I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 586 Disgrace

"Yes, Boo?"

He floated closer, his translucent form catching the light from the window, his cap shimmering faintly.

"Boo missed you," he said honestly, his voice lacking its usual performance. "Boo missed teacher. And Boo is sorry he forgot to tell you about leave. The elders forgot to send message. Very irresponsible of them. Very unprofessional."

Alina’s smile softened, warmth spreading through her chest.

"It’s okay, Boo," she said gently. "I understand. You are a very regular student. One day’s leave doesn’t affect you at all."

She laughed lightly, the sound bright in the quiet classroom.

Boo nodded proudly at that, his chest puffing out, clearly pleased with this assessment.

"Yes. I am very responsible. Very reliable. Very consistent attendance record."

Alina tilted her head, amused. "You have been here every day except yesterday."

"Exactly," Boo said seriously. "Excellent record."

Then he leaned a little closer, his eyes narrowing mysteriously, his voice dropping to the conspiratorial whisper he usually reserved for the most important gossip.

"Teacher," he whispered dramatically, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening, "I think ghost tower sponsor loves me."

Alina blinked.

Her hands stilled on her desk.

"...What?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a quiet alertness rising behind her calm expression.

She did not fully understand Sir Santo yet. The angel priest who had appeared at the parents meeting, who had claimed to be Boo’s sponsor, who had looked at the chaotic little ghost with something that might have been patience or might have been something else entirely. She had not forgotten Gabriel’s words, the confusion in his voice, the way he had said Sir Santo doesn’t attend small gatherings.

And now Boo was saying—

She stayed calm. Her face remained gentle. But her attention sharpened.

Boo, meanwhile, looked very happy with himself. He was floating in a small circle, his cap spinning slightly with him, his grin wide and unselfconscious.

"Hehe," he giggled. "I overheard him talking to someone."

Alina raised an eyebrow, keeping her voice light.

"And?"

"He said he didn’t have time for them," Boo continued, nodding seriously, his expression solemn. "And his tone was not good. Very cold. Very sharp. The kind of cold that makes people shrink."

Alina listened carefully, filing away every detail.

"But," Boo added, floating higher with the memory, "when I asked him to play with me, he played with me. He didn’t say no. He didn’t say he was busy. He just played."

He paused for dramatic effect.

Alina waited.

"And sometimes," Boo continued, his voice softening a little, drifting into something less performative, "I noticed he looks at me with unknown emotions."

He placed a hand on his chest, over where his heart would be if he had one.

"...And love."

Alina froze for a second.

Her breath caught, just slightly.

"...Really?" she asked carefully, her voice measured.

Boo nodded rapidly, his cap wobbling.

"Yes! Very real! I can tell. I am expert at emotions. Very observant ghost."

Alina leaned back slightly in her chair, watching him, her thoughts moving quietly behind her calm face.

"Boo," she said gently, "what do you think about Sir Santo? Not what he does. What you think. How you feel."

Boo didn’t hesitate even a second.

His answer came immediately, bright and certain.

"Sir Santo is cool sponsor," he said happily, his whole form seeming to glow with the words. "He is very tall. Very quiet. Very serious. But he is not scary. Not to me. He is..."

He paused, searching for the word.

"...Nice. He is nice."

Alina listened quietly.

"And he visits me whenever he has time," Boo continued, counting on his fingers now. "He comes to the tower. He sits with me. He listens to my stories. He does not interrupt. He does not say they are long. He just listens."

Alina’s expression softened.

"And every time he comes," Boo continued, his fingers still counting, "he brings me toys. Very good toys. Not boring toys. Good toys. The kind that move. The kind that make sounds. The kind that are interesting."

Alina blinked once.

"...Toys?" she repeated, something in her voice shifting.

"Yes," Boo nodded proudly, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "Many toys. Very good toys."

He floated in a small circle, clearly enjoying the memory, his tail swishing happily.

"He brought me a ghost ball once. It floats! Like me! Very exciting."

Alina smiled, but her mind was turning.

"And sometimes," Boo added casually, his voice dropping again, "he sleeps with me."

Alina startled slightly.

Her hands gripped the edge of her desk.

"...What?" she asked, her voice careful.

Boo nodded like it was completely normal, like she had asked about the weather.

"Yes. He sleeps."

Alina stared at him.

"When he comes to the tower," Boo explained, "and it is late, and the elders are busy, and I am tired, he stays. He sits with me. And then he sleeps."

He said it like it was obvious.

Alina’s heart did something complicated.

"And one time," Boo continued without pause, his voice shifting again, growing softer, "he had a nightmare."

There was a small silence.

Alina’s expression changed, the careful alertness giving way to something complicated.

"...A nightmare?" she asked quietly.

"Yes."

Boo crossed his arms, his expression turning dramatic again.

"And I had to comfort him."

He sighed theatrically.

"Which was a disgrace to me as a ghost."

Alina almost laughed.

"...Why?" she asked, her voice warm.

"Because ghosts are supposed to be nightmares," Boo said seriously, his face solemn. "Ghosts are supposed to haunt. Ghosts are supposed to scare. We are not supposed to fix nightmares. We are supposed to make them."

He shook his head, his cap wobbling.

"Very unprofessional. Very disappointing for my ghost reputation."

Alina covered her mouth slightly, trying not to smile, her earlier suspicion easing into something warmer.

"...That is true," she said, playing along. "Ghosts have standards."

Boo nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Exactly! Standards!"

Then his voice softened again.

"But after that," he said quietly, the drama fading, "he hugged me very tightly."

Alina stilled.

"And didn’t let go for a long time."

There was no drama in his tone now.

"...I see," Alina said softly.

Boo sighed again, floating slowly, his cap catching the light.

"...Very emotional moment," he said. "Very heavy. Very adult."

Alina looked at him carefully.

There was something there. Something deeper than Boo’s usual exaggeration. Something that didn’t need to be said in words.

"...And how did you feel?" she asked gently.