Title: Cutie Pie: Even When Quiet, Big Bro Thinks I'm Naive
Synopsis:
Kilen and Keur are engaged, with a significant age gap of seven years between them. Keur, resembling a younger brother, has always followed his 'big brother' and firmly believes that he will marry 'Big Brother Lian' when he grows up. In Keur's eyes, Lian is a wonderful man, hardworking and owns his own beverage business and a pub, embodying the ideal man everyone admires. Keur does everything to be the right person for Lian, even if it means acting against his true nature – dressing neatly (which he dislikes), speaking gently (only in front of Lian), and pretending to manage household chores (which he barely does).
However, everything collapses when Keur asks Lian, once thought to be loving, if he loves Keur. Lian responds that he could live with Keur forever if Keur wishes so and has no problem marrying him, but when asked if he loves Keur, Lian admits he does not. To add insult to injury, Lian compares him to the Annabelle doll. That's the last straw for Keur! He decides he won't tolerate it any longer, he'll move on; there will be no wedding. Keur decides to call off the engagement and return to his true self – a vibrant, outspoken youth who isn't afraid to show his true colors, use his favorite hair dye, speak crudely with friends, and ensure he disrupts Lian's peace as much as possible.
What I Think
The story's pretty straightforward, no big conflicts or anything. The translation I read was a bit off at times, which confused me here and there, but overall, the story was quite sweet. It's not as serious as the trailer for the live adaptation makes it out to be; it's actually more on the playful side.
There's nothing standout about it, but I've always been a sucker for arranged marriage stories, and this one kept it really simple. It felt more like a light-hearted rom-com than anything else. To be honest, I prefer the second novel with Daerw and Yi more, but since I haven't finished this one completely, I'll hold off on giving a full review until later.