After apologising to Miss Bustier, Marinette took her usual seat and made her decision. 'This ends today!'

"Wow, girl. Where'd all this determination come from?" Alya questioned. Only for Marinette to continue to write notes in her book. "Are you feeling ok?" she quizzed her friend worriedly.

Lost in thought about her plans for the rest of the day, Marinette misses the questions her friend is asking her and continues taking notes so that her schoolwork won't fall behind.

Every so often, she will glance away from her work to check on her crush/partner to assess how he is feeling; however, she can't dissect how he is actually feeling or what he is hiding behind the mask. She admires how strong he is in being yet is also angry that he must have the 'mask' up in the first place because of Hawkmoth, his father. She takes a calming breath to stop any negative thoughts from reaching the villain and back to hatching her plan.

Alya ignores Nino, who's trying to get her attention. Right now isn't the time. She needs to find out what is going on with her friend. Her friend; who's acting so defensive right now. So, determined, stone-like, she wants to yell or shake her friend to find some way to get answers out of her. Being incapable of doing any of this 'as it would draw too much attention'. She instead waits for the bell. By a stroke of luck, the bell goes signalling it's time for dinner, but before she can ask her friend any of her questions, Marinette flies out of the room.

Adrian goes to his usual sea. Ready to eat his dinner. Ready to get something edible into his system. Ready to go through with his plans to escape Hawkmoth's control. Before he can do anything, Marinette sits in the seat opposite him. The determination was written across her face.

The dining hall is in a 'hushed' silence when Alya enters, she is about to ask one of her other friends why it's so quiet, but then she sees why. Marinette and Adrian sat opposite each other, nobody else sitting near them.

"... I've been trying to figure out how to tell you this since last night. The how, the when, the where's, the what's, the why's, the who's. But I guess I should just let it out now. Before anybody gets closer. You need to hear it now so that everything going forwards can work out." She rambles. At Adrian's confused expression, she continues. "I have a secret that no one knows about me...I'm Ladybug," she whispers. Just loud enough for Adrian to hear.

Adrian's eyes begin to well up slightly. His partner and friend are one and the same. He has somebody he can talk to, but why is she saying all this now? Last night she said she won't but now?

"How about a game of chess? I hear it's a great game to play 'when you're trying to make battle plans." Marinette exclaims. For the first time in what feels like forever, she thinks she sees a 'true' smile start to peak through Adrian's mask. "Since white has the advantage, I think you should take the first move."

Seeing the message she is trying to convey, he moves his first white piece. "I've got fencing practice at precisely 3:45 today. Would you like to come?" he states, trying to use her same method.

"I would love to accompany you. Though is it ok if I bring a couple of friends?" she questions, thankful that he sees what she is trying to do, as she moves her first piece.

"That will be great, as it's going to be a big match. We will need as much support as possible." He replies as he moves his next chess piece. At that moment, Nino and Alya came to sit next to the two players, confusion written across their faces watching this weird chess match 'being played' and continuing to play despite the two friends sitting beside them.

"Ok. That's it. What is going on between the two of you? Yesterday you couldn't say a word to Adrian, and 'dude'? You've been in this weird mood all day. What is going on?" Nino blurts out after each player has moved at least two pieces each.

"Ok, I think it's time to bring in the backup game," Marinette announces as she checkmates her opponent, ending the game. At the inquisitive expressions of her friends, she makes her decision. "Nino, Alya, I want you to meet at this 'exact spot at 3:30. There is something you have to know; it can't be said right now. I've not fully planned out how and what needs to be said. We definitely don't have the time right now." After getting an unsure nod from the two, she looks to Adrian's uneaten lunch and says softly, "Adrian get at least some of that into your system? you're going to need it for the match later" then she leaves to go get some lunch of her own.

"I thought it was only a practice?" Nino whispers to himself as he looks to Alya for answers. Alya doesn't answer, too lost 'in thought as she watches the boy her best friend has a crush on 'pick' at his lunch, eating some but not all of his food, like someone who is about to face a dragon and unsure if he will survive long enough to even bother if he's hungry or not. Which makes her question what Marinette knows about this supposed fencing practice. "Alya?" Nino questions, unsure if she heard him or not.

"Nino, I think it's best we eat our own lunch rather than question what our friends are or aren't telling us right now, as I'm sure everything will be answered when we meet up with Marinette later on," she says, calming Nino's nerves.

'It's going down today. We will defeat Hawkmoth. I will be able to be free. With my partner and friend beside me.' Adrian thinks to himself as he finishes what he can of his food, not being able to eat much, in fear it will just come straight back up.