Chapter 21: A Day in Someone Else's Shoes

Journal Entry 4

Today was weird. I thought I'd just be going to school, teaching those annoying kids as usual, but the moment I stepped in, I could tell something was off.

Apparently, the principal had organized some ridiculous new program called "Bring Your Student Home Day." Yeah, it sounds just as stupid as it is.

They spent three hours trying to convince the parents it was a great idea. Something about "strengthening teacher-student bonds" and "inspiring kids by showing them what a quality education can achieve."

Yeah, right. The only thing quality here is the extra fee the school is charging for this nonsense—way more than they ever charged for excursions. If I had to guess, this was just another excuse to squeeze more cash out of parents.

Still, I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't about to become the twenty-second teacher fired this year.

The school had a habit of "letting go" of staff who didn't cooperate. And by cooperate, I mean shut up and do as they're told.

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"Mark!"

A familiar voice rang out in the hallway, steady and rough around the edges.

I turned to see Tim, one of my colleagues. Poor guy had it worse than me—he taught preschoolers. I could already imagine the hell he was going through.

"How do you feel about today's... change of plans?" he asked, stepping closer.

"Not thrilled, that's for sure," I sighed.

Tim chuckled. "Well, I gotta get home and prepare for my long-awaited, absolutely thrilling visit—because, you know, nothing screams relaxing evening like hosting a bunch of kids I didn't actually invite."

I smirked. "Yeah, sounds amazing. Have fun."

Tim laughed and walked off, leaving me to deal with my own mess.

The school gave us a little time to get our houses in order before the students arrived. I wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

When I got home, I took one look at my apartment and groaned. It was a disaster.

"It's all for the cash... it's all for the cash..." I muttered like a mantra, reminding myself why I was putting up with this. My salary was a solid ninety-five thousand, and I wasn't about to risk that.

After cleaning up, I arranged thirteen chairs in the living room for the students and one in the middle for me.

My place was pretty simple—plain walls, tiled floors, a small sofa facing an old TV, a coffee table in the center. Nothing fancy, but neat enough. There was a dining table on the side where I set out some basic snacks: grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, udon, and gimbap.

Just as I finished setting up—

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang.

I smirked, knowing exactly what that meant. My apartment was on the 10th floor of a 12-story building. That meant whoever was at the door had just climbed a lot of stairs.

They probably would've barged in if not for the pin-lock.

:Serves them right,' I thought, walking over.

"Coming!" I called out, trying to sound cheerful.

As I passed by a cupboard, I glanced at my sledgehammer inside. My dad was a carpenter, and he left a lot of tools at my place. I made a mental note to move them somewhere safer before the kids got curious.

Opening the door, I was greeted by a sweaty, out-of-breath Mr. Zoom—the school bus driver. Not his real name, of course, but that's what everyone called him because of how fast he drove. At this point, I doubted anyone even remembered his actual name.

Behind him, my students were just as drenched in sweat.

'Now you know what I go through every day,' I thought with a smile.

"Sorry, I was doing some last-minute redecorating," I said, keeping my tone polite.

"No problem," Mr. Zoom replied. "I brought some boxes of food and water for y'all. It's quite a lot, so you might want to store the extra for later."

For later? Oh, hell no. If there was ever a next time, this school would be hearing from me.

The students helped carry the supplies inside.

Now, I was stuck in my own home with kids I didn't even like that much. I had no idea where to start.

HYAAAAAAAAAHHH!!

As I wanted to start a introduction a sudden scream made my blood run cold.

Lily—a shy, timid girl in my class—was standing frozen on the balcony, staring at something below.

I walked over, my heart already sinking.

And then—I saw it.

My breath hitched.

Down in the streets, people were attacking each other.

No—eating each other.

They lunged at random strangers, sinking their teeth into arms, legs, chests—anything they could grab.

In seconds, the once-busy street turned into a blood-soaked nightmare.

I stumbled back, barely able to process what I was seeing.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

A heavy banging sounded at the door.

Something was trying to get in.

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**MISSION BEGIN**

**MAIN QUEST: SURVIVE 3 WEEKS WHILE KEEPING IN MIND INITIAL QUEST**

**TIME LEFT: 20 days: 23 hrs: 59 min: 59 sec**