Apocalypse's Teacher - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Real Life is Practical

***

Raindrops, carrying the chilly air of late autumn, tapped on the window.

I sat there, brought in by Ki-hyun, with Hyesung on my lap, both of us blankly staring out the window.

***

Suddenly, Hyesung sneezed.

“Achoo!”

Her sneeze was quite adorable.

I chuckled at the sight of her shivering and wrapped her up in the blanket that was draped over my shoulders.

“You smell like soap, Hyesung.”

“Shower!”

“Yes, it’s probably because of the shower.”

Hyesung had finally learned about showers.

It was a crude shower using rainwater, but still.

At least it was better than not washing at all.

Hyesung smiled.

I gently pinched her cheeks, enjoying the cozy feeling.

“Let’s stay like this for an hour to avoid catching a cold.”

“Okay!”

With winter just around the corner, regulating body temperature was crucial.

In a world where civilization had disappeared, dreaming of heating was a luxury.

Using Hyesung’s slowly warming cheeks as a hand warmer, I reviewed my tasks for the day.

‘First, I need to purify the collected water.’

Being a hotel, there should be water purifiers somewhere.
T h is was c o p i e d f r o m k i ng m tl . o r g

I could take the kids downstairs, remove the purifier filters, and teach them how to purify water.

And it would be good to look for a gas burner too.

Butane gas was easy to find, and I wanted to cook meals for the kids.

‘I wonder if Hyesung will like roasted beans.’
T his w as cop i e d fr om k in gm t l. o rg

I noticed Hyesung shaking her head while looking out the window.

“Hyesung, do you like roasted beans?”

“Beans aren’t for eating!”

I grinned at her response and asked,

“Then won’t you grow tall?”

Hyesung froze.

Staring at me with a shocked face, she pondered for a while before finally drooping her head and mumbling,

“But I can’t eat beans…”

Even though she couldn’t let go of her strange attachment to beans, I knew.

‘When I actually give them to her, she’ll eat them with gusto.’
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During mealtime, Hyesung was a voracious eater of beans, without a hint of mercy.

***

“Found it.”

The hotel’s kitchen.

T his w a s c op ied fr om k i n gm t l . o r g
After searching the vast kitchen for a while, I finally found what I was looking for and smiled brightly.

A water filter and a gas burner.

And even some unopened butane gas.

“Kids! Come here!”

I gathered the kids, who had been exploring the kitchen with me, and showed them the water purifier I had found.

“Ki-hyun, do you know how to make drinking water from rainwater in a shelter?”

A final check, just in case.

When Ki-hyun shook her head, I nodded with a satisfied smile and called her to the front to start my explanation.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f rom ki n g m tl . o r g
“If you find a purifier like this outside, always take it apart. With just the filter inside, you can turn rainwater into drinking water. I’ve heard it works with muddy water too, but that wears out the filter quickly, so avoid it.”

As I explained, I removed the back of the purifier, revealing the filter mechanism inside.

“Watch carefully how to take it apart.”

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I used a knife to disconnect it from the water tank, then cut the pipe connected inside, leaving only the filter layer, which I removed.

I showed the dangling filter to the kids.

“We’ll hang this on a wall to make a purifier. We’ll extract drinking water from muddy water.”

“Wow…”

Jinwoo clapped his hands in amazement.

The twins whispered to each other, indifferent to my explanation.

Ki-hyun stared intently at the filter with wide eyes.

Hyesung…

“Pipe!”

…was cheerful.

Suddenly, I began to worry.

‘…Will they be able to do it properly?’

Would the kids remember how to do this, or would they forget?

Watching the kids’ varied reactions, I shook off my thoughts.

‘…At least one of them should remember.’

For now, with plenty of drinking water, I could reteach them when we needed more.

More pressing was the next lesson, and it was best to focus on that.

I cleared my throat to get the kids’ attention and, with the brightest face I could muster, shouted.

“Alright, let’s go for a cooking lesson now!”

The kids’ eyes lit up.

Seeing their sudden focus reminded me of a long-held truth.

‘The best way to captivate kids is with food.’

No wonder there were always bad guys giving out treats.

***

Though I called it a cooking lesson, the menu options were limited.

All we had were preserved foods and a bit of rice I got from Mr. Park.

The only tools were a pan and fire.

After some thought, I decided on a dish that lacked any pretensions: fried rice.

Beans tumbled into the pan, sizzling and popping.

Once the lightly toasted beans released a nutty aroma, I added spicy tuna and rehydrated jerky.

Though steaming jerky this way ruined its flavor, it was a necessary choice.

Without the texture of meat, the dish would be a disaster.

I couldn’t guarantee the taste but that was okay.

The important thing was to show the kids that there were other ways to eat preserved food.

Another thing was discovering new sides to the kids through hands-on lessons.

This time, I saw a different side of Dayoon, who usually appeared timid.

“Mister… this.”

Dayoon handed me the pre-cooked rice with a voice louder and more spirited than usual.

Taking it, I asked,

“Thanks. Did you set aside the rice water?”

“…Yes, for washing.”

“Excellent.”

Dayoon’s head drooped.

T hi s w as c opi ed fr o m k i n g m tl .or g
She seemed both embarrassed and proud.

I smiled as I took the rice and tossed it into the pan, stirring it around.

Dayoon stood on tiptoe, her eyes sparkling as she watched the pan.

Her interest in cooking was evident.

I asked, smiling,

“Do you want to try it?”
T h i s wa s c o pi ed f r o m k in g m t l . o r g

“Uh-huh…”

Her slight nod showed her eagerness.

Her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Her gaze shifted from the pan to me.

Facing that intense look, I handed her the spatula and stepped back.

“I’ll watch from the side so you don’t get burned.”

Dayoon nodded.

She carefully grasped the pan handle with her left hand and the spatula with her right, gently stirring the pan.

Sizzle, sizzle.

The fried rice crackled on the fire.

Though I worried it might burn, seeing Dayoon’s focused face made me hesitate to take over.

I just chuckled.

‘I’ll eat the burnt parts.’

I wasn’t weak enough to fall ill from a bit of burnt rice, and I had eaten plenty of fried rice in my life.

‘It’s a small price to pay for making memories.’

Thinking of how Ki-hyun would probably gag at the thought, Dayoon and I completed the fried rice.

***

“Tastes… great!”

T h is wa s c o p i ed fr o m ki ng m t l .or g
Hyesung’s eyes welled up as she took a big spoonful of fried rice.

Her voracious eating made me worry she’d overeat and get sick.

“Hyesung, eat slowly.”

“Tastes great!”

“Yes, but swallow what’s in your mouth first.”

Hyesung gulped down the rice.

“Delicious!”

This time, she pronounced it correctly.

I patted her head in praise and said,

“Dayoon made this, you know?”

“Sister?”

Dayoon stiffened.

Flustered, she looked between me and Hyesung, her face turning bright red as she hid behind her sister, Dabin.

But hiding didn’t escape Hyesung’s gaze.

“Sister is amazing…!”

Hyesung’s sparkling eyes pierced through Dayoon.

I wasn’t imagining the ‘Eeek!’ sound from Dayoon’s direction.

“Uh-huh…”

The trembling Dayoon only managed a weak response.

From where I sat, I could see her chin shaking, hinting at a smile.

‘She even finds it embarrassing to be liked.’

That was typical of Dayoon.

The shy girl even found praise embarrassing.

I mentally noted this newly discovered trait and continued eating my portion of fried rice, which was mostly burnt.

I resolved.

‘Next time, don’t eat the burnt part.’

I thought I could handle it, but it tasted terrible.

End of Chapter
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