Recess finally arrived.
The entire classroom exploded into movent. Chairs scraped against the floor in a chaotic symphony, small footsteps hurried toward the door, and excited voices filled the room as the babies rushed outside like tiny prisoners escaping captivity.
Even Drake woke up.
The little dragon lifted his head slowly from the desk, blinking sleepily for a mont with drool on his chin while his brain slowly processed the word "recess."
Recess ant outside.
Outside ant running.
And most importantly... outside ant food.
Drake sat up imdiately, his eyes snapping open with sudden alertness.
"Food ti," he muttered to himself, stretching his wings wide before hopping down from his chair and following the others outside with surprising speed for soone who had been dead asleep monts ago.
Soon the classroom was empty.
Well... almost empty.
Dante remained standing near the desk, watching the door close behind the last child. The sudden quiet felt almost strange after the constant chatter and small chaos of the morning. The silence pressed in around him, peaceful but unfamiliar.
He slowly exhaled.
Being a teacher was surprisingly exhausting.
He had attended diplomatic etings that lasted entire days without feeling this tired. He had fought battles that required hours of intense focus. He had negotiated with ancient beings who spoke in riddles for fun.
None of that compared to two hours with kindergarteners.
"...Teaching is difficult work," he murmured quietly to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose behind those glasses.
Just as he was about to sit down for a mont of blessed silence—
"Sir!!"
A cheerful voice chirped from behind him.
Dante turned his head slowly.
Boo was floating near the door, grinning widely like he had just rembered sothing extrely important. His sparkly purple shirt caught the light, and his tail swished excitedly behind him.
Dante raised one eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Boo floated closer, his expression shifting to sothing mysterious and conspiratorial.
Dante watched him with mild suspicion, already sensing trouble.
"You want howork?" he asked calmly, a faint smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth. "I can assign extra."
Boo’s eyes widened imdiately in horror.
"No! No, no, no!" he said quickly, shaking his head so hard his whole ghost body wobbled like jelly. "No howork! Never howork! Howork is enemy!"
Then he leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper.
"Actually... I always tell my gossip to Teacher," Boo explained very seriously. "Every day. It is tradition. Very important tradition."
Dante folded his arms.
"And?"
"But today she is not here," Boo continued. "So tradition is broken. Very sad. Very empty."
Dante waited.
Boo leaned closer.
"So today I will tell my gossip to you," he announced proudly. "And you will tell her later. You will be ssenger. Very important job."
He looked up expectantly with big silver eyes.
"Okay?"
Dante studied him for a mont.
For so reason he felt like he was about to regret agreeing to this.
But after a brief pause he nodded slightly.
"...Alright."
Boo’s entire face lit up like a small sun.
He rubbed his hands together with a mischievous expression that imdiately made Dante regret every life choice that had led to this mont.
"Sooooooo... today’s gossip is very juicy."
Dante imdiately narrowed his eyes.
"Who taught you words like juicy?" he asked slowly.
Boo blinked at him innocently.
"Sir, I know what juicy ans," he said proudly, chest puffing out.
"Oh?"
"Yes!" Boo nodded happily. "Juicy ans very tasty juice. Like orange juice. Or apple juice. Or grape juice. Juicy is juice-y."
Dante stared at him.
"And my gossip," Boo continued enthusiastically, floating in small excited circles, "is just like that. Very tasty."
Dante leaned slightly against the desk, watching the little ghost with quiet amusent despite himself.
"I see."
Boo leaned closer and lowered his voice dramatically, glancing around as if checking for spies.
"Very tasty gossip. The tastiest."
Dante sighed softly.
"Go on then," he said patiently. "What is this very tasty gossip?"
Boo glanced toward the open classroom door to make sure no one else was listening.
Then he floated closer to Dante’s ear and whispered loudly—
"Drake stole Luna’s biscuit yesterday."
Dante blinked once.
"...That is your juicy gossip?"
Boo nodded with absolute seriousness.
"Yes."
Dante looked at him for several seconds.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Drake is a dragon."
"Yes."
"Dragons eat food."
"Yes."
"So Drake eating a biscuit is not unusual. Biscuits are food. Dragons eat food."
Boo frowned slightly, clearly not appreciating the logic.
"But it was Luna’s biscuit."
Dante remained silent.
Boo nodded dramatically, eyes wide.
"Very scandalous. Very dramatic. Biscuit betrayal."
Dante closed his eyes for a mont, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"...Anything else?"
Boo imdiately brightened again, bouncing in the air.
"Oh yes! I have more. Much more. Infinite more."
Dante gestured for him to continue.
Boo clasped his hands together with excitent.
"Yesterday Drake was very sad," Boo explained. "Very low energy. Very weak. Very pathetic dragon suffering."
Dante nodded slightly. He rembered the boy looking tired during the shedding phase.
"Luna did not suspect him at all," Boo continued proudly. "Because she thought he was weak and sad and could not possibly steal. She felt sorry for him."
Dante crossed his arms.
"And?"
Boo leaned closer again, lowering his voice even more.
"But secretly," he whispered, "Drake hoards snacks."
Dante’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
"...Hoards snacks?"
"Yes!" Boo nodded rapidly, his whole body vibrating with excitent. "Under desk. Inside bag. Behind books. In secret dragon stash. Many snacks. Infinite snacks."
Dante stared at him.
"He hides them like dragon treasure," Boo added, spreading his arms wide. "Snack treasure. Golden snack hoard."
Dante rubbed the bridge of his nose harder.
"So you are telling Drake stole Luna’s biscuit... while already owning a secret snack collection."
"Yes."
"And Luna did not notice."
"No. She is very blind to biscuit cris."
"And this information is... juicy gossip."
Boo nodded proudly.
"Very juicy. Top quality gossip."
Dante looked toward the playground through the window.
Outside, Drake was happily sitting on the grass eating sothing suspicious, his cheeks full, and he kept glancing around nervously.
Dante watched the little dragon chewing.
"...I see."
Boo floated beside him and whispered proudly,
"I observe everything. I am ghost. Ghosts are invisible. Invisible sees all."
Dante looked down at the ghost.
"That is slightly concerning."
Boo grinned.
"Teacher says I am very observant. She says I notice things others miss. She says it is a gift." Although she never actually said this, the principal wasn’t going to ask the teacher if she did or not, Boo thought.
Dante glanced outside again.
Drake quickly hid sothing behind his back when Luna looked toward him. His expression was pure guilt.
Dante’s mouth twitched slightly.
"...You are correct. That is suspicious behavior."
Boo puffed up with pride.
"I know. I am a professional observer."
Then he leaned closer again, eyes sparkling.
"Also..."
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