<Chapter 12>

‘Huh? Me?’

I blinked at Ardishu, as if silently asking for an explanation.

“You said you were strong, but you still got hurt.”

I found myself at a loss for words. It wasn’t a lie. I am pretty sturdy. The problem is, rocks are sturdier than humans.

“Well, you see…”

“That’s why you need to drink the elixir. Then I’ll forgive you.”

Ardishu pulled a pretty little bottle from her pocket. Her tone was firmer than usual, and it was clear she wasn’t backing down.

“Alright.”

“You have to drink it in front of me.”

“Okay. I’ll drink it now.”

I unscrewed the cap and gulped down the elixir. The bitterness was so intense, I thought my tongue had gone numb.

‘Whoa?’

They say medicine that’s good for you tastes bad, and they weren’t wrong. The pain vanished, and my leg felt so light, I could walk without crutches.

“Thank you, my little lucky charm.”

“Don’t get hurt again, okay?”

“I’ll be careful. Let’s pinky promise.”

“No take-backs.”

Ardishu hooked her other pinky as well, sealing the deal with double determination.

“Shall we head back now?”

She nodded. We held hands tightly, swinging them up and down excitedly as we walked.

“Um, I want to have dinner and sleep with you tonight, Teacher! And I want you to read me a bedtime story!”

“I’d love that too. It’d be so nice to have a little sister like you.”

“Really?”

I just laughed it off casually.

Half of that was true.

But I didn’t mean it as, I want to become part of your family.

That lighthearted remark ended up planting a seed of misunderstanding… one that would sprout later on.

‘But…’

I kept sensing something odd. Like someone had their eyes on me.

Was Paul still lurking around somewhere?

“Teacher?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a second.”

Right now, Ardishu’s ride home was the priority. I quickly got things ready and helped her onto the bus.

I waved both arms toward the departing vehicle.

Another peaceful day was coming to a close.

* * *

The kids were gone, so that means… time to go home!

…Or not.

A teacher’s real work begins after the children leave.

I was huddled in the teacher’s office with Jiho and Youngja-unnie, all of us working busily with our hands. We were making learning materials to fill the empty classroom.

‘Thank goodness I dimension-traveled with the craft supply box.’

There weren’t any stationery shops in this world, so we’d have been in trouble otherwise.

There was still a mountain of things to make, so as I cut a long strip of felt, I debated where to start.

These were developmental tools to help with fine motor skills, and I had to prepare different sets for Ardishu and Paul.

‘They’re at totally different levels, unfortunately.’

Ardishu could handle weaving long strips of colored paper through holes in the felt. Paul, on the other hand, was still threading thick yarn through chunky beads.

“I’m really craving coffee. Sweet instant coffee.”

Ugh. I slumped down mid-cutting, feeling the crash from sugar withdrawal.

“No wonder something felt off. There’s no coffee. Why isn’t there any coffee here?”

Youngja-unnie grumbled in agreement. Instant coffee is practically the soul food of Koreans.

“There used to be some, I heard? But when humans went extinct, coffee culture vanished with them,” Jiho said while sketching out bead-threading pattern cards.

“That’s right. These days, coffee beans are only used as exotic scents for air fresheners,” I chimed in.

“Huh? How do you two know all this stuff?”

Unnie’s eyes went wide. Apparently this was news to her.

“The Queen of the Fairies came and gave us a lecture, remember? That’s when I learned it, Unnie.”

“Oh… I dozed off during that.”

Youngja-unnie just shrugged.

“Wait, if we had coffee beans, couldn’t we just make coffee?”

I looked at Jiho with hopeful eyes. Maybe the protagonist of a cooking story could whip some up for us!

Isekai-style coffee with loads of creamer and sugar… That could really catch on!

“Kimbap Nation doesn’t sell coffee.”

“Chef, have you considered pioneering a new category?”

“Nope. Can’t do it.”

His firm refusal made me sigh.

“Then what about makgeolli? We’ve got plenty of grains here.”

Youngja-unnie suddenly chimed in.

“You guys do know I specialize in kimbap, right?” Jiho looked scandalized.

Unnie kept going, listing drinks like Zero Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Welch’s.

With all of us chatting away, the work got done in no time.

“Let’s go home, finally!”

“You two go ahead. I’ll just finish a little more before heading out.”

I saw them off at the entrance.

“Aw, our Teacher Sora works so hard. Don’t overdo it, alright?”

“I figured you’d stay late, so I roasted some potatoes. Eat them for dinner.”

“Yessir. Thanks so much for your help today!”

Once they left, silence fell over the daycare center. Outside, the sky was gradually darkening.

‘I just need to finish this height chart and I’m out.’

I gathered the materials and headed to the classroom.

‘Wait, did I leave the light on earlier?’

I tilted my head, puzzled, and opened the door.

“…Huh?”

Someone was there.

A man dressed in a crisp uniform, with obsidian-black hair like polished onyx.

My eyes were drawn to his thick neck, broad shoulders, and the wrist slightly visible beneath his sleeve.

“You’re late. I’ve been waiting.”

As he turned his head, our eyes met. Beneath neatly arranged lashes, violet irises gleamed like amethysts.

‘Oh…’

A sigh slipped through my lips.

His refined features looked like a sculpture carved by a master craftsman, or maybe even a god.

An undeniably stunning man… but the sharpness of his eyes gave off a dangerous, prickly vibe.

“Wh-who are you?”

I snapped into alert mode, realizing I shouldn’t be dazzled by appearances. This was an emergency. A stranger had broken into the daycare!

“You may call me Lian.”

There was something oddly familiar about his voice, though it carried an air of arrogance.

I felt like I was facing a boss from ten levels above me. My mouth went dry.

“Right. I’m Yoon Sora, the teacher here. May I ask why you’ve come?”

“I’m here to help. You all must find this place unfamiliar.”

“I see. And may I ask who sent you?”

Just saying he came to help wasn’t enough to make me trust him. Letting an adult into a daycare requires caution.

“The Dragon Lord sent me.”

“Oh, the black dragon!”

My guard immediately dropped. He had been kind to me, so I could shamelessly boss around… or, well, ask for help from his subordinate.

‘Perfect timing. I’ve been short on manpower.’

Even my once-abundant supply box was running low.

But now I wondered…

‘What race is Lian, exactly?’

His ears were perfectly human, which meant he wasn’t an elf or a vampire.

He was tall, so not a fairy. He had legs, so not a merman. And if he were a dragon like Paul, he’d have a swaying tail… but no, nothing there.

“Is something wrong?”

Lian asked. He must’ve noticed me glancing at his backside. I panicked and blurted out an excuse.

“Oh, I was just checking… if you had a tail.”

“A tail?”

“Um… are you human, Mr. Lian?”

His whole vibe didn’t feel human, but since this was another world, who knows?

Humans were said to be extinct, but having one or two survivors still technically meant extinction.

“……”

Lian didn’t answer right away. He just blinked slowly.

So… not human?

‘Wait. He does look familiar…’

I was about to ask if we’d met before when Lian gave a slow nod.

‘Whoa. The last surviving human? He sounds like a fantasy protagonist!’

Even just the concept made my heart race. The lone survivor finds another of his kind in another world? That’s a movie plot right there.

“Mr. Lian, you should take on the role of the daycare director.”

“What’s a director?”

“Basically, the head teacher. That kind of thing.”

“Understood.”

Lian nodded without complaint. I felt relieved knowing someone above me was in charge.

“You can use the inner room of the office as the director’s room.”

“Will do.”

“I’ll leave supply orders to you. We’re short on toys and crafting materials for the kids.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“And we’d like to go on a field trip soon. Could you recommend a place? Somewhere that’s also educational, if possible.”

I got a little too excited and rambled.

Maybe I overdid it? Lian stared at me in silence, the corners of his lips twitching up slightly.

Feeling self-conscious, I hesitated. But I still had one more very important question.

“Um…”

“Speak.”

“Would you like to have some potatoes with me?”

* * *

The rich scent of butter filled the air as the potato melted softly in my mouth.

Even cold, the crumbly texture was addictive. I couldn’t stop reaching for more.

“Does it suit your taste?”

“It’s not bad.”

Sitting side by side, a faint woody scent from Lian drifted over to me.

I snuck a glance at him as he ate the potato. Somehow, even this simple rest-stop snack looked like gourmet fare in his hands.

And this was a child-sized table, no less.

“So, what kind of educational institutions exist here? I noticed neither Ardishu nor Paul seemed to have attended daycare before.”

Now was my chance to ask all the questions that had been piling up. There hadn’t been anyone I could talk to until now.

“It varies by race. Most receive basic education at home. Fairies, for instance, are taught directly by their queen.”

“So that’s why help was sent to the Human Special Autonomous District.”

“Correct. Selena volunteered herself.”

I nodded, soaking in everything Lian said. Sounds like homeschooling was the norm here.

“Still, it’s interesting that the concept of a ‘teacher’ exists at all.”

“A hundred years ago, humans made up half this continent. No other race could remain ignorant of their culture.”

His voice grew heavy, like he was recalling an irreversible past.

“I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this but…”

I carefully began.

Everyone spoke so casually about the extinction of humans, but no one had ever told me how it happened.

“If you’re going to ask, just ask. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Okay. So… how did the humans here disappear?”

I went straight to the point, just as he requested. Lian lowered his gaze, a contemplative look on his face.

“Because of greed. Humans always wanted more than they should have.”
 

<To be continued>

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