Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 439

Extracurricular 14 Elementary School (3)

First grade classes began.

Korean language class. Actually, at first, you should do sentences and things like that, but it depends on the teacher’s discretion.

From the start, the children who come to private schools have studied to some extent. Of course, there are children who haven’t.

Anyway, the first class was this.

“Open your textbooks and look at the table of contents.”

The table of contents includes punctuation marks and basically a lot of word usage.

The teacher teaches the children so that they can naturally become familiar with Hangeul [Korean alphabet].

And she comes up with stories that fit to keep them from getting bored.

“Next, let’s read the story together.”

The Tortoise and the Hare.

The hare ran quickly and saw the slow tortoise.

‘Tortoise, you’re so slow, how can you keep up with me?’

The hare laughed and went far ahead.

The tortoise silently moved its feet diligently.

“Yes. Good job reading.”

The teacher looked at the children.

First grade Korean language is all about being able to read and write well.

However, since there are individual differences, she teaches the most basic things.

But this makes students who already know it bored. They start to think it’s not fun. Or they might think it’s fun because it’s easy.

It was the teacher’s ability to make it more fun.

“Everyone! Do you know this story?”

“Yes!”

A story everyone has heard at least once.

The Tortoise and the Hare.

Everyone knew who would win.

“Then let’s ask questions about this story. Deep questions and shallow questions.”

“???”

The children don’t know what a question is.

What shallow questions and deep questions are.

Until now, they have only asked superficial shallow questions. What is this? What is that? But now that they are in first grade, shouldn’t we ask more interesting questions?

This way, even friends who are ahead can participate in class in a fun way.

“I’ll give you an example. I’ll ask a question based on the content in the textbook now. Is the hare fast? This is a shallow question. Then what is a deep question?”

“Umm.”

“You don’t have to think too hard. It’s about asking questions outside of this book. Did the hare eat breakfast before the race?”

“!!!”

When the teacher gave an example, the children thought it was easy.

Shallow questions and deep questions.

What is a question?

Instead of defining such questions, she lets the children ask questions.

It could be a ridiculous question or a really thoughtful question.

The important thing is to ask questions.

“Then who wants to ask a question!”

The children cautiously look around.

The first to raise his hand was Jong-su.

“Okay. Jong-su. Ask a question.”

“Is the tortoise slow at typing on the computer too?”

It was a question that Jong-su, who is practicing typing these days, would ask.

The teacher passed the answer on to the children.

“What do you guys think?”

“I think it would be slow!”

“I think it would be frustrating to talk to a friend because it’s too slow!”

“I think it might be surprisingly fast!”

“I think the computer would break because it shoots water!”

A wide variety of answers came out.

It’s only difficult at first, but once you get the ball rolling, it’s easy to participate.

Next, Si-ha raised her hand.

“Yes. Si-ha. Ask a question.”

“Does the tortoise have an older brother?”

Again with the older brother?! Is it important for the tortoise to have an older brother?

“Does he have an older brother who is an interpreter? He’s good at writing, goes abroad to interpret, and is super talented!”

You’re the only one who has an older brother with such an amazing career!

Unlike those thoughts, the teacher answered that it was a good question.

“Goo, good question.”

Si-ha had a proud look on her face.

No. Older brother isn’t a universal cheat key.

Of course, it’s commendable that she asked a question outside of the story. But I thought she could ask a question that gets away from her older brother.

“Then everyone. What kind of older brother does the tortoise have? No. Does he have an older brother?”

She passed the answer on.

Seung-jun answered.

“The tortoise’s older brother is Turtle King, so the hare will be in trouble later. Ahaha!”

It was a very childish answer.

However, the teacher was a little surprised inside because it was an answer that deviated from soccer.

Eun-woo answered.

“He’s Turtle King, but he’s a rapper wearing sunglasses. He’s very rough.”

The attribute of rapper was added there.

Next is Jae-hwi.

“I think he drew cool patterns on the tortoise shell and wore a good shell outfit.”

Hey. Guys? I asked if he had an older brother, but why are the answers like this?

Just attributes about the tortoise’s older brother are being added one by one?!

“Ahem. Everyone. The question was whether the tortoise has an older brother.”

“Ah. I’m sorry, teacher.”

“Huh? No, it’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry. Jae-hwi also thought hard!”

Jae-hwi became sullen.

Yeon-ju, who was sitting next to him, poked Jae-hwi’s cheek.

Jae-hwi was surprised and raised his head.

“You look cooler when you raise your head.”

“Huh? Uh, thank you, Yeon-ju.”

Jae-hwi was embarrassed and tried to bow again, but turned his head to the side.

Yeon-ju giggled at the sight.

The teacher thought.

What are you guys doing in class?

I realize once again that first grade class is not easy.

***

Break time.

The children are talking with their friends who they get along with.

Groups have already been formed.

The Kang-in Kindergarten boys’ group.

The girls’ group led by Hana and Yeon-ju.

A group talking with their partners.

A group that is still fidgeting and not adapting.

Even though they are in the same class, they are divided like this.

They can’t even remember each other’s names well, and it takes time to get close.

“Ah. I’ll go to another class!”

Everyone tilted their heads at Seung-jun’s words.

“I have to gather people to play soccer during lunch. I’ll be back soon!”

His action is amazing.

He was always serious about soccer.

Seung-jun went out into the hallway and went to the nearest Class 2.

This class hasn’t formed a group yet. The child to unite them hasn’t come forward yet, and they were awkward with each other.

“Hey! Who wants to play soccer with us during lunch?!”

“???”

The children are giving him questioning looks.

They don’t even know who the child who suddenly appeared is, but he’s saying something so out of the blue.

“I’m Oh Seung-jun from Class 1. Do you want to play soccer with our Class 1 during lunch? Anyone want to play?”

There is no answer.

That’s usually the case. It’s not easy to get an answer if you ask an unspecified number of people.

“Um. Ah! Who is the temporary class leader here? Number 1!”

“That’s me?”

“Ah, okay. Do you want to do it?”

“Ah. I want to do it!”

“Okay? Then have the class leader recruit people. Anyone want to play? Raise your hand!”

Only then did one or two people start raising their hands.

“Those who want to play, eat lunch with the class leader and go play soccer. Got it? The teacher said that our Class 1 and Class 2 are the first to eat.”

Nod nod.

Seung-jun, who quickly got an answer, quickly returned to Class 1.

“We’re going to play soccer with Class 2. We’re all going to do it, right? Right? Right?”

Seung-jun asked each of the boys in the class one by one.

Some people nodded because they wanted to do it, and some people nodded because they were pressured by Seung-jun’s spirit.

Anyway, everyone decided to do it.

“Hana, do you want to do it too?”

“No!”

Seung-jun intervenes without noticing while happily talking with the girls.

Hana shook her head in horror.

Hana was sick and tired of soccer.

Conversely, Seung-jun was sick and tired of idols.

Hana had seen them so much.

“Si-ha. Everyone’s going to do it, right?”

Everyone nodded.

Seung-jun sat down with a satisfied expression.

“But what were you guys talking about?”

He was curious about the story that happened while Seung-jun was running around asking questions.

Si-ha, who received the attention, opened her mouth.

Si-ha glanced at Jong-su as if passing the ball.

“Jong-su. What did we talk about?”

“Hey! Lee Si-ha! You didn’t listen to me!”

“No. I listened. Yeah!”

“What, what did I say?”

“I heard that Jong-su was typing hard.”

“Hey! That’s what I said during my self-introduction!”

“What, what did you say?”

“Huh? That’s right. I asked what you said during break time, not what, what you said today!”

“Then you should say it like that!”

“No! In the context of the story, it’s break time, right?”

“I don’t know.”

Si-ha used ‘Ah. I don’t know. Anyway, I don’t know!’

Jong-su opened his mouth as if he was dumbfounded.

“Ahem. So what did I say during bre!ak! ti!me!”

“I don’t know!”

“Hey!”

The other children burst out laughing at Si-ha’s words.

“Hehe. I asked you even though I don’t know anything.”

“Hee. Si-ha. That was a bit much. Hee. Sniff.”

“Puhaha! I don’t know! I don’t know anything! You don’t know and I don’t know either. Puhaha!”

“Ahem.”

Seung-jun, Jae-hwi, Eun-woo, Yoon-dong.

They showed laughter that suited each of them, even though their expressions were different.

Jong-su said as if he was feeling empty.

“Sigh. It’s my fault for asking you.”

“Jong-su. What did you say?”

“So what I said was…”

Ding Dong Daeng Dong!

The music signaling the end of break time flowed out.

Si-ha jumped up.

“Jong-su. Let’s talk next time. I have to go to my seat.”

“Hey!”

Jong-su felt a little unfair.

It wasn’t like Si-ha was aiming for it, but he felt like he had been taken advantage of for no reason.

It was just the end of break time.

No. It was Si-ha’s fault for not remembering.

“Si-ha. Remember what I say next time. Please.”

“Okay. I understand!”

Si-ha was always good at answering cheerfully.

***

Lunch time.

First graders, second graders, and third graders receive food in order.

The classes are in order of Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3.

Since it’s a private school, there aren’t many people, so it doesn’t take that long to get food.

Of course, it takes a little longer to get food for all the way up to 6th grade.

“Okay. You line up and eat here. Let’s go in. Take your spoons and trays. When you receive rice and side dishes, say thank you. And if you don’t want to eat something, say you don’t want it in advance. Or say you want a little. Got it?”

“Yes!”

“You have to eat vegetables and fruits even if you don’t want to. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Following the teacher’s words, they head to the cafeteria.

Fortunately, none of the children in Class 1 had allergies to specific foods.

Children with allergies will take care of it themselves when they grow up by looking at the school lunch menu, but the children who are still in first grade didn’t have that.

First grade teachers had to check that too.

They were elementary school students, but they were still 7-year-old babies.

That’s why it was harder.

It’s hard when they’re older, but it’s hard when they’re still young.

“Yes!”

Still, they answer well.

“Si-ha. Do you know what’s for lunch?”

Seung-jun is the type who doesn’t check the school lunch menu.

That’s why he asks. There’s always one of those types at school.

“Bulgogi [Korean marinated beef] is coming out. Bulgogi. The one my older brother makes is delicious.”

“Oh! Bulgogi!”

Si-ha is the type who only remembers delicious things.

She doesn’t need anything trivial. She only aims for one delicious thing.

“Rice, bulgogi, yogurt, tangguk [Korean soup], kimchi [fermented cabbage], salad, spinach. I think that’s about it?”

Jong-su adds to it.

He’s the type who knows all the food in a row.

He’s the person who knows everything if you ask him.

“Wow. Jong-su. Amazing. I saw it but I forgot. I only remember that something delicious is coming out.”

Jae-hwi is the type who only leaves the feeling that something delicious is coming out even if he looked at the school lunch menu.

Is it because he only looks at the feeling of fashion?

“It’s our turn.”

Since it’s Class 1, they quickly get their lunch.

Everyone worked hard to receive it and ate the food deliciously.

They scraped it clean and didn’t leave any food behind.

“Tonkatsu [Japanese pork cutlet] is coming out this Wednesday. Puhaha. It’s going to be delicious. Puhaha.”

Eun-woo was the type who scanned the school lunches for this week and only remembered the most anticipated thing.

“Ah. Really? I didn’t look.”

Yoon-dong is the type who just eats whatever they give him.

He doesn’t bother to look up the school lunch menu.

Because the other kids already knew.

Seung-jun grinned.

“Ah, then is it time to play soccer?”

The most anticipated order has come.