Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 264

-Daycare.

Their groups are separate, but not so completely divided that they can be called entirely distinct.

It’s more like the company has a healthy separation.

A relationship where they know each other well.

Hana and Seung-jun were the same.

Being siblings, they naturally played together. But with Yeon-ju’s arrival, a divide formed, leading to inevitable squabbles.

In reality, it wasn’t just about Yeon-ju, but also the conflicts arising from their growing independence and desires.

Looking at it closely, most of their fights were over trivial matters.

“Hana is going to play idol today.”

“No way. Playing outside is the best.”

Their conflicting claims.

The dynamics change depending on who takes the lead.

Hana glared at Seung-jun.

“Oppa [older brother, a term used by girls to address older males] always plays outside.”

“You always just do pretend plays. What idol? You’re always watching them.”

“Watching the *unnies* [older sisters or female friends] a lot is good. It raises the views.”

“Those go up even if you don’t. It doesn’t even make a difference.”

“Oppa doesn’t know. Everyone does it like this!”

Hana, realizing she had drifted to another topic, steered back.

“Anyway, I’m going to play idol today.”

“No, you’re not. I’m going to kick a ball outside today. It’s not good to stay inside only when it’s cold.”

“They said~ it’s good to stay inside when it’s re~ally cold!”

Both made plausible arguments until the sparks flew elsewhere.

This is a democratic society.

The children naturally knew that numbers held power.

Hana glanced at Si-ha.

“Si-ha, you’ll play with Hana, right?”

“Huh?”

“Hey! Oh Hana! That’s not fair! Si-ha, you’ll kick the ball with me, right?”

“Huh?”

Si-ha looked back and forth between the two.

He was troubled about what to do since his close friends had differing opinions.

Yeon-ju, in the back, watched the situation unfold.

As if she had nothing to do with it.

In fact, Seung-jun had little to gain from bringing Yeon-ju in, so he couldn’t afford to lose Si-ha.

Hana knew that if she got Si-ha on her side, the game would be decided.

The deciding key was held by Si-ha.

“Si-ha is…”

“Yeah!”

“Yeah!”

“Will think about it~”

He postponed it for now.

He began to seriously watch and contemplate the two.

What would *Hyung* [older brother or close male friend] do?

He could only imagine himself resolving it coolly, but the process wasn’t clear.

“Si-ha will do that.”

“What?”

“Do what?”

He fidgeted with his hands, and then, as if a good idea had come to him, he raised his voice with a bright face.

“Play idol soccer!”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

Si-ha explained diligently with his hands.

“Si-ha saw. Idol kick ball. Exercise. Exercise.”

Hana’s face showed that she understood what he meant.

“Idol Star Athletics Championships!”

“Ah!”

Idol Star Athletics Championships!

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t particularly fun, but from the fans’ perspective, they couldn’t help but like the program because their favorite celebrities appeared on it.

Of course, if the amount of screen time was small, criticizing and tearing apart the broadcasting PD [Production Director] was another kind of fun!

Si-ha’s conclusion was to combine the two games.

He felt proud, as if he had come up with a great idea like Hyung.

He put his hands on his hips and stuck out his belly.

“Si-ha will do this. Or not.”

He even made sure to assert his opinion, showing that he was almost four years old.

The teacher watched the children’s quarrel and then smoothly stepped in.

“Hehehe. Idol Star Athletics Championships, huh.”

When there’s a dispute like this, the teacher shouldn’t immediately make a judgment.

She’s not a judge, and she could give the impression of taking someone’s side.

This is also part of education, and there are times when you have to watch them coordinate with each other.

“The teacher, you see. Loves this a lot. Ever since I was obsessed with idols back in the day. A different side of them, not just their songs! Watching ‘Departure Dream Team’ was also quite fun… Ahem.”

The children wore bewildered expressions.

They were confused because the teacher kept saying things they didn’t understand.

Hana was twirling her hair, and Yeon-ju was resting her chin on her hands, uninterested.

Seung-jun clasped his hands behind his head, and Si-ha scratched his protruding belly.

Scratch, scratch.

“Ahem. It was fun back in my day! ‘X-Man’ too!”

“???”

“I, I’m not weird!”

Only the head teacher seemed to understand, patting her on the shoulder as if to say, “There, there.”

“Hana likes Idol Star Athletics Championships. Oppa, will you do it?”

“Hmm. Well, if it’s that…”

Seung-jun also nodded, as if the compromise was acceptable.

Si-ha said brightly.

“Then good luck~”

The twins looked at each other in disbelief before grabbing Si-ha by the back of the neck.

“Si-ha, where are you going!”

“Since when do you just leave after saying that!”

“Huh?”

He wanted to resolve it and disappear coolly, but that plan was thwarted.

Si-ha said.

“Can’t do dis~”

***

Somehow, the other children also went outside together.

It was called the Kangin Idol Star Athletics Championships.

I remembered holding a sports day on a warm spring day last year.

The other children also seemed to recall that time, imitating archery.

“Okay, everyone. Then the teacher will commentate and assign roles. Now, let’s start the competition.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s divide into teams.”

Team 1: Seung-jun, Hana, Yeon-ju, Si-ha.

Team 2: Jong-su, Jae-hui, Yun-dong, Eun-woo.

“First, we’ll have a penalty shootout! Everyone take a shot. If the scores are tied, one representative will come forward and compete!”

Seung-jun stepped up first.

The teacher introduced him as if she were broadcasting.

“Yes! One of the members of Kangin Idol. Oh Seung-jun! Known as a sports idol, winning a gold medal every year. We expect a great performance from him today as well.”

“Hehehe!”

Seung-jun snorted, feeling good.

The goalkeeper in front of him was Jong-su. He glared, his face determined to block the shot.

“Here I go!”

“Come on!”

Seung-jun kicked the ball with his foot.

Having learned well from Si-hyuk, he put enough power into it to shake the net.

“Ugh!”

Jong-su watched the ball go in with a look of dismay.

No one could keep up with Seung-jun, no matter what.

He trudged out with a sullen expression.

Jae-hui patted Jong-su on the shoulder.

“Seung-jun is in the Thunder Soccer Club, so he’s really good.”

“Tch.”

“Jong-su! It’s okay. It’s okay. Jong-su originally can’t.”

“Hey! Lee Si-ha!”

The teacher looked at Si-ha.

Si-ha, it’s good to comfort him, but don’t state the facts.

“Okay, next.”

Hana came out.

“Oh Hana, an early member of Kangin Idol! She’s great at singing and dancing, and since she’s a twin with her oppa Seung-jun, she has great athletic ability!”

“Hehehe!”

Hana also liked the introduction, covering her cheeks with her hands.

She bounced over to the ball and stood in front of it. Then she kicked it.

The goalkeeper was Eun-woo, but he couldn’t block the ball and let it slip.

“Puhaha! Goal! Goal! It’s hilarious! Puhaha!”

Next was Yeon-ju.

“The new member of Kangin Idol! Yeon-ju. She has a princess-like appearance. She exudes a queen-like aura.”

The goalkeeper was Jae-hui.

When Yeon-ju kicked, he caught it right away.

“Ah!”

“Aah!”

“Hehe~ The ball was caught?”

“Yeah. Yeon-ju, I caught the ball.”

“Really? Jae-hui, you’re a good goalkeeper?”

“Huh? Ah, no. I just really wanted to catch Yeon-ju’s ball…”

Jae-hui’s face turned red.

Yeon-ju went closer to Jae-hui with a slightly raised gaze.

“Consider it an honor.”

“Huh?! Yeah! It’s an honor.”

The teacher quickly moved on to the next one.

There had been a strange vibe between those two for a while.

She had noticed that Jae-hui liked her, but Yeon-ju’s feelings were a bit ambiguous.

“Okay, next!”

“Ah ah! Si-ha!”

“Yes. The golden *maknae* [youngest member] of Kangin Idol! He’s rumored to be good at everything. I wonder if that’s true for sports too?”

“Si-ha good. Hyung inside!”

“What do you mean ‘inside’? You mean ‘like’.”

“Ah ah. Hyung like.”

Lee Si-ha was still keeping Hyung somewhere inside.

The goalkeeper was Yun-dong.

He was a friend with good athletic ability, second only to Seung-jun.

“Si-ha goes!”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“Si-ha goes~”

“Yeah. Hurry up.”

“Si-ha really goes!”

“Ah, when are you going to do it?”

Yun-dong shrugged, as if tired of the same repeated words.

At that moment, Si-ha kicked the ball.

A surprise attack taking advantage of the confusion.

Because of that, Yun-dong’s reaction was a step late.

“Ugh!”

“Si-ha win.”

Si-ha cheered.

“Uwaaa! Si-ha!”

Seung-jun ran over and high-fived him, and Hana and Yeon-ju followed suit, clapping their hands together.

But the game wasn’t over yet.

The opposing team still had a chance to kick the ball.

“Next, we’ll switch. Kangin Idol’s Jong-su! A smart friend who’s called a study idol. He’s also famous for being a student council president.”

“Teacher. I didn’t do student council president?”

“That’s the role!”

It was a really plausible role assignment.

Jong-su nodded, as if he liked it even if it wasn’t true, but then he made an uneasy face.

He looked at the daycare children.

“Ah, it’s going to be tough.”

The teacher chuckled.

Was he imagining his school life with those children for a moment?

He might have instantly seen the future where it would be difficult to lead them as a student council president.

Because he had already learned quite a bit from experience.

“Ahem. Jong-su. It’s a role. A role.”

“Yes…”

Jong-su mustered his strength and looked ahead.

Seung-jun grinned and provoked him.

“Hey! I’m going to score.”

“Try it.”

His ambition was good, but the ball was blocked.

Jong-su had expected it, so he wore a defeated expression.

“Okay, then who wants to go? Jae-hui?”

“Yes!”

“Kangin Idol’s fashion influencer! Jae-hui, who’s a hot topic even at the airport and even more so abroad.”

Jae-hui straightened his shoulders and confidently stepped forward.

His cheeks were flushed.

It was obvious that he was shy.

“Yeon-ju. You have to be careful because it’s dangerous. Okay?”

“Yeah!”

After worrying about her in a gentlemanly manner, he kicked the ball.

Yeon-ju didn’t even think about blocking the ball and dodged it slightly.

Thud.

Seung-jun’s eyes widened.

“Yeon-ju! Why did you dodge it?”

“Why? So what.”

“Huh?”

Seung-jun was flustered by Yeon-ju’s confident attitude.

“Ah, no. You have to block it!”

“I’ve never been a goalkeeper. You understand.”

“Ugh. Fine! Hana! Block it well!”

“Okay.”

Seung-jun left Yeon-ju alone and cheered for Hana.

The twins had already returned to their original relationship, as if they had never fought.

Cheering each other on.

The teacher had put them on the same team for this reason.

“Next is Kangin Idol’s best rapper! Eun-woo!”

“My goal is mind-blowing~”

Ultimately, Hana couldn’t block Eun-woo’s shot.

When a sullen Hana returned, Seung-jun patted her head, saying she did well.

“Oppa?”

“What, you did your best.”

“Yeah.”

They returned to their friendly siblinghood, making the teacher smile.

“Next is Kangin Idol’s best performer! Yun-dong!”

Yun-dong looked at Si-ha in front of the goal.

“Si-ha. You won’t get away with it this time?”

“Ah ah. Si-ha good.”

Si-ha clapped his hands together.

Yun-dong kicked the ball with all his might. Thud. The ball went in.

“Goes~”

Si-ha moved belatedly.

He grabbed the rolling ball and brazenly held it up.

“Block~”

“Si-ha. The teacher saw it, it’s already a goal.”

“No. Goal is goblin shoot. Goblin shoot. Fake. Fake. This real.”

In short, he claimed that what went into the goal was an illusion, and the real ball was in his hand.

What an amazing imagination.

The teacher stated the facts to Si-ha.

“Yeah. No. It’s a goal. The teacher saw it all.”

“Sam. Saw?”

“Of course.”

“Acho!”

Si-ha hit his forehead with his palm.

That sight was so cute.

“Ahem. Inevitably, one representative will have to come out and kick.”

The final showdown was narrowed down to Seung-jun and Yun-dong.

“Okay, start!”

Seung-jun easily scored a goal, and Yun-dong missed, hitting the goalpost with too much force.

That’s how Si-ha’s team won.

“Waaa!”

The children jumped up and down, shouting as if they had won the championship.

“Okay, okay. It’s not over yet. Only one game is over.”

But that voice didn’t reach Si-ha’s team.

They were just enjoying the victory.

***

-And back to the present.

I asked Si-ha.

“What did you do so well?”

Si-ha opened his mouth.

“Si-ha hyung did! Pow pow did!”

“???”

Yeah. Your words have increased, but why is your explanation still like that?

Anyway, Si-ha was cute.