Chapter 9: Valentine Traditions
Valentine's Day was only three days away, and wherever you looked, you had all kinds of things that reminded a person of that date and how close it was. Throughout the city, decorations were put up in every shop window, while on the streets you would have vendors taking advantage of the holiday and selling heart-shaped balloons, roses, small trinkets, among other things. Not to mention that at night, some of the city's landmarks were illuminated with a bright pink light, to symbolize the date. In sum, Paris had proudly hoisted the love flag, crowning itself once more, as the most romantic city in the world. Or as Mayor Bourgeois had said in one of the press conferences he had called upon, earlier that week, the capital of Love in all of Europe.
And the same thing could be said about Collège Françoise Dupont. Just like it happened every year, the school was decorated to celebrate the happy event, with paper hearts plastered over the walls, banners with all the colours in the rainbow, among other things. And like always, this kind of décor invited the young people to show themselves and not hide in one of the many dark corners of the school, if they wanted to share some affection with the person, they loved the most. Though the school had a rather strict policy when it came to the display of affection between a couple, that did not stop the young couples from expressing their love; though most of the times that display of affection was nothing more than a couple of kisses. Most of the time, the faculty staff just closed their eyes to these situations, knowing what was like to be young and in love. And during the week that preceded Valentine's Day, they even encouraged this kind of behaviour, as long as no one took things to a more serious level.
Among the numerous couples on the courtyard, waiting for that were shown displaying some affection were Mylene and Ivan. They had yet to tell everyone they were dating, but because they were seen so many times together, exchanging looks and kisses, and even holding hands,
"I know it's still a couple of days until Valentine's Day, but I wanted to give you something nice I found yesterday in a store, when I was on my way back home from the battle with Origami." -Mylene said, with a rather shy voice, as her face blushed a little. Opening her backpack, she pulled out a cute teddy bear, that had Ivan's name embroidered in its belly. –"I couldn't resist it." -she said, as Ivan grabbed the teddy bear and planted a kiss on Mylene's forehead.
"It's really cute. But you didn't need to, Mylene." -Ivan said, as he held the teddy bear in his hands.
"Of course, I did. You are always offering me gifts and cakes. Offering you this, it's the least I can do." -Mylene smiled at him. –"Besides, you know I'm a sucker for teddy bears… after all, I'm dating the biggest one in all of Paris." -she said in a whisper, which only Ivan was able to hear.
Chuckling, Ivan hugged Mylene as hard as he could. When people looked at Ivan, the first thing they tended to think that he was a big brute, who if given the opportunity would break a person in half. But Mylene knew that that was just a lot of hogwash. The truth was that Ivan would not hurt a fly. And furthermore, he would give his life for those he loved the most, just to protect them.
"You know I'm lucky to have you in my life, don't you?" -Ivan told her.
"I do." -Mylene smiled at him. –"And you, do you know I'm also lucky to have you in my life?" -she asked him.
"I most certainly do." -Ivan smiled back at her, while continuing to hug her.
The other couple was Alya and Nino. Having been dating for more than six months, their relationship was different from the one Ivan and Mylene had, but that did not mean it as not as strong as theirs was. In fact, their relationship was as strong as ever, with the two of them supporting each other. When they started dating, both Alya and Nino were not absolutely sure if their relationship would work, mostly because it was the first time each of them was dating. They had spent nearly half a year flirting with one another, so they knew there was some attraction between them. But one thing is attraction, and the other is love, and though young, they both knew that was true. Still, they each decided to give the first step and began dating, to see if things worked out. It did not take long for them to understand that they were the right person for one another.
But being the right person for one another, did not mean they were perfect for one another. Like every other couple they had their fights, their disagreements and their squabbles. But they had managed to work things out between them, and their love grew even stronger than before. And that was just part of the reason why, when they each arrived at school, the first thing they did was to find the other, so they could spend a little time together before classes started.
"Good morning, foxy fox." -Nino smiled at Alya, having been the one who had arrived first that morning.
"Good morning, turtle boy." -Alya said, as she hugged Nino, before planting a kiss on his lips. –"Mmm… do I detect a new cologne?" -she chuckled, having smelled a different cologne her boyfriend was wearing that morning which had a slightly musky scent to it.
"Guilty as charged. I had to use my dad's, because mine ended yesterday." -Nino confessed.
"Guess I already have an excuse to buy you a new bottle of it for Valentine's." -Alya told him, making him smile.
"At least you have an idea on what to give me. Me, on the other hand, have no idea of what I'm going to give you." -Nino told her.
"Liar!" -Alya chuckled. –"I know that you have already bought my present." -she said. –"I don't know what it is, but I know that you have already bought it last week. And before you ask, how I found out about it, let's just say that Adrien knows how to keep a secret, but Plagg's a whole different story."
"That Plagg…" -Nino chuckled. –"I knew I should have never told Adrien about it, when Plagg was around. It's a good thing I didn't say what it was." -he admitted.
"Speaking of Adrien, is he finally going to tell Marinette how he truly feels for her?" -Alya asked Nino. He had told her a week before that Adrien had told him that he was determined to reveal his feelings for her on Valentine's Day, the same way Marinette was determined to reveal hers for him.
"Last time I checked, that's the plan." -Nino told her. –"He didn't get tell me any details, but it's going to happen on Valentine's Day, that I'm sure of." -he said. –"What about Marinette? Is she going to tell Adrien about it too on Valentine's Day?"
"Last time I checked, yes." -Alya smiled at him. There were no secrets between them, and that included things their best-friends had asked them to keep a secret. Usually, they would not reveal these to one another, but because their best-friends were in love with one another, they felt like they had the responsibility of setting them on the right track. –"She's a little nervous about it all, but I talked to her yesterday, after we defeated Origami, and she seemed more than determined to make it happen." -she admitted. –"You know what? It's going to be really funny, when they each find out about it. I can already picture it; Marinette will try to tell Adrien that she's in love with him, and Adrien will try to tell Marinette that he's in love with her, all at the same time! And in the end, they're going to end up laughing about it, before they share a kiss and telling each other they should have said something earlier… and, well, you can picture the rest yourself, without me having to say it."
Hearing her say that, Nino wondered if Alya herself had not thought about the whole thing more than Marinette had. Chuckling, he placed himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, just before kissing her on the back of her neck, making her giggle.
"It's going to be a really beautiful moment, Alya. That, I'm sure of." -Nino whispered to her ear. –"And… are we going to be there to see it?" -he asked her, with a mischievous voice.
"You know we will. After all, we've been trying to get those two together, ever since they first laid eyes on each other, so, it's only fair." -Alya smiled.
But from so many couples that existed in that school, there was one that was still a secret from everyone; and that was Rose and Juleka. The two had been dating for a few months now, just like it happened with Alya and Nino. But unlike them, their relationship was a secret from everyone. Everyone, except their kwamis and Juleka's brother Luka, who had caught the two kissing in Juleka's bed. Because of its secrecy, their relationship was different from their friends' relationships, and that just added a little spice to it. Not wanting to be seen by anyone while kissing, the girls made their way to the girls' bathroom, where they knew they would have some privacy. Entering it, they quickly checked to see if there was no one around, before locking themselves inside one of the cubicles. Alone, the girls jumped into each other's arms and kissed passionately. Though, on that morning it was Rose who seemed more eager than usual to kiss Juleka, than the other way around. As they kissed, the girls could smell each other's distinctive fragrances. Rose smelled like strawberries, mixed with cotton candy and orchids, while Juleka smelled like nail polish, mixed with leather and daffodils.
"Usually, I'm the one who craves your kisses." -Juleka giggled, between kisses.
"Sorry. I had a really great dream about you last night, and when I woke up, I just felt like kissing you." -Rose giggled, before kissing Juleka once again.
"A great dream, you say? Don't you mean, a kinky dream?" -Juleka joked, knowing well that when she talked like that, Rose would start to blush like a tomato.
"Juleka! Don't say that! You're making me blush!" –Rose told her, while trying not to blush.
"But you're so cute, when you get all blushed. It makes your eyes look even more beautiful than they already are." -Juleka whispered to Rose's ear, before kissing her once more.
"Girls, please! Tamara and I are here! If you want to continue to kiss like that, at least, let us out of the backpacks, so we don't have to hear you do that!" -Flint exclaimed from inside Rose's backpack.
"Don't mind him or me, girls. Just ignore him." -Tamara said, from inside Juleka's backpack. Unlike Flint, she did not have a problem with hearing Juleka and Rose kissing.
Hearing Flint and Juleka say that, Rose and Juleka stared into each other's eyes, before giggling a little louder than usual. They were giggling not because of the situation itself, but because of how each of their kwamis reacted to that whole scene.
"Let's just do like Tamara says and ignore Flint." -Rose told Juleka, as she caressed the goth's sweet face. –"I'll never get tired of your eyes. They're so beautiful." -she sighed.
"Well, I won't get tired of yours either. They look like two beautiful blue ponds." -Juleka said, as she gently kissed Rose, this time take her time to savour the blonde's lip gloss. –"You know, I've been thinking about the reveal and…"
"You don't want to do it?" -Rose asked her, fearing that she had changed her mind, regarding the matter.
"On the contrary, I want to do it. It's time for us to reveal our friends the truth. They are our friends, after all." -Juleka smiled at her, as she hugged Rose, as tight as she could.
Smelling the unmistakable fragrance emanating from her girlfriend's skin, Rose did not want to let go of her. In fact, she wanted that moment to last forever, where she would be hugging Juleka, feeling the warmth of her body against hers. But she knew that was not possible; first because they were both in the girls' bathroom, and there were places far more romantic to be, and they could be interrupted by anyone who entered there, and second, they had to get to class.
"You know, we have to get to class, don't you?" -Rose asked her.
"I do. But let me just stay with you, like this, one more minute, okay?" -Juleka whispered to Rose, who did not mind staying there another minute, hugged to the girl she loved.
"Alright, one more minute." -Rose giggled, as she leaned her head on Juleka's chest, hearing her heart beat.
Most of the class was already seated, waiting for Miss Bustier to arrive, when Sabrina herself arrived, followed by Chloe, who had given her a ride that morning. Saying hello to everyone, the two girls sat on their seats, while Chloe commented on just how awful her afternoon had been. She had attended boring charity parties before, but this one had toppled them all. But the main reason she had hated it, was because of what she had to wear to it. Sabrina, on the other hand, had a lovely afternoon, celebrating her grandmother's birthday.
"At least, you had fun at your grandmother's party. I, on the other hand, didn't have fun at that charity party." -Chloe sighed. –"And here I thought that this particular one would be fun. I can't believe I had to stand there, just smiling for the photographers… I mean, I don't mind doing it, but that's when the parties I attend have something fun for me to do, or at the very least, I'm wearing something that makes me look cute. Just look at this dress, Sabrina. I look like I was attending a funeral." -she said, as she showed her one of the photos that had been posted online. In it, she was standing by her father's side, wearing a black evening gown, with her hair in a honeycomb. She looked a lot older in the photo. –"I can't believe daddy allowed his personal assistant to choose this dress for me to wear, and then told me I had to wear it. That woman doesn't have a speck of fashion sense or taste in her entire body, or knows what looks good on me!"
"It's not exactly a dress that suits you. It's something that would look better on someone older." -Sabrina said, as she looked at the photo, and for a moment, it reminded her of Chloe's mother, and the photos of her attending parties.
"You know I don't care much about fashion, but that dress that you had to wear was… I don't even know what to call it." -Pollen said. –"But your hair looked lovely." -she said.
"Thanks, Pollen. It was the only thing I was allowed to choose." -Chloe sighed.
"Yes, your hair looks beautiful on the photo, Chloe." -Sabrina said, praising it.
"I don't believe I'm going to say this, but instead of attending that party, I would have rather have been used as a punching bag, again, by an Akuma." -Chloe sighed, as she closed the website on her cell phone. She had looked at the photo, where she believed she looked ghastly, to say the least.
"Well, your help would have been welcomed." -Alix told the blonde, as she got up from her seat and went to talk to her and Sabrina. –"With your wind powers, we would have sent that Origami guy to the Moon in a matter of seconds; him and every last one of his creations." -she said. –"It was one heck of a battle."
"Believe me, even after the beating I took from Bebop the other day, and saying that I wouldn't face the following Akuma, I would have preferred to go into battle, instead of attending that charity party." -Chloe sighed.
"Don't be say that, Chloe. I'm sure your dad was happy you accompanied him to the party." -Sabrina told her, trying to cheer her up.
In a way, Sabrina was right, and Chloe knew it. She knew that whenever her mother was not in town, and her father needed someone to accompany him to an important event, he was always happy to see her by his side. Still, it was times like this that she wanted her mother to not spend so much time in New York, and come back to Paris to fulfil this kind of duties, that Chloe so often fulfilled instead of her.
"Well… daddy was certainly happy." -Chloe smiled. –"But, you still haven't told me anything about what happened at your grandmother's party yesterday." -she said. She had been rambling about what had happened to her, from the moment she picked her up, and forgot to ask her how things went at her grandmother's house. –"Come on, spill the beans, Sabrina. I want to know everything."
"Now you've got me wanting to know about it, as well." -Alix said. She was not the nosiest of people, but when something good happened, she also enjoyed to know about it.
"The same goes for me." -Daria said, from inside Alix's jeans pocket, where he was hiding.
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down! She'll tell you, if you agree to shut up for a moment." -Mika told them, as his fluffy head sprouted from inside the pochette Sabrina was carrying with her that morning. –"Go on, kiddo, tell them." -he smiled at her.
And with that, Sabrina quickly told both Chloe and Alix how things turned out at grandmother's birthday party. She told them how she got to see most of her cousins and talk to them, just like it happened on most parties they attended together. She told them about the beautiful cake that her grandmother baked for the occasion, and how delicious it was. And of course, she told them that like it happened every time she visited her grandparents, in the end, she and her cousins would all take with them a bag full of chocolates, candy and all sorts of goodies, courtesy of their grandparents. But even if there no chocolates or candy, Sabrina would not mind. She loved to spend time with her grandparents.
"It's one of the good things when your grandparents own a café and they think you're too skinny, so they give you a ton of chocolates from the display case in the café, so you can become even sweeter than you already are." -Sabrina giggled. No matter her age, in the eyes of her grandparents, she was still a little girl.
"And have you already at them all?" -Chloe asked her. She knew Sabrina had a sweet tooth.
"No, but I plan on to, with Mika helping me, of course." -Sabrina declared.
"I'm not much of a chocolate lover, but hey, if you're willing to share them with me, who am I to refuse it?" -Mika said, making them all laugh.
Alix was about to say something to the blonde, when entering in the room, carrying several briefcases in her hands, came Miss Bustier. Like always, Caline Bustier arrived with a sunny disposition and a smile on her face, ready to teach her class.
"Good morning, class!" -Miss Bustier exclaimed, as she entered the classroom.
"Good morning, Miss Bustier." -the whole class in chorus, as everyone took their seats.
"Today, we're going to have a very special class." -Miss Bustier smiled at her class, as she placed all the briefcases she was carrying on top of her desk. –"We're going to discuss Valentine's Day." -she said. –"We're going to learn a little more about the various cultural traditions linked to this special day. I've prepared a presentation, which I think you're going to like, and we'll discuss it, as we go along."
Whenever Miss Bustier brought a presentation to class, that usually meant that the class was going to be fun, instead of just educational. And that was the kind of class most of her students liked, because they did not need to take so many notes as they usually did, and because time seemed to go faster, then when they had to write on their notebooks every last piece of information Miss Bustier wrote on the blackboard.
"But before we can take care of that particular part of our lesson, we're going to take care of another one. I want you to open your algebra's books on page 78 and 79." -Miss Bustier declared.
Upon hearing that, the whole class sighed, showing that they were not happy with that. And, as always, Alix decided to express her displeasure, just like she always did.
"Oh, Miss Bustier, why can't we just ignore that part of the lesson for today?!" -Alix asked her, annoyed with the fact that their teacher was going to force them to learn about what she considered a useless subject. –"You know none of us likes algebra, don't you? So, why tormenting us with it?" -she asked Miss Bustier, this time already with a slightly playful voice, trying to gain some sympathy from her.
"Speak for yourself." -Max told Alix. –"I happen to like algebra. It's quite challenging." -he declared.
"But you're a nerd, Max! Nerds like anything that has numbers in it." –Alix shot at him in a playful tone.
"Well, us nerds are going to inherit the world, while you, jocks, will end up working for us." -Max joked, making everyone chuckle.
"Now, everyone, calm down. Let's leave the comedy for another time." -Miss Bustier told them, as she herself, tried to stop chuckling. If there was one thing she knew, was that her students always managed to make her laugh, even when she did not feel like it. It was just one more reason why she loved them so much. –"Now, please, open your algebra books on pages 78 and 79, like I asked you. The faster we go over this, the faster we can begin Valentine Day's presentation." -she declared.
Doing as they were told; the whole class opened their algebra books and quickly saw what was in store for them for the next two hours. And like always, time seemed to drag itself, as Miss Bustier taught them. Between sighs and boring definitions, the whole class tried to pay attention to what their teacher was saying, while trying not to fall asleep, out of boredom. Some of them, like Kim and Alix even began to wish for an Akuma to attack the school, so they would have some action to break that monotonous algebra class. Daydreaming, they quickly imagined each, a different Akuma, accompanied by one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants or by Hawk Moth himself,
"And now, let's start with our Valentine's Day presentation." -Miss Bustier said, as she turned on her laptop and connected it to the projector. –"Today, I thought that we could examine some of the numerous traditions, regarding this holiday. In France we have some traditions that aren't the same as the traditions in other countries, and vice-versa. So, we're going to see how many there are and where are they practiced." -she said.
Just like the whole class had predicted, that was going to be one of those presentations where they could just relax and enjoy themselves, until lunch hour.
"But…" -Miss Bustier said, which earned the attention of everyone in the room. They knew that if she had said "but", that meant there was a catch to all of that. –"… before we can check on these different traditions, we have to discuss how did Valentine's Day came to be." -she said. –"Does anyone know what's the origin of Valentine's Day?"
"Wasn't it a holiday that was mainly created to sell candy and postcards, Miss Bustier?" -Kim asked her. He had read somewhere that that was the case, and that the main reason why it was celebrated everywhere. He himself did not really care about it. Every Valentine's Day, he would try his luck with a girl he fancied, failing miserably. Among the girls that attended that school, and that he had tried to ask to date him on Valentine's Day were Aurore Beaureal, Mireille Caquet, and of course, Chloe, with the three of them refusing, just to name a few.
"You're not wrong, Kim, but you're not right either." -Miss Bustier answered him. –"It's true that nowadays there are numerous companies that make money out of this specific holiday, just like it happens with pretty much every holiday there is." -she declared. –"But the origins of Valentine's Day go back to the earliest days of Christianity. Without wanting to bother you with a History lesson, I'll give you the shortened version of things."
Hearing that, almost everyone in class let out a sigh of relief, which Miss Bustier could not help but to giggle. She knew sometimes her feelings for a particular subject, would make her digress while explaining the fact. So, she tried her best to just stick to what she had decided to tell her students, without improvising.
"Saint Valentine's Day celebrates Saint Valentine, one of earliest saints. There are written accounts of Saint Valentine of Rome, who was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496, to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of the Christian martyr, Saint Valentine of Rome." -Miss Bustier explained, as she showed them images of both the saint and the feast itself, as it had been illustrated in the 5th and 6th centuries.
After that short historical explanation, she tackled the main subject, which was the numerous different Valentine Day's traditions around the world. She began with the French tradition of offering chocolates, flowers and cards, that was quite similar to most other traditions in Western countries, without forgetting a tradition that had been banned, called "Loterie d'Amour"
"Une loterie d'amour" or "drawing for love" was a practice that involved single people of all ages, entering houses that faced opposite each other and calling out through the windows, till eventually they paired off with each other. The male suitor if not particularly attracted to his partner would leave her and the women left single would build a large bonfire and ceremoniously burn images of the men that had deserted them whilst simultaneously hurling abuse and curses at the ungrateful men." -Miss Bustier explained.
"That was really… therapeutic?" -Alya asked out loud, not knowing what else to call to that tradition. And she was not the only one. All of the girls, and most of the boys felt like that tradition was not exactly a very good one.
"Well, like I said, it was banned a long time ago, and I can understand your reaction to it. When I was your age, and learned about it, I had the same reaction as you did. Nowadays, such a thing would be considered, for the lack of better word, barbaric. But, if one thinks about it, the whole thing could be compared to online dating in our days, minus the bonfires and the cursing, of course." -Miss Bustier explained, which earned a couple of laughs from some of the students.
But it was when she began talking about traditions from Asian countries, that she got the whole class's attention. Unlike what happened in France and most of the Western countries, in Asia, they had traditions that were far more inventive and interesting, which spiked the curiosity of Miss Bustier's students. She began with a Chinese tradition, the Qixi Festival, also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day or the Night of Sevens.
"Oh, I know that one, Miss Bustier! My mom used to tell me this tale that's the foundation of that festival, when I was little." -Marinette said. She had heard it so many times that she knew it by heart.
"Could you, then, tell us a little about it, Marinette?" -Miss Bustier asked her,
"Of course, Miss Bustier." -Marinette said. –"This is the tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl." -she said. –"A very long time ago, the sky was not as high as it is now and divine beings were not so far away from human beings on Earth. What happened to cause this great divide? The following is one telling of the sorrowful tale of two truly star-crossed lovers…"
She told them the whole story.; of how the two lovers fell in love; how their love withstood every obstacle in its course and finally, how their sacrifice and dedication to one another earned them the right to be together, even if it was for a single night, each year. While telling it, Marinette could not help but to think that that was the sort of relationship she wanted to have with Adrien, where both would always be there for one another, no matter the obstacles in their path.
"That was a lovely story, Marinette." –Miss Bustier told her, making Marinette blush a little. She herself had read the story, but the way Marinette had told it, made the version she had read sound so cheap and devoid of meaning, that she was happy her student had told it, instead of her.
Next, Miss Bustier told them about the way Valentine's Day was celebrated in Japan, which they all felt was something really beautiful. She told them how girls offered homemade chocolates to the boys, and these would have to offer them chocolates and gifts, a month later, during White Day. She also said that though it was custom for girls and women to do that, boys and men also did it, while also adding that a person can offer chocolates to foreseeable partners, or people who they admired a lot.
"Girls giving chocolates to boys? That is so different from what we do around here." -Chloe said, slightly shocked she had never heard about this tradition.
"It sure is." -Marinette said. For her, this did not come as a surprise, due to her habit of watching anime, where she had seen this action countless times.
"That is a really beautiful tradition." -Mylene smiled.
And with that, an idea popped up in Alya's mind. An idea, she knew everyone was going to love it, including their teacher. An idea she had to share, right then, with everyone in the classroom.
"Hey! I have an idea! Why don't we do that?" -Alya asked everyone.
"What? Girls offering chocolates to the boys?" -Rose asked her.
"Yes, but not just the girls. The boys could also offer chocolates. And each one of us could offer chocolates to whomever we wanted to. Then, a month from now, the person we offered the chocolates to, would have to offer us some as well." -Alya answered her. –"What do you think, Miss Bustier? Can we do it?"
"I don't see why not." -Miss Bustier smiled at Alya. She still had to plan an activity for Valentine's Day, and Alya had given her one. –"If you all agree with it, we could do that. It will be a fun activity." -she said.
"Does that mean we're not going to swap Valentine's cards between us, like we do every year?" -Ivan asked. Ever since the first year Miss Bustier became their teacher, that the whole class would swap Valentine's cards. But these, would not be signed by the person who made them, and instead of having Valentine's messages, would have friendship messages, so everyone in class would get one.
"Of course, not, Ivan. We will be doing that. But we will also be doing this one as well." -Miss Bustier smiled at him.
"Does that mean we have to make our own chocolates, or can we just buy them?" -Adrien asked. Besides making toasts and sandwiches, he had never cooked before, so the idea of making chocolates was a bit dangerous, especially because he did not know how his father would react to the idea, of having him in the kitchen, cooking. –"I'm sure dad wouldn't be too happy with it, especially because I would probably blow up the kitchen by accident, while doing it." -he thought to himself, while imagining the whole scene in his head.
"No, Adrien. I don't think that's necessary. Those of you who want to try and make your own chocolates, can do that, but you can always buy them, if you don't have the time or the cooking skills to do them." -Miss Bustier answered him.
Unintentionally, Alya had started a new tradition that the whole class would continue from then on. She never thought that her teacher would approve of it, especially since it was an idea that she came up in the heat of the moment. Still, the idea was good, and she was anxious to see what would come of it, especially because she knew a certain blue-haired friend of hers would take the opportunity to offer some chocolates to a certain blond crush of hers. Looking at Marinette, she saw in the girl's eyes that she was already thinking on what kind of chocolates she was going to make for Adrien, and could not help but to smile, while also wondering if Adrien was thinking about giving Marinette a box of chocolates. One thing was certain; she and everyone else would find out on Valentine's Day.
Another chapter finished... and this one in an almost record time. You know what I like about writing "your average school day scene"? The fact that it gives me the opportunity to have everyone participating, as well as developing their relation with Miss Bustier. I had people asking me if Miss Bustier is going to play a bigger part in this saga of mine, and well, I have to admit that I do have plans for her; jus tdon't ask when that will exactly happen, because I still need to plan a lot of things. But I can tell you this, even though we're already on the 7th fic of this saga, we're still very far from the end of it, so there's still plenty of time for Miss Bustier to have her opportunity to shine under the spotlight.
I also took this chapter to develop some of our couples as well. I bet you were all expecting to see some Adrienette in it, werent' you? well, be a little patient, we'll get there. This one here was focused on Julerose, Ninalya and Mylivan. (I might have got a little carried away with the scene between Juleka and Rose, but let's be honest, those two are in love, it's only fair for them to get a little feisty between them, from time to time)
Oh, and before anyone asks me, the idea of girls giving chocolates, or honmei-choko, is very real. If you want to see it happening, I advise you to check out a particular chapter in Cardcaptor Sakura (can't remember which one is it, right now). And like always, feel free to comment, fav and send your suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones.