Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 388

“Hyung, aren’t I cute?” Episode 388 (388/500)

The calendar project was complete.

It was successfully delivered to everyone who had entered their addresses, and the net profit from the crowdfunding was donated under the name of “Siha Pepe and Friends.”

A donation certificate was received and verified with an uploaded video.

Siha seemed genuinely happy knowing that babies could stay warm because of it.

Looking at the donation certificate, he started shouting about boilers.

I don’t know if the money will actually be used to install a boiler, but this huge amount could save lives if the conditions are right.

Anyway, this matter concluded well, and while I was focused on it, Christmas Eve arrived before I knew it.

“You better not cry! You better not cry! Santa Claus doesn’t give presents to crying children!”

Siha sang carols excitedly.

Uncle blocked his ears with both hands, saying he was tired of hearing it.

It was already the tenth time he’d heard that song.

Siha was excited about the gift coming tomorrow, and I wondered what was so exciting about it.

I was in a bit of a predicament.

I was so busy with the calendar and my own work that I hadn’t asked Siha what he wanted for Christmas.

And I thought he wouldn’t really want anything since I gave him the gift he wanted for his birthday on December 5th, but seeing him sing like that, it seemed he did want something.

“Siha, did you write a letter to Santa Claus about what gift you want to receive?”

“I sent it to the teacher and Santa Claus.”

“Oh? Really?”

I hurriedly checked the teacher’s text messages on my phone.

She definitely mentioned Siha’s desired birthday present.

I must have just skimmed through it because I was so busy.

The letter that the teacher wrote on behalf of Siha after listening to him said this:

[Please give Uncle a present too, even though he’s done a lot of bad things and is an adult. Please give Hyung a better present than Uncle’s.]

He left out his own present.

As expected, he didn’t want anything because his birthday wasn’t long ago.

But I was so touched by the words asking to take care of Uncle’s and my presents for Christmas.

He did the same last year.

Siha prayed for my birthday present.

This year is a bit different. Since there’s Uncle, he’s asking to take care of Uncle’s present too.

It’s difficult to know what to buy because he’s not specifying a clear gift, but my heart warms first.

December is usually a very cold time, but strangely, this December, thanks to Siha’s commendable actions, I’m feeling warm from the inside out.

“You better not cry! You better not cry!”

“That darn ‘You Better Not Cry.’ Are you still singing it?”

“Uncle. Siha likes this song.”

“I don’t think they’ll give you a present because you cry so much, you know?”

“Siha didn’t cry.”

“Tears come out when you yawn. Don’t they?”

“They do.”

“Then you cried a lot. You yawn at least once a day.”

“No! That’s not tears.”

“If it’s not tears, is it snot?”

“It’s sweat. Sweat.”

I laughed at Siha’s words.

Why would there be sweat in your eyes… Anyway, Siha didn’t cry!

Uncle made a face like, ‘Look at this kid? He’s quite something?’

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Hyung. What about Siha?”

“Huh? Will Siha play with Uncle? I’ll be right back.”

“Why?”

Why else? I’m going to buy Christmas presents.

But I can’t bring the presents Santa will give with Siha around, can I?

“I’m just going to quickly buy some things for dinner and stuff. I’ll be right back.”

“Siha go too!”

“Hyung has someone to meet for a bit.”

“Oooong.”

I stroked Siha’s head.

Uncle picked up Siha and held him.

“Why? Don’t you want to be with Uncle?”

“Siha likes being with Hyung more.”

“A kid with clear preferences.”

“Then Hyung. You have to come back quickly.”

“Yeah. I’ll be right back. Uh. About 3 hours? It’ll take about that long.”

“Okay.”

I barely managed to get out.

I should buy the presents and leave them in the car trunk.

I can secretly bring them in and put them in the house when Siha is asleep.

“Ah!”

I took out my phone and typed in things Uncle could play with at home.

We bought a small tree before, so it would be fun to decorate it and play.

It would feel like a Christmas party.

‘Shall I go then?’

I drove to the mart [large supermarket].

I had something in mind for Siha’s present from his birthday.

I was torn between two toys, but I thought since Christmas was coming, I could buy one later, so I bought one as a birthday present first.

A combining robot. That robot that isn’t sold all at once and you have to buy separately.

When the two robots combine, the robot gets bigger.

I don’t know who came up with this idea, but I was glad because it reduced my gift 고민 [worry/trouble].

He’ll be happy when he sees this later and can combine them.

The problem was Uncle’s present.

‘What should I buy him?’

I couldn’t easily think of what Uncle needed.

He’s always been like a migratory bird who comes and goes occasionally, so I haven’t given him many presents.

But now he’s really thinking of living here, so he bought a bed and all his clothes.

Of course, if you’re a rich person, it might be natural to buy a bed for your room.

But he bought a house, didn’t he? A house and a bed.

Can you buy that just because you’re rich?

Ah, of course, you can. You can use it as a vacation home or for investment purposes.

But I know that Uncle didn’t buy it with that feeling.

We haven’t seen each other for a long time and only see each other occasionally, but the density of the time we’ve spent together is higher than others, so I roughly know.

What’s sincere and what’s a playful joke.

I might be taking it sensitively, but Uncle is probably very worried about us.

‘Hmm.’

Clothes came into view.

Something doesn’t feel right. Not the style, but as a Christmas present.

As I was 고민 [worrying], something suddenly caught my eye.

Pajamas.

‘This is it.’

The employee noticed that I was interested in pajamas and approached me.

I asked if they had pajamas that both children and adults could wear together.

I’m going to wrap all three for Uncle’s present, but I think there might be a look of bewilderment on his face.

I’m a little embarrassed to match pajamas like this, but I just wanted to try it for some reason.

Maybe I just wanted to show the bond between family members in a tangible form.

To Uncle too. And to me too.

***

Meanwhile, Uncle and Siha were decorating the Christmas tree at home.

It was small, so it was quickly decorated and finished.

Si혁 [Si-hyeok, the narrator] said it would take about 3 hours, but decorating this tree only took about 10 minutes, so Uncle was really 고민 [worried].

“Uncle. All done!”

“It is.”

“Turn on the lights. Lights!”

Click.

Pretty lights came out from the small light bulbs wrapped around the tree.

Siha jumped up and down as if satisfied.

“Pretty. Pretty.”

“A tiny tree that’s only as tall as Siha.”

“Right!”

“But Siha, don’t you think Hyung needs a tree?”

“!!!”

“They sell things to decorate trees and Christmas parties nearby.”

“!!!”

“Shall we go?”

“Go! Go!”

“Let’s make it and surprise Si혁 [Si-hyeok].”

“Hyung will see this and go, ‘Wow! It’s Christmas! Did Siha do it? Amazing!’”

“Uncle is missing from that line?”

“It’s okay.”

Uncle didn’t know what was okay.

I’m not okay, so why are you okay? This is a funny kid.

“Then let’s go out. Dress warmly.”

Uncle fastened Siha’s clothes and put on his coat.

They went outside and stopped by a nearby store.

Because it was Christmas, they sold a lot of decorating supplies and trees from small to large.

“Uncle. This and this.”

“Are you buying two trees?”

“Hyung’s tree and Uncle’s tree.”

“…….”

Uncle blinked at Siha’s words.

He didn’t expect him to take care of his own.

He thought he was very close to Si혁 [Si-hyeok]. A relationship where you don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to talk a lot, and silence is not uncomfortable but comfortable.

But Siha was not.

He is a sudden uninvited guest and not even family.

So I felt like I teased him more.

Because I don’t know how to get close, I’m always an uncle who teases him like I approached Si혁 [Si-hyeok].

Unexpectedly, Siha is so cute that I tease him more.

I want to keep hearing the ‘Eeng, eeng’ sound [sound of whining].

“Uncle?”

“Huh? Ah! Let’s buy it. Let’s buy it all. You know? Do you know who Uncle is?”

“Rich unemployed.”

“A rich unemployed person. If you’re an unemployed person with 10,000 won [~8 USD] as your entire fortune, you’ll receive cold stares from the people around you.”

“Ahko! Mistake. Mistake.”

So I guess I approached Siha more because of this.

Did he accept it without feeling uncomfortable?

Uncle had that thought.

“It would be fun to decorate the house a lot, right? Let’s buy those heart balloons and stick them on.”

“!!!”

“We’re decorating the house for Christmas.”

“!!!”

Siha’s eyes sparkle.

The whole house is Christmas?! There’s such an amazing thing?!

That was the expression.

“Um. Let’s see. Ah! There’s a big box here. Let’s put things in it one by one.”

A large box sold at the store.

It was a box that seemed like you should put things you don’t use in it one by one.

Holding that, Siha and Uncle diligently bought things to decorate for Christmas.

As soon as they got home, they started working.

“Uncle. Tree.”

“Yeah. Let’s decorate the tree first and then decorate the house.”

“Okay!”

Siha was very excited.

Hyung will like it when he sees it!!

His head was full of that thought.

***

I left Santa’s presents in the car trunk and came home with only the groceries.

Tteuk. Tteuk. Tteuk. Tteuk. Ttirireong [sound of the door unlocking].

The lock was released and I opened the door. As soon as I came inside, my eyes widened at the changed scenery of the house.

“Hyung! Merry Christmas! Look!”

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

It’s a very confident pose.

Uncle also awkwardly laughed, seeing him imitating Siha next to him.

The house was completely changed to a Christmas feel.

Red heart balloons, which I don’t know where they got, were stuck to the walls and ceiling, and there were a lot of fluttering decorations.

I don’t know why there are three trees.

The light is very dazzling.

“Ahahaha.”

“Hyung. Like it!”

It’s not that I don’t like it.

Of course, it’s great to decorate and play like this.

But I guess I’ve become a housewife at some point. When I think about how I’m going to clean this up later, that’s what I see.

There’s a mix of good but not so good complicated emotions.

I’m not a kid anymore.

But there’s an adult here who’s like a kid?

Siha couldn’t have bought all of this, so the culprit is here.

Seeing that he put it up so high, Uncle might have decorated it more diligently.

“Uncle, you’re going to clean it all up, right?”

“What are you talking about? We all clean up together. There’s no skipping out among family members.”

“Then let’s divide the work. I’ll do the cooking and dishes. Uncle will do the cleaning up.”

“Eoet [sound of disagreement]. Is that how it’s going to be?”

Siha tapped Uncle’s leg.

“Uncle, work hard!”

“Hey! You decorated it excitedly too, so you have to clean it up too. Why are you acting like it’s not your job!”

Uncle is getting picked on a lot today.

Or is he letting it happen?

Anyway, I think we should clean up slowly.

“Hyung. Now let’s turn off the lights and have a party.”

The lights went out.

The Christmas tree brightly lit the surroundings.

The song came from Siha’s mouth.

“You better not cry! You better not cry!”

Uncle makes a listless face as if it’s that song again.

I just chuckled.

***

Christmas day.

I woke up to the sound of Siha making a fuss.

“Hyung. Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Santa Claus gave a present.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Hyung. Quickly! Quickly!”

I rubbed my eyes and got up.

Siha went to Uncle’s room too and slapped his face to wake him up.

Uncle came out with a face that said he wanted to sleep more.

Ah, what time is it now? It’s dark, so is it dawn? It’s 6 o’clock? I woke up early. Siha, why did you wake up so early?

There are days like that.

Days when you usually sleep a lot, but strangely, you wake up early on holidays.

“Uncle. There’s Uncle’s present too.”

“How do you know that’s Uncle’s present?”

“Look. It’s red.”

Siha points to the present wrapped in red.

“So what?”

“This is Siha’s. Santa Claus knows everything. Siha likes red.”

“???”

Well, it did say ‘To Siha’ on the postcard attached to the wrapping paper.

“And Siha is written on it.”

Our Siha can definitely read his name. Yes!

“Then how do you know it’s Uncle’s present? It could be Hyung’s present?”

“It’s black. Black. Devil. Devil.”

Hmm. You thought it was Uncle’s present just because of that?

Of course, that’s Uncle’s present.

I prepared my present separately and roughly, and it was wrapped in white.

“Okay. Okay. Then shall we open it?”

“Woong [sound of agreement]!”