Marinette didn't get the chance to speak to Tikki immediately. As she ascended the stairs to her room her phone began ringing. A quick glance at the screen told her that it was Alya. She answered the call as she entered her room and closed the door behind her.
"Hello?" she said. "Alya?"
Tikki flew out of her bag and began to explore Marinette's room as she sat down on her bed.
"Marinette! You're never going to believe this!" Alya exclaimed excitedly.
"Huh?" Marinette asked in confusion.
"Have you seen the news?" Alya asked.
"No," Marinette told her. "Is this about that superhero thing?" she asked uneasily. "You weren't caught up in it, were you?"
"Well, kind of," Alya admitted. "I got it all on video!"
"You're the one who taped it?" Marinette cried, her eyes going wide.
"Yeah! I posted it on the internet and you will not believe how many views it has!" Alya said. "It's totally awesome! Nothing this exciting ever happens around here."
Marinette resisted the urge to groan. "It's also kind of dangerous," she pointed out to her friend.
Alya shrugged off her concern as Marinette knew she would. Her exuberant friend wasn't afraid of anything. "Everything turned out fine. Ladybug and Chat Noir handled it," Alya said. "Besides, someone's got to record it. People have a right to know what happened."
Marinette wasn't sure she agreed with her friend but she couldn't argue with Alya right now. She was too distracted by something that Alya had just said. "Ladybug? Chat Noir?" she asked, confused.
"The heroes!" Alya clarified. "That's what everyone's calling them."
"Chat Noir?" Marinette asked thoughtfully. "Isn't that French?"
"Yeah, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Look, I have to go. I just wanted to let you know what happened. Watch the video, okay? It's on my blog. I've e-mailed you the address."
"Okay," Marinette agreed.
After saying goodbye to her friend she set her phone aside and called, "tikki?"
The kwami flew over from the window. "Yes, Marinette?" she asked.
"I don't know if I can do this," Marinette confided. "It's all just a little too real. What if I make a mistake and someone gets hurt? What if my friends get hurt?"
"I won't lie. There's always that risk," Tikki told her. "But I have faith in you. I know you're the right person for this, Marinette. And you have Chat Noir to help you."
Marinette flopped back onto her pillows and thought about the boy in the cat suit. Chat Noir. He had seemed confident. Even when he'd been knocked down by the akuma he'd gotten straight back up again.
"It'll be fine," Tikki said, her voice reassuring. "You'll see, Marinette. Just give it a chance."
Marinette sighed. "Okay," she said reluctantly. She really didn't know if she could hold to her word on that or not though. The truth was that she felt very out of her depth. She knew that now that the existence of the superheroes had gone public, people would be expecting her and Chat Noir to handle the villains that came their way. She wasn't sure if she was up to the task.
-0-
"Why are you late?"
Adrien tried to hide his unease as he stared up at the imposing figure of his father Gabriel Aegreste. The man was tall, blonde and stern faced. He was dressed in an expensive suit. He stood on the landing of the stairs while Adrien stood at the foot.
"I had a meeting after school," he lied. "It was a club thing."
"Club?" Gabriel asked. "Did you join a club?"
"I did," Adrien said, hoping his father wouldn't discover his lie. He hoped that he could use the fake club as an excuse in the future if he needed to transform into Chat Noir again. "It was the ... Literature Club," he added. He spent a lot of time reading and figured that his father would buy the story.
Gabriel frowned. "As long as this club doesn't interfere with your responsibilities I suppose I can allow it," he said.
Adrien bit back a scowl. He hadn't been asking permission. He hated how controlling his father could be.
Without another word Gabriel turned and headed up the stairs. Nathalie, who had been standing behind Adrien during the brief conversation, followed him. She glanced back at Adrien once before she left. Adrien wondered if she suspected that he'd been lying about the club. She probably did. Nathalie was not a gullible person and she was far more involved in Adrien's life than his father was. Adrien would have to be very careful to keep his secret identity from his father. He was very certain that his father would take the news badly.
After swiping some cheese from the kitchen for Plagg, Adrien made his way to his bedroom on the second floor of the large house. His room was large and well furnished with everything he could ever need. His father had always been generous when it came to buying Adrien clothes and electronics. But he was incredibly stingy when it came to giving his son affection. Adrien thought that he would give up all of his possessions if his father could just show him that he loved him.
-0-
The next morning Marinette weaved her way around clusters of students in the halls of Meiou. She could hear that they were all talking about what happened yesterday. It made her all the more conscious of the small kwami tucked in her bag.
She dodged around a group of four students standing in the middle of the hall and walked straight into someone. She stumbled backwards with an undignified squeak of surprise and her bag slid to the floor, a few books spilling out, and much more alarmingly, one spotted kwami.
Marinette immediately stammered out, "Sorry," and dropped to her knees, reaching for Tikki. The male student she'd bumped into also went to his knees and reached for the kwami. His hand closed around Tikki before she could grab her.
He uncurled his fingers and held Tikki in the palm of his hand. Marinette looked up to meet forest green eyes. It was the boy from yesterday. The girl had called him Kurama, she recalled. He stared down at Tikki for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers. She swallowed nervously. There was something all too knowing in his gaze.
Marinette felt that she needed to explain. "I-it's just a toy," she stuttered.
"Oh?" Kurama asked softly. "I've never seen one like this before."
Tikki remained completely frozen in his hand. Marinette was sure that the kwami was terrified.
"Can I have her back, please?" Marinette asked awkwardly. Kurama blinked at her, seeming to have forgotten that he still held Tikki.
"Ah, yes, of course," he said. He held out his hand towards her and Marinette gingerly took Tikki from him. Kurama began to gather up her books and help her put them back into her bag.
"Her?" He questioned suddenly.
Marinette started, confused. "Excuse me?" She asked, not understanding.
"You referred to the toy as 'her'," Kurama explained, his lips turned up into a small amused smile.
"Oh." Marinette was sure that her cheeks were as red as his hair. "I, ah..." She had no idea what to say. She was absolutely mortified. This handsome older student probably thought that she was some weird girl who still played with toys.
"I'm sorry," Kurama said as he pushed the last book into her bag. "I haven't even introduced myself. I am Shuichi Minamino."
Marinette wanted to cry with relief. She was so grateful for the change of topic. But, Shuichi Minamino? Was Kurama a nickname, then? "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she said. Minamino stood up and offered her a hand up. Marinette hesitantly took it. His hand closed gently around hers and he pulled her to her feet.
"It is nice to meet you," Minamino said with a smile as he released her hand. "But I am sure we have met before. You seem very familiar."
Oh, my God, Marinette thought. Does he recognise me from yesterday? "We haven't met," she said hastily.
"Are you sure?" He asked. Damn those eyes, Marinette thought. It seemed as though they could see right through her and read her mind.
"I'm sure," Marinette said, putting as much conviction into her voice as she could.
Minamino opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a new voice.
"Marinette! I've been waiting for you!"
Alya ducked around Minamino and then turned to stare at him.
"Hey, you were involved in that superhero thing yesterday," she said excitedly. "Can I get an interview?"
Minamino paled and Marinette struggled to stifle her laughter at the horrified expression on his face. A surge of vindictive pleasure went through her.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't have time." He gave Marinette a charming smile that never reached his eyes. "I'll see you later, Miss Dupain-Cheng."
"Ah, yeah," Marinette stammered. Alya turned to regard her with curious eyes as Minamino left, striding past them.
"Do you know who that is?" She hissed, grabbing Marinette's arm and pulling her along between the groups of students.
"Shuichi Minamino?" She asked uncertainly.
"He's really popular," Alya babbled. "I guess that's why so many of his classmates were jealous of him."
"Jealous?" Marinette asked.
"Yeah," Alya said. "Didn't you watch my video? Those students who were attacking him were jealous of him for one reason or another. His grades, his looks, his popularity..."
Marinette began to feel a little sorry for him. "Does he have any friends?" She asked curiously.
Alya frowned and considered her answer as they walked through the door of their classroom and took their seats. "Now that you mention it, I don't think so," she said. "I mean, people talk to him all the time but he never really hangs around with anyone on a regular basis. He seemed interested in you, though. Maybe you should try talking to him?"
"I don't know," Marinette said. She had a sneaking suspicion that Minamino might know, or at least suspect, that she was Ladybug.
"Oh, come on, girl," Alya said. "Don't be a chicken."
Marinette laughed. "You just want to get your interview."
Alya grinned at her, unrepentant. "Absolutely. And I am not above using my friends to get it."
Marinette shook her head ruefully. At the front of the room the teacher clapped her hands and called for the class's attention. Marinette turned her attention to the teacher but her thoughts remained on Minamino. Exactly how much did he know?
-0-
Yusuke came to school that day. Adrien was pleased to see that Yusuke was in his class, along with Keiko. The dark haired boy sat behind him, legs sprawled out in the aisle carelessly. He wore a green jumpsuit, in defiance of the school rules.
At lunchtime Adrien got out his lunchbox. He sighed as he opened it to reveal a salad. Because of his job as a model he was on a strict diet.
He jumped in surprise when something smacked lightly against the back of his head. He turned to see Yusuke grinning at him. He'd thrown a piece of balled-up paper at Adrien's head. Keiko had pulled her chair up beside Yusuke and was staring disapprovingly at him.
"Get over here," he said to Adrien. Adrien eagerly grabbed his lunch and spun his chair around so he was facing Yusuke. The orange haired Kuwabara came up on Yusuke's other side with his chair and lunch. They formed a small square around Yusuke's desk.
"How are you after everything that happened yesterday?" Keiko asked Adrien.
"I'm fine," Adrien said. "It was pretty exciting, wasn't it?"
"Man, I can't believe I missed it," Kuwabara moaned.
Yusuke frowned. "I can't remember much of it," he said. "How is the guy who was taken over, anyway?"
"He's back at school today," Keiko said. "I think he's fine."
Kuwabara laughed loudly. "He's better than fine. I saw him this morning surrounded by people and telling them all about it. I think he's making some of it up though."
Keiko had been staring at Adrien thoughtfully, biting her lip. Now she spoke. "Where were you during the attack, Adrien?" she asked. "You disappeared and you didn't show up until after it was over."
Adrien felt a cold shiver go up his spine. He'd been hoping that she wouldn't remember that. "I, ah ... went to get a teacher but got lost," he said awkwardly. "Your friend Kurama found me."
"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who missed the action," Kuwabara muttered.
"Oh, get over it," Yusuke told him. "There's a video on the internet that some chick from Meiou posted on a blog. Go watch that."
"I did," Kuwabara scowled. "Everyone's seen it. It's all over the news."
"Then stop your bitching," Yusuke said, annoyed. "Hey, maybe Hawkmoth will turn you into a villain next, " he added, his tone hopeful.
Keiko laughed. "I just can't see that happening," she said. "Kuwabara's more the hero type. He's so gallant and kind."
"Yeah. I'd totally make a better villain," Yusuke agreed, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. The conversation quickly devolved into an argument between Yusuke and Kuwabara as to who would make a better villain. Adrien listened, smiling to himself. He was relieved that Keiko had seemed to buy his weak explanation. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be so easy to hide his identity from this group for long though. Their friend Kurama already knew, after all. Hopefully he would keep his word but exactly how loyal was he to his friends? Did his loyalty to them trump his word to a virtual stranger?
-0-
There was not a peep from Hawkmoth for the rest of the week, leaving the city to speculate wildly. Alya's blog became very popular, something that both pleased and worried Marinette. While she was happy that her friend was enjoying so much acclaim, she was also worried that Alya's determination to learn about the superheroes would put her in danger.
Marinette had been shocked when Minamino had asked her to meet with him and his friends on Sunday. While he had sought her out both before and after school since their brief meeting, she didn't think that chatting for a few days warranted a weekend date. It made Marinette certain that he knew something about her identity as Ladybug. Why else would he be interested in her?
Not that it was a date, Marinette assured herself as she stood in front of her mirror studying her latest creation: an embroidered sundress. She was considering wearing it to the get-together. She didn't have long before she would have to leave.
"It looks great!" Tikki assured her. "You're so creative, Marinette." Tikki floated in the air just over her shoulder, studying Marinette in the mirror. Marinette had to smile. The kwami had become her own personal cheerleader.
"I guess it's okay," she said. "But I need a necklace or something." She rummaged around in her collection of jewellery before choosing a necklace. There was no point in looking for earrings. She would be wearing the Miraculous.
"Shuichi will love it," Tikki said mischievously.
"It's not a date," Marinette told her. "His friends will be there, too."
Her phone beeped and Marinette picked it up from her desk to see a message from Alya asking for a photo of her outfit for her date. Marinette groaned. "It's not a date," she muttered determinately. She sent Alya a photo of the dress, relieved when it met with her friend's approval. Her best friend's approval bolstered her courage.
The restaurant was easy to find. It was just after the lunchtime rush so not even half of the tables were occupied when Marinette walked in. She spotted Shuichi easily, his red hair standing out among the dark heads around him. Though her eye was caught by the blonde head sitting two chairs down from him. Her mind immediately flashed to her mysterious partner, Chat Noir. She shook her head, ridding it of the stray thought.
Shuichi had caught sight of her and was standing, making his way through the tables to her. He looked handsome in a white dress shirt and dark slacks. His friends turned to follow his graceful movement. Marinette began to feel nervous. She hoped she wouldn't stutter, as was a habit of hers.
"Marinette." He gave her a friendly smile and offered her his hand. "I'm glad you made it. Please come and meet my friends."
Despite his friendly air, there was still something cold in his eyes. Something that scared Marinette a little. She had a feeling Shuichi was more than he seemed. Those eyes were too old to belong on such a young face. She took his hand, unable to say anything or meet his green gaze. He didn't seem bothered by her awkwardness. He guided her over to the table he'd been seated at.
"This is Marinette," he said. "She is a fellow student at Meiou." Marinette took a seat and everyone introduced themselves.
"Marinette?" the blonde boy Adrien asked. "Is that French?" Marinette had noticed the boy's accent when he'd introduced himself and surmised that, like her, he had French heritage.
"Yes," she said. "My father is French."
Adrien's face split into a sunny smile. "I just moved here from France," he said. "Have you lived here all your life?"
"I lived in France when I was young," Marinette told him. "We moved here just before I started school." She considered Adrien thoughtfully. For some reason, she was sure that she'd seen him somewhere before. He looked very familiar. His name also sounded familiar. She made a mental note to check up on that later.
The waitress came over asking for their order. Marinette quickly skimmed a menu while the others ordered. She guessed that most of them were regulars, since only Adrien checked the menu, like her.
"And you, miss?" Marinette glanced up to see the waitress looking at Shuichi, who was now frowning up at her.
Yusuke's booming laugh rang out. "He's a guy," he informed the waitress, who blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, sir," she told Shuichi.
He smiled but Marinette could tell it was fake. He clearly didn't want to upset the waitress further. "It's quite all right," he said.
"Yeah. Happens to him all the time," Yusuke informed her. "It's the long hair and the pretty face and the slim- Ow!"
From the furious look on the face of the brown haired girl sitting beside Yusuke, Marinette guessed that she had either kicked him or stood on his foot. Her guess was confirmed when Yusuke shot her a dark look.
Shuichi gave his order in a smooth, unruffled voice. Marinette hoped that the brash Yusuke would leave him alone now. She suspected that Shuichi was more sensitive about his androgynous looks than he let on.
Her hopes were dashed when the waitress left. Yusuke leaned over to Shuichi. "Maybe you should grow a moustache or something," he suggested. "Then you'd at least look like a manly girl."
Shuichi's mouth pursed into a thin line. He stood abruptly and started to walk away.
"Hey, man, where're you going?" Yusuke called after him. Shuichi did not turn back and did not answer his friend as he exited the restaurant.
Marinette felt very uncomfortable. She wondered if she should go after him. Maybe he just needed some space?
"Dude, that was not cool," the orange haired Kuwabara told Yusuke.
"Yeah, you jerk," Keiko agreed, glaring at Yusuke. "You should apologise."
"Nah," Yusuke said airily. "It's no big deal. He'll get over it. He always does."
Marinette glanced at Adrien, who she saw looked as uncomfortable as she felt. He met her eyes, a worried frown on his face. Making up her mind, Marinette stood and followed in Shuichi's wake out to the sidewalk.
She froze when she caught sight of him. He stood on the sidewalk. In his hand he held a red rose. He twirled it around absently. His face was set in a frown, his green eyes focused on nothing. But what had caught Marinette's attention and made her freeze was the small black butterfly fluttering towards him. She was sure she'd seen a butterfly just like that. Very recently.
"Shuichi!" she called, starting forward. He turned to look at her, the rose stilling in his fingers. Then the black butterfly struck the rose and burst into light, which was absorbed into the rose.
Marinette gasped. Shuichi's expression twisted into an unnatural mask of hatred for a moment and then he was engulfed in light. When the light faded his appearance had changed drastically.
He wore long tight red pants and a red shirt with white buttons that flared out around his hips and came to mid thigh. The sleeves were short and bared his arms. The cuffs of the sleeves were white. The rose was now tucked into his hair. In his right hand was a long green whip. His green eyes were colder than Marinette had ever seen them. He began to walk towards her, his steps slow and deliberate. Marinette backed up, not taking her eyes off him. She felt as though she were caught in a predator's snare.
"Shuichi?" she asked cautiously as he came within arms length of her. She was ashamed to admit it, but she was relieved when he kept walking past her and into the restaurant, his eyes skimming over her as he passed.
Marinette backed away from the door of the restaurant and opened her bag. Tikki flew out.
"You have to transform," she told Marinette. "He's been akumatised."
Marinette glanced around herself. She didn't want to go back into the restaurant right now but she needed a private place to transform. She hurried into the alley beside the restaurant. Ducking out of sight of the street behind a dumpster, she transformed into Ladybug.
When she walked back onto the street in her red and black costume a stream of people were exiting the restaurant in a panic. Marinette noticed that several men now sported dresses and several women were wearing men's clothes. They barely even looked her way, obviously too frightened to stop and question her about her odd appearance.
After the crowd had left the restaurant Marinette made her way in. It was utter chaos. Tables had been upturned and chairs littered the floor. Marinette gulped when she noticed that some of the furniture appeared to have been sliced apart. Was Shuichi's whip really that strong?
"Hey, man, let's talk about this," Yusuke said nervously. He was standing in the middle of the room, facing the akumatised Shuichi, who had his back to Marinette. His long red hair streamed down his back. He really did look like a girl from behind, especially with that long shirt, Marinette decided. Just behind Yusuke stood Kuwabara and behind him huddled Keiko. At least, Marinette assumed it was Keiko. Her appearance was now distinctly masculine, though she still wore her blouse and skirt. Shuichi had used his power on her, it seemed. But where was the French boy, Adrien?
"Fancy meow-ting you here, my lady," a voice purred from behind her, making Marinette jump. Chat Noir moved up beside her. Where had he come from, Marinette wondered. And how had he gotten there so fast?
Yusuke jumped back as Shuichi's whip cracked through the air, narrowly missing him. Kuwabara leapt back as well, almost tripping over a fallen chair.
"Okay, so you don't wanna talk," Yusuke grumbled. He sounded far too cool about this for Marinette's liking. "Then let's play." He raced towards Shuichi but was forced to dodge when Shuichi's whip slashed his arm. Blood welled up from the cut and Marinette gasped. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll distract him," Chat Noir told her. "Can you find the akuma?"
"Yes. It's in the rose in his hair," Marinette told him.
"Okay." Chat Noir moved towards Shuichi's back, baton raised. For one glorious second Marinette thought that he'd caught Shuichi by surprise but then the redhead twisted around and threw something small at Chat Noir.
"Get out of the way!" Yusuke bellowed at them. It was too late. Something green and leafy shot up from the ground. A large bulb grew from the stem and quickly became a massive flower. But it was like no flower Marinette had ever seen. It's petals were purple and it had a giant gaping mouth lined with sharp teeth. Chat Noir was now inches away from a giant, carnivorous plant that was capable of devouring him whole.
"Chat Noir!" Marinette called desperately.
Chat was quicker than she gave him credit for, Marinette realised with relief.
"Cataclysm!" he called. And then he touched the petal of the yawning mouth intent on devouring him as it leaned close. The grotesque flower vanished. That was one frightening power, Marinette had to admit.
Marinette looked back to shuichi to see that Yusuke had taken advantage of his distraction. The dark haired boy had his arm wrapped tightly around Shuichi's throat. Shuichi had dropped the whip in favour of clawing at Yusuke's arm, trying to loosen his hold. Marinette was alarmed to see that Shuichi was gasping for air. Yusuke's hold was tight enough to cut off his air supply.
Yusuke's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Hurry up," he demanded. "If you can stop this then get on with it!" He sounded seriously peeved.
Reminded of her responsibility, Marinette approached the pair. From behind Yusuke, Kuwabara had moved closer to them. His expression was concerned.
Marinette plucked the rose from Shuichi's hair and crushed it. The little black butterfly she'd seen earlier flew out and she purified and released it.
Yusuke was now kneeling on the floor, his arms wrapped around a coughing Shuichi.
"Sorry, man," he said to the redhead. "You weren't yourself there for a little while."
Shuichi's hair hid his face as his body shook with his coughs.
"Hey." Marinette looked up from the pair on the floor to see Kuwabara regarding her. Behind him Keiko was climbing to her feet. She now looked like a girl again.
"Thanks," Kuwabara said to her. "That really could have gone badly."
"It's no problem," Marinette assured him. "I'm just glad everything worked out."
"But..." Kuwabara's eyes roamed the room and Marinette now took note of the damage.
From the dejected look on Keiko's face Marinette realised that she had just noticed it as well. "How are we going to clean this all up?" she wailed. "My parents are going to kill me."
Marinette felt someone give her shoulder a nudge. "Wanna give them a paw?" Chat Noir asked. "I mean, hand."
Marinette glared at him, caught between exasperation and amusement. "You'd better go," she told Chat. "You're going to change back soon."
Chat Noir bowed. "Purr-leasure working with you, my lady," he said, before exiting the restaurant. Marinette shook her head before turning to deal with the mess around her.
She used her Miraculous Ladybug magic to fix all of the broken furniture. Keiko's face morphed into an expression of relief and delight when she saw everything whole and in order again.
"Thank you," she exclaimed to Marinette. "Thank you so much."
"I'm glad I could help," Marinette said, smiling at her. "But I have to go now as well."
"Wait." Marinette looked down to see that Shuichi was struggling to his feet, helped by Yusuke. He stared at Marinette. He seemed to be searching her face for something, though he voiced no further words.
She turned and left the restaurant, bumping into Adrien as she walked out the door.
"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise when he saw her. His mouth opened then closed again as he stared at her. Marinette was glad to see that he was okay. She guessed that he must have left with the other customers though she hadn't seen him among them. Maybe he'd been transformed by Shuichi's gender-swapping ability and she hadn't recognised him?
She pushed past him and headed for the alley. After a quick check to be sure that no one had followed her, she changed out of Ladybug's costume.
"Well done, Marinette," Tikki said, sounding pleased.
"Thanks, TIkki," Marinette said. The kwami flew back into Marinette's bag and she walked back into the restaurant.
Shuichi was now sitting at the table they had all previously occupied, his head in his hands. His long hair obscured his face. Yusuke and Kuwabara hovered over him.
"No harm, no foul," Yusuke was saying cheerfully. "Dude, you know we've all taken worse."
"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed. "You've kicked my arse worse than that. Remember that whole tournament training thing? This was nothing."
"But I was in full control of myself then," Shuichi protested, raising his head. "This was entirely different. I am very sorry."
"If you apologise one more time, I'm gonna kick your arse," Yusuke declared.
"Yusuke!" Keiko said disapprovingly as she sat a tray of cups down on the table. "Leave him alone."
Yusuke raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. Just cut the guilt crap out, Kurama. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, then I guess it's mine." A guilty look passed across his face. "I shouldn't have made fun of you for looking like a girl."
"it's okay," Shuichi said. "I know you didn't mean it."
"No, it's not okay," Yusuke said earnestly. He pulled the chair out beside Shuichi and sat down. "Since it bothers you, I won't do it again."
Marinette joined the group, standing beside Adrien, who looked a little lost. It seemed that he hadn't been a part of the group for very long, like her, and wasn't really sure what to say.
To Marinette's surprise Shuichi looked up and met Adrien's eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Marinette frowned as Adrien's green eyes widened. "F-For what?" the blonde boy stammered. His expression looked panicked.
Shuichi smiled as though he knew a secret that no one else did. But he gave no answer, and Adrien ducked his head. He reached for the tray of cups and took one, draining half of the water in one go. He began to cough and Shuichi chuckled. Marinette was glad to see that his mood had improved, even if she wasn't quite sure why.
The door of the restaurant opened, the bell above it jangling, and Marinette turned to see Alya hurrying in, her phone in her hand.
"Uh-oh," Marinette said quietly.
Shuichi saw her too and his face drained of colour. "I don't feel well," he said hastily, standing up. He went to the bathroom, his friends giving his retreating back puzzled looks. Marinette started to laugh as Alya joined them.
"What happened?" she asked Marinette excitedly. "I heard there was an akuma. Did you see it?"
"Sure did!" Yusuke said with a laugh. "And those two superheroes showed up and defeated it."
Alya raised her phone to Yusuke. "Tell me all about it," she said eagerly. Grinning, Yusuke proceeded to do so, embellishing the story as he went. Marinette noticed with relief that he never mentioned that Shuichi had been the akuma. She knew that if Alya found out that Shuichi had been akumatised she would never stop hounding him. And Shuichi seemed like someone who valued his privacy highly.
Marinette glanced towards the bathrooms and was relieved to see Adrien entering the men's bathroom. She hoped that he would make Shuichi feel better.
-0-
Adrien entered the men's room to see Kurama staring at his face in the mirror. The faucet in front of him was turned on and the water running unobstructed into the drain. Adrien reached over and turned the water off. Kurama finally seemed to realise that he was there and turned his back to the mirror, leaning against the basin.
"Is everything okay?" Adrien asked.
Kurama smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine," he said. "Thank you for your concern. The experience was just a little... disconcerting."
"Did you learn anything about Hawkmoth?" Adrien asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid not," Kurama said. "I don't remember much from the experience."
"That's a shame," Adrien said. "If we knew who he was, we could end this before anyone gets seriously hurt."
Plagg flew out of Adrien's pocket and hovered in front of them.
"If only it were that easy," he said. "Hawkmoth has a Miraculous, as well. He won't be easy to take down, even if you do discover his identity. Now, do you think there's cheese on that menu?" He looked hopefully at Adrien.
Adrien glared at him. "Do you only think about your stomach?" he demanded, irritated with the cat kwami.
Plagg huffed. "I'll have you know that using my powers is exhausting. I need nutrition," he informed Adrien snootily.
Shuichi smiled. "I am quite hungry, myself," he said. "Let's go and join the others."
"Okay." Adrien followed him out of the bathroom. He saw that the newcomer was now completely distracted by Yusuke and Kuwabara, who appeared to be recounting the events rather dramatically. Keiko had disappeared. Kurama did not return to the table. Instead, he made his way behind the counter and into the kitchen where Keiko was cooking their meals. Adrien followed and offered her his help, as did Kurama.
Adrien had never had to cook for himself before and the experience was enlightening for him. He managed to slip Plagg a few cubes of cheese without Keiko spotting him, though from the amused curl of Kurama's lips, Adrien knew that the sharp-eyed teenager had noticed his thievery.
When Keiko, Kurama and Adrien brought out the food, everyone dug in eagerly. The mood was now a cheerful one, Adrien was glad to see. Kurama was relaxed and joking with his friends. Alya seemed satisfied with the information she had already gleaned from them and did not mention the superheroes again. Despite the akuma attack, Adrien decided that it had been a good day, overall. Though his thoughts turned to Ladybug as he listened to his friends' chatter. She had shown up awfully quickly. She must have already been in the area.
Adrien shook his head to clear it as Alya suddenly squealed in surprise. She stared at Adrien, open-mouthed.
"Oh, my God. I just realised," she said excitedly. "You're Adrien Agreste, the French model, right? Your dad's Gabriel Agreste, the fashion designer."
Marinette's hand flew to her mouth, her blue eyes wide. "That's why you look familiar," she blurted. "I love your father's work."
Adrien paled, running a hand through his hair awkwardly as Yusuke burst out laughing.
"You're a model?" he asked. "Can you introduce me to some hot chicks?"
"Yusuke!" Keiko yelled. The sound of her hand connecting with his cheek echoed in the room. Kuwabara began to laugh and Kurama's hand came up to cover an amused grin. Adrien felt himself relax. This wasn't so bad, he decided. So what if they knew he was a model? It wasn't as big a secret as being a superhero.
-0-
"Oh, Kurama! There you are!"
Kurama turned around at the familiar chipper voice, wishing that it's owner had been just a little more discreet. He was on his way home from the restaurant, and while the street he was walking down was quiet, he didn't appreciate his demon name being shouted out so loudly. Especially not when he was so close to home.
"Botan," he said when the blue-haired ferry girl reached him. Today she wore her traditional pink kimono. She looked very out of place in the suburban street. "How may I help you?" he asked.
"Koenma wants to see you," she told him. "You need to come with me."
Frowning, Kurama said, "All right."
-0-
Koenma was in his teenage form and looking sober as Botan led Kurama into his office. His desk was littered with paperwork but the prince seemed to be ignoring it for the time being.
"Ah, Kurama. Thank you for coming," he said. Kurama stood in front of his desk, back straight and hands clasped behind him.
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
"I understand you've had a very interesting day," Koenma said, regarding him thoughtfully.
"Yes," Kurama said shortly, aware that the prince of Spirit World had likely witnessed the events with his all-seeing technology.
"A word of caution, Kurama," Koenma said. "I understand that you were not in control of yourself today but you used your yukai to attack a human."
Kurama paled. He had not even considered that Spirit World might hold him responsible and accountable for his actions while under Hawkmoth's control. For a demon, even a demon living in a human body, harming or killing a human was a very serious crime according to Spirit World law.
Koenma paused, allowing Kurama to absorb the gravity of his situation. "In light of your service to Spirit World, we've decided to overlook this incident. But I think you should warn Yusuke and Hiei that they should use extreme care when dealing with these attacks. If it weren't for Ladybug and Chat Noir, you may have seriously injured or killed innocent people today."
Kurama frowned, now annoyed with Koenma. He knew that perfectly well, and didn't need anyone to point it out to him. "I am aware of that," he said tightly. He chose not to point out how unfair he felt that Spirit World's harsh rules regarding demons were. It had always proven futile in the past.
"Good," Koenma said, his voice stern. "You can go now."
Kurama turned and left the office. Botan waited outside for him. Her attitude was cheerful as she escorted Kurama back to Human World. Her mood didn't mesh with Kurama's solemn mood at all. If she noticed, she didn't show it. Or perhaps she did notice and was trying to cheer him up.
As they stood on the street outside Kurama's home he asked, "Have you found anything in the Spirit World archives yet?"
Botan, who had just been about to depart on her oar, hovered in the air in front of him. "I'm still looking," she said. "But I'm sure I'll find something soon."
"Thank you, Botan," Kurama said, earning himself a sunny smile.
"You're so nice, Kurama," she told him. "Lord Koenma never thanks me for my work. He's such a grouchy boss."
Kurama watched her depart, disappearing into the darkening sky. He turned and walked up the path between his neat garden beds and to his front door. Things were certainly getting complicated, he decided.