Marinette glanced over her shoulder and saw Adrien standing with Nino near the refreshments table. She looked at Alya, who gave her an encouraging nod. Wandering over, she grabbed a cup of punch and sipped it, listening to the boys talk.
"Yeah, My dad wants me to stay in his business, though I'm interested in some side careers, too. I think he's planning on sending me to some famous school for actors and models, but I'm also interested in some form of engineering or architecture. Hopefully he'll approve, as it's somewhere near fashion design." Adrien laughed.
"Yeah, man, maybe he will, " Nino replied. "And I can help you with the web design you'll need when you start your own company."
"That would be super cool, if I ever do." Adrien turned his attention to Marinette. "What about you, Marinette?"
She coughed a little on her punch. "Haha, me?" Marinette still hadn't entirely gotten over her nervousness around Adrien, and it still cropped up sometimes, when he spoke to her unexpectedly.
"Yeah. What do you plan to do with your future?"
"Ummm..." She hesitated, wondering how much detail to go into. "well, I've been planning on going to _ for a long time now, but recently I've come across some obstacles that I don't know if I'll be able to overcome. If I do go, it's going to be a few years before I come back to Paris, though."
"Hey, Marinette, I believe in you." Adrien said. "You'll be able to overcome any obstacles."
"Thanks, Adrien, but this isn't just about me this time. Some people are depending on me staying for... Well, for as long as I can."
"Well, good luck. And I'll miss you if you do go." Adrien smiled.
"I'll miss you too," squeaked Marinette, barely able to contain herself.