I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 524 Parents meeting (18)

Drake thumped the table lightly in approval, his small dragon tail wagging behind him. "Good job, Sable! Seventh is lucky! Some people think seven is lucky, so you are lucky now!"

Luna gave a firm and approving nod, her golden-brown eyes warm despite her fierce expression. "You worked hard. I saw you muttering some science questions alone and counting for math with your fingers. You deserved this."

Felix allowed a small approving glance to cross his usually neutral face. "I am happy for you. You are always very focused in each class, even in math."

Kelpie beamed brightly, his gills fluttering with happiness for his friend. "We are all in the top ten! Everyone in our class is in the top ten! That means we are all smart! Even the shadows are smart!"

Sable looked around at all of them, his eyes glinting with happiness and emotion.

He leaned slightly toward Lucien again and whispered, his voice so small only his brother could hear, "I’m happy."

Lucien’s lips curved gently, a rare and beautiful smile that transformed his usually serious face. "I know," he whispered back, squeezing his brother’s hand once more. "Me too. I am proud of you."

Sable’s shadows seemed to melt happily against his brother, dark wisps curling contentedly around Lucien’s arm like a warm embrace.

Alina watched the interaction with warmth spreading through her chest like sunlight through a window. These small moments, these tiny exchanges of love and support between the babies, were another reason she loved teaching. Not the exams or the rankings or the formal assessments, but this.

Alina then looked down at the list in her hands again, lifted her eyes from the paper, and looked at the two remaining faces staring at her with dramatic intensity. The suspense in the room had built to almost unbearable levels, and these two were absolutely feeding into it with their expressions of exaggerated anticipation.

"Okay," she said slowly, deliberately stretching the suspense like taffy. "So eighth place is..."

Drake leaned so far forward that his chair creaked dangerously, his small claws gripping the edge of the table. His tail was frozen mid-swish, waiting.

Boo floated higher, his hands clasped under his chin like he was about to receive divine prophecy from the heavens themselves. His sparkly shirt reflected little lights across the ceiling.

"...Boo and Drake," she finished calmly. "Both of you have the same total score."

There was half a second of stunned silence.

Then—

"Yay!" Drake shouted, punching both fists into the air like he had just won a championship tournament. His tail swished wildly behind him, knocking lightly against his mother’s chair with happy thumps. "We tied! We are equal power! Equal rank! Equal kings!"

Boo gasped dramatically, his whole body freezing in place.

"Equal?" he repeated, turning slowly toward Drake with wide eyes.

Drake turned toward him at the exact same speed, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Their eyes locked.

Then both of them grinned.

"I am eighth king!" Boo declared proudly, pointing at himself.

"We are eighth kings," Drake corrected immediately, gesturing between them.

"Yes," Boo nodded wisely, his expression becoming thoughtful. "Dual monarchy. Co-rulers. Partners in eighth-ness."

Several parents burst into laughter at that unexpected declaration.

Pyrra covered her mouth with both hands, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Alpha Ryker let out a quiet amused hum, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Lady Maris smiled warmly, her aquatic eyes gentle. Even Count Vladimir’s composed expression cracked ever so slightly, his lips twitching upward.

Boo suddenly noticed everyone looking at him, all those adult eyes focused on his small floating form.

Instantly, his dramatic confidence collapsed into shy embarrassment. He floated lower, sinking in the air until he was barely above his chair, and hid half his face behind his hands. "Stop looking," he muttered, his tail curling around himself protectively. "This is a humble moment. I am being humble now. Look away."

Drake, meanwhile, was still celebrating like he had personally secured world peace. He pumped his fist again, his tail wagging furiously. "Teacher! That means I did not lose! I did not lose to anyone! I tied!"

"You also did not win," Felix said calmly from his seat, his red eyes flat.

Drake paused mid-celebration, his arm frozen in the air. He considered this for a moment. "Details," he finally said, waving his hand dismissively. "Small details. Unimportant."

Alina shook her head, trying very hard to maintain her serious teacher face, but her eyes were sparkling with amusement she could not hide. Her lips kept twitching upward no matter how hard she pressed them together.

"You both did well," she said warmly, her voice genuine. "And you both improved in different areas. I saw real progress from both of you."

Boo peeked out from behind his hands, one silver eye visible. "Which area did I improve most?" he asked hopefully.

"Self-control," she answered instantly, without hesitation.

The room exploded with laughter.

Drake slapped the table so hard his paper jumped. "That is the biggest lie of the whole year! The biggest lie in history! Boo does not have self-control!"

Boo gasped in betrayal, dropping his hands completely, his face a picture of wounded dignity. "Teacher! How could you say such a thing? I have excellent self-control! I am the most controlled ghost in the entire tower!"

She held up her hand gently, quieting the chaos with a small gesture. "And," she added smoothly, "focus during lessons. You stayed in your seat for almost the entire math lesson last week."

Boo straightened proudly, his embarrassment forgotten. "Yes. That is true. I was very focused. I did not even float away once."

Drake crossed his arms smugly, his small chest puffing out. "And I improved in everything. Reading, writing, counting, snack-time efficiency."

"In leaving questions blank," Luna muttered under her breath, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"Strategic skipping," Drake corrected again, pointing at her. "It is called strategic skipping. You save time for the questions you know."

Alina finally let herself laugh softly, the tension completely gone now, replaced by warm affection for these ridiculously cute children.