I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 576 Free time

Then Alina smiled, breaking the moment.

"...Now go to your important council lunch," she said lightly, stepping back and letting her hand drop. "Before your 'great talents' think you abandoned them."

Dante exhaled softly, the tension easing from his shoulders.

"They would not dare," he replied, a hint of his usual composure returning.

Alina smiled.

"...Still."

He stood up slowly, pushing his chair back. As he straightened, his hand brushed against hers.

A small touch. Barely anything.

But she felt it all the way down to her toes.

He walked past her toward the door, his steps steady, his presence filling the room even as he moved away.

At the door, he paused.

His hand rested on the frame, and he looked back at her over his shoulder.

"...Lina."

She looked at him.

"Yes?"

"...Do not skip lunch."

She smiled, warmth spreading through her chest.

"I won't."

He nodded once, his eyes lingering on her for just a moment longer.

Then he left.

The door closed softly behind him, and Alina stood alone in his office.

She looked at the screen one more time.

Elder Roman was still there, still holding the child, still looking like he wasn't sure what to do with the small person in his arms.

But the boy was laughing.

And Roman was watching him. And maybe, just maybe, something was changing.

She smiled softly, then turned away.

After the elemental practice, Alina clapped her hands softly and let the class relax. The tension in the room eased immediately, children shifting from focused students back into themselves.

"Alright, free time for a while," she said warmly, watching them scatter into their own small worlds.

Kelpie and Rocky moved to the side again, carefully arranging stones and water, their heads bent close together as they discussed something in low, serious voices. Felix leaned back with his book he brought and read sleepily. Sable sat close to Lucien, whispering something while Lucien listened quietly, his small face patient and attentive as always.

Near the window, Luna and Vlad Jr. stood together.

Luna had her arms folded across her chest, but her expression was not as sharp as usual. Her usual fierce confidence had softened into something quieter, something almost vulnerable. Her eyes kept drifting toward the empty space near the window, the spot where Boo normally floated, where his soft glow would fill the corner with warmth.

"I wonder if ghosts can get sick," she said after a moment, her voice quieter than usual. She didn't look at Vlad Jr. when she spoke, her gaze still fixed on the empty space. "I'm worried about Boo."

Vlad Jr. looked thoughtful, his fingers resting lightly against his chin as he considered the question seriously. His pale brows drew together in concentration.

"I do not think ghosts can become sick in the same way," he said slowly, his voice measured and careful, like he was working through the logic of it. "Their bodies are different. They do not have lungs to cough or stomachs to ache."

Luna frowned slightly, her arms tightening across her chest.

"Then why didn't he come?"

Vlad Jr. paused. He looked at the empty space too, considering.

Then he said carefully, "Maybe he did not come because Drake is also not here."

Luna blinked, turning to look at him now. Her frown deepened.

"What does that have to do with it?"

Vlad Jr. met her eyes steadily. "He and Drake spend a lot of time together. They talk a lot all the time." He paused. "If Drake is absent, Boo may feel less interested in attending. Maybe he wanted to be where Drake was instead."

Luna looked away again. Her jaw tightened slightly.

"Still," she muttered, her voice small. "He likes coming to class."

There was a pause. Her voice dropped even quieter, almost to herself.

"He is always first to talk."

Alina, who had been standing nearby pretending to organize her materials, heard everything. Her hands stilled over the papers, and a soft smile touched her lips.

These children. They were so young, so small, and yet their hearts were so big. They noticed when someone was missing. They worried. They wondered. They cared.

She had seen so many children in her time, children who were all about playing, about themselves, about who had the biggest toy or the fastest run. They forgot faces, forgot names, forgot who was there and who wasn't.

But her students were different.

Maybe it was because they were supernatural. Their minds worked differently, their instincts deeper, their bonds stronger. They noticed things that other children wouldn't. They remembered. They felt.

Or maybe they were just special. All of them.

She stepped a little closer, her footsteps soft on the floor.

"Luna," she called gently.

Luna turned, her arms still folded, but her expression curious now. "Yes, teacher?"

Alina knelt slightly, bringing herself closer to their level. Her smile was warm, genuine.

"Boo is okay," she said warmly. "I called his guardian this morning to check."

Both Luna and Vlad Jr. immediately focused on her. Luna's arms dropped to her sides. Vlad Jr. leaned forward slightly.

"Really?" Luna asked quickly, her voice lifting.

"Really," Alina nodded. "Today is a special festival for ghosts. A celebration. Boo is there, having fun with his family. That's why he couldn't come today."

Luna's shoulders relaxed. The tension she'd been holding for the entire class finally released, and she looked younger suddenly, softer.

"Oh."

Vlad Jr. gave a small nod, his expression satisfied. "That explains his absence."

Luna tried to look casual again, tried to regain her usual sharp composure. She lifted her chin.

"He better come tomorrow," she said firmly, as if issuing a command to the universe itself.

Alina smiled, straightening up.

"I think he will," Alina said gently.

Luna nodded once, a small, firm movement.

Then, without saying anything more, she turned away as if the matter was already settled in her mind. Her chin was lifted, her expression carefully neutral, the way she always looked when she was trying very hard to pretend something didn't matter.

But there was a small shift in her steps now as she walked away from Vlad Jr. and Alina. A quiet lightness that hadn't been there before. Her tail, usually so tightly controlled, gave a small, almost happy flick behind her.

She walked toward Kelpie and Rocky, who were still busy with their little water-and-stone arrangement on the floor near the window. Kelpie's water spheres floated gently in the air, catching the afternoon light, while Rocky carefully positioned his stones beneath them, making them shimmer.

Kelpie looked up first, his round eyes blinking.

"Luna?" he asked softly, tilting his head. A small droplet of water fell from his hair and landed on the floor with a soft plink.