Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 52

While waiting for the award ceremony, Baek Dong-hwan returned, looking sharp in a suit.

I looked at Baek Dong-hwan and asked, “Why the suit?”

“It’s a special event, and I wanted to dress nicely.”

“Really? It looks like the suit is about to burst because of your muscles… Aren’t you hot?”

“It’s okay. It’s starting to feel chilly, and I’m wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt underneath.”

“I never thought you’d be working part-time here, though.”

“It’s thanks to a friend. It’s a pretty good part-time job for an aspiring voice actor.”

“Your acting was really realistic.”

“Haha. I’m confident in my voice.”

“Not your muscles?”

“There are many people who are more muscular than me.”

*Well, I don’t think there are many.*

I thought so, but I didn’t say it out loud.

“But, Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend]. Did Siha draw well?”

“Incredibly.”

“Haha. Really? Siha, did you draw well?”

“Ah!”

Siha raised his hand.

At that moment, another child looked at Siha. The slight upturn of his lips was a disturbing smile.

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah, Lee Baechu [a derogatory term used by children, meaning ‘loser’ or ‘fool’].”

“What? That’s him? Ahem. Siha, I told you not to say that. Shh. Shh.”

“Ah.”

“Hyung-nim. What is Lee Baechu?”

I explained what happened to Baek Dong-hwan.

After listening to the story, his expression turned fierce.

“What the heck!”

“It seems like that’s what elementary school students say these days. It was even on the news once.”

“Ugh. It wasn’t like that in my day.”

“Right?”

Maybe it existed, but at least that word wasn’t popular in the school I went to.

*Whose fault is it?*

While we were talking, the Picture King Awards began.

A host came out and said, “There were so many children who participated, so it was difficult to judge. It was hard to pick the best because everyone drew so well.”

He gave some lip service first.

The child in front didn’t turn around to look this way, perhaps because he was looking forward to the results.

“We’re not on TV, so we won’t drag it out. First, the Bronze Prize!”

Five children were called.

The children who went up smiled and received gifts.

Baek Dong-hwan said, “Siha didn’t get the Bronze Prize. Is it perhaps the Silver Prize?”

“No. Siha deserves the Grand Prize.”

“Hyung-nim, aren’t you too biased? These days, kids learn from an early age, so their drawing skills are amazing.”

“Siha’s skills aren’t those of a typical 3-year-old, so it’s okay.”

I puffed out my chest.

Siha, who was next to me, stuck out his belly, following me.

Peek.

That sight was so cute that I tickled his belly.

“Hyung-ah~”

“Yes. Yes. Ah, they’re announcing the Silver Prize now.”

Two people received the Silver Prize, and then they announced the Gold Prize.

“Gold Prize! Kim Jin-guk, Lee Siha! Congratulations!”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Grand Prize.

Baek Dong-hwan next to me opened his mouth. “Wow. Amazing!”

“Ah. The judges have no taste.”

“The Gold Prize is amazing!”

“Tsk. It’s a difference of opinion.”

“No. There are a lot of elementary school students, but a 3-year-old got the Gold Prize.”

“What does age matter? Siha. Let’s go.”

“Ah.”

I took Siha’s hand and went up to the stage.

Then I heard murmuring around me.

“Such a young child got the Gold Prize?”

“No way!”

“Amazing! Is he a genius?”

“Could the dad holding his hand have drawn it for him?”

I heard such things.

I didn’t cheat.

There was a supervisor watching, so there was no way I could have done it.

The host in front of me was speechless and stared. “Uh… wow. That’s amazing. This baby drew this picture.”

The host showed the picture.

Everyone had an unbelievable look on their faces.

A very creative and ingenious picture.

I would have doubted it too.

It wasn’t a high-quality picture in terms of technique.

It was understandable when you just looked at the lines.

*I shouldn’t say his age.*

If I said he was three years old, it would be even more chaotic.

The host held out the microphone. “Lee Siha, how old are you? How old is Siha?”

Siha held up his index finger.

The host was flustered. “One year old?”

Shake, shake.

Siha put his index finger to his lips. “Shh.”

I burst out laughing.

I laughed because he used what he had learned so well.

“Ah, it’s a secret! Anyway, Siha. Congratulations. Here’s the commendation. I’ll give the prize to your dad.”

“Ah. Hyung-ah.”

“Huh? He was your brother. I didn’t know. Haha. Congratulations.”

I bowed my head and received the prize.

Finally, the host held out the microphone to Siha. “A word of acceptance, please. How do you feel about receiving the award?”

Siha held the commendation tightly and looked somewhere.

Following his gaze, I saw the child who had called Siha “Lee Baechu.”

His unbelievable expression could be seen even from here.

Siha said, “You lose~”

*Where did he hear that again?*

When I thought about it, it was a phrase that came up all the time when I was playing games.

[You lose].

Could it be that he remembered me saying that I would win and punish him?

Siha was smart after all.

He’s my brother after all.

“Hahaha. It seems like he was competing with someone. He has a great competitive spirit.”

Everyone burst out laughing at Siha’s words.

People were laughing at the unexpected acceptance speech.

Only one child was red-faced and suppressing his anger inside.

I took Siha’s hand and came down.

Looking at the prize, it was a hotel dinner buffet voucher.

*They gave something expensive.*

Considering that one meal costs more than 100,000 won [approximately $80-90 USD], it’s expensive.

It seems like we’re going to have an expensive buffet for dinner tonight.

At that time, a child ran over. “Hey.”

“Ah?”

“You draw pretty well? Well, you have to be good at something like this to make a living.”

“Ah?”

I frowned.

The child’s mother, who was behind him, came and scolded the child. “Suntae-ya!”

“Mom.”

“I told you not to talk to him.”

“Yes.”

I was so dumbfounded that I looked at the two people’s behavior and took out my phone.

I went into the bank app and showed my monthly income.

“Suntae-ya, I think you’re misunderstanding something. Look here.”

By the way, a lot of money came in last month.

Translation fees + interpretation fees + buyer contract fees.

I received all the work I had done at once, and it came back as a huge income.

Of course, I won’t be able to earn this kind of money every month from May.

Suntae’s eyes widened. “Uh?”

“If it’s over 5 million won [approximately $4,000 USD], isn’t that a gold spoon [born into wealth]? The conditions seem more than enough. By the way, I’m Siha’s brother. Do you know what I mean?”

Suntae’s mother next to him also saw the money and her eyes widened.

“What kind of work do you do to make that kind of money…….”

At that time, Baek Dong-hwan called me. “Hyung-nim! Where are you going now?”

A powerful voice rang out.

The huge, muscular Baek Dong-hwan stood next to me, casting a shadow.

Suntae was overwhelmed by the large shadow and became speechless.

The woman next to him muttered, “Hyung-nim? A lot of income…. Those muscles, a suit…. A g-gangster?”

It was a small voice, but I heard everything.

Baek Dong-hwan frowned.

His fierce face became even fiercer.

Suntae’s mother turned pale, grabbed Suntae’s hand, and ran away.

I sighed. “Ah…….”

*Excuse me, ma’am?*

This is money I earned legally.

This isn’t the satisfying revenge I was thinking of?

I tried to overwhelm him with more income because he dismissed me based on my income, but I overwhelmed him with fear.

“Hyung-nim. Why are they running away?”

“It’s because of you. Because of you.”

“Yes? Haha. No way. I didn’t do anything.”

“Yeah. You didn’t do anything…….”

You don’t have to do anything, your physique is threatening enough.

I felt like I was losing strength for no reason.

I had to eat at times like this.

I also got a nice meal ticket.

“Then let’s go eat.”

I picked up my phone and called Seung-joon’s mom.

It was probably time for the singing contest that Seung-joon and Hana went to see to be over.

***

We joined together for dinner.

Seung-joon and Hana were wary when they saw Baek Dong-hwan.

“Eek! It’s a monster!”

“Hana hates monsters!”

Baek Dong-hwan laughed and scratched his head.

But he approached the children with a good-natured attitude and lifted Seung-joon up. “Wow!”

“Look. You’re getting on an airplane!”

“Wow! Wow!”

“You can hang on like this.”

“Wow! You’re strong!”

Seung-joon was in a good mood and quickly became friends with Baek Dong-hwan.

Hana was still hiding behind her mother, watching.

“Hana likes Siha oppa [term for older brother used by young girls] more.”

“Hyung-ah~ Siha too~”

I smiled slightly at the words of the two children.

My heart fluttered when they said such nice things sometimes.

“Then we should go eat something delicious?”

“Ah.”

We headed to the hotel buffet we received as a prize, accounting for the number of people.

After eating delicious food, we happily parted ways.

On the way home, Siha was asleep on my back.

“He must have been very tired.”

There’s a penguin cake at home, but I probably won’t see him enjoy it until tomorrow.

I wanted to see Siha happy, but it’s a shame.

“Hyung-nim. He won’t wake up even when we get home.”

“You worked hard today too.”

“It’s nothing. I was happy to be able to eat expensive food.”

“Ahahaha. Did you see the kids’ expressions when you piled up the buffet food on your plate like a mountain?”

“Of course. They teased me for being a pig.”

“Is it because your body is big that you have to eat a lot?”

“Actually, I eat a lot, but I’m the type to eat when I can. It’s a waste to eat little by little in a place where one meal costs 100,000 won.”

“That’s true.”

“And if I eat like this, I can just exercise that much.”

“What kind of exercise do you usually do? I seem to see you every morning.”

“I go hiking. Hyung-nim, do you know that you can easily find mugwort in the mountains, and it’s delicious to pick and eat?”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can put it in soybean paste stew, and you can make mugwort rice cakes. It’s exercise and edible. It’s a win-win.”

“You’re surprisingly resourceful?”

“What do you mean surprisingly? I don’t spend money extravagantly and live frugally.”

I thought he would be all about muscles, but he seems surprisingly domestic.

After all, you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.

Still, it felt like I was seeing a new side of him.

“That’s amazing.”

“Haha. Would you like to go pick mugwort with me next time, Hyung-nim? Or it would be nice to exercise together.”

“Do you pick anything other than mugwort?”

“Of course. I also pick dandelions and acacia.”

“Are you going to eat all of that?”

“It’s good to make tea with acacia. Bibimbap [Korean mixed rice dish] is okay too.”

“Wow…….”

“It has its own flavor.”

It felt like I was living in a different world.

“Don’t you have anything, Hyung-nim?”

“Me? I made a penguin cake for Siha. Ah. That’s right. You can eat cake with us later.”

“Oh! I’m really looking forward to that! But you can also make cakes. Siha is lucky.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“I think the only gift I got on Children’s Day was a family dinner. They didn’t buy me toys.”

“Oh. Eating out is good too.”

“Still, I wanted to receive toy gifts.”

“Haha. That’s what kids are like. But there are cases where that’s not the case.”

“Really? I think kids would like it no matter what?”

“It depends on who gives it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. No. Just forget it.”

“Yes! But when are we eating cake?”

“Tomorrow?”

Baek Dong-hwan nodded. “Then I should prepare something tomorrow too.”

“What are you going to prepare again?”

“I want to give Siha something he likes as a gift. Nothing that costs money.”

“Then I’ll take it as the cake value.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Look forward to it.”

“I know. Go in now.”

We arrived home before we knew it and parted ways.

But what on earth is he going to prepare?