Apocalypse's Teacher - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Welcoming the New Year

***

After finishing all the tasks and returning to the hotel, the kids, the old man, and I washed up and changed clothes before gathering in the living room.

“Good job.”

Helen approached us with these words.

Nodding in response, I patted my back and groaned.

“What a struggle….”

Running like this wasn’t part of the plan; it seemed I had pushed myself too hard.

“Still, it’s a relief that everyone’s safe and no one got hurt!”

“Of course, coming back safely is the most important thing. That’s all that matters.”

The old man nodded at Jinwoo’s words, who was trying to smile.

The atmosphere was lightening up, and the day’s events seemed to be turning into just a funny story.

It wasn’t a bad thing.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g mt l .o r g
If we could erase the memory of the Artist from the kids’ minds, it would be better.

‘There’s nothing good that comes from getting involved with him.’

That was why I went out of my way to meet him.

With news that the Priest was active again, I thought I might pit them against each other.

However, given the current situation, there was no need to get further entangled with him.

Stretching, I spoke to the kids.

“Anyway, good job. We didn’t meet our target, but we got enough to use for a while, so let’s take a few days off.”

While it was important to stay busy, reducing rest time wasn’t the answer either.

Maintaining good condition was crucial for ongoing exploration and staying tense all the time.

The kids’ faces brightened noticeably, and the old man looked more relaxed.

Meanwhile, Hyesung, who had been there unnoticed, popped her head out from behind the sofa and shouted.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i n g mt l. o r g

“Are we staying home?!”

Turning my head quickly, I saw Hyesung smiling brightly.

T hi s wa s co pi e d f r om ki ng mtl .o rg
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, suggesting she expected me to play with her.

I chuckled and answered.

“Yes, Uncle took a vacation to play with Hyesung.”

Hyesung put her hands on her cheeks and beamed.

“It’s Hyesung Day!”

She cheered and hugged me.

Hyesung Day, huh….

Yes, from now on, the end of the year will be Hyesung Day.

As Hyesung laughed gleefully, warming my heart, the old man, who had been making coffee, suddenly spoke.

“Speaking of which, it’s almost the New Year.”

“What?”

“It’s the New Year. Let’s see… isn’t tomorrow the last day of the year?”

My eyes blinked rapidly.

My mouth hung open.

“…Oh, right.”

I realized that the New Year was approaching.

***

Keeping track of dates had lost much of its meaning.
T h i s w a s c op i e d fr om k i n g m t l .o rg

In this ruined world, knowing the flow of seasons and the weather was enough to survive.

For the past five years, I had lived somewhat mindlessly, but now I was reacquainting myself with the concept of time.

‘I need to look after the kids.’

Even if it meant nothing to me, I hoped the kids would continue to remember such things.

They should know that among the days we live, there are many special days, and celebrating them brings happiness.

For instance, the upcoming New Year.

To the kids, aging another year is a special thing.

“Hyesung is seven now!”

Hyesung shouted.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g

She wore a party hat from Christmas instead of her usual goggles.

Her shoulders showed just how excited she was.

“Hyesung is seven now!”

Hyesung shouted again, looking at me.

I chuckled and responded to her.

“Yes, now Hyesung is the leader of kindergarten?”

“Leader…!”

Hyesung’s eyes sparkled with dreaminess.

She seemed to really like the term leader.

Watching her giggle, I felt an odd sense of dissonance and observed her closely.

“Wait a minute?”

“Yes?”

“Hyesung, you’ve grown taller?”
Th i s wa s c o p ie d f r o m k i ngmt l . o r g

She seemed to have grown.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i n gmt l. or g
Hyesung, already tall for her age, had grown even more.

‘When I first met her, she barely reached my thigh….’

Now she looked like she’d reach the middle of my hip.

I stood up and walked over to Hyesung.

Standing straight, I measured her against my hip, and sure enough, she reached it.

“Hyesung, you’ve grown taller?!”

Hyesung gulped.

With eyes full of expectation, she urged me for an answer.

I matched her tense expression and nodded.

“Yes…! Hyesung has grown taller!”

“Wow…!”

Hyesung clenched her fists and shook them up and down.

Then, trembling with excitement, she started running around the house, announcing the good news.

“Hyesung has grown taller-!”

The old man and Helen clapped.
T hi s wa s c o p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g

Jinwoo widened his eyes in surprise and then burst into laughter.

Dabin and Dayoon, after congratulating her, began comparing their heights with each other.

Lastly, Ki-hyun, half-asleep and wrapped in blankets, was startled when Hyesung hugged her.

“Sis! Hyesung has grown taller!”

“Huh…?”

She was still half-asleep.

With a dazed expression, Ki-hyun patted Hyesung’s head.

“Good job….”

I was sure Ki-hyun didn’t even know what was happening and was just patting her head.

It was a funny sight, making me chuckle.

Three hours until the New Year.

The late night of the fifth year of the apocalypse was coming to an end.

***

“It’s out.”

It was well past 10 PM when Mr. Park arrived.

I looked at him in surprise.

What came out of my mouth was an astonished exclamation.

“What the hell, are you crazy?”

It was winter, and it was late at night.

Moreover, Seodaemun was crawling with zombies thanks to yesterday’s events.

I wondered what had made him come out at such a late hour and realized before he even spoke.

“Damn it, you reek of alcohol!”

The man was drunk.

‘How is he still alive?’

He was a man of many talents, indeed.

As I thought that, Mr. Park staggered towards me and hugged me, patting my back.

“Oh, Seokho! You know this big brother cares about you a lot, right?”

His face was red, his beard scruffy, and his hair a mess.

The always neat and stylish middle-aged man had finally shown his true self.

Dabin and Dayoon, watching from a distance, looked shocked.

I could hear their whispers.

“That’s not the teacher….”

“He’s dirty….”

Their faces were full of disappointment.

Dayoon even seemed on the verge of tears.

I could understand their reaction.

Dayoon was Mr. Park’s favorite student.

To her, Mr. Park was probably more familiar than I was.

I remembered her passionate reactions whenever Mr. Park praised her, almost like a first love.

‘…First loves never work out.’

I silently mourned Dayoon’s first love.

“Seokhooo-!”

Thud! Thud!

Mr. Park pounded on my back.

Feeling thoroughly annoyed, I pushed him away.

“Hey, man! Get a grip!”

Saying that, I clenched my fist.

‘…He won’t remember this, right?’

I quickly assessed the situation.

After a brief consideration, I acted swiftly.

Smack-!

I punched Mr. Park on the top of his head.

He crumpled immediately.

Seeing him lose consciousness so quickly, I was sure he wouldn’t remember this.
Th i s w a s co pi e d f r om k i n g mt l . o r g

I turned to the kids, who were staring at me in shock, and put my finger to my lips.

They nodded slightly.

A perfect crime.

***

Mr. Park woke up about an hour and a half later, just as the year was ending.

“Ugh….”

He groaned weakly, sounding like he had been bitten by zombies.

He looked around with a dazed expression.

“…Huh.”

He wasn’t fully sober yet, but his mind seemed clearer.

Mr. Park looked at me and asked.

“Why am I here?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“If you don’t know, who would?”

“Well, shouldn’t you know?”

There was a moment of silence between us.

Mr. Park frowned and rolled his eyes before exclaiming, “Ah!” and answering me.

“Oh, right! It’s New Year’s Eve!”

T hi s w a s c o p i e d fr om ki ng m t l . or g
Wow, I never knew Mr. Park cared about New Year’s Eve.

“I got lonely drinking alone, so I came over. Let’s see….”

Mr. Park rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

“How about it? Want a drink?”

He laughed and offered me the bottle.

Even in his drunken state, he wanted to drink more.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, my body moved on its own to find a glass.

Clink-!

“You shouldn’t drink alone on New Year’s Eve!”

“Right! My Seokho knows how to party!”

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I had a drink.

Exchanging glances and sharing drinks deepened our camaraderie.

“Sigh….”

Ki-hyun’s sigh, probably just my imagination, echoed in my ears.

End of Chapter