I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 523 Parents meeting (17)

Drake leaned across the table dramatically, his little face scrunched with intensity. "You are sixth. That means you are above me or below me. I do not know yet. This is stressful. My whole future hangs in the balance."

Felix rubbed his temples with the weariness of someone who had seen too much chaos in too short a time. "The list is not done. And either you can rank below Luna or even lower," he said.

Boo floated upside down near Luna, hovering at an awkward angle so he could squint at her suspiciously from below. His sparkly shirt reflected light onto her face. "Did you secretly study at night when no one was watching? Did you have secret study sessions with the teacher? Did you make a deal with the exam papers?"

Luna growled lightly, a small and adorable sound that held no real threat. "I always study. Some of us take school seriously."

"That explains many things," Boo muttered darkly, still floating upside down. "That explains why you always look so tired in the morning."

"I do not look tired."

"You look like a small wolf who has seen many books and regrets nothing."

Alina watched Luna carefully. Then she added softly, her voice gentle and sincere, "You improved a lot, Luna. In the beginning, when I first started teaching you, your handwriting was almost unrecognizable. It was very big and scratchy, and I could barely read some of your words. But in this exam, it was so much better. Neat and clear and easy to follow. And you did much better than you did in the practice test I gave last month. Overall, you gave a very good performance."

Luna’s shoulders relaxed just a little at that.

Queen Serafina smiled gratefully at Alina, her elegant eyes holding real warmth and appreciation. "Thank you for guiding her. For seeing her efforts and not just her results."

Alpha Ryker gave a slow and deliberate nod. "We are proud," he said simply, and the words carried more meaning than any long speech ever could.

Luna tried very hard to maintain her fierce expression. She really did. Her small face scrunched with the effort of looking unaffected, of looking like this did not matter, of looking like she had expected this all along.

But the tiny upward curl at the corner of her lips betrayed her completely. It was small, barely there, but it was real. It was the smile of a little girl who had worked hard and been seen, who had tried her best and been recognized. And Alina noticed. She noticed and smiled a little herself, a quiet and private smile of satisfaction.

Alina glanced down once more at her list, then looked up at the little faces waiting in suspense. The paper crinkled softly in her hands as she positioned it, and she could feel the weight of all those eager eyes watching her every movement.

"Let’s move ahead," she said warmly, letting her gaze travel across the room before settling on the next name. "Seventh place is Sable."

For half a second, Sable did not move at all.

He sat there perfectly still, as if he had stopped breathing entirely. Then his big black eyes widened so much they almost sparkled in the soft classroom light. A bright and uncontrollable smile spread across his face, stretching from one small ear to the other as if someone had just told him he had discovered hidden treasure beneath his chair. His shadows rippled out with excitement, dark wisps curling happily around his small frame.

"Me?" he whispered, his voice small and full of wonder. His tiny fingers clutched Lucien’s hand instinctively, gripping it like a lifeline in a happy storm.

Lucien squeezed back immediately, his expression calm but his dark eyes carrying unmistakable pride. "Yes," he said softly, his quiet voice holding all the reassurance in the world. "You did well. I knew you would."

Sable’s fingers tightened even more around his brother’s hand, his shadows pulsing gently with warmth, as if grounding himself in the moment, making sure it was real and not some wonderful dream he might wake from. Little tendrils of shadow curled lovingly around Lucien’s wrist.

Dante leaned slightly forward from where he sat, his large and graceful hand reaching out to rest gently on Sable’s head. He gave him a light pat in a careful and tender way. His expression softened, becoming warmer and filled with pride. Sable’s shadows seemed to glow slightly at the touch.

"Well done," Dante said quietly, his deep voice carrying those two simple words like a precious gift.

Those two words were enough.

Sable practically beamed with happiness, his shadows dancing with excitement. His whole small face lit up with joy, his eyes shining bright. He sat up straighter, his little chest puffing out with pride, dark wisps swirling happily around him like a celebration.

"I am seventh!" he announced proudly, looking around at everyone as if the number itself was something magical and wonderful. "I got seventh place!"

"Yes, you are," Alina said with a warm and genuine smile that reached her eyes. "And you improved a lot during the term, Sable. I noticed how hard you worked. You did not give up even when you found something difficult. You kept trying, and that matters more than any number."

Sable nodded eagerly, his small head bobbing up and down with enthusiasm, his shadow form rippling with each movement. "I tried again and again. Sometimes I got it wrong first, but then I tried again until I got it right. Lucien helped me practice at home too. He said shadows need to learn just like everyone else."

"And that is exactly why I am proud of you," she replied, her voice soft with sincerity. "Because you kept going even when it was hard."

Boo clapped loudly from his chair, his hands making a soft sound that was somewhere between real clapping and gentle wind. "Wow! Congratulations!" he said happily, floating a little higher in celebration, his sparkly shirt catching the light. "Seventh is very good! That is almost the middle but slightly toward the top. Very respectable!"