I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 477 Hide and Seek (2)

"What should I do?" Alina sighed loudly, pressing a hand to her forehead as if burdened by the greatest problem in the world. "What if no one gets caught? What if I have to be the seeker forever? What if I grow old counting while you all hide?"

Drake completely lost the battle.

Perched on the slide roof, he shook with laughter, his chubby hands clamped over his mouth as if that could physically trap the giggles inside him. His little shoulders trembled, tail flicking wildly behind him as he tried to breathe quietly. Teacher was too funny. How could anyone stay hidden with her acting like this?

But then... silence.

No teasing. No dramatic sighs. No footsteps.

The sudden quiet made his laughter slowly fade. A tiny chill of suspicion crawled over him.

He lifted his head just a little. Just a peek.

The moment his crimson eyes peeked over the edge—

"Caught you!"

Alina popped up right in front of the slide with a triumphant grin, pointing straight at him like a detective who had just solved a legendary case.

Drake froze.

His eyes widened so much they looked like they might roll off his face.

He slapped both hands over his mouth again. "NOOOOOOO!" he wailed dramatically, sliding down the smooth plastic like a defeated hero falling from his throne.

He landed at the bottom with a soft thump, looking at Alina with the expression of someone whose entire secret life had just been exposed.

"You tricked me," he accused, half laughing, half betrayed.

She crouched down to his level, laughing warmly. "You laughed so loudly, sweetheart. A hiding spot is only good if you can stay quiet."

"That’s impossible," he muttered, shaking his head seriously. "You’re too funny. It’s unfair."

Before he could sulk properly, a rustle came from behind the bushes.

Alina gasped dramatically and spun around. "What was that? A wild wolf? A sneaky pebble thief?"

Luna’s ear twitched again.

"Found you, Luna!" Alina called out, pointing playfully.

Luna groaned and stepped out, pretending to be annoyed but clearly amused. "My ear betrayed me," she muttered, tail flicking in mock anger.

A soft clink came from behind a large decorative rock.

Rocky slowly peeked out, eyes wide like a guilty kitten caught near a broken vase.

"I... I wasn’t hiding," he said shyly. "I was... guarding the rock."

"Of course you were," Alina said gently, smiling. "A very brave rock guardian."

Kelpie burst out laughing from behind the tree, no longer able to stay hidden. Boo floated out last, dramatically flipping in the air like he had been performing in a play the whole time.

"I was going to stay hidden forever," Boo declared proudly. "Teacher almost lost."

"You glow," Felix said dryly from behind a bench as he revealed himself. "You’re literally a floating lantern."

Boo gasped, clutching his chest. "This is discrimination against shiny beings!"

Alina laughed, looking at all of them gathered together, breathless from running, giggling, sulking, and boasting all at once.

"Alright," she said, still smiling brightly, "Drake is the new seeker. Everyone else, hide!"

The babies squealed and scattered in every direction like a stampede of adorable trouble.

Drake blinked, then straightened with renewed determination.

"This time," he said seriously, "I will not laugh."

From afar, Boo whispered loudly, "He will laugh."

And Alina just shook her head, laughing to herself as she watched them run.

Drake took his role as seeker with the seriousness of a warrior on a sacred mission.

He covered his eyes with both hands, tail flicking with excitement, and counted out loud in a dramatic, booming voice, "One... two... three... whoever hides badly is going to regret it!"

The moment he finished counting, he spun around, eyes sharp and burning with determination.

"I am coming," he announced ominously, as if he were a terrifying dragon hunter instead of a tiny, excitable dragon baby in a kindergarten garden.

He didn’t waste time.

Boo was the easiest.

A faint glitter shimmered behind a tree, floating just a little too obviously. Drake squinted, crept closer, then suddenly jumped out and pointed.

"CAUGHT YOU, GLOWY GHOST!"

Boo gasped in betrayal, floating out dramatically. "This is discrimination against upgraded spirits! I demand a rematch!"

Next was Rocky.

Drake glanced at the rocks and sighed. "You always hide behind rocks."

He walked over and gently tapped a large stone. "Rocky?"

Slowly, shyly, Rocky peeked out, cheeks pink. "I thought... maybe you forgot this rock..."

"You are adorable," Drake declared, patting him proudly. "But found."

Felix was third.

Drake scanned the garden with narrowed eyes. "Felix hates effort," he muttered wisely. "Which means he picked the laziest hiding place."

He marched straight toward a bench, peeked underneath, and sure enough—

Felix stared back calmly.

"You didn’t even try," Drake accused.

Felix flicked one tail lazily. "Trying is exhausting."

"Found," Drake said, shaking his head at his friend’s tragic lack of motivation.

And Luna was found behind a bush. Very easy.

Now only three remained.

Lucien.

Sable.

And Vlad Jr.

Drake stopped in the middle of the garden, suddenly feeling the pressure.

"These three are dangerous," he whispered to himself. "Smart. Quiet. Elegant. Suspicious."

He paced slowly, scanning every corner with exaggerated caution, tail swaying behind him like a detective thinking through a complicated case.

Lucien would choose somewhere strategic. Somewhere with a good view. Somewhere logical.

Sable would choose somewhere soft. Somewhere cozy. Somewhere he felt safe.

And Vlad Jr...

Drake squinted suspiciously.

"He will choose somewhere dramatic," he muttered. "Because he is dramatic."

He checked behind the swings. Nothing.

Behind the slide. Nothing.

Behind the flower bushes. Nothing.

He walked toward the tall hedge, peering through the leaves. Still nothing.

Then he paused.

Something felt... off.

He noticed a shadow that didn’t quite match the rest.

Drake slowly turned.

"Lucien?" he said cautiously.

Behind a tall decorative pillar, Lucien stood perfectly still, having chosen a spot that let him observe the entire garden without being obvious. His crimson eyes widened for a split second.

"Found you!" Drake shouted, triumphant.

Lucien sighed lightly and stepped out, looking both impressed and mildly annoyed. "You observed patterns," he admitted. "Acceptable."

Now only two remained.

Sable.

And Vlad Jr.