I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

Chapter 594 Sports Day

The next day arrived.

Sports Day.

The morning was bright and clear, the sun warm but not too hot, the sky a perfect shade of blue. Colorful banners had been hung across the playground overnight, fluttering gently in the soft breeze. The field had been marked with clean white lines for the races, and small flags marked the different stations for the team games. Wooden bleachers had been set up on one side.

The whole playground smelled fresh, like morning dew and cut grass and a little bit of excitement.

Class D arrived earlier than usual, gathering together near their assigned area. They had agreed the day before to meet early, to warm up together, to make sure everyone was ready. And now here they were, a small cluster of red against the green field.

They all wore red.

Bright red sports outfits that made them stand out immediately against the green grass and blue sky. Shirts, shorts, headbands, even socks. Some of them had painted small designs on their cheeks. Luna had a red stripe across each cheek. Boo had somehow convinced someone to draw a ghost on his forehead, though it looked more like a blob.

They looked like a small army of determined warriors, ready for battle.

Even Alina wore red today, a simple athletic outfit that matched her class perfectly. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, her face bright with encouragement. She had tied a red ribbon around her wrist, matching her students, showing them that she was part of their team too.

She looked at them one by one, walking slowly down the line.

Nervous.

Excited.

Ready.

But something was missing.

All of them kept glancing toward the entrance, their eyes drifting again and again. Back to the gate. Back to the path that led into the playground. Back to the spot where someone should have appeared by now.

Waiting for someone.

Even Boo was quieter than usual, floating slightly higher than normal, his eyes fixed ahead. His ribbon had been replaced with a red one for the occasion, matching the class colors, but even his usual sparkle seemed dimmer.

"Where is he..." Luna muttered, trying to sound casual but failing. Her arms were crossed, her tail flicking back and forth behind her. She tapped her foot against the grass, once, twice, three times.

"He will come," Vlad Jr. said calmly, though even he checked the entrance again. His posture was still straight, his expression still composed, but his fingers were drumming lightly against his thigh. "He said he would."

"What if he is late?" Kelpie asked, his water droplets stilling around him. They usually moved in a gentle flow, but now they hung frozen in the air, like tiny suspended crystals. "What if he misses the running?"

"Then we run for him," Rocky said quietly. His voice was soft but firm. He clutched his small bag to his chest, the one he carried everywhere, and nodded once. "We run his races too."

Boo nodded vigorously. "Yes. We will run twice. For him. We will carry his spirit with us."

Felix adjusted his headband, pulling it tighter across his forehead. "That is not how running works," he said flatly. "You cannot run twice. There is a schedule. There are lanes. There are rules."

"It is how friendship works," Sable said, his shadows rippling around his feet like excited puppies.

Lucien nodded. "He is correct. Friendship does not follow schedules."

Felix opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he sighed. "...Fine."

They waited.

The sun climbed higher in the sky. The shadows on the field grew shorter. Around them, the other classes were finishing their warm-ups. Class A in bright yellow were doing stretches near the bleachers. Class B in deep blue were practicing their relay handoffs. Class C in forest green were gathered in a huddle, their voices low and serious.

Class D stood in their red, waiting.

Then—

A figure appeared at the entrance.

"Drake!"

The reaction was instant.

Every head turned. Every eye found him. Every single child in Class D stopped what they were doing and looked at the gate.

Boo shot up into the air like a rocket, his red ribbon streaming behind him. He looked so excited, his eyes shining like stars, his whole body glowing a little brighter than usual. His usual lazy floating was gone. He was vibrating.

"DRAGOON IS BACK!" he shouted at full volume, his voice carrying across the entire playground. Teachers looked up. Children from other classes turned to stare. A few birds flew out of a nearby tree. "THE DRAGON HAS RETURNED! CHAOS IS HERE! REPEAT, CHAOS IS HERE!"

Drake stood at the entrance, grinning widely.

He looked different.

He was taller than before. Not dramatically, but noticeably. His frame was slightly stronger, his shoulders a little broader, like he had grown into himself during the days he had been away. His hair had grown too, falling more naturally around his face instead of its usual messy spikes. It looked softer, darker, with hints of deep red catching the sunlight.

And his tail. His tail shimmered in the morning light, more defined, more powerful. The scales caught the sun, gleaming with a deep, rich red that hadn’t been there before. It moved differently too, with more control, more confidence, curling and uncurling behind him like a living thing.

He looked like he had grown.

Not a lot. Just a little. But enough to notice. Enough to make the other classes glance at him with curious eyes.

"I am back!" Drake shouted happily, raising both arms above his head. His voice was louder than before, fuller, like his lungs had grown too. "I feel so powerful now! I can run faster! I can jump higher! I can eat more snacks than ever before!"

Luna froze for half a second, staring at him.

Her ears twitched. Once. Twice. Her tail, which had been flicking impatiently, went completely still.

"...You look taller," she said, her voice carefully neutral. She was trying very hard to sound like she didn’t care. She was failing.

Drake’s grin widened. "I know."

"And your scales," she added, almost unwillingly. "They are... shinier."

"I know."

"And your tail—"

"I know." Drake puffed out his chest. "I am upgraded. New version. Drake 2.0."

Luna’s eye twitched. "That is not a thing."

"It is a thing. It is a dragon thing."

Before anyone could say anything else—

Vlad Jr. stepped forward.

He walked quickly, his usual composed posture forgotten. There was no slow, measured pace today. No careful adjustment of his collar. No quick check to make sure his shoes were clean. He just walked. Fast. Direct. Like nothing else in the world mattered except getting to Drake.

And then he hugged Drake.