Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 5

“Hyung, am I cute?”

I started running as soon as I stepped out of the door.

I entrusted Siha to Moon Do-hwan, but I was a little worried.

It would be his first time being alone with him.

Actually, he might be waiting indifferently, like a surprisingly stoic man, without caring at all.

I think I would feel a bit sad about that.

“Hyung, I’m here.”

I arrived at the job center where Hyung was.

“Oh, you’re here. I gave Siha a jelly toy. He seems to find it fascinating and fun, and he really likes it. He’s not even looking for you.”

“Really?”

I approached Siha.

Siha turned his head and found me.

“Hyung!”

“Was our Siha having fun?”

“Hyung.”

Siha threw the jelly toy he was holding on the floor and ran to me.

“No! Jelly toy!”

Moon Do-hwan looked at the toy on the floor with a sad expression.

Siha didn’t care about Moon Do-hwan and ran to me, sticking to my leg.

I guess he missed me.

‘I wish he would show that he misses me. Well, he expresses himself through actions.’

I stroked Siha’s head.

“Our Siha missed Hyung?”

“Ah, Hyung.”

“Si-hyeok, that’s not important. He said it’s dirty because you didn’t pick it up in 3 seconds.”

“There’s a 3-second rule for toys too?”

Moon Do-hwan picked up the jelly toy.

Stretch.

It pretended to be quite sticky, but it fell off quickly.

“I’ll wash this later and give it to you. Use it as Siha’s toy. Oh, right. Did things go well with the professor?”

“Yes. I got a scholarship and a job. It’s just a part-time job, though. I don’t think I’ll make much money… but I’m going to try it.”

In reality, translation work didn’t pay much.

Especially for newbies, it was half the average rate.

The rate for established translators was roughly 3,000 to 4,000 won per sheet based on 200-character manuscript pages.

If your skills were recognized, it was 4,000 to 5,000 won.

I heard that the top-tier translators get over 5,000 won.

This is called a buyout contract, and it is usually the preferred method.

I know this because I often saw my father making contracts.

“Yeah. You have to try everything and then quit. I don’t like just studying and preparing for two years. You have to try a variety of things and then decide.”

“Your favor was included.”

“Ah, why did the professor bring up my story? These things should be secretly helped.”

“It would have been really cool if that wasn’t said. Right, Siha?”

“Ah ah.”

Moon Do-hwan asked curiously.

“Is he saying yes? Or is he saying no?”

“Of course, he’s saying yes. Right, Siha?”

“Ah ah.”

“He says that’s right. Anyway, thank you for taking care of Siha. I’ll be on my way. I have a lot to do.”

“Okay. Good work. Oh, don’t forget to sign up for classes. Take it easy, okay?”

“Yes. Thank you. Really.”

“And I’ll contact you, so stop by the school one more time.”

“Why?”

“Why do you ask why? You have to go to daycare. You have to get a consultation.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

I hadn’t even thought about daycare.

I have to get a consultation there too.

I was clumsy because it was my first time experiencing this.

I have to follow the expert’s instructions well.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

“How is it? Are you touched?”

“If only you hadn’t said that. Anyway, Hyung, the problem is what you say afterward. What you say afterward.”

Still, I was grateful for what he did.

***

Lee Jang-hyeok.

My father didn’t start out as a translator.

The first job he started was as an interpreter.

As if proving my father’s belief that English would broaden the world, many opportunities came his way.

He was even able to pay off his grandfather’s debt.

As if the heavens were going to give him all the luck, he also received the gift of a beautiful wife and son.

My father, who often went on business trips abroad, was considering immigrating.

Just in time, he received a very good offer from Singapore.

But the heavens did not only give him luck.

My father was shocked by my mother’s scandalous affair.

The two separated, and my father gained custody.

From then on, he started translating while taking care of the child in Korea.

So my father was good at both translation and interpretation.

‘I never thought I would be translating.’

Looking at it this way, I thought there might be such a thing as fate.

My father started translating for his children.

And the child started translating for the same reason.

I glanced back.

Siha was sleeping, making a panting sound, exhausted from playing.

I opened the door slightly and went out to the living room.

‘Shall we get started now?’

I turned on the laptop.

Whee-ing.

The sound of the fan spinning made my heart flutter.

What if Siha wakes up because of this sound?

The fan sound is loud because it is too quiet.

I glanced at the door and turned my head.

“Huh?”

The laptop was not working properly.

The power was on, but the screen was blank.

This is troublesome…….

It was only two years old, but it was embarrassing because it broke down.

If I get it repaired tomorrow, will it be fixed right away?

I wanted to quickly translate and send the samples when I had time.

‘I can’t help it.’

I pressed and held the power button to turn off the laptop.

Leaving the sleeping Siha behind, I carefully took out the stored box.

‘My father’s laptop is so helpful. I would have thrown it away if Siha hadn’t stopped me.’

I gently placed the laptop on the desk.

When I turned on the power and the screen appeared, I put my fingers on the keyboard.

Tingle.

“Ah!”

My hand tingled as if it had been static electricity.

But can static electricity come from a laptop?

I took a step back.

Could it be an electric shock?

Or a sign of a battery explosion?

Can static electricity pass through plastic on the keyboard?

‘Am I thinking too much? Huh?’

Suddenly, my head started to spin.

It came with drowsiness that made it hard to open my eyes.

‘Ah…. Why all of a sudden?’

The strength drained from my body.

I fell to the floor.

‘Why the hell?’

With that question, I entered the world of sleep.

***

-6 hours later.

Flash.

I opened my eyes.

I jumped up and checked my condition.

Could there be a problem with my head?

Stroke? Narcolepsy?

No. It wasn’t that kind of symptom.

I suddenly felt very sleepy and fell asleep.

I lost strength in my body, though.

‘Should I go to the hospital just in case? How much time has passed?’

4:10 a.m.

It was still dark outside because it was dawn.

“Huh?”

But something strange started floating in front of my eyes.

Small letters.

“English?”

Refrigerator, kitchen, dining table, sliced bread.

All the words began to unfold before my eyes.

I blinked a few times and rubbed my hands, and at some point the words disappeared.

‘Am I really tired?’

I’ve been very nervous lately, but I didn’t feel that tired…….

Feeling uneasy, I sat back in front of the laptop.

‘Let’s get to work for now.’

I carefully placed my hand on the keyboard, and I didn’t feel any tingling.

Relieved, I downloaded the file given by Department Head Kim Ho-seop.

A sample unfolded before my eyes.

‘It’s my first time translating, but…….’

I started translating with a sense of unease and anticipation.

‘Huh? This is amazing.’

Dudududu.

I was moving my hands naturally as if I had been doing it for ten years.

The processing speed was very fast for the first time.

How it feels is that the processing process should be done in my head as ‘English -> Korean -> Paraphrase’.

Now, it is processed directly as ‘English -> Paraphrase’.

The investigation was also done naturally, as if these were familiar sentences.

My hands stopped at the typing without any hesitation.

I quickly finished 20 pages.

‘Even though it’s a self-help book, it contains professional knowledge, so it’s normal to worry… Do I have a talent for this?’

When I read it again carefully, there were no typos and nothing to correct.

I happily sent an email to Section Chief Hong Jin-soo of KI Media.

With this, the translation seems to be over for now.

They will contact me if they like it.

It was then.

The slightly closed door creaked open.

“Hyung.”

“Huh? Siha. Are you already awake? It’s 5 a.m. now?”

Siha stretched out his arms.

This is an expression asking for a hug.

I lifted Siha up.

“Even if a good child wakes up early, aren’t you waking up too early?”

“Dad.”

“Huh? Ah, computer? You really know it well.”

“Ah ah.”

Siha pointed to the bathroom with his hand.

“Huh? That’s right. You have to go to the bathroom first when you wake up.”

I changed Siha’s diaper.

“Doesn’t it feel good?”

“Ah ah.”

Siha held out his hand and insisted on washing his hands.

I changed the diaper, so why is Siha washing his hands?

I washed Siha’s hands as he wanted.

“It’s clean now.”

“Ah ah.”

“It’s a little early to eat, but would you like to eat something?”

Dori Dori [Shaking head side to side, meaning no].

Siha shook his head and expressed that he wanted to be put down.

When I put him down, he started his daily routine.

Siha’s favorite tissue box.

I smiled at it.

“Siha. You’re going to daycare after eating today. I have to go for a consultation. Do you have to prepare later?”

“Ah ah.”

I don’t know if he understood well.

Well, I have to prepare.

***

KI Media Office.

Hong Jin-soo went to work, colliding with the hot heat on the morning subway.

I wondered why I had to feel this summer even in winter.

“Good morning!”

Even though my body is exhausted, I have to greet you brightly in the morning.

That was Hong Jin-soo’s motto.

I was very conscious of the first button.

I thought I could endure the afternoon work if the morning was bright.

“Ah. My ears are going to fall off. Every morning is a good morning to freeze to death. The car is so congested that I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted.”

The CEO of KI Media groaned.

“CEO. You are the face of our KI Media, so how can you have such a dead face?”

“Yeah. You said it well. I’m the CEO. CEO. But what is a dead face to the CEO? A dead face.”

“Your face must be bright.”

“A bright face will freeze to death.”

The CEO chuckled at Hong Jin-soo’s words.

I shouldn’t laugh at this.

Anyway, Hong Jin-soo had a strange talent for making people laugh.

“There is a talent I’m looking for right now.”

“Isn’t he here?”

“Where? Where is it? I can’t see it.”

“I’m taking a day off today.”

“I’m kidding. You know that work is twice as hard without you, right?”

“Yes. I know it well.”

“A guy who knows…….”

“Yes? What did you say?”

“That’s not it. Listen. I was thinking, wouldn’t it be better to discover Korean novels that can be popular overseas and translate them into English?”

“Don’t tell me you’re turning your attention to Korea because it’s difficult to discover foreign books?”

“Cough. That’s not entirely true.”

“Well. In terms of discovery, that might be better. But the problem is translation. Assuming that it is released as an English version of the novel, is it easy to find a translator who can translate at a level that native speakers can easily accept?”

“I’m also worried about that. I wish just one person would come.”

“I’ll try to find out first, but don’t expect too much. There aren’t many translators who can write in English conversationally.”

“It’s difficult.”

The difference in skill is clearly revealed even when translating English into Korean.

It was not easy for Koreans to translate into English, which is not their native language.

There were not many translators in that case either.

“I’ll try to find it first. It’s better than not doing anything.”

“Yeah. It’s much better to take action.”

KI Media would not have been able to establish itself without bold action and execution.

“Then I’ll go to work. I have a morning meeting.”

“Okay. Good job.”

Hong Jin-soo sat down at his seat and turned on the computer.

When I checked my mailbox as usual, I saw several emails.

There was one email that stood out.

「I was contacted by Professor Kim Ho-seop.」

Hong Jin-soo brought back the memory of such an event.

Professor Kim Ho-seop was also a mentor to Hong Jin-soo.

‘Then this must be the sample file. Shall we see how good you are?’

Hong Jin-soo clicked on the file.

After carefully reviewing it, I read it all in 3 minutes.

It didn’t take long for his expression to change strangely.

“Hmm. The basics are there. And his writing skills are good.”

[Take my wife, please.]

You can tell just by looking at the interpretation of this sentence.

If you don’t have the basics, you’ll interpret it as ‘Take my wife.’

Here, the correct answer is ‘Please guide my wife.’

You could tell if he was doing the basics just by looking at this fragmentary translation.

The more interesting thing was that the writing smelled.

‘It smells like he’s good at translating. Is he from overseas?’

I was surprised because he interpreted the subtle nuances, nuances, and even the parts that occurred in that situation so well.

‘Pass. I have to contact you.’

Hong Jin-soo picked up the phone.