Chapter 244: Chapter 244 He likes you so much
Boo gasped, clutching his chest like a dramatic actor. "Nooo, Teacher! He won’t fire you—he likes you too much! You’ll see! Just call him dumb once and watch what happens..."
Boo’s words landed like a little spark in the middle of Alina’s chest. He likes you so much. Her eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, heat rushed up her cheeks, painting them a soft pink.
She leaned closer, narrowing her eyes at the mischievous ghost. "Boo... who told you that?" Her voice came out more flustered than she intended, and she quickly tried to cover it with a stern teacher look.
The little ghost only blinked his long silver lashes at her, his pout as dramatic as always. "Boo doesn’t know..." he said innocently, his tone sing-song like he was hiding the world’s biggest secret. Then, with a cheeky grin, he spun in a clumsy disco twirl, his little body wiggling as though he had just shared the juiciest gossip in the universe. "Boo just knows..." he finished with mysterious flair, sticking his tongue out before floating away, clearly already bored.
Alina stood frozen for a moment, staring at his retreating figure, her cheeks still warm. She shook her head quickly, chuckling under her breath as she pressed her palm to her face. "That ghost..." she muttered, her lips curving despite herself.
Still, as she leaned back against her desk, her thoughts lingered. She couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of boy Boo would turn into when he grew up...naughty, dramatic, maybe even a little troublesome but certainly the type to make everyone around him laugh.
And though she brushed it off with a smile, her heart gave the tiniest flutter at his words.
When Alina stepped out of the classroom, adjusting the bag in her hands, she froze for a heartbeat. Dante was walking down the hallway toward her, tall and authoritative in his dark attire, his presence filling the corridor as though even the air bent to him.
Her heart did an unsteady flip before she managed to steady her voice. "Good morning, sir," she said softly, dipping her head out of habit.
Dante stopped right in front of her, his crimson eyes lingering on her face for a moment too long. He nodded, but his expression softened, almost melting from his usual coldness. "After lunch, meet me in my office. I need to discuss something with you, Alina."
The way he said her name....warmth spread across her chest before she quickly looked down and nodded. "Yes... of course." Her voice came out gentler than she intended.
She turned to leave, clutching the bag a little tighter to ground herself. But she couldn’t help the faint smile tugging at her lips. Behind her, Dante’s own mouth curved into a subtle smile, rare and fleeting, as he continued down the hall with his long, confident strides.
Neither of them noticed how their steps had slowed at the same moment—one walking away, the other moving forward—both carrying that unspoken flutter in their chest.
***
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, resting his elbows lightly on the table as he smiled at her. "You should come visit the upper floors too sometime, see the other classes. The children up there would be delighted to meet you. They’ve heard about Class D already."
Alina took a sip of her water and chuckled softly. "I know... I saw a glimpse during the tour, but I’ve been so caught up with my little ones. You’re right, I should make time to visit the other babies too. It would be nice to know how they’re doing."
Gabriel nodded, his eyes warm. "So tell me, how’s your class holding up after the... incident? Are the babies still shaken?" He lowered his voice a little, as though asking something he’d been worried about since then.
Alina shook her head, a gentle smile curving her lips. "Scared? No, not at all. That’s what amazed me most. I didn’t see even a shadow of fear in them. They’re so much braver than I expected. Today, in fact, they were the complete opposite—naughty, dramatic, acting like they’d never even heard the word ’test.’"
Her laugh bubbled out at the memory, and Gabriel laughed with her, leaning forward in interest. "They pretended not to know what a test was? Oh, that sounds just like Boo and Drake’s doing."
Alina covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling. "You’re absolutely right. Drake started it, of course, puffing his cheeks like a little rebel, and Boo... well, Boo insisted tests might be some kind of fruit or monster. And the rest of the class joined in like it was a stage performance. You should have seen them—one after another, dramatic faces, protests, as if I was asking them to march into battle instead of open a notebook."
Gabriel laughed so hard he had to wipe the corner of his eye. "That does sound like them. They never miss a chance to turn lessons into chaos."
"But that’s what makes them wonderful," Alina said softly, her expression gentling. "Even when they pretend, even when they fuss, I can tell they love being there, learning together. They’re not afraid... not even after what happened. They make everything feel lighter."
Gabriel watched her quietly for a moment, the admiration in his gaze unhidden. "You’ve done more than teach them, Alina. You’ve given them a place where they feel safe enough to laugh again."
Her cheeks warmed at his words, and she quickly looked down at her plate, pretending to rearrange the food. "I’m just... doing my job."
"Not everyone does it like you," Gabriel said firmly, his voice soft but sure.
***
Alina excused herself, bidding Gabriel a quick goodbye with a polite smile. "I should go now... Principal asked me to meet him in his office."
Gabriel’s eyes softened, a hint of concern flickering there, but he only nodded. "Alright, take care, Alina. And... don’t be nervous."
She gave a small laugh at his words, though her heart had already started its quick rhythm the moment she remembered Dante’s request.
With quiet steps, she made her way down the long corridor, the sound of her heels echoing faintly against the polished floor. By the time she reached his office door, her palms felt strangely warm, and she had to smooth them against her skirt before raising her hand to knock.
Knock. Knock.
There was a brief silence, then his deep, steady voice from inside: "Come in."