Sometimes, my feelings could get crazy whenever I stood in front of my crush, Adrien Agreste. Yep, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Everyone except Adrien knew I'm madly in love for him. I even couldn't make a coherent sentence in front of him.

However, today was an exception. Not only Adrien, today I couldn't give Nathanael a coherent sentence. It all started from an incident before class started.

"Hi Alya!" I greeted Alya when I saw Alya inside the classroom. I walked towards her as she greeted back. "My mom told me to give you your favorite Mont Blanc." I said as I gave Alya a small white box containing Mont Blanc.

"Oh gosh. Thank you, girl" she exclaimed happily as she received the box and put it carefully on her table. "I need to say thanks to your mom but I'm totally busy today."

I smiled, "it is totally okay. I'll make sure to give your thanks to mom."

"Thank you, girl. I love you so much." She hugged me as a thank you.

"Can you even walk more properly?" a familiar sarcastic voice shouted from the hallways.

Alya and I knew who the owner of that sarcastic voice is and it's no other than Chloe Bourgeois. I looked at the hallway to see Chloe shouting at a red-haired male who is collecting his papers. I quickly rushed to help the male and lend his papers.

"Thanks, Marinette." It was Nathanael. He forced a smile at me.

Seeing him so forceful made me want to shout at Chloe. I tried to hold it back so I said it calmly. "You shouldn't shout at people like that, Chloe."

The blonde-hair girl flipped her ponytail. "Why? He is the one who bumped to me and almost made my expensive and elegant clothes being tainted." She looked away with a scoff.

"He might do it accidently," I said while taking a step forward to Chloe "so you shouldn't shout like that as if he did it until your clothes were ripped into shreds."

Chloe looked at me shocked. "How dare you said that to me!" She pushed me hard until I lost my balance.

I didn't really remember what happened at that time. But when the time I realized, I was on Nathanael and our lips crashed. I quickly pulled myself and say a flustered sorry with a face as red as a Ladybug.

I looked around and I saw Alya grinned at me as she pointed at her phone. She took a photo. I assumed. Alya then pointed across her and I saw at the pointed direction. I saw Adrien. Adrien Agreste, my crush.

He looked pretty surprised at the incident but brushed it off and walked away. I backed away. No way… I silently thought. Adrien saw me. I looked at Adrien silently while Chloe barking me with insults. However, I barely understand what she said to me.

"Sorry."

I turned my face to see Nathanael with his head down. I stared at him unbelievably. It wasn't him who supposed to apologize. It was supposed to be her, Marinette. "Why…?"

"Because— "the bell rang and he even couldn't finish his sentence. He stood and quickly rushed to the classroom while hiding his face with the papers he was holding.

I bit my lower lip while standing in front of the classroom silently. Alya walked towards me and rubbed my back. "It's okay, girl." She said. "It's just an accident. He will understand."

I felt a twist of guilt, sorry, and regret. Adrien and Nathanael weren't my boyfriend or anything. They're barely my friends and I seldom talk with them. I let out a loud sigh and let Alya lead me to the classroom and sit beside her.

Lunch break has started. I glanced back and forth, continuously looking at Nathanael and Adrien. I bit my lower lip, stood from my chair, and walked towards Nathanael. Nathanael looked at me as I stood in front of him.

"We- can talk! I mean, Can we discuss—I mean, can we talk for a moment?" I tried to talk. I gulped my own saliva, nervously. I never stutter in front of him, only Adrien. But I couldn't speak properly in front of Nathanael after that happened earlier.

"Sure." Nathanael said as he close his sketchbook. "I was planning to talk to you after all… I mean, after that happened." He smiled at me shyly.

For a moment, I felt myself burning. I looked at him while asking myself what happened.

He took me outside the school, right beside the stairs. I looked at him silently, waiting for him to talk first. "So… about earlier" he started. "I'm sorry."

I stood in front of him silently while slowly leaning my back on the wall. "Why?"

"Because I know you like Adrien and after that happens, he looked pretty shocked and…" He quietly said, hoping me to catch up what he meant,

I shook my head. "No, it was an accident." I stated. "And if there's someone to blame, then it's Chloe! She's the one who pushed me and insults me things."

"If I'm not reckless until I bumped to her like this, things like this won't happen." He tried to blame himself. "And I made you involve into this."

"It's totally not a problem! And about Adrien…"

Nathanael looked at me, feeling sorry. I fidgetted my fingers and mumbled, "I think I'll just leave him be. He won't care anyway…"

I looked at the ground, holding back unnecessary tears. It was stupid to cry in front of Nathanael about Adrien. Even if I had complicated feelings, I shouldn't cry here. It would be totally pathetic.

After a moment, I felt something brushed off my tears. I looked up and saw Nathanael brushed off my tears with his thumb while holding my face. "It's okay to cry now. Even if they're unnecessary, they're your tears. Spill it now is better than spill it later alone." He gave me a warm smile. "I'll be here to hide you so people couldn't see your tears."

At that moment, I was at my peak and let a tear off. I hid myself on Nathanael's shirt and muffled my own sob there. Nathanael slowly rubbed my back, hoping it'll make me calm.

"Thank you…" I mumbled slowly.

Nathanael who seemed understand what I meant nodded slowly.

"You might be one of the nicest people out there." I said. "Anyone would be lucky to have you, Nathanael."

The red-haired boy hid his face on my hair. "I wish you were the lucky one." I heard him say but I'm not sure he said that so I asked again but he denied it, refusing to say it again.

He pulled out the embrace and looked at my teary face. I quickly wiped my face with my palm. "Sorry to show you such a weak side of mine."

"For me, it's not weak." He stopped my palms from brushing the tears off. "I amazed you still care about others in this situation."

I widen my eyes in surprised. Then, he leaned over and licked my tears off. "Nathanael…?" I slowly asked.

He smiled at me and lent me a hankerchief. "It's mine but you can have it." He said. "Make sure to wash your face off, Marinette."

I received the hankerchief and brought it to my chest. "Thanks." I tried to say as cheerful as I can.

He gave a brief bye and walked towards school. I stood on the same spot, doesn't move an inch from there, still standing in surprise. My mouth eventually formed a curved smile, remembering what Nathanael said.

"Thanks, Nathanael…" I said quietly. I love you… I thought the words I was about to say but kept it inside my head.

"Wow, Marinette. That is kind of surprising." A light voice, coming from my purse reached up to me. "Despite he's so quiet, he's a nice friend, isn't he?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, he is." I started to walk towards the school. "Probably there's something I need to admit."

Tikki tilted her head, "what?"

"I might've like him right now." I said smiling as I saw Nathanael entered the class.

Tikki scoffed, "At least, you could easily approach him if it's Nathanael."

"No kidding…"