The chapter after this is pretty sweet, so I think you'll like it. For now deal with the Rivals.
Adrien was ready to leave the Agreste household to live on his own. His mother tells him the things he should do and Adrien simply brushes it off saying that he knows and before he leaves, he takes one last look at Marinette. Up in her room, Marinette plops down on her bed and feels sad that Adrien really left the house. In school, Rose and Mylene are shocked to hear that Adrien moved and Marinette tells them that he got his own apartment and part-time job. Rose asks where he lives and Marinette honestly admits that she doesn't know where he lives or where he works leaving her friends shocked.
On cue, Nino comes over and presents food for celebration saying that it's good that he moved out and that he won the match since now he could steal Marinette away from him. Rose then kind of angrily asks Nino if he understands how Marinette is feeling and chases him away leaving the three girls there, and with Rose stealing the food that Nino made. Mylenei then states that Nino had a point, that if Adrien had liked Marinette, then there would be no reason for him to leave.
In her mind, Marinette thinks about how Adrien just told her that he didn't mind living with her and then he left the house, thus wondering what Adrien is thinking and if he's trying to avoid her in the end.
The same day, Marinette and her friends go to spy on Adrien at the Science and Engineering Department where she and her friends start talking, but get recognized by some of Adrien's classmates who say that Adrien already left to go to his part-time job. Marinette asks what job, but his classmates admit that they tried getting that information out of him, but he wouldn't say.
At tennis club that day, Marinette is picking up balls when suddenly Kim runs up to her and begins talking about the tennis ball's feelings and her slacking off, since her heart isn't entirely in collecting balls during practice. Kim then goes on to scold some other kids as Marinette just sighs and thinks to herself that there's no way that Adrien will go to tennis practice.
The dinner that night is silent as it's only Marinette, Felix, and Gabriel. Sensing the bad atmosphere, Adrien's father apologizes since Nathalie is out on urgent business and Marinette says that the food is fine, where as Felix says that he's doing eating and gets up to leave as the father takes his food.
Gabriel then tells Marinette that he thinks that Felix is lonely because Adrien left and Marinette thinks that although Adrien was coldhearted to her and seemed as though he hated her, she could be with him forever and not mind it.
As Marinette enters her room, she thinks about how she feels as though the distance between Adrien and her has gotten bigger. Nathalie then calls to Marinette and barges into her room stating that she found it. Mari asks what and Nathalie says that she found where Adrien works. Marinette is surprised and Nathalie says that it's difficult to hide anything from her and continues by asking if Marinette will go to spy on Adrien with her.
Outside of the door, Felix says that he'll go and that he's worried about his big brother so much more than Marinette, so the three of them decide to go together to spy on Adrien, even doing a little cheer. The day for spying arrives as the three go out in ridiculous disguises, even hiding behind bushes on their way out of the house, like Adrien works for their gardener or something. Finally, they go to the café where Adrien works and spy on him. From the table they're sitting at, Marinette comments on how cool Adrien is and the mother calls over a waiter, but a different one approaches. Nathalie then points out Adrien as the waiter that she wants and Adrien comes over asking if they could do something about their disguises, which I have to admit, are outrageous.
Nathalie asks how Adrien recognized them and Adrien asks how he couldn't. Nathalie then attempts to get information out of him about where he lives, but Adrien states that he's working and doesn't have time for personal conversations before walking away after putting in their order.
As they're drinking, Felix notices that Adrien is no longer in the café and they wonder where he went asking a coworker, and find out that his shift already ended for the day, so he left. Marinette suggests that they should go as well and states that she's just happy to see that Adrieni is doing well.
However, as they get up, Nathalie notices a help wanted sign and points it out to Marinette at the possibility of her working there. As Marinette informs the staff of wanting the job, she gets taken to an interview place, only to hear that the boss has decided to hire another girl, who happens to be Chloe.
Marinette asks how Chloe knows that Adrien works at the café and Chloe admits to being told by 'him,' shocking Marinette who believes it to be Adrien.
That night, Nathalie asks Marinette how the interview went and Marinette admits to not getting it because of another girl who is in the same department as Adrien. Nathalie then asks if it's 'that woman' pulling out a picture from her pocket in her apron and pasting it on the fridge, even stating her name, Chloe Bourgeois. Marinette asks how she got that and Nathalie says that she's a person that gets information.
Nathalie thinks that she's pretty good, but she's obviously no good because she's not Adrien's type and she's sure she knows that, too, which is why she applied for the part time job. Nathalie says that no matter what, Marinette is the perfect match for Adrien, she's positive. And saying all of that while swinging a knife around.
In school, Marinette tells Rose and Mylene about how Chloe now works with Adrien, and Mylene points out how the guys that they met at the department building didn't even know where Adrien was working and find it strange that he would tell Chloe. Mylene says that it makes sense and states that when a person changes their life it's always for a reason. They come to the conclusion that Adrien probably began living on his own because of Chloe, but Marinette points out that Adrien told her that he didn't hate her. Mylene says that it might sound cruel, but 'I don't hate you' and 'I love you' are two different things.
Rose says that Adrien never showed an interest in girls, and that by him moving out of his comfortable home, something big must've happened, such as him falling in love.
That night at the restaurant, Marinette's father asks her what's wrong, since it's rare for her to go there, and Marinette says that she just wants to eat the food that he prepares. Nino then comes out of the back and says that he'll eat with Marinette, but his coworker pulls him back stating that he'll just eat in the back.
While she's eating, Marinette's father says that he understands that it's probably because of Adrien moving out and saying that it concerned him too, since it happened after they came back. Marinette tells her father that maybe he does hate her more than she thought and her father asks why she's saying something like that and that Marinette said she would do her best no matter what happened saying that she should just deal with it.
Marinette says she understands and that she truly went to the restaurant to eat his food. After eating, and once Marinette leaves, Nino tells Marinette's father about how Marinette is having a hard time, but her father states that she's not little and that she can decide her own things and that he'll be there for when she really needs him and tells Nino to not worry about other people, to become a man instead and put his parents worries at ease.
That night, Marinette leaves the restaurant and ends up back at the café, on the lookout for Adrien as she stands by a tree. Marinette then spots him waiting on some tables outside and prepares to go up to him, but she then sees Chloe go up to him, making her stop in her tracks and tells herself that she'll just wait there until he's done work.
An undetermined time amount later, Marinette is still standing by the tree waiting for Adrien. When she looks inside to see where he is, she spots him coming out, but he only stands on top of the stairs by the door as Chloe comes out right after him as the two walk off together.
Marinette watches them and thus begins following behind them.
Marinette begins following them all over the city wondering to herself about when Adrien is going to go home and whether Adrien moved out to be closer to Chloe. During her stalking, Marinette then sees Adrien and Chloe go into an apartment building together and follows them in. It's there that she sees the mailboxes and Chloe's name on one, figuring that they're living together.
The next day begins Marinette's zombie-like appearance.
Marinette claims she couldn't sleep well and Felix comments that if Adrien sees her, he'll hate her even more. suddenly, Marinette begins zoning out and in a monotone voice, thanks Felix for pointing that out before leaving in her zombie-like state.
At school, Marinette informs Rose and Mylene about her hypothesis of Chloe and Adrien living together. They say that it could be a mistake, but Marinette says that she waited in front of the apartment for three hours, and within those three hours, Adrien didn't leave. Her friends figure that they're living together because of that and begin piecing together that it is probably because Adrien moved in with Chloe.
Suddenly, Marinette stands up and her friends ask her if she's alright. After doing a little dance, Marinette states that she's fine and going to class, where she walks slow and like a zombie.
In the staircase while going to her class, Marinette passes by Adrien who simply just stares at her in her dismantled state.
Adrien stops by the tennis club that afternoon and is clearly looking for Marinette to which Kim says that she isn't there since she wasn't feeling well and that she never missed a practice until that day. But before he can say anything else, Chloe calls to Adrien and tells him to go practice with her.
Later, Adrien is reading on the path as Felix runs up to him. Felix asks why Adrien wanted to see him, but he says that there's no reason, just because and because he wanted to know how things were at home.
Felix then pipes up and says that Marinette has been acting strange and Adrien asks how so. Felix says that he doesn't know, but her face is pale and she's always daydreaming, and also barely even eating. As Felix keeps describing Marinette's symptoms, though, worry is evident on Adrieni's face as he had seen her act that way when he passed her on the stairwell once.
Presumably on the same day, Marinette is still acting and walking as though she's a zombie.
That day at lunch, Nino makes a feast to cheer Marinette up, but Marinette shows no reaction to the food and only stares off into space as her friends attempt to cheer her up and get her mind on something else. Marinette weakly says thanks for the food, but she just doesn't have an appetite and tells her friends that they can eat it all as she gets up to leave, stumbling a bit on the way.
Once Marinette leaves, Nino is evidently angry and blaming Adrien for making Marinette that way, but her friends hold him back saying that he could lose his job since he's working at the school and Adrien is a student there. Outside, they watch as Marinette passes by, and as she faints, too.
The three take Marinette to the infirmary where she's is resting. The nurse says that she has fatigue and malnourishment and that she should be okay and that her family has already been contacted.
The doctor also adds that even though her condition isn't very severe, it does seem as though she has psychological shock over something leaving her friends quickly blaming Marinette as they go off and angrily attempt to find him in the science and engineering building.
They storm into a classroom and find him, angrily approaching him and scaring anyone in their way. As they approach, though, Adrien gets up and Rose and Mylene stop him saying that they want to talk to him, but Adrien simply stares at them and asks who they are. Shocked, the two announce that they went to the same high school together and asks how he couldn't remember them, but Adrien states that he tries to not remember useless things.
It's then that Adrien states that he remembers and that they have the same level of brains as Marinette, only to proceed to call them each other's names, on purpose.
Adrien then proceeds to ask them why they're there and they say that they're there because of Marinette and comments on how disgusting Adrien is since Marinette is devastated because of him. Confused, Adrien asks because of him and Rose mentions their theory of Adrien living together with Chloe and talks about how Marinette followed Chloe and Adrien and how she waited outside of Chloe's apartment for three hours, all while Adrien continues packing his bag.
Rose then says that Adrien should just tell her frankly about how he feels about her. Adrien asks if he should just frankly say it, but her friends say that he should carefully say it since he should understand human feelings and ask that he not make Marinette suffer anymore.
The two attempt to do damage control by calming down a bit, at least not yelling anymore, and continue by saying that they're not telling him to love Chloe, but if there's no hope for Marinette to be together with Adrien, then they want her to forget him. With that said, they bow to him asking for his help before they leave. Adrien watches them as they leave the classroom, the realization for why Marinette was acting that way hitting him.
At the Agreste house, Nino drops Marinette off and asks if she's alright. Marinette says she's fine and apologizes to Nino since he had to bring her home. Before Marinette goes into the house, Nino stops her and tells her that he's always there and that anytime, he's always close to her and there for her.
Marinette apologizes once again and Nino tells her that it's not the time to apologize and tells her to eat well and get a good night's sleep as she slowly enters
That night, Marinette lies on her bed and thinks back to when Adrien told her that he had trouble being with her, but he doesn't hate her. Marinette also thinks about Chloe and Adrien together and what she saw when she followed them the one night. She also thinks to earlier when her friends told her to get over Adrien since he's not the only man around, and also to that afternoon when Nino told her that he'd always be there.
The next morning, Marinette makes her way out of the house as Nathalie asks her if she's alright and that she can give her a ride if she wants to, but Marinette says she's okay and that she's going to get going.
Marinette makes the slow walk to school as she says aloud that she can't be like that anymore, that she has to be strong and she can't give people around her any more trouble as she ends up giving herself a little peptalk and skipping to the campus, only to see Adrien standing there. Marinette quickly walks past him and mutters a hello.
As Marinette continues walking past, Adrien tells her to wait and asks her if she has a minute as he begins walking. Marinette catches up to him and begins walking behind him.
As they walk, Marinette asks Adrien how his new home is. Adrien says that it's great and spacious and Marinette thinks that it's probably spacious while she asks aloud about his meals, to which Adrien says that he eats at the café and has someone prepare them, leading her to believe that he's living with Chloe. Marinette then suddenly says that she thinks it's great to fall in love with someone. Adrien asks what she means and Marinette says that she has had a one sided love with Adrien and that he probably thought she was a nuisance, but because she loved him, she could put her best efforts into many things just be with him and says that it might be a trivial matter for him, but she remembers that it was such a big deal for her.
Adrien asks her if she could get to the point and Marinette says that if he wants to fall in love with someone, she'll be happy for him and that it would be a lie to say that she's not frustrated, but if both he and Chloe love each other, she'll be supportive of it.
Just then, a girl comes running out of the science and engineering building calling to Adrien. Immediately she recognizes Marinette and says that she could tell because of the way she looked, which is dumb. Marinette wondered who told her that and she states Adrien and her older sister, meaning that her older sister is Chloe Bourgeois. The girl introduces herself at Bebe and is surprised that Marinette hadn't heard about them and says that she will tell her, revealing that Adrien is actually tutoring her at their house, not actually living there like Marinette believed.
Marinette then looks at Adrien who says that the Bourgeois family pays him well and he gets free dinner, referencing to when he told her earlier that someone makes his dinners for him.
It suddenly clicks in Marinette's mind as she begins to cry, to which Bebe asks why Marinette's crying, but Chloe simply says that Marinette is strange and not to mind it.
Once Bebe and Chloe leave to go around the campus, Adrien asks Marinette what she was saying earlier about approving him to live with Chloe, but Marinette quickly denies it saying that she's taking it back. Adrien then tells her to be quiet and tells her that he moved out to live by himself and asks her why he would live with someone else and says goodbye to her, once again calling her by her first name.
Moments later, Kim comes running asking for Chloe wondering where she went. Marinette goes off on how she thought that Chloe and Adrien were living together, and as soon as he hears that, Kim is about to kill someone, until Marinette holds him back saying that they actually aren't and it was a misunderstanding.
Marinette then wonders why Chloe said that Adrien told her about his part-time job, to which Kim gets confused and says that he's actually the one who told Chloe about Adrien's part-time job at the café since he's the one that introduced the café to Adrien in the first place. Marinette wonders if that means that Chloe had lied to her, but when Chloe told Marinette, she never specified what guy, she only said 'him.'
Kim asks Marinette if she's really okay since he doesn't know what she's talking about, but Marinette says it doesn't matter and asks Kim to treat her to food since she's hungry. The two then walk down the path together with Marinette thinking about how glad she is that it was only a mistake and wonders why Adrien started living by himself, but figures that it's okay as Adrien looks on at the once again cheerful Marinette :).