Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 29

A commotion broke out over ice cream, so we headed to the mart. It was a necessary trip anyway.

I’d been needing caffeine a lot lately because of my translation work, so I needed to buy coffee mix.

Maxim is the best coffee, after all.

When I said that, the foreign students nodded in agreement.

“I sent Maxim to my house in America before, and they loved it.”

Alissa also nodded at the words of the foreigner next to her.

“It’s too good to only have in Korea. It should be spread around the world!”

Someday, instant coffee mix might boost national prestige. Maybe it will become more well-known than it is in Korea?

“Siha, do you want to get some snacks?”

“Ah, ah. Hyung.”

Coming to the supermarket, it was a snack paradise.

I raised my index finger and gestured horizontally.

“Well! Should I buy everything from *there* to *there*? I *want* to say that, but pick just one.”

“Ah, ah.”

Siha stared intently at the snacks. He started to worry, pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand, like he learned it from somewhere.

The variety of snacks was overwhelming for Siha to choose from.

“Ah, ah. Hyung.”

“Huh? Did you choose?”

Siha chose a bag of potato-flavored chips.

“Let’s pick ice cream too.”

“Ah, ah.”

I picked up Siha and showed him the ice cream selection. He started to worry again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Hyung. That one.”

“Huh? Ah. Watermelon ice cream?”

“Ah, ah.”

I chose the same watermelon ice cream as Siha and paid. Siha held the bag.

“Do you like it that much? Enough to hold the bag?”

“Ah, ah. Like.”

I was glad that he was speaking more clearly these days. Soon, he would be able to say sentences well. Can I finally rest assured about his speech development?

“Then let’s go home quickly.”

“Ah, ah.”

“Now, you have to say goodbye to the older brothers and sisters [referring to the international students]. Bye-bye.”

“Ah, ah. Bye-bye.”

When Siha waved his little hand, the international students smiled and waved back. We parted ways and returned home.

Siha finished his ice cream on the way home and ran into the room.

Dodo.

“Siha, you need to wash up.”

“Ah, ah.”

I grabbed Siha and washed him thoroughly. Siha entrusted his body to me without any resistance.

Siha with a refreshed face. Me with a haggard face. I was very tired today.

“Drawing again?”

“Ah, ah. Hyung.”

“Okay. Let’s see what kind of picture you’re drawing today.”

I looked at Siha’s drawing.

The picture he was drawing today was of the snacks and coffee mix we bought at the mart, and the money I took out when paying. It had arms and legs, so I laughed. And he was shaking his feet while drawing; it was so cute.

I patted his butt without realizing it.

“Ah?”

“Hehe. I did it because you’re so cute.”

“Ah, ah.”

Does he know he’s cute? Or does he want to focus on drawing right now, so he turned his head? I don’t know, but it’s okay if Siha likes it. Well.

‘More than that, I need to upload these pictures? Hmm. How should I create the composition this time?’

I pondered for a moment, and then a good idea came to mind.

***

-KI Media.

Hong Jin-soo was looking at the report Lee Si-hyuk had sent. There were many interesting aspects.

The intuitive feedback from the international students. In fact, no matter how much I’ve read, as an editor, I’m too used to Korean culture. The same goes for others.

It was undeniable that there were many things we missed because we had seen too much.

“Let’s see.”

Summarizing the reactions of the international students:

[Attractive narrative]

[A story with a rich, deep flavor]

[The exhilarating taste of cutting down enemies]

[Intricately designed psychological warfare is also expected]

Looking at this alone, I nod in agreement that it seems like it will be a hit. The anxiety that had been creeping up until now was disappearing.

“As expected, Si-hyuk!”

Lee Si-hyuk. I want him. Lee Si-hyuk.

What should I do with this kid? How can I coax him to come over?

A natural-born editor!

No, an editor with perfect translation skills!

There are plenty of people who can translate. Having an editor with such abilities to coordinate will increase the efficiency of the translators. As I thought before, Lee Si-hyuk is a talent who shines when collaborating with someone.

Rich knowledge, the ability to sharply pinpoint the core.

It was a waste of talent to have him tied to the translation of one work. He could have spread his wings further…….

“So, he has to join KI Media. Yes.”

Section Chief Hong Jin-soo’s mind was all about KI Media. He was looking at the report with satisfaction when there was something strange in the link.

“What is this?”

It seemed that Lee Si-hyuk had accidentally attached the link while saving.

“Pixiv, isn’t that the place [a Japanese online community for artists]?”

Hong Jin-soo clicked on the site. The recently uploaded pictures appeared.

Title: A wise life of prison cell

1. Snack bag character drawing.

[Filled with nitrogen instead of snacks!]

2. Ice cream character drawing.

[The price goes up and the size gets smaller!]

3. Coffee mix character drawing.

[More sugar and cream than coffee beans!]

4. 1000 won bill character drawing.

[In my day! You could buy a lot of snacks!]

[Like] [Heart] [Share] […]

[siha.pepe.] [List of works]

#prison #4cutcartoon #Character

The eyes of the objects were marked with dots. The arms and legs were expressed with a single line, which was cute. What was even funnier was the title and the description below.

“Si-hyuk sees these funny things too. Huh? But the author’s name is familiar? Siha Pepe?”

Hong Jin-soo was lost in thought. The name Siha reminded him of Si-hyuk’s cute younger sibling.

‘No way. He’s only three years old…….’

Hong Jin-soo shook off his absurd thoughts. He just thought that Si-hyuk was watching this because he saw an account with the same name as Siha. That made the most sense.

“But this is fun.”

Hong Jin-soo pressed [Like] and [Heart] and looked at the comments.

-The drawing style is so cute ♡♡

-Did you personify the objects themselves now?

-The title is so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋ [Korean slang for ‘lol’]

-I have that experience too. All the snack companies sell us nitrogen!

-That’s right. We’re paying for nitrogen?!

-I’m curious, what is coffee mix?

-It’s instant coffee in Korea, and it’s really delicious! I went to the airport with a carrier full of it.

-I can relate to that money. Snacks used to be so cheap that you could buy a lot with 1 dollar.

Everyone was sharing their experiences as if they had a lot in common.

‘Hmm. Are there no Koreans?’

I wondered if there were no Koreans because it hadn’t been uploaded for long.

‘I can’t be the only one who knows about this fun thing!’

Hong Jin-soo uploaded the link to the KI Media group chat. He was a boss who knew how to enjoy a little fun.

Ting.

[CEO: Were you watching this instead of working?]

Hong Jin-soo accidentally uploaded the link to the room where the CEO was also present.

[Section Chief Hong: Occasional healing brings efficiency to work. I feel like I got caught by my mom when I was taking a break after studying. It’s a misunderstanding!]

[Section Chief Hong: (Hamster emoticon wiping tears)]

[CEO: …]

[CEO: Don’t act cute. (Stern)]

The bottom was covered with employees’ ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’.

***

-The next day. Daycare.

Today was the day the teacher read a picture book. I hoped the kids would like it as much as I had prepared.

“Okay, everyone! Today, the teacher is going to tell a story about The Little Mermaid.”

Then Seung-joon stood up and puffed out his chest.

“I know that!”

“I know it. I know it!”

Siha didn’t know this story, but Seung-joon puffed out his chest next to him. He claimed that he knew the story too.

The teacher smiled with satisfaction.

“Yes. It’s a very well-known story, but this is a special story that the teacher made! It’s called The Ballerina Mermaid!”

It was a story that the teacher had created originally. Hana’s eyes lit up as if she knew the word ballerina.

“Wow!”

Siha also looked at the teacher as if he was interested. The teacher took out a picture drawn on a large sketchbook.

“Okay, let’s start the story.”

The head teacher helped to focus the children’s attention in one place.

“Once upon a time, there lived a little mermaid.”

The first picture was a scene of the little mermaid watching a woman doing ballet.

“The princess, who happened to be outside, saw a ballerina.”

At that time, the head teacher played the song ‘Swan Lake’.

Ttan- dadadada dadan dadan dadan dadada dada.

“The ballerina dancing gracefully was so beautiful that the little mermaid wanted to have legs herself.”

The picture was turned over. A witch wearing a black robe appeared.

“The princess, who wanted to have legs, asked the best witch in the sea.”

“I want to have legs.”

“The witch said. Hehehe. If you get legs, you won’t be able to speak because of the curse.”

Hana shouted.

“No!”

The children who knew the story of the Little Mermaid shook their heads, telling her not to. But the teacher began to act even more realistically to that sight.

“The princess made a deal with the witch. She couldn’t speak and got legs.”

The sketchbook was turned over.

“The princess standing on the sea danced gracefully. The same dance as the ballerina. But!”

A picture of the prince seeing the princess.

“The prince saw the princess’s beautiful ballet. The prince, who fell in love right away, approached the princess, but he fell in.”

“Help, help. Ugh! Save me!”

“The princess gracefully jumped over the sea with her toes and saved the prince.”

“Thank you. May I know your name?”

“But the little mermaid couldn’t speak because of the witch’s curse. They had feelings for each other, but the little mermaid, who couldn’t speak, was so frustrated.”

The sketchbook was turned over. It was a scene where the prince was making a decision.

“If you can’t tell me your name, please let me dance with you.”

“The little mermaid nodded. First, the little mermaid danced with graceful steps. At that time, the prince.”

The picture was turned over. The prince put his hands on the ground and swung his legs.

“He danced around and around. This was a famous dance called b-boying [breakdancing]!”

Here, the head teacher wanted to interject, but she held back.

“The witch, who saw the two people dancing beautifully, was so moved that she lifted the little mermaid’s curse. The two people’s passion for dancing moved the witch.”

The last page of the sketchbook.

“So the little mermaid and the prince danced in the theater and lived happily ever after. By the way, the name of the dance was B-boy who loved the ballerina. Wow!”

Clap clap clap.

Hana stood up with sparkling eyes.

“I want to! I want to! I want to do ballet! I want to learn ballet!”

Seung-joon also stood up.

“Me too, me too, b-boy!”

Seung-joon put his hands on the ground. Push-up position. He was imitating the prince’s dance in the sketchbook.

Siha also got up from his seat.

“Ah, ah. Siha too.”

Siha, who has good observation skills, put his back on the ground and stretched his feet up. Then he moved his hips and drew circles little by little.

Around and around.

He was expressing a windmill [a breakdancing move] in his own way.

The other kids were also imitating what they liked.

“Huh? This is not it…….”

The daycare, which had been quiet for a while because of the story, became noisy, and the teacher’s eyes became busy.

“This is really not it…. Everyone calm down!”

The teacher wanted to convey the emotion of the two people’s love. But unlike the plan, the children were unpredictable.

Seung-joon said.

“Siha. Aren’t I cool!”

“I know it. I know it.”

“Ah, ah!”

The teacher was on the verge of tears.