I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!

Chapter 597 Run

Luna rolled her shoulders slightly, rolling her neck side to side, her eyes sharp and focused on the track ahead. Her red outfit stood out against the green field, her ponytail swinging behind her.

"I will win," she murmured.

Drake stretched his arms, grinning wide, his tail shimmering in the sun.

"I feel fast today," he said. "Very fast. Extremely fast. The fastest."

"You say that every day," Luna said.

"Today it is true."

Felix adjusted his sleeve, stepping into his lane with measured calm.

"This is unnecessary," he said, though he still lined up properly. "Running is inefficient. There are better ways to compete."

"Like what?" Drake asked.

"Like thinking."

"You cannot win a race by thinking."

"Watch me."

Luna snorted. "You are going to lose."

"I am going to participate," Felix corrected. "There is difference."

On the side—

Class D gathered together in a cluster of red, their voices rising in encouragement.

And Boo—

Boo had come prepared.

Very prepared.

He floated up proudly, holding a handmade banner that was slightly crooked, glittering in random places, and absolutely impossible to ignore. The letters were uneven, some too big, some too small, some smudged where his ghostly hands had pressed too hard.

On it, in bold uneven letters, it read—

"CLASS D: SMALL BUT DANGEROUS!!! (Especially me)"

There were extra sparkles around "me."

Of course.

"GO CLASS D!!!" Boo shouted loudly, waving the banner with full energy, the glitter catching the sun. "SMALL BUT DANGEROUS! ESPECIALLY ME!"

Kelpie jumped up and down beside him, water droplets spraying everywhere.

"Run fast! Run very fast! Run like water!"

Rocky held his stone in one hand and cheered with the other, his small stone fist pumping the air.

"You can do it! We believe in you!"

Sable clapped excitedly, his shadow form rippling.

"Win! Win! Win! Win!"

Lucien stood calmly beside them, but his eyes followed the three runners closely, tracking their movements.

"We are watching," he said quietly to Sable. "They know."

Vlad Jr. nodded, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Good luck," he called. "Do your best."

Even Felix glanced back once at the sound of their voices.

Then he immediately looked forward again.

"Focus," he muttered to himself. "Do not get distracted by glitter."

At the starting line, Luna bent slightly forward, her body coiled like a spring, her fingers touching the ground. Her tail was straight behind her, perfectly still.

Drake crouched beside her, his weight on his hands, his tail flicking once, twice, three times.

Felix stood straight, his arms at his sides, his expression blank.

Miss Kelly raised her hand.

"On your marks..."

The field held its breath.

Boo stopped mid-wave, his banner frozen in the air.

"Get set..."

Even the wind seemed to pause.

"GO!"

And just like that—

They ran.

Luna exploded off the line, her legs pumping, her body low, her ears flat against her head. She was fast. Faster than practice. The wind whipped past her face.

Drake was right beside her, his new tail streaming behind him, his feet hitting the ground in powerful strides. "I AM FAST!" he shouted, not even breathless.

Felix was behind them.

Running steadily.

Not fast.

Not slow.

Just... running.

"Consistent pace," he told himself. "They will tire. I will not."

Behind them, Class D erupted.

"GO LUNA! GO DRAKE! GO FELIX!" Boo screamed, waving his banner so hard it tore slightly at the edge. "RUN LIKE THE WIND! RUN LIKE GHOSTS! RUN LIKE—"

"You are screaming too loud!" Kelpie said.

"I AM ENCOURAGING!"

"You are hurting my ears!"

"THAT IS THE PRICE OF VICTORY!"

Meanwhile, Luna saw the other class kids running faster than her.

Her heart pounded. Her legs burned. The finish line was still ahead, but the green and blue uniforms were pulling away, their feet hitting the ground in quick, steady rhythm. She was falling behind.

No.

She couldn’t fall behind.

She had to win.

She pushed harder, her legs moving faster, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Her eyes darted to the side, watching the other runners, measuring their speed, calculating how much she needed to catch up.

She wasn’t watching the track.

Alina’s lips tightened as she watched from the side. Her hands clasped together in front of her, her eyes fixed on Luna.

The little wolf was fast. So fast. But she wasn’t looking where she was going. Her head was turned, her focus scattered across the other runners instead of the ground beneath her feet.

"Luna," Alina murmured under her breath. "Look ahead. Look ahead."

But Luna didn’t hear.

She ran while looking at the other kids, her golden eyes locked on the green uniform ahead of her, on the blue uniform pulling further away. She leaned forward, trying to close the gap.

And then—

Her foot caught on something. A small bump in the grass. A divot from earlier races. Something so small she would have stepped over it easily if she had been looking.

She fell.

Hard.

Her body twisted as she went down, her knee hitting the ground first, then her elbow, then her palms scraping against the grass. She slid for a moment before stopping, her red outfit now smudged with dirt and green stains.

"Luna!!"

Alina’s shout cut through the noise of the crowd.

The race continued. Feet pounded past. Other children glanced at her but kept running, their own goals pulling them forward.

Drake looked back.

His steps faltered. His eyes widened.

"Luna!"

"Keep running!" Luna shouted, her voice sharp despite the pain. "Don’t stop! GO!"

Felix looked back too, his face pale.

"Go!" Luna yelled again. "Run!"

Drake hesitated for only a second. Then he turned and kept running, his jaw tight. Felix followed, his usual calm expression cracked with worry.

But they ran.

Because she told them to.

Alina reached Luna in seconds, dropping to her knees in the grass beside her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice urgent, her hands already reaching for Luna’s shoulders.

Luna looked up at her.

Her eyes were red. Not from crying yet, but close. Her lip trembled slightly, and her face was scrunched in that way children do when they are trying very hard not to show how much something hurts.

"My feet hurt," she said quietly.