Ah yes, another normal day at school.
Nothing has changed. For Marinette, it's always been the same routine every day here in Collège Françoise Dupont. Getting late for her first period isn't something you don't see everyday, making a fool out of herself in front of Adrien isn't something out of the ordinary, but the mere fact that almost all of the students here in school are using a yoyo is something you don't see everyday. A god damned yoyo. Of all the things they could play with, it had to be a yoyo.
"Uh, Alya, how come almost everybody here in school is using a yoyo?" She asked her best friend as they walked in the hallway. Most of the students in the hallway are pre-occupied using their own yoyos, while most of them were at least trying to use one. Others even accidentally bumped their yoyos on their head; Hell knows how that was even possible. Some of the students who are succeeding trying to control a yoyo are now trying to perform an exhibition as others try to record them.
"Girl, do you live under a rock or something?" Alya threw a rhetorical question to Marinette and continued, "I posted a video announcement on my Ladyblog of having a Ladybug Appreciation Week! The idea is to make a video of yourself doing tricks using a yoyo and they can post it on the Ladyblog. I had an interview with Chat Noir regarding this, and he willingly hopped in the Ladybug Appreciation Week bandwagon, and now, a lot of people are participating."
Marinette stared at Alya as she tried to hide the blush creeping on her cheeks at the thought of having a Ladybug Appreciation Week. "B-But, how about Chat Noir? He deserves an appreciation week as well!" Of all the things that could've came out of her mouth to contradict Alya's idea, why must it had to be about Chat Noir?
"You know, you should really watch some videos on my Ladyblog so you'll get the answers you need. This week, we're going to have a Ladybug Appreciation Week, then the following week, we'll have a Chat Noir Appreciation Week. I'm sure I can invite Ladybug in that idea." Alya said wistfully as she opened the lock of her designated locker.
"Okay, well, I hope you can invite her to that idea." Marinette said to her best friend. She went over the idea of Ladybug Appreciation Week. The idea of having an appreciation week dedicated to you is too overwhelming for Marinette, and just hoped that maybe Ladybug won't get too overwhelmed with the idea.
"Of course I'll get her in that idea. If Chat Noir got in the Ladybug Appreciation Week, I'm sure Ladybug will too in Chat Noir Appreciation Week." Alya said as she gathered the things she'll need for her next class and slammed her locker shut, while Marinette is thinking about teasing that minou when Chat Noir Appreciation Week has finally commenced.
"Hey, do you know how to use a yoyo?" Alya asked without looking at her, as her main focus was on her bag, trying to look for something.
Without thinking twice, Marinette answered. "I know a few tricks."
"Good. Aha! Finally got it." Alya said, grabbing a round object from her bag and looked at her best friend with a huge smile plastered on her face. "I, Alya Césaire, your best friend and the one who runs the Ladyblog, therefore challenge you to participate in the Ladybug Appreciation Week." Alya announced. Marinette wasn't on her guard when Alya shoved a yoyo on her hand.
"W-What! No! I don't want to contribute to this appreciation week for Ladybug! I-I'll just contribute on the Chat Noir Appreciation Week." Marinette puts the yoyo back on Alya's hand, but her best friend resisted. "Besides, it's been years since I last used a yoyo, I doubt that I'll still remember how to even hold one."
The last thing she wanted was for her classmates to find out she's Ladybug because she's using it similar to the heroine. That would be an anti-climatic revelation. Not only that, she also wanted to participate in the Chat Noir Appreciation Week more because the idea of her partner being highly appreciated makes her happy and all.
"Come on, I know you're more of a Chat Noir fan, but do it for Ladybug and her appreciation week." Alya insisted as she put it back on Marinette's hand once again.
Ladybug won't certainly mind Ladybug not participating in her own appreciation week. Marinette thought.
Marinette was about to resist when a voice interrupted the two girls. "Oh hi, Marinette. I didn't know you're a Chat Noir fan. By the way, I'm a Ladybug fan myself." Adrien walked in.
Alya and Marinette's attention was now set on Adrien, Nino following behind him.
Marinette's eyes widened like saucers from the sudden intrusion. "A-A-Adrien! Didn't see y-you there." She mentally gave herself a pat in the back for saying a full sentence to the boy of her dreams, although she thought that she needed to minimize her stuttering.
Adrien gave her a warm smile. "I heard you and Alya talking about the Ladybug Appreciation Week plan, and I couldn't help myself to wonder if you're going to participate."
Before Marinette could've gotten a chance to reply and deny, Alya spoke for her instead. "Why yes! Of course she's going to participate, am I right, Marinette?" Alya looked at her best friend and gave her a thumb up and a wink, but it only made Marinette more nervous than before.
"That's great, Marinette! Care to show us some of your tricks?" Adrien asked enthusiastically, making the butterflies in Marinette's stomach wreck havoc far more lethal than Hawk Moth's Akumas.
"Uh, I-." She tried to let out an actual word, but to no avail.
"Oh, she'll be happy to show you some tricks on her sleeves." Alya said and pushed the yoyo against Marinette's palm. "Just give us two minutes." She excused the two of them from the boys and walked a few feet away from them.
"Alya, what were you thinking?!" Marinette shouted through a whisper, carefully not letting others overhear their conversation.
Alya gave her a smile as she grabbed Marinette's shoulders. "Girl, it's your time to shine and woo Adrien with some of your tricks when it comes to yoyos. After all, you mentioned earlier that you know some tricks."
"Oh mon dieu, are you crazy? My knowledge when it comes to using a yoyo is a little rusty. Like I said, it's been years already!" She yelled through whispering.
"Come on, girl, you can do it! I'm sure your skills will be kicking back to you in no time the moment you swing that yoyo in front of him." Alya said and grabbed her best friend before she got to say another word. She pulled Marinette in front of Nino and Adrien, who were talking about things Alya couldn't care about anyway.
"So my girl is really good at this. Hold on to your socks tightly 'cause she'll knock your socks out with her tricks." Alya said and went to the side, readying her phone so she can record the whole scene so Marinette can watch how she did later.
Marinette gulped as she slid the ring of the yoyo on her middle finger. She tried not to think about the fact that Adrien is watching over her, and if she messed this up, she feared that he might not talk to her ever again because she's too much of a failure for him. Hell, she's even afraid of getting laughed at by Adrien if she'll mess this up. Thoughts of messing up came flooding in her mind, decreasing her confidence rapidly. So instead of thinking about Adrien's reaction if she messed up, she thought of Chat Noir's reaction whenever she uses her yoyo to entertain him. The way his cat-like emerald eyes would shine in excitement whenever she flicked her yoyo to show him some tricks that she can only do with her yoyo with an infinite string. She remembered that one night when she showed him some tricks that only she can do with her yoyo, showing him her signature move as she danced with her yoyo under the midnight stars of Paris.
Imagining Chat Noir being entertained by one of her many talents was the source of her confidence, and she doesn't know why. Maybe it's because they're partners, and the best of friends? Or maybe there's more?
Thinking about Chat, Marinette directed her attention to the yoyo as she swung it down to the farthest its normal string could reach. The yoyo is spinning on midair as she swung the string up in the air and let it rotate clockwise. Treating the yoyo as if it were Ladybug's yoyo, her fingers made various shapes such as stars, triangles, and double stars with the mundane, non-magical string, remembering how she did it in front of Chat. Her mind went autopilot when she used the yoyo, mindlessly performing some strokes she does whenever she uses her Lucky Charm and purify an Akuma when she was Ladybug. The yoyo didn't stop from spinning in midair at her every stroke.
Her eyes were trained on her yoyo and only her yoyo, not recognizing the shocking expressions she's receiving from her friends as they watched her do her tricks. Alya was recording her while her mouth was wide open and her eyes were twinkling from the grace she's watching in person, whilst Nino has his jaw dropped from Marinette's hidden talent he most certainly did not expect from this shy girl behind him, and his jaw surprisingly hasn't reached the floor yet. On the other hand, Adrien is just confused at the familiarity of his friend's moves.
The string of the yoyo followed every command her fingers would make; still spinning at every stroke Marinette made it flew to. She ended the little show of hers by flickering her yoyo down and made it bounce back to her palm.
"Oh mon dieu, you were amazing!" Marinette removed her eyes from the yoyo and fixed it on the excited Alya who was currently standing in front of her now. "I told you you'd remember your old tricks even if you haven't used it for years! Heck, I even got it on camera. I can't wait to upload this in the Ladyblog and hopefully that Ladybug sees your amazing talent." Marinette tried to swallow the urge to snort from her best friend's comment about Ladybug seeing her talent. Alya shrieked as she grabbed both of Marinette's shoulders and shook her whole body.
"Wow, that was sick, dude!" Nino cheered once Alya was done shaking Marinette, and he received a shy smile from her. "Mari was amazing, don't you think, Adrien?" Nino now looked at Adrien, but Adrien was looking at Marinette confusedly.
Adrien's eyebrows were furrowed, thinking about how familiar Marinette's yoyo dance was. It was marvelous; he'll give her that. Okay, maybe marvelous was an understatement. Although he couldn't shrug off the fact that her grace and confidence were exactly like what Ladybug showed him one night while he was in his alter ego. As Chat Noir, he remembered Ladybug lighting up his darkened mood caused by his father when she performed her signature yoyo tricks. He remembered how beautiful and how her actions are full of grace, and the fact that she had only performed it in front of him touched his heart. She called it her tricks, but for him, it was a dance only she can stage. How could Marinette know his Lady's yoyo tricks?
Alya mentioned earlier that Marinette hasn't done this in a few years, and suddenly she's at the same level of Ladybug's gracefulness when it comes to using a yoyo. Maybe it's a coincidence that Marinette knows Ladybug's tricks? Maybe Ladybug shared her signature move to Marinette? Maybe the two are just really close? Maybe the saying 'great minds think alike' applies to them? Maybe Ladybug and Marinette are the same person –
Wait, what?
And suddenly, realization hit him like a truck full of anti-obliviousness sedatives, if there was one in real life.
"Adrien? What do you think of Marinette's skills?" Alya asked Adrien, snapping him out of his thoughts.
After her little show, Marinette remembered that Adrien was here the whole time. Jesus, how could she forget about his presence? Maybe it's because she's been thinking about Chat the whole time instead of Adrien?
And now here she is, back in reality. She knew she kind of messed it up, judging by Adrien's facial features, how he's been frowning for quite some time now as he's lost in his own train of thoughts. By the looks of it, she didn't manage to earn the same reaction from Adrien similar to Nino and Alya's. Marinette was ready for the judgment about to be spit out by Adrien. She knows he's probably going to moan about how terrible it is, and how other students can do it better. Heaven knows she is a girl open to criticism, being Ladybug helped her with that, but if negative criticisms were to be made by Adrien, she was not sure she can handle it. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for him to speak out his opinion.
"I'm not kitten when I say your dance was absolutely purrfection," Marinette immediately widen her eyes out of instinct at the picture of Chat Noir saying it instead of Adrien. She was hoping she was wrong, but apparently, it was Adrien who actually said those words. Adrien stepped in front of her and he grabbed her soft hand. His lips brushed against her knuckles and with that, he planted a kiss on her bare knuckles and retracted his head from leaning down. The feeling of being able to kiss his Lady without her suit made his heart twinge a tad bit. Adrien looked up to Marinette's confused eyes, but Marinette saw Chat Noir looking up to him instead of Adrien. "My Lady." He winked, not minding the confused Alya and Nino behind them.
Marinette's eyes widen for the nth time today when realization dawned over her. "Oh, chaton!"