The language barrier with the paramedics made it a dangerous situation.”

When you meet foreigners at an accident site, there are dangerous moments when you can’t communicate. Of course, doctors aren’t gods, so they can’t immediately make the right diagnosis. They need to check where it hurts and whether they can speak. In the end, there are cases where they have to take a CT scan to know.

Daniel said.

“Well, I was too, but the friend sitting in the passenger seat was hurt so badly.”

“It might be a terrible memory for someone, but now I feel a strange connection.”

“Haha. You didn’t know what kind of people we were back then. I think that accident was a blessing in disguise. You never know in life. Anyway, please take care of me today. The public officials are so picky.”

“Don’t worry about that. Like the sun melts ice faster than the cold wind, I’ll try to do that.”

Daniel smiled and said he would trust him.

With that, the two entered the conference room.

The picky public officials were indeed not easy to deal with.

From the beginning, they clashed over various things, but they skillfully coordinated and resolved the situation.

Small drinks and snacks, and well-chosen phrases to make the day refreshing.

It wasn’t a bribe, but a sharing of sincerity, and it worked, melting the hearts of the public officials like a spring day.

Even if people have different tendencies due to different backgrounds, they are still human, so they can definitely empathize. Lee Jang-hyuk believed that.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

“Mr. Jang-hyuk, I really want you on my team. You talked about when we first met before coming here, right?”

“I did.”

“It started that way, but now that feeling has become even stronger. How about working together in Singapore? This is also a place where people live, and you’ll be fine once you adapt. Your child is only 5 years old, right? It would be good to come before you settle down too much.”

“You think very highly of me.”

“That’s how much I want to get you. In fact, I’ve even prepared a contract.”

Singapore is pushing forward with a policy to expand globally. They need to attract talent to grow the country.

So, the offer could be quite high.

“Can I discuss it with my wife and son and contact you?”

“Yes. Of course. Or you can come on a long-term business trip like this. But that might be a bit much, right?”

“Yes…….”

He took the contract and got out of the car. He said goodbye to Daniel and entered the hotel.

After washing up, he lay on the bed and took out a photo from his wallet.

A photo of his wife and Si-hyuk.

Since today’s work is done, he can finally meet them if he returns by plane tomorrow. He misses the warmth of his son and wife.

Whenever he lies on the wide bed, he sometimes feels overwhelmed by loneliness.

‘I miss you.’

Just as he was about to close his eyes, a phone call came.

A friend with a voice full of anguish.

“Jang-hyuk. Um.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hoo. I think your wife is cheating on you.”

“What?! What are you talking about! Don’t say such ridiculous things!”

“Do you think I’m just saying this to break up your family?”

“That’s… No. It can’t be. You’ll have to take responsibility for this later.”

“Yeah. Either way, I was prepared to say it whether it was true or not.”

Lee Jang-hyuk felt like his heart was collapsing at his friend’s hollow voice.

He was so close now. He was so, so close. He might be able to see the sun rising now.

He crumpled the contract placed on the bedside table and held it tightly.

***

Lee Jang-hyuk returned to Korea and didn’t go straight home.

He checked to see who his wife was meeting.

It couldn’t be. They must just be meeting as friends. How could a married woman with a son meet someone like that?

But that expectation was shattered beyond imagination.

What kind of friend does she meet that she hugs and holds arms with like that?

No, aren’t there many cases like that in foreign countries? His wife was also an interpreter, so let’s look at the situation with an open mind. Let’s not get excited. His heart ached sharply, but he ignored it. He denied it.

“Yeobo [term of endearment for wife].”

His wife’s shocked expression when he appeared before her was the final nail in the coffin.

If she had just calmly said, “You’re here?”, he would have thought it was a misunderstanding.

“…Let’s talk for a moment.”

His wife followed him.

Unable to find a quiet place, they took the car to a less crowded area.

He gritted his teeth at her wary look.

Screech.

The car stops. His heart seems to stop too.

The silence lengthens, and he barely opens his mouth.

“…Why did you do that? Did you have to do that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Shouldn’t you know why I did it?”

“Haa. Ye-ha.”

He called her name after a long time.

Shin Ye-ha glared at Lee Jang-hyuk with a satisfied look.

“Honestly, I was so frustrated. I’m so sick of this family. You’re never home. Your father has so much debt. Why does he gamble and drink? Why do we have to deal with it?”

“Ye-ha.”

“Yes! I did wrong. But I felt like I would die if I didn’t. It feels like my career is cut off, I’m taking care of the child at home, and there’s no room to breathe. What do you want me to do?”

Lee Jang-hyuk was speechless.

He knew that his father was suffocating the family every day. He had lamented about it several times.

But now there was only one step left. If he could just endure one more step, everything would be resolved. It had to be.

‘How did this happen?’

He gently closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He calms his trembling lips.

“Okay. I was too often away on business trips. I admit I made you lonely and couldn’t do enough for you. But…. But you shouldn’t do that. You’re… Si-hyuk’s mother. Why! Why are you doing something that will hurt the child?”

“…….”

“Are you the only one having a hard time? I’m having a hard time too! How much did I endure and dream of doing better? I wanted to have ordinary worries and bicker like others. I only dreamed of that much.”

“Haa….”

“Do you know what you’ve done? It’s like pulling out an IV drip when you’re having a hard time. Do you even know!”

“…I know.”

Tears flowed from her eyes.

Lee Jang-hyuk too.

The hand gripping the steering wheel turns white.

As he gently releases the strength in his hand and the red color returns.

“Let’s get a divorce.”

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

The two divorced like that.

***

Shin Ye-ha took Si-hyuk from the daycare center.

The house was full of his son’s favorite foods.

“Wow! That looks delicious! My tummy is going to explode if I eat all of this.”

“You can eat it again tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Eat your food. Okay?”

“Okay!”

Si-hyuk diligently scoops up rice with his spoon.

Shin Ye-ha looks at her son and goes into the room to pack her bags.

She had already finished packing to some extent before bringing him.

The two suitcases were already in the trunk of the car.

All that remained was this bag with small items.

“I ate well!”

Si-hyuk takes the finished bowl to the sink and puts it in.

He carefully closes the lid of the side dish and looks at Shin Ye-ha with a proud face.

“Mom. I’m done. Did I do well?”

“Yes. You did well.”

“Mom. But what’s that bag?”

“Yes. This?”

“Yes! Where are you going?”

“Um…. Hey Si-hyuk.”

Shin Ye-ha grabs Si-hyuk’s shoulders and makes eye contact.

“Why? Is Mom having a hard time again? Should I tell you a fun story? Today, the teacher read a fairy tale book from a foreign country. She said it was a story that doesn’t exist in Korea….”

“Hey Si-hyuk.”

“Yes.”

“Mom wants to be happy, right?”

“Yes!”

“Mom is going to a place where she can rest for a while because she’s having a hard time.”

“Where?”

Si-hyuk’s innocent eyes looked at Shin Ye-ha.

“I’m going to a faraway place. To a foreign country.”

“Can’t I go too?”

“No. You can’t. Si-hyuk can understand, right? You can understand Mom leaving, right?”

“Huh? Are you going abroad like Dad?”

“Yes…….”

“Then what about Dad?”

“Dad will be in Korea now.”

Si-hyuk rolled his eyes around and fidgeted with his hands.

After hesitating, he nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Ah…. Then I’ll get along well with my friends.”

“Okay. Thank you. Si-hyuk.”

Shin Ye-ha put on her bag and stood at the shoe rack.

Si-hyuk said in surprise.

“Mom. Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I’m leaving now. Si-hyuk, if you play with your toys here for a moment, Dad will be here soon. Okay?”

“Okay.”

The door closed.

Si-hyuk stared blankly at the front door and burst into tears.

“Hic. Don’t go. Mom…. Don’t go…. Don’t leave me behind. Hwaaa.”

The child left at home knew that he wouldn’t be able to see his mother easily in the future.

He had already sensed that she would leave due to her numerous actions and tired face.

***

From that day on, Si-hyuk changed.

He didn’t cry even when his father came and hugged him tightly. He didn’t want to show himself crying.

After calming down, he looked around.

‘The house…….’

Was dirty.

It wasn’t like a garbage dump, but he knew because he helped his mom with most of the things little by little.

Traces of not being cleaned.

Dust that was visible from roughly vacuuming.

It wasn’t clean because it wasn’t mopped.

‘I have to do it.’

Si-hyuk started cleaning.

He also folded the blankets and mopped the floor.

If there was anything his father couldn’t do, he took care of it too.

He also sorted the garbage for recycling and brought a chair to do the dishes.

His father insisted that he shouldn’t do it, but Si-hyuk just wanted to do it.

He had to do it.

Because he couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling unless he did that.

“Si-hyuk. Why are you keep doing things at home? Dad will do it.”

“No. Dad, you work. I heard you talking on the phone earlier that you have to send the translation by next week, right? You have to do it quickly to play with me.”

“Si-hyuk wants to play with Dad? Then Dad will do it quickly, so wait a little bit, okay?”

“Okay. Dad, do what you have to do.”

“That’s strange.”

“Huh? What is?”

“No. It feels strange to hear you say that. Haha.”

“Hehe.”

Si-hyuk pressed the trash down and tied it up neatly.

Then, after washing his hands, he went into the room and spread out the bedding. He put down the pillow and spread out the blanket.

After creating a space for the two of them to sleep together, he opened a book and read it.

He quickly learned to read at a young age.

But he didn’t understand the difficult books his dad had.

“It’s difficult. Keueung.”

Si-hyuk glanced at his father who was working.

Then he read the book again.

I am a helpful person. I am a person needed by Dad. Thinking that way.

As time passed, it became his birthday.

While receiving a present from his dad at the age of 6, a package arrived.

The sender was Shin Ye-ha. It was Mom.

He threw it in the trash can right away.

His dad got angry, so Si-hyuk cried.

A few days later, after calming down a bit, Si-hyuk asked.

“Dad.”

“Huh?”

“Dad won’t abandon me, will you? You won’t leave far away, will you?”

Lee Jang-hyuk knelt down and burst into tears.

He hugged Si-hyuk and said he was sorry, that he would never abandon him.

After that, Lee Jang-hyuk put the presents in the trash can first.