Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 488

Extracurricular Episode 63: Schoolwide Reading Competition (3)

The school held various competitions.

One of them was the Schoolwide Reading Competition.

The theme varied by grade, but for first graders, it involved writing a letter to the protagonist of a chosen book.

Today, the children were eagerly participating.

Of course, Siha was among them.

“I chose a book called ‘An Honest Entrepreneur.’ It’s super fun,” Siha said, recommending it to Seungjun.

“Oh, really? Can that entrepreneur play soccer too?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I bet he can’t. I saw it on TV, when important people play soccer, they always pretend to be bad at it.”

“Is that person an entrepreneur too?”

“No. He’s, like, a high-ranking officer in the military.”

“Really?”

Hana, who was standing nearby, chimed in, “Oppa, entrepreneurs don’t play soccer.”

“Yes, they do!”

“Silly oppa. It’s obvious they play golf. They say, ‘Nice shot, Mr. President!'”

“I think I’ve heard that too. Ah. I don’t want to be an entrepreneur. They don’t play soccer, they play golf.”

Siha nodded in agreement with Seungjun’s words.

“I don’t want to be an entrepreneur either.”

“Siha too, right? You don’t like not playing soccer, do you?”

“No. Not that. Entrepreneurs are too busy, so I won’t have time to play with Hyeong [older brother or male friend].”

“That’s true too. You wouldn’t have time to play with Si혁 Hyeong.”

“But Seungjun, what book did you choose?”

“‘My Family Absolutely Needs Me!’ Hahaha.”

Hana, who was next to him, said that she had read that book as well.

“I liked the part where Mom and Dad scolded us because they were worried about us. It wasn’t because they disliked us.”

Siha tilted his head, confused.

“Then?”

“It’s a story about scolding because they’re worried we’ll get hurt or something will go wrong. They also praise us often, and it’s a story about loving us immensely.”

“Wow. That sounds fun.”

“Yeah! It’s fun. After reading this, I understood Mom and Dad’s feelings completely.”

Seungjun also chimed in, “Me too, me too!” from the side.

They were twins who acted like they knew everything after reading just one book.

“I should read it later too.”

As the introductions of each other’s books ended, Jongsu sauntered over.

“Lee Siha. I heard you’re participating in the reading competition?”

“Yeah. Aren’t you participating, Jongsu?”

“Hahaha. I’m participating in the computer competition.”

“Wow! Is Jongsu good at computers?”

“Of course. I practiced typing a lot, so I can type super fast.”

Siha thought about his own typing speed.

His hands used the eagle-eye technique with two fingers.

“I’m a little slow at typing.”

“Then you can’t beat me.”

“It’s okay. Hyeong types fast for me.”

“You should type fast…….”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

He wore an expression that suggested there was no problem.

Jongsu came to brag about his computer typing speed, but strangely, he ended up hearing 자랑 [bragging] about Hyeong.

What is this? Why is it turning out like this?

“Hey. Lee Siha. You should learn computers quickly and participate in the competition in the second grade.”

“I’m going to participate in the reading competition again next time?”

“Why!”

“Because Hana and Seungjun will participate here next time too?”

“What about me?”

“Jongsu, you’re participating alone now, right?”

“Uh?”

Jongsu’s lips pouted out, and he turned his head to the side.

He grabbed Jaehui’s hand, who was talking to Yeonju, and dragged him away.

“Jaehui will participate in the computer competition next time too!”

“Eek!”

Jaehui wore a surprised expression as if he was hearing it for the first time.

Yeonju followed Jaehui, who was being dragged away.

“Jaehui, are you going to learn computers?”

“Huh? No.”

Jaehui looked at Jongsu’s expression of betrayal and nodded.

“I’m going to try to learn later.”

Jongsu’s face brightened.

Yeonju chuckled as she watched that.

“Let’s learn together.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah. It would be fun to learn with Yeonju.”

Jongsu said, flustered.

“I’ll teach you well too. Because I learned too.”

Siha looked at Jongsu and then down at his own hands.

“Should I learn computers too?”

Seungjun poked Siha’s side from next to him.

“Eek!”

“Puhaha! Don’t learn computers, let’s keep learning soccer! They say there’s a soccer club at our school too!”

“Soccer club?”

“Yeah! But they say you can only do it from the fourth grade.”

“Fourth grade is far away!”

“Nothing we can do about it.”

As they were talking like that, the homeroom teacher came in.

“Okay. It’s time for the competition now. Those doing the computer competition, go to the computer lab, and the reading competition will be held here in the classroom.”

“Yes!”

Finally, it was time for the reading competition.

Siha was confident.

Because he had written it once before.

Recalling the memories he had written with Hyeong, he began to write diligently on the paper given by the teacher.

***

Siha, who had come back from taekwondo, hugged me tightly.

I don’t know why he looks so cute wearing a dobok [taekwondo uniform] and a belt.

Is it because you have to wear a dobok when you’re young to look cute?

A swaying blue belt.

He wasn’t a red belt yet, but Siha really likes blue.

Because it’s the blue of a penguin.

Actually, the color of a penguin’s fur isn’t blue.

“Hyeong, I have something to show you.”

“Can’t you show me after we go inside the house first?”

“No!”

Siha took off his bag and put it back on his shoulder.

He grabbed my hand, wanting to show me something so much, and pulled me into the house.

“I’m home!”

“I’m home.”

After briefly greeting, he took off his bag and opened the zipper.

“Tada! I got an award!”

“Wow!”

Excellence Award, inserted in a file.

It’s a shame he didn’t receive the grand prize, which is first place, but still, the Excellence Award, which only two people are selected for, is amazing.

If I were a judge, I would have vehemently argued that Siha should be given the grand prize unconditionally, but this part is unavoidable.

The teacher judged that way, so whatever.

I picked up Siha and spun him around twice.

“Really. You’re really amazing! Our Siha is a genius!”

“Yeah! I’m a genius because I look like Hyeong!”

“Hahaha.”

I don’t know why I’m so happy that Siha is winning an award.

Because it’s his first award in the first grade.

Yeah. I knew our Siha would win an award.

“The homeroom teacher praised me a lot too. She said I did really, really well.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! She said how did I think of sending a letter from the future protagonist to the past protagonist.”

“Yeah. Yeah.”

Just looking at that part, it’s actually grand prize material.

At that time, Uncle clicked his tongue as he watched us.

“Tsk tsk. You’re making such a fuss over just that.”

“Uncle. Honestly, praise Siha. He did so well.”

“Winning an award in the first grade is nothing special.”

“How is this nothing special? It is special. Honestly, if you looked at it without knowing the age, you would have said, ‘Wow, this is a great writer!’ right?”

“Hey, no way! What great writer writes that they have to become friends with Lee Si혁 at the end.”

“Here it is. Ah! This is not the time for this.”

I slipped into the room.

And I came back with a smile, holding a frame.

Uncle looked at me as if he was dumbfounded.

“When did you prepare that frame?”

“Did Siha and I 미리 예습 [practiced beforehand] and then the next day?”

“What were you going to do if he didn’t receive an award and you had that prepared?”

“Uncle. Siha would never do that.”

“There are many times when I find you, Si혁, more dumbfounding than Siha.”

“I always find Uncle dumbfounding.”

At my words, Uncle became speechless.

He seems to be aware. About the childish bickering with Siha.

I took out a clean dishcloth and carefully started wiping.

“Siha, now give me the certificate.”

“Okay!”

Give Siha’s certificate and insert it neatly to complete.

“Hyeong, where are you going to put it?”

“Of course, we have to put it in Siha’s room.”

I took out the tools and grabbed the hammer and nails.

I was planning to hang it neatly in a place where it could be seen well.

“Siha, how about here?”

“Hmm. I don’t know. I think the center is good.”

“No. Siha will line up with awards on this wall later, so how can we put it in the center? It’s the leftmost.”

Uncle, who had been watching, said, dumbfounded.

“No. How many awards do you think he’ll receive.”

“Elementary school goes up to the 6th grade, so he’ll receive at least 6, right?”

“Tsk.”

“Don’t say tsk, Uncle, please look at the location properly. Would it be okay here?”

“Yeah. It looks like it would be perfect there.”

At those words, Siha denied.

“Hyeong. A little more to the left.”

“Here?”

“No. A little more to the right.”

“This much?”

“No. Too much. Back to the left.”

“This much?”

Uncle said.

“Can you finish it all today?”

After finishing the location selection, I hammered it neatly.

I was satisfied that the frame was hanging straight.

“It’s done.”

Strangely, I’m sweating a little doing this.

Uncle brought water and said.

“Anyone would think you did a major construction.”

“This is enough of a major construction.”

I gulped down the water.

“Hyeong. It turned out well.”

“Right?”

“Yeah!”

I feel strangely proud after hanging it.

I think that award is a better interior than any other interior.

“Ah, right. Hyeong. Jongsu also received an award.”

“Did Jongsu also receive an award at the reading competition?”

“No. It’s the computer typing competition.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Jongsu is the first place in the first grade. He received the grand prize.”

“Wow. That’s amazing.”

“He types super fast too.”

I thought there wouldn’t be many kids participating because it’s the first grade, but it seems there are some.

“Hyeong. I want to type with five fingers too.”

“Huh? Ah. Do you want to try?”

“Yeah!”

“It’s really well done these days, so it’ll be easy. Let’s do it with Hyeong’s laptop.”

“Yeah!”

I quickly brought the laptop.

And I took out the keyboard and had him connect it to the laptop.

The laptop keyboard has a somewhat stiff feel, so your fingers can hurt if you use it for a long time.

It’s the keyboard I actually use when I work, so it’ll be okay for Siha too.

“Okay. Here’s Hancom Typing Practice, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You do it following the fingers.”

It’s really well done these days.

I also received a lot of help from such programs when I was young.

Actually, that’s a bit boring, so I think it was more helpful to move on to games later.

“Okay. You just have to follow the fingers there. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

Siha started Hancom Typing Practice.

His small hands were typing on the keyboard, and it looked cute because it was a different scene from when I was typing.

“Like this. Like this. Like this.”

Siha diligently followed and pressed as the screen told him to.

“Will you be able to type without looking at the keyboard and only looking at the screen later?”

“Hyeong. I still have to look at the keyboard.”

“Haha. You’ll get used to it later. Let’s practice for just 30 minutes today.”

“Yeah. If I practice for 30 minutes every day, I’ll improve quickly, right?”

“Yeah. You’ll improve quickly.”

“Can I type faster than Jongsu?”

“That’ll take quite a while?”

“I see.”

Uncle ruffled Siha’s hair from behind.

“A kid who’s just starting to practice typing is already trying to catch up. It would be a bit unfair to Jongsu if you suddenly caught up with what Jongsu worked hard on.”

“Why?”

“Siha. If Jongsu suddenly learned art and drew better than you, wouldn’t you be upset?”

“Why would I be upset? It’s good if he draws well. It’s fun if we both draw well.”

“Still young.”

I chuckled.

Maybe he’ll feel jealousy later.

There will be people who are better than Siha.

He received an award like this now, but he may not be able to receive it later.

Even so, I think Siha is the best.

Comparisons with others cannot be a reason why Siha is not the best.

My one and only younger brother.

He’s already the best just by being himself.

Whether Siha is good at something or not.

“Does Siha want to beat Jongsu in typing speed?”

“No.”

“Then how much do you want to type?”

“Of course, as much as Hyeong!”

Well, I knew it.

He wants to type as much as me.

I’m still the goal for Siha.

“Then if you practice for 30 minutes, you can catch up with Hyeong enough.”

“How long do I have to practice?”

“About 6 months?”

Half a year should be enough, right?

Honestly, I don’t know if I can match it exactly.

“6 months! That’s so long!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! As expected, Hyeong is amazing!”

“Hahaha.”

6 months must be a long time for a child.

Half a year is a really short time for me, an adult.

By the time this gap is narrowed, there will be no more goals to catch up with me.

“Hyeong should work hard too.”

“Huh? Are you going to practice this so I can’t catch up?”

“Hahaha. Should I try that?”

“No! Then I can’t catch up.”

I hope I can be the goal for a little longer.

That was just my small greed.