Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 6

Hyung, am I cute? 6 (6/500)

On the way to daycare.

I held Siha’s hand tightly and chattered away.

The reason I kept talking was because Siha had started to talk.

He could only say ‘Hyung, Dad, Mom’ so far, but I thought he would start talking more often in the future.

“That over there is a car. A car.”

“Ah ah.”

“That thing that’s whooshing by is a bicycle. A bicycle.”

“Ah ah ah.”

Is he just going to say ‘Ah ah’ after all?

I’m a little worried because his language development is slow.

He’s probably very slow compared to his peers.

As we were walking, there were some foreigners in front of us.

Siha was curious and stared intently at the backs of the foreigners.

“Are you curious about those foreigners? Can you hear them talking? It’s English. English. But there’s a Tagalog accent mixed in? They must be Filipinos. Filipino.”

“Ah ah.”

As I was saying that, I suddenly stopped walking.

How can I distinguish the Tagalog accent?

In fact, I wasn’t very confident in my speaking skills.

This is because Korean education focuses on reading and listening.

They even include TOEIC [Test of English for International Communication] as a graduation requirement, which is highly regarded in Korea.

I wonder if TOEIC is really helpful when having a conversation?

TOEIC is an English test created by the American private institution EST at the request of Japan to verify the English skills of personnel in charge of trade affairs.

‘How does he know this again? Where did he hear it?’

I felt like strange knowledge was mixed in.

“Hyung?”

“Huh? Yeah. Let’s go.”

I walked with Siha, racking my brain.

There are many foreigners around.

Especially Filipinos.

They seem to be foreign workers heading to work in the morning, and they are talking actively.

Surprisingly, I can feel that the intonation and stress they speak with are different from each other.

“That person over there is also Filipino, but his pronunciation is more native, closer to the American base. He must be a lecturer. Ah, that was a difficult word, wasn’t it? English. English. English. It’s very smart to remember just this.”

It was a strange experience to be able to distinguish nationalities just by listening to the pronunciation.

What’s certain is that I didn’t originally have this ability.

If there’s a case I can suspect.

‘Was it when I touched my father’s laptop?’

The experience of mysteriously falling asleep when I felt a tingling static shock.

Maybe there’s a secret in that laptop?

I was dumbfounded by the sudden new ability.

It felt like I had acquired a superpower.

I felt very excited.

“Siha, Hyung will make a lot of money and buy you lots of delicious things and lots of snacks.”

I can help Siha.

That’s all I could think about.

“Ah ah.”

Siha patted his chest with his right hand.

“Huh?”

“Hyung.”

He wiggled his fingers, pretending to grab something, and gave it to me.

Then he patted his chest again.

“Could it be that Siha is also giving a lot to Hyung?”

“Ah ah.”

I was touched.

Where in the world is there such a kind child?

Judging from his body language, he must be a genius.

To communicate all his intentions like this.

Wait a minute. Could it be that his language development is slow because these non-verbal expressions are so developed?

As I was thinking that, Siha pulled my hand.

“Hyung.”

“Huh?”

Siha pointed to a repair shop where I could leave my laptop.

“We’re already here? Let’s just drop off the laptop and go to daycare quickly.”

“Ah ah.”

I took the laptop and went into the repair shop.

“Hello.”

“Yes. Welcome.”

“I’m here to drop this off. The power turns on, but the screen doesn’t show anything.”

“Ah, is that so? Let’s see.”

The clerk turned on the power.

Wee-ing.

The sound of the fan turning could be heard, and the screen lit up.

“Huh? It turns on?”

“Huh? Why is it turning on?”

“Hmm. Does this ever happen? It seems like the mainboard is broken. But it turned on again, so is it not broken?”

“Then do I need to replace the mainboard?”

“Seeing as it turned on again, it could be a battery problem.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

“Yes. If the mainboard was broken, it probably wouldn’t have turned on again like this.”

“I see. Hmm.”

“First, I’ll clean it up because it could be due to foreign substances, and I’ll replace the battery as well. If the mainboard is the problem, I’ll talk to you again then.”

“Okay. I’ll come back to pick it up later.”

Should I be relieved that I don’t have to lose what I saved?

Of course, I have a backup, but it’s not a panacea [a solution for all difficulties].

But why is the laptop working?

***

Gangin Daycare.

There was a yard for the children to run around in, and there was also a playground.

The floor was covered with a soft mat-like material so that the children wouldn’t get hurt.

Personally, I think the swing is the flower of the playground, but it seems like they removed it because of the danger.

There were many small slides and a one-section jungle gym.

‘This is a daycare that anyone can’t just enter, right?’

A place operated within the university for welfare.

So, the number of children is said to be small.

I heard from another daycare that they operate with 10 children in one class.

“Siha. This is the daycare you’ll be attending from March. How is it? Do you like it?”

“Ah ah.”

Siha’s eyes lit up as he looked at the slide.

He shifted his center of gravity forward and tilted his body.

Hanging from my arm, Siha was expressing his desire to play over there with his whole body.

“Oh? We have to go inside the daycare first, right?”

Gloomy.

Siha’s eyes drooped by about 1mm.

That was a disappointed expression.

“Instead, let’s ride the slide together with Hyung after the consultation. Promise.”

When I held out my pinky finger, Siha grabbed it with one hand.

Is it still difficult to do a pinky promise [a traditional gesture to seal a promise]?

“Pinky promise. It’s a promise.”

“Ah ah.”

“Hohoho. You two are getting along well.”

At that time, a woman came out from the front of the daycare.

“Hello.”

“Ah ah.”

“Yes. Hello. I received the call. You’re Si-hyeok, right? And this is Siha.”

“Yes. That’s right. I came for a consultation today.”

“Yes. Please come inside first.”

I went inside the daycare with Siha.

The interior was also very well decorated and clean.

There seemed to be several blocks, which looked good for children to play with.

“Come this way.”

“Yes.”

She gave me a chair to sit on, and also gave Siha a chair to sit on.

“I’m the director of Gangin Daycare. Siha, would you like to draw or play with stickers?”

The director gave Siha a choice.

Stickers in his left hand, a blunt, thick crayon in his right hand.

He was choosing very carefully, which was quite cute.

He peeled off a sticker and stuck it on the sketchbook in front of him, and started drawing wings on it with the crayon.

“Wow. He has good creativity?”

“His idea of not choosing one and taking both is smart, right? Our Siha is so smart. How smart is he?”

“Ah, let’s do the consultation first.”

It was a chance to let them know how smart Siha is, but it’s a shame.

She was not an easy opponent.

Look at that benevolent smile, she’s dealt with this a lot.

“First, look at the operating manual slowly. I’ll tell you what you need first.”

“Ah, yes.”

I received a thick operating manual.

It seemed to be quite a few pages.

It felt like my trust increased rapidly because there was so much.

This kind of meticulousness must be what reassures parents.

“First, the necessary documents are the application form, the infant health checkup result, and the family relationship certificate. Since you are currently enrolled, please also bring your enrollment certificate. Since you have no income at all right now. This is also a document to submit.”

“There are surprisingly a lot of documents needed?”

“That’s because there are separate documents to submit for students. After all, the daycare is affiliated with the Gangin University Foundation.”

“Are there cases where people who are not employees come in?”

“It’s a special case like a student.”

“I see.”

It seemed like you couldn’t come here unless you lost your parents.

“Since you don’t seem to know much, I’ll briefly point out the parts you need to prepare. You need to prepare a blanket for Siha to sleep on during naps. And the guardian has to play with him here for an hour or two. It’s a kind of adaptation period.”

“Ah. I have to play with him.”

“Because he might cry later when school actually starts because his parents aren’t there.”

“Hmm. Will he cry? I haven’t seen him cry much.”

“Still, he’ll be sad.”

I nodded.

“It’s also good to promise what time you’ll come without lying. And fill out this application form here.”

“Yes.”

I wrote Siha’s application form.

The director, who was watching quietly, said.

“Siha was born in December?”

“Yes. He was born in winter.”

“I saw earlier that his language development seems to be very slow. Have you been to the hospital?”

“Well, I don’t know if my mother took him. Judging from the fact that she didn’t say anything, he might be normal.”

“When did he start saying ‘Hyung’?”

“About two weeks ago he started to say these three words: Hyung, Dad, Mom.”

“I see.”

The director looked at Siha with a worried face.

“He’s very slow compared to the children I’ve seen. Siha.”

“Ah ah.”

Siha turned his head and looked at the director.

“You’re going to play with Hyung here today. You like that, too, right?”

Nod nod.

The director said several words to Siha and then tilted her head.

“He understands words very well, but it’s strange that he can’t speak. It’s to the point where I suspect he might not be doing it. Just in case, go to the hospital for a consultation.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Is Siha really not doing it?

Or can’t he do it?

Was I too optimistic that he would naturally start speaking since he started talking?

Thinking about it that way, I felt sorry for Siha.

‘I can’t even take care of him properly yet.’

Scribble scribble.

Siha was drawing a picture again.

The wings were drawn very vividly.

There are horns and shoes.

Where did he see and learn this?

Angel wings and devil horns.

Should I send him to art school later?

“Then the explanation is roughly over, would you like to see the guide now? Or at home?”

“I’ll look at it at home. I’ll bring the documents after I prepare them.”

“You can send them by email.”

“I’ll just bring them in person. I can play here with Siha, and he needs to adapt, too.”

“Okay.”

“Ah. Is there any way I can help the daycare? During my free time or something.”

“Pardon?”

I smiled and said.

“I have a very overprotective tendency. I even have to fill volunteer hours. Not often, though.”

“Ah! You can fill your volunteer hours here. Students from the Department of Early Childhood Education often come to volunteer.”

“Ah ha.”

“Students also help with programs and fill their volunteer hours.”

“Then that would be great. Thank you.”

The director gave a wry smile.

“It seems like Siha is a long way from becoming independent?”

“Ahem.”

“Well. He’s only three years old. That’s good, too.”

“Thank you.”

“Then shall we get up and have some adaptation time?”

“Sure. Siha, let’s go.”

“Hyung!”

“Yeah?”

Siha drew a long picture.

It looked like a slide.

“Are you saying let’s go ride the slide?”

“Ah ah.”

“Okay. Let’s go. We can go outside first, right?”

“Of course.”

I went outside with Siha.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

I went up the slide with Siha.

“Hyung will be down below.”

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

He pointed at me once, then at himself once, then at the slide.

“Are you saying let’s ride together?”

“Ah ah.”

“I’m sorry. Hyung’s butt is too big, so I don’t think it’ll fit.”

In fact, the width was narrow because it was made for children.

Gloomy.

Siha turned his body and sat on the slide.

He turned around and gave me a desperate look.

It was a signal that only I could understand.

‘Ugh.’

I can’t ignore that look.

‘If it doesn’t work, I have to make it work.’

I picked up Siha.

“Then Hyung will go first. Then Siha will come down. How about that?”

The point is that Siha wants to enjoy it with me.

I decided to choose the next best thing.

You can ride the slide if you lie on your side.

“Hyung is going down first.”

Whoosh.

The height wasn’t high, so my feet quickly touched the ground.

“Hyung!”

“Oh, wait a minute!”

Siha came down face down, and Siha’s butt landed on my face with a thud.

“Ack!”

At that time, the phone rang.

Careless Whisper~ You’re the one that I envision in my dreams~