Even though Luka came back Marinette was kept in charge of the same stand with Adrien as Luka helped with another stand.
"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" Adrien asked Marinette suddenly.
Marinette nodded. "Yea sure."
"Between Luka Nino and I, if one of us was going to ask you out and assuming Nino wasn't dating Alya, who would you most want it to be?" Adrien asked her.
Marinette looked at him shocked and she blushed really hard. "HUH?! Wow that came out of nowhere…. I can't decide."
"You won't hurt my feelings, just be honest with me." Adrien replied.
"Okay but you go first. Here is something to drink." Alya said as she suddenly appeared next to Adrien handing him a water bottle as Juleka handed Marinette one too. "Now if you had to pick one of the three of us to ask out and assuming I wasn't dating Nino who would it be?"
Now it was Adrien's turn to be shocked by that question but he hid it with a smile. "I'm not saying."
"Awe why not?" Juleka asked playfully.
"Yea? Well sorry to interrupt." Alya said teasingly before she walked away with Juleka.
From afar Luka saw and heard everything and he shook his head disappointed.
"Well I guess it's fair that you can't decide." Adrien told Marinette with a smile.
'I wish I could've heard his answer. Who would Adrien want to ask out?'
Luka walked over to them. "Adrien, can I talk to you for a bit?"
"Sure." Adrien followed Luka to a staircase far away from Marinette's hearing range. "What's up?"
"I saw and heard everything that just happened. You should've told the truth and said 'I would ask you out, Marinette'." Luka said with an encouraging smile.
"Even if I'm not in love?" Adrien asked.
Luka frowned at him. "Aren't you in love with her?"
"Is it okay if I fall in love with her?" Adrien asked back with a frown too.
Luka raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would it not be?"
Adrien sighs. "I don't know…more regret."
"What do you mean by regret?" Luka asked.
"I just have made a lot of wrong choices and I regretted them." Adrien smiled softly. "For example, going out with Kagami. I didn't like how it affected Marinette. I'm basically scared of ending up hurting someone so I would rather not make a choice at all."
"But then you won't be able to do anything and there will be no change." Luka replied.
Adrien looked down. "Why do things need to change?"
"Adrien, are you okay?" Luka asked him concerned. Adrien looked back at him and nodded with a smile.
'In the letter future me put a bullet point beside everything she wants me to change but I already failed in accomplishing two of them. I didn't stop us from inviting Adrien on the first day of school and then I couldn't stop Adrien from dating Kagami. No more I don't want Adrien to be sad anymore."
At the end of the cultural festival Adrien and I watched the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. That's all that happened. Unusually I felt courageous today. If you can just be your usual self. It should work out.
After the group was done with what they had to do for the festival they explored around and had a lot of fun. Soon it was getting dark and the fireworks were about to start.
"Marinette, where do you want to watch the fireworks at?" Adrien asked Marinette.
"The Eiffel Tower." Marinette replied with a soft blush.
Adrien nodded with a smile. "Cool, I was thinking the same thing. Do you want to head to the Eiffel Tower now?"
"Okay let's go." Marinette replied.
At that moment Adrien spotted Luka. "Marinette if you don't mind I'll meet you there."
Marinette nodded. "Sure."
Adrien walked over to Luka as Marinette started walking to the Eiffel Tower. "Luka are you sure it's alright if I go?"
"Well it's not like you can not go at this point." Luka replied.
"And I'm not making the wrong choice here?" Adrien asked.
"To begin with this whole falling in love dilemma isn't really a choice." Luka replied. "Go do what makes Marinette happy."
"I want to." Adrien mumbled.
Luka pointed to the Eiffel Tower. "Then stop hesitating Adrien. You are not making a mistake."
Adrien smiled. "Right, thanks." Adrien rushes to the Eiffel Tower.
Meanwhile Marinette was waiting down the stairs of the school looking at the pin Adrien gave her with a smile.
'Please…. Please let me see Adrien smile.'
At that moment Kagami stopped her. "Well look who it is. I'm glad I bumped into you as the school president. You need to take the boxes of our class back to the classroom."
"But I have something else to do." Marinette replied.
"Well you should hurry than Mrs. Bustier wants it done." Kagami stated.
"I can't." Marinette repeated.
"In that case let me see your hair pin." Kagami threatened. "Right now give it to me."
Adrien arrived at the top of the Eiffel Tower but he didn't see Marinette. That's because Marinette was carrying the boxes up the stairs.
'It will be fine. I can make it if I hurry.'
Kagami was going to meet up with Adrien at the Eiffel Tower when Luka and Nino stopped her. "If you're looking for Adrien he's at the park." Nino stated.
"That's great but I wasn't looking for Adrien." Kagami replied.
"Kinda weird since he was looking for you." Nino stated.
"Looking for me? Got it. Thank you." Kagami headed over to the park.
"Good work." Luka stated and Nino nodded.
At that moment the fireworks started.
'No! Today is the one day I absolutely can't change.'
"Marinette, what are you doing here?!" Alya exclaimed as she and Juleka walked to her. "Shouldn't you be with Adrien?"
"This is not the time to do errands." Juleka added as they took the boxes from Marinette. "Give us those."
"Don't worry we got it." Alya stated.
"Thank you, you're the best girls." Marinette said before running to the Eiffel Tower.
"Hey, these are Kagami's fencing gear!" Alya exclaimed looking at what was inside the boxes .
Marinette ran past the boys and Luka looked her way in shock. "Marinette?! She wasn't with Adrien?"
"And the fireworks are about to end." Nino stated.
As the fireworks ended Marinette ran to Adrien as she put her hairpin on. "Adrien! I'm late. I know I'm so sorry."
Adrien looked at her surprise. "Your hairpin."
"I wanted to make sure I wore it today." Marinette replied.
Adrien smiled. "I was starting to think you ditched me."
"No, I would never do that to you." Marinette replied with a smile. "Plus I was looking forward to this. I hardly had any sleep last night."
Adrien smiled. "Yes, same here."
"So um…the question you asked me earlier today…the truth is I know the answer. Out of the three of you I would want you to ask me out the most, Adrien." Marinette said with a blush. "I'm so glad you moved here to Paris and that I met you."
"Funny, out of the three girls, I would like to ask you out." They laughed nervously. "How's your injury doing? Can I see it?" Adrien takes her hand. "Did the bandage stick alright? I was super nervous when I put them on."
Marinette looked at him surprised. "Hold on, you were nervous? You didn't seem like it to me."
"I was freaking out." Adrien replied. "Whenever I touched Kagami's hand I was fine so I didn't expect anything. Strange huh?"
At that moment the fireworks started again since it was the grand finale and they were more beautiful than before. Adrien and Marinette watched them still holding hands.
'I was afraid it was all over.'
"Marinette, thanks for coming tonight. I'm glad we were able to watch the fireworks together. I'll remember this night for the rest of my life. Today was such an awesome day." Adrien replied with a bright smile.
'And I'll remember Adrien's words. I'll remember them for the rest of my life.'
From that day on. Please make Adrien happy as often as you can. I'm sure that's what will save Adrien.
"So Marinette, how did it go?" Alya asked her once Adrien and her returned to the group.
"Good." Marinette replied with a smile.
I think Adrien's regret is not being able to save his mother. Please save him from this regret. If you can do that you may be able to stop the accident from happening.
'What does that mean? Can't I stop the accident if I know the day? I was too scared to read ahead until now but it should be in here.'
Marinette takes out the rest of the letter from her drawer and reads the part of the day Adrien is supposed to die.
February 15th. Until then it's just another day. At night I was in my room writing in my diary as usual. Then Luka calls telling me Adrien's been in an accident. He tells me that Adrien died. The accident happened that night after 8:00pm at the intersection near Adrien's house. Apparently Adrien was riding his bike when he darted in front of a speeding truck. There was nothing we could do. Saving Adrien from the accident won't save him. I want you to save Adrien's heart. 10 years later we learn that it wasn't an accident but that Adrien committed suicide. We have one regret letting Adrien die.
Marinette tears up, after reading that tragedy and quickly texts Tikki. "Tikki, how do I do it? How do I save Adrien's heart?"
"Talk to him about his regrets that might make him feel better and make sure that he's happy and loved by who he cares about." Tikki replied. "This might be a hard task so maybe you should ask for help from someone you can trust."
"Someone I can trust? But who?" Marinette mumbled.
"Are you sure that it wasn't an accident?" Alya asked Felix. "Maybe he just freaked out seeing the truck that he didn't think fast enough to move. We were asked by the police if he was having suicidal thoughts but in the end they declared it an accident."
"That's what I thought too I mean I could've saved him too but seeing the truck heading to Adrien… I froze in a panic but when I came back home to tell my mom of what happened she was already in tears from reading a note Adrien left her." Felix replied.
Amelie gave the note to Luka and he read it outloud. "Dear Aunt Amelie, I'm sorry I made it so hard on you. If anything happens to me please tell everyone it was an accident. I'm going to see mom to apologize to her. Thank you for everything. Adrien." Everyone frowned hearing that note.
"It seems like Adrien made the choice himself to ride in front of that truck. I wish I had been there for him when he needed me but I was at a loss after losing my dear sister." Amelie stated now in tears. "I regret it but nothing can be done to change the past."
I want you to ask him about his mother. I want you to keep Adrien away from choosing death. I want you to help him take on his burden. I want you to save Adrien's heart.
That Saturday the group was supposed to hang out. Marinette and Adrien were the first ones to arrive at the agreed meeting spot at the park when they both received a text message.
"Luka and Nino are going to be late." Adrien stated.
"Alya and Juleka are going to be late too." Marinette added.
"Let's do something until they arrive." Adrien stated. Marinette nodded and they started walking around the park.
From afar the group smiled at them. "Perfection, the plan was a success. They are going on a date!" Alya exclaimed happily.
"Gzz say it louder why don't you." Nino remarked with a smile.
Adrien and Marinette went to an ice cream shop and got milkshakes. "You two are such a cute couple." The cashier told them.
Marinette blushed. "What boyfriend?! -"
"No, we're not dating." Adrien quickly added.
"Really? I figured you two were a couple." The cashier said with a chuckle.
The two left with a blush. "I guess we uh.. Look together." Adrien stated as they sat down to drink their milkshakes.
Marinette nodded. "Yea I guess so. By the way, who's the person you were interested in?"
Adrien smiled at her. "I'm not interested in her anymore. I moved past that. I'm in love with her now."
"You are?" Marinette asked.
"I wonder when our friends will show up." Adrien stated and Marinette nodded.
"Adrien, I was wondering. Can you tell me something about your mother?" Marinette asked him.
"No nothing." Adrien simply said looking at her with a smile. "There's nothing to say."
"Okay… do you feel guilty at all?" Marinette asked him. "Do you think you should've saved her?"
Adrien didn't say anything at all for a while and suddenly Marinette saw a tear fall down his cheek. "What I think is that you probably hate me if I tell you about it."
"I won't. I promise." Marinette replied.
Adrien nodded. "Okay… I regret so many choices.. The worst is what I did on the first day of school."
"The day your mother passed away?" Marinette asked.
Adrien nodded. "Yes… My mom always had health issues. That day she was going to a new hospital that could really help her. I promised to go along to help her settle in and stuff… then you guys asked me to hang out with you guys and I was excited to make friends so I called my mom to tell her that I couldn't make it. I figured that I could apologize later but she had that heart attack when I was with you guys. She could barely do anything without me.. I knew that she needed my support… I knew it but still… Mom was worse than I thought… it was all my fault. This regret hurts." Adrien was crying softly now.
'He's wrong. It was my fault.'
"It's okay, I'm sure your mom understands." Marinette said, reassuring him even though she didn't believe it as she started to tear up.
'No none of this is okay. I couldn't do anything for him. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say…. What does it mean to save someone?'
"Marinette I'm sorry can I be alone for a little bit?" Adrien asked her, looking down.
Marinette nodded standing up and she went to throw away their milkshakes. At that moment Alya and Juleka walked over to her. "We made it sorry about being late." Alya stated.
Marinette smiled. "It's okay."
"Did you enjoy your date?" Alya asked playfully.
"Date? Gzz did it look like that to everybody?" Marinette asked sarcastically. "Where are the guys?"
"On their way." Juleka replied.
"Where's Adrien?" Alya asked.
"Over there-" Marinette started pointing to the bench when she suddenly stopped seeing that Adrien was gone.
At that moment she got a text from Adrien. "I'm going home early, thank you for today."
Later that day Marinette kept looking at her phone hoping Adrien replied to her texts but nothing.
'There's no way that conversation could've saved Adrien. If I haven't saved him then.. This is just too hard. Can I even do it?'
Sabine walked in her room. "Dear Luka is here and he wants to talk to you."
Marinette nodded quickly, wiping away her tears. "Tell him that he can come in."
Sabine nodded before going back down to the living room. Soon Luka walked in her room. "Hey Marinette, sorry for coming before calling you first."
"It's okay." Marinette replied. "What's the matter?"
"Adrien isn't replying to any of the group's texts and it has been hours. Since you were with him earlier I thought maybe you would know why."
'Maybe Luka will understand. I don't think one person can do this alone.'
Marinette takes a deep breath. "Luka, I want to talk to you about Adrien. I need your help to save him… this is going to be hard to believe but um the thing is -"
"Marinette everything is going to be fine don't worry. You got one right? A letter?" Luka asked her with a smile and Marinette looked at him with wide eyes.