Jeff Jelly was smiling.

That alone meant something had gone terribly wrong.

He stood beside Allen Apple at the riverbank, clipboard glowing with fresh authority.

“We’ve done the impossible,” Jeff announced. “We’re assigning overtime… to the math regime.”

Allen adjusted his glasses. “No loopholes. No exemptions. Not even teachers.”

Across the river, Professor Math and Josh JollyRancher froze.

Josh slowly lowered his bottle of lemon water.

“…Overtime?”

“Yes,” Jeff said proudly. “For excessive structure.”

Professor Math clutched his chalk. “We’re educators.”

Allen nodded. “Exactly.”

Josh panicked.

“If I can just optimize the river—”

He dumped lemon water into the stream.

The water fizzed.

The fish began swimming in straight lines.

The river itself looked stressed.

Obesseus gasped.

“YOU TURN RIVER INTO SPREADSHEET?!”

Josh raised another bottle. “One more pour and we’ll have flow efficiency!”

“NO,” Obesseus roared, charging forward.

Josh threw lemon water.

Obesseus deflected it with his belly.

SPLOOSH.

Professor Math launched chalk.

Obesseus slipped, slid, and accidentally belly-bowled Professor Math into a bush.

Jeff Jelly yelled, “THIS IS WHY YOU’RE GETTING OVERTIME!”

Allen tried to intervene.

He slipped on chalk dust.

“WHY IS EVERYTHING SLIPPERY,” Allen screamed.

Josh attempted a tactical retreat.

Obesseus grabbed him gently but firmly and spun him like a soda bottle, spraying lemon water everywhere.

The river bubbled.

The fish panicked.

One fish briefly wore a tie.

Professor Math popped up, covered in chalk.

“This has become unproductive!”

Obesseus slammed the ground.

“STOP MAKING WATER THINK.”

Josh tried one last splash.

Obesseus belly-flopped into the river.

SPLASH.

The lemon water diluted instantly.

The river relaxed.

The fish resumed chaos.

Professor Math crawled onto the bank, exhausted.

Josh collapsed beside him.

“I don’t want overtime,” Josh whimpered.

Professor Math nodded. “I just wanted fractions.”

Jeff Jelly stared at them.

“…They’re broken.”

Allen looked at the clipboard.

“…Should we still assign overtime?”

Obesseus stood proudly, dripping wet.

“NO.”

Everyone paused.

“OVERTIME BAD.

LEMON WATER BAD.

RIVER GOOD.”

Allen slowly crossed out the assignment.

Jeff sighed. “Fine. No overtime.”

Josh dropped the bottle.

Professor Math raised his hands. “We surrender.”

Obesseus smiled.

“OBESEUS SAVE RIVER.

SAVE TEACHERS.

SAVE DAY.”

Josh looked up. “You… saved us?”

“Yes,” Obesseus said. “YOU BAD AT BALANCE.

NOT EVIL.”

The river sparkled.

The fish cheered.

Jeff closed the clipboard.

“Meeting adjourned.”

Allen nodded. “Forever.”

Obesseus waddled away.

Josh whispered, “…I think I’m switching to water.”

Professor Math nodded. “Grape water.”

Obesseus’s Note

“FIGHT GOOD.

RIVER FREE.

LEMON MAN LEARN LESSON.”