I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 530 What’s Wrong with Drake?

"I am not cursed!" Drake protested weakly, though even his protest lacked conviction.

Kelpie tilted his head, water droplets falling from his hair. "Did you eat something weird? Like weird weird? Not normal weird but extra weird?"

Drake squinted, trying to remember. "I eat everything. Everything is normal to me."

"That is not helpful," Felix muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Luna leaned closer and narrowed her golden-brown eyes at him with intense scrutiny. "Maybe you are faking for attention. Would not be the first time."

Drake looked deeply offended, his tail twitching slightly despite his exhaustion. "I do not fake weakness. That damages reputation. Reputation is important for a dragon."

Lucien crouched slightly, his expression serious but not alarmed. His dark eyes studied Drake carefully. "Did this happen before? Any previous episodes of sudden energy loss?"

Drake paused, thinking. "...No. First time. New experience. Zero out of ten, do not recommend."

"Maybe you are growing," Rocky suggested shyly, his small voice barely above a whisper.

Drake froze completely.

"Growing?" he repeated slowly, the word hanging in the air.

"Yes," Rocky nodded earnestly. "When I grow bigger, my body feels heavy too. Like my rocks are rearranging inside. Mom says it is normal."

Felix shook his head immediately, his scientific mind rejecting this theory. "Growth does not happen overnight. It is a gradual process over time. He would not suddenly feel different in one morning."

Boo floated up and circled Drake dramatically, his semi-translucent tail leaving trails in the air. "Maybe you are turning into a giant dragon suddenly! Maybe tonight you will grow huge and crush buildings! Maybe that is why your back feels tight! Wings getting bigger!"

Drake’s eyes widened slightly at this possibility. "Giant? Like giant giant? Destroy buildings giant?"

Luna rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "Stop feeding his ego. He does not need more reasons to think he is important."

"I am not feeding," Boo said seriously, holding up one hand. "I am theorizing. There is a difference. Science requires theorizing."

Sable tilted his head, his shadow form pulsing gently. "Maybe you did not sleep enough? Sometimes when I do not sleep, I feel funny."

Drake blinked. "I slept. I slept the whole night. Eight hours. Maybe nine. I lost count because sleeping is boring."

Lucien studied him quietly, his observant eyes missing nothing. "You look uncomfortable. Your position keeps shifting."

"I am uncomfortable," Drake admitted miserably. "Like I want to stretch but stretching does not fix it. Like my body wants something but I do not know what."

Felix hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "Does it hurt? Genuine pain?"

"No."

"Does it burn? Fire sensation?"

"No."

"Do you feel dizzy? Like the world is spinning?"

"No."

Felix sighed deeply, throwing his hands up. "Then you are not dying. Probably. Likely. I am ninety percent sure."

"That is reassuring," Drake muttered sarcastically. "Ninety percent. Very confident."

Luna crossed her arms, tail swishing. "Maybe you are just dramatic. Having a drama episode." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I am not dramatic," Drake protested weakly, though his current performance suggested otherwise.

Boo floated closer again and poked his cheek lightly with one finger.

Drake did not even react. No swatting. No complaining. No dramatic declaration about personal space.

Everyone went completely silent.

"He did not react," Boo whispered in horror, pulling his hand back like he had touched something sacred.

Kelpie blinked rapidly. "That is serious. That is very serious. Drake always reacts."

Drake slowly looked at all of them, his eyes moving from face to face. "Why are you all staring at me like I am an ancient artifact in a museum? Like I am a dead dragon?"

"Because you are quiet," Luna replied flatly.

"And that is unnatural," Felix added. "Unnatural and concerning."

"And you did not complain about Boo touching you," Vlad Jr. observed quietly. "That is unprecedented."

Drake looked up at the sky and sighed again, a long and dramatic exhale. "I do not like this feeling. This is a bad feeling. Worst feeling. I want the old feeling back."

Sable reached for his hand gently, his shadow fingers warm despite their dark appearance. "We stay with you. You are not alone."

Lucien nodded firmly. "If something changes, we tell the teacher. She will know what to do."

Drake glanced at them, slightly touched by the concern but pretending very hard not to be. His pride required at least some dignity.

"I am fine," he insisted softly, though his voice lacked conviction. "Just... temporarily not powerful. Taking a break from power. Power nap, literally."

Boo nodded seriously, floating in place. "We monitor. Watch and wait. Dragon observation mission activated."

Felix rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "We are not in a hospital. We are not healers. We are kindergarten students."

But none of them left.

They stood there, circled around their fallen dragon friend, keeping watch like tiny guardians.

"Maybe we should tell the teacher," Rocky whispered softly, his voice small but serious. His fingers fidgeted with a pebble as he spoke, nervous energy radiating from his small body.

Sable immediately nodded in agreement. "Yes. Teacher will know what to do. Teacher always knows."

Lucien gave a calm agreement, his crimson eyes thoughtful. "She has handled many situations before. She would want to know."

Felix folded his arms but still said, "That would be the logical step. Teacher is the responsible adult. Responsible adults should be informed of anomalies."

Vlad Jr. straightened slightly, adjusting his tiny cuffs with precision. "Yes. If something is unusual, informing an authority figure is appropriate protocol. Standard procedure."

Drake’s head snapped up so fast his neck cracked audibly.

"Oh no. Do not tell the teacher!" he said suddenly, sitting up straighter than he had all afternoon. His wings fluttered with agitation.

Everyone blinked at him in confusion.

"Why?" Vlad Jr. asked, genuinely puzzled as he glanced toward the kindergarten building. The windows were open, letting in the warm breeze, but Alina was nowhere in sight. She had stepped away earlier because Professor Hobb had called her about something urgent, and only staff members were keeping an eye on them from a distance.

Drake looked around nervously as if someone might overhear and betray him to the authorities.

"I am fine," he insisted quickly, his voice higher than usual. "It is not an emergency. No emergency here. Everything normal. Very normal day."