Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 218

Hyung, Aren’t I Cute? 218

I decided to make Pepero [chocolate-covered pretzel sticks, a popular snack in Korea] to express my gratitude to people.

Because Pepero Day is coming up on November 11th.

To be honest, I’ve always thought of Pepero Day as just a marketing ploy!

Sometimes I would exchange them with friends, but that was just a passing thing.

Still, I think it’s good, even if it is a marketing strategy.

A day that creates an opportunity and excuse to express your feelings to someone.

Looking at it this way, it makes me think positively.

“Siha, do you know what day is coming up?”

“Ah?”

Siha started folding his fingers one by one, calculating something.

“One night, two nights, three nights. Four nights.”

“Are you saying that knowing what it is?”

“Ah, Siha knows.”

“What is it?”

“Hyung and Siha play day.”

“Huh? Isn’t that what we do every day?”

“No. Play at home. Every day, every day.”

“Ah, you mean a day when Siha and Hyung play all day long?”

“Ah.”

There is such a day….

If I didn’t have work, I would have loved to play with you like that.

But I can’t help it because I’ve set a certain amount to do every day.

Remember that my heart wants to play with you all day long.

“Wrong! You’re wrong.”

Siha sulked.

Siha squatted down and dug at the ground with his fingers.

Looking up at me slightly.

“Really?”

“Keuheuk. That’s not fair!”

“Really?”

“Ahem. Instead, Hyung will do something really fun for you today. I finished all the work for yesterday and today.”

“What is it?”

Only then did Siha jump up from his seat and show interest.

He really likes the fact that he can play with me today.

Not that I haven’t been playing with him.

“It’s because November 11th is Pepero Day. So, we’re going to make Pepero. Siha knows Pepero, right?”

“Siha knows. Pepero eat like this. Delicious.”

He puts his hands together and pretends to eat it.

But Siha, do you have to eat Pepero so politely?

He is Korean, living in the Land of Eastern Etiquette.

“So, I prepared it. It’s cookie dough!”

First, I will make the long stick part of the Pepero.

Actually, it’s hard because it means more dishes to wash, but isn’t this what sincerity is all about?

“Okay, Siha. Let’s knead the dough together here. Got it?”

“Ah.”

First, I made the dough and put it in Siha’s hand.

His eyes lit up as he looked at the rock-sized dough.

Here’s an important point.

You can also educate children, not just make it!

It’s a number game.

“Okay. The dough is too big to make a stick cookie, right? So, you have to cut it in half. If you do this! Ta-da. How many?”

“Siha knows! Two!”

“That’s right. Shall Siha try it too?”

Siha shouted two and cut it in half.

Still, it’s a bit big to make a stick.

“Half again!”

“Three!”

“The other one, half!”

“Four!”

I thought I was listening to a *pansori* [Korean narrative song] performance.

The sound is very loud.

I made the cut dough round.

“Now, we’re going to make long sticks. Got it?”

“Siha knows.”

He rubs his hands hard as if he were lighting a fire with a branch.

This creates a long stick.

“Siha, we’re going to give this to the people who helped Hyung when I had a cold. And of course, close friends too.”

“Who?”

“Uncle Moon Do-hwan, Uncle Baek Dong-hwan, Sister Seo Soo-hyun, Alisa, kindergarten friends, teachers. Like that?”

“Ah. Uncle Moon Do! Baek Dong Hyung.”

“???”

Okay. It was good that he said uncle, and I can understand that he called him by his nickname.

But why is Moon Do-hwan an uncle and Baek Dong-hwan a *hyung* [older brother or male friend]?

Ah! Come to think of it, I am Siha’s reference point.

In fact, there is not much age difference to call me uncle, but I am his *hyung* on the family register.

Maybe Siha will decide who is *hyung* and who is uncle later.

“Oh, anyway, we’re going to give them a gift saying thank you.”

“Ah. Siha make a lot.”

“Okay, Siha. We have to make a lot, so you have to help Hyung a lot today. Got it?”

“Ah.”

So, we both focused and started making them.

The stick cookies were placed one by one in neat, even lengths.

When a certain number was made, I glanced at Siha.

Because I was curious about whether he was doing well.

Unlike me, there were various lengths spread out everywhere, and there were shapes that were questionable whether they were sticks.

It didn’t matter because we were going to bake it in the oven anyway.

“Siha, why did you make it so differently?”

“Ah?”

“This one is huge and thick?”

“This is Baek Dong.”

“Hyung. Have to attach it.”

“Baek Dong Hyung.”

“Yeah, I see.”

I didn’t explain it in detail, but I understand.

It was Pepero to give to Baek Dong-hwan.

“Then who are the others for?”

“This….”

According to Siha’s explanation, it is like this.

The guitar-shaped one is Seo Soo-hyun.

The one with a short-sleeved shirt on the stick is Alisa.

The one that looks like the dough has been hit is Moon Do-hwan. I guess it’s a jelly toy.

Soccer ball Oh Seung-joon, microphone Oh Hana, etc.

They made it in various ways. It’s very unique, so people will like it.

I have to say thank you, but isn’t Siha doing a better job of saying thank you?

Making it like that seemed more sincere than making cookies.

Is Siha a genius after all…….

“You made it really well. Let’s bake it in the oven later and make Pepero well. Got it?”

“Ah!”

The dough went into the oven and was baked.

Siha was curious about waiting, so he kept going back and forth in front of it.

He climbed on the chair and looked at it again, then got off again and looked so cute asking, ‘When will it be done?’

Ding-!

“Ah! It’s done! Now, take it out and let it cool.”

“Ah!”

“Okay, then here’s a question. What is the most important thing when making Pepero?”

“Ah?”

Siha thought seriously and then said the answer.

“Chocolate!”

“Correct! There’s chocolate here.”

“Ah? Pink. Pink. White. White.”

“That’s right. Hyung prepared three kinds.”

I put the chocolate in a piping bag and soaked it in hot water.

When it melted to some extent, I took it out and kneaded it with my hands.

“Okay, shall we put chocolate on the cookies now?”

“Ah!”

I dipped the stick cookies in chocolate with Siha.

I sprinkled the almonds that I had ground in advance.

It’s almond Pepero.

I gave Siha pretty sprinkles.

It was good for decorating because it contained hearts and beads.

“You have to make this by dipping it in chocolate and sprinkling it right away. Otherwise, the chocolate will harden.”

“Ah!”

The first thing Siha carefully picked up was Baek Dong-hwan’s stick cookie.

He dips it in completely and pours chocolate with a spoon.

Then, he takes it out and starts decorating.

“Baek Dong Hyung. Tok tok. Tok tok. Strong.”

Seeing the long crunch being fully attached, I felt like I knew what that meant.

I guess it means a lot of muscles in the body?

“Lisa. Heart.”

Pretty hearts are decorated on the clothes.

“Frog Sister. Guitar. Hyung. Strings?”

“Huh? Ah! You can make the strings using a piping bag.”

I cut off the end of the piping bag filled with white chocolate and squeezed it out to make a line.

It was small, so only three went in, but anyway, it was a guitar string.

“Wow!”

“Isn’t it amazing? You can make whatever Siha wants with this.”

“Ah!”

Moon Do-hwan’s stick was covered in chocolate, crunch, hearts, and beads.

“Uncle Moon Do eat a lot!”

That…. Can you eat that?!

If it was an expression of a crumpled jelly toy on the floor, he did a great job. Of course!

“It cools down quickly and is completed right away.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Once you’ve made it all, there’s something important.”

“What is it?”

“It’s wrapping paper! Let’s put it in nicely and give it to them. Got it?”

“Ah!”

So, we put the cookies in wrapping paper.

The problem is that Baek Dong-hwan’s stick was too long to fit in.

“Hyung. Baek Dong Hyung is too big.”

Siha, you should say the cookie is too big. You shouldn’t say Baek Dong is big.

No, it’s true, but…….

The cookie was already Baek Dong.

***

November 11th.

Siha shakes his penguin bag and gets into the car.

At the same time, the Halloween keychain also shakes.

“Siha, did you pack everything?”

“Ah.”

“Ah! That’s right! We have to give it to Baek Dong first. Shall we get off for a moment and knock on the door?”

“Baek Dong Hyung!”

I got out of the car again and went to Baek Dong-hwan.

Knock knock.

When I knocked on the door, I saw him coming out, drying his hair with a towel.

“Ah, Hyung. What brings you here this morning? Don’t tell me you want to have breakfast together?”

“What are you talking about? We already ate. Are you preparing to go to work?”

“Yes. I’m going to eat breakfast and go out.”

“You still have a long way to go before you start working, right? It starts at 10 o’clock.”

“That’s right. I have to warm up my voice until then. Don’t just stand here, come in.”

“Huh? No. We’re just going to give you what we have to give you and leave. Siha.”

Siha took out the cookie.

“Baek Dong Hyung!”

“Oh! Siha. What is this?”

“Baek Dong.”

“???”

Baek Dong-hwan looked at the big Pepero.

It looks delicious because it is full of crunch.

We made it together, but we made it really well.

“The big one there is what Siha made.”

“Really? Wow! Thank you, Siha. But why is the packaging like this? Why is it wrapped in oil paper?”

“Ah, that? It’s too big, so there’s no wrapping that fits. The normal size there is what I made.”

“Wow. Really? Thank you. Ah, today is Pepero Day.”

“That’s right.”

“Keuheu! I have to go to work and brag about it today.”

Next is Moon Do-hwan.

“Huh? What is this?”

“It’s Pepero that Siha and I made. Almond Pepero is mine. The special shape there is Siha’s.”

“Ah, this is what Siha made?”

Moon Do-hwan looked around.

“Is this a bomb? Why does it look like this? Can you eat it?”

“It’s a jelly toy that Hyung gave to Siha.”

“Ah, really? That’s what it looks like?”

“It’s an expression that has been elevated to art.”

“That’s right. It’s all different.”

“Anyway, it’s a thank you for when I had a cold.”

“I didn’t want to receive handmade from a man…….”

“Then give it back.”

Moon Do-hwan raised his hand.

“Uh-huh. Who said I wouldn’t receive it? It’s just that I feel a little strange.”

“Where else can you receive it but from me.”

“Stop hitting my bones and go.”

Siha looked at Moon Do-hwan.

“Uncle Moon Do! Delicious?”

“I haven’t eaten it yet…….”

“Eat it. Eat it.”

“Uh? Can’t I just eat it later?”

“No. Now. It’s now.”

“O-okay.”

With a reluctant expression, he puts Pepero in his mouth.

Crunch. Crunch.

He chewed hard and swallowed it down his throat.

“Delicious?”

“Yeah. Is it delicious? It’s like mixing all the ice cream from Bera [Baskin-Robbins]. It’s fun because you can feel various flavors.”

“Next time. I’ll make it again.”

“Huh?”

I saw it.

Moon Do-hwan was sweating.

“Si-hyeok.”

“Yeah?”

“You really brought this because you were grateful, right?”

“Puhup. Mine is almond Pepero, so it will be delicious.”

“Oh. Yeah. The jelly toy tastes good, but I feel like the almond Pepero will taste even better. Haha.”

Expressing his gratitude, he moved on to Seo Soo-hyun.

“Frog Sister!”

“Huh? Oh? Siha.”

“This.”

“Huh? What is this?”

“Guitar Pepero. Siha made it.”

“Wow. Really?”

I slipped in too.

“I made it with him too. Almond is mine.”

“Oppa, really? Wow. You even make Pepero. You even make nicknames. You’re good at making everything.”

“I’m a bit like that. I’m giving it to you because I’m always grateful.”

“Ah…. Thank you.”

Seo Soo-hyun fiddled with Pepero.

What? She has a troubled expression.

“Why? Are you sick somewhere?”

“No. Ah, seriously. Ah, why are you giving me this?”

“Shall I take it back? There are many people who will take it back today.”

“That’s not what I mean! Hmm.”

Seo Soo-hyun hesitated, then took out two Pepero from her bag and handed them to me.

“It’s embarrassing to take it out because Oppa is doing this. Why are you going this far?”

“I made a lot while I was making it. I have big hands.”

“Funny.”

“I’ll gratefully accept Pepero. One is for Siha, right?”

“Yes.”

Siha smiled brightly.

“Thank you, Frog Sister~”

“Yeah. How can I eat this guitar because it’s too precious?”

At that, Siha hit his palm with his fist.

“Siha knows.”

“Uh?”

“Poop! Become poop. Poop!”

Oh? That’s right. If you cherish it, it becomes poop. Who taught Siha this?!