Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 497

“Hyung, aren’t I cute? Hyung, aren’t I cute?” Extra – 72. School Sports Day (5)

Before we knew it, lunchtime had passed, and we played a few simple games to help with digestion.

The kids all seemed to be having a great time.

There were cheering points, so they cheered enthusiastically.

“Next is the parents’ relay race representing each class.”

The time for the parents’ relay race had arrived.

There wasn’t a competition between the 1st and 2nd graders themselves; instead, the parents competed against each other.

I heard there was a special prize for this, not just points, but I don’t know what it is.

The prize is a secret.

Surprisingly, that made everyone even more fired up.

“Hyung, fighting! You have to win.”

“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”

“You really, really have to win.”

“Yeah, I’ll win.”

“I’ll give you my energy this time.”

Siha reached out his hand.

It seemed like he was transferring some kind of energy.

I thought it was cute, so I held his hand.

“Will it be properly transferred if we do this?”

“Yes!”

Siha said energetically, and Seung-joon also jumped up.

“Si-hyuk hyung, give me energy too!”

“Me too, to Si-hyuk oppa [older brother]!”

The twins overlapped their hands.

Yeon-ju and Jae-hwi subtly joined in, and Jong-soo awkwardly put his hands together, feeling out of place.

Eun-woo laughed out loud and joined in, while Yoon-dong just watched, wondering what they were doing.

Yeah, Yoon-dong. What are we doing?

“Si-hyuk, I’ll be on the roof. If it looks like you’re going to lose, I’ll snipe the 2nd-grade parents with a tranquilizer gun.”

“Just stay here with Siha.”

I let out a ridiculous laugh at Uncle’s words.

Bae Sang-hyun put his hand on my shoulder.

“Then I’ll give you energy too. Ahem.”

I don’t think you need to mingle with the kids this much.

“Or should I give you some tips about the relay race?”

“No, it’s okay.”

I think I know enough tips now.

Bae Sang-hyun looked a little disappointed at my words.

Maybe I should stop investigating?

I looked at the kids.

“Hey, how long are you going to keep doing this? I’ve already received enough energy.”

“We need to do it a little more! It’s not 100 percent yet.”

This isn’t a phone charging; what’s with the 100 percent?

I thought it was time to wrap things up.

I gently waved my hand up and down.

“Then let’s do a ‘fighting’ cheer when I say one, two, three, and finish. One, two, three!”

“Fighting!!!”

The kids’ hands went up as they let go.

Surprisingly, this cheering gave me energy.

It’s just the kids’ sports day, but it seems kind of fun.

“Okay, I’ll go now.”

“Okay!”

I was finally able to escape the kids and go to the parents representing the 1st grade.

They all greeted me with smiles.

I was assigned the last runner in the 1st-grade relay.

Probably because I was the youngest among the parents.

Well, I’m Siha’s brother, though.

“Fighting!”

“Win!”

“Hyung!”

The relay hadn’t even started yet, but I could hear the kids’ enthusiastic cheers.

It seemed like they were already calculating the cheering points.

“Then, get ready.”

The parents took their positions.

Bang!

As the gunshot rang out, the 1st and 2nd-grade fathers started running.

The white baton was held by the 1st graders, and the blue baton was held by the 2nd graders.

The running was neck and neck.

They were running back and forth.

But towards the end, the 1st grade started to fall behind.

“Here!”

I received the baton and sprinted.

“Hyung! Hyung! Hyung!”

In the midst of all the cheering, only Siha’s word, ‘hyung [older brother],’ was clearly heard.

It was a little strange.

Because Siha was the only kid who could cheer like that here.

As the wind quickly brushed against my cheeks and my breathing grew louder, I couldn’t hear Siha’s voice anymore.

The goal was only the finish line with the white tape.

I caught up with the father running in front.

‘I have to win.’

I never had a strong competitive spirit, but there’s always something I think about.

That is, to remain a cool hyung to Siha.

For as long as possible.

How shocking would it be if a childhood hero lost to a villain?

So I have to win today.

I’m not interested in the grade prize the school is giving, but I still want to protect Siha’s precious feelings.

‘I caught up.’

Before I knew it, I was running shoulder to shoulder with my opponent.

I moved my arms faster and pushed off the ground.

I felt the person next to me fall behind in my vision, and I felt the finish line touch my chest.

I felt the white line fluttering down and raised my hand.

“Wow!”

The cheers of the 1st graders seemed to ring in my ears.

I walked slowly and caught my breath.

I looked at the 1st-grade class, and I saw Siha standing up and saying something to the kids.

“That’s my hyung! Isn’t my hyung cool! He’s the best!”

What is he saying?

He’s pointing at me; is he bragging?

Did I become a hyung he’s proud of today, even with this trivial sports day?

If so, it was worth winning.

Some might say I’m foolish for running so hard for something like this.

But it’s meaningful to me.

Look. Siha is running towards me with a smile.

“Hyung!”

He hugged me tightly.

“Hyung, you’re the best!”

Because you’re here, telling me I’m the best.

I was able to do my best.

I held back my rough breathing and said with a smile.

“Siha’s cheering was the best too.”

More than any other cheer.

“I won thanks to Siha’s cheering. Thank you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Really. Really.

I wouldn’t have even thought of winning if it weren’t for the cheering.

***

The principal held the microphone.

“Now, we will present the grade prize! It is!”

The children swallowed hard.

“Ice cream!”

“Yes!”

“And it’s the expensive kind you scoop!”

“Wow!”

“The 2nd graders also worked hard. We will give you ice cream right away!”

The 2nd graders also got to eat ice cream.

The kind they get right away.

It’s cheaper than the kind you scoop.

But the kids were happy.

Because they could eat ice cream anyway.

“I like bars better.”

Uncle ate the scooped ice cream as if he was dissatisfied.

“Uncle, just be grateful they’re giving it to you for free.”

“Can’t I even say what I like?!”

“That’s not what you should be doing right now, is it?”

“Ahem, Si-hyuk. Think about it. Scooped ice cream has a lot of volume. It takes a long time to eat.”

“So?”

“But bars are eaten quickly. You can prepare right away for a fight later.”

“Who are you fighting with?!”

“Who else? You have to fight with the other classes and kids.”

“Sports day isn’t for fighting?!”

Why are you turning sports day into a war?

I looked at Uncle with a dumbfounded expression.

“That’s a good point. That’s a good strategy.”

Bae Sang-hyun nodded next to me.

Hey? Please don’t agree with Uncle.

Siha shook his head.

“Why fight when sports day is for having fun together?”

Bae Sang-hyun said.

“Indeed, harmony is better than strategy.”

Uncle looked at Bae Sang-hyun with a betrayed expression.

The change of attitude is amazing.

“Now, all that’s left is the relay race.”

Before I knew it, the sports day was coming to an end.

Siha was also preparing to participate in the relay race.

“Hyung, I’m going to win coolly like you.”

“Yeah, fighting.”

Siha dusted off his clothes and went to the relay race area.

Unfortunately, Siha wasn’t the last runner.

The fastest, Seung-joon, was in charge of the last leg.

It couldn’t be helped.

If you were to pick the kid with the best athletic ability in the 1st grade, it would be Seung-joon.

Siha? Siha is the best at drawing.

“Ready!”

The teacher held up the flag.

“Start!”

The children started running.

Yeon-ju ran first.

Five children from classes 1 to 5 were running along the line.

Currently in 3rd place.

“It’s Siha’s turn.”

Siha grabbed the baton.

Uncle was holding the camera and rapidly pressing the shutter.

I watched to see if anything would change, and Siha caught up to one person.

The 2nd and 3rd place runners were progressing similarly.

Siha did well enough.

Hana grabbed the baton.

“Siha, you did well!”

I clapped enthusiastically.

I don’t know if he could hear me, but I clapped hard.

Siha looked at me and made a V sign with his hand.

Anyone would think the sports day was over.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Run! Run!”

Hana was running in 2nd place.

The distance from 1st place wasn’t that great.

As expected of Seung-joon’s twin.

She seemed to have decent athletic ability.

I could see Seung-joon mouthing ‘faster! faster!’

His eyes were full of the will to win.

The baton was passed.

Seung-joon ran quickly.

The gap between 1st and 2nd place immediately narrowed the moment he received the baton.

Seung-joon overtook 1st place in an instant.

“It’s 1st place.”

Bae Sang-hyun said next to me, and I nodded.

Unless he falls, that distance won’t change.

Being overtaken meant that Seung-joon’s legs were faster.

The distance would only widen, not narrow.

“He won.”

In the end, Seung-joon crossed the finish line, jumped, and shouted.

He immediately turned towards Siha and hugged each other, jumping up and down.

1st grade, class 1. Relay race 1st place!

It was nice to see them so happy.

Before I knew it, Yeon-ju and Hana had gathered together to share the joy.

“Wow!”

The classmates were so happy that they screamed.

“Our class is 1st place! 1st place! Overall 1st place!”

Jong-soo had already finished calculating and declared that they were in 1st place.

I see. Class 1 is in 1st place in the sports day.

I was thinking that when I heard Bae Sang-hyun’s voice in my ear.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For allowing me to come to this sports day.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

I just asked if he was coming.

And Bae Sang-hyun made the choice to say he would come.

I really didn’t do anything.

“I didn’t expect you to ask. Honestly, I had a lot of thoughts when I heard that.”

“Really?”

“I thought, ‘Si-hyuk really thinks a lot about Siha.’”

“Hahaha.”

I just awkwardly laughed at those words.

I’m just used to thinking about everything for Siha.

What choice would be good for Siha, and what wouldn’t be.

Bae Sang-hyun smiled gently.

“This might sound strange.”

“Yes.”

“I see Lee Jang-hyuk through Si-hyuk.”

I closed my mouth at those words.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Although we never talked, I thought he must have been someone with those qualities.”

“No. I was a son who caused a lot of trouble.”

I didn’t cause accidents, though.

Father was saddened by every one of my actions.

I knew how much Father thought of me from the diary he wrote, and I just came to resemble that way of thinking.

I just resembled it a little.

“No. You resemble him.”

“No. How can you be so sure when you haven’t seen him?”

“Yes. At least I saw the smile.”

Bae Sang-hyun had a look on his face as if he was remembering something.

“You look exactly alike. That smile when you look at someone you love.”

“Then I’m glad.”

“Yes. I’m glad. Because Si-hyuk is Siha’s brother. Because Siha will resemble you too.”

I didn’t know what to say because those words were somewhat sad.

Was he glad that he didn’t resemble himself?

Bae Sang-hyun looked ahead.

I followed his gaze.

Siha was running over.

“Color always dyes the canvas.”

His words lingered in my ears.

“And the people who see it just feel the atmosphere.”

Bae Sang-hyun got up from his seat.

“I’m a painter, so I know more details than other people.”

He took out his phone from his pocket.

It was vibrating and ringing.

The screen read [Stefan].

“It would have been a painting I would never have seen if someone hadn’t suggested I go to the exhibition.”

Was that me?

Bae Sang-hyun picked up the phone and looked at it.

“A friend called. I’ll go take this call.”

I nodded.

“Feel free to take the call.”