Apocalypse’s Teacher

Chapter 100

The hotel's rooftop.

Mr. Park took out a cigarette in front of the railing, where the still chilly wind wrapped around his entire body.

Ssss-.

Ssss-.

He lit the lighter and ignited the cigarette.

Then, after inhaling with a "Ssss," he exhaled the smoke with a face full of happiness.

"Didn't you say you were quitting smoking?"

"Me? Quit smoking? Oh, what nonsense."

"Last week, you were saying you'd quit smoking and even carried around candy..."

"That wasn't me. You must've mistaken me for someone else."

Was that so?

Could I have unknowingly met a vagabond who looked exactly like Mr. Park and was quitting smoking?

No, perhaps it was another personality of Mr. Park that was quitting smoking.

"Ah, it just feels so refreshing."

Mr. Park chuckled as he made smoke rings with the cigarette smoke.

Then, he inhaled deeply with another "Ssss."

I let out a deep sigh and asked.

"So, why did you call me?"

The first thing he said when I arrived was to follow him to the rooftop.

Clearly, he had something to say, but since he wasn't getting to the point, I had no choice but to ask first.

"How's Dayoon doing lately?"

"Huh? Why Dayoon?"

"I'm asking how she's been."

I stared blankly at Mr. Park and thought.

'Dayoon, well....'

She's as calm and composed as ever.

"Nothing in particular comes to mind. She eats well, studies hard, and gets along well with the kids."

"Not that, you fool."

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if she seems to have any worries."

Mr. Park's gaze turned to me.

His face, unlike usual, seemed quite serious.

Feeling tense from his expression, I watched as Mr. Park let out a deep sigh and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm in charge of Dayoon's lessons, you know."

"That's right?"

"Lately, she hasn't been making any progress."

Freeze-.

I froze in place.

Considering how much time had passed since she started studying, I thought maybe she'd hit a wall.

'...Nonsense.'

Both Mr. Park and I knew that was absurd when it came to Dayoon.

Dayoon was a true genius.

When it came to studying, she grew so quickly that even Helen and Mr. Park were left speechless.

There was no reason for her progress to stop now.

"...."

"These days, it seems like she just can't focus. It's not that she can't study; it's that she doesn't want to. Her eyes are on the book, but her mind is somewhere else."

I didn't know.

A pang of guilt arose in me.

'...Dayoon.'

She was always so composed.

Compared to Gihyun or Jinwoo, she was more mature and needed less attention.

No, that was just an excuse.

'...I wasn't paying attention to Dayoon.'

I wiped my face with my hand.

It was natural to pay more attention to the kids who needed me more, but my actions now were absolutely unacceptable for an educator.

"...I'll look into it."

"I hope it's not anything serious. I tried to handle it on my end, but as you know, I only come once a week."

"No, it's better if I do it. Thanks for telling me."

I reflected on my oversight, which hit me belatedly.

*

"Dayoon, what are you doing?"

Dayoon lifted her head.

Staring blankly at me, she pursed her lips as if thinking about something, then buried her face back in the book and answered.

"...Studying."

"What are you studying?"

"Molecular Chemistry."

Oh, that was an unexpected answer.

"Oh, uh, is that so...?"

My gaze shifted slightly toward the book.

A jumble of incomprehensible English and chemical symbols felt like it was tearing my brain apart.

To protect my sanity, I looked away from the book.

"Well, is it going well?"

"Yeah...."

Her voice lacked energy.

But just from that, it was hard to determine if there was a problem.

After all, wasn't Dayoon always this subdued?

'As for worries....'

I still didn't know.

Was she hiding something?

Physically? Emotionally? Or maybe....

"Mister."

"Uh, yeah?"

"...You're distracting me."

Gulp-.

I barely managed to hold back a grimace as sadness welled up inside me.

"S-sorry."

"Go away."

I turned and walked away.

*

The more I thought about it, the more I felt the weight of my mistake.

She's at an age where she needs attention, yet I gave her less because she required less effort. That was a huge mistake.

Accepting that this situation was the result of my actions seemed the right thing to do.

Dayoon still felt awkward around me, and I couldn't bring myself to act warmly toward her now.

'...I've been too complacent.'

I had plenty of excuses.

There was Hyesung, who required constant attention, time that had to be spent on battles or resource exploration, and the urgent need to prepare for the upcoming spring.

But in the end, they were just excuses.

Even with the busyness of external tasks, I should've paid more attention to Dayoon.

I had been too complacent.

I sat on the sofa, looking at Dayoon.

Lying on her stomach, scribbling notes in her book, she appeared as usual.

However, upon closer and continuous observation, one fact became clear.

'The page isn't turning.'

One hour.

Normally, she would have turned at least ten pages by now.

Looking at her now, it was clear that something unusual was happening.

"Uncle!"

"Ah, uh."

Dabin approached me.

Held tightly in her arms was a thick notebook.

It was Dabin's comic notebook.

"Ah, did you draw the next chapter?"

"Yep!"

Dabin handed me the comic book.

Chuckling softly, I patted her head and began to read the comic.

"Dabin, your drawing skills are improving more and more."

"That's because I'm a genius!"

"The story is exciting too. Is this space rocket cop a bad guy?"

"He's a dark hero!"

"Oh."

Now, enjoying Dabin's comics had become part of my daily routine.

As I continued to immerse myself in her comic for a good while and finished it, just as I was about to return the notebook to Dabin, I suddenly froze.

"Why?"

"Hmm, Dabin."

I lowered my voice.

Sensing something, Dabin also crouched down and lowered her voice.

"Hmm...!"

"What do you think about Dayoon these days?"

"Dayoon?"

Dabin's gaze turned toward Dayoon.

'These kids often share secrets with each other.'

Maybe she knows something.

With that thought, I decided to ask, but the response I got was 'I don't know.'

"She's the same as always?"

"Really? Alright, got it."

As I ruffled her hair a bit, Dabin twitched her lips.

She acts like she doesn't care, but secretly, she loves being praised.

'At moments like these, she's still a kid....'

Pause-.

The moment that thought came to mind, I suddenly let out an exclamation as a new thought crossed my mind.

'...She's a kid.'

My gaze turned toward Dayoon.

Dayoon was still lying there absent-mindedly, scribbling on the same page.

'Dayoon is a kid too.'

I seemed to have realized something.

*

It felt so simple, it was baffling how I hadn't realized it before. The moment I understood it, I found the answer, like an epiphany.

'Dayoon is still eleven years old.'

She's now in the fourth grade of elementary school.

Except for her absurd level of intelligence, she's just an ordinary kid for her age.

I recalled a story I once heard from a friend who used to be an elementary school teacher.

-Seokho, do you know why kids do things like studying or engaging in extracurricular activities?

-Huh? Well, for studying, sure... but for extracurriculars like drawing? Music? Sports? Isn't it because they enjoy it?

-A very small minority does.

-A small minority?

-For most, it's not because they enjoy it. No, more accurately, they enjoy the rewards that come with it, rather than the activity itself.

-What rewards?

-Adult praise.

That was the gist of the story.

-When children perform an activity, most of them don't do it for personal fulfillment. They do it expecting the praise from adults that follows. In short, they seek attention by finding something they can stand out in.

Praise.

I began to think.

'Have I ever praised Dayoon?'

It wasn't that I hadn't.

But it was really just at a level of 'not completely absent.'

Even questioning why felt ridiculous.

'Because it had become so normal.'

Dayoon excelling in her studies and showing extraordinary academic achievements had become too natural for me.

Even when Dayoon mastered something new in academics, I only vaguely thought, Oh, she already got that far.

'Ah....'

I looked at Dayoon.

Dayoon was still lying there, scribbling on the same page.

-Praise is an essential element for children. At that age, no matter how enjoyable something is, if there's no motivation, they quickly lose interest. Praise gives them the drive to continue.

I carefully observed Dayoon's actions.

I tried to guess the intention behind her behavior.

Thinking back to the story I once heard and comparing it with Dayoon's current actions, one thing came to mind.

'She might be trying to say she's working hard. That she wants to express it.'

In hindsight, that seemed to be the case.

Up until now, not once had Dayoon studied alone in her room.

Even when Hyesung yelled loudly next to her, when Gihyun played music on the radio, or when Chunsik annoyed her nearby.

'...Always.'

Dayoon always studied in places where others could see her.

I hadn't noticed it.

I hadn't tried to see it.

Dayoon had always been saying.

...That she needed attention too.