Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 11

Survival is a serious matter (2)
T h i s w as c o pi e d f r o m ki n g m tl . or g

***

As expected, I won the bet.

‘…Honestly, losing wouldn’t have made any sense.’

Unlike Ki-hyun, who was just a kid during the apocalypse, I was already an adult.

That meant I had more knowledge.

T h i s w a s c opi e d f ro m k i n gmtl. or g
Not only that, but I also had overwhelming experience living through the post-apocalyptic world.

I fended off Hyesung, who was pulling my hair, and observed Ki-hyun’s expression.

Her clenched lips and angry face clearly showed her frustration.

Suddenly, Ki-hyun glared at me and stormed out of the seminar room, stomping her feet.

“Oh.”

She seemed really mad.

I’ll have to console her later.

“Can we go now?”

Dabin, who had been watching Ki-hyun leave with me, asked.

I nodded, and Dabin grabbed Dayoon’s hand and ran out of the seminar room.

‘Those two are pretty smart too.’

Dabin and Dayoon, especially the shy Dayoon, were particularly bright.

Even on parts where other kids needed additional explanation, they grasped the core concept instantly.

Then, she would explain it to Dabin in a barely audible voice.

That’s how learning works, right?

The hardest part is understanding something well enough to teach it to others.

‘Kids like that go to prestigious universities.’

I felt proud for no reason.

Imagining my students going to prestigious universities made my shoulders swell with pride.

Of course, it was a meaningless fantasy since even prestigious universities had been wiped out.

“Mister.”

Jinwoo called out to me.

“What about dinner?”

“Huh? It’s already dinner time?”

“Yes, you’ve been explaining for four hours.”

Wow, four hours?

No wonder the kids were getting tired.

I must have gotten carried away with the lesson after so long.

I’ll have to be careful next time.

“Ahem, cough. Let’s go eat then.”

“Yes, Hyesung, you need to get down now.”

“No!”

Hyesung, who was still riding on my shoulders, rested her chin on my head and added,

“Piggyback ride!”

Th i s w as c o p i e d fr om k i n gm t l . o r g
“Let her be. She can stay up there a bit longer.”

She must really like seeing the world from 180 centimeters.

Holding onto Hyesung’s knees, I turned to Jinwoo.

“Let’s go. Talking about dinner made me hungry.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jinwoo stood up next to me.

Then, Hyesung peeked out and cheerfully teased him.

“Oppa is shorter than me!”

Her words made me flinch.

‘Jinwoo’s age group is sensitive about height.’

T h i s w a s c o p i ed fr om k in g m t l . o r g
Having taught kids his age, I knew this well.

In that tense moment, Jinwoo mumbled quietly,

“…I’ll grow taller.”

His cheeks turned red, and his words, though muttered, were quite assertive for Jinwoo.

I sighed in relief that he didn’t get angry and ruffled his hair.

“That’s right. Boys usually shoot up in high school.”

Kids these days grow faster, but maybe Jinwoo is just a late bloomer.

He’s not even 160 centimeters yet, but I sincerely hope he reaches 180.

***

A week passed.

The lessons went smoothly, and the kids’ understanding of the three initial topics reached the expected level.

In addition, one more thing.

“Jump!”

My leg was healed.

I tested my condition by doing a flying kick in the middle of the room.

Why a flying kick, you ask?

Because it’s cool.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i ng m t l . o rg

“That’s it.”

The angle of my kick was perfect.

I swung my legs a few more times for no reason, then remembered something I had postponed.

T h i s was copi ed f r o m k i ng m t l. o rg
‘Now then…’

Time to check my hideout.

I needed to get some weapons and supplies and clear out the zombies on the upper floors.

“Heh…”

I felt a sense of excitement.

It was like fulfilling a lifelong bucket list.

‘I get to live in a penthouse.’

The ultimate goal of cleaning the hotel.

The future residence would be the penthouse.

***

That same evening during dinner, Jinwoo looked worried when I spoke.

“You’re going out?”

“Yeah, I need to get some things from my hideout.”

“Are you sure? You said it’s an hour’s walk away…”

His genuine concern touched my heart.

He’s so scared yet so kind-hearted.

I smiled and reassured him.

T h i s wa s c o p ied f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g
“I’m fine. I’ve roamed around there plenty.”

“Still, be careful. You never know.”

“I will. You take good care of the others. I’ll bring back some snacks too.”

Dry snacks I had as bar food would be nice treats for the kids.

“Snacks!”

Hyesung’s eyes sparkled at my words.

Her face started to flush with excitement.

“Tasty ones?”

“Of course, they’ll be tasty.”

“Hehe…”
T h i s w as c op i e d fr o m k i n gmt l. o r g

Just thinking about it seemed to make her happy.

Seeing her holding her cheeks and swaying gave me strength.

I smiled warmly at her and turned back to Jinwoo.

“I’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”

“Ah, okay!”

After finishing my conversation with Jinwoo, I looked at Ki-hyun.

She had been eating from a can with her lips tightly sealed but now raised her head to look at me.

“…What?”

Why was she picking a fight just by looking at me?

I stared at her in silence, and eventually, she lowered her head.

‘So, she felt awkward too.’

Knowing that talking to her would just make her angry, I decided to leave a simple goodbye and stood up.

***

The next morning.

I left the hotel early and was heading toward the entrance when I stopped at a figure in front of me.

“Ki-hyun?”

It was Ki-hyun.

She had a backpack on and tools in her hand, clearly ready to go out.

“Why are you so late?”

Her frown and words made me realize she had been waiting to go with me.

‘Well, I’m grateful, but…’

“You’re coming with me? What about the kids?”

“Jinwoo will stay, so it’s fine.”

“It’s dangerous.”

Ki-hyun’s face scrunched up at my words.

T h i s w a s co p i e d f ro m k i n gm tl .o r g
“Better than going alone. Plus, you’ll have a lot to carry.”

Her words were sharp, but I could see the concern she couldn’t hide.

Ah, this is touching.

“Are you worried about me?”

Ki-hyun’s face twisted in a grimace.

“Shut up and get moving.”

Her blushing face made me chuckle as I joined her.

It was true that two are safer than one.

I gratefully accepted her offer.

“Thanks.”

“Shut up.”

Ki-hyun’s shoulder twitched.

She really couldn’t lie.

***

My hideout was in Jongno.

It wasn’t far from the hotel in Seodaemun, just about a ten-minute drive.

But…

“Oh, there’s a crowd again.”

Of course, the problem was the zombies.

The damn zombies made travel slow.

Maybe because it’s a downtown area, no matter how often we cleared them, they would gather again if we let our guard down.

I sighed deeply at the blocked path to Jongno and turned to Ki-hyun.

“Let’s go around. There are other ways.”

“…Okay.”

Her voice was stiff.

I turned to see her staring tensely at the zombies.

‘She must not have seen this many before.’

It made sense.

Anyone with sense would avoid zombie-infested Jongno.

Her situation was different from mine, where I avoided people.

I patted Ki-hyun’s back and continued,

“Relax. You won’t have to face them much with me around.”

“Oh, okay…”

Ki-hyun nodded quickly.

‘Let’s see, if they’re gathered here, then…’

Obviously, zombies aren’t like game monsters.

They’re not resources respawning endlessly somewhere.

If they’re gathered in one place, it means other areas are emptier.

“We’ll head up. Let’s go.”

Thi s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i n gmt l . o r g
Ki-hyun hesitated and looked back at me.

“…How do you know all this?”

I almost laughed.

Her serious tone made me think she was in urgent need of the bathroom.

“I’ve lived here for two years. Of course, I know.”

“Two years?”

Ki-hyun’s face filled with shock.

Seeing her look at me like that for the first time made me feel proud.

“Do I look amazing now?”

Ah, she’s mad.

Ki-hyun glared at me and spoke.

“Don’t get cocky.”

She turned away sharply, clearly upset that I outdid her.

I shook my head.

‘No respect for elders, no respect.’

I’ll have to add etiquette lessons to the curriculum.

“Hurry up.”

Ki-hyun urged.

I watched her silently for a moment, then pointed out what she had overlooked.

“That’s south.”

Ki-hyun’s face turned crimson.

End of Chapter