Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 440

Extracurricular 15 Elementary School (4)

During lunchtime, the boys gathered on the playground.

Classes 1 and 2 came together, but unfortunately, the sixth graders were occupying the soccer field.

It seemed like they were leisurely playing a game of soccer since they were the last to be served lunch.

“Hmm. Ah! There’s an empty spot over there!”

Kangin Elementary School also had a smaller field, more like a training ground.

The training ground was better for the first graders to use than the large playground.

“Let’s play there!”

Seung-joon led the kids.

In his hand was the soccer ball he had prepared while going to school today.

He had packed the soccer ball bag while putting on his backpack in the morning.

Seung-joon’s mom even tried to stop him once, asking if he really had to take it.

Anyway, there was no problem since it was being used so usefully.

Of course, they could have requested to use the ball in the school gym, but Seung-joon didn’t know that.

“A lot of you came? Shall we play? Can we attack first?”

Class 1 got to take possession of the ball first.

“Then Si-ha will be the goalkeeper.”

“Okay!”

“Wait!”

Jong-soo raised his hand to stop them.

Seung-joon tilted his head.

“Why?”

“Are you really going to let Si-ha do it? Think again. This guy Si-ha is subtly slow. No, it’s not that he’s slow, but he also daydreams a lot.”

He meant that he wasn’t a good choice.

Seung-joon was slightly speechless.

In fact, he had been thinking a lot about the goalkeeper position.

Still, he had played soccer with Si-ha, so he had no choice but to choose a reliable person as the goalkeeper.

“Hmm.”

“Should I do it?”

“Huh? Yoon-dong, you’ll do it?”

“Yeah.”

Seung-joon sighed in relief.

Yoon-dong was the most athletic person among the kids he knew.

“Then Si-ha, let’s be attackers together.”

“Wait. Are you really going to do that?”

“Yeah! That’s what we’re going to do. Si-ha is good as an attacker. He played ball with Si-hyuk [older brother] every day. Well. The goalkeeper was a bit…”

“You were going to make him do it even though he wasn’t good!”

“Ah, I don’t know. Jong-soo, you be the midfielder.”

“Uh… Midfielder. Okay.”

Jong-soo knew what a midfielder was, but he didn’t know exactly what tasks he had to perform.

“Just do it roughly. Roughly.”

Seung-joon also knew that not everyone would perform their roles well anyway.

Whenever they played with the kids, the defenders would often come up as attackers.

“Okay. Everyone, let’s put our arms around each other! Arms around each other!”

“Yeah. Everyone gather around.”

Si-ha gestured.

Jong-soo grumbled about having to put their arms around each other again.

The kids who weren’t from Kangin Daycare gathered, looking bewildered.

The most excited one here was Seung-joon.

Because he was playing soccer, whatever it was.

“Okay. When I say one, two, three, we’ll shout ‘Fighting!’ Okay. One, two, three! Fighting!”

“Fighting!”

Seeing Class 1’s enthusiasm, Class 2 also shouted ‘Fighting!’ as if they couldn’t lose.

The game that started like that was chaotic.

It was almost like neighborhood soccer.

Still, Seung-joon, who had learned a bit, stood out.

“Si-ha!”

“Yeah!”

Lee Si-ha received the pass.

The kid in front of him flinched when he saw him fake a kick with all his might.

And he dug into that gap and took the ball and passed him.

The kid realized he had been tricked and chased after him, but Si-ha was already running forward.

And a pass.

Seung-joon didn’t trap the ball, hitting it with a one-touch shot.

The Class 2 goalkeeper reached out his hand at the sudden shot, but couldn’t block it.

Goal!

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

It would have been a difficult attack if Seung-joon was alone.

But it was the first goal thanks to the two of them who had learned soccer.

And it was easy.

“Wow!”

The other kids were also happy and gathered around.

They all high-fived and went back to their positions.

There were many awkward friends, but they could share their joy with the fact that they were on the same team.

A sense of belonging was created.

“Then let’s score the next goal!”

“Yeah!”

And Hana and Yeon-joo were watching it.

And some of the Class 1 girls who followed.

“Oppa [term for older brother used by females]. Good job!”

“Oh! Hana. You come and do it too.”

“No!”

“Yeon-joo, what about you?”

Yeon-joo didn’t even answer.

It meant refusal.

“Too bad.”

The game started again like that.

The kids kicked the ball excitedly.

They conceded goals, and they encouraged each other, saying it was okay.

Many emotions crossed in that short moment of lunchtime.

“Oppa. It’s 10 minutes before lunchtime ends!”

“Okay.”

Hana told them the time, so the kids had no choice but to finish the game.

Everyone was sweating profusely and trying to leave.

“Okay. Everyone, stand in a line! Quickly!”

Class 1. Class 2. They were facing each other.

Seung-joon said with a satisfied smile.

“Everyone, say hello. Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Shake hands too.”

At Seung-joon’s command, they all shook hands even though they were seeing each other for the first time.

Everyone felt a little closer.

The kid who was tricked by Si-ha’s feint said.

“You’re good. I was completely fooled.”

Si-ha tilted his head.

“Who are you?”

“Huh? The person who was tricked by your ball?”

“Really? I didn’t know!”

“……..”

“Now you know. You’re the person who got tricked.”

“……..”

The kid felt like he had been scammed.

The feeling of being a little closer disappeared.

Only Si-ha smiled brightly.

Not everyone became friends.

***

Even after returning to the classroom, the kids were chattering noisily.

Rather, playing soccer made the stories richer.

“Seung-joon, you were 막 [sound of something whooshing] passing everyone with the ball! Wow! You were really cool.”

“Si-ha passed it to you, and you hit it 딱 [sound of something hitting]!”

Common stories make the kids have a lot to say.

And since they shared time together, they were definitely getting closer.

It wasn’t what Seung-joon was aiming for, but it was certain that he had opened the floodgates of Class 1’s conversation.

Of course, Class 2 next to them was also united thanks to Seung-joon.

“Si-ha, who did you learn soccer from?”

Si-ha’s head turned quickly to the kid who asked the question.

벌떡 [sound of someone suddenly getting up].

Si-ha suddenly got up from his seat.

The kid who asked the question was startled and stepped back.

“Why are you suddenly getting up?”

“I learned soccer from hyung! Hyung is really good at soccer. He taught Seung-joon here everything too.”

“Okay. I understand. Calm down. Your face is too close! Calm down!”

Si-ha stepped back slightly.

“Seung-joon? Right?”

“Yeah. That’s right. Si-hyuk hyung taught me a lot. He’s actually good too.”

“Yeah! My hyung is amazing.”

The kid asked.

“Is Si-ha’s hyung a soccer player?”

“No. He’s an interpreter! Isn’t he amazing?”

“Huh? Suddenly an interpreter? What’s an interpreter?”

“An interpreter is someone who interprets.”

“???”

He didn’t know the word ‘interpreter’, so he asked what an interpreter was, but if you answer like that, he obviously won’t understand.

Si-ha seemed to know that, so he added.

“He speaks English and French too, and more.”

“Wow. He speaks many languages?”

“Yeah. And.”

He was about to say something more about hyung, but the bell rang.

“I’ll tell you more later!”

“Huh? Ah, no. That’s enough now?”

“No. You still don’t know.”

“No. I know now.”

“No. You don’t know.”

Si-ha, who said that, went back to his seat.

Si-ha’s 자랑 [bragging] about hyung was endless.

***

After lunchtime, there is a class called after-school class.

English class.

It’s optional, but it was practically mandatory.

It was unavoidable since all the kids took it.

The parents also expected a global feel from Kangin Elementary School. Global talent. Global leader. Kangin Foundation was pushing for this, as was Kangin University.

In that sense, I think I’m a global talent.

No matter what anyone says, I’ve made a name for myself as an interpreter in the world once.

It was thanks to the success of the movie, so I was lucky.

“Si-ha. It’s here.”

“Hyung.”

“I told you hyung would come to pick you up, right?”

“Yeah!”

As I was about to take Si-ha, I felt the kids’ gaze.

What is it? It’s like looking at an animal in a zoo? Do they know about me?

“That person is Si-ha’s hyung.”

“He’s a really adult like Si-ha said.”

“My hyung is a middle school student.”

“My 누나 [term for older sister used by males] is an elementary school student.”

They’re saying something to each other, but I can’t hear it from here.

Well, I must be amazing. Where else would there be a hyung with such a big age gap?

The other mothers are also amazed, so the kids wouldn’t be any different.

“Si-ha. Are these your friends?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s say hello and go.”

“Okay. Bye~ See you tomorrow!”

I said goodbye to my friends and walked home.

On the way, I saw other mothers taking their kids in the car.

Everyone must be worried about the young children.

Well, they’re first graders, but they’re still young. I’m personally worried, especially since Si-ha seems to be the smallest in the class.

He was small even among the daycare kids, but now he’s the smallest in elementary school too.

He’ll have a growth spurt later during puberty, right?

Should I feed him supplements that help with height growth from now on?

I was worrying about that when.

“Hyung. The car?”

“Huh? Ah! I didn’t bring the car. We’re going to walk today.”

“Why?”

“Si-ha might walk to school later. So I’m going to walk with hyung every day. Ah! Except in the morning.”

Mornings are busy, so it’s an exception.

More than that, there’s something I’m really curious about.

“How was school today?”

“It was fun!”

“Did you make a lot of new friends?”

“Yeah. My friends all know hyung now too.”

“???”

What does making friends have to do with knowing me?

Could it be that the reason they looked at me while whispering earlier was because Si-ha told them something?

“Did you say something about hyung?”

“Yeah! I told them everything.”

“Specifically, what did you say?”

“I said that hyung is an interpreter, speaks English very well, speaks other languages well, and that he’s good at soccer when we played soccer during lunchtime today.”

“Oh, really?”

Well, I told the truth. I didn’t make up any stories. But why did they look at me with such strange eyes? Knowing everything?

“Did you say anything else besides that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

That ‘I don’t know’ is really scary.

What else did you say?! Did you say so much that you don’t remember?! In that short amount of time?!

Am I going to become a celebrity in Class 1 again like I was in daycare?

Oh? That’s a bit. That’s really a bit!

The daycare kids are almost like family, but the new friends just feel like strangers, so it’s even more so.

“You didn’t say anything weird, did you?”

“Yeah! I only said good things!”

Yeah! Of course, you only said good things!

“Oh. Um. Okay.”

I came home with a uneasy feeling.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Uncle is lying on the sofa.

He was definitely exercising before I left the house, but I don’t know when he showered, but he’s watching TV and scratching his stomach.

“Uncle! Listen. Listen. I went to elementary school today.”

“What’s so great about going to elementary school?”

“Listen. Something amazing happened today.”

“You always say something amazing happened, but it’s nothing. Move. I can’t see.”

“No. I’ll tell you a story that’s more fun than me being on TV.”

“The things that happened to you at school are never fun.”

“No. It’s really fun. I’m in Class 1.”

“Ah ah. I can’t hear you.”

Uncle repeatedly covered and uncovered his ears with his palms.

Even I think it’s too childish.

“But Class 2 and our class fought. So our class won.”

“Huh? What is it? What are you talking about? The classes fought? It’s suddenly getting interesting?”

The most fun story in the world was a fight story.

“Seung-joon 막 [sound of something whooshing] kicked it, and it went right in, so we won well.”

“Seung-joon did?”

“Yeah. I helped Seung-joon too, and Seung-joon and I worked well together, so we won.”

“Wow. Tell me more in detail.”

“Yeah. So Seung-joon went to Class 2 first and said let’s fight, and the class president there said okay, so everyone ate lunch and gathered in the playground.”

“Uh uh.”

“So Seung-joon attacked first, but.”

“Wow. He 선빵 [Korean slang for ‘hit first’?] But you’re okay?”

“Seung-joon did everything.”

I smiled as I listened to Si-ha’s story.

No. Si-ha. You have to tell the story without omitting the subject.

Uncle 감탄했다 [exclaimed in admiration].

“Wow. Seung-joon must be good at fighting.”

“Huh? Seung-joon is good at soccer?”

“Huh? Weren’t you talking about a fight? You fought from the first day?”

“으잉 [sound of confusion]? No. It’s a soccer story?”

“???”

Well, he must have had fun at elementary school today, seeing how 열심히 [enthusiastically] he’s talking.