Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 64

The Harsh Season (3)

***

As soon as we came down from the rooftop and returned home, Hyesung was the first to greet me.

“Ham! Ham! Ham!”

Hyesung clung to my pants, shaking them back and forth.

The excitement in her eyes was akin to her having a pound cake in front of her.

“Yes, let’s eat ham.”

“Ham…!”

Hyesung’s eyes sparkled.

Her voice had a dreamy quality to it.

She was so earnest about food that her joy over a piece of ham was utterly endearing.

I picked up Hyesung.

She squirmed her legs and said,

“Eat lots of ham?”

“Yes, you can eat a lot today. We brought plenty.”

“Huuu…!”

Hyesung’s breath puffed out.

A smile crept onto my face.

‘Well, Hyesung probably hasn’t had much ham before.’

Even if it’s processed meat, it’s still meat.

Hyesung had probably rarely eaten meat except for the occasional military ration.

It was a natural reaction.

I patted Hyesung’s back and said,

“But don’t eat too much. It’s high in salt, which isn’t good for your health.”

Hyesung, who had unintentionally been on a low-sodium diet, shouldn’t suddenly start eating high-sodium food.

Hyesung looked shocked.

I chuckled and continued,

“Instead, after we finish, let’s have some peaches. They’ll be even better than cake.”

Gulp-.

Hyesung’s body shook.

She opened her mouth wide and made an ‘Ooooh!’ sound, bouncing up and down.

“Better than cake?!”

“Yes, better than cake.”

Hyesung’s face softened.

Her excitement started turning into impatience, and I thought she might faint if we didn’t start dinner soon.

“Alright, let’s eat quickly.”

“Yes… yes!”

Seeing Hyesung so excited made me feel equally elated.

With a bright face, I called out to the kids,

“Kids! Let’s eat!”

Today was a day to feast.

***

I boiled the ham from the can.

After draining off the water, I placed it on a heated frying pan.

Sizzle-!

The sound of the meat oil meeting the heat was heavenly.

The aroma burst forth like a bomb.

‘Wow, it’s been ages since I had grilled meat.’

Oil was precious these days.

Shelters might be different, but as a wanderer since the end, it had been years since I’d had grilled meat.
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My mouth watered.

I didn’t even notice the heat rising as I leaned over the pan.

I came to my senses when I saw Hyesung doing the same thing.

“Hyesung, you’ll get burned.”

I pushed Hyesung’s forehead with my finger, and she smacked her lips.

The sound of her smacking her lips echoed through the house, making the kids laugh.

“Come here, little one. Sit with Grandpa and wait.”

The old man put Hyesung on his knee and gestured at me with his chin.

He probably meant for me to hurry up and cook.

‘The old man is excited too.’

The warmest smile I’d seen on the old man’s face recently appeared.

I gave him a thumbs-up and continued cooking.

Sizzle-!

The ham was almost done.

“Ki-hyun, how many eggs do we have?”

“Five. Why?”

“Bring them all. Let’s make scrambled eggs today.”

The pan was too hot for regular frying.

But scrambled eggs, quickly whisked and cooked, would be easy to make.

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Ki-hyun quickly brought the eggs.

I plated the cooked ham and poured the whisked eggs into the pan.

Sizzle-!

An even louder sound than before.

My arm moved busily.

The spatula mashed the eggs here and there.

In about ten seconds, the eggs were cooked at an unbelievable speed and transferred to a plate.

‘This reminds me of the old days.’

I used to put this on rice with soy sauce when I lived alone.

It was perfect with kimchi.

‘Ah, kimchi.’

I missed kimchi.

‘Maybe I should grow cabbage in the spring.’

Planting cabbage seeds in spring could mean making kimchi for the next winter.

It would make our table more varied, making food worries a thing of the past eventually.

The thought made my face glow with satisfaction.

It warmed my heart.

While I was lost in thought, Hyesung brought me back to reality.

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“Can we eat now?”

“Ah, yes. Let’s eat.”

I must have been daydreaming.

Feeling awkward, I cleaned up the pan and burner and went to the table.

“Let’s eat!”

With Hyesung’s enthusiastic shout, we began the most luxurious meal we’d had so far.

***

Hyesung’s belly was sticking out.

She had eaten so heartily that her face was glistening with oil.

“Hyesung, you’ll get sick if you lie down right after eating.”

Seeing her unable to move, I helped her up, and she staggered over.

She was surprisingly heavy.

“Oh my, Hyesung has become a pig.”

“Yes… Hyesung is a pig….”

Hyesung giggled.

Then she leaned against me.

“Hyesung could die happy now…!”

She sounded like a Buddha who had reached enlightenment.

I chuckled and poked her belly.

“Pooh!”

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“If you die now, you won’t get to eat peaches. Are you still happy with that?”

Gulp.

Hyesung’s body shook.

Then she suddenly jumped up and shouted in a panicked voice,
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“Peaches!”

She looked stunned.

She must have been so focused on the ham that she forgot about the peaches.

Seeing the expectation return to Hyesung’s face, I narrowed my eyes and teased,

“But what if you’re too full to eat peaches, Hyesung?”

Hyesung turned sharply to face me and shouted loudly,

“No! Hyesung is a pig and can eat peaches!”

She spread her shoulders wide and puffed out her chest.

Her protruding belly stood out even more.

“Your belly is sticking out.”

“Hmph!”

Hyesung sucked in her stomach.

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter and clapped like a seal.

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“Wow, amazing.”

“Hmph, hmph!”

Hyesung’s lips twitched.

Yes, with that kind of determination, she deserved recognition.

I nodded and said to Hyesung,

“Then let’s open one can and share.”

“Yes!”

Hyesung hugged me.

“I’ll eat two pieces!”

“Just one piece. Too much will make you sick.”

“Ugh….”

Hyesung’s face scrunched up.

But I didn’t budge.

It would be too frustrating if she got sick after eating so well.

My firm stance meant Hyesung’s peaches were limited to half a can.

Of course, there was no complaint from Hyesung.

“So tasty…!”

Little piggy Hyesung was so moved by the sweetness of the peaches that she had no time to resent me.

***

The next morning, as the sun began to shine brightly between the buildings, I set out from the hotel again.

As always, I was accompanied by Ki-hyun and Jinwoo.

Today, the old man was coming along as well.

“Do you know where the hospital is?”

We were headed to get medical supplies.

“I have a few places in mind.”

“We should at least find some disinfectant….”

I left the old man’s mumbling behind and checked my gear.

As I did, I thought absentmindedly,

‘Helen would be better suited for this.’

No matter how skilled the old man was with medicine, he was still an amateur.

It would be more reliable to bring Helen, who could understand the chemical components in the medicines.

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But her personality was the problem.

‘How can she be scared of zombies that slow you can walk away from them….’

In a building like a hospital, her judgment would be hindered.

A sigh escaped me.

‘Mr. Park wouldn’t want to come either.’

More crucial than simple anti-inflammatory drugs, disinfectants, and bandages were things like antipyretics.

Someone like Mr. Park, a former pharmaceutical researcher, was essential.
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But that was also a challenge.

Recently, Mr. Park had seemed normal, but fundamentally, he was the madman of the container.

He was the epitome of a person living for pleasure rather than survival, choosing death over life.

‘He’s the kind of person who makes medicine for himself only after he gets sick….’

Expecting a positive response from him was difficult.

…Thinking about it, it’s a wonder he’s still alive.

“What’re you doing, not coming?”

The old man called out, interrupting my thoughts.

Seeing his bored expression, I waved my hand and replied,

“I’m coming. I’m coming.”

I pulled myself together.
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‘…Let’s focus on today’s task.’

It was going to be a long day.

Even in a low-population area like Seodaemun, hospitals were places where others had been.

We would have to spend quite some time to gather the medical supplies we needed.

‘Bandages, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers.’

These three for now.

And I had another goal I hadn’t told the kids about.

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‘…The Artist.’

One of Seoul’s blacklisted individuals, The Artist.

We had to find him, as he appeared only in this season, winter.

End of Chapter