Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 480

Hey, hyung, aren’t I cute? Hey, hyung, aren’t I cute? Extra-55 (480/500)

Extra 55: Vacation (9)

Bae Sang-hyun happily accepted the order.

The quickest things he could make were cup ramen (tempura udon flavor) and Sotteok-Sotteok [skewered rice cakes and sausages, often glazed with a sweet and spicy sauce].

He heated the water and microwaved the Sotteok-Sotteok.

Watching it spin around, he felt he had prepared well today.

Of course, it cost him some money, but that wasn’t a problem at all.

He felt the child’s smile was reward enough for his prior research.

He couldn’t make up for everything he hadn’t done with just this, though.

‘If things were normal, I would be with my family…’

Bae Sang-hyun was lost in thought for a moment.

He vaguely pictured Siha as a baby, held in her arms, smiling happily.

There was another man beside her, not him, but he wished for her happiness.

‘I don’t know how far I can go, but I’ll do better. Without any shortcomings.’

Ding.

He snapped out of his thoughts at the microwave’s chime.

He took out the Sotteok-Sotteok and placed it on a plate.

He wrapped the handle with a tissue to protect her hands from the heat.

He handed it to Siha.

“Here, the Sotteok-Sotteok is ready.”

“Wow! Art Teacher, it looks so delicious!”

Siha’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the Sotteok-Sotteok.

Bae Sang-hyun smiled and placed the plate in front of Siha.

He pushed the keyboard forward to make room for the plate.

“Go ahead and eat.”

“Art Teacher first.”

Siha pushed the Sotteok-Sotteok towards Bae Sang-hyun.

“Huh?”

“I was told that adults eat first.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I just wanted to feed you.”

Bae Sang-hyun was touched by Siha’s words.

Where did she learn such sweet things? Probably from Si-hyuk.

If he had raised her, Siha might not have learned to say such kind things.

“Ah~”

“Ah~”

A sausage went into Bae Sang-hyun’s mouth.

“It’s delicious.”

He had tasted it beforehand while doing his ‘preliminary research’ before Siha arrived, but the one Siha gave him was even more delicious.

Was it more delicious because he was eating it with a side of affection?

Even if it was just a trick of the mind, Bae Sang-hyun was very satisfied with the taste.

Even if he made and ate Sotteok-Sotteok alone later, it wouldn’t taste the same.

“Hyung too!”

Siha held out the rice cake part to Si-hyuk.

Si-hyuk ate the rice cake with an “Ah.”

Bae Sang-hyun watched them and got up.

“I’ll go prepare the next dish.”

When he went to the kitchen, the water in the pot had already boiled and he turned off the heat.

He poured water into the tempura udon cup.

He closed the lid and brought that over as well.

As the final touch, the grand Jjaggyechi [a homemade version of Jjapaghetti, often with added ingredients] was being prepared.

He put the noodles in the already boiling water and fried an egg at the same time.

Bae Sang-hyun focused all his attention on this moment.

Tick.

The timer ticked.

It was important for the egg to be half-cooked, and the amount of water in the Jjapaghetti was crucial for blending with the cheese.

If the ratio was off, it could become too salty.

At this moment, an accurate timer and careful estimation were essential.

Bae Sang-hyun was sincere in making the food that would go into Siha’s mouth.

He seemed to be concentrating even more than when he was drawing.

“Hoo.”

Before he knew it, Jjaggyechi was ready.

He placed the Jjaggyechi in a pretty bowl on a tray.

He grabbed chopsticks and re-entered the PC room.

“It’s done.”

Si-hyuk looked at Bae Sang-hyun and said, amused, “Was it so important that you had to announce it in such a solemn voice?”

“Of course. It’s the best ratio I’ve achieved through practice.”

“You even practiced?!”

“Yes. I even asked on Danggeun [a local online marketplace], and some people came over to try it. Everyone was very kind.”

“Why are you going to such lengths? There must be a reason.”

“Of course, I want Siha to have good memories.”

Si-hyuk laughed awkwardly.

“I was just joking with that last comment.”

“What do you mean, a joke?”

“Huh? Ah… just ad-libbing? You can think of it as a gag.”

“Ah, that kind of joke. I know it too.”

“Yes. You can think of it as a meme.”

“What is a meme? Ah. Never mind. I’ll look it up.”

“You don’t have to look it up.”

Bae Sang-hyun put down the Jjaggyechi.

And he searched for memes. He roughly knew the meaning and also searched for elementary school memes.

“What the heck is ‘EoTTeol TV JeoTTeol TV’ [a nonsensical phrase popular among Korean elementary schoolers]…?”

“Haha. Let’s eat Jjaggyechi.”

Si-hyuk awkwardly smiled and picked up the bowl.

Bae Sang-hyun nodded.

“Jjaggyechi should be eaten by popping the yolk and mixing it well with the cheese and noodles.”

“It’s like a high-end dish just came out, and the chef is explaining it.”

Siha tugged at Si-hyuk’s sleeve.

“Hyung, let’s eat quickly. It looks delicious.”

“Okay.”

Si-hyuk popped the yolk and mixed it well.

He lifted the noodles with chopsticks and blew on them.

“Siha, ah~”

“Ah~”

Siha’s cheeks bulged with the food in her mouth.

She chewed happily.

“Wow! It’s delicious!”

“Really?”

“Yes. Hyung, you eat it quickly too.”

“Alright.”

Si-hyuk also took a bite.

And he gave Bae Sang-hyun a thumbs up.

Bae Sang-hyun felt proud at that sight.

Is this what a mother feels like when cooking for her children?

He didn’t know he would feel so rewarded watching them eat so happily.

Just such small actions and words.

But words that feel even bigger to the person receiving them.

It’s delicious.

Bae Sang-hyun felt grateful that people could be happy with just one such word.

“Thank you.”

For eating so deliciously.

“Thank you so much.”

For being with me today.

“Really.”

Bae Sang-hyun just conveyed his gratitude.

Siha responded to those words.

“Me too. Thank you for inviting me to the PC room today, Art Teacher. This place is really the best.”

“Hahaha.”

“I want to come with my friends later.”

“Sure. Come and play with your friends anytime. I’ll be prepared.”

“Wow. Really?”

“Of course. But you have to tell me in advance before you come.”

“Yes! Art Teacher is the best.”

Bae Sang-hyun just thought that Siha was the best to him.

Of course, he only said those words in his heart.

Then Si-hyuk said, “Siha, Art Teacher also thinks Siha is the best. Of course, me too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Bae Sang-hyun was a little surprised to hear Si-hyuk.

How did he know?

Did he learn telepathy or something?

He was grateful that he was speaking his mind like this.

He was also a little embarrassed that his feelings were exposed.

“Art Teacher, really? Siha is the best?”

Bae Sang-hyun opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Yes. You’re the best.”

“Hehe.”

Bae Sang-hyun saw Si-hyuk smiling.

He was grateful for always helping him and for guiding his heart.

For affirming him, as if it was okay to feel this way.

He had seen on the internet that a PC room in a house like this was a dream come true for some people.

Bae Sang-hyun just felt like being together like this was like a dream.

He was giving Siha unforgettable memories, but he was the one creating memories instead.

Someday, in those memories, not as an art teacher, but as her biological father, awkward but standing tall.

He was being a little greedy.

***

Siha came home.

She immediately ran to her uncle and bragged about what happened that day.

“The room on the second floor was so big, and there were so many computers. It was a complete PC room!”

“Wow~ that’s great~”

Her uncle’s reaction was unenthusiastic.

But Siha didn’t care.

“The game was so much fun! Hyung was playing the game for the first time, so he wasn’t very good, but he got better later!”

“Wow~ that’s amazing~”

“It was a shooting game, and HP [health points] was being deducted. But Uncle isn’t good at shooting games, right?”

“No! Who says I’m not good at shooting games!”

Her uncle, who had been answering casually, reacted to the word ‘shooting’.

“Even if it’s just a game, I won’t lose to anyone when it comes to guns.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“But the gun that Uncle is talking about runs out of bullets when you shoot it, right? This game has HP, so it will be hard for Uncle, right?”

“Siha, Uncle is good at any game as long as it involves guns.”

“Then can you win every time?”

“Of course!”

Siha looked at her uncle with a suspicious face.

Her uncle scolded Siha’s disbelieving expression.

“Hey. What’s with that unbelieving look? Impudent.”

“Uncle only watches TV, so how can you be good at games?”

“Did you forget that Uncle even bought a VR game?”

“Ah, that’s right. But Uncle, just because you bought it doesn’t mean you’re good at it.”

“You’ve become a lot smarter since you started going to school, haven’t you?”

“I was originally smart because I’m like Hyung!”

“Yeah. You’re great.”

After her uncle said that, he went straight into his room.

Siha followed him.

“Uncle, where are you going? Are you sulking?”

“No. I’m not sulking, am I?”

Her uncle quickly took out a toy gun.

“A gun?”

“Yeah. You blow up balloons and put them in here.”

“Why is that coming out of Uncle’s room?”

“Uncle is always a man who is prepared with a gun.”

Siha shook her head as she looked at her uncle.

She wondered if he had bought a lot of useless things again.

She didn’t go into Uncle’s room often, but when she did, there were always a lot of things to throw away.

Of course, they were only things to throw away in her eyes, and Uncle would argue that he needed them.

Her uncle blew up a balloon and put it in the muzzle.

“Okay. Let’s start the game.”

“Uncle, what will you do if you lose?”

“Hmm. If I lose…”

“Uncle, if you lose, you can’t watch TV for a day.”

“What?!”

“Why? Do you think you’re going to lose?”

Siha’s provocation.

Her uncle got caught up in that provocation.

She didn’t know why he was so proud of his shooting game skills.

“There’s no way I can lose. Okay. Deal. Then Siha, if you lose, you can’t play with Hyung for a day.”

“!!!”

Siha never thought such a condition would be proposed.

“Uncle, mine is worse.”

“What are you talking about? It’s on par with not being able to watch TV, right?”

“Umm. Okay. I’m going to win anyway.”

“Haha. In variety shows, the person who says that always loses.”

Siha smiled.

“Uncle, I also watched variety shows, and the person who proposes this first loses.”

“Cough.”

Her uncle was speechless at Siha’s words.

She was curious about who would win.

At first, she watched it with amusement, but before she knew it, she was invested in the outcome.

“Then I’ll go first.”

Her uncle put the gun to his temple and shot.

Bang.

The first one didn’t explode.

“This time it’s my turn.”

Siha picked up the gun and shot after her uncle.

Bang.

The second one also misfired.

Next is her uncle. Bang. Third misfire.

Next is Siha. Bang. Fourth misfire.

It wouldn’t be strange if it exploded after coming this far.

“Hoo.”

Her uncle took a deep breath.

She could see an uneasy look in his eyes, and she felt the same intuition.

It’s going to explode. This time for sure.

Her uncle pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Without exception, the balloon exploded.

“Ughhh.”

“Uncle lost!”

Siha jumped around, looking at her spaced-out uncle.

She had expected Siha to win.

Even if it’s a shooting game, to bring in such a lucky element.

Siha was naturally strong in those kinds of games.

And before the game, Siha had said it, right?

The person who proposes the game first always loses.

Her uncle, who inevitably carried the risk of a jinx, had no choice but to lose the game.

“Ah, no…”

“Uncle, you can’t watch TV for a day now.”

Siha took the remote control and pressed the power button. The TV turned into a black screen.

From now on, TV watching is prohibited for 24 hours!

Naturally, Siha and she were also banned from watching TV, but it didn’t matter since they didn’t watch it that often anyway.

Her uncle had a look of utter despair.

“The joy of my life…”

“You can find a new joy in your life.”

“Like what?”

“Playing with me!”

“That’s not a joy at all!”

She laughed at her uncle’s reaction.

She wondered why he was so proud of his shooting game skills that he had gotten himself into this situation.

And he had bet too much.

Her uncle sat down on the sofa and stared blankly into the air.

Siha put her hand on her uncle’s thigh and shook it.

“Uncle, let’s play.”

Her uncle stretched out his arms on the sofa and leaned back, then glanced at Siha.

“Thank God…”

“Huh?”

“There is a smartphone!!!”

Her uncle took out his smartphone from his pocket.

And he waved it at Siha.

“Hahaha!”

“Ah! Uncle, that’s cheating!”

“I said I can’t watch TV, but there was no smartphone ban!”

“No! That can’t be!”

“Hahaha! I’m a genius!”

Siha brought the toy gun.

“Then let’s do one more round. You said you’re good at shooting games, Uncle.”

“I don’t want to!”

“I’ll let you watch TV if you win this.”

“I don’t need to watch it for a day!”

Her uncle avoided Siha and went into his room with his phone.

Siha immediately followed her uncle.

She could hear them bickering in the room.

She thought the two of them were really having fun.