Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 80

In the end, Jinwoo became in charge of Chunsik's training.

It was only natural since Chunsik would easily listen to Jinwoo's words.

"Chunsik, no."

Jinwoo scolded Chunsik.

Chunsik, who was about to lick a piece of tuna that had fallen on the floor, stopped.

Then Jinwoo patted Chunsik.

Chunsik's tail wagged vigorously.

"Woof!"

"Good boy."

The more I watched, the more amazing it seemed.

Of course, there was someone who didn't find this scene pleasant.

Who could it be?

It was none other than Hyesung, who wanted to be Chunsik's closest friend.

"Ugh...."

Hyesung, who was sitting on my lap, pouted and tapped her thigh in frustration.

Her cheeks puffed up, and her eyes looked sulky.

"Hyesung, what's wrong?"

"Chunsik is bad...!"

An awkward smile crept onto my face.

The child's resentment was so trivial and pitiful that all I could do was pat her head.

How could I calm Hyesung's anger?

As I pondered this, Chunsik suddenly turned his head towards us.

Hyesung's body flinched.

Chunsik opened his mouth wide with a 'Heh.'

Immediately after, Chunsik toddled over to Hyesung and snuggled into her arms.

"Kkiiing."

Chunsik rubbed his head against Hyesung's chest.

Do I even need to explain Hyesung's reaction that followed?

"Chunsik!"

It was a scene of pure joy.

Hyesung embraced Chunsik with a bright expression.

"Chunsik is so cute!"

"Woof!"

Chunsik's tail wagged vigorously again.

His soft fur began to fluff up as Hyesung ran her hands over it enthusiastically.

Amid the peals of laughter echoing all around, I thought,

'Does he seem perceptive?'

Chunsik appeared sharp despite his simple-looking appearance.

*

Seokho had left to retrieve the remaining supplies from the prison.

Although the penthouse felt emptier with one big adult gone, fortunately, Hyesung's expression remained cheerful.

It was thanks to the small white puppy that had recently stolen Hyesung's heart.

"This is the storage room!"

"Woof!"

Hyesung, accompanied by Chunsik, headed to the lower floor of the penthouse.

She was giving a tour of the house for Chunsik, who had become both a new family member and friend.

As she introduced every room in the penthouse and explored the lower floors with him, Hyesung was filled with indescribable joy.

"That's the room where my sister plays guitar! That's the room where my brother reads books!"

For rooms she couldn't enter, she explained them verbally.

For those she could enter, she went inside and elaborated on each item within.

That's how Chunsik, led by Hyesung, found himself in front of an unpleasant encounter.

"This is Kkokkok's room!"

Creak-!

One of the doors opened.

Inside was a large chicken sitting roundly in a cage.

Kkokkok, who provided fresh supplies of food for the penthouse.

"Cluck."

Kkokkok raised her head.

Despite being a chicken, Kkokkok had a sharp gaze as she stared at Hyesung and Chunsik.

Chunsik panted as he looked at Kkokkok.

"We're all friends!"

Hyesung stretched her arms over her head as she declared, and Kkokkok stood up and spread her wings.

"Cluck-cluck!"

Startled by Kkokkok's intimidation, Chunsik jumped back.

He then tucked his tail and hid behind Hyesung.

"Kkiiing...."

"Hmm?"

Hyesung tilted her head, alternating her gaze between Chunsik and Kkokkok.

She couldn't understand the situation.

"Chunsik is your friend!"

Hyesung petted Chunsik as she spoke, but Chunsik didn't budge.

At that moment, Dayoon entered the room.

"Hyesung...?"

"Sister!"

In Dayoon's arms was the feed meant for Kkokkok that day.

Dayoon looked at Chunsik, Kkokkok, and Hyesung, tilting her head before saying, "Ah."

"Kkokkok seems to be scared of Chunsik."

"Huh?"

"I read about it in a book... dogs and chickens don't get along."

Hyesung's face showed utter shock.

Dayoon shook her head and explained to Hyesung.

"If a dog and a chicken fight, the dog wins. That's why Kkokkok is scared of Chunsik. She knows she'll lose."

Hyesung didn't know.

That what Dayoon said was just a story from some fairy tale.

And that, right now, it wasn't Kkokkok who was scared, but Chunsik.

Like most smart kids, Dayoon wanted to flaunt what she knew and had spoken without much thought, unintentionally shocking Hyesung.

Hyesung approached Dayoon.

And she asked,

"Can't they be friends?"

"Rivals aren't friends."

"Then Chunsik and Kkokkok aren't friends?"

"No."

Boom!

The impact was as if Hyesung's world had collapsed.

She opened her mouth in shock, then alternated her gaze between Chunsik and Kkokkok, her eyes welling with tears.

"Eeeing...."

Dayoon squared her shoulders and patted Hyesung as she spoke.

"Let's take Chunsik out. If he stays here, Kkokkok might feel uneasy and not lay any eggs."

"Hmm...."

Although her voice dripped with reluctance, Hyesung eventually agreed and led Chunsik out.

It was something that couldn't be helped.

Hyesung didn't want the terrible situation of not having eggs on the table.

*

Hyesung's adventure continued.

After introducing everything down to the storage floor, there was nothing left to do.

"I used to sleep here when Uncle wasn't around! It's so soft and cozy!"

"Woof!"

Seokho introduced the room on the ninth floor where he stayed before cleaning the upper floors.

"I used to sneak cakes here in the past!"

The storage room on the eighth floor, where cakes had been secretly eaten before.

"This was where Uncle was tied up!"

Even the secret room in the corner where Seokho was tied up when he first arrived here.

After touring all the places that could be introduced, Hyesung's next destination was obvious.

"Let's go downstairs!"

The lower floors.

The place with various convenience facilities and the hotel's exit.

It was a place that others, both children and adults, would usually never allow access to, but today, everyone was busy with their own tasks.

Furthermore, Hyesung was too excited to remember their warnings.

The sound of Hyesung's footsteps and Chunsik's pattering echoed in the emergency stairwell.

Reaching the banquet hall on the third floor, Hyesung opened her eyes wide and stared at the auditorium in front of her.

"It's huge...!"

Among all the rooms she had ever stayed in, the living room in the penthouse was the biggest. The size of this room came as quite a shock to Hyesung.

The high-ceilinged auditorium.

The wide hall spread out in front of it.

Hyesung stood there, unsure of what to do, and then started running around with Chunsik.

"Let's race!"

Pitter-patter.

Hyesung ran through the hall.

Chunsik also started barking and running, syncing his speed with Hyesung.

The girl's laughter filled the hall.

And it echoed beyond the windows.

*

How long had they been running around?

Hyesung, despite the cold weather, felt sweat trickling down her skin.

The same was true for Chunsik.

Chunsik stuck out his tongue, panting as he tried to cool off.

While the girl and the puppy lay sprawled in the middle of the hall.

Clang-.

A sudden sound reverberated.

Hyesung turned her head toward the source of the sound.

"Outside the window?"

It came from outside the window.

A window too high for Hyesung to reach.

Hyesung jumped to her feet.

"Uncle is here!"

She assumed the sound might have been made by Seokho.

That thought was enough to make her get up.

Clang-.

The sound—something colliding with metal—was unmistakably not made by a human, as anyone living in this world would know.

However, that was not a concept that applied to Hyesung.

Having always lived under protection, she didn't even fully grasp the existence of zombies, let alone harbor suspicion toward the sound.

"Grrr-."

Chunsik growled.

His body tensed up, and his usually carefree demeanor twisted into a grim expression.

If Seokho had seen him, he might have remarked on how much he resembled a hunting dog.

However, the only one here was Hyesung.

"Let's go! I want to see Uncle!"

Hyesung hugged Chunsik.

Chunsik, startled, whimpered and began squirming in her arms.

"Whimper...!"

"Huh?"

Tilting her head in confusion, she gave a brief, skeptical look, but only for a moment.

Smiling brightly, Hyesung started heading toward the first floor.

"Whimper! Whimper!"

Chunsik's struggles intensified.

However, the energetic strength of the young girl overpowered the small puppy's attempts at resistance.

Patter-patter-.

The sound of Hyesung's footsteps echoed down the stairs and into the hall of the first floor.

The front door was sealed with layers of barricades.

Hyesung turned her head toward the side door at the back.

Clang-.

The sound came again.

Smiling brightly, Hyesung ran toward the door.

At that moment.

Crack-!

A sound came from beyond the door.

Hyesung stopped in her tracks.

Chunsik, at last, ceased whimpering and lifted his head sharply.

Finally, the door opened.

"...Hyesung?"

The one who entered was Seokho, his face filled with urgency.

"Uncle!"

Hyesung ran toward Seokho.

Seokho, seeing Hyesung in a place where she shouldn't be, hurriedly closed the door to hide what was outside.

Hyesung threw her arms open, trying to hug Seokho's leg as she approached.

The moment Seokho, having shut the door, turned his gaze to Hyesung, a loud roar filled the hall.

"Why are you here!!!"

It was Seokho's angry shout.