Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 278

“Hyung, aren’t I cute?” (278/500)

Seo Su-hyeon was slightly troubled.

Should she just send the chocolate as a gift certificate? Or should she buy it herself and deliver it in person?

The former seemed insincere, like she was just throwing it at him and saying, “Here, eat this!”

The latter would clearly show that she had feelings for him.

That’s why it was difficult.

It would have been easier to give him the chocolate at the start of the semester, but unfortunately, college students didn’t have classes until March.

It felt too embarrassing to go and give it to him now, on February 14th.

“Hmm.”

She tried to come up with excuses in her head.

To meet him casually and pull off the ‘I just picked this up’ strategy.

Like, ‘I just happened to be passing by. It’s Valentine’s Day today, and you haven’t received anything, have you? Here, eat this. My friends kept giving me chocolates today, but I’m on a diet.’

She recited those lines in her head, trying not to make any mistakes.

“Hoo. I wonder if he’s here?”

She looked around the cafe that Si-hyeok had been frequenting since last year, but he wasn’t there.

Then there was only one possibility left.

That he was in an empty classroom at school.

Graduate students always came to the lab, so there were open classrooms.

The department office also kept a few classrooms open for students.

Because there were students who studied in classrooms rather than the library.

Still, who would come to school during such a nice vacation?

Even if they were studying, they would do it at a cafe or library.

‘Oppa will be there.’

Only someone like Lee Si-hyeok would be tapping away at a laptop in an empty classroom.

‘Is he here?’

She saw the open door and didn’t think he would be there, but she heard a voice.

“Ah! You were here, Si-hyeok oppa.”

“Huh?”

Seo Su-hyeon peeked through the crack in the door and watched the two of them.

It was one of her classmates who was going into her senior year.

She leaned against the wall for no reason, unable to go in, and hesitated.

In the meantime, she heard voices.

“Wow. What’s this heart chocolate? Who did you get it from?”

“Ah, this?”

What? Someone already gave him chocolate?!?

“The daycare gave it to me. One per person.”

“Ah! The daycare. Si-hyeok oppa’s younger sibling goes there, right?”

“Yeah.”

Seo Su-hyeon sighed in relief at Si-hyeok’s words.

What? Hana gave him the chocolate. For a second there, she thought someone had given it to him so blatantly with a heart.

Tada, tada, tada.

She heard the sound of a keyboard being typed.

It seemed like they were just exchanging greetings and then working.

“Ahem.”

“Why?”

“No. If someone comes, you should at least look at them.”

“I already saw you and said hello. Aren’t you here to study? Study.”

“Ah. This oppa really has no sense. Why do you think I came here? It’s Valentine’s Day, so I came to give you chocolate.”

“What?”

“Here, take this chocolate.”

“This…….”

“Yes. That’s right. I like oppa. I’ve actually been watching you, and I think you’re a really good person and you’re good to your younger sibling…….”

Seo Su-hyeon swallowed.

There were friends who said that Lee Si-hyeok was somewhat decent.

But she never imagined that they would confess like this.

“Will you go out with me?”

“…….”

“Why? Aren’t I good enough?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have the headspace to date anyone right now. It would be more accurate to say that I don’t have the bandwidth.”

“Wouldn’t that change if we started dating?”

Seo Su-hyeon heard Si-hyeok sigh outside.

The sound of the keyboard stopped.

“A girlfriend. She has to be the number one priority in my heart. But I can’t do that right now. Si-ha is my number one priority. I’ll think about my younger sibling before I think about you. Then you’ll be upset about that. It’s obvious that things will go wrong, so why should we date?”

“…….”

“It’s not good for either of us. If my heart is less focused on Si-ha, the kids will notice quickly because they’re sensitive. They’ll feel lonely…. I’m talking too much. I’m sorry. I don’t have the bandwidth.”

“I see.”

Seo Su-hyeon felt a pang in her heart, even though it wasn’t directed at her.

“This chocolate.”

“Just eat it, oppa. It’s weird if I take it with me.”

“I guess so?”

“Yes. And next time, just reject them. Say sorry! I don’t like you! Oh, I’m not saying I’m going to confess again. I’m just saying that if you say it indirectly like that, they might think, ‘Oh, do I have a chance?'”

“I’m sorry if it sounded like that.”

“Wow. This oppa is even confirming the kill. Anyway, I understand. Work hard.”

Seo Su-hyeon quickly ran away from that spot.

She opened the door to the next classroom and went inside.

“Oh. Okay. You too.”

She closed the door, hearing Si-hyeok’s awkward voice.

Tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps faded away.

She looked at the chocolate in her hand and sighed.

Wouldn’t it be very strange to give it to him at this timing?

Her head was complicated, but she couldn’t not give it to him since she had come all the way here.

She was a coward, but she had to take a little courage to open up the possibility.

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

She stood in front of the next classroom with a smile on her face.

Bang.

“Wow! You were here after all?”

“Huh? What is it.”

“What do you mean? I came to give you some charity because I thought oppa wouldn’t get any chocolate today.”

Si-hyeok shook the two chocolates placed on the desk.

“Who did you get them from?”

“One from Hana and the other from a friend.”

“Ah, a friend. You must have received it from a guy.”

“Why do you only think my friends are guys? Huh?”

“I don’t know the gender, but aren’t oppa’s friends actually Si-ha’s friends?”

“That’s too much, really. Did you come here today just to tease me?”

“Hahaha. Still, I bought this, so eat it. I’m giving it to you because I’m stopping by the school today, so consider yourself lucky.”

Seo Su-hyeon gave Si-hyeok the chocolate she had bought.

It was chocolate in a round plastic container.

Good to eat when you’re bored.

“Wow. Cacao 99%.”

“Do you hate it?”

“No. I thought you were going to give me that chocolate frog from the movie Harry Potter.”

“This oppa is really. Do you think I’m a frog maniac?”

“Well, cannibalism is too much. Right?”

“This oppa is trying to tease me whenever he gets the chance.”

Si-hyeok chuckled and shook the chocolate.

The sound of rattling came from inside.

“It’ll be good to eat one when I’m feeling down. Anyway, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“You have to give me back that much on White Day [a day celebrated on March 14th, one month after Valentine’s Day, when people who received gifts on Valentine’s Day reciprocate]. Got it?”

“Hey! Take it back. I’m not eating it.”

“How stingy.”

“Who’s stingy? Who! That’s why there’s a saying, ‘a frog in a well.'”

“Why is that coming out! You just can’t stand not teasing me with frogs!”

“Can’t stand it? You’re talking informally?”

“…Yo!”

“Puh-huh. I’m kidding.”

“Yes. I’m kidding too. Work hard! Frog is leaving.”

“Goodbye, Frog Su-hyeon.”

Seo Su-hyeon thought as she closed the door.

A dark chocolate gift.

Sweet yet bitter, it tells her that it’s right to treat him like this as usual.

It seemed to suit her, who was stuck in a stagnant zone and not being honest.

***

I rubbed my face with my hands.

I looked at the three chocolates on the desk.

I think I learned too many unexpected facts today.

To be confessed to.

I just felt sorry. No one likes being rejected.

But my answer wouldn’t change, so I told her honestly.

Would it have been better to be firm?

But just like she conveyed her feelings honestly, I also felt like I wanted to answer honestly.

I don’t have the bandwidth.

My capacity isn’t big enough to put someone else in my emotions.

I’m already worrying about how not to break what I have in my hands, so it would be too stressful to have more things to worry about.

I thought that loving someone wouldn’t be fun, but would give me a headache first.

‘That shouldn’t be the case.’

The very fact that I had that thought was proof that I couldn’t date her.

Even if I buttoned the first button correctly, I might not button the second or third button correctly.

How could I endure it if I didn’t start with good feelings? The aftermath is obvious.

“Hmm.”

I looked at the dark chocolate that Seo Su-hyeon gave me.

Clatter, clatter.

For some reason, that sound calms my mind. Like the sound of rain.

I opened the chocolate that Hana gave me and melted it in my mouth.

Valentine’s Day.

Whatever the background, it doesn’t seem like a good day in modern times.

It seems like it was a day with a lot of things for me.

I just want to see Si-ha now.

“Si-ha.”

“Hyung!”

Si-ha ran to me and hugged me.

I warmed myself with that warmth for a moment.

Ugh. I’m healed. Maybe other fathers gain strength while raising their children.

Of course, it takes a lot of effort too.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Si-ha ate a lot of chocolate.”

“Really?”

“Ah-ah.”

“If you eat too much, your teeth will hurt?”

“Ah?”

Si-ha widened his eyes as if to ask if it was true.

“A bad villain appears in your teeth and builds a house.”

“How?”

“He makes holes and builds a black house.”

“Dark chocolate!”

“Huh? It’s different from that?”

“Dark chocolate is bad.”

“But hyung got dark chocolate today?”

“Ah?”

When I showed him the cacao 99%, Si-ha’s pupils shook.

Is it that surprising?

“This is pretty good?”

“!!!”

I wanted to play a prank, so I put a chocolate in Si-ha’s mouth.

Si-ha frowned as he chewed.

“Not good…….”

“Puh-huh.”

“Dark chocolate is bad…….”

“Hehe. That’s the taste of an adult.”

“Si-ha won’t eat it even if he becomes an adult.”

That frowning face was so cute.

“If it’s not good, spit it out on hyung’s hand. Ptooey.”

“No.”

He didn’t want to spit it out on my hand even though it wasn’t good, so he frowned and ate it all.

“You eat well. Should I give you more?”

“No. Si-ha will give it to you.”

Si-ha put the chocolate in my mouth.

I ate it deliciously.

The bitter taste is familiar to me.

“Hyung. Is it good?”

“Yeah. Hyung thinks it’s good?”

Si-ha stared at the chocolate when I said that.

Should I try it again? He seemed to be thinking about that.

I stroked Si-ha’s head.

“Si-ha, only eat sweet things. Got it?”

“Why?”

“Just because. Hyung wants you to.”

The time will come when he will taste the bitter taste.

But maybe he will feel the sweetness in it, like the sweetness in this dark chocolate.

“Hyung. Let’s go quickly! Si-ha has to draw a picture. I have a good idea.”

“Oh, really?”

“Ah-ah.”

“Then shall we draw differently today?”

“Ah?”

I just smiled at Si-ha’s tilt.