Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 19

Real Life is Practical (4)

***

“Found it!”

In front of Haeja Elementary School’s main gate, there was a stationery store. I cheered loudly when I discovered what I was looking for there.

As expected, plant seeds.

Not just kidney beans, but also lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and even basil, all neatly packaged and displayed.

Hyesung would surely love this….

No, even if it wasn’t just for Hyesung, there was enough for all the kids to grow together.

‘There should be flower pots in the hotel.’

T h i s w a s c op ie d f r o m k in gm t l. o r g
I didn’t worry much about the shelf life of the seeds either.

I remembered Mr. Park mentioning that seeds packaged like this, especially beans, could stay viable for several years by preserving their nutrients in a dormant state.

‘We could even grow these to eat.’

I felt a surge of excitement as I looked at the seeds in my hand, wondering why I hadn’t thought of this before. I stuffed them into my backpack, filled with new ideas.

Just as I was about to leave.

‘…There are a lot of toys.’

I saw toys covering one side of the stationery store.

The snack section below was long empty, probably looted long ago. But ironically, the toys on the shelves above were untouched, covered in a thick layer of dust.

In a world that had ended, toys were the least needed items.

There was no spare time to give children toys, and there were no children to give them to.

I felt a pang of melancholy at the sudden thought and then shook it off.

‘I’ll come back for those next time.’

I was traveling light today, so it was hard to carry them, but if I got the chance, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring back some toys for Hyesung or the twins as a reward.

I left the stationery store and looked straight ahead at the elementary school.

[Haeja Elementary School] was written in large letters on the main gate, a typical, unremarkable elementary school you could find anywhere.

I had felt it when I entered the stationery store, but seeing the school gate filled me with nostalgia, making my heart heavy.

‘…This is why I hate coming to places like this.’

It brought back old memories.

Although I had taught middle school students, these feelings still came flooding back.

Arriving early before the kids and entering the teachers’ room.

Standing at the main gate during school hours, arguing with the kids about their attire.

Sitting in the shade near the playground, dozing off while watching the kids play soccer.

Just seeing the school and its exterior brought back too many memories.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

‘Time to go back.’

This personality of mine was a problem.

T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in g mt l . o r g
Too much sensitivity led to a whirlwind of emotions.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Maybe it was this personality that allowed me to live with the kids.

I turned around and started to retrace my steps.

The way back was both the same and different from the way I came.

The world, which had been deathly quiet on my way, now had a familiar sign of death standing in it.

Why did the weak, groaning sound of ‘Grrrrr—’ feel so nostalgic?

I muttered curses, crouched down, and stealthily approached the zombie, smashing its head in.

***

When I returned, the first to greet me was, of course, Hyesung, who was always the happiest whenever I went anywhere.

“Beans!”

…Hyesung, who was always excited about the things I brought back.
T his w a s c o pi ed f r o m k i n g m tl .or g

I chuckled as I picked her up and patted her back, fulfilling her expectations once again.

“Yes, I brought beans, kid.”

“Beans!”

Hyesung’s eyes sparkled like stars.

Her flushed cheeks were full of life.

I couldn’t help but smile as I went to the living room and took out the seeds from my backpack.

“Here, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes.”

The kids gathered around.

Even Ki-hyun, who usually showed no interest in what I brought back, reacted to the mention of tomatoes and came over.

“…You actually found them.”

Should I take that as a compliment?

I felt a bit awkward and replied,

“We can’t grow tomatoes right away. It’s easier to grow them in spring. For now, we can only grow lettuce and beans.”

Although beans were best grown in spring, they were hardy plants.

With proper care, we could grow them indoors even now.

Hyesung stomped her feet, eager to start.

“Let’s go plant the beans!”

She looked just like a puppy about to go for a walk.

I ruffled her hair, chuckling, and replied,

“Alright, we don’t have much else to do today. Let’s go plant the beans.”

T h i s w as c o p ie d f r om k i ngm tl . o r g
***

We didn’t need special flower pots.

Any container of the right size would do, as long as we made holes in the bottom.

Soil? No problem.

The city was full of unmanaged soil.

We could just take some from any roadside flowerbed.

In about an hour, without much fuss, we were ready.
T h i s wa s c opie d f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g

I unwrapped the bean seeds and handed them to Hyesung.

“Here, see the hole in the middle of the pot? You need to plant the beans there.”

Hyesung nodded, swallowing hard.

She carefully placed the bean in the soil and patted it down gently before suddenly running away from the pot.

“The beans are coming!!!”

Th i s w a s c o pi ed f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg
She shouted excitedly, thinking the moment she planted the bean, a giant beanstalk would grow, just like in the story.

But nothing changed.

Of course, it didn’t.

These were kidney beans, not Jack’s beanstalk.

Plants naturally took time to sprout after a period of patience.

Hyesung’s face slowly filled with doubt, and her clenched fists relaxed.

She approached the pot cautiously and asked, with a worried look,

“…Is the bean hurt?”

T h is w a s c o p i ed f rom k i n g mt l . o r g
She seemed to think the bean wasn’t sprouting because it was hurt.

I found the idea amusing and lifted Hyesung onto my lap, saying,

“Pfft… No, it’s just getting ready to come out.”

“Huh?”

“The bean was inside the package for a long time, waiting for Hyesung. It must have been tired. It’s resting in the soil to meet you in its best shape.”

I figured a story with a bit of a dream would be better than a scientific explanation of plant physiology.

As I spun the tale, Hyesung’s mouth opened slightly.

She looked at the pot, still just soil.

“Sleeping?”

“Yes, sleeping.”

Hyesung pursed her lips and then nodded.

Her tiny hand patted the soil gently.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k in g m t l.or g

“Good night!”

If I didn’t feel guilty for making her believe it so easily, there would be something wrong with me.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i ngmt l . o r g

I trembled between laughter and guilt and ended the day’s activity by praising Hyesung.

***

For the next few days, Hyesung had a new routine that was more important to her than anything else.

Watering the beans.

And singing lullabies to the beans sleeping in the soil.

Spraying water morning and evening and singing the lullabies I had taught her, Hyesung resembled a diligent mother caring for her unborn child.

As a result, the kids and I started to eagerly anticipate the day the beans would sprout.

Today was the day the first sprout emerged from the soil.

T h i s w a s co p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g
“Oh.”

I let out a sound of awe at the tiny green sprout.

I looked at Hyesung.

She was in a daze.

I thought I could stick a finger in her slightly open mouth, and she wouldn’t notice.

All her attention was on the tiny sprout.

I didn’t know what she was thinking, but seeing her in a way she had never shown before, I asked with a smile,

“It’s a baby bean.”

“Baby bean…”

Hyesung muttered in a daze.

I continued with a playful tone.

“And Hyesung is the mommy bean.”

Hyesung looked up.

I smiled brightly.

“Hyesung grew it, so Hyesung is the mommy bean.”

Hyesung looked back at the sprout, then nodded with her cheeks red as if they were about to burst.

“Yes! Hyesung is the mommy bean!”

She laughed brightly.

For some reason, I felt overwhelmed with emotion.

What filled my vision and stirred my heart was a young girl learning how to bloom in a world that was fading away.

End of Chapter

TL/N: This is like calm before the storm.