Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 75

Pure white snowflakes began to dye the gray city.

Even the prison stained with blood, and the collapsed buildings beyond it.

Even the zombies crawling here and there.

As if those things never existed from the beginning, the world started to become purely white, and I moved forward.

I held the battery in my arms, and my backpack, which used to be filled with explosives, was now packed with cooking oil and food.

'They will wait.'

The kids will be waiting.

Hyesung might even get teary-eyed, asking where I've been.

But that was okay.

Once they saw this generator brought over by the cultists, they would surely forgive me.

And with this, I could finally show them movies, which I hadn't shown much due to the need to conserve electricity.

A soft chuckle escaped me.

Thinking of the kids who would be happy to see the battery, and delighted by the cooking oil, meat, and some vegetables, a smile came to my face without me realizing.

'Careful...!'

The ground was slippery.

My breath, scattering with every exhale, blurred my vision.

I had to be careful; if the battery broke from a fall, nothing could be worse than that.

Thinking about the kids, I continued walking for a little over an hour.

Before I knew it, I finally reached the home I missed so much.

The high-rise hotel building.

Though I had only been away for half a day, I felt an overwhelming sense of welcome, as if my body, burdened with the load, was about to collapse but then stood up again.

And I started climbing the stairs.

'The height of this place is the issue.'

Climbing up and down the stairs with the load was exhausting.

Grumbling pointlessly, I climbed past the 10th floor, the 15th floor, and up to the penthouse.

At the closed penthouse door, I took a deep breath, then opened it and walked inside.

"I'm back!"

As I threw the door open, the first thing that came into view.

It was Hyesung, crouching right in front of the door.

Hyesung, pouting her lips and tapping the floor for no reason, suddenly lifted her head and looked at me.

Then, with a bright smile, she got up with a little effort.

"You're back!"

Hyesung ran up to me and clung to my leg.

And she shouted again.

"It's snowing!"

"Huh?"

"Outside, it's snowing!"

Hyesung's eyes sparkled brightly.

Jinwoo, who came in late, added an explanation for me.

"It's the first snow of the year. When I suggested playing on the rooftop, Hyesung said she wouldn't step out until you got back, so she stayed home all day."

Hearing Jinwoo's words and seeing Hyesung's beaming face.

At that moment, I felt a indescribable warmth and thrill.

It was hard to control my expression.

My face kept contorting awkwardly, making Hyesung tilt her head in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing...."

I forced a smile.

Then, putting down the battery I had been holding, I lifted Hyesung into my arms and spoke.

"Hyesung, could you wait just a little bit? I think I need to change out of my work clothes."

"Okay!"

Along with Hyesung's reply, a warm feeling spread through me.

Perhaps it was because I had been in the cold for so long, or maybe for reasons I couldn't quite grasp.

This warmth felt so precious that I couldn't move for a while, needing time to collect myself.

*

It was the first snow of winter.

And it was the first snow Hyesung had ever seen in her life.

Hyesung, who only knew the post-apocalyptic landscape and the sights within shelters somewhere.

Hyesung, who only now barely recognized that the sky could be blue, and that seasons could change.

Seeing such a world for the first time, Hyesung gazed at it with a blank expression.

"What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"

"Mmm...."

A vague answer trickled out.

Her hands, covered in pink mittens, wiggled shyly.

Her sparkling eyes reflected the white hue of the snowflakes, glowing brilliantly.

"It's beautiful...."

Seeing such a moved expression made my chest ache. Adjusting my hold, I carried Hyesung to the center of the rooftop.

In one corner, the twins were building a snowman.

Nearby, Helen, watching over the kids, spotted me and waved.

On the other side, Ki-hyun and the old man were sipping warm tea.

'Even Ki-hyun is out here.'

Though he hated cold weather, Ki-hyun seemed to enjoy the snow.

Moments like this reminded me how much of a child he still was.

My eyes met Ki-hyun's.

Startled, Ki-hyun flinched and quickly turned his head away.

When I laughed at that, Hyesung, squirming in my arms, begged to be let down.

"I want to make a snowman too!"

"Shall we?"

"Yes! A really big one!"

Hyesung's gaze remained fixed on the snowman the twins were making.

Once she fixated on something, she wouldn't stop until it was done, and now she seemed eager to begin.

I set Hyesung down.

She grabbed my hand and led me to a corner piled with snow.

"Will you make it with me?"

"Yes!"

How could such a smile be so pure?

Watching Hyesung laugh brightly, her nose tinged red, I couldn't help but nod.

"Alright, let's make one together."

Bending over, I placed my hands on the ground.

The snow crumbled coldly in my hands.

But even so, my heart felt warm.

"It's a snowman!"

Hyesung exclaimed.

I looked up at her.

Laughing gleefully, she raised her arms high, holding what looked more like a snowball than an actual snowman.

Hyesung approached and placed the snowball beside my hand.

"This is Hyesung's snowman!"

Saying this, she gathered more snow and made a larger clump, placing it next to her snowman.

"And this is Uncle's snowman!"

Ah, come to think of it, I should probably teach her how to make a proper snowman.

Chuckling, I patted Hyesung's head.

And then I said.

"A snowman is made by rolling it around."

"Huh?"

"If you just clump it together like this, it will collapse quickly. You have to roll the snow to pack it tightly so it won't fall apart."

Thinking I should give a demonstration, I gathered a large amount of snow and formed it into a lump.

Then I rolled it forward, making it grow in size.

Hyesung opened her eyes wide and let out an exclamation of wonder.

If I were to compare her expression...

Right, it was probably like the expression of humanity when they first discovered fire.

Hyesung, brimming with excitement, followed behind me.

Soon after, she stealthily approached and seized the snowball, starting to roll it as she pleased.

"Roll, roll!"

The snowball she rolled grew bigger and bigger.

What once reached Hyesung's knees now grew to her waist, then to chest height, yet Hyesung didn't stop.

Amidst her excitement, as she ran around the rooftop, Hyesung suddenly stumbled and fell forward.

"Hyesung!"

Alarmed, I rushed over and helped her up.

Thankfully, the snow cushioned her fall, so she wasn't hurt.

Sniff.

Hyesung blinked her eyes and sniffled her nose.

"I fell down!"

Then she beamed brightly and shouted.

Truly, she was a child who never let me take my eyes off her, even for a moment.

"You have to be careful. What if you get a nosebleed or something?"

"Huh?"

Even as she replied, her gaze kept darting toward the snowball she had been rolling.

Was rolling snow really that much fun?

Thinking that if I kept holding her back, she might sulk again, I sighed and spoke to Hyesung with a resigned smile.

"Shall we finish making the snowman, then?"

"Yes! I'll make it big!"

"But if it's any bigger than this, it'll be hard to stack, so let's make the head now."

"The head?"

"Yes, the head. We'll place the head on top of the snowball you just made to finish the snowman."

Hyesung pondered for a moment as if imagining something, then soon nodded with her cheeks flushing red.

"The head!"

Her response seemed to be positive.

*

Hyesung rolled the snow.

The snowman her sisters had made looked so cool that she wanted to make one even bigger and more impressive.

She thought that if she made an extraordinary snowman, Seokho might praise her, and this thought kept her energy high.

The snowball she rolled grew as big as the first one she made, and at that point, Seokho, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.

"That's enough. Hyesung, now let's put this on the body we made earlier."

At his words, Hyesung finally stopped rolling the snowball and stood up.

Seokho picked up the snowball.

Hyesung followed him with small, quick steps, watching as Seokho stacked the snowball onto the first one.

Two large white spheres were stacked like a tower, completing the snowman.

Hyesung felt her heart race as she looked at the snowman she had made with her own hands.

"It's a snowman...!"

Had she perhaps made something truly extraordinary?

Was it possible that this snowman might come to life?

As she imagined such childlike fantasies with excitement, Hyesung suddenly felt a hand gently stroking her head.

"It's not finished yet."

"Huh?"

Hyesung looked at Seokho.

Seokho rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a sanitary bag filled with eggshells, shaking it lightly.

"We need to make the eyes and mouth."

Seokho picked Hyesung up and handed her some of the eggshells.

Then, guiding her hand, he helped her attach the shells to the face of the snowman.

With her mouth slightly open in amazement, Hyesung began attaching the eggshells one by one.

Seokho's laughter echoed in her memory.

Hyesung's excited squeal also echoed in her memory.

Before they knew it, other children, Helen, and Chun-bae had gathered around, laughing as they watched.

That day, Hyesung created the happiest snowman in the world.