Chapter 245: Chapter 245 Cheque
There was a brief silence before his deep voice carried through the door. "Come in."
Alina pushed the door open, her lips curving into a polite smile. Dante was seated at his desk, his tall frame bent slightly over some papers. The moment his crimson eyes lifted to her, something sharp flickered in them, though his expression remained calm.
"Sir..." she greeted softly as she walked toward his desk, her steps careful, almost hesitant. "You called me?"
Dante leaned back in his chair, watching her with unreadable eyes. "Did you forget something?" he asked.
Alina blinked, puzzled. "Forget...?"
Before she could ask, he slid something across the desk toward her. She lowered her gaze, and her breath caught when she realized what it was. A cheque.
Her eyes widened. "This is—"
"I was supposed to give it to you after classes ended," Dante said evenly, his tone carrying that rare softness he reserved only for her. "But I will not be available later today. And I admit, I don’t know much about how humans prefer to receive their salaries. So I asked my shadows to prepare this."
Alina stared down at the cheque, stunned. The amount written there was far higher than anything she had expected for any kindergarten job. Her fingers trembled slightly as she held it, and a rush of warmth rose to her eyes. "Thank you, sir... thank you so much," she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. She almost wanted to cry.
Back then, when she first saw the offer, she had thought it unusual. What kind of kindergarten even offered accommodation and such pay? But now, standing here with the cheque in her hands, it felt real. And it felt life-changing.
Dante studied her closely, his crimson eyes calm but piercing. "Do you know?" he asked again.
Alina looked up, confused. "Know what?"
His lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "For this job, only one flyer was ever made. Just one. And it found you." His voice lowered, deep and mysterious. "I’m glad it did."
Her heart skipped, then tightened. So she had been the only one chosen? Out of the whole world, it had been her? The thought sent a shiver through her, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.
"Thank you," she said again, her words tumbling over themselves. "Truly... thank you."
He did not reply, but his gaze lingered on her a moment longer, as if silently saying more than his lips ever would.
Alina excused herself quickly before her emotions spilled over. She walked to the staffroom, which was empty at this hour, and carefully placed the cheque inside her folder in her bag. Her fingers brushed the paper one more time before she closed it, her eyes shining.
Her heart was still racing, her mind repeating the words he had said. Only one flyer... and it found you.
She smiled faintly to herself. For the first time in a long while, she felt chosen.
After that she went to the classroom.
Alina clapped her hands together. "Alright, math time!"
The moment the words left her mouth, the entire classroom groaned as if she had just announced the end of snack time forever.
"Teacher..." Boo whined dramatically, flopping sideways in midair as though struck down by invisible lightning. "Math is evil! Boo doesn’t like numbers!"
Alina raised her brows, hiding her smile. "Too bad. Today, we’re writing problems on the board, and each one of you will come solve them. I’ll call your name at random." Her tone was fierce, though her eyes sparkled mischievously.
The babies all froze, their eyes widening in horror. A collective gasp went around the room, followed by chaos.
Drake immediately ducked under his desk, hiding like a soldier in a foxhole. "If she can’t see me, she can’t call me!" he whispered loudly to himself, tail poking out.
Rocky squeaked and slowly slid sideways until he tipped onto the floor, curling into a ball of stone in the corner. "Safe. Rock form safe. Rock form no math."
Kelpie slapped both hands over his face dramatically. "Nooo! Teacher wants to drown us in numbers! Water can’t mix with numbers!" He splashed a puddle on his desk for extra effect.
Vlad Jr. pinched the bridge of his nose like a tiny noble who had lost patience with life. "How dreadfully barbaric. Forcing princes to solve... multiplication." He shuddered as if the very word was poisonous.
Luna crossed her arms, golden eyes flashing. "I’m not scared. I just think tests are unfair. Wolves don’t need math, we need claws and teeth!"
"Then you should be first," Alina teased.
Luna’s ears shot back. "N-No, wait, I didn’t mean—"
Alina chuckled and turned to the board, writing neat subtraction, multiplication, and addition problems. "Who’s first?" she asked brightly, her voice full of cheer.
Every single baby suddenly found something fascinating on the floor, the wall, or their desk. Nobody made eye contact.
"Hmm," Alina pretended to think. "Maybe I’ll just pick at random..."
"NOT ME!" Drake’s muffled shout came from under his desk.
Alina walked closer, peeking down. "Drake, come out."
He puffed his cheeks, clutching his chair legs like his life depended on it. "Nooo, Teacher, my claws are too small for math!"
The class erupted in giggles. Boo spun upside down and yelled, "Pick him! Pick him! Boo votes Drake!"
Drake wailed, "Traitor!"
Finally, Alina reached down and tugged him gently out from under the desk. His amber eyes were wide with horror as she handed him the chalk.
"Go on," she said warmly. "Try the first one."
Drake pouted, his tail swishing furiously, but he stomped up to the board with tiny steps. He squinted at the numbers, his chubby hand trembling as he wrote. "Two... plus... five..." His tongue stuck out as he counted on his fingers. "Equals... SEVEN!"
Alina clapped. "Perfect! See? That wasn’t scary at all."
The class gasped like he had just slain a dragon.
"You survived!" Boo shouted, spinning in joy.
"Math didn’t eat him!" Rocky peeked out from his stone ball in relief.
Kelpie slapped his forehead. "Oh no... now Teacher will call another victim!"
Alina smirked, tapping the chalk against her palm. "Exactly. Who’s next?"
The babies groaned louder than before, but their giggles betrayed them. The rebellion wasn’t over, math class had only just begun.
"Felix!" Alina called brightly.
Felix’s red eyes lit up and he stood slowly, his lips curling into a sly smile as though this was his moment to shine. He walked to the board with unusual confidence, picked up the chalk, and twirled it in his hand like a tiny magician.
The class watched in silence, some leaning forward with wide eyes. Boo whispered dramatically, "He looks like he’s about to summon a demon, not solve math..."