Apocalypse's Teacher - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Let There Be Light

***

A week after the series of incidents involving Jinwoo.

I found myself in a predicament.

“What?”

“Mr. Heo is back.”

On the hotel rooftop, I asked Mr. Park to repeat the news I never wanted to hear.

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“Are you talking about the Mr. Heo I know?”

Mr. Park frowned.

With an annoyed look, he clicked his tongue and replied.

“Yes, the Mr. Heo you know. His full name is Heo Chun-bae.”

Thunk-.

I jolted.

My mouth gaped open, and my pupils shook as if an earthquake had hit.

Why such a reaction?

Who is this Mr. Heo that makes me react this way?

The answer was clear.

He’s on the blacklist, commonly known as Doctor.

A quack doctor who roams Seoul, practicing unverified medicine.

I met this old man while wandering through shelters and never wanted to see him again.

The reason for calling him an ill-fated connection was simple.

I was the most ‘victimized’ patient of his quack treatments.

The things he did to my body in the name of treatment still left traumatic memories.

Suddenly, hearing the name Heo Chun-bae brought back horrific memories.

-Let’s see… Oh dear, your back is injured? Look at that, your intestines are spilling out. We need to treat this immediately.

The hand that thrust a knife at me as I hid from the surviving raiders on the day the Sillim Shelter fell.

-Burns? Oh dear! Come here, I’ve got a fantastic ointment for that!

The smile he wore while pouring red medicine on my burns after I caught a human trafficking ring.
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-You’re a tough one to kill! Hey Seokho, ever thought about being a test subject? If you survive, I’ll take care of you for life!

The look in his eyes as he asked me to become a test subject for his dubious experiments.

All of these memories flashed through my mind, stirring up my fear.

“No, no…!”

I took a few steps back.

The word ‘escape’ was emblazoned in my mind.

My thoughts turned naturally to where I could take the kids to hide.

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Mr. Park sighed at the sight of me.

“A guest who visited a few days ago told me. The Doctor is heading west. I didn’t catch the reason, but you know as well as I do. The only reason he’d come here is for you.”

“Run, we need to run…!”

I spun around, ready to pack up and leave immediately.

But Mr. Park stopped me.

“Calm down, you fool.”

He grabbed my collar.

Anger flared up inside me, and I yelled.

“Calm down? How can I calm down now?! That crazy old man is coming for me, and you want me to calm down!!!”

“You need to calm down. He’s already nearby. Panicking won’t help.”

His next words stunned me.

“…What?”

“He’s here. On the first floor of this hotel.”

It was a situation that could only be described as shocking and terrifying.

Silence fell over the rooftop, broken only by Kkokko’s cries.

“Kkoo-ook.”

We’re screwed.

***

Hyesung looked up at the old man with her mouth agape.

“So shiny….”

Her eyes were fixed on the old man’s bald head, which gleamed in the light.

Having never seen a bald head before, Hyesung found it fascinating.

The old man, Chun-bae, chuckled as he looked at her.

“What is this, a daycare?”

Though he directed his words at Hyesung, his real target was different.

Standing next to Hyesung, holding her hand, I responded with an awkward smile.

“Yeah, it’s kind of like that….”

Hyesung turned to me.

The thought crossing her mind was clear.

“Uncle, are you scared?”

She thought I was trembling for some reason.

That’s how kids are.

They seem innocent and naive, but they’re very sensitive to emotional cues and quickly grasp the true nature of things.

This often leaves adults at a loss.

This situation was no different.

Hyesung immediately picked up on my unusual demeanor towards the old man and asked, causing my body to flinch.

Chun-bae’s eyes narrowed.

“Not happy to see me?”

“No! I’m happy! Really happy!”

Panic and despair filled me.

In my usual character, I would have thrown a fit or cursed by now, but there was a reason I maintained my composure.

No matter how much I complained, the fact remained that he had saved my life several times.

Moreover, my stubborn nature, often criticized by Ki-hyun, didn’t allow me to disrespect someone older than myself.

Chun-bae raised an eyebrow.

My eyes darted around, and Hyesung simply gaped at Chun-bae.

“Gramps!”

“Hmm?”

“You’re Gramps!”

Chun-bae and Hyesung’s eyes met.

Hyesung, excited by meeting someone new and fascinated by his shiny bald head, shouted.

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“Bald Gramps!”

Thunk-.

My body trembled.

“H-Hyesung…!”

I whispered, hoping she’d take back her words.

But Hyesung didn’t heed my plea.

“Your head shoots lasers! It’s blinding Hyesung!”

Children, quick to pick up on emotions but lacking in tact, can easily offend.

An awkward silence filled the penthouse.

***

“Feisty little brat, is she yours?”

“N-No… I just happened to take care of her….”

Sitting at the dining table in front of the penthouse kitchen, I answered the old man with my hands folded politely on my lap.

His gaze shifted to Hyesung, who was peeking from the living room.

‘He doesn’t seem upset….’

I couldn’t tell.

He was hard to read, making it difficult to gauge his mood.

My eyes wandered to his bald head.

Not a single hair to be found on his shiny, bald head.

Feeling a strange sense of reverence, I heard the old man continue.

“…Seems like you’re doing well.”

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His lips curled into a pout as if he wished I wasn’t doing well.

Suppressing a surge of anger, I forced a smile and asked.

“So, what brings you here…? I heard you settled in a shelter.”

“Settle my foot, why would I live with those guys?”

“But the rumors….”

“Oh, that? The shelter leader had hemorrhoids. I went to treat him, and they locked me up. But they soon let me go since locking me up does nothing.”

His indifferent reply made me squeeze my eyes shut.

‘Another disaster averted!’

The Dongdaemun Shelter almost collapsed!

I sighed in relief while the old man continued.

“So, I wandered around, but life’s dull. Got bored and thought of you, so I came to see you.”

The old man grinned.

His eyes radiated trust and goodwill, but to me, it felt burdensome.

“W-Wow… I see….”

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At the same time, a sense of anxiety arose.

Wasn’t it clear?

The way he casually said he came because he was bored, ignoring the zombie-infested fields, suggested a more serious reason.

“So, I need a place to stay.”

…Of course, he’d say that.

My lips pursed.
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I didn’t want to answer, torn between refusal and reluctance.

What should I do?

As I pondered, Hyesung suddenly ran over.

“Gramps!”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the old man.

“Is Gramps going to live with us too?”

Her hopeful question hung in the air.

The old man’s gaze turned to me.

Hyesung’s gaze followed.

Two pairs of eyes waited for my answer, making my mind go blank.

“Well, um….”

Why was Hyesung so fixated on the old man?

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Why did she create such a difficult situation?

My frustration was followed by a realization.

Hyesung’s eyes were glued to the old man’s bald head.

She was staring at the shiny bald spot, exhaling through her nose.

Her fingers twitched.

It was clear.

‘She wants to touch his bald head…!’
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Hyesung seemed utterly fascinated by his shiny bald head.

There was no choice.

“Y-Yes… It should be fine….”

I feared Hyesung’s reproachful gaze more than the old man.

End of Chapter
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