Adrien continued coming to class, though he stopped wearing the hoodie. Unfortunately for Marinette, that beautiful head of golden-blonde hair was more distracting than ever, but she certainly couldn't blame Adrien for not wanting to wear it. The days of her wanting to see him uncomfortable were over.

The two of them still didn't talk openly for the next couple days, but at least Marinette had convinced Alya and some of her girlfriends to stop staring daggers at Adrien. She had explained to them that she wasn't angry anymore and accepted his apology. Only Alix and Rose were still angry at him, the former because she still found his callous behavior inexcusable, and the latter because of how he ruined a romantic moment.

Then came the next akuma. Just as the bell had rung for the end of the period, the window by the teacher's desk suddenly shattered. Marinette ducked behind her desk as a car smashed against the outside of the wall before crashing down to the ground below. There was a general panic and a couple screams in the room as everyone ducked. Well, except for Alya; she was quickly by the shattered window with her phone, trying to get a shot of the villain that must've thrown the car. Nino went to her side, trying to convince her to stay safe.

"Everyone downstairs!" Ms. Bustier called out, "Please remain calm!"

All the students began filing out of the room as all over the school other classrooms were doing the same. With the frequency of akuma attacks, they started having "akuma drills" at school where they would all go to the locker room and lock the door. That was safer than being out in the streets. Marinette made sure to sometimes "get lost" during those drills so that it would be less suspicious if they ever had to do it for real.

So it was that as everyone started crowding in the hallways, trying to get down the staircases quickly but without shoving, Marinette was able to easily slip away and make her way to the library. It was even easier than during a drill because tensions were higher and some students were starting to panic, which created the perfect distraction for Marinette to get away.

Once in the library, she ducked behind a bookshelf, looking around just in case, then pulled open her purse.

"Looks like we have a job to do," Marinette told Tikki as she flew out, starting to feel the excitement she always felt before transforming, "Tikki, spots on!"

The kwami was sucked into her earring as magical energy flowed through her. She felt the warmth as her very body vibrated with power. Strength, speed, senses – everything about her was just better. She was powerful. This was a feeling she could never tire of. No longer was she the clumsy Marinette, hardly able to walk down the street without dropping her bag or smacking her face against something, now she was Ladybug, the superheroine of Paris.

"Time to save the day," she said to herself with a smirk.

After that day by the banks of the Seine, things seem to be looking up for Adrien. He knew they still had a long road to go before he could fully repair his relationship with Marinette, but it was finally looking possible, after weeks of hopelessness.

He was in love with Marinette. All the love he had felt toward Ladybug for so many long months mixed with the growing feelings he had harbored for so long toward Marinette but hadn't been aware of, and now he felt he was bursting with it. Just two days ago, those feelings were bogged down with crushing despair for fear he would never repair the damage he had caused. Now, after speaking to Marinette again, finally, he felt there was hope, and that hope quickly swelled.

Class got better, too. Not all of the girls were giving him death stares anymore, only a couple, and he hardly noticed them. All that mattered to him was that Marinette wasn't mad at him anymore. He understood she still needed time – he couldn't blame her for that – so he didn't try to engage her in conversation, content to wait until she was ready. But knowing that the day would come, whenever it did, was enough to put a skip in his step.

Two days later, Adrien was sitting in class when the bell rung for the end of the period, when suddenly the window by the teacher's desk shattered. He turned to look as he ducked behind his desk, seeing a car – that looked like it had just been tossed against the wall – fall to the ground. Alya was quick to not hide, instead running to the window with her phone ready to record whatever villain was out there. Nino, a little more sensibly, tried to convince her to get to safety.

"Everyone downstairs!" Ms. Bustier called out, "Please remain calm!"

As his fellow students crowded around him, Adrien's eyes quickly sought out Marinette in the growing throng of people. He was impressed when he found her, already some distance from her class, expertly weaving between students. She was pushing gently, fake tripping, fake stumbling, while ultimately making her way toward the library. With a smirk, Adrien finally realized why she was always "getting lost" during the akuma drills.

Adrien moved quickly to try and follow her, not quite as practiced but still making it through easily thanks to the commotion. He had watched Marinette slip into the library unnoticed and arrived shortly after her. He looked around quickly to make sure he hadn't been noticed before following her in.

The moment he entered, he heard her voice shouting, "Tikki, spots on!" He felt a thrill at the possibility of seeing his lady transform but knew this wasn't the time. There was a dim flash behind the bookcase to his right, so he quickly ducked behind the bookcase to the left. He listened as Ladybug ran out the door before lifting the flap of his jacket for Plagg.

"You better hurry or we'll be late for the party," Plagg taunted him.

"Wouldn't want that to happen," Adrien smirked, "Plagg, claws out!"

Note: It took until the 34th chapter for Ladybug's first transformation...