Five months in and Alix was beginning to question her choice of becoming a teacher. The training period had looked easier than any other job she had done before. Reality was different though.
One of her senior colleagues chuckled as she took her chair besides her in the staff room.
"You look like you just successfully passed through a storm alive."
Though Alix had been closed off initially, they had beco a little friendlier over the past month. She found her senior’s suggestions at tis very useful and practical.
"I have lots of nieces and nephews. They all love . I thought this would be easy."
"Well, every child is different. You have a rapport with the children in your family but are complete strangers with the others. It takes ti and trust , you are doing a fantastic job. I an they look at you with such stars in their eyes."
"Most of it is Ailun and the gang’s doing..."
Once Alix officially took a job in school, the happiest people on the planet were none other than Ailun and his gang. Even before she ca, Alix had already beco everybody’s cool pastry aunt just by word of mouth. Most of the children held her in reverence and eting her in person only fueled their fandom more.
Except for...
They heard a knock on the door and a seven year old girl ca trotting in. She stood before the senior colleague and said, "My howork."
She smiled. "Miss. Alix is your horoom teacher. You should give it to her."
She didn’t hesitate for even a second before making a disgruntled expression and practically dragged her little feet towards her as if she wanted to escape the staff room more than anything.
"My howork."
Alix took it and said, "Thank you."
She imdiately turned on her heels but Alix stopped her. "Was there a reason you couldn’t give it yesterday?"
She turned back and openly made an annoyed face. "I gave it to you now!"
"Shun," the senior colleague sternly said, "That’s not the way you speak to your teacher."
Little Shun couldn’t show the sa attitude towards her, so she simply grumbled about her reason that she wasn’t feeling too well.
The kind senior colleague sighed. "Don’t mind her, okay? You will eventually reach her too. It’s been a difficult ti for her ever since she got adopted by her relatives. The situation with her parents is well...what should I say..."
Alix said, "Shun didn’t look sick yesterday. She would have stayed back ho."
The senior’s eyes slightly widened. "Was she lying?"
Alix glanced at her. "More like keeping the painful things to yourself. It’s easier to make up an excuse at tis rather than explaining the situation."
Sohow, I understand that very well...
Alix inwardly wondered if she should pay a visit to Shun’s house soti. She was sure that it wasn’t so sickness, rather the troubleso situation at ho which affected her studies.
"Aish, you should take so rest. You look tired. Children are indeed a handful."
"Yet you manage it with ease. Are you a superwoman?"
She laughed. "Don’t worry. Experience will make you a superwoman one day too~"
Left alone in the staff room, Alix leaned back on her chair, exhausted. Even as she closed her eyes, she couldn’t take Shun off her mind. She looked outside the window and found her taking a slow ride on the swing all by herself while the other kids happily played in their own groups.
"Pastry aunt!"
Ailun shone like the brightest star as he eagerly hopped to her side. "My classes are over! I got an A in the math test!"
Seeing his nose elongate with pride, Alix ruffled his hair. "Great work."
He blinked at her and tilted his head. "Pastry aunt looks different."
"I’m just tired."
She took him and placed him on her lap. She then subtly pointed outside. "Does she always play alone like this?"
Ailun took a look and his nostrils flared upon seeing Shun. "Yes. She eats alone too."
"Will you play with her sotis?"
"I don’t like her."
"Why?"
"Because she bullies pastry aunt! She doesn’t talk nicely to you!"
"It’s not her fault. Her family situation is difficult. That’s why I want to ask if you, Aang, Taio, Yina can play with her."
His brows scrunched up in displeasure but he loved his pastry aunt a lot so he couldn’t deny her request.
"Okay..." he mumbled.
Then he bead, rembering sothing important. "It’s Pastry aunt and Uncle’s first birthday together!"
She smiled. "First wedding anniversary."
He nodded hard and then gasped upon realization. "I made a gift for pastry aunt and Uncle, but I forgot to bring it with . Wait, don’t go. I will bring it right away!"
Ailun climbed down from her lap and zapped out of the room with lightning speed.
anwhile, Alix looked outside again, staring at little Shun, still riding on the swing. After knowing her story, she had actually assud she would be able to connect with her over ti because sowhere or the other, they shared a common sentint of abandonnt. But she was yet to crack through Shun’s heart.
Her chest tightened with a strange feeling and a sense of loss overwheld her. She eventually put her head down at the desk, closing her eyes.
It was when Ailun saw Alix’s head resting on the table, feeling weak and tired. He was about to call her but didn’t want to disturb her, so he ran to the school’s main office where he imdiately dialed Jin’s number.
"Uncle, you have to quickly co to school!"
"Ailun? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No, it’s pastry aunt. She is sick!"
"What!? Sick? Sick how? Is she okay?" He asked, panicked. "Wait for . I’m coming over right away!"
—
"Alix!"
Alix jerked up with a slight jolt and she looked up to find Jin standing before her, breathless and alard.
"...What’s up with you? Why do you look like you ca running all the way?"
"Why didn’t you tell that you were sick!" He glared. "You still ca to school!"
"Huh? I’m not sick. Who told you that?"
"Pastry auuuuuuunt!" Ailun bolted himself into her arms, sniffling. "You will feel better in no ti!"
That left her only more perplexed. "But I’m not sick. Why did you think that I was?"
He blinked tearily. "Pastry aunt looked tired today and when I brought my gift, you were lying your head down on the desk..."
"See!" Jin demanded an explanation.
"Ah. No, it’s nothing like that. I was just tired, that’s all."
Jin paused. "There’s definitely sothing more. It’s not just today. You have been looking a little out of sorts for so ti."
"...It’s really nothing."
"It’s our wedding anniversary. Do you really want to lie today of all tis and make us fight?"
He pulled a chair towards her and touched her forehead with a serious gaze. "Well, you don’t have a fever."
"I told you."
"But there is sothing up with you for sure."
Ailun’s watery eyes sparkled. "Pastry aunt is not sick?"
"No, I’m not."
He hugged her hard. "Yayyyy!"
"...But I’m pregnant."
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