Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 40

Hey, aren’t I cute? Episode 40 (40/500)

Leaving Hwang Ki-jun, who had suddenly appeared, behind, we returned home.

Siha was tapping his feet and drawing.

He looked so adorable when he was focused on something.

But today, a different thought occurred to me.

‘What do I have that I can be so engrossed in?’

It’s wonderful to see him challenging himself with such pure enthusiasm, even though he’s so young.

Thanks to Siha, I was able to reflect on myself once again.

‘What do I have?’

I had resigned myself to being just a stepping stone [a person who sacrifices their own ambitions for others] after my conversation with Alisa.

I knew I couldn’t make a living doing what I wanted to do.

Honestly, I had never even discovered anything I truly wanted to do.

But through this conversation with Han Ki-jun, I became interested in a job.

Translator.

The path my father had to give up.

My curiosity about it grew.

I might not be able to pursue this job with Siha to consider, but I wanted to experience it at least once.

‘No. Maybe I can. Translation and interpretation…….’

In reality, there aren’t many translators who only work on one project.

Everyone takes on video translation as a side job and other things as well.

‘Time……,’

I might have gained some time while attending university like any other college student.

If so, I had to use it very efficiently.

My English pronunciation had also improved quite a bit recently.

‘Then how should I get some experience?’

As I was worrying about that, Siha called me.

“Hyung!”

“Yes, Siha.”

Siha proudly held out his drawing.

A picture of a penguin holding a stethoscope.

It was so cute that I stroked Siha’s head.

“So cute. Is it a doctor penguin?”

“Ah ah.”

“A phrase like ‘Don’t be sick’ would suit it, right?”

“Ah ah.”

Siha clicked on Photoshop and showed me another picture.

This time it was a penguin with a fancy beard.

He probably drew the Tood Agent [likely a character resembling a secret agent].

“You really captured the characteristics well. There’s a lot of beard.”

“Beard.”

“Beard. Beard.”

“Beard. Beard.”

“Rough.”

“Rough.”

Siha touched my chin.

It was a smooth chin, so he wouldn’t feel anything.

“Beard?”

“Hyung doesn’t have a beard like that *ajusshi* [a Korean term for ‘middle-aged man’].”

“Ah ah.”

“Siha will grow a beard later when he grows up.”

“Ah ah.”

I imagined Siha growing up with a beard.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine him growing up like that.

“It’s better for Siha to stay like this.”

“Ah ah. Hyung.”

Siha got out of my arms and started drawing again.

‘Ah!’

At that moment, a question popped into my head.

Why did Tood Agent come to Korea?

There must be a reason.

Even if he was a scout, there was no reason to come all the way to Korea just to scout.

Then he must have something else to do here.

I started searching on the laptop as if possessed.

I searched for the easiest words to associate with him.

[Fashion show, model, fashion]

While searching and looking through various articles, something caught my attention.

“This is it.”

There was no real basis for it, but I felt like this was the answer for some reason.

I made a call to confirm.

「Yes. This is Tood.」

「Hello. Mr. Tood. I’m Lee Si-hyuk, who gave you my business card at the Kangin University fashion show before.」

「Oh! Si-hyuk! The model with the warm look. I remember.」

「I have a question.」

「What are you curious about?」

Tood’s voice was relaxed.

As if he already knew what I wanted, no matter what I said.

Of course, that wasn’t a completely wrong assumption.

「Is the reason you came to Korea because of the fashion fair and the international textile exhibition?」

「…Hooh. How did you know?」

「I just made some guesses. This is the only fashion show happening right now. If it’s not this, there’s no reason to come to Korea. Isn’t this a good opportunity for many global buyers to participate?」

「Now that I see it, you’re very bright. Is it because you’re a student at Kangin University?」

「I’m just smart.」

「Hahaha.」

I thought I should move on to the next step since I had confirmation.

First, I honestly stated my opinion.

「Actually, I have no intention of being a model. Mr. Tood, you introduce models to agencies and make a commission, but I’m a little disappointed about that.」

「Then why did you call me?」

「What about someone who can do simultaneous interpretation with the model, even though I’m not a model?」

「Pardon?」

Tood said with a questioning tone.

「The fact that the agency Tood is participating means that the model is also here, and there are related companies, right? Of course, the model will be at the fashion show, right?」

「That’s right.」

「But if you do it like everyone else, will it really impress buyers? You said you saw a warm look in me, right? Then how about a translator who is like a model, someone who embodies that warmth?」

「Hooh?」

「It’ll be better than hiring someone from a translation company. What do you think? Even if you introduce such a good model, you can get a good commission, right?」

Tood was silent.

He seemed to be thinking about something, then opened his mouth.

「That’s a really interesting idea. Haha. I was getting bored after coming to Korea, but this kind of deal seems fun too.」

Unexpectedly, a positive answer came back.

「Let’s try it first. It’ll be fun. Oh, and come to think of it, it’s amazing. I didn’t realize it was unusual because you were talking in English so naturally. You definitely have the qualities of a translator. Haha.」

「Then I’ll wait for good news.」

「Okay.」

I hope this will be a very good experience for me.

***

-Daycare.

Today was art day at daycare.

Everyone was wearing vinyl clothes and ready to play.

Alisa, who was volunteering at the daycare, was there.

“Hi! Today, I’m a one-day daycare teacher!”

Siha stood up when he saw Alisa.

“Ah ah. Lisa.”

“Hello. Siha.”

Seung-joon and Hana also greeted Alisa with sparkling eyes.

“Are you going to use magic today?”

“Can you cast a spell today?”

The two children with good memories circled around Alisa.

Alisa was slightly embarrassed and sent a look of help to Si-hyuk to escape the situation.

“Si-hyuk!”

“Huh? Ah! We’re going to use different magic today.”

With Si-hyuk’s help, Alisa nodded.

“Yes. Today, we’re going to make clothes with our own drawings.”

Siha stuck to Hyung and rubbed his face.

It was the first time since he started attending that Hyung was with him from the beginning of daycare.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. Let’s draw hard, Siha.”

“Ah ah.”

The teacher came in with paint and drawing paper.

Each one was placed on the vinyl-covered floor.

Alisa showed a demonstration first.

“First, fold the drawing paper in half.”

Siha listened to Alisa and folded the drawing paper in half.

“You see this folded part here, right?”

“Yes!”

“Put your favorite paint on one side like this.”

Siha looked at the red paint in front of him and squeezed it out.

Then he squeezed out the white color and put it in.

Following Alisa, he freely added various colors to express colorfulness.

“And now fold it in half. You have to press it hard.”

Siha pressed hard while looking at Hyung.

“Hyung. Press.”

“Huh? Yeah. Press.”

Alisa said.

“Now. If you open it, you’ll see a fun picture!”

When the drawing paper was unfolded, the same pattern was created on both sides, divided in half.

The children’s reaction was enthusiastic.

First, Hana.

“Wow! There’s a lot of pink! Pink! Pink! It’s a butterfly!”

Using yellow and pink paint, a pink butterfly was born.

Seung-joon also showed off his picture confidently, sticking out his stomach.

“I’m a ball. Soccer ball. It’s cooler than Brazuca [the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup].”

It was definitely a unique soccer ball.

“There are eyes and a nose.”

If you had to compare it, it was a round picture reminiscent of Munch’s The Scream.

If you kicked the ball with that, you would be cursed.

Even Siha avoided looking at the picture because it was scary.

“Ah ah. Hyung.”

“Huh? Shall we unfold Siha’s too?”

Siha unfolded the picture.

Red, blue, white, black.

Various colors came out beautifully.

It wasn’t a representation of any specific shape, but a form mixed here and there.

Si-hyuk gave a thumbs up after seeing the picture.

“Wow! Siha! You’re a Korean after all. How was the *Taegeukgi* [South Korean flag] made?!”

“Ah ah.”

In reality, the colors of the *Taegeukgi* were included, but the *Taegeukgi* itself was not drawn.

Alisa, who knew what the *Taegeukgi* looked like, was dumbfounded next to him.

“Si-hyuk. It’s not the *Taegeukgi*?”

“Alisa. You’re in the design department, so you know. This is the original *Taegeukgi* mixed in a different form. Like breaking the face of a plaster statue on the floor and drawing it.”

“Why do you break the plaster statue?”

“It’s a kind of breaking prejudice. Anyway, Siha’s picture is the same.”

Alisa muttered.

“I don’t think so…….”

Siha looked at the two of them and turned his gaze back to the drawing paper.

“Ah ah.”

He showed his picture to Seung-joon, as if he liked it.

“Ah ah. Seung-joon.”

“Siha! I’m a soccer ball.”

“Ah ah. Soccer.”

“What is Siha’s?”

“Ah ah. Tag.”

“Ah! That thing attached to the clothes?”

He shook his head.

Siha confidently said *Taegeukgi* as Hyung told him.

“Taegeukgi.”

Then Hana said as if she knew.

“That’s it. Hashtag!”

Seung-joon countered.

“Ah! Shop!”

“Ah ah?”

Siha didn’t know what a hashtag was, but he thought it was similar, so he nodded.

Seung-joon said.

“You have to draw something like this here.”

Seung-joon squeezed the paint into a # shape on his drawing paper.

“This is it!”

He folded and unfolded the drawing paper again.

Two # shapes were created.

“I’m a super player now.”

Seung-joon stuck out his stomach.

“Hana too. Hana too.”

Hana also made a # and stuck out her stomach.

Siha also wanted to join in, so he made a # and stuck out his stomach.

Si-hyuk took a picture of the three of them sticking out their stomachs because they were so cute.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Alisa came to her senses as she watched Si-hyuk pressing the continuous shooting.

“Then, now that you know that drawing isn’t difficult, shall we draw properly on the T-shirt?”

“Yes!”

The first activity was a kind of preliminary battle to make the children feel interested in drawing.

Everyone was given a brush and a white T-shirt was provided.

The paint used was fabric paint.

It was a paint that was often used when drawing on clothes.

“Then, feel free to draw whatever picture you want. You can squeeze the paint and fold it in half like drawing paper to complete it. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Siha looked at the T-shirt.

He glanced at Hyung, wondering what to draw.

“Why?”

“Ah ah. Hyung.”

“Huh?”

Siha decided to draw Hyung Penguin.

First, he drew the characteristics visible in Hyung’s eyes.

Swish swish.

His hair was long now, so it wasn’t a bowl cut, but Siha gave the penguin a bowl cut.

The clothes were the puppy-like fashion he wore at the fashion show last time.

Penguins have short legs, so he didn’t draw the bottoms.

It was literally a bottomless fashion.

“Hyung.”

“Uh-huh?”

“This. Hyung.”

“Oh…. You drew Hyung?”

Then Alisa said in a surprised voice.

“Wow! Siha draws really well? Is this the skill of a 3-year-old?”

“Siha is a bit of a genius.”

Siha said to Alisa.

“This. Hyung.”

“Huh? Ahaha. There’s a turtleneck, and the hair is *heung~* good? It’s a creative picture. You should praise him quickly.”

Si-hyuk smiled softly and stroked Siha’s head.

“It’s the same as Hyung?”

“Ah ah.”

Alisa, who was behind him, grabbed her stomach and laughed.