Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 487

Extracurricular Reading Contest (2)

We each chose a book and went home.

Even though they were all children’s books, they were surprisingly fun to read.

How should I put this?

Ultimately, because the authors of these books are adults, it’s interesting to get a glimpse into their concerns about what kind of lessons to impart or how to easily connect with children.

I can no longer see things from a child’s perspective, but from an adult’s, I can glimpse the author’s worries.

Perhaps that’s why our thoughts change when we read the same book as we get older.

“Okay, everyone, turn off the TV today and read quietly.”

When I declared this in the living room, my uncle looked aghast.

“No! Are we starting right away?! I’m watching something important!”

“I know you’re always watching something important, so watch the rerun later. Creating a shared environment is really important for things like this.”

“The TV is more important to me!”

“Uncle, read a book for once. This is a boob tube [slang for television], and you’ll become a boob if you watch it for too long.”

“Do you think I’m some old flame or something!”

Siha tugged at my sleeve.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], what’s a boob tube?”

Oh, right. Siha doesn’t know what a boob tube is.

We used to call TVs boob tubes back in the day.

Such a generation gap.

“There was a time when TVs were fat. Back then, they looked like boxes, so we often called them boob tubes.”

“It’s not fat now. It’s super thin. The boob tube succeeded in dieting?”

“Yeah. It succeeded.”

The screen has gotten wider and thinner.

Calling the TV a successful dieter somehow sounds like Siha.

Siha looked at my uncle.

“Uncle, stop watching the boob tube and look at this smart book.”

“Hey! This TV is a smart TV!”

“!!!”

“TVs have gotten smart too! You’ll get smarter if you watch TV now.”

“The TV is smart, but that doesn’t mean Uncle is smart.”

My uncle closed his mouth at Siha’s words.

That’s true.

“Hyung, look. You’re always reading books and translating, so you’re smart.”

“That’s because it’s work, so I can’t help it.”

“Uncle, you can do translation work too. You’re American, Uncle.”

“I’m Korean! No, I was American.”

Um, Uncle? Isn’t it dangerous to be confused about your nationality?

When did you start cherishing the Korean flag in your heart?

My uncle cleared his throat and said this.

“I love Korean dramas.”

“Suddenly?”

I wonder if he loves them too much?

“Our country! Uh! Now K-pop! K-dramas! K-movies! Uh?! It’s being recognized all over the world!”

It’s strange to hear my uncle say ‘our country.’

Isn’t America your country, Uncle?

Siha seemed to feel that way too, as he looked confused.

“Uncle. Were you Korean?”

“Korea is my second home. Half of my blood is Korean.”

“Then you must like K-books too? Let’s read this now.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m an American no matter what.”

“You were just bragging about Korea, but why are you American now!”

My uncle made a very serious face.

“Siha. There’s something I haven’t been able to tell you until now.”

“What is it?”

“The truth is, Uncle can speak Korean, but I can’t read Hangul [the Korean alphabet]!”

“!!!”

“Siha, you’ll know when you go to elementary school, right? Speaking Korean and reading the letters are very different things.”

“!!!”

I was a little impressed by my uncle’s plausible excuse.

Are you going this far to avoid reading a book?

“Liar!”

“It’s true. I want you to remember that Uncle is American.”

“Really? Uncle can’t read letters?”

“Yeah. Uncle could have read it if it was an English book. It’s a shame.”

Siha stared at my uncle and pointed to the refrigerator with his finger.

My uncle tilted his head.

“Why the refrigerator?”

“Uncle. How did you read my school lunch menu?”

“!!!”

Oh! As expected, Lee Siha is sharp.

How will my uncle get through this?

“Siha. Uncle has lived in Korea for 30 years.”

“Not 30 years.”

“Just say it. So, what kind of people are we? We’re the people of delivery [referring to food delivery services, implying familiarity with food-related terms].”

“Uncle. Are Americans the people of delivery?”

“Ahem. Anyway, in the case of food, I know the letters. Siha, you don’t know all the English words either. At least you know food well, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s like that.”

How much did he not want to read a book to make excuses like this?

Or is his desire to watch TV that great?

Isn’t this TV addiction?

Siha nodded as if he understood.

“Okay.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Then shall I read it to you?”

“No! That would take too long. Uncle is fine, so you read a lot, Siha.”

“Ah! Then we can do this.”

Siha ran to his room.

I heard rustling sounds and then he quickly came out.

“Tada. A book in English!”

Siha held out a book in English.

[knock. knock.]

Come to think of it, we bought him a book in English at home.

Of course, my uncle didn’t read it.

“We can read this and write a letter to the main character!”

Siha’s checkmate attack.

It’s hard to get out of this.

Now I have no choice but to read the book.

My uncle looked at the book for a long time.

“What does this say?”

“Huh? It’s [knock. knock.]. Knock knock.”

“Ah! Knock knock! But Siha, there’s something I was too embarrassed to say, but the truth is, Uncle can’t read English either.”

“That’s a real lie!”

That’s true.

Even so, that’s too much.

How can you not read English?

Even excluding conversation, my uncle sometimes taught Siha English.

“Ah. Was this not it.”

I grabbed my uncle’s shoulder.

Tuk.

“Uncle. Read a book. How much is that? If you had read it in this time, you would have already written a letter to the main character.”

“That’s true.”

We sat down and opened our books.

When I think about it, why are we so enthusiastic about preparing for something we’re going to do at a school competition?

Ah. Because I decided to do it with Siha.

I was so distracted that I forgot.

***

Scratch, scratch.

How long has it been since I wrote on stationery?

In the past, I used to write letters to my father on Parents’ Day or write small phrases on postcards on his birthday.

Strangely, he liked receiving those letters and postcards more than gifts.

Is it because my heart and emotions are revealed in the writing?

Anyway, it’s been a long time since I held a pencil since elementary school, so I’m immersed in old memories.

Writing a letter to the main character.

Just this topic makes me feel like I’ve gone back to my childhood.

“Hyung. Are you done writing?”

“Yeah. I’m done.”

“Uncle?”

“I’m done too.”

We decided to show each other what we wrote.

First, I looked at my letter.

“I’m writing a letter praising the main character’s good points.”

[To Cheol-soo.

I also have a younger sibling like you. So I think I can fully understand your feelings.

You must have been upset because you were compared to your friend by your mom, even though you’re good at something.

I knew how great your invention ideas were.

You’re a genius of invention.

Of course, my younger brother is also a genius of emotion, so if you meet, you might create something very interesting.

Maybe a very stylish electric car will come out.

(Omitted)

For that reason, I would like to introduce my younger brother Siha to you.

It would be really fun if you get along.]

My uncle covered the letter with his hand while looking at it.

“Wait! Is this really a letter praising Cheol-soo? When I saw it, there was more praise for Siha?”

“What are you talking about.”

“You’re praising Siha while praising Cheol-soo!”

“Hey. No. Uncle can’t even read Hangul well, so how did you know?”

“Ahem. I just knew because I saw too much Siha when I looked at the words I knew.”

My uncle gets out of it well.

Anyway, my letter ended with wanting to introduce Siha to Cheol-soo.

“Then how well did you write to say that?”

“Haha. I wrote it in English. I’ll tell you in Korean, so listen carefully.”

My uncle stood up and cleared his throat.

Siha suspiciously went behind my uncle.

My uncle wasn’t stupid, so he turned around in place.

“Uncle. You wrote it in Hangul!”

“No? No! I wrote it in English!”

“Liar!”

“Really? What if it’s real?”

“If it’s real, it’s real. But why are you hiding it?”

“Because it’s a secret.”

When my uncle turned around, I could see the letter very well.

It was written in English.

“Siha. Uncle’s letter is written in English.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

My uncle looked at me with a ‘tch’ sound.

“I was tricked by this brother scammer again.”

“What are you talking about being tricked? You were just teasing Siha and didn’t show it on purpose.”

“No. I was tricked.”

“That’s enough, please read the letter.”

“Okay. Ahem.”

The content of the letter my uncle sent to the main character is this.

[This letter starts from America and brings good luck by knocking on the door. But you who received it must also give the luck of the letter. Send this letter to 7 people, including this letter, within 4 days.]

I told him to write a letter to the main character, but why are you writing a letter of luck [a chain letter]!

I looked at my uncle with a dumbfounded expression.

Siha was watching with interest, not knowing the letter of luck.

[Otherwise, a Joker who knocks. knock. will be standing in front of your house. You know what will happen next, right?]

No. That’s scary!

I told him to write a letter to the main character, but he’s sending a murder notice.

It was absurd.

Siha said to my uncle.

“Uncle. What happens next?”

“Of course, he’ll shoot with a gun!”

“Why?!”

“Because you didn’t send the letter.”

“The main character is pitiful. Don’t bully him.”

“Siha. This is great kindness. You never know when a crisis will come in your life, but this letter kindly tells you that a crisis will come at this time.”

“???”

Is that really kindness?

Siha looked at my uncle’s letter, snatched it away, and hid it behind him.

My uncle screamed!

“What are you doing? Why are you taking that!”

“For the sake of the main character, this letter must disappear. How much will the main character tremble at Uncle’s joke!”

Siha went into his room and dusted off his hands.

I guess he hid the letter.

It was Siha who saved the main character.

My uncle also said regretful words, but he didn’t seem to have any regrets.

Maybe it’s because he’s already played enough pranks.

“Then how well did you write?”

At my uncle’s words, Siha confidently held up the letter.

“I’ll read it to you too. Listen carefully.”

“Okay. Let’s see how well you wrote.”

[Hello. I am you writing this letter from the future. You can’t believe it, right? But you will believe it from now on. Listen carefully. Now your company will be audited.]

I didn’t expect him to write a letter with the concept of sending it from the future to the past.

That’s right, Siha’s book title was ‘Honest Entrepreneur’.

[You work honestly, so there will be no problem. You think so too, right?]

Among the first grade books that come out these days, there was a book with a lot of writing, and I thought he chose it well.

[But a problem arises. It’s manipulation. The name of that employee is Jin Beom-in.]

Even though it’s a book, I wonder what to do if the criminal’s name is Jin Beom-in.

[In fact, I went through such a big thing, but I acted wisely and got out of it. You will surely be able to do it too. The reason I’m telling you this in advance is because I want other good employees to have a little less trouble.]

It seems that the employees were having a hard time because they kept being investigated.

Our Siha is also kind.

[You’ll be able to do well. Ah! And here’s Hyung from the future.]

Siha drew two lines on the Hyung part.

[There’s a wonderful friend named Lee Si-hyuk here. I hope you meet him later too. Then goodbye.]

Suddenly I come out?!?

No. The background is Korea, but…

Isn’t the ending strange?

“Hyung. How is it!”

If you look at me with such a proud expression, I don’t know what to say.

Let’s stroke your head first.

“Siha. You did a good job. You’ll definitely get an award for this.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah. Really.”

You will definitely be able to receive an award.