It was one of the warm summer days, and usually most of teenagers loved to sleep until noon during days like these. But not Marinette. She woke up early to help her parents prepare food for the bakery. They were up around five in the morning, and Mari joined them around six, when the first people started to arrive. Thanks to her help, Sabine and Tom were able to both take care of the customers and the pastries that were baked.
Marinette didn't mind helping her parents. It was fun to bake, create new products each weekend and meet all of the people who visited bakery. One of them suggested her to put a jar for tips, so maybe she could save money for something. She instantly loved the idea, the money would be perfect to buy more materials and other supplies that she needed for sewing.
When there weren't many of customers Marinette was sketching new designs or correcting those which she created earlier.
Adrien Agreste was living the dream. But not his dream. Maybe being a model and having your face posted around the city was a dream for most of the teen girls, maybe some boys too, but not for Adrien. Sure, it was pretty fun to meet new people during photoshoots, but being always surrounded by security, having a time schedule for every single minute and not being able to do what most of the teens were doing – meeting up with friends, going to school – it wasn't so fun. Even though he was turning seventeen soon he still was under his father's watchful eyes and he couldn't even go to normal school , until this year.
His father, Gabriel Agreste, well-known designer, always had the last word finally let him go to high school, after the summer ends. He had even let him go around Paris alone, of course only during daytime and only in the common areas of the city, Adrien also had to always pick up phone calls from Natalie or his father. Still, he thought that it was so much more than he ever could do, and had this feeling that this summer was going to bring him something special and unique.
That simple, hot summer day Adrien decided to go and grab something to eat during break in the photoshoot for his father's new fragrance. Walking through the city he saw peacefully looking bakery and decided to step in and look around, maybe they had something warm and fresh to eat. With a ring of a bell hanging above the doors, Adrien walked inside the shop, looking around for something that would catch his eye. He saw a lot of lovely looking pies, even more cute cupcakes, but what caught his eye the most, or rather who, was a girl around his age, standing behind the register. She had kind, warm smile on her face, while she was talking to a client, and something about her, as well as the place itself made him think that he will visit this bakery really often.
Marinette was taking an order from a friendly old woman, who was a regular customer, when she heard door's bell ring. That meant that a new customer appeared, though she hadn't thought that this customer will be a well-known Parisian teenage model Adrien Agreste. She only recognized him from there, always smiling and looking like he didn't have any problems, but looking at him at this very moment made her want to know him better. Adrien was looking a little bit lost, and Marinette saw the sadness in his eyes, what made her think about all the possibilities why he was looking like that. She smiled at him kindly, while he came to the register, looking at all the baked goods around.
- Hello, can I help you?
- Yeah I'd like one croissant and maybe one chocolate cupcake, please.
When he got his order, Adrien quickly bid Marinette goodbye, walking back to the photoshoot. He had smile on his face, maybe it was because of the so delicious food, or maybe because of the kind girl from the bakery, who, as much cliché as it sounds, made his day a little better with her warm smile.
It was only after closing time, when Marinette discovered a post-it note attached to one of the tips. And it was only after reading it when she started to wonder who wrote it.
'Thank you for your warm smile and kindness – you made my day a little bit better'