Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 268

The day before Seol [Lunar New Year].

As promised, I arrived at Grandpa’s house with Siha.

The dogs greeted us, panting and wagging their tails.

Now they don’t even bark, as if they recognize our faces.

“Hello.”

“Hello!”

Grandpa opened the door and greeted us warmly.

“Hehehe. You came early. It’s dawn now.”

“It’s afternoon, though?”

“I’m just saying. Did you have lunch?”

“Yes. We ate before coming.”

As soon as we entered the yard, Siha ran to Chacha and petted it.

The dogs gathered around Siha, each receiving a touch.

“So cute~ Hyung [older brother/male friend]. The dogs are so cute~!”

I found Siha, squatting down, even cuter.

Being with the dogs, it’s a heaven of cute things.

“Shall we go for a walk?”

Woof woof!

The dogs wagged their tails, delighted.

Trying to go for a walk as they please. They’ve really become the masters.

“Siha. We’re not here to go for a walk today, are we?”

“Why?”

“We have to make ‘donggeurangttaeng’ [small, round pan-fried patties] today.”

“Ah-ko!”

Siha tapped his forehead.

“Siha will take you for a walk later.”

Woof woof.

Whether they understood Siha’s heart or not, the dogs just wagged their tails.

Did they really understand?

“Hehehe. It’s nice to see. Come on in.”

“Yes.”

Inside, all the ingredients were already prepared.

“Isn’t it just mixing these ingredients together?”

“That’s right. And shaping them too.”

“Hyung. Donggeurangttaeng?”

Siha’s eyes sparkled as if it looked fun.

I nodded and put plastic gloves on Siha’s hands.

“Siha. Okay. Let’s start?”

“Ung [yes].”

We mixed the ingredients Grandpa had prepared and kneaded them.

It takes quite a bit of strength.

“Okay, now make ‘donggeurangttaeng’ and put them on this tray.”

I showed him how to do it, and Siha made small, round shapes with his tiny hands and pressed them down.

“All done!”

“We have to do all of these here.”

“Mana [a lot]!”

“Yeah.”

Even if we only make enough to eat, it still comes out to a considerable amount.

While Siha and I were diligently making them, I wanted to show him something new.

“Siha. Look at this. We can make hearts too?”

“Ah? Heart! Siha wants to make something else too!”

“Okay. Try making one.”

Siha worked hard to make something.

The shape gradually formed.

“Star!”

“Oh! It’s a star. A star.”

Siha seemed happy and diligently made only stars.

It was a given that the work speed slowed down.

“Uh? But is it okay to just make star and heart shapes like this?”

“It’s all going to end up on the plate anyway. It’s not like we can’t eat them.”

Before we knew it, Grandpa came next to us and helped.

“Ah! We can do it all ourselves.”

“It’s good to do it quickly.”

“Still.”

With the three of us doing it, it was really done in no time.

We whisked the egg, dipped the patties, and started grilling them.

Sizzle.

Siha was right next to me, waiting for the star shapes he made to be fully cooked.

“Hyung. All done?”

“No. Not yet.”

While flipping them with a spatula, the head of a star shape fell off.

Thud.

Siha grabbed my shoulder and stomped his feet.

“Hyung. It broke! It’s not a star!”

“Sorry. Sorry. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Still, we managed to grill the stars somehow.

“Want to eat one?”

“Ung!”

“Okay. Blow on it a lot before you eat it.”

“Hoo! Hoo!”

He blew on it diligently and took a bite.

Chew chew.

“Mashisuh! [delicious]”

He shrugged his shoulders, feeling good.

He held out what he was eating to me.

“Hyung. Mashisuh. Eat.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Well, I’m used to it now. This much.

After putting the rest in my mouth, Grandpa’s skill was definitely no joke.

He always prepared it alone, so his cooking was excellent.

“Wow. It’s really delicious.”

“Hehehe. I’m glad you like it.”

We happily continued to grill the pancakes.

***

When performing ancestral rites or memorial services, I always have this thought.

When will I get up after bowing?

I prick up my ears and subtly get up with the adults when they get up.

And then bow once more.

“Hyung. What should I say when I bow?”

“Huh?”

“Make a wish?”

“Hmm. Shouldn’t you say, ‘Please enjoy your meal~’?”

“Ah ah. Eat a lot. I’ll give you a discount.”

“No. Shouldn’t you leave out the part about giving a discount?”

“Why? You have to pay.”

Oh? That’s right. If you eat the food, you have to pay.

If I say that, the ancestors might say, ‘How did I take care of you all this time…? Ungrateful fellows.’

Well, I hope they wouldn’t say that.

“It’s not a restaurant, so you don’t have to pay.”

“Eat a lot~ Should I give you more~”

“Pfft. Okay.”

Actually, I don’t think much while bowing.

Where am I? Who am I? It feels like that.

Siha seems curious about that.

Grandpa moves the spoons and pours the alcohol.

I pour the alcohol again next to him and place the cups.

“Siha, do you want to try it?”

Siha nods at Grandpa’s words.

“Then sit here.”

“Like this?”

Siha kneels like Grandpa.

He didn’t look dignified, just cute.

“Hyung will pour the alcohol for you here.”

“Drink it?”

“No. No. You’ll be in big trouble if you drink it. This is alcohol to give to Grandpa [the ancestors].”

“Drinking too much alcohol is not good.”

“Hehehe. That’s right.”

Where did he hear that knowledge from?

I never taught him that……

“Okay. Siha. Don’t drop it. Got it?”

“Siha knows. Saw it all.”

“Okay. Okay. Our Siha is smart.”

The cup is filled with alcohol.

“You have to turn it three times to the left here.”

“Like this?”

“Yeah.”

Flick flick.

He hands the cup to Grandpa, really having watched well.

“Now bow twice.”

“Ah ah.”

“Count to about ten and get up.”

Siha bows.

His butt is slightly lifted for some reason. I want to go and pat it.

“One, two, three, four.”

“Count in your head.”

I didn’t expect him to count out loud. Well, he’s cute, so wouldn’t the ancestors show a hearty laugh?

Ah, but they’re not our ancestors, but please watch over him. Ahem.

“All done.”

“Okay. Good job.”

Siha stuck to my leg.

“Now let’s turn off the lights in the room.”

The moment of bowing the longest.

Siha and I were quietly bowing.

Feeling a gaze, I slightly opened my eyes and saw Siha staring at me.

Knowing he was caught, he covered his eyes with his hands.

Does he think I can’t see him if he does that?

“Hyung. Ten passed.”

“Pfft. You have to stay like this for 30 seconds.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s nighttime now.”

“Ah ah. Night.”

Siha nodded.

“Sleep kooh kooh at night. Kooh kooh.”

It’s also ridiculous that he nods as if he understands well with this explanation.

It’s a very unfamiliar ancestral rite for Siha, but I’m glad he seems to be enjoying it quite a bit.

He might get scolded if it were a house that forces solemnity.

“Let’s finish now.”

The ancestral rite came to an end.

“Hyung. Fun. Amazing.”

“Really? If that’s the case, then it’s okay.”

It seems like it’s just a kind of play for Siha.

What should I say? A play like a ritual to make a wish to the well god?

“Ah! Siha. Should Hyung show you something amazing?”

“Moya? [What is it?]”

“Hyung can actually put out a fire with his fingers.”

“Ah?”

I gently rubbed my thumb and index finger together and approached the candle.

“Hyung. No. Hot.”

“Hehehe. Hyung is actually Red Hyung, so it’s not hot. Watch carefully.”

I grabbed the wick.

The fire went out in an instant.

Siha’s eyes widened. He must be incredibly amazed.

“Hyung. Gwaenchanha? [Are you okay?]”

“Of course. Should I put out another one?”

I grabbed and released the wick with my finger.

I could see the fire was out.

Good children shouldn’t follow this. It’s just an act of showing off.

“How is it? Amazing, right?”

“Amazing! Amazing!”

“Siha can do everything Hyung does when he grows up.”

“Really? Siha can do fire pabak! [sound effect for fire] with his hands?”

“Of course.”

Then Grandpa said.

“Now we have to clean up and eat.”

As expected, eating after the ancestral rites is the national rule.

***

After eating a delicious meal, Grandpa came with a lucky bag in his hand.

I don’t know when he prepared that again.

“Hehehe. Now everyone, bow once.”

“Siha. Shall we bow to Grandpa?”

“Si-hyeok has to do it too.”

“Yes? Me too?”

“Of course. Were you not going to do it? There are two lucky bags here too?”

“No. I’ll do it, but I don’t need the allowance [New Year’s money].”

Grandpa. I’m 24 years old.

Of course, I’m younger than Grandpa’s son, but I’m not old enough to receive New Year’s money.

“Just do it and take it. This grandpa doesn’t have that many places to spend money anyway. I’m the kind of person who enjoys giving money to my grandchildren.”

“Siha is one thing, but I’m not even a grandchild.”

“Ahem. Just take it. Because I want to give it to you.”

I didn’t expect to bow and receive New Year’s money like this this year.

Siha pulled on my pants.

“Hyung. Let’s go together.”

“Yeah. I knew you’d say that. Let’s do it.”

I bowed to Grandpa with Siha.

“Okay, this is for Siha, and this is for Hyung.”

“Thank you. Siha, you have to say thank you.”

“Harboji [Grandfather]. I love you~”

Grandpa burst out laughing at Siha’s words, which went even further.

“Uhehe. Thank you.”

I fiddled with the lucky bag.

I just felt strange. It felt like receiving an allowance from my father when I was young.

I took this and put it straight into the piggy bank.

Grandpa smiled and looked at me.

“If you’re still a college student, you’re old enough to receive an allowance.”

“Yes?”

“If your grandfather were here, he would have definitely given it to you. And of course, your father too.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

There was no need to say that my paternal grandfather probably wouldn’t have given me an allowance.

As far as I remember, I had never received one.

My father always had to give money to my grandfather.

It’s hard to call that amount an allowance.

“Thank you.”

“What.”

Rather, I was grateful for letting me feel the feeling of a grandson receiving an allowance from his grandfather.

I guess this is what it feels like.

If I were younger, I might have said I love you to Grandpa like Siha.

I might have hugged him.

I’ve grown too old to do that, but it was still good.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. Siha.”

“Siha got allowance. Halmunie [grandmother] is inside.”

“Yeah. Shin Saimdang [a famous Korean figure on the 50,000 won bill] is there?”

“Ah ah. It’s 50,000 won. 50,000 won. What about Hyung?”

“Hyung is the same as Siha.”

“Didn’t open it?”

“It’s not like you have to open it to know.”

It doesn’t matter how much is in here.

Grandpa’s heart alone is enough. So I didn’t bother opening it.

“Hyung. Hyung. Should Siha give Hyung allowance?”

“Huh?”

“Hyung. Bow. Bow.”

“What? Okay. I’ll bow. Give Hyung allowance.”

I accepted Siha’s words.

“Happy New Year.”

“Ah ah. Thank you~ Hyung also Happy New Year. Here’s allowance!”

“Oh my. Thank you.”

“Buy something delicious. Eat chicken. Chicken.”

“Yes. I will definitely eat chicken.”

Grandpa chuckled, finding what we were doing funny.

He seems to have a lot to laugh about today.

Well, I have a lot of lucky bags like this.

“Then Siha. Now do it to Hyung. Hyung will give you allowance.”

“Ah?”

“Why?”

“No. Siha gave allowance.”

“Hyung also wants to give allowance, but you won’t take it? Sniff sniff.”

Koong!

Siha made a shocked expression.

I said this because I couldn’t ignore Hyung’s heart like this.

“Hyung. Bow. Bow.”

Are you saying you’ll bow? Let’s talk with a subject.

“Hyung. Happy New Year.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“Ah ah. Thank you~ Buy something delicious.”

“Why are you telling me to buy something delicious when I’m giving you allowance?”

“Ah?”

Siha tilted his head.

With a sullen expression, I handed the lucky bag to Siha.

Wait. Is that Siha’s lucky bag?

They look the same, so I’m confused.

“Siha will open it~”

“You already opened it, why are you opening it again?”

“Have to open it!”

Siha opened the lucky bag.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Hyung. Money is mana-jyeo-sseo! [more]”

“Huh?”

“So much mana. More than three!”

“What?”

It seems like that’s my lucky bag.

How much is in there?

“Hyung. Amazing! Money is mana-jyeo-sseo. If I bow again, will there be more?”

If that were the case, wouldn’t people be exchanging bows all day?

“Let’s see how much it is.”

I was so surprised that I looked at Grandpa.