Ivan was the brightest boy in Class 5B. He always had the right answers, finished his homework on time, and even helped others when they got stuck. Teachers loved Ivan.

But Ivan had one little problem.

He got angry. Really angry. And fast.

If someone interrupted him while he was reading? Boom.

If he lost a game at recess? Slam.

If his pencil broke during a math test? Grrr!

His best friend Arjun once whispered, "Ivan, you turn into an angry volcano sometimes!"

Ivan frowned. "Well, I wouldn't explode if people stopped messing things up!"

One Monday morning, everything was going well - until it wasn't.

"Alright, class," said Ms. Rina, their cheerful teacher, "today, we're painting a 'Feelings Poster.' Use any colors or shapes to show how you feel right now."

Ivan loved art. He grabbed his brushes, picked his favorite blue, and got started. Just as he was making a perfect swirl, Arjun accidentally bumped the table. Ivan's hand slipped.

A giant splat of blue paint landed right on his paper. The swirl was ruined.

Ivan's eyes widened. "Arjun!" he shouted. "Look what you did!"

"I-I'm sorry," Arjun mumbled.

But Ivan was already breathing hard. His cheeks turned red. He grabbed the paper and crumpled it.

Ms. Rina rushed over. "Ivan, what happened?"

"This is ruined! I was doing fine until he messed it up!"

The whole class went silent. Ivan stormed to the trash bin and threw away his painting.

Ms. Rina gently took his arm. "Ivan, come with me."

They walked to the reading corner, a quiet space filled with pillows and books. She sat beside him.

Ivan crossed his arms. "Why does this always happen to me?"

Ms. Rina smiled softly. "I know you're upset. It's okay to feel angry, Ivan. But the way we respond to anger makes all the difference."

Ivan blinked. "But I can't help it. It just... explodes."

Ms. Rina nodded. "That's why I want to show you something. It's called the Magic Pause."

"Magic Pause?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. It's what I use when I feel angry," she said. "Step one: take a deep breath. Like this."

She slowly inhaled and exhaled. Ivan watched.

"Can you try it?" she asked.

Ivan sighed but gave it a go.

Inhale? exhale.

He did it again.

"Step two," said Ms. Rina, "drink a little water. It helps cool the fire inside."

She handed him a small bottle. Ivan took a sip. He didn't feel amazing, but a tiny bit better.

"Step three: switch to a different activity for a few minutes. Let your brain do something else. Want to sort the storybooks by color?"

Ivan looked over at the messy shelf. "Okay."

As he lined up red, blue, and yellow books, his hands moved and his mind slowly calmed.

After a few minutes, Ms. Rina said, "How do you feel now?"

"Less volcano-y," Ivan muttered, and they both laughed.

She patted his shoulder. "Remember, Ivan: anger is like a balloon. The more you fill it, the tighter it gets. But if you pause, you let out some air."

Ivan nodded thoughtfully. "Magic Pause. Got it."

That week, he practiced.

When he lost a board game on Tuesday, he started to frown - but then took a deep breath, sipped water, and watched the birds outside.

When his little sister scribbled on his notebook at home, he counted to ten and went to pet his dog instead.

And on Friday, when someone knocked over his science model by accident, Ivan almost shouted. But he paused. Breathed. Sipped. Switched.

Ms. Rina watched from her desk, smiling.

"Nice magic, Ivan," she whispered.

By the end of the month, even Arjun said, "Hey, the volcano's learning to chill!"

Ivan grinned. "No more eruptions. Just cool breezes and Magic Pauses."

And from that day, whenever he felt the fire rise inside, Ivan didn't explode.

He just paused - breathed, sipped, and reset.

Because now, Ivan wasn't just the smartest boy in class.

He was the calmest too.