Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 342

Hyung, aren’t I cute? Episode 342

On the way to pick up Siha.

As soon as I arrived, he hugged me, saying, ‘Hyung!’, and showed me his hands.

They were covered in drawings.

Body painting at least has some consistency, but what’s drawn on his body is so free-spirited.

I don’t think I can even interpret it.

I just said I understood, greeted the teacher, and went to the car.

He’s so excited, explaining the drawings here and there.

“This is a penguin. Yundong exchanged stickers. Yundong is nice.”

“Yundong is really nice.”

“This is Bongsun’s water.”

“It must be *balsam* water [water infused with the dye from balsam flowers, often used to stain fingernails]. Saying Bongsun sounds like a person’s name.”

It was funny how he said it like a name.

And he showed me his right hand, with a water droplet drawn on his middle finger.

“Seoi’s finger. Water.”

“Uh-oh. Don’t fold it. Don’t fold it. It’s a big deal.”

“Huh?”

“That’s a very bad word, so you shouldn’t fold it except for the third finger.”

“Why?”

“Adults get very angry when they see it. There might be a fight.”

“!!!”

Why is the third finger the middle finger of all things?

Siha almost cursed. At me, no less.

The other slightly folded fingers straightened out.

Having recovered from the shock, Siha continued.

“This is a water power. Siha uses water to put out fire.”

“You’ve awakened to a new power.”

“Teacher said I can use ten finger powers.”

“The teacher is amazing.”

“Siha also has ten powers.”

“Siha is also amazing. Great!”

“Siha drew friends’ powers.”

It seems he drew pictures like during body painting.

As I listened intently, I felt like these free-spirited drawings each had a story and were being introduced to me.

Ah, so there are such amazing facts hidden. All the stories are connected.

Of course, if other people saw it, they’d say, ‘What is that?’ But after hearing Siha’s story, I can imagine Siha drawing it.

And the friends drawing on Siha’s hand.

“Let’s go home!”

“Hyung. What are we eating today?”

“Are you hungry?”

“Siha is hungry.”

“How about braised chicken tonight? Okay? Let’s order it with lots of cheese.”

“Braised chicken?”

“Yeah. Braised chicken.”

“Siha steamed this chicken. Steamed. Is that why it’s braised chicken?”

“Pfft.”

Ah, Siha thought the abbreviation for ‘steamed chicken’ was ‘braised chicken.’

Siha’s thoughts were so cute that I laughed. Steamed chicken is so cute.

I don’t know where he learned that word.

“It means boiled chicken. Think of it as boiling chicken in water.”

“Not steamed?”

“Pfft. No.”

I ordered braised chicken in advance.

I know it won’t arrive even when we get home, but ordering in advance can save some time.

My mouth is watering at the thought of braised chicken with plenty of mozzarella cheese.

“We’re here.”

“Is braised chicken here?”

“It hasn’t arrived yet.”

We went inside.

Before the food arrived, we washed our hands and feet and changed into comfortable clothes.

Ding-dong-

I opened the door, and the well-wrapped food had arrived.

Siha runs over excitedly with an expectant look on his face.

“Tada! Mild braised chicken! With cheese!”

“Looks delicious!”

“Now, look. When you lift the braised chicken like this! The cheese stretches!”

“!!!”

I put it on Siha’s plate.

“Hyung. Huhu. You have to blow on it. Hot. Hot.”

“Yeah. Huhu, you have to blow on it to eat it. Siha knows well.”

“Siha is four years old, so I know everything.”

How much knowledge is contained in being four years old?

I didn’t know much when I was three, but now that I’m four, I know everything.

This is no different from an ability awakening, like in Siha’s hands.

“Hyung. Ah~”

“Huh? Are you giving it to Hyung?”

“Hyung has to eat the delicious stuff first.”

“!!!”

I covered my mouth with my hand. I was touched.

I can’t refuse this. I opened my mouth and ate it.

Yum.

The flavor of the cheese envelops my mouth, followed by the texture of the chicken.

It seems more delicious because Siha fed it to me.

Then I took a spoonful of rice and put it in my mouth.

“Mmm. Delicious!”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Siha, try it quickly.”

“Hyung has to ‘huhu’ it.”

“!!!”

Right. You fed it to me after ‘huhu’-ing it for this build-up.

Well, it’s not hard to do.

“Huhu. Here, ah~”

“Ah~”

He chews and opens his eyes wide.

It seems to be very delicious.

“Try this glass noodle too. It’s chewy.”

When I put it in his mouth, his eyes widen again this time.

He points with his finger, wanting to eat more noodles.

Yes, sir. I must follow.

I picked up the noodles and put them on his plate.

“What is this?”

“It’s glass noodle.”

“It became confident, so it’s *noodle*.”

“???”

What’s so confident about it?

Am I delicious! If there’s any noodle more delicious than me, come forward!

Is that what the glass noodle is shouting?

Siha, glass noodle is not an abbreviation…

Is it because the world is shortening everything these days that he thinks it’s an abbreviation?

“Should I give you cola too?”

The moment I asked this, something flashed through my mind.

Is cola also some kind of abbreviation?

“Hyung knows everything too. You were going to say what cola means, right?”

“Huh? Hyung. Cola is cola.”

“Oh? Right.”

Why is cola just cola! Is it because you couldn’t think of anything?!? [referencing Siha’s thought process]

No. Maybe he didn’t understand the question!

“Siha. Why is cola cola?”

“Hyung doesn’t know?”

“Hyung knows. I’m asking because I know.”

“Siha knows everything.”

“Yes. Siha knows everything.”

“Hyung. Open it.”

“Okay.”

As I opened the cola, Siha grabbed it.

He’s trying to pour it into an empty cup.

“Hyung. Look.”

“Yeah. I’m watching.”

“Pour it like this. Look. It goes ‘col col col’, right?”

He’s saying that the sound of the cola going into the cup is ‘col col col.’

Then what about ‘la’?

“If you drink this. You go ‘la la la~’.”

Don’t lie! You just thought of the last part, didn’t you?!

It’s obvious that you couldn’t think of anything!

“You just made that up, didn’t you? Why is ‘la la la’ coming out?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“It’s so delicious you won’t know if you die eating it together.”

“Where did you learn that saying? No, what does that have to do with it?”

“There’s a song. Together~ la la la~”

“!!!”

How do you know SG Wannabe’s ‘La La La’ [a popular Korean song]?

That was one of my friends’ favorite songs when I was a student.

We always sang it when we went to karaoke.

I was so surprised that he knew this song, more than anything else.

“That song came out before you were born? A long time ago?”

“Teacher sang it. Siha knows everything.”

Ms. Yoo Dahee. It shows that you’re from the same generation as me.

Anyway, the ‘la’ in cola was ‘la la la~.’

Somehow… subtly… it seems right!

***

After finishing our meal, Siha and I were sitting and patting our bellies when I received a text message from the art museum.

It was asking if I was interested in applying for a docent experience for the exhibition.

It said that more details were sent to my email.

“Docent?”

“What’s a docent?”

“Ah, that’s… When you go to an art museum, there’s someone who guides and explains. ‘This painting was painted by an artist in 1786. People were living poorly at the time, so they were doing these things. This artist painted that scenery.’ Something like that is what a docent explains.”

Looking at the email, it was asking if I was interested in trying out a docent experience.

It said that a script was prepared separately.

But it also said that I didn’t necessarily have to follow the script.

‘Amazing.’

Is this what children’s experiential learning is?

The art museum provides opportunities for children to experience things, not just exhibitions.

And it’s not like the docent explains it unconditionally, but only once when a visitor wants it, so that’s also a part I like.

In my opinion, it would be nice for Siha to try this too, but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t.

I don’t want to force him.

But I should still ask, right?

“Siha. The art museum is asking if you want to try being a docent? You know, like Seungjun and Hana’s body painting. You explain all the other kids’ stuff too.”

“!!!”

Siha thought about it and said, ‘I want to try! Siha wants to try!’

“Then I’ll apply.”

“Hyung too together?!”

“Huh? Hahaha. Well, Hyung will do it together too.”

“!!!”

It says here that parents must accompany them.

Of course, young children should have their parents with them.

Maybe by the time they’re high schoolers, they can be left alone.

Actually, since they’re children’s works, deep appreciation might not be necessary.

And it’s okay to say that you don’t need a docent, so there won’t be any problems.

I don’t think they’ll expect a really good explanation.

But there might be kids who are really good at explaining?

There are so many smart kids these days.

“Hyung. Are Seungjun and Hana doing it too?”

“Huh? I don’t know about that. Seungjun’s mother would know, wouldn’t she?”

“Call them?”

“Yeah. Should we?”

I called Seungjun’s mother.

But the timing was good, and Seungjun answered.

「Hello. This is Seungjun. Mom is in the bathroom right now. So she can’t answer.」

“Seungjun. It’s Sihyuk hyung.”

「Oh? Sihyuk hyung!」

「Hana is going to talk to Sihyuk *oppa* [term used by younger girls to address older brothers or male friends] too!」

「Eek! Get away!」

I can imagine them bickering even just from the phone call.

Hana is sticking to him, and Seungjun is running around.

“Seungjun. Seungjun.”

「Yeah. Sihyuk hyung.」

“I got a call saying you’re going to be a docent at the art museum. Do you know about it?”

「I don’t know!」

Since Seungjun’s mother was in the bathroom, I briefly told him.

“Tell your mom and let me know what you’re going to do, okay?”

「Okay! But is Siha doing the docent?」

Siha answered.

“Siha is doing docent! Siha will explain!”

「Then I’ll do it too! Oh Hana! Are you going to do it too?」

「Hana will do it too!」

「She said Hana will do it too!」

I knew because I could hear everything over the phone, but Seungjun kindly told me one more time.

Judging by the volume, they seem to be holding it together…

“Okay. Then let’s meet at the door of the art museum.”

「Okay. And then let’s go to the cafe and buy snacks and chocolate juice.」

“Siha likes chocolate too.”

「Hana likes strawberry juice!」

“Siha likes strawberry juice too.”

What are you guys doing?

First, you have to tell your mom and decide to go, right? Are you deciding on your own and making promises first?

And you’re going straight to the cafe after meeting at the door. Who’s paying? Am I paying?!

You’re even going to buy expensive snacks.

That was funny and absurd.

「Then let’s each bring 10,000 won [Korean currency, approximately $8 USD] from our piggy banks and meet up. That’s enough to eat to our heart’s content.」

“That’s right!”

It seems they’re going to use the 10,000 won they’ve saved in their piggy banks.

But you guys forgot, you’re not going to play, you’re going to be docents.

Well, it’s just a one-time thing, so most of it will be playing.

「This is going to be so much fun!」

「Hana is looking forward to it too!」

“Siha too. Then let’s make a plan together at daycare tomorrow.”

「Okay! See you tomorrow!」

「Bye Siha~! Bye Sihyuk *oppa*!」

“Bye-bye.”

“Yeah. Okay. Make sure to tell your mom.”

What is this ‘plan’ going to be?

You’ve already talked to each other and made promises, right? You’ve planned everything, haven’t you? Do you really need a plan beyond this?

I don’t know why it’s so cute and funny to hear kids talking on the phone.

But I hope they really told Seungjun’s mom.

Just in case, let’s send a text message.

They might forget.

“Hyung. But when is it?”

“Huh? Let’s see. It says it’s possible anytime during the exhibition period. But they say to tell them in advance when you’re coming.”

“When is the exhibition?”

“The exhibition starts next Monday. We can practice being a docent this week. They’re saying to come this weekend to experience practicing too?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’re really going to let us practice being a docent. That’s amazing.”

Can you experience being a curator planning an exhibition later?

When I went to the site, there was a program like that going on.

They do it so fun here?

“Hyung. Siha’s drawing.”

“Huh? Siha’s drawing?”

“It would be nice if Siha’s drawing was in the third place!”

“Oh, okay.”

Isn’t it usually good to be last?

Or alone in the middle.