Chapter 195: Chapter 195 Our first trip
Alina stepped into Class D, the familiar chatter softening as the little ones noticed her.
"Good morning!" she said with a bright smile, her voice carrying the same warmth that always made the babies feel safe.
"Good morning, teacher!!" they chorused back, voices overlapping—Boo’s sing-song tone louder than everyone else’s.
Alina’s gaze moved across the room, settling for a second on Lucien. His pretty red eyes were fixed quietly on her. She softened her expression, giving him a gentle smile, and the corner of his lips twitched in the smallest response before he looked down at his desk.
Her heart felt a little lighter at that.
She placed her bag on the desk and picked up the attendance sheet. "Alright, let’s see... is everyone here today?" she asked, glancing around.
One by one, the children’s names were called, and each little voice answered back. Boo answered "Present, techaaar~!" while floating upside down. Drake puffed out his chest and shouted "Here!" so loudly that Luna growled at him to lower his voice. Vlad Jr. simply gave a curt nod, elegant even in something so small.
"Alright, before we start our class, teacher wants to announce something very important," Alina said with a mysterious smile, her eyes twinkling.
Immediately the room erupted. Boo floated up dramatically, clutching his chest. "Oh nooo, teacher is going to resign!! Boo knew it!!"
Drake gasped and slammed his chubby hands on the desk. "Teacher, you can’t! Who will survive math without you??"
Luna squinted her golden eyes suspiciously. "Are you going to give us more homework? Just say it!!"
Kelpie tilted his head, water droplets sprinkling off his hair. "Teacher... did you discover secret treasure???"
Rocky had already half-shifted into a pebble, muttering, "If it’s bad news, I’ll hide here..."
Meanwhile, Vlad Jr. simply arched a brow, clearly amused at their panic, while Sable clutched his Small notebook nervously.
Alina covered her mouth to hide a laugh, shaking her head. "No, no! Nothing like that. Teacher isn’t resigning, and no extra homework—" she paused dramatically, her eyes twinkling, "—it’s actually something good!"
The babies leaned forward together like a wave, their little eyes wide with curiosity.
"What is it??" Drake nearly toppled off his chair, wings twitching with anticipation.
"Teacher, don’t tease us!!" Boo wailed, floating upside down dramatically.
"Tell us now! Wolfies don’t like waiting!" Luna said, fists clenched.
Even Vlad Jr., calm as ever, adjusted his tie and murmured, "Please, teacher."
Alina clapped her hands, her smile widening. "Class D... is going to have a trip soon!"
The classroom erupted.
"TRIPPPP???" Drake shouted, his voice cracking, while his cheeks puffed up in excitement.
"Outside?? Really??" Boo gasped, spinning around like a spinning top.
Kelpie squealed, splashing tiny droplets on Rocky, who blinked in shock.
Sable whispered shyly, "Trip... with teacher..."
Lucien’s lips curved faintly, but his crimson eyes gleamed with joy.
Alina raised her hands, laughing at the chaos. "Yes, yes! Teacher is planning it with the principal, but we don’t know the exact day yet. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s fixed."
"Teacher! Can we not wear uniform that day??" Drake begged.
"Teacher, do we bring gifts?? Like for the trip itself??" Felix asked seriously.
"Teacher, can Boo bring banana ride??" Boo pleaded, clinging to his invisible reins.
Alina shook her head fondly. "We’ll talk about what to bring later. For now, just know it’s going to be fun and teacher will make sure everyone enjoys."
And everyone was so excited that they started talking over one another, their little voices rising in a jumble of giggles and squeals.
"I’m going to pack my pearls!"
"Banana ride is coming too!!" Boo shouted dramatically, and half the class burst into laughter.
Alina pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh herself, then clapped her hands loudly. "Alright, alright! Enough! We’ll discuss later. Right now, please pay attention to class." Her teacher voice carried through the room, and the babies, still smiling, obediently turned their eyes back to her.
The rest of the morning was spent in science and math lessons. Though they answered her questions and scribbled in their notebooks, their excitement still shimmered under the surface, like a bubbling pot ready to spill over. Alina’s heart warmed at their joy, but she also felt a tiny pang of disappointment—Boo hadn’t given her his usual gossip. Normally, he would float over with something ridiculous, whispering in her ear as though he carried the kingdom’s greatest secret, but today he was too caught up in dreams of the trip.
After lunch, Alina carried her bag to the staffroom. She settled in front of her laptop, her fingers tapping the keys as she drafted the permission letter for the trip. She worded it carefully, making sure it sounded both formal and exciting for the parents. Still, she didn’t print it—Dante hadn’t given her the final date yet.
She leaned back in her chair for a moment, letting out a quiet sigh, her lips curving into a smile. Just imagining the babies running about on an island or exploring a forest made her heart flutter. They would be overjoyed, and she... she couldn’t deny it either. She was just as excited for the trip as they were.
After the break, Alina clapped her hands gently to call everyone back to order. The babies were still buzzing with energy, whispering to each other about gifts, parties, and the mysterious "trip." She smiled softly as she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote "Our First Trip" on the board.
"Alright, little ones," she said in her calm teacher voice. "Today we’re going to talk about something very special. This trip will be our very first trip together."
The classroom went still. Wide eyes blinked up at her in excitement.
"Yes," Alina continued with a smile, "we will leave the classroom and go to a new place. We’ll explore pretty palaces, play in beautiful gardens, eat together, and learn new things. But most importantly—we will take care of each other. Because we are one class, one family."