Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 289

Slumps arrive suddenly, without warning.

Actually, there are signs.

Everyone’s experienced that slight tickle in the throat that turns into a full-blown sore throat the next day, right?

But for a creative person, a slump isn’t caused by a physical ailment or a virus.

Ironically, it’s the creation itself that’s the cause.

More precisely, it’s from expending too much mental energy.

You could say it was a severe case of burnout.

“Hoo. I don’t want to do anything. Even though I’m already doing nothing.”

Shin Changmin, a student in the Department of Theater and Film, was rolling around in bed.

He’d poured all his energy into the last semester and was now resting.

Well, it’s been a while. He needs to write a screenplay, but nothing comes to mind.

“This is driving me crazy. Is this really a slump?”

He doesn’t think of himself as lazy, but if ideas don’t come, there’s nothing he can do.

Even if he wakes up early, his mind is blank.

Watching movies doesn’t make his heart flutter.

As this sense of powerlessness dragged on, he became anxious for no reason, and the feeling that he might be unnecessary crept in.

“Ugh.”

He reluctantly got up and sat in front of the computer.

Unable to just sit still, he turned on YouTube.

Some might say it’s a waste of time, an escape.

But inspiration can strike at any moment, so he had to watch or listen to something.

“I want to smash everything.”

The sudden urge was something everyone must have felt.

Shin Changmin clicked the mouse in front of the computer.

He started typing keywords like [smash everything] and [burn it all down] in the search bar.

Usually, videos of real destruction or burning news stories pop up.

He clicked on anything and watched, and it was amazing how the YouTube algorithm worked.

Several related videos were recommended.

“Huh? Spring has come? Judging by the title, it doesn’t seem to be about burning or smashing things?”

It just looks like a drawing, but he’s intrigued.

He clicked on it with the mouse.

The video and subtitles appeared, and music played.

Shin Changmin listened intently to the lyrics and watched the subtitles.

Click. He rewound it and watched the drawing and lyrics again.

Click. Rewind again… Click. Rewind again… Click. Rewind… Click. Again… Click. Click. Click.

He rewound it several times and let out a long sigh.

“Wow…….”

Fireworks exploded in his head.

As if possessed, he typed in the comment section. And then he realized. He needed permission for his comment to be posted.

“Ah. Seriously. This is amazing.”

He rubbed his face and stared at the screen.

His eyes were clear, unlike before.

He had finally awakened from the slumber of his slump.

***

March arrived, with flowers blooming.

It was the time when college students also started their new semester, but this semester’s course registration was very relaxed.

He didn’t need to take many classes. What does that mean?

He only needed to take one major course in the second semester, and he had almost completed all his general education requirements, so as a senior, he could work a lot.

The game translation work was almost finished.

Since it only needed to be translated into Japanese in the first place, it was a peaceful job, and he was well paid.

He felt good that the work he had already done was now turning into money.

It was originally something he did with passion, but thanks to doing it in advance, he had the opportunity to get paid for it.

NM’s team leader, Ahn Hyuntae, said.

-The translation costs are coming from the government, so it’s good to receive them when you can! It’s not the company’s money or my money anyway.

He gave me a thumbs up.

Well, it pricked my conscience a little, but it wasn’t like I didn’t do the translation.

I translated it into English, Japanese, Chinese, German, and so on, so the amount came in strong at once.

Originally, the company should have handled it and distributed it.

But since I was alone and affiliated with NM under contract, they would take a percentage, but either way, I received a lot as an individual.

‘I should translate Season 2 too.’

Season 1 had better-than-expected sales.

They were going to use that money to proceed with Season 2.

Of course, Season 2 has nothing to do with the government’s support project.

It meant that the Kyung Trio’s own money would be used for development costs.

‘There shouldn’t be any problems.’

From Season 2 onwards, the Kyung Trio would have to pay me for the translation costs.

In fact, they should pay me more if you include the scenario fee, but they said they would invest that money in Season 2.

Asking for a 5% cut of Season 2’s sales.

Surprisingly, the three readily agreed.

I was happy too. After all, I wrote it with passion, but it came back as unexpected money.

Of course, I’ll get the translation fee. The scenario fee is an exception.

Well, you know. It’s the first one I wrote, and it seems a bit lacking.

I thought of it as exceptional money.

The Kyung Trio seemed touched, saying they were cheering on our next project like this!

Uh… that’s not it… I was just planning to get paid handsomely for the translation fee…….

Of course, I only thought this in my head.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend]. What are you doing?”

Siha stuck to my leg.

“Hyung. Are you cooking? Are you very hungry?”

“I’ll ask Siha’s tummy! Tummy, tummy. Are you hungry? Did you growl? Didn’t you? That’s weird? Siha is hungry. It didn’t growl, but I’m hungry.”

Siha rubbed his tummy and shook it in circles.

So, you’re saying you’re hungry?

“Wait a little bit. Hyung made something delicious today.”

“What is it?”

“Kimchi stew!”

“Kimchi?”

Siha made a V with his fingers.

I’m not talking about saying Kim~chi~ when taking a picture!

“It’s making a soup with edible kimchi [fermented Korean cabbage]. We also put meat and tofu in it.”

“Green onions!”

“Yeah. Green onions!”

“Rice cake soup! Do you put rice cakes in it too?”

“You’re serious about rice cake soup…….”

Wait? If you put kimchi instead of rice cakes, it’s kimchi stew, right? Yeah. That’s right.

Actually, when you look at the way it’s cooked, there isn’t much difference.

“You’ll probably be surprised when you eat it? Hyung’s kimchi stew is really delicious!”

Actually, I don’t usually make spicy dishes.

Siha can eat spicy food well, but if I give him too much, his butt might catch fire or his stomach might hurt.

I’m trying to be as careful as possible about that.

“Now that Siha is 4 years old, he can eat kimchi stew deliciously! He can eat a lot of spicy things too!”

“That’s right! Siha is 4 years old. I can eat a lot of spicy things. I can eat chili peppers too.”

Being 4 years old was great. He can even eat spicy chili peppers!

Even so, let’s avoid bird’s eye chilies. Yeah!

“Really? You can eat chili peppers too?”

“Ah ah! Siha is all grown up.”

If 4 years old is all grown up, how much bigger will he be when he’s 5 years old?

What exactly is 4 years old?

It feels like a philosophical question.

“Then can I check if you can eat chili peppers today?”

“Yes! Yes!”

Siha put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tummy.

He’s very confident.

“Okay. So, Hyung prepared it. A huge king pepper!”

I prepared an Anaheim pepper that was a little bigger than my hand.

This won’t be very spicy.

But being big can give children the impression of being incredibly strong.

Originally, small peppers are the spicy ones.

Siha didn’t know that.

“It’s so big!”

“It’s huge!”

“It looks spicy!”

“It’s amazing!”

Siha swallowed hard.

Before I knew it, the hands that were on his hips were politely gathered.

Suddenly he went from arrogant to polite?!

“It’s the boss pepper. Siha, will you eat it?”

“Yeah. Siha is 4 years old now, so he has to eat this.”

“Hyung too?”

Hehehe. He’s trying to drag me in so he doesn’t have to eat it, but it won’t work.

“Of course. Hyung is Red Hyung, so I can just eat it?”

I took a big bite of the Anaheim pepper.

Um. It’s delicious. It’s crunchy and has a slightly sweet taste.

Freshness fills my mouth.

I’m glad I bought it because it’s not spicy.

“Hyung. You’re amazing!”

“Hahaha!”

I wonder why he says I’m amazing for this. I suddenly feel a sense of reality. What am I doing right now?

“Oh! Siha. The kimchi stew is done. Can you put this pepper on the table in the living room?”

“Ah ah.”

Siha took the Anaheim pepper and ran to the living room.

He looked around and then put it under the table and hid it.

It seems he was overwhelmed by the majesty of the giant pepper.

I pretended not to notice and scooped the kimchi stew into a bowl and brought it over.

We started eating.

“Huh? Where did the pepper go?”

“Where did it go?”

Siha also pretended not to know and looked around.

He took out his Tamagotchi from his pocket.

“Did Ppiyaki eat it? Does he eat peppers too?”

“Puhup. There’s no way Ppiyaki would eat it.”

“Did Pipi eat it?”

“He can’t eat something that big?”

“Who took it?”

I watched Siha pretending not to know.

I looked under the table.

“Ah! It’s here!”

“I found it!”

“Why are you saying you found it? Siha hid it, right?”

“No. The pepper grew legs and hid here.”

There’s no way there’s a pepper like that.

No, even if there was, wouldn’t it be too gross?

“Then shall we eat the pepper? Siha?”

“Siha wants to eat kimchi stew, not pepper!”

“Then it’s very delicious if you eat this with meat.”

Siha’s pupils trembled.

Hehehe. I should stop teasing him now.

“Then shall we eat the kimchi stew first?”

“Ah ah!”

Slurp.

“It’s delicious!”

“Puhup! Eat the meat too. With kimchi.”

He munched the kimchi and meat in his mouth. And then he put a big spoonful of rice in too.

His cheeks looked like they were about to burst.

I watched with a satisfied smile and then cut the pepper slightly and put it in his mouth after he had eaten everything.

“Here. Meat.”

“Ah~”

Crunch crunch.

“?”

“You ate the pepper?”

“Isn’t it spicy?”

“Wow. Siha ate the pepper too, he’s amazing!”

“!!!”

Crunch crunch.

He seemed surprised that it wasn’t as spicy as he thought.

It’s because it’s an Anaheim pepper. Don’t eat peppers anywhere else later?

Siha’s reaction was so funny that my stomach was full just watching him.

While we were eating breakfast so deliciously, the phone rang.

“Hello?”

「Oppa [term used by a younger woman to address an older brother or male friend]! Oppa!」

It was Seo Suhyun.

“Why?”

「It’s totally awesome! We got an amazing offer.」

“What is it?”

「There’s a Department of Theater and Film at our school, right? You know?」

“I know.”

「There’s a theater club in the Department of Theater and Film. It’s called ‘Sunrise.’ It’s famous.」

“I don’t know if it’s famous, but I know it to some extent.”

It’s a club that earns money and develops skills by performing plays in Daehakro [a district in Seoul known for its theaters and performing arts].

You could say it’s a theater company.

Anyway, it’s registered as a department club, but it’s quite well-known.

They said that the scenarios written by the students in the Department of Theater and Film in the past two years have been quite successful.

Of course, the content of the plays in the past two years was the same.

What was it called again? Ah!

“Therapy Trip…….”

「Yes! I thought it was a completely healing story, but it was a desperate story of fighting an illness.」

“Isn’t it a hopeful story?”

「Like. They’re trying to live the rest of their lives positively, but it’s something that’s sad from the viewer’s perspective.」

“That’s true. Ah, so why is that?”

「Do you happen to know the name of the screenwriter who wrote that?」

“No. I don’t know?”

It may be unfortunate, but people remember the name of the work more than the name of the writer.

I just saw Therapy Trip advertised on a poster while walking around the university.

It was posted in the past two years, so of course I remember it.

「His name is Shin Changmin. The song we sang this time, you know.」

“Yeah.”

「He wrote a scenario with that, and he was wondering if it would be okay if he could get permission?」

“Huh?”

「It seems like the storyline is going similarly.」

“What do you mean he already wrote it and is getting permission?”

「I heard he was in a slump and then it hit him hard, so he wrote it all out?」

“Ah, I thought so.”

I thought he wrote it knowing that he would definitely get permission and was asking.

It seems like it was a misunderstanding.

“Umm.”

「Of course, a play is something that sells tickets commercially, but everyone is said to be working for passion pay.」

“I guess so.”

It’s not a movie or a drama, it’s a play.

In fact, I’ve heard that the theater scene is difficult, and in some ways, it’s not easy because it’s a club activity.

Wouldn’t the purpose be to develop skills rather than money?

“Then tell him to put my name in the scenario. I think it would be okay if I just indicated my permission?”

「Oh! That’s a good idea. Ah! They said they could give you a little bit of the scenario fee, but not a lot?」

I don’t know if they’re taking out money that they don’t have.

Well, there’s no reason to refuse if they’re giving me even a little bit.

“Well, tell them I understand.”

「Yap yap [Korean slang for “okay, okay”].」

Anyway, it was a song without any lines, and I could roughly predict how the plot would proceed.

I was looking forward to seeing how the story and background would be added to the penguin, not the human, protagonist.

「Anyway, are you going to grant this request?」

“Yeah. Well… it’s nothing much, so I guess I will.”

「Still, there are copyrights.」

“It’s not something that makes a lot of money. I hope the play does well and the video gets a lot of views.”

「Ah! That’s right! There was another request.」

“But where did you get the request from?”

「That person is from Kang In University, so they contacted me through my channel through connections. A friend of a friend of a friend? Like that?」

“Ah, that’s right.”

The world is so small. So small.

“So, what’s the request?”

「They were wondering if Sihapepe could make a poster? They said they would pay for it…….」

“?”

Well… the person might be a penguin, not a human, so can you ask if that’s okay?