Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 222

Hyung, Aren’t I Cute? 222

-American Office.

Steve Baek sat wrestling with documents.

Unlike his previous successes, he found a clear increase in the amount of processing and checking required as he moved into distribution.

However, the thought that work and money were steadily coming in, and that his influence was expanding, made the work worthwhile.

He felt like he finally understood why people talked about distribution so much.

He was particularly focused on grasping everything from production to distribution, and the scale of his operations was gradually increasing.

Currently, he was carefully selecting other stores to partner with, wanting to avoid unnecessary complications and maintain quality. He knew that trying to do everything alone could lead to problems.

“Hmm. Selecting partners is a real headache.”

Just because everyone applies doesn’t mean you can work with them.

Since it was his first time deeply involved in this aspect of the business, strict screening criteria weren’t fully in place yet.

However, he was well-versed in the field and could quickly assess most things.

Of course, even after narrowing down the list, he still had to visit potential partners in person.

Perhaps that’s why the employees were so busy, and the CEO himself was constantly running around, leaving him with little time to manage everything.

No, the truth was that he couldn’t even think about taking a break.

Knock knock.

“Yes.”

The secretary opened the door and came in.

These days, there were quite a few meeting appointments, so the secretary was managing all the schedules.

“Is it already meeting time? Who is it today?”

“No. It’s not today; it’s tomorrow.”

“Oh, really? Was it tomorrow?”

“Yes. I adjusted it a bit because you seemed to have a lot of meetings yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s right. I’m so out of it. I thought a CEO just stamped documents and was done, but it’s actually much busier. How did it come to this?”

“Isn’t it because you’re running around yourself?”

“That’s right. I need more people. People I can trust. But are there any employees just sitting around doing nothing right now?”

“There are quite a few, even among those who are fully onboarded.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Ah, but what’s that box?”

The secretary held a box in her arms.

The tape was torn, as if it had already been opened once.

“I checked it and it wasn’t dangerous. It came from Korea. Do you remember Parang Mall, which is currently supplying us with clothes?”

“Ah! I remember. That’s what got me started in this business.”

“They sent a gift from there. There was a note inside, saying it’s a gift for Pepero Day or something.”

Steve Baek chuckled.

Looking at the date, it was November 11th today.

“In Korea, people celebrate November 11th as Pepero Day. It’s like Valentine’s Day or White Day [occasions for giving gifts to loved ones].”

“Ah! Is that so?”

“You’re not interested in this kind of thing, are you?”

“No, well… I often hear that I’m a bit blunt because of that.”

Steve Baek received the box.

Opening it, he found a thank-you note and a gift.

A tablet bag, not Pepero [a chocolate-covered biscuit stick popular in Korea].

There was a Pepe drawing on it, and when he opened it, there was one Pepero.

“Hmm. What is this?”

“Isn’t it a bag for putting a tablet in?”

“Oh, do people carry them around like this these days? I didn’t know because I just put it in my bag.”

When Steve Baek saw the character, he thought he had seen it somewhere.

Reading the note, he finally remembered.

Lee Si-hyuk. A friend who had given him a great idea for this business. If he hadn’t taken the lead, someone else would have distributed it.

Of course, the resources he had prepared played a significant role in this foundation, but the idea couldn’t be ignored.

‘He was an amazing friend.’

Honestly, he was envious. So he had decided to give him a pretty good gift, but he had been putting it off until now.

“I was wondering what kind of gift I should give him, but I forgot. This would be good.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Lee Si-hyuk.”

“Ah! That person? Have you decided what kind of gift you will give him?”

“Of course.”

Steve Baek shook the bag in his hand.

“We use a lot of waffle company products in the United States. Christmas is next month, right?”

“Don’t tell me?”

“How about we put this in our side? It seems like it would be a much bigger gift than just a gift.”

“It would be a gift that even Santa would be surprised at.”

“Puhahaha. I guess a blunt guy can still be a bit flattering.”

“That’s why I became a secretary, right?”

“Hey. I hired you as a secretary because you’re good at your job. If you say that, it sounds like I only have sycophants sitting next to me.”

The two joked and burst into laughter.

Sometimes the meaning of giving a gift is simply a message saying, ‘I’m here. I’m doing well.’

***

Whoosh.

An airplane flies across the sky.

I remember last Pepero Day. Did it go to Steve Baek on that plane?

It’s amazing that a gift can fly so far across the sea so quickly.

It’s hard to believe that transportation has become this convenient in history.

It’s amazing how such rapid development is possible.

Perhaps the globalized collective intelligence is working to develop even faster.

“Hyung. This!”

“Yeah. Nice glove.”

“Ah ah!”

This Saturday.

I was thinking of having a Thunder Three club gathering after a long time, but it wasn’t easy.

I thought they only knew how to play soccer, but somehow they rushed to play baseball.

Well, Seung-joon is very interested in various ball sports.

Siha also seemed to be influenced, and his eyes sparkled as he sang ‘baseball baseball.’

The glove he’s wearing now was bought just yesterday.

“But Siha. How did you know about baseball?”

“Seung-joon told me. Like this like this. He said it’s fun.”

“I see.”

Well, in a way, he might have been able to play catch when he was young.

I also played by throwing milk cartons in the back of the classroom in middle school.

My friends would use brooms as bats and act as hitters.

You had to choose the milk carton carefully so that the contents didn’t splash out.

Looking back on those memories, I understand why Siha and Seung-joon want to play baseball.

Even if they don’t know the rules well, they’ll know that there’s a pitcher and a batter.

No, Siha might not know.

“Siha. Do you know how to use that thing in your hand, which is called a glove?”

“Siha know. Catch ball.”

“Oh! That’s right. That’s it. How do you know? You’re a genius?”

“Jong-soo phone saw.”

“Ah, you saw a video on Jong-soo’s phone?”

“Ah ah. Jong-soo phone have.”

He already has a phone…

Well, it’s common these days for dual-income couples to give their children phones.

Of course, it’s a bit too early…

‘I understand.’

Jong-soo is smart, so he’ll probably use the phone easily.

If something happens, he can always call his parents.

I hope that doesn’t happen.

“Okay, we’re here.”

“Ah ah!”

When I got out of the car, I could see the playground.

I headed to Kang In-dae’s futsal field, but as expected, no one was there.

Professor Oh Sang-hwan was warming up on the soccer field, and Seung-joon was doing jumping jacks next to him.

“Hello, Professor.”

“Oh. You’re here?”

“Yes. Siha, you have to say hello.”

“Hello!”

“Okay. Siha is here too. Today, I’m just going to leave you to play with the kids, so I’m going to play for the first half.”

“Ah, I see. I’m okay. I came out to play with Siha anyway.”

“Playing with one kid is different from playing with two. Really… I know because I’ve been with one.”

Professor Oh Sang-hwan had a look of enlightenment on his face.

It must be quite difficult to play with twins.

“But you’re happy, right?”

“Hahaha. I’m happy. Hap… py… not much.”

“Pardon?”

“No. Nothing. Ahem. Since the two are different genders, you have to play with them differently. Have you ever played house while kicking a soccer ball? Haha. That’s a masterpiece.”

“A, amazing.”

If they were both boys…

Hmm. That would be difficult too.

“I originally planned to have two.”

“I heard you didn’t know you’d have two at once.”

“Th, that’s right. I didn’t expect it.”

I shouldn’t find it funny, but the story is funny.

But Siha didn’t just let it go.

“Hyung. Hurry. Hurry.”

“Si-hyuk hyung! Hurry!”

“Okay. Then we’ll be at the futsal field over there.”

“Okay. I’ll be right there.”

I picked up the sports bag and headed to the futsal field.

Seung-joon was already holding a baseball tightly, wanting to play baseball.

It was a cute ball suitable for children.

“Then I’ll tell you the exact rules for the two of you. First, the pitcher! The person who throws the ball. And the batter! The person who hits the ball with a bat. Now the two of you are rivals.”

“Rival what?”

“Huh? What is a rival?”

“Hyung. Siha know. Lion. Lion and bee. Lion face and bee.”

Huh? A bee with a lion’s face?

It’s very strange just thinking about it.

“Ahem. A rival is not that. Um. Ah! Jong-soo and Siha are friends, right? But you compete a lot. That’s a rival. You compete fairly and grow a lot.”

“Ah? Jong-soo?”

Siha tilted his head.

It seemed like he was wondering if Jong-soo had competed with him.

Come to think of it, only Jong-soo was burning with fighting spirit, and Siha didn’t care about winning or losing.

Seung-joon nodded as if he understood right away.

“Anyway, the two of you are enemies.”

Of course, if they are on the same team, they are allies.

But it was ambiguous to make them understand that far and apply the score.

Because there are few people.

“Each of you is red. The pitcher and the batter can be said to be red to each other. There are two reds.”

“Two reds?”

Siha looked shocked as if he couldn’t believe it.

It seemed like it was impossible for there to be two reds.

Then.

“The winner is red. The loser is green.”

“Ah ah!”

He nodded as if he finally understood.

No, did he really understand with this explanation?

I feel sorry for Green for no reason. Green’s mysterious 1 loss.

I shook off those silly thoughts and started playing baseball in earnest.

Pitcher Oh Seung-joon. Batter Lee Siha. Catcher Lee Si-hyuk.

“Okay. Try throwing it once.”

“Ah ah.”

Siha. Why are you answering? It would be a disaster if you threw the bat…

But Siha’s posture is strange.

His butt is towards my glove.

“Siha. It’s the other way around.”

“Huh?”

“If you stand like that, you’ll get hit in the butt with the ball.”

“Siha. Butt? Ball dirty?”

“No. I’m not saying the ball is dirty, I’m saying you’ll get hit in the butt with the ball if you stand like that.”

“Ah ah.”

When I fixed his posture, he was holding the bat wrong this time.

I made him hold his left hand below and his right hand above so that the right-handed person could hit comfortably.

“Okay. When Seung-joon throws the ball over there, watch it and hit it. Got it?”

“Siha know.”

I don’t know if he really knows.

I barely fixed his posture again.

Seung-joon looks at me. He keeps looking. Even as time passes, he doesn’t think about throwing the ball.

“Hey Seung-joon. When are you going to throw it?”

“Si-hyuk hyung. You have to give a sign. Sign.”

“Ah! I have to give a sign.”

“Yeah!”

But didn’t we not plan anything?

But kids just do what they want to do.

Actually, isn’t the only thing he’s going to throw a fastball?

I spread my index and middle fingers with my left hand below the glove.

He shakes his head as if he’s seen it somewhere else.

Siha was so curious about what we were doing that he bent over and watched the sign being sent with his eyes wide open.

No… you can’t watch that…

Baseball cheating in the world…

“Ahem. Siha. You can’t watch this.”

“Why?”

“This is a signal to the pitcher. It’s like, it would be good to throw it like this.”

“Siha too. Siha too sign.”

“Huh? Siha has to get a sign from someone else, not from hyung. From the coach…”

“Why? Hyung do. Siha too sign.”

“Okay. I’ll give Siha a sign too.”

I diligently sent finger signals to the two children.

I wondered if this was okay, watching the two children pretending to understand even though they didn’t know what it was.

“Okay! Let’s throw it now!”

Seung-joon nodded and lifted one leg.

His posture is plausible.

He stomps his foot on the ground like a baseball player on the mound.

The ball flies to me.

Siha stared at the ball with his eyes wide open and grabbed the bat tightly.

“Strike!”

“Ah ah!”

Whoosh!

Anyone can see that the ball passed and he swung.

“Hyung. Siha did!”

“Uh uh?”

“Saw ball. Hit.”

Uh… that’s right. I told him to watch the ball and hit it… It’s my fault…

Who would have known that he would watch the ball pass and hit it.