I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 367 Babies worry (1)

Alina stepped out of the staffroom with her bag, her heart already warming at the thought of seeing her babies again. Just one day away from them felt strangely long, and she was curious. If she told them how close their exam was, would they panic about the exams, or would they debate loudly like always? Knowing them, probably both.

She was halfway down the hall when a familiar, deep voice called from behind her.

"Miss Alina."

Her heart jumped. It didn’t skip, it leaped straight into her throat. She turned around quickly, and there he was, walking toward her with long strides.

"Sir..." she breathed softly. Butterflies started fluttering wildly in her tummy again.

Dante stopped in front of her, close enough for her to catch the faint masculine and cool scent that always clung to him. "Good morning," he said, his voice deep and warm.

Alina nodded quickly, maybe too quickly. "Good morning," she replied, her cheeks already heating up. She felt so embarrassingly aware of everything, her heartbeat, her breathing, the way her palms suddenly felt warmer. She looked at him, then looked away, then looked back again, helplessly flustered.

Dante noticed. Oh, he noticed everything.

His eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of something like amusement and excitement passing through them. He had seen confidence in her, her nervousness for her job, gentleness in her, worry in her, but this shy, pink-cheeked version of Alina was something entirely new, and it caught him.

She cleared her throat and tried to sound normal. "Sir, you called me?"

She regretted the question immediately because her voice came out breathless, and her gaze kept wandering, first to his face, then his attire, then the way his sleeves were rolled back to his forearms. Her mind was scolding her loudly, Stop staring! but her heart did not listen. Her body acted on its own, reacting to him in ways she wasn’t prepared for.

Dante blinked once, trying to think of a reason. The truth was simple, he had called her because he wanted to talk to her, see her, be near her again so soon after yesterday. But he wasn’t going to say that.

"I..." he began, then looked away for half a second. "I wanted to check the attendance sheet. For your class." He said it quicker than usual, as if throwing the excuse out before he could rethink it.

Alina nodded immediately. "Oh, sure, sure! I’ll submit it to you before I take my leave today. Absolutely."

"Good," Dante said, but the faint warmth in his eyes gave away the truth. That sheet had been the smallest part of why he stopped her.

Alina smiled, nervous but sweet. "Then... I’ll leave for class now."

Dante gave a small nod.

She stepped past him, her long hair brushing lightly over her shoulder, and he watched her walk down the hallway.

And as soon as she turned the corner—finally out of sight—Dante exhaled slowly, the smallest smile curving at the edge of his lips.

She was flustered because of him.

He could tell.

And he liked it far more than he should.

Meanwhile, Alina entered the classroom with her usual bright smile, ready to see her babies after one day of leave. She expected chatter and the usual chaos.

Instead... she walked into a funeral.

The entire class sat in perfect silence, stiff, gloomy, and looking ten years older from stress. It was like someone had sucked the joy out of the classroom and replaced it with pure exam trauma.

"Good morning!" Alina chirped.

"G-o-o-d... m-o-r-n-i-n-g..." the babies replied in the most depressed chorus imaginable.

Alina frowned. "What’s wrong with all of you? Did someone scold you? Did you fight? Are you sick?"

Drake immediately raised his chubby hand like someone reporting a murder. "Teacher... is it true? The exam is coming??"

Alina blinked. "Well... yes, in around two weeks—"

A loud collective gasp filled the room.

"Teacher!" Drake wailed, chewing his finger like it was a snack. "Exams! The evil pages! The terrible questions! The WRITING!"

Boo zoomed forward dramatically. "Teacher, listen to me—Boo KNOWS what exam is. Boo faced your tests before. Boo survived ONE paper. ONE." He shook his tiny ghost body violently. "Do you know what that exam asked me?? My NAME. Teacher. MY NAME. And I forgot it."

The class stared at him in horror.

"I wrote ’Booooo—maybe’!" Boo cried. "Maybe!"

Alina choked on her own laughter.

"That is not even the worst part," Boo continued, holding his head as if reliving trauma. "My elder saw the exam notice yesterday. He wants me to study. Study! He spent the whole day saying, ’Boo, read read read book.’ But Boo does NOT read book. Boo reads picture!"

He threw himself on the floor dramatically, fainting mid-air before dropping like a sad dumpling.

Luna raised her hand next. "Teacher... can I eat the exam paper?"

"No!" Alina said instantly.

Luna snarled. "Okay but if it attacks first, I bite."

Rocky hugged his bag tightly. "Teacher... exam will ask us scary questions, won’t it? Like... numbers you ask in test?"

Felix’s tails curled around him like a soft shield. "Teacher... if I cry during exam... will they take marks away?"

"No, sweetheart."

"Good. Then I will cry a little."

Even Vlad Jr., the prince of dignity, sat with his arms folded, eyes narrowed.

"Teacher Alina," he said gravely, "we have all fought our own battles. Fought monsters, climbed mountains, faced shadows." He sighed deeply. "But exam... exam is the true villain." Because he had to maintain his family image. What if he failed to impress his father? Such worry.

The whole class nodded with deep agreement.

Felix whispered, "Teacher... exam has too many pages. Pages scare me."

Drake whimpered, "Teacher... exam has questions. Drake hates questions."

Boo floated up again, eyes wide with existential fear. "Teacher... Boo heard exam has TIME LIMIT."

The class gasped.

"Time limit???" "Teacher, why time limit??" "Why can’t we think slowly??" "I think very slowly!" "Me too!!"

Alina rubbed her forehead, torn between pity and uncontrollable laughter.

"You all know what exams are. They are just like tests but with more questions," she said. "It’s not new."