I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

Next class was art time, but since they still had ten minutes before it started, Alina decided to give the kids another short break. The classroom slowly emptied as the little ones scattered—some heading for water, others running to see what their friends were doing.

Alina stayed behind, humming softly to herself as she crossed the room to the tall cabinet near the wall. She opened the creaky door and began rummaging through the shelves, searching for papers, boxes of colors, and a few other supplies she needed for the activity.

"Teacher!!"

The sudden voice made her jump so hard she almost dropped a pack of crayons. Out from the cabinet—literally from inside it—floated Boo, his big eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Boo!!" Alina put a hand on her chest, laughing in disbelief. "How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

Boo tilted his head and gave her his most innocent look, clasping his small ghostly hands together. "Boo is sorry," he said, and for extra effect, he grabbed his own ear like a guilty child.

Alina's lips softened into a smile despite herself. "You little troublemaker… don't do that next time."

"Can't promise!!!" Boo declared cheerfully, floating a slow loop around her. "Sneaking is my favourite habit." He stuck out his tiny pink tongue at her, clearly very proud of himself.

Alina shook her head with a helpless chuckle. "I can't do anything with you, little ghost baby."

Boo floated close, tilting sideways to peer at the shelves she was sorting through. "Teacher, what are you doing??" he asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"I'm looking for some supplies," she replied, still smiling as she tried to balance a stack of colored paper in one arm.

"Boo can help you if you ask! I know everything," Boo said with a confident little puff of his chest.

"Really?" Alina asked, raising an eyebrow in mock doubt.

"Yes! Boo Boo has explored every corner of this classroom!" Boo nodded enthusiastically, lowering his voice as if telling her a great secret. "Even the places you didn't know existed… like behind the bookshelf… under the rug… and inside the box where Vlad Jr. hides his cookie stash."

Alina gave him a look. "That's not something you're supposed to tell me."

Boo giggled and twirled mid-air. "Oops."

She sighed, amused. "Alright, since you're so experienced… Boo, where's the glue, scissors, and—"

Before she could finish, Boo zipped away, passing right through the cabinet door with a swoosh. He reappeared seconds later, balancing a glue stick on his head, scissors dangling from his little hands, and a roll of tape stuck to his tail.

"Delivery for Teacher!" Boo announced proudly.

Alina laughed, taking the items from him. "You're actually pretty useful when you want to be."

Boo grinned, clearly delighted. "Boo is always useful! Except… when Boo is scaring people. Then Boo is just having fun."

Alina shook her head again, trying not to laugh too much. "You're going to give me gray hair one day."

Boo floated closer, squinting at her hair with exaggerated seriousness. "Hmm… no gray yet. But if Boo tries harder…"

"Don't you dare," Alina said, pointing at him, but her eyes were warm with amusement.

Boo only snickered, drifting off toward the window like a little cloud of mischief, humming to himself as if he hadn't just made her nearly drop everything a minute ago.

Boo floated lazily in mid-air, chin in his little ghostly hands, watching Alina scroll through her phone while arranging the supplies on her desk. After a whole thirty seconds of this, his patience ran out. "Boo is bored," he muttered to himself, spinning slowly like a leaf in the wind.

Just then, Alina glanced up at him. "Boo, do you know where the pearls are?" she asked, as if she'd just remembered something important.

Boo's ears—perked right up. "I know! I know!" he said excitedly, shooting forward like a tiny white comet toward the big wooden cabinet.

Alina followed behind, amused by his sudden burst of energy. Boo slipped right through the cabinet door, and a moment later, the door creaked open from the inside as he floated out, proudly carrying a small cardboard box.

"Teacher, there is only one pearl!" Boo announced with dramatic seriousness, holding it out like he had just discovered a great mystery. His big eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Boo remembers seeing the principal put whole boxes of pearls in here… and now… nothing! They are all gone!"

Alina raised an eyebrow, pretending to look shocked. "Really?"

"Yes!!" Boo nodded so hard he spun in the air like a bobbing balloon.

"Maybe it's in another cabinet," Alina suggested, fighting a smile at how invested he looked.

Without another word, Boo zipped to the other side of the room, dove headfirst into another cabinet, and emerged with a much smaller box. He held it up triumphantly… though still frowning. "This is it? This tiny thing?"

"I think this will be okay," Alina said with a gentle laugh, taking it from him.

Boo floated away slowly, looking thoughtful. He kept mumbling to himself about "missing pearls" and "possible pearl thieves," clearly convinced there was an unsolved crime in the kindergarten.

By the time the babies came back from their break, Alina was ready. She clapped her hands lightly, her smile bright. "Everyone, let's make a round near the window," she said, pointing to the sunny corner where she had already spread a soft mat on the floor.

The moment she said it, they all ran over—little feet pattering against the floor, not a hint of the hesitation they'd had when she first joined the kindergarten. Seeing them gather so eagerly warmed her heart.

"So," she began, kneeling beside the mat, "since this is art class, we're going to make a beautiful craft today." She handed out papers, glue, and scissors one by one.

"And don't play with the scissors—they're sharp," she added in her firm-but-kind voice.

Sable, who had been twirling his scissors absentmindedly like they were part of some shadow magic trick, froze immediately and put them down with a stiff little nod, his big eyes darting guiltily toward her.

Boo, still floating at her side, whispered, "Boo thinks Sable was going to cut his own shadow."

Alina bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Let's just stick to paper, okay?" she said warmly, glancing at the group as they started shuffling their supplies around, ready for the fun to begin.