Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 468

Extracurricular 43: Learning Assessment (1)

While May is often considered the month of family, June is often called the month of learning assessments.

First graders don’t typically have formal exams, but this assessment serves the same purpose.

The goal isn’t necessarily to score perfectly, but to gauge how well they’ve grasped the material taught so far.

The teacher addressed the children, saying,

“There will be a learning assessment next Monday. The questions will cover what you’ve learned up to this point, so please keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

The teacher could have surprised them with the assessment, but she chose not to.

Giving them advance notice is important.

It gives students who need extra time to study an opportunity to catch up, and it allows those who are prepared to review the material.

The number of correct or incorrect answers isn’t the main focus.

“Alright everyone, enjoy your lunch, and I’ll see you in the after-school classroom.”

“Yes!”

As soon as the teacher left the classroom, Seung-joon excitedly approached Siha.

“Siha, let’s hurry and get lunch.”

“Okay!”

Siha placed his textbook on the desk and stood up.

As they walked to the cafeteria with Seung-joon, they discussed the upcoming assessment.

“Siha, are you feeling confident about the learning assessment?”

“I’m confident.”

“Wow! Siha, have you been studying hard?”

“Yes. I always study hard with Hyung [older brother/friend]. He also checks my homework diligently.”

Seung-joon looked surprised.

He hadn’t realized Si-hyuk was so involved in checking Siha’s homework.

“Si-hyuk Hyung checks it like a mom would.”

“No, I just show him that I finished everything.”

“Huh? Why? What’s the point?”

Siha wants Hyung to look at his homework after he finishes it.

He likes showing off how hard he’s worked. And because Hyung is smart, he also helps him if he’s made any mistakes.

It feels like studying with Hyung!

Siha enjoys that feeling, so he always gets his homework checked.

On the other hand, Seung-joon didn’t like having his homework checked. He’d rather play soccer than do homework.

Seung-joon sighed and said,

“I wish homework would just disappear!”

“Why? Seung-joon, you could do it with your mom like I do.”

“I’d hate that even more!”

Seung-joon made a disgusted face.

Real-time surveillance? He couldn’t stand that.

Just then, Hana, who had been listening from behind, suddenly spoke up.

“I don’t mind it. Oppa [older brother] often puts off his homework. If you do it in advance like me, you can play later.”

“It’s better to play first and do homework later.”

“No, it’s better to do homework and then play. When I’m playing, Oppa always gets caught by Mom and has to do homework.”

“Hey, then you have to play soccer when it’s still light out; you can’t do it at night.”

“Then you can wake up early in the morning and do it.”

“No way. Sleep is medicine.”

Surprisingly, Seung-joon had his own reasoning.

Of course, it’s hard to focus on homework when you’re exhausted from playing soccer.

Hana looked at Yeon-ju.

Yeon-ju was busy chatting with Jae-hwi behind them.

“Jae-hwi, you have to do well on the learning assessment, okay?”

“Huh? Uh, uh. I’ll try my best.”

“Should we bet on who will do better?”

“Huh?”

“The winner gets to make a wish.”

“What kind of wish?”

“I’ll tell you after the assessment.”

It was a cute and friendly exchange.

Hana put her arm around Yeon-ju.

“Yeon-ju!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Do you do your homework in advance?”

“Me? Yes, I do it in advance.”

“I knew it, Yeon-ju! See, Oppa? Yeon-ju also does it in advance. Jae-hwi, do you do it in advance too?”

“Uh, uh. I do it in advance too.”

Seung-joon looked betrayed as he glanced at his friends.

Jong-su chuckled as he watched the scene.

“Hey, do your homework in advance. That’s why you’re only good at soccer.”

“No, I’m good at everything.”

“You’re worse at studying than I am.”

“Wow, that’s ridiculous! Let’s compare next week then.”

It wasn’t even a competitive exam, but the children were already starting to compete.

Siha chimed in, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“I want to get a perfect score too.”

Jong-su became wary of Siha.

“Lee Siha, are you trying to compete with me too?”

It was very rare for Lee Siha to initiate a competition like this.

Jong-su was already feeling a burning desire to study incredibly hard for the learning assessment.

He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

But Siha shook his head, not responding to Jong-su’s competitive spirit.

“No, I just want Hyung to be happy.”

Ah, he’s not interested in competing with you; he just wants Hyung to be happy.

That’s what he meant.

Jong-su felt his burning competitive spirit slowly fading away.

He felt something bubbling up inside for no reason.

“Hey! Don’t you care about me at all!”

“???”

“Ugh, never mind. Never mind.”

“Jong-su, you can make your mom happy too. Then you’ll care, right?”

“That’s not what I mean! I mean, don’t you care about me at all!”

“??? I’m talking to Jong-su, right? If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”

“That’s not what I mean!!”

Today, a conversation that had gone completely off the rails was taking place in the hallway in front of the cafeteria.

Before they knew it, the waiting line had shortened, and they received their trays.

Siha happily held up his tray.

“Ah! Let’s eat and talk.”

“Hey!”

Siha got his food and took a delicious bite.

Jong-su poked a sweet potato mash with his fork, looking frustrated.

In any case, it was a peaceful moment in elementary school.

***

Siha came back home.

He opened the door, took off his shoes, and neatly turned them around.

“I’m home.”

I also came home.

I always pick up Siha when he returns from Taekwondo.

It might seem overprotective, but how would I know if there were any strange people between the house and the academy?

I wouldn’t have worried about this before, but after talking to the other mothers, I learned that there are too many missing children in the world.

CCTV [closed-circuit television] is only useful after a crime has been committed.

Once they disappear, the parents are left with nothing but worry and regret.

Rather than risk that, it’s better to pick him up, even if it’s a little tiring.

And it’s not a big deal to go out in front of the house.

“Oh, you’re here? Did you bring something delicious?”

Uncle greeted Siha.

These days, every time he comes home, he asks if he’s bought something delicious.

“No! And you can buy whatever you want to eat, Uncle.”

“No, when I go to choose, everything looks tasteless, but when Siha chooses, it somehow looks delicious.”

“Uncle, that’s called ‘the grass is always greener on the other side.’ I learned it all.”

“Oh! But to me, only what Siha eats looks delicious. It’s the most delicious when I steal it.”

To be honest, I’m impressed when I see Uncle like that.

How does he come up with so many ways to tease him?

I wonder if it all started from the moment he asked if he had bought something delicious.

Uncle stretched out on the sofa and reached out to Siha.

“Show me your bag. It smells delicious.”

“No!”

Siha took off his bag and hugged it tightly.

He backed away, protecting his bag.

“Oh! It looks like there’s really something delicious?”

“I was going to save it to eat later.”

“Looking at it, it must be the chocolate muffin from today’s lunch.”

Siha’s eyes widened.

“Uncle, how did you know?”

Uncle got up slowly.

He smiled and approached Siha little by little.

Siha backed away at the sight of Uncle.

“Hehehe, I saw the school lunch menu posted on the refrigerator.”

The school lunch menu for this month was on the refrigerator.

I put it up because I wanted to see what Siha would eat each day, but I didn’t know that Uncle was checking it like that.

As expected, he’s amazing. To prepare so meticulously just to tease Siha.

“Give it to me quickly!”

“Ah, no!”

Siha lay down and defended his bag, but Uncle’s hand was persistent.

Instead of taking the bag, he opened the zipper and reached inside.

Siha was surprised by Uncle’s clever tactic.

He tried to grab his wrist to stop him, but he couldn’t resist his strength.

Rustle. Rustle.

The sound of a bag crumpling was heard, and then he lifted up the chocolate muffin.

“Hahaha! Now this chocolate muffin is mine! To save something this delicious for later! That’s why you get it taken away. Hahaha.”

“Eek! Give it back!”

Siha jumped up and down, but he wasn’t tall enough to reach the chocolate muffin that was held up to the ceiling.

Uncle gently lowered the muffin.

When Siha jumped, he lifted it up again.

Then lowered it again and lifted it up.

A series of repetitions.

Siha puffed out his cheeks at the sight of it almost within reach.

I was a little impressed.

He’s going this far just to tease him even more.

But I should help Siha at this point.

“Uncle, look at that chocolate muffin.”

“Huh? Why?”

Uncle looked at the chocolate muffin wrapped in plastic.

“Huh? What is this!”

The top of the chocolate muffin was carved out in several places, as if a rat had gnawed on it.

Uncle looked at Siha.

“Erai! You already ate a little bit! But why did a rat gnaw on it!”

Siha said proudly.

“I got full while eating it, so I wrapped it up again. Did I do well?”

“Doing well, my foot! You should throw it away if there’s any left.”

“It’s a waste to throw it away. I’ll eat it all later.”

“Yeah, you eat a lot.”

Uncle threw the chocolate muffin at Siha as if he had lost his energy.

I don’t know what he was teasing him for.

I wonder if Siha won this round? The outcome is a bit unclear.

Uncle turned to me.

“But Si-hyuk is still the same. He noticed that the muffin was like that in the meantime.”

“Well, I just saw it.”

I’m confident in my eyesight.

I stroked Siha’s head.

“You didn’t throw away what was left and brought it home, huh? Smart.”

“Yes. I can’t throw this away, even if I throw away other things.”

“Of course, of course. It’s good if you can avoid wasting it.”

Siha held out the chocolate muffin.

“And Hyung, this is delicious. Do you want to eat it together?”

“No, that’s alright.”

No matter what, I couldn’t eat that.

“Then I’ll have to eat it alone. It’s really delicious!”

Sure, it must be delicious. But the traces of you eating it stopped me.

Siha ate the chocolate muffin with relish.

And it seemed like something came to mind when the sugar hit his brain.

“Ah! Hyung, I’m very busy! I forgot because Uncle was teasing me.”

“Huh? What are you busy with?”

“I have a learning assessment next Monday.”

“Learning assessment?”

“Yes! So I have to study. I’m going to work really hard.”

He’s already in exam study mode.

Maybe our Siha has a talent for studying? Maybe he’ll become a Harvard student later and say, ‘Studying was the easiest thing for me!’

To be willing to work hard voluntarily from such a young age. I don’t think there’s another first grader in elementary school like this in the world.

“Siha, do you want to get a really good score?”

“Yes! I’m going to get a good score and make Hyung happy.”

“Keuheuk.”

You’re studying to make me happy?

That’s so admirable.

“But Siha, originally, that kind of assessment is for you to be happy, not for Hyung to be happy.”

“Huh? Won’t Hyung be happy if Siha gets a good score?”

“No, I’m happy, but…”

Maybe he’s imagining bragging to everyone that Siha got a perfect score.

“Then I’ll get a perfect score!”

“I’m happy with just your effort, even if you don’t get a perfect score.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Ah, you’re really cute.”

I hugged Siha and rubbed my face against his.

Soft and squishy.

He’s still young, so his cheeks are soft.

In the midst of that warm atmosphere,

Uncle poured cold water.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

I sometimes have doubts.

Is Uncle really a foreigner?

Siha came out of my arms and said to Uncle.

“Have you ever gotten a perfect score, Uncle?”

“Of course. I’m the best elite.”

“???”

Siha gave him a suspicious look.

“Uncle, is an elite someone who always lies on the sofa at home and only watches TV?”

“…….”

Shouldn’t I be helping Uncle this time instead of helping Siha?

Stop!

Siha, stop the fact-check mode!