Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 318

Hyung, don’t you think I’m cute?

Teacher’s Day.

I arrived at the daycare with Siha.

The two letters clutched tightly in his hand were probably more precious than anything else.

As I went inside, the teacher greeted us first.

“Hello, Siha.”

“Teacher, hello! This is Siha’s present for you. A present to celebrate Teacher’s Day.”

“Huh? Teacher’s Day? Oh! Teacher Appreciation Day? Oh my, thank you. Is that a letter? Did Siha write it?”

“Siha wrote it all by hand.”

“Wow. You can already write letters in Korean? That’s amazing.”

“Siha knows everything.”

The teacher smiled, seemingly pleased.

Other mothers had also arrived, handing over small gifts.

Cookies, sweet bean jelly [a traditional Korean dessert], black sesame rice cakes, and so on.

It seemed everyone had prepared something.

But why is it all food?

“Oh my, we announced that you didn’t need to prepare gifts.”

“This isn’t a gift, though? I bought snacks for the children to share.”

Of course, judging by the size of the boxes, they didn’t seem expensive.

“Please accept it since the mothers prepared it.”

“Ah, really, we shouldn’t. We announced it last year too.”

“The head teacher accepted them last year, telling us not to do it again. What’s the big deal? Our kids will eat them too.”

“Well, that’s true…….”

The head teacher told her to accept it from behind.

Saying they would leave it out as snacks for the children.

Meanwhile, Siha had already finished delivering his letter to the head teacher.

Seungjun’s mom also arrived, glanced at me, then grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.

“The mothers pooled some money together to buy a gift. I should have told Sihyuk.”

“If you had told me, I would have contributed too.”

“The gifts everyone bought were around 20,000 won [approximately $15 USD], so it’s not much.”

“Still.”

“Anyway, your name is included in the gift letter. From so-and-so to the teacher and children. Like that.”

“Pardon?”

“Mothers are good at taking care of these things, so Sihyuk, don’t worry too much about it. And don’t feel left out.”

I guess she was worried about that part.

But I wondered if it was okay to include my name when I didn’t contribute any money.

“I still feel like I should pay at least a little bit.”

“It’s okay. I was going to tell you later, but I didn’t want you to have more things to worry about when you’re already busy. Look, you’re already worrying about it. You’re raising a child alone, so it’s okay to take it easy sometimes.”

“Hmm. Thank you.”

From what I gathered, it seemed like this:

The daycare had announced not to send gifts, but there was an opinion that it would be a little awkward not to give anything at all.

In fact, private daycares aren’t subject to the Kim Young-ran Act [a South Korean anti-corruption law].

Still, the head teacher said she wouldn’t accept them.

But I guess she couldn’t bear it emotionally.

Because adults have always taken care of these days, wanting to express even a small token of appreciation.

“You’ve been busy lately, right? I heard you’re working through an introduction from your girlfriend.”

“I’m not that busy. Except for running around here and there.”

“Still, it’s an important time, so hang in there.”

“Thank you.”

“I should have contacted you in advance, but I forgot. I realized it when I saw your face today.”

“I know you’re busy taking care of the twins. Haha.”

I decided to gratefully accept the consideration.

I said that if something like this happens next time, I’ll contribute even just 10,000 won [approximately $7.50 USD].

Looking at the prices of the three gifts, they seemed to total around 70,000 won [approximately $53 USD].

So, they each gifted about 10,000 won worth of items.

Hmm? Maybe they didn’t include me because if I joined, I’d have to send about 8,000 won instead of 10,000 won, which would be a hassle?

I felt like there might be some truth to that.

“Hyung, are you leaving?”

“Huh? Oh, Siha.”

Siha came to the door and peeked at me.

Come to think of it, I didn’t even say goodbye.

“Hyung is leaving now. Have fun at daycare today too.”

“Hyung, Siha always plays well. But Hyung, come quickly.”

“Okay. I’ll come right after work.”

“Bye-bye.”

“Okay. Bye-bye.”

I said goodbye to Siha and headed off to work.

***

After greeting the children and parents in a flurry, the teacher finally had a chance to open the letters.

First of all, Sihyuk’s notes on the side made her laugh.

Indeed, he still didn’t have the Korean skills to write a letter properly.

Still, seeing him diligently write the words he knew, she felt Siha had grown.

Below that, there was a heart-shaped bouquet drawn.

“Siha, the heart bouquet drawing is so pretty. Thank you so much.”

“Teacher, you like flowers. Siha saw it all.”

“Huh? Really? You saw that Teacher likes flowers?”

“Moon Do Samchon [a friendly term for a male acquaintance, like ‘Uncle’ or ‘Mr.’] also liked it.”

“Huh?”

The teacher’s smiling face froze slightly.

In an instant, Siha’s words were reassembled, and the meaning was conveyed.

When? Where? How did he see it?

She clearly remembered getting a text message asking if she could come out for a moment during the children’s nap time, telling the head teacher, and going out.

The memory of being happy after receiving the flowers was vivid.

She was embarrassed to bring the flowers into the daycare, so she left them in the car.

“Weren’t you sleeping then, Siha?”

“I was sleeping. But Hana woke up.”

“Huh?”

The teacher felt a sense of seriousness.

If Hana woke someone up, doesn’t that mean there were at least two people who knew?

At that moment, Seungjun put his arm around Siha’s shoulder.

“I saw it too! Hana and Yeonju all went up to the window to watch together.”

The teacher turned her head sharply and looked at the window.

There was a step stool so the children could climb up and look outside.

Right. So, the four of them climbed up there and watched. I see.

She felt extremely embarrassed.

“That’s why Siha drew flowers.”

“Really? Siha has a good memory.”

“Teacher, should Siha draw a kiss too?”

“Aaaagh!”

The teacher covered her face.

Why did Moon Do-hwan impulsively buy flowers because he thought of her when he saw them while passing by?

That was fine, but why did he have to receive them in front of the daycare and show the children that scene?

She felt strangely embarrassed.

Seungjun said,

“My mom kisses my dad every day. ‘Have a good day!’ Kiss.”

“Hana knows too. ‘Welcome back!’ Kiss!”

“Kiss when Mom is cooking!”

“Hana also says ‘Have a good day’ to Dad. Kiss!”

Can we stop talking about kisses now? The teacher is too embarrassed!

It feels like they’re being considerate, saying it’s no big deal! That’s even more embarrassing!

Of course, the children didn’t mean it that way.

“Ah, right! We have to sing the Teacher’s Day song!”

Seungjun’s eyes widened as if he had just remembered.

The teacher felt a sense of foreboding.

Again, are they going to make strange revisions?

“Everyone, stand up and sing!”

“Siha will go get the head teacher!”

Siha, the head teacher is already in this room?

Of course, Siha didn’t care and grabbed the head teacher’s hand, seating her next to Teacher Yoo Da-hee.

Hana was holding a microphone that she had pulled out from somewhere.

She wondered when they had prepared it.

The children gathered one by one.

They didn’t tell everyone to gather, but they understood each other.

“Ready, set, go!”

“The teacher’s grace is like the sky~”

Siha sang confidently in a loud voice, as if he was excited.

“The more you boil it! The more old women come out!”

Siha, isn’t it ‘look up to’? What are we boiling?

It’s not like we’re making bone broth.

If it’s a feeling of ‘the more you look at it,’ then it kind of makes sense?

Seungjun suddenly’s eyes lit up.

No, Seungjun. That’s not it. I don’t know what you’re going to do, but that’s not it. Siha just misspoke.

“Smear it! Smear it! What you taught us!”

What are we smearing?! Did the teacher teach you that?!

“The teacher’s heart is like a parent’s.”

Suddenly, the lyrics returned to normal.

“Aaaah~ Thank you! Teacher’s ssarang [a cute way of saying ‘love’]~”

Siha, do you have to pronounce the ‘sa’ so strongly as ‘ssa’?

“Aaaah~ Faster than Boda [a Korean brand of pen]!”

Why are you suddenly getting faster?

“The teacher is crying~”

Not crying, grace. Siha, let’s be careful with our pronunciation.

The head teacher next to her laughed at the messed-up lyrics.

Tears also welled up.

“It’s so funny. It’s making me cry.”

“It really does sound like ‘the teacher is crying’ according to the lyrics.”

The children scattered, saying the Teacher’s Day song was over.

They seemed to have a clear sense of work and personal life.

To do their job so coldly and leave.

It’s like watching busy modern people.

“What should we play now?”

“Ooh.”

Like having a morning meeting at work, the children went into a meeting at daycare.

The topic is always the same.

What should we play today?

Common things are meaningless, and there’s nothing that comes to mind when we try to do something too special.

“Hey, kids. Is Teacher’s Day over?”

“It’s over now. The song is over too.”

“Hana put the microphone away.”

“Siha sang all the songs too.”

“Is it over?”

The four of them talked well.

The teacher felt a sense of regret. I want to hear just one more song properly!

The head teacher grabbed her shoulder.

“Teacher Da-hee. It would be funny to edit this later and show it to the parents.”

“Ah! When did you record it?”

“I set up my phone when the kids were calling.”

“I should have done it.”

“What does it matter who does it?”

While they were talking, Siha seemed to have a good idea and expressed his opinion.

“Siha wants to go to the moon and see the rabbit.”

“Huh? The moon? Then shall we play going to the moon?”

“Hana knows too. We go on a spaceship.”

“Don’t we go on a rocket?”

Spaceship or rocket, they were both right.

At that moment, Jongsu stepped forward.

“There’s no rabbit on the moon. No one lives on the moon.”

“No, the rabbit makes rice cakes.”

“That’s all a lie! There are no rabbits.”

“Did Jongsu go?”

“Huh? I haven’t been, but I know. They said there are no rabbits and no one lives on the moon.”

“No. The rabbit sells rice cakes. The rabbit is hiding so it doesn’t get caught. That’s why no one knows.”

Jongsu shook his head, insisting no.

This time, he was right. So, Siha lost. This is the only thing he can win.

“I saw it in a book. They don’t actually live there. Hahaha! Siha, too bad! There are no rabbits.”

Siha looked at Seungjun.

“Then shall we send rice cakes and rabbits to the moon? Shall we send them on a spaceship?”

“Oh! That would be good.”

“The rabbit can grow up and make rice cakes.”

Jongsu frowned.

“Hey, Lee Siha! Are you ignoring me?”

“Huh? Jongsu said they don’t live there, so we’re sending the rabbit and rice cakes. I didn’t ignore you.”

“Huh?”

Jongsu’s opinion was accepted at the meeting.

So, it wasn’t ignoring him. The logic was correct in its own way, so Jongsu was dumbfounded.

That’s right, but why did it feel like he was being ignored? Why?!

“We need a spaceship. A spaceship. But what is a spaceship?”

“You said that without even knowing what a spaceship is?!”

“Siha has never seen a spaceship before. Did Jongsu see one?”

“I haven’t seen it in person, but…….”

At that moment, Seungjun stepped forward.

“I saw a UFO shoot [a type of soccer kick]. Puhaha! The ball curves a lot!”

“Hey, Oh Seungjun. A UFO shoot and a UFO are different!”

“No. A UFO would move like that too. Why would they call it a UFO shoot otherwise?”

“Huh?”

Again, he couldn’t answer the unexpected counterattack.

He seemed to be saying something right, but the point was off.

“Okay, everyone. Then how about this? Let’s all make a spaceship together. We happen to have rice cakes and materials to make it today. Shall we all try it?”

“Yes!”

The teacher didn’t know if the kids would like black sesame rice cakes, but anyway, she took out the materials from the sink drawer.

Paper cups and paper plates.

With just these, we can make a spaceship in no time.

“Cut the paper cup like octopus legs and spread them out. Then stick it on the plate, and ta-da. It’s a spaceship, right? You can decorate it however you want.”

The actual materials for a spaceship or rocket would be complicated, but here, two are enough.

“Shall we all try it?”

“Yes!”

The children started making octopus legs out of paper cups like the teacher.

Siha also started following along at first, but then he seemed to have thought of something and started cutting it a little differently.

He cut off about two of the legs deeply.

Then he started drawing something diligently with a pen.