Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 267

Hyung, Am I Cute? 267

A big holiday is coming soon.

For children, every day is a day to play hard, regardless of such things.

Playing at daycare, playing at home.

Only the location changes, but what they do isn’t much different.

“Hyung. Wake up! Wake up!”

“Why…….”

“Huh?”

“It’s dawn?”

“Wake up! Wake up!”

Why is Siha such a morning person?

Actually, wouldn’t being an evening person be better? What reason is there to wake up so early?

But it can’t be helped.

Lee Siha is an early bird, a child of the new nation.

“Hyung. If you wake up, something amazing is going to happen, are you okay with that?”

“!!!”

The hand patting the blanket changed to a rapid ‘tatatatak’.

Knocking very quickly.

Oops. It seems I’ve piqued Siha’s curiosity.

I was actually trying to scare him…….

I guess I chose the wrong words.

“Going!”

“Going!”

I kicked the blanket upwards.

Flap.

Grabbed his hand and pulled him down, covering Siha and me, blocking the light.

“Huh?”

“Siha!”

I hugged him tightly and rolled around.

When my back hit the wall with a thud, I started acting with great passion.

“Ugh!”

Thud.

I lowered my head and pretended to faint.

“Hyung?”

“Snore-”

“Wake up. Wake up.”

Since when have you become so heartless?

Hyung. I fainted, you know?

I mumbled just in case.

“Faint. Faint.”

“Siha knows hyung isn’t faking it.”

“How did you know?”

“Siha is four years old, so I know everything.”

“What’s so special about being four years old?”

Whenever I do something, he says he knows everything because he’s four years old.

Is he unlocking some amazing four-year-old ability that I don’t know about? Is that it?

Like those novels where gates appear [referring to portal fantasy stories].

Or where I level up alone [a common trope in progression fantasy].

“Okay. I should get up. Siha, will you wash up? You’re four years old, so you can do it alone now, right?”

“Huh? No. That’s five years old.”

“What’s the standard for that?”

“I have to wash with hyung.”

“I see.”

I wonder if he’ll change his mind again when he turns five.

After washing and eating, we headed to daycare.

I turned on the music in the car.

“Siha, I’ve attached the emoticon file and applied. It will probably be released after the review.”

“Really? Siha is making money again?”

“Yeah. A lot. More than hyung.”

“Really?”

“Really, really.”

The first month’s income he received far exceeded mine.

I hope Siha saves it well and uses it well later.

Maybe Siha is in the top 1% of his age group?

Of course, excluding those born with a silver spoon who inherit wealth.

There are probably very few three-year-olds who earn money on their own without any capital.

“Hyung. I’ll give you pocket money.”

“Okay. Thanks. Ah! Come to think of it, the day to give me pocket money is coming.”

“Huh?”

Siha tilted his head as if there had never been such a day.

***

At the daycare center, the teacher watched the children.

As if the factions had never happened, they were now finding stability and getting along well.

“Everyone! Does anyone know what day is coming up soon?!”

“Me!”

Jongsu raised his hand first.

“Yes, Jongsu.”

“New Year’s Day!”

“That’s right. It’s New Year’s Day. Does everyone know what New Year’s Day is?”

“I know! We bow to our grandparents. We meet adults too.”

“Yes. It’s a day when the new year comes, and we give each other blessings and New Year’s pocket money.”

Siha perked up his ears at the word pocket money.

“Pocket money?”

“Why? Does Siha want to receive pocket money too? Then you have to learn how to bow [a traditional Korean bow called ‘sebae’].”

“Bow?”

“Yes. Okay! Today we’re going to learn how to bow. We only do it once to grandparents. Okay, let’s follow along?”

But it wasn’t easy.

Everyone already knew it, so they weren’t easily interested.

The teacher smiled wryly.

“Okay! Everyone, have fun!”

Seungjun said.

“Teacher. It’s not fun!”

“We already know everything?”

The teacher shook her head as if she couldn’t help it.

“Since you guys aren’t listening, I have no choice but to entrust it to an expert. Teacher! Please come out!”

“Hehehe.”

The grandfather came out in a hanbok [traditional Korean clothing], with his hands behind his back.

Behind him, a switch moved back and forth.

The children’s eyes widened.

“It’s Santa the magician!”

“Ah! Grandpa.”

“Ahhh! Grandpa!”

The grandfather stroked his attached beard.

“You rascals! Who’s not listening to the teacher!”

The scolding continued.

But they were the tough daycare kids.

“Me! Me!”

“Not at all! Not at all!”

“Grandpa!”

They were very confident children.

The grandfather was slightly embarrassed. They were much more energetic than he had expected.

He tapped the wall with the switch.

“You have to listen to the teacher. That’s how you receive a lot of New Year’s blessings. If you learn how to bow well today, the teacher will give you something good.”

The grandfather broke the switch, folded it, gathered it in his hand, and took out a cloth.

He put it on top, shook it, and pulled it out, and a card popped out.

“Wow!”

The children’s eyes widened.

“This teacher can do magic. I’ll give this magic card to those who do well.”

The children came and sat in front of the grandfather.

Looking at him with sparkling eyes.

“Then shall we see who bows well?”

Seungjun raised his hand first.

“Me! Me!”

“Okay. Seungjun. How do you bow?”

“Like this!”

Seungjun bowed once. He stood up and bowed again.

The grandfather’s face changed awkwardly.

“Ahem. You only bow once to the living.”

“But you do it twice in front of the memorial tablet!”

“That’s for our ancestors. It’s like saying, ‘Please eat well and take good care of our family.'”

Siha asked a question.

“Ancestor what?”

“Hmm.”

He pondered how to explain it well.

“They’re Siha and hyung’s grandfathers and grandmothers. A lot of them!”

“Why?”

“Well, there’s your grandfather’s mom and dad, and your grandfather’s grandfather. Anyway, there are so many.”

“Grandpa’s grandpa’s grandpa…. Huh?”

In Siha’s head, the grandfather in front of him was splitting into several people.

Like using a clone technique, countless faces were floating around.

“Mana!”

“Oh! You understood! There are many ancestors.”

“Red ancestor. Very strong.”

“That’s right. Very strong.”

Siha thought he was bowing to a huge grandfather and grandmother.

Everyone was chuckling, laughing.

If someone saw inside his head, they would have said it was bizarre.

“Then will Siha try it too? You say, ‘Happy New Year’ while bowing.”

“Ahhh!”

Siha knelt down and bowed.

“Hapy New Year.”

“That’s right. Good job. If you bow like this, your grandparents will give you pocket money.”

“Why?”

“They give it to you to buy delicious snacks. Haha.”

Seungjun blinked.

“No, they always say mom saves it!”

“Oh, really? They’ll give it back to you later.”

“No, they always say mom is busy when I ask to see it!”

“Hehehe.”

The grandfather just gave an embarrassed laugh.

“It must have all gone into Seungjun’s belly.”

“Huh?”

Seungjun rubbed his belly.

Siha next to him drew a circle on his belly.

“Siha belly. Pocket money gone? Did it?”

“Okay, everyone seems to know how to bow well, so I have to give this gift. Hmm. What should I do? There’s only one magic card. Teacher Yoo Dahee. Is there no way?”

Teacher Yoo Dahee confidently brought something out.

“There’s always a way. We can give the card gift to the person who wins the game in this box.”

What she took out of the small box was Yut Nori [a traditional Korean board game].

It was a natural way to teach them traditional games related to New Year’s Day.

After a brief explanation, the game began.

The teams were also divided.

Team 1: Siha, Seungjun, Hana, Yeonju.

Team 2: Jongsu, Jaehui, Yundong, Eunwoo.

It was now an obvious team arrangement.

Jongsu held the yut sticks [four wooden sticks used in Yut Nori].

“Then I’ll go first.”

“Ahhh.”

The four yut sticks flew into the sky and fell.

Clack. Clack.

They mixed and rolled below.

Two were flipped over.

Siha looked at Jongsu and shouted.

“Dog! Jongsu is a dog. Dog!”

Siha shouted excitedly, knowing what it was.

“Yeah. That’s right, but why do I feel so bad?”

It felt strange because of Siha’s pronunciation.

Next, Siha came out and threw the yut sticks.

“Geol!” [a result in Yut Nori]

Advance three spaces.

They took turns throwing, creating a pretty exciting situation.

A fight to eat and be eaten broke out, and they ran far away.

When it came back to Jongsu’s hand after another round, it became a very important moment.

“Siha. If a yut comes out, you’ll get eaten there.”

“Siha know.”

“Yut come out. Yut!” [the best result in Yut Nori]

Jongsu threw it into the sky with the hope of winning just this once.

Roll roll.

“Wow! It’s a yut!”

“Huh? Jongsu. It’s 엿.엿 [yeot, a type of Korean taffy].”

“???”

“Siha say. Jongsu eat 엿.”

“Huh? You mean yut?”

“Ahhh.”

Jongsu awkwardly changed his words.

He clearly won, but he felt like he was being insulted.

“Okay, one more time! Do it again! Do!” [another result in Yut Nori]

If a do came out, he could cut across.

Unfortunately, what came out was a dog.

“Jongsu. Dog. Dog.”

“I know that!”

Jongsu’s pace was strangely faltering.

***

While picking up Siha, I thought about New Year’s Day.

We don’t do anything special at home.

We haven’t held ancestral rites or memorial services for quite a while.

Originally, my father should have done it, but due to family circumstances, we just got rid of it.

‘Did my father…. resent my grandfather?’

I’ve never heard about it.

I could hardly find any detailed stories about my grandfather in my childcare diary.

It came out very occasionally.

Of course. Because it’s a childcare diary.

Maybe it’s just a diary with childcare in it.

‘Gambling, huh.’

He left debts due to gambling, always caused accidents and needed money, and there was money going out every month.

I know my father always had a hard time because of my grandfather.

He didn’t show it.

Sometimes I heard him talking on the phone at night.

Begging him not to cause any more trouble. To stay in the hospital for a while.

It was only later that I found out that my grandfather had even gone to a hospital to treat alcohol addiction.

When he was kicked out of the hospital for violating the three-strike rule, I saw my grandfather’s face for the first time in a long time.

Only a pitiful human remained…. How could he be so broken…. I could only think.

Perhaps he was the target of resentment for my father.

‘Memorial service [ancestral rites].’

It would be strange to start holding it again now.

Still, it wouldn’t be bad to show Siha a Korean tradition like a memorial service once.

‘Grandfather said not to hold it after he passed away.’

Just looking at that fact, I could see how much my father resented my grandfather.

Perhaps the absence of my mother also played a part.

“Siha.”

“Huh? Hyung!”

Siha ran to me and hugged me.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Siha did good. I did 엿play.”

“엿? Are you talking about 엿치기 [yeot-chigi, a game where you break yeot]?”

“No. 엿play. Like this.”

“Ah! Ah! Yut Nori?”

“Ahhh!”

Siha. Be careful with your pronunciation. What is 엿play.엿play.

“Did you learn a lot about New Year’s Day?”

“Siha know. Go to relative house. Relative house. Gather all. Do 엿play.”

“That’s right. Relatives.”

This is also unfortunate.

Originally, we should have gone to my aunt’s house, but now we’ve cut ties.

I didn’t go during Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] either, so what would I say and what would I hear if I went this New Year’s Day?

Because I can’t take back the words I heard at the funeral.

If I go, it’s obvious that it will be 엿play, just like Siha said.

“Siha. We don’t have relatives.”

“Why?”

“I guess I don’t have good relative luck.”

“Huh? Relative didn’t get happy new year?”

“Pfft. I guess they haven’t received a lot of New Year’s blessings every year. Really.”

My father’s side was too messed up to go, and my mother’s side was divorced so I couldn’t go.

I heard that my stepmother’s side also had her maternal grandfather and grandmother pass away.

So, we were really left alone during New Year’s Day and Chuseok.

“Let’s have fun on New Year’s Day.”

I’m not lonely because I have Siha.

Why, it’s good. I don’t have to hear things like when will you get a job? When will you get married? It’s good.

“Ahhh. Hyung. Siha got magic card.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Siha won 엿play.”

“Yut Nori, right? If you win this, you get a magic card?”

“Ahhh.”

“Wow. Our Siha is a genius at Yut Nori. Genius.”

At that time, the grandfather quietly came out of the door.

“Oh? Hello. Grandpa.”

“Hehehe. Um.”

The grandfather scratched the end of his eyebrow with his finger and felt awkward.

“Actually, I didn’t mean to listen, but.”

“Yes? Ah!”

“If you have nowhere to go on New Year’s Day, would you like to come to my house?”

“Yes?”

“I hold a memorial service alone. Hehehe. I thought it would be good for Siha to experience it too. Isn’t that why you’re a little worried?”

“Ah, that’s right…….”

I tilted my head, wondering if it was okay.

“But your son doesn’t hold it?”

“My son?”

“Yes. I heard your son got married last time.”

“Ahhh. He doesn’t hold it. For religious reasons. Ahem.”

“Ah, I see.”

I blinked at the fact that he was understanding that far.

“Then excuse me. Ah! If there’s anything I can help you with the food, I’ll help you.”

“I buy most of it, so it’s okay. The only thing I make is Donggeurangttaeng [small, round savory pancakes]. What.”

“I’ll do that! Siha will have fun making this kind of food too.”

Siha pulled on my pants.

“Hyung. Donggeurangttaeng! Fun!”

“You haven’t done it before.”

“Name fun! But what is Donggeurangttaeng?”

“There’s something very delicious.”

The grandfather smiled and said.

“It’s going to be a lively New Year’s Day for the first time in a while.”

“Your son isn’t coming on New Year’s Day?”

“That guy comes to say hello after New Year’s Day is over.”

“Ah ha.”

There are people like that.

Siha looked at the grandfather’s expression and seemed to feel something unpleasant.

“Grandpa.”

“Huh?”

“You rascal! Do it. You rascal!”

“Puhahaha!”

“Punish. Punish.”

When did he learn that again.

Anyway, he’s cute.