Apocalypse's Teacher - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Learning Never Ends (4)

***

On the day Hyesung’s bean sprout unfurled its first leaf, I quietly moved under the cover of darkness.

There were things I could only do now when the kids were asleep and only the sound of their breathing filled the air.

I tiptoed to a corner.
T h i s wa s c o p ie d f rom k in g m tl . o r g

At the end was the shelf Jinwoo always used to organize things.

It was the bottommost shelf.

‘Suspicious.’

Recently, Jinwoo had been acting strange, brooding by himself and then suddenly grinning.

It’s not right to dig into a child’s secrets!

We should respect each other’s privacy!

‘…But I’m curious.’

What can I do about my curiosity?

I’ve been the type of person who can’t rest until my curiosity is satisfied.

So, considering my personality, this act should be forgiven.

Want to throw a stone at me?

Only those who aren’t curious about Jinwoo’s secret can throw a stone.

I’ll open the shelf anyway.

My mouth went dry.

If he hid something, it would definitely be in this shelf. I had prepared fully and placed my hands on the shelf.

Then, very carefully,

Creak—

I opened the shelf.

Inside the dark shelf, I saw some white and gray books.

‘Magazines.’

Now that I think about it, Jinwoo was always looking at fashion magazines during his free time.

His eyes would sparkle, showing his interest in fashion.

If the world had been normal, he might’ve been the kind of kid begging his parents for designer brands.

‘Or maybe, knowing Jinwoo’s character, he’d secretly distribute flyers instead?’

I chuckled at the thought.

I stifled my laughter, not wanting to get caught, and reached out.

Thi s wa s cop ie d fr o m k i n g m t l . o r g
My hand touched the smooth surface of a magazine.

Underneath it, I felt the surface of another magazine.

As I rummaged a bit more, I found a particular magazine that felt different.

‘It’s bulky?’

This magazine felt especially bulky to the touch.

It seemed like something was tucked inside.

‘He hid it here!’
T h i s was c o p i e d fro m k i n g m t l . o r g

Jinwoo had hidden something between the magazines.

I didn’t hesitate.

I used my other hand to pull out what was hidden between the magazines.
Th is w as c o p i ed f r o m k i ngm t l . o r g

What I grabbed was another magazine.

I tilted my head.

‘Huh? Another magazine?’

What kind of magazine would he hide so thoroughly?

My curiosity grew, and I squinted in the darkness to make out the cover.

And I saw it.

‘…The rascal.’

My lips curved into a smile.

I almost burst out laughing.

‘He’s grown up.’

A man’s bible, it was there.

***

Jinwoo thought.

That the uncle was acting strange.

“Jinwoo, do you have any questions for me?”

“Huh?”

“Um? Ah, you might be too shy to ask. Never mind. Don’t worry about it.”

He would say such incomprehensible things and hover around him from time to time.

Then he would disappear with a sly smile.

Why was he like that?

Jinwoo couldn’t understand.

It was only natural.

How could Jinwoo understand Seokho’s burning heart, eager to help a middle school boy who had recently awakened to the concept of sex, in the spirit of a gym teacher?

And so, this situation unfolded.

Jinwoo shook his head as he folded laundry, watching Seokho disappear after saying something strange again.

‘He must be really stressed.’

Jinwoo was worried about Seokho.

***

“The bean has grown!”

Hyesung’s shout drew everyone’s attention to the flowerpot.

The green stem in the small flowerpot had grown enough to tilt slightly to one side.

“Oh…”

Dabin exclaimed.

Beside her, Dayoon also looked at the flowerpot with a clear face.

I smiled.

At first, none of the children were interested in the flowerpot, but they gradually grew fond of it.
T h is w as co p i e d fro m k i n g mtl .o r g

Now, whenever Hyesung gave such a report, they celebrated together.

I couldn’t help but smile at this.

I liked these group activities.

I liked seeing the kids experiencing more and sharing feelings with each other.

I liked watching over them.

“It’s time to put a stick in the pot.”

“Yes! A stick!”

Hyesung ran over to me, holding the flowerpot.

“Give me a stick!”

She held out the flowerpot.

I took it and pulled out a wooden chopstick and some thread that I had kept in my coat pocket for this day.

“Let’s see…”

I placed the flowerpot on the ground.

Then I took the wooden chopstick and stuck it into the soil, a little distance away from the neatly grown green bean sprout.

“Now I’ll tie the chopstick and the bean sprout with this thread. That way, the bean can lean on the stick to grow.”

“Lean to grow!”

“That’s right. Hyesung, you’re smart.”

“Hehe…”

Hyesung puffed out her chest.

A deep smile spread across my face and that of Ki-hyun.

I patted Hyesung’s head and then used the short thread to tie the bean sprout and the chopstick together.

Not too tight, but enough to provide support.

As I tied the thread, I suddenly thought that this act was similar to raising a child.

Think about it.

If I am the chopstick and this bean sprout is Hyesung, isn’t it a fitting analogy?
T h i s w a s co pi ed fr o m k i n g m tl . o r g

If the thread represents parenting methods, there are certain things that come to mind.

‘If it’s too tight, it won’t grow.’

But if it’s too loose, the child will topple over.

Maintaining a balance, supporting them while allowing them to grow independently, is crucial in nurturing.

“…It’s done.”

While I was lost in thought, the task was completed.
T h i s w a s c opi e d f r om kin g m tl . o r g

Looking up, I saw Hyesung’s face brightly lit with a smile.

Her small fists clenched tightly as she seemed nervous that I might harm the sprout.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“Yeah!”

Hyesung nodded vigorously.

Then, she ran over and hugged me, saying,

“Thank you!”

“Huh?”

“Sister said to say thank you!”

Turning my head, I saw Ki-hyun, who was blushing and avoiding my gaze.

She hadn’t expected Hyesung to relay her exact words, and now she was embarrassed.

Ah, I was touched.

“Thanks.”

I laughed and said, and Ki-hyun quickly walked away.

***

That night, Jinwoo moved stealthily to the lower floor.

He hid his secret under his clothes, in his belly, so no one would find it.

‘No one’s here, right?’

He looked around carefully one more time.

Only after thoroughly checking his surroundings did Jinwoo breathe a sigh of relief, entering a room and swallowing nervously as he pulled out the magazine, MACIM, from under his clothes.

“Huff…”

His heart pounded with tension, and he held his breath.

After calming himself, he stared at the book.

A magazine he had secretly taken from a bookstore.

And a magazine that should never be discovered.

For Jinwoo, who had never been exposed to the concept of sex before the world ended, this magazine was like a gateway to a new world.

A world he didn’t know.
T h is wa s c o p ie d fr o m k i n g m t l . o r g

Traces of civilization.

And a bomb of stimulation that made his mind go blank.

Rustle—

The magazine, which he had flipped through countless times, opened to the exact page he wanted.

A blonde Western woman.

For Jinwoo, she existed only in faint memories from his childhood, posing to flaunt her body.

Jinwoo’s mouth hung open.

His eyes glazed over.

For a long time, Jinwoo stared at that page as if he were a statue.

***

‘My whole body aches.’

I couldn’t sleep, so I went out into the hallway.

Having been so active lately, my rusty body was crying out in pain.

I sat down on the stairs, massaging my back, and exhaled deeply.

‘Mr. Park is coming the day after tomorrow…’

I should go out and clean the roads tomorrow.

T h is w a s c o p ie d f ro m k ing m t l .or g
Though someone like Mr. Park wouldn’t fall to zombies, I should at least make an effort to show some sincerity.

Show him that I care about ‘our kid,’ so to speak.

‘Well, at least I solved one problem.’

A chuckle escaped my lips.

I had been so anxious about not being able to provide anything for Dayoon’s interest in studying.

Mr. Park stepping up was a relief and a gesture of kindness.

Ah, but I didn’t want to see that dressed-up face again.

For the sake of my self-esteem and standing.

‘Please, come back disheveled.’

I prayed for Mr. Park to return to the way I knew him.

It was the first prayer I had made in 14 years, not even when the world ended.

‘Please…!’

As I continued to pray,
T h i s w a s c o p i ed from ki ng mtl .o r g

Creak—

I heard the door open below.

I opened my eyes.

I stood up.

Was there still a hidden zombie?

My body tensed.

“Shit…!”

Just as I was about to curse,

“…Damn?”

Jinwoo, clutching his stomach, spotted me and froze.

It was an awkward standoff.

In that moment, I understood the situation faster than anyone.

The hidden item under his clothes, the square silhouette peeking out, and Jinwoo’s trembling pupils.

What should I say?

‘…No.’

I knew what to say.

What a teenage boy needed.

Having been through that stage myself, I knew.

I slowly approached Jinwoo.

I patted his shoulder and passed by him, saying,

“Good luck.”

Without looking back, I raised my thumb, feeling Jinwoo’s gaze on me.

End of Chapter