Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 58

Surviving Winter is the Biggest Challenge (2)

***

The preparations for winter had begun.
T h i s w a s c o p ied fr o m king m t l . or g

“Let’s start by covering all the windows. Old man! Help Jinwoo insulate the windows over there.”

“Alright, let’s go, kiddo.”

“Yes, sir!”

The old man and Jinwoo carried blankets toward the windows.

Helen and Kang Ki-hyun went to the opposite side.

I started cleaning with the three children.

“Twins, can you dust around?”

“What about Hyesung?!”

“You can mop with me.”
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m k i ng mt l .or g

“Okay!”

Hyesung’s response showed she was excited.

Unlike usual, she moved energetically, seemingly infected by the lively atmosphere.

“Hyesung, I’ll wet the floor, and you wipe off the water, alright?”

“Hyesung is good at wiping!”
T h i s w as c o pi e d f r o m kin gm tl .o r g

Slap!

Hyesung began wiping the bare floor.

The expression on her face was like that of an artisan making pottery.

I chuckled and said.

“I haven’t wet that part yet.”

“Oops!”

She belatedly realized her mistake, looking sheepish.

Laughter bloomed in the penthouse at Hyesung’s antics.

***

There were many other preparations besides blocking drafts.

As the temperature dropped exponentially, various measures were needed to maintain the indoor temperature.

‘It’d be great if we could make a bonfire.’
Th is w a s c o p i ed f ro m k in g mt l . o r g

But that was impossible.

Putting aside everything else, wouldn’t a fire on the rooftop create too much smoke?

It would openly reveal our location to nearby survivors.

Not only survival but also stealth had to be considered in this difficult situation.

However, as always, there was a solution of sorts.

“Oh, isn’t this a wood-burning stove?”

The old man approached me excitedly.

I tapped the stove and smiled.

“I found it while scavenging.”

“For heating?”

“Isn’t it good?”

“Ah, it’ll work.”

It was a large wood-burning stove that required two adult arms to embrace.

You put charcoal inside and lit a fire, a classic form of heating.

“Brings back memories.”

T h i s wa s co p i e d fr o m k i n g m t l . o rg
“Right, you’re from that generation.”

“When I was in elementary school, we used to put our lunchboxes on top of these…”

The old man happily reminisced.

He seemed to enjoy recounting old stories.

As I chuckled at the thought of the old man being, well, old, the kids approached.

They all looked at the stove curiously.

“Choo-choo?”

Hyesung tilted her head and asked.

Choo-choo, she must have been reminded of the steam locomotive from the movie.

“No, this is a stove.”

“Stove?”

“Yeah, it keeps us warm.”

Confusion filled Hyesung’s face.

Well, it would be quicker to show her than explain.

“One moment.”

Fortunately, finding fuel for the stove was not difficult.

Exploring a large mart would quickly yield some wood.

“Here, put the fuel inside…”

I stuffed the wood into the stove’s belly.

I struck a match and tossed it in, then closed the transparent front hatch.

The flames flickering inside were clearly visible.

Th is w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
“Ooh…”

Hyesung’s face went blank.

Seeing the burning flames, she became entranced.

Is this what they call a trance?

“Hyesung, don’t get too close.”

“Mmm…”

Her eyes hazily glistened.

Even when told not to get close, her head bobbed forward, as if she had already lost herself.

“Flicker…”

Did she call it a flicker?

As always, I found Hyesung’s naming sense refreshingly intuitive.

“Should we greet the flicker and ask it to keep us warm this winter?”

“Please keep us warm…!”

Hyesung bowed to the stove.

***

After finishing the interior preparations, I looked at Kkokkok in her coop, letting out an “Hmm” sound.

Th i s w a s co pi e d fr o m k i n gm t l. org
“Kkokk- kkokk-.”

“Right, we should keep you inside too?”

According to my research, chickens were hardy in the cold, but only when living in groups.

Chickens huddled together to maintain their body heat, so the lone Kkokkok would face quite a dangerous winter.

‘Her eggs might even freeze.’

What should I do?

After some thought, I sighed and opened the coop.

“Living together will be a bit hard, so you’ll stay downstairs.”

“Kkokk- kkokk-.”

I wasn’t sure if she understood.

Without resistance, I picked up Kkokkok and collected today’s eggs before heading downstairs.

“Kkokkok!”

Hyesung ran over excitedly.

She then wriggled and asked me.

“Is Kkokkok living inside too?”

“No, downstairs.”

“Aww…”

Her disappointed pout tugged at my heart, but there was no other choice.

“Kkokkok can’t control her pooping, so she can’t live with us.”

“Can’t control pooping?”

“Yeah, what if she poops on your clothes while you’re sleeping?”

Shudder-.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k in gm t l. o r g
Hyesung shuddered.

She looked betrayed, then trembled as she stared at Kkokkok.

“I thought we were friends…!”

I was curious about what she imagined but decided not to ask.

“I’ll set up a place for Kkokkok downstairs.”

“Mmm…”

Her shuffling steps were quite adorable.

I shook my head and went downstairs.

***

The basic winter preparations were complete.

Luckily, the stove kept the indoor temperature above freezing, and we had enough food for now.

“Ugh… I’m dying.”

After moving around busily for so long, my body ached.

Thinking I deserved a good rest today, I plopped down on the bed when Hyesung approached.

“Mister!”

“Hmm?”

Hyesung excitedly climbed onto the bed and shook me as she chanted.

“Beanie sprouted!”

“…Huh?”

“Beanie sprouted!”

Hyesung cheered while I stared at her blankly.

A brief silence fell before I finally understood.

“Did your bean pods drop?”

“Yes!”

It seemed Hyesung’s soybeans had finally grown, ready for harvesting.

As I realized how much time had passed, another thought occurred.

“I see…”

The arrival of the harvest season meant more than just that.

“Beanie?”

“It lost weight!”

The time had come for Hyesung and her soybean plant to part ways.

***

The once lush, green soybean plant had withered to a yellow hue.

Its leaves drooped limply, and the stem supporting them had shriveled.

Sadness clouded Hyesung’s face.

“Is Beanie sick…?”

Hyesung asked me with teary eyes.

I pondered for a long time about what to tell her.

Hugging the sullen Hyesung, I patted her back as I gathered my thoughts.

How could I explain death to her?

What was the right way to tell a child about parting?

‘It’s difficult.’

It was difficult.

It was an era where death brought no rest.

The deceased endlessly suffered, wandering the streets, and no new life could blossom.

Even though Hyesung had nurtured a life in such an era, deserving praise, her sorrowful expression made me feel guilty about commending her.

“Is Beanie tired?”

“…No.”

Hyesung’s small hand clutched my shirt tightly.

I patted her back and said.

“It just wants to rest now.”

“Rest?”

“Yeah, Beanie worked so hard that it wants to sleep.”

T h i s w a s c o p i ed fro m k i n g mt l . o rg
I hugged Hyesung tightly.

“It wants to go to heaven and become an angel beanie.”

Hyesung’s body trembled.

“…No.”
T h is w a s c op i e d f r o m ki ng m tl . org

She buried her face in my embrace.

“Hyesung doesn’t want an angel beanie. I want to stay together.”

“…”

Though I said nothing more, Hyesung seemed to realize that if the plant withered, we could no longer stay together.

The child had learned what parting meant.

My heart grew cold.

I let out a long breath.

“Even if Beanie doesn’t want to?”

Hyesung’s body shook slightly.

Hiccups escaped her.

“I like Beanie…”

“Beanie likes you too.”

“Even if we separate…?”

“Yes. Even if we separate, Beanie will keep liking you.”

I stroked Hyesung’s back.

Then I continued.

“Because you loved Beanie so much, Beanie has become an adult.”

“Mmm…”

“You made many little beanies for Hyesung.”

“Mmm…”

“So Beanie will be happy. Thanks to you, it became an adult and can leave its mark on this world…”

Yes, this was the right way to explain it.

“Beanie will be so happy that you helped it become an adult.”

An era had come where death brought no rest.

An era where the deceased left only wandering corpses behind.

An era where nothing could be passed to the next generation, and everything decayed in vain.

In such a world, this untimely soybean plant could leave its mark, making it the happiest soybean in the world.

“Hyesung.”

“…Yeah.”

“Should we thank Beanie?”

Hyesung raised her head.

I smiled slightly and said.

“And let’s reassure it. If we promise to take good care of the little beanies it gave us, Beanie will surely be happy.”

Hyesung’s body wriggled.

The hiccups had subsided.

However, she had not stopped crying.

Hyesung nodded, holding back tears threatening to burst forth.

End of Chapter