"You did what?!" Marinette shriek loudly, she couldn't believe her ears. "You asked Adrien to go on a date with me?!"
"Yup, for this coming Sunday" Sabine said cheerfully. "Are you happy dear?"
"About what?" Marinette look at her mother closely, not looking happy.
"And don't worry about the money, it's all on me!" Sabine said confidently.
"No money- No date- No thanks!" Marinette decline it with frustration.
"Well! And after all the trouble I went through, too…" Sabine sighs.
"I told you to stay out of my business" Marinette said. "Forcing him into a date like that…I mean, even I have some pride!"
"He was delighted." Sabine said.
Marinette eyes are wide with a slight blush across her cheeks. "Y-Yeah right!"
"It's true…"
Flashback, just a while ago
"If you don't want to do it, then…" Sabine said with a sad face.
"No, it's okay, really" Adrien said with a kind smile.
"Are you sure?" She said sounding surprise.
"Really! I can't wait" Adrien said with enthusiastic.
End of flashback
"The poor dear was so happy about it…" Sabine said looking sad. "I don't know how to break the news to him…"
The room is quiet for a minute. Marinette look away and quickly dry the last plate.
"Then I'll tell him" Marinette gently place the plate it at the drying rack.
"But, Marinette…"
"Mom, a date isn't something you ask someone else to do for you" Marinette walked away and head to her room.
Meanwhile with Adrien
A date, hm…? It feels funny to be asked by someone other than the person I'd be going out with…
But the way she asked me, how could I possibly-
"Having second thoughts?" Adrien turn and face Plagg, who is eating Camembert with a narrow eye.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't look excited" Plagg pointed it out.
"No, I mean…I just-" Plagg interrupted him.
"Oh I see, you're disappointed because ladybug won't be your first date"
"No! I wouldn't mind going on a date with other girls…as friends…" Adrien explain.
"Uh-huh" Plagg looks at Adrien
"Don't look at me like that. The way how I'm asked is sort of weird. If Marinette wanted to hang out I don't see why…then again…she always tried to tell me something but-"
Adrien heard his phone going on and look over to see who it was and it was none other than Marinette.
"Hello Marinette" Adrien answers. It was quiet for a second and Adrien can hear the stutter Marinette is making. Adrien waited patiently to hear her.
"Umm…it seems my mom asked a strange favor of you…" Marinette sounded nervous.
"Strange? Oh, that!" Adrien realize what she meant. "I'm really looking forward to it, Marinette!"
"You are?!" Marinette couldn't believe it. Hearing from Adrien is something Marinette have always wanted to hear him say that.
"Yeah, Sundays is usually my day off from the entire lessons I had so I'm free all day. I don't mind hanging out with you"
"I mean…s-so am I" Marinette accidently blurt out.
"You said something?" Adrien asks.
"Oh nothing! Forget it!" Marinette brush it off quickly, unaware that Sabine was standing nearby hearing their conversation.
'I told you to stay out of my business' she said. Sabine laughs.
Sunday, the date
"Um…mom, what is this?" Marinette looks over the paper Sabine gave her that appears to be a schedule.
"Your schedule" Sabine answers while looking calm.
"Mom!" Marinette said in a low voice. "Is this some kind of joke?!"
"Who got the gold, makes the rules! That's the golden rules, sweetie!" Sabine said confidently in a low voice.
"Shall we go?" Adrien smile at Marinette and Sabine.
"You kids have fun!" Sabine said happily waving at him. "My goodness, Adrien! Don't you look lovely today?"
"T-Thank you" Adrien said with fluster.
It's true! He made himself up for me-I mean, this friendly date!
"Shall we get going?" Adrien asks Marinette.
"Y-Yes, sure!" Marinette nodded quickly.
Movie Theater
"I'm sorry, James…but I can't be with you…" A woman said in full pain. "Because I'm going to marry your brother!"
"Of course, you do realize she picked this movie." Marinette timidly explain to Adrien about her mother's taste in movies.
"Y-Yes, I can see that" Adrien said.
Naturally, if there's one creaky old re-released in France, she'll find it! Marinette look a glance at Adrien; he's stares at the movies with a small smile while eating popcorn. I wonder if he's gonna having a good time.
Adrien stare at the moving motion while eating popcorn. He looks around the room. The room is hard to see what color are the walls but he can see the color red and blue from the light screen. There's only a few people, most of them are in their mid-age and elders, he notice a guy who doesn't look old, rather a teenager from the way he's dress. He sits next to Adrien two chairs aways and Adrien could've sworn he seen him before and when Adrien squint his eyes to see clearly; he almost choke his popcorn.
"N-Nino!" Adrien shouted from surprise. It's Nino, sitting two chairs apart.
"Adrien!" Nino said with an astonishment look in his face. "Whatever are you doing here?"
"That's my line!" Adrien yelled at him.
"Hey! Down in Front! Shut up!" An elderly woman said on the very back of the seat.
"Oh, sorry" Adrien apologize and sat down quickly.
"If you haven't called my name, I wouldn't have known it was you" Nino said innocently.
"You were sitting next to me and you DIDN'T know it was me-!?" Adrien said being guarded.
"It's dark in here and I always like to sit in front…I thought you knew since we've always sit in front" Nino explain.
I don't think he's lying…but…somethings not right…I don't think Nino is the type to watch this type of genre.
"Let's get out of here Marinette" Adrien got up and Marinette looks at him with a muddle expression.
"Uh…? But…" Marinette isn't sure on what's happening.
"The film is about to begin" Nino said, pointed at the movie screen.
"Then you'd better stay RIGHT HERE so you won't miss it!" Adrien insisted desperately.
Adrien and Marinette exit the movie theater and both seem lost.
"so…um…what should we do? There's still a lot of time until lunch…" Marinette said while looking at the schedule.
"Yeah, I guess…since she made reservations and all…" Adrien recalled. Adrien thought for a moment on what they should do and came up with a plan. "Hey, I know! You want to go to a book store near here?"
"Book store?"
"A friend of my dad used to work there" Adrien said with enthusiastic. "You got to see it-it's HUGE!"
"That'll be neat! I love going places like that!" Marinette happily agree.
Marinette and Adrien enter the book Store that took them a bit longer to arrive but it wasn't too far from the movie theater. Each section to another, there's like thousands of different books, all neatly pile up in a shelfs.
"Oh! I've been meaning to find a book like this!" Marinette held up a book called Sketch Your Styles, a book about fashion clothing.
Adrien stare at Marinette who is looking cheerful and innocent. I've sometimes seen Marinette looking energetic but this time, Marinette looks rather…cute.
"Hey, you guys!" Marinette and Adrien turn their heads and it's not someone they expected to see.
"A-A-" Adrien was loss at words. Alya is standing with shopping bags in her hands.
"Alya!" Marinette spoke out.
"What are you guys doing here?" Alya asks kindly.
"Um…that's the same question I want to know" Marinette said anxiously.
"I stop by to get a new book for English class. My teacher made me chose a book that's in English"
"Oh I see!" Marinette feels wary, wasn't sure if she believe her. She told me she already chosen a book and all of the suddenly she's getting a new one?
"S-Shall we get going?" Marinette said to Adrien.
"Good idea." Adrien come to an understanding.
"Well, see you tomorrow, Alya!" Marinette said with a smile.
"Have fun!" Alya said to both at them.
"Marinette…don't you think…it's a little strange?" Adrien spoke out.
"What?" Marinette said to make out the topic he wants to say.
"We meet Nino at the theater and then Alya at the bookstore"
"Hmm…that is a little odd, isn't it?" Marinette agreed.
"Have you…you know…told anyone we were going on a date?" Adrien asks Marinette.
"I only…told Alya" Marinette blush hard. Am I not supposed to say anything?
"Hmm…I only told Nino. We haven't told them where since we didn't make the plan"
He's right…how could they have known that- Marinette snap out of her thoughts when Adrien speak.
"I feel like we're being stalked!" Adrien suggested angrily.
"I doubt they are like that…and even if they did, I find it hard to believe they'd have that much time to waste"
Restaurant
"Hello Adrien! Marinette!" Sabrina greeted them cheerfully.
"Whoa! Adrien! What are you doing here?!" Chloe said with a fake shock expression.
"Sabrina...Chloe…" Adrien is loss at words. "I'm a little surprised to see you two here"
"Chloe and I always eat here every Sunday" Sabrina explains.
"Yeah. We go here occasionally and I don't have to eat the maid's food" Chloe laughs.
Adrien smile nervously while Marinette looks annoyed.
"Say, a reserved table and everything!" Sabrina whisper at Chloe.
"It's a date after right!" Chloe whisper angrily.
"Do you think it's all a coincidence?" Marinette whispers to Adrien.
"I kind of got the feeling" Adrien said.
"I don't know. I mean, how could they have known we were going to be here?" Marinette said. Adrien close his eyes to think.
"Do you think Adrien is enjoying the date?" Sabrina asks Chloe.
"Get real! He's just taking pity on the poor idiot, that's all!" Chloe said it loud enough for Marinette to hear it.
Marinette made a small gurk inside her throat.
Pity! Pity! Pity! Pity! Pity! Pity! Pity!
"Marinette…um…why don't we just eat quickly and go?" Adrien suggested with a worried tone.
"Yeah, sure" Marinette said, looking depress.
Marinette and Adrien quickly finish their food and got up quickly.
"Well, we're off. See you guys tomorrow!" Adrien said to Sabrina and Chloe.
When both of them got out the restaurant, they haven't say any word. Marinette can't help but feeling sad.
Chloe's right…it's just a pity date!
Adrien looks at Marinette with a concern look. She looks so down all of the sudden. I wonder why…?
Both of them are sitting at the bench. They haven't said a word when they left the restaurant. Marinette feels suspicious about what's going on: Nino in the movie theater, Alya at the book store, Chloe and Sabrina at the restaurant…it's hard for Marinette to describe what was going on besides being stalked.
"So…shall we go for ice cream?" Adrien asks.
"Sure…" Marinette agrees, feeling sadder because it's the end of their date.
"…she even chose a café for us" Adrien said, looking at the schedule.
Marinette and Adrien stand and look at the café. Both of them sense the feeling something is wrong.
"Shall we go in?" Adrien asks. Marinette knew what he meant.
"May as well" She answers.
Both of them lean against the wall so they won't get spotted. When they got in, they hide behind a shelves loaded with cakes.
"Uhh…hello?" Adrien and Marinette look at the cashier lady above. "Excuse me, please have a seat."
"Sorry. We're looking for someone" Adrien explain to her.
"Then shall I use the PA system?"
"No. It's okay. I appreciated though" Adrien said kindly. The lady looks at them strangely but head back to work.
Marinette and Adrien slowly move forward to see and they cannot believe their eyes: Their entire classmates are sitting in the same room! Everyone looks all casual as if it's their ordinary day.
"Marinette, it's a trap! We'd better run!" Adrien said quickly.
"Good idea!" Marinette turn and quietly tries to exit as Adrien follow her.
"Hey!" Chloe spotted them and got up quickly, pointed at them. "They're escaping! After them!"
"Stop!" Alya shouted at them.
"How come you're running away from us?!" Nino yelled at them.
"How come you're chasing us?!" Adrien yelled back.
Marinette and Adrien ran whatever street they go to side by side.
"There they are!"
Gah! How did it come to this?! Adrien is starting to lose his breath.
"Quick! This way!" Marinette grab his arm and pull him near the alley for a short cut.
"Okay!" Adrien obeyed. Both of them ran quickly like they were being chase by a shark…lots of them.
When couple of their classmates are still tailing, Adrien quickly grabs Marinette's hand, Marinette looks at Adrien as Adrien looks at Marinette; they feel like they done this before but it was hard to describe what it was they're feeling; they feel excited yet more familiar with tasks.
They headed to a nearby park and Marinette turn her head to see if none have caught up with them.
"I…think…we lost 'em!" Marinette said while catching her breath.
Adrien look at the direction they ran off. I think they're spying on us, but why…?
"I'm really sorry, Adrien" Marinette said with a very remorseful tone. "If my mom hasn't asks you to go on a date…"
"Actually, it's been kind of fun" Adrien said looking beam. "Sort of like a game"
"Really…?" Marinette is surprise by his reaction.
"Uh-huh! I haven't felt this excited for a while!" Adrien smile and laughs. "It was fun!"
Marinette smile, feeling calm after knowing Adrien had a good time. She quickly realizes they were holding hands and Adrien notices it too. They quickly let go and look away.
"Umm…should we head home?" Adrien said nervously. Marinette look over her shoulder, Adrien also looks over his shoulder and from the sun shining on him, his face is really red.
"I…I guess so…" Marinette shyly agrees and both start to walk to head home.
Marinette's house
"What-?! Nothing happened?!" Sabine said with full shock.
"We followed them with the utmost diligence, as you commanded, but…" Nino pause for a minute to figure out how to explain it and quickly responded. "…they seemed strangely bored at the theater…"
"And when they were in the book store they hardly talked to each other at all…" Alya explained.
"And at the restaurant they were all tense and stuff, y'know?" Sabrina said.
The three of them exit the house and stand near the bakery.
"So how it that everyone knew about their date?" Alya looks at Nino suspiciously.
"I didn't say anything!" Nino defended himself. Both turn their head on Sabrina.
"I didn't say to anybody either!" Sabrina also claimed. "Except I told Chloe and she tweeted about it"
Nighttime
And here I am being good at playing cupid. Sabine pouted and headed to the living room.
Marinette smile widely as she dries the plates.
A/N Based on a wonderful manga, Maison Ikkoku.