Episode: 27
As soon as the announcement ended, a new spark of hope appeared in the hearts of everyone who had remained unaffected by the virus.
On the top floor, among the survivors was a chubby boy dressed in a Joker costume. Along with him were the P.E. teacher and the basketball team's coach. The coach was still wearing his uniform—a light blue and white shirt paired with light blue pants.
Among everyone gathered in the drama club room, he was the oldest. He was around thirty years old, yet he looked remarkably handsome and fit. His well-defined muscles were visible beneath his tight shirt, making him appear even more charismatic. His black curly hair fell loosely across his forehead, and his wheat-colored complexion suited him perfectly.
As soon as the announcement ended, all the students turned their attention toward him. As a teacher, he had naturally become their guardian in this desperate situation.
Noticing their anxious faces, he smiled warmly and spoke in a cheerful tone, hoping to ease their fears.
"First of all, I'd like to say hi to all of you. As you already know, my name is Mr. Smith, and I'm your P.E. teacher. From now on, it's my responsibility to get the three of you to safety."
The three students stared at him in confusion.
Seeing their reactions, Mr. Smith quickly laughed and corrected himself.
"Whoa, don't get the wrong idea. What I mean is that it's my responsibility to get all of you safely to the second floor before 9:00 PM. And for that, we'll need to start preparing right now."
He then continued with a smile.
"But before that, let's introduce ourselves properly. With everything that's happened today, we never even got the chance to learn each other's names. I've already introduced myself, and most of you probably know me already. Now come on, one by one, tell us who you are."
With that, Mr. Smith sat down on a table beside him, a gentle smile still on his face as he looked at the students.
The chubby boy stepped forward first.
"Hi, my name is John. But you can call me Johnny."
Mr. Smith immediately responded in a playful tone.
"Why should we call you Johnny when your parents named you John?"
Unfortunately, the joke had the opposite effect.
John's expression darkened, and in a trembling voice, he replied,
"Because my mom and dad always called me Johnny..."
The moment those words left his mouth, tears began streaming down his cheeks.
Mr. Smith instantly regretted his joke. He stood up and walked over to the boy.
"Hey, buddy, why are you crying? I'm sure they're okay."
Then, trying to lighten the mood, he added with a small grin,
"Besides, I had no idea your heart was the complete opposite of your body."
The other two students gave him confused looks, forcing him to quickly explain himself.
"Hey, that's not what I meant! I mean, you're such a big, tough-looking guy that I didn't expect you to be this sensitive. Otherwise, I never would've said that."
A faint smile appeared on John's face, though tears were still rolling down his cheeks.
Mr. Smith gently patted his stomach and said,
"Alright, that's enough. Pull yourself together. If you want to see your parents again, then you need to get ready for tonight's mission."
The three students immediately looked at him.
"Mission?" they asked together.
A spark of excitement appeared in Mr. Smith's eyes as he dramatically raised a hand and declared,
"Mission: Second Floor!"