Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 359

“Hyung, aren’t I cute?” Episode 359

The kids are huddled together, passing around the phone.

Some are watching Professor Smith’s video. I can see the staff sweating as the kids innocently ask why there are so many scenes of Siha.

To be honest, I feel the same way.

“Siha’s in it a lot.”

“Ah! I found one!”

I guess I’m better off than that, at least.

I tried to film everyone equally, without ruining the flow of the story.

“Hyung. Hyung’s not in it.”

“Ah, well, that can’t be helped.”

I’m the one filming, so I can’t exactly turn the phone around and film myself.

Instead, Jongsu’s sulking face after getting scolded was captured.

Actually, more than being scolded, he was hit hard by the fact that Siha is the Chairman’s younger brother.

I didn’t even compete with Siha today, but I still took a hit.

I don’t know the details of what happened at the daycare, but Jongsu looked pitiful.

Come to think of it, the teacher called him Jjansu, right?

The teacher looked at me and smiled.

“Don’t worry. I filmed everyone well, too!”

No. That’s not what I was worried about.

She seems to be reassuring me because I said Siha was in it a lot.

“Ah! Sihyuk-ssi was also captured looking cool at the end.”

“Can you delete that? I’m a bit embarrassed as the Chairman.”

“No way! Can’t you see Siha’s shocked expression there?”

“Huh?”

Looking at Siha, he really had a how-could-you-do-this?! expression.

“Hyung. No. It’s Siha’s. You can’t delete it.”

“I see.”

If I’m filmed, it becomes Siha’s.

Hyung didn’t know that. I almost deleted it carelessly.

I was just saying it once, actually. I didn’t really want it deleted.

“Are you going to delete it?”

“No. I won’t delete it. Let’s watch it again at home. Okay?”

“Okay.”

With that, things were roughly settled, and we moved according to the staff’s guidance.

I’m looking around and saying something, but I can’t hear the explanation anymore.

As if noticing that, the words, “Would you like to get something to eat?” came out.

There’s a restaurant downstairs where all the actors and staff eat.

The kids were hungry too, so they said let’s go, and we went downstairs.

I take a tray and scoop the food I want to eat.

The teachers and I had to scoop the food for the children.

“Siha, this much rice?”

“No! More.”

“Oh! Our Siha eats a lot of rice. This much meat?”

“No! More.”

He’s a bit greedy for meat?

Well, that can happen! Anyway, I asked Siha about this and that and filled his plate.

I wondered if it was okay to get food like this, but I guess they came here because the director and staff had already talked about it?

I sat at the table and ate.

Siha also eats well, munching happily as if it’s delicious.

“Is it good?”

“Delish! But Hyung’s food is more delish.”

“Keuheuk.”

Siha always adds one more word, and that word touches my heartstrings.

The teacher said.

“What about the director’s food?”

“This food, then Director’s food, then Hyung’s food.”

Well, I didn’t do anything amazing, but I end up rubbing my nose.

Other children say their mom’s food is the most delicious.

“Hana also likes Mom’s food.”

“Ah, me too. Me too.”

The twins’ mother has excellent cooking skills.

She’s very talented when it comes to cooking.

I think she had a certificate when we talked about it? My memory is hazy.

“I like Dad’s food the best.”

Jongsu, do you like Dad’s food more than Mom’s?

Well, there are many kinds of home-cooked meals. Not all mothers can have good cooking skills.

As the actors came one by one, they greeted the children.

Some people pat their heads because they are cute.

Kim Seokhyun, the actor who suddenly exchanged phone numbers, also waves at me.

“Is the food okay?”

“It’s delicious.”

It feels like we became close quickly, but I don’t think he’s a bad person.

I have to experience it to know, but that’s how it felt.

After finishing the meal and about to clean up the trays, a text message arrived.

Section Chief Hong Jinsu says that a call will come from an American publisher.

Oh. International calls are expensive.

Ring.

“Um. Teacher. I’ll go make a call for a moment.”

“Yes, yes. Take your time. I’ll take good care of Siha.”

“Yes. I’ll probably be back soon.”

I answered the phone and went outside.

「Hello. This is Lee Si-hyuk.」

「Hello! Oh! I’m Tom, an employee of Crescent Publishing. Just call me Tom.」

「Yes. Nice to meet you, Tom. I didn’t expect you to call so suddenly.」

「I’m in charge, and we’ll be exchanging emails in the future, so I thought I should call you once. Wow. Your writing skills are amazing. I also enjoyed this game, but reading the novel gives it a different flavor.」

「I’m grateful that you read it that way. I was worried a lot because it was my first time.」

「It didn’t feel like your first time? Basically, the use of idioms was good, and there were no awkward points. This makes my job ordinary.」

「Did you try to fix the sentences when editing?」

When I asked that directly, I could feel the other person on the phone panicking.

「Ah, I wasn’t changing it arbitrarily, but I was going to share my opinions if I had to change it.」

「Oh. Tom. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just asked. I’m not a picky person about that. Maybe the sentences are lacking from an American perspective.」

「That’s right.」

「It’s really good to share opinions about that. I need help adjusting like that. Can I get feedback on that?」

「Of course!」

I laughed at the voice that welcomed it.

Just like monitoring whether the video was filmed well today, I felt like this call was to figure out what kind of person I am.

In fact, I am willing to actively accept these parts.

Maybe there are stubborn parts, but I want to listen to their opinions as much as possible.

Why? Because I had a feeling from the call.

This person in charge was assigned by the publisher because they were concerned that I was Korean.

So, they will definitely look at these sentence parts more carefully and express opinions that suit the tastes of the readership.

Tom called to figure out my tendencies, but I might have been figuring him out even more.

「The reason why I thought it wasn’t awkward is probably because I’ve read a lot of English texts.」

In fact, my father translated from English to Korean.

The input of that expression cannot be ignored.

Everyday expressions naturally come to my mind and are written.

Because it’s familiar.

Isn’t that the same with our Korean?

Naturally using familiar idiomatic expressions.

Tom said.

「I felt it while reading Volume 1, and that part was especially good. Where was it.」

While talking about the writing with Tom, and saying that readers like this kind of emphasis and direction.

I realized that the call was taking longer than I thought.

「I’ve talked too much. Isn’t the bill going to be huge?」

「Ah, the publisher will take care of this much. Haha.」

「If you get fired, come to KI in Korea. I’ll introduce you well.」

「Then I can trust Si-hyuk on that part. Haha. Ah, I’ve been holding you for too long, right?」

「No. Let’s stop here today and talk again next time. Calls are expensive, so let’s use email or other means.」

「Okay. It was good today.」

「Me too. Have a day to survive.」

「Puh-huh. Thank you.」

I ended the call and was about to leave when a faint smell of cigarettes brushed my nose.

Turning my head at the presence, I saw Director Go Dongsu looking at me.

“Ah, did you have your meal?”

“Yes. I’m having a smoke after eating. Do you smoke?”

“No. Not at all. Siha hates the smell of cigarettes.”

“Ah, your younger brother. That’s right. Right.”

“Haha. Then I’ll go in.”

“Okay. Go in.”

“Yes.”

I greeted him and went inside the building.

Strangely, I felt a gaze on the back of my head, and I thought Director Go Dongsu was looking at me.

Was I mistaken?

I couldn’t bring myself to look back.

It would be awkward if we made eye contact.

***

Director Go Dongsu looked at Lee Si-hyuk as he left.

He stared until he disappeared, then looked at the cigarette, but it was already reduced to ashes, leaving only a short stub.

He didn’t think about smoking another one and just shook it off and put it in the trash can.

‘Lee Si-hyuk, huh…….’

When he heard the story from his friend Shimon, he thought it might be related to his movie.

Because one of the elements in this movie is children.

Maybe if this movie is watched, the feelings that this friend Lee Si-hyuk feels will not be different from the feelings that parents feel.

‘He was good at English too.’

Director Go Dongsu can also do free talking in English.

It’s a bit difficult if it’s not an everyday story.

Nevertheless, the reason why I couldn’t help but listen to Lee Si-hyuk’s phone conversation was the problem of the expressions he used.

He was good.

He did it as fluently as a native speaker.

It wasn’t a stiff, translated-like feeling.

For example, there was a saying that Lee Si-hyuk said about the main character doing something without knowing about the case.

If it were me, I would have written it stiffly as, “When you don’t know about the case,” but Lee Si-hyuk was different.

He wrote, “when you go into it cold.”

He used the idiom “go cold.”

Just looking at that, you can see how naturally he writes.

Honestly, I ended up listening intently.

“Oh! Director! You were here? Sniff sniff. I smell cigarettes, so you were smoking?”

Actor Kim Seokhyun speaks in a friendly manner.

“But what are you doing here without going in? Are you going to smoke again?”

“No. I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about your girlfriend?”

“Where do I have a girlfriend! I was just thinking about Lee Si-hyuk and my friend who came today.”

“Ah, that friend. I talked to him too, and he seemed nice. I even asked for his number. I thought it would be nice to contact him and hang out sometimes.”

“Do young people these days exchange numbers so easily?”

“Isn’t it just giving it if you ask to be friendly?”

“Wouldn’t you be wary of someone you meet for the first time? You’re giving it because it’s you. If a dark-skinned middle-aged man like me asks for it, they’ll look at it strangely.”

“Why go that far.”

Kim Seokhyun smiled at the director’s exaggerated expression.

Go Dongsu gave a hollow laugh at Kim Seokhyun’s disbelief.

“Geez, people really don’t believe what I say. You’re the type who gets close quickly because you have a friendly personality even when you meet for the first time. You’re also cute.”

“Why are you like this? Where is there a chic city man like me.”

“A real chic city man doesn’t say he’s a chic city man himself. Look at that. When you make a mistake, you stick out your tongue in front of the camera and act cute.”

“When did I ever do that?”

“Don’t you remember? When we had a get-together, you suddenly came next to me and poked my side with your elbow, making a ‘Eeng!’ sound? I was wondering what this was.”

“I was just trying to be friendly.”

“But that didn’t feel bad either.”

“I also look around carefully and know where to join and where not to.”

“You mean I was easy?”

When Director Go Dongsu said playfully, Kim Seokhyun jumped.

“Why are you taking it like that again. You’re not usually like this. I mean you have a big heart. A big heart.”

“Then does that mean the other directors I’ve worked with so far have small hearts?”

“No. If I say that, you’re going to spread rumors all over the neighborhood in the group chat, right? Ah, you really have a knack for teasing me. But why did you think about Si-hyuk? Don’t tell me?”

“Hey! You’re the one who’s teasing me a lot.”

Director Go Dongsu shook his hand as if it wasn’t like that.

“What did I think?”

“Tsk. I heard him talking in English, and he was good. I heard he was an interpreter.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yeah. Uh. Um. So, looking at it now, I suddenly want to ask you a favor.”

“What is it?”

“Later, when you get closer, include me in the meeting. So I can meet him in person and ask him for a favor.”

“Well, okay.”

While they were talking, a staff member came running with a phone.

“Director. We’re in big trouble?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”