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Gale-Dragon: *Looks at the publication date of this story*... Not my longest hiatus, but… Yeah… Ended up deciding to split this Chapter into 2 parts given how long it's gotten and still not being done…
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Miraculous Juuni. Chapter 2: Brushogun, Part 1.
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"Talking"
'Thinking'
(Author commenting)
"|::|Translations from another language, mostly French and Tibetan.|::|
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Some quick notes before we dive into the story:
The Miraculous team will be in Tokyo, Japan rather than Paris, France so some of the spelling for the names will be slightly altered. Here are the names of our main classes.
Given Name, Original Surname (If present, it's the Japanese version/pronunciation of the names that I'll be using in this story)
Kanae, Aira
Adrien, Agreste
Chloé, Bourgeois
Ivan, Bruel (Barule)
Alya, Césaire
Juleka, Couffaine (Koufaine)
Marinette, Dupain-Cheng
Mylène, Haprèle (Haperaire)
Max, Kanté (Kanati)
Eiji, Kashii
Alix, Kubdel (Kubudere)
Nathaniel, Kurtzberg (Kuruzuberugu)
Nino, Lahiffe (Rahifee)
Rose, Lavillant (Rawarane)
Kim, Lê Chiến
Ryouka, Niwa
Sabrina, Raincomprix
Tsugiyoshi, Sumino
Michio, Tsukui
Nagayuki, Tsumita
Takeyasu, Tsumita
Misaki, Yuuki
Nanashi, Yuuki
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"|::|I'll be back at the usual time, but I'll text you if I'm running a little late,|::|" Adrien told Gorilla as he, in his school uniform, walked over to the window of his room.
Gorilla gave the teen a worried look.
Adrien saw the look and said, "|::|I know, but you know he won't let me. Besides I told him over, what, 20 times and he still doesn't listen… Natalie's the same…|::|"
Gorilla sighed, somewhat understanding the meaning behind those words.
Adrien opened the window and said, "|::|I'll see you later.|::|" He then waved at Gorilla before closing the window behind him and taking his route to sneak off the estate.
While he knew that he was against Gabriel's wishes, Gorilla couldn't help but notice how happy Adrien seemed to be, when not around his father or the assistant. The bodyguard could tell that attending school was having a positive effect on the model. Besides, Gorilla had Adrien's number and a GPS connection to his phone, just in case something were to happen.
The bodyguard left the room and closed the door. Don't worry, he locked the door.
~}I{ At the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, Residential Area }I{~
Marinette quickly double-checked her uniform, to make sure that everything was in place. She quickly tied her hair into her signature twin-tales as she stood in front of her vanity. She then checked that her deep red earrings were in place, her Ladybug Earrings in camouflage mode.
Tikki floated behind Marinette, who saw them in the mirror. The little sprite then said, "Don't fuss too much, or you'll be late for school."
Marinette smiled at the Kwami and said, "I know, but students are expected to look presentable even if we aren't in school."
Tikki giggled and said, "Still, don't go overboard."
Marinette finished styling her hair as she stood up and told the Kwami, "It's a good thing that my school doesn't have rules against simple stud earrings, or you would've been out of luck."
Tikki nodded and said, "Good thing," then floated to Marinette's school bag, and then went inside. The Kwami poked their head out of it and said, "That would've been really inconvenient in an emergency."
"True," Marinette said as she grabbed her school bag, with the little Kwami still inside, and left her room. She met with Tsugiyoshi in the bakery, waiting for her as usual. They then told Marinette's parents goodbye and then left the bakery to head to school.
~}I{ Kashii Estate }I{~
"Have a good day, young master," Yamato-san told Eiji.
"You as well, Yamato-san," Eiji told the elderly Butler before he headed off.
Stompp poked his head out of Eiji's inside blazer pocket and said, "I hope we have a nice quiet day today. I like going to this school place, we learn interesting stuff."
Eiji nodded a bit as he slipped his Bluetooth earpiece over his right ear before saying, "Judging by what you said, I guess that the prior Ox Holders were passed school attending age."
"Kind of, the age of the Holders rarely plays a part in the selection so long as the Juuni are compatible with them. But to answer your question, yes. All my past Holders were adults," Stompp said, trying to keep his voices down so as not to be overheard by accident.
Eiji hummed again before saying, "I take it the other Juuni have different criteria from you?"
"In a way," Stompp said, before ducking back into the pocket when they heard the familiar sounds of Michio's voice.
Eiji took off his Bluetooth earpiece as he smiled at his friend as they walked onto the school grounds.
~}I{ Aira's Dojo }I{~
Kanae slipped her shoes on as she told her parents that she'll see them after school, and then she left. When she got to the gate of the dojo, she saw a black box with red decor lines that had neatly folded paper tied to it. Kanae quickly looked around the vicinity and didn't see anyone who could've left the box. The dojo heir looked at the piece of paper to see that her name was written neatly on it. She then slipped a piece of paper out from its binding. Kanae unfolded the paper and read what was written on it.
The note read, "Aira Kanae, you have been selected to wield the Juuni of the Tiger. Use it wisely or I shall retrieve it from your possession. Guardian of the Juuni, Duodecuple."
Kanae raised a brow at this. 'Is this some kind of joke?' She thought as she used the paper to poke the box. When nothing happened, she carefully picked it up.
"Ah! I need to get to school!" Kanae realised as she quickly shoved the box into her bag and bolted off towards her school.
Duodecuple watched her race off from behind a corner nearby the dojo.
~}I{ A Little While Later, at School }I{~
Dupont now had all its students within its walls.
Alya updated her Heroblog by adding pages for both Ushii and Chat Noir.
"Uhh, please tell me you got a good night's sleep after you made those updates," Tsugiyoshi wirily asked the ombre-haired girl. He was a little taken aback by the fact that Alya made so many additions to her blog in such a short time.
Alya brushed off the comment by saying, "No need, besides it didn't take me long to do." This did make Tsugiyoshi roll his eyes. Alya then added, "Last night's 'Akuma' attack gave me enough footage to work with. And, I picked up some tasty new info thanks to my new microphone attachment."
"What kind of new info are you talking about?" Marinette asked in a puzzled tone, trying her best not to be too interested or worried about what her friend was talking about.
Last night's Akuma attack took everyone by surprise. It was sheer luck that Marinette, Eiji, and Adrien were able to sneak out of their respective residences without being noticed. But it was thanks to that attack that the trio learned that the one "Akumatizing" people was named Hawkmoth and that he wanted the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous. There was no way Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Ushii would stand for that and they vowed to stop Hawkmoth from achieving his plans.
Alya was scrolling through her phone when she said, "The baddie behind the 'Akumatizing' is named Hawkmoth, and we might have more heroes coming to Tokyo."
"What do you mean by that?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow, not believing what the Herobloger was saying.
Alya smiled, tapped what she found, and told the entire class, "Listen to this everyone! A little pre-blog update for my favourite people," as she held up her phone with the volume on max.
Everyone fell silent when they heard the voices of Tokyo's heroes.
Chat Noir: "If Hawkmoth keeps up with these attacks, we're going to need extra help."
Ladybug: "Agreed. Ushii-san, do you have any idea when the other Juuni will be joining us?"
Marinette, Adrien, and Eiji couldn't believe that their classmate was able to capture that conversation. Luckily, none of the three showed it.
Ushii: "Unfortunately, I do not. It shall all depend on the Guardian of the Juuni finding compatible holders for each of the individual Juuni. At least, that is what I have been told."
Chat Noir: "Pff, well, you got more info than me."
Ladybug: "I just hope that the Guardians find those holders before Hawkmoth causes the kind of damage that is irreversible."
The audio clip ended, causing the room to fall completely silent.
Tsugiyoshi was the first to speak up by saying, "Please tell me you didn't blow your allowance on whatever microphone you bought for your phone."
Now all eyes were on the grey-haired teen when Ryouka said in a shocked tone, "Seriously? Césaire-chan has a proof recording that there's going to be more heroes and That's your only concern?!"
Tsugiyoshi yawned before saying in a nonchalant tone, "I only said that because if more heroes are going to appear, then Alya-chan is going to need more than just her cell phone to record all the action."
Oh… That was a valid point…
Tsugiyoshi then said before yawning, "Though, if they aren't sure when these new heroes will arrive, then Alya-chan can start saving her allowance again to buy something that's built for recording lots of videos."
"Tsugiyoshi-chan, you're one weird dude," Nino couldn't help but vocalise. Tsugiyoshi only shrugged in response as he replied that everyone in the classroom is weird in their own way.
During this whole thing, Kanae was unusually quiet as she thought, 'Juuni? That's what was written on that note that came with that weird box…' Does that mean…
That was when Tsujiie-sensei came into the classroom and called for quiet.
~}I{ Time Skip, End of Day }I{~
Once the cleaning was done, classes were ready to head out.
"Agreste-san, do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?" Tsujiie-sensei said when Adrien was close to his desk.
"Uh, sure sensei," Adrien said, hoping that it was going to be quick.
Adrien's new friends told him that they'll either text him later or see him tomorrow as they left. It didn't take long for there to only be two people left in the classroom.
Tsujiie-sensei took a deep breath before saying, "Agreste-san, I heard from the principal that your father was adamant that you do our school curriculum at your home." Adrien's face paled as his eyes widened. The teacher narrowed his eyes at the teen when he said, "Judging by your expression, I take it that he doesn't know you've been coming to campus?"
Adrien lowered his gaze when he said, "No, sensei, he doesn't…" Now that the whole thing was known, there was no point in lying to the teacher.
Tsujiie-sensei stroked his beard when he said, "Considering how long school is and I'm also assuming that you came here on your own, I find it more than a little troubling that your parents haven't noticed you missing for that amount of time per day."
'Wait? Why is he saying that?' Adrien thought before asking, "What do you mean by that, sensei?"
In a serious tone, Tsujiie-sensei stated, "What I mean is, if you homeschooled then someone is teaching you at home and one who would notice you missing. Not to mention, I couldn't help but notice that you don't have a good understanding of social skills. Yes, you've made some new friends that I know are good kids, but I'm pretty sure they have told you that if you don't like something you tell them, something that you don't seem to do with Bourgeois-san. Don't tell me that you like it when she clings to you like that, because you always have that look on your face that you dislike it. To a teacher, these signs are too troubling to ignore."
"Wait, my father isn't a bad person!" Adrien said, trying to make the teacher understand. So the teen explained, "I'm very smart, as you notice, and my father believes that I can do my studies by myself, after a good couple of days of convincing that Nathalie-san didn't need to be there…"
"Natalie-san?" Tsujiie-sensei asked with a raised brow.
Adrien quickly explained, "My father's personal assistant and secretary that I've known for years." The teen took a deep breath before continuing, "And my father is just… Overly protective and thinks the best way to keep me safe is for me to stay inside our home and to keep a bodyguard on me…"
Tsujiie-sensei folded his arms and said, "Agreste-san, since it is clear that you aren't quite understanding what I was implying, I'll be blunt. Is your father abusing you in any way? Physically or mentally?"
Adrien blinked in confusion when he asked cluelessly, "What does 'abuse' mean? I understand the pronunciation and the wording of the sentence that you just said, but I do not know what that word means. Neither in Japanese or French."
Bookmarking that little tidbit of information for later, Tsujiie-sensei explained in a stern but gentle tone, "Abuse is the cruel or violent treatment of a person or animal, repeatedly. And it's a serious case if a minor is involved, which is regarded as child abuse."
As Adrien digested this new information, he asked out loud, "Wait… Are you thinking that… My father is hurting me?"
"Those are the signs and I am noticing with you," Tsujiie-sensei said straightforwardly before saying in a gentler tone, "He may not be hurting you physically, but he is keeping you locked up at home away from socialising with others your age, thus he is causing you some kind of mental abuse."
"How? He only wants me to be safe and taken care, even if it is a little extreme…" Adrien said, kind of understanding what the teacher was saying. While the French model was glad that the teacher was explaining things to him, he was trying to understand why the teacher thought his father was hurting him.
"Well, first off, you aren't interacting socially with anyone outside the home you live in regularly. While I can understand that not everyone likes to socialise, knowing how to interact with others is important especially when you're planning on living on your own one day," Tsujiie-sensei explained, doing his best to keep it simple. He took a breath before he added, "If you don't know how you should interact with others or at least learn to take care of yourself, then it will be very difficult for you to live on your own in the future."
Adrien nodded, now understanding what the teacher was getting at just a little bit. But he did ask, "So… Father is unknowingly abusing me in a way."
Tsujiie-sensei let out a soft breath. This was going to be a delicate task, more than he anticipated. "Perhaps, but either way, he is causing you some kind of long-term damage," Tsujiie-sensei said calmly. The teacher took another breath before adding, "I am only jumping to the worst-case scenarios so I can prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. But, I am still going to have to talk to your parents about your situation, so it can be corrected now rather than later when the damage is permanent."
"You're… Going to tell Father?" Adrien asked in a worried tone.
"I am, but it's only because I have to explain why I'm going to be attending this meeting," Tsujiie-sensei said with softened eyes. Another bookmark that the teacher noticed was that the teen only refers to just his father, something that the elderly gentleman would have to ask about later in another way. "Does anyone at your home know that you sneak out for school?" Tsujiie-sensei asked, hoping that there would be someone to help Adrien's father and worried for his well-being.
"My bodyguard… He found out yesterday and kind of tracked me here after school is over… He hasn't told Father or Nathalie-san about it…" Adrien admitted solemnly.
While bookmarking that bit of information, Tsujiie-sensei couldn't help but ask in confusion, "And you have a bodyguard because?"
"Umm, I'm the featured model for my father's fashion company, The Gabriel Brand. Ah right, that hasn't been made public yet," Adrien said sheepishly.
"I think the best person in this class to ask about fashion in France would be Dupain-Cheng-san. I'm afraid I don't follow that kind of thing," Tsujiie-sensei said with a quick wink, before adding, "But even I know that popular models need some protection to keep the "peskier" fans away."
Adrien smiled when he said, "Yeah, some are. And sensei… *Tsujiie-sensei looks completely at the teen*. Thank you for letting me explain my side of this situation despite what you initially thought."
Tsujiie-sensei gave the teen a smile when he said, "In a situation like this, the child's, or teen, in this case, side of the story is important and cannot be brushed to the side. Plus, they can put a little light on things that we adults tend to miss. Although, when I do meet your father, I think you might want to hold off on telling him how you were able to sneak out, okay?"
Adrien smiled again and said, "Thank you, sensei."
Tsujiie-sensei nods with a smile before sending the teen off. While the teacher was still worried about Adrien's well-being, he was glad that it wasn't as bad as he initially thought, in some ways at least. It would be best to discuss that more with the Headmaster.
~}I{ In the Gym with Aira Kanae }I{~
After a nice club meeting briefing, Kanae dismissed the judo club. Tomorrow they started their activities.
But in the meanwhile…
Kanae took advantage of the Capt.'s position of being the last one to leave to double-check the note and box to see if it was when she thought it was. So when she entered the girls' locker room, not only did she lock the main door, but she also checked her school bag. And there sitting innocently in her bag with the two objects in question, still there where she shoved them.
Kanae first pulled out the note and read it to herself again. 'Yeah, the words 'Juuni' and 'Guardian' are here… So does this mean?' The dojo heiress thought as she turned her attention to the little black box. She carefully took the object out of her bag and arranged it so that the red decor was facing up. 'Does this mean…' Kanae thought as she held the box in her left hand and placed her right hand on top of the lid.
The thought of it being a prank did cross her mind during class, but considering she got the items Before her class find out that there might be more heroes, the idea was easily discarded.
Kanae slowly opened the box. A magenta light emitted from the inside of the box. Once it was finally open the light took the form of a dark magenta cat-like sprite with its belly being a lighter shade, with light orange eyes and two pointed white teeth, round black tiger-like ears, and three vertical black stripes on the top of her head, a whisker on each cheek, and has a long tail with a round black tip and two black stripes below the tip.
The sudden appearance of a sprite completely startled Kanae, making her extremely glad that she was the only one in the locker room.
"Hi, I'm Roaar, and I'm the Kwami of the Tiger Juuni," the dark magenta creature said, not all surprised by the teenager's reaction.
"Kwami? Is that something that gives power or something along the line?" Kanae asked as she examined the dark magenta floating creature.
Roaar rolled his eyes as they folded his tiny arms and stated, "Kwamis are not "things". We Kwamis are beings that embody abstract concepts, like an idea or emotion. The Miraculous and Juuni are "things", get it?"
Kanae blinked before she looked into the box and saw a deep purple panja bracelet inside. She pulled the object out by the main bead and asked the Kwami, "Is this the Juuni thing you were talking about? 'Cuse that's what it said in the letter…"
Roaar nodded and said, "Yup, and you gotta keep wearing it if you want to be able to use the powers I give you."
Kanae looked at the Juuni with a 'really?' look on her face when she said, "Jewellery isn't my thing. I'll wear a watch, but I do judo and jewellery isn't exactly allowed."
Roaar groaned in annoyance and said, "The Juuni can change its appearance according to the taste of the Holder. Its current appearance is just its default look."
Kanae looked at the panja bracelet and asked, "Why choose me?"
Roaar rolled his eyes yet again and said, "Great Guardian Duodecuple chose you to wield the Tiger Juuni because you seem to be compatible with it."
Kanae looked at the Kwami at these words before turning her attention back onto the panja bracelet and asking, "And what am I supposed to do with this? Do what Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Ushii do and fight these Akumas?"
Roaar thought about the names before saying, "I guess the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous have been given out as well as the Ox Juuni. But yeah, you'll fight alongside them and help the people along the way." The dark magenta Kwami was rather glad that he didn't have to go over the entirety of that speech.
Kanae gripped the panja-like Juuni when she said in a rather mixed tone of bewilderment and uncertainty, "Do you… Do you mind if I think about this for a bit? I mean, you're practically telling me that I've been chosen to be a superhero out of nowhere… It's just that… This is… Kind of a lot to take in for me right now…"
Roaar shrugged slightly before saying, "Sure you can, just don't take too long, all right."
Kanae placed the bracelet back into the box before looking around for the little Kwami but seeing nothing where she last spotted the sprite. The dojo heir quickly looked around the locker room for the Kwami, and when she couldn't find the little creature, she left with her rolled-up gi, bag, and a little box of magic.
From a shadowy corner, Duodecuple watches the orangette head home. "I do hope you make the right decision, little Tiger," the Juuni Guardian muttered under his breath.
~}I{ Agreste Estate }I{~
Adrien snuck back into his room with no problems or being detected. He quickly changed into his casual clothes in the bathroom and hid his uniform. Adrien had a lot to tell Gorilla, but he was hoping that his father would listen to the teacher when that meeting happens.
Adrien quickly fixed his hair before walking out of the bathroom to see Plagg had already turned on the TV and was watching the reruns of Tokyo's heroes. The model didn't mind what Plagg did since the black Kwami knew to hide behind the pillows on the couch or under the couch if someone knocked. Besides, it gave the blonde model a chance to watch Ladybug in action. Adrien sat on the couch next to Plagg to get a better view of the screen. He happily sighed when he saw Ladybug throw the Lucky Charm into the air before the object burst into glittering little ladybugs and scattered to fix the city.
"|::|Adrien?|::|" the teen heard Natalie's voice from behind the door as she knocked.
"|::|Yes?|::|" Adrien replied as he watched Plagg dart under the couch. He heard the door unlock and then sought it open. Nathalie and Gorilla walked in. The secretary's eyes immediately landed on the television screen. "|::|I just turned it on! I am allowed to take a break from studying every once and a while,|::|" Adrien stated when he saw the look on her face.
Natalie figured it would be better to let this issue slide before she gave Adrien the news. "|::| I'm not here for that. I'm here to bring you some information regarding the Embassy party,|::|" Natalie said as she walked around the couch to sit just a smidge away from where Plagg was hiding under the couch. Thank goodness the little Kwami was black so they could hide in the shadows easily.
"|::|Father isn't planning on making us wear matching outfits, is he?|::|" Adrien asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone.
Nathalie gave the teen a small amused smile before saying, "|::|Nothing like that. We have just been informed that Assemblyman Kashii will be attending the Embassy party with his son, who is actually around your age.|::|"
"|::|Assemblyman Kashii?|::|" Adrien questioned in confusion, realising that that was the same surname as one of his classmates. Thank goodness he didn't say that particular tidbit of information out loud. The model was quick to ask, hopefully, to cover up his confusion, "|::|If he's an assemblyman, then why would he be attending a party for what's a fashion industry style welcome? Well, unless the Assemblyman has a family member in the fashion world.|::|" The blonde model was hoping that Natalie didn't notice his nervousness.
Natalie looked at her notes and stated, "|::|Don't forget, this is officially an Embassy party, as well as a fashion industry welcome. Assemblyman Kashii's main job is to ensure that all of Japan's embassies are running smoothly, so he will be attending to ensure things are within Embassy standards. He is bringing his son along because he heard you were going to be one of the three teenagers attending and he thought that his son, Eiji, if I'm pronouncing it correctly, would be willing to help you, Chloé, and Sabrina with adjusting to Japan.|::|" From the way she was speaking, it appeared that she didn't notice how the blonde was acting.
Adrien folded his arms and snipped, "|::|And exactly how am I supposed to "Adjust to Japan" when I barely leave this place?|::|"
One of Natalie's eyebrows twitched a bit before she said,"|::|Adrien, none of that at the Embassy.|::|"
Adrien huffed in annoyance when he said, "|::|Well, it's probably going to be my only Japanese experience, that isn't from books and those photoshoots at least. *Unfolds arms and sighs*. I'm serious Natalie, all I do is either photoshoots or study, and both are inside and I can't meet anyone my age or even admire the sites on the way to the photoshoots… How am I supposed to experience anything or even put what I learn to use when I'm stuck modelling or being kept at home? I can't even make any friends with this being my life.|::|"
"|::|I'm sure Eiji would be willing to be friends with you,|::|" Natalie said with a soft smile, trying to put a small positive spin on this whole situation.
Adrien couldn't help but think, 'Can't say that she is wrong about that.' Though he was happy to have a classmate at the party that wasn't Chloé or Sabrina. But that did bring up another issue, or two. The blonde folded his arms as he gave the secretary a look that read 'Is that honesty the best you can do?'
Nathalie placed a hand on his shoulder when she said, "|::|I know it's tough, but things will get better.|::|"
Adrien gave her a frown as he brushed her hand off and turned away from her. After everything that had already happened, he didn't believe any of her words.
As Natalie stood up with a soft sigh, her pen fell to the ground and rolled under the couch. Right where Plagg was! "|::|One moment, Adrien.|::|" Natalie said as she knelt and reached her hand under the couch to search for the pen.
During this, Adrien wasn't sure how to respond. If he acted now and offered to get the pen for her, she'd get suspicious. But if he didn't, Plagg would be discovered! Luckily, Plagg was able to move the pen under Natalie's hand as it came down and missed him. Once Natalie found her pen, she stood up and told Adrien that would see him later at dinner, and then left. Gorilla closes the door behind them.
Once the coast was clear, Plagg darted out from his hiding spot and said, "Man, talk about a close call."
"Tell me about it, and I'm still not sure how I was supposed to react to all that," Adrien said as he flopped onto the couch. He has never been so nervous before.
Plagg floated next to Adrien before plopping onto one of the pillows and said in a laid-back tone, "Don't worry about it too much, it'll affect your playful nature." Adrien smiled at the statement, really appreciating the gesture.
Suddenly, the television program was interrupted by a news flash of an Akuma attack. "Guess I don't have the time to worry about it right now. Plagg claws out!" Adrien stated as he curled his right hand into of fist and allowed his silvery-white ring to gleam in the light. At the magic words, Plagg was sucked right into the ring and turned black. This started the transformation. Adrien's transformation started with a pitch-black mask that had a green glass tint to his eyes and covered half his face appearing, then his clothing into a black skin tight breathable latex suit, a long black belt strap that had a silver medal pole attached that hang off the bat like a cat's tail, black boots, black cat ears on the top of his head, and his blonde hair turned pitch black.
Adrien was now officially the superhero Chat Noir.
A glance in the mirror showed that his hair turned black yet again. That was certainly something that Adrien wasn't sure if he'll ever get used to. He then snuck out and went to where the Akuma was.
~}I{ About 10 Minutes Later }I{~
Kanae just happened to be near where the Akuma was, and quite frankly, if she wasn't seeing things for herself she certainly wouldn't have believed it.
An Akumatized villain was wreaking havoc at the Tokyo tower. Thankfully, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Ushii had a good handle on the guy.
Kanae just had to get a closer look at the action! She kept the side of the building as she moved closer to the battle. Now, the dojo heir was next to the battle. 'Man, Césaire-kun is going to be jealous!' Kanae thought as she watched the battle in awe.
Ladybug was twirling her yo-yo, making a shield as she defended herself from the oncoming attack. Chat Noir pole-vaulted over the villain and flawlessly made a low kick to the villain's legs. 'Wait a second... Where's Ushii-san?' Kanae thought as she looked around the area. That was when she noticed that the sunlight above her quickly disappeared. She immediately looked up just in time to see an entire side of a building almost on top of her!
"Gobouken!"
Before Kanae could react, to either scream or run, the entire building peace was suddenly slashed in half! Then into fourths, then into eighths, then into sixteenths, then into 32nds, then into 64ths, and then into even smaller and smaller pieces!
Ushii landed in front of Kanae and slashed his sabre for the final time. The building then completely shattered to dust due to the seemingly countless number of cuts.
Kanae was utterly stunned!
Ushii's five-minute warning then sounded. 'I have to find someplace to de-transform so I can feed Stompp, and fast. Ladybug and Chat Noir still need my assistance,' she thought as he quickly went around the immediate area for a safe place to recharge.
"Ushii-san…" Kanae vocalised, now having the Warrior of the Ox's full attention.
Ushii was certainly surprised that his classmate was here. In all honesty, he destroyed the falling building peaces because he saw a pedestrian in danger, so he acted accordingly and saved her. He just didn't think it would be some when he knew. Good thing Eiji's "poker face" skill transferred to his Ushii persona.
Ushii quickly pulled Kanae out of the way of an oncoming projectile. He then said, "I need to get you somewhere safe. *Shouts to his allies*. I shall return in a bit. I had to use my Gobouken, so I must recharge!"
Chat Noir dodged a bird when he shouted back, "Then go and hurry back, Akuma-san is being purr-ticularly difficult."
Ushii rolled his eyes at the pun before he quickly scooped up Kanae in a bridal style as he said, "Pardon me for just a second," and then quickly darted away as his four-minute warning sounded.
Thanks to Ushii's enhanced speed, they made it roughly five blocks away from the fight just in time for the three-minute warning to sound. 'I spotted some alleyways I can use,' she thought as he lowered the dojo heir so she could move out of his arms to stand on her own feet.
"Ushii-san, may I ask you a quick question?" Kanae asked as soon as she was standing.
"As long as I can give you a quick answer," she replied in a straightforward but honest manner. He had only 2 1/2 minutes left before he would de-transform into his civilian identity, after all.
Kanae took a deep breath when she asked, "How do you know how to do the right thing with your powers?"
Without any hesitation, Ushii stated, "I KNOW to do the right thing because I choose to do the right thing."
Kanae blinked when she vocalised, "Huh? I don't understand?"
Ushii drew his sword when he said, "It is easy. First," He holds his sword parallel to his body when he states, "I choose to do the right thing. The second, I do the right thing." That was when he made a simple stabbing motion as he took a step forward.
"That's it?" Kanae asked as the two-minute warning alerted Ushii as he sheathed his sword. The dojo-heir then states in confusion, "Is it really that easy?"
Ushii nodded when he said, "It is, and it can be done, so long as you choose to do so. The most important thing is to do the first step, you must try. That is what anyone must do. If you are doing the second step before the first, then you are already failing to do the right thing."
"So... I need to try to do the right thing before I do it?" Kanae asked, still not 100% Sure about the advice.
"Yes, in order to do the right thing you must be willing to try," Ushii stated calmly, hoping that his words would help his classmate with whatever must be done. That was when the one-minute warning sounded. "I am sorry, but I must leave," Ushii stated a little too quickly for his liking. But he quickly told Kanae, "Please keep the first step in mind." With that, the Warrior of the Ox bolted off in the blink of an eye.
It took a few seconds for Kanae to realise that Ushii was gone. "In order to do the right thing I need to choose to try to do the right thing..." The Dojo heir muttered under her breath, letting the information sink in.
}{
Ushii quickly darted into a vacant alleyway as his Junni timed out. Now in his civilian form, Eiji sighed in relief when he said, "That was too close."
"You're telling me," Stompp said as he floated beside the teen. The purple Kwame was really glad that his Holder was observing his surroundings as they were speeding by.
Eiji pulled out a small note container from his bag and opened it, revealing that it was filled with rice crackers. He plucked one of the snacks out of the container and gave it to Stompp. Eiji then said as he closed the makeshift container, and returned it to his school bag when he said, "I know we are in the middle of a battle, but please do not eat too quickly."
Stompp nodded as he ate the rice cracker. Once the Kwami finished the snack, Eiji said, "Stompp, charge into battle!" With that, Stompp was drawn into the pendant, turning it into a white ox-themed choker. This then started Eiji's transformation. His standard uniform changed into a black and gold matador outfit with white gloves with grip buds on the palms, his short black hair grew all the way down to his calves and the underside of his hair turn blazing red, black oxen horns grew out of the sides of his head and pointed upward as a black and gold mask covered his face from the four head to his lower cheeks, and a black and gold sheathed sword appeared in his hands. Once the Ushii persona was in place, he raced out of the alleyway and bolted back towards the Akuma battle.
~}I{ About Ten Minutes Later }I{~
"Miraculous Cure!" Ladybug shouted as she tossed the Lucky Charm into the air. The object burst into sparkling little ladybugs once it was at its highest point. The little ladybugs scattered to fix any damage that happened during the battle.
"Not a bad day's work," Chat Noir said with a rather pleased look on his face. The black cat hero then added with a catty grin, "In fact, I'd say it was paw-sitively meow-volus."
This earned a groan from both Ladybug and Ushii.
"Please, Chat Noir-san, just one pun per sentence," Ushii said, rubbing his temples in annoyance.
Playfully, Chat Noir nudged the Ox Warrior when he said, "Aw, what's the matter, Third Wheel-san? Mad that I got one up on you?"
"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Ushii asked cluelessly, still not understanding the nickname or what it could mean.
That was when both Ladybug's and Chat Noir's warning signals went off again.
"I guess that'll have to wait for the next Akuma," Chat Noir said as he gave Ladybug a bow when he added, "Until next time M'Lady." With that, the black cat hero took off.
Ladybug rolled her eyes fondly before telling Ushii, "I guess we should head home." She gave a two-finger salute when she added, "Bug out." The redhead used her yo-yo to fly off.
Ushii then raced off towards home. While he ran, he had to think of an excuse for why he wasn't home on time.
~}I{~
Ladybug landed on the rooftop of her family's bakery, just in the nick of time. She de-transformed as soon as her feet touched the building. Her now blue hair swayed in the gentle breeze that was made as she quickly and quietly snuck back into her room. Marinette gave Tikki a cookie from her 'secret stash' as she sat in her swivel chair, which was currently stationed in front of her desk. "That was a successful battle, not a lot of damage to fix this time," the bluette said to her Kwami with a smile on her face.
Tikki nodded as she happily munched on the cookie.
Marinette looked out the window of her room when she said, "I know I've said this already, but I hope we stop Hawkmoth before he does damage that not even the Miraculous Cure can fix. One of my classmates nearly got flattened this time, but thank goodness Ushii-san was able to save her."
Tikki swallowed what was in her mouth before saying, "Yes, it was a good thing Ushii-san was there, and I hope that more Junni will awaken to aid us in stopping Hawkmoth."
That was when a knock was heard on the hatch door that connected Marinette's room to the rest of the house.
Tikki quickly darted behind Marinette's computer as the bluette said, "Come in," as soon as she was sure the Kwami was completely hidden.
The door panel lifted open as Tsugiyoshi poked his head through the frame when he said in his usual tone, "Pardon the intrusion." With that the grey-haired teen climbed the ladder into his friend's room.
"Hi, Yoshi-chan, what's up?" Marinette asked with a peppy smile, like she normally did when her childhood friend came over. It made her realise that it's been a while since Nino and Kim came over. Maybe a nice, little get-together activity is needed for the weekend.
"Not much, just another Akuma Attack," Tsuyoshi said nonchalantly as usual.
Marinette gasped when she got out, "What?! An Akuma?!"
Tsugiyoshi waved a hand as he flopped in another chair when he said, "Don't worry, the Heroes took care of it easily enough."
Marinette huffed in an exaggerated manner when she said, "How can you be so calm about this whole thing? Someone could've gotten hurt! I swear you're too calm for your own good."
Tsugiyoshi snorted when he said, "But you wouldn't want me any other way, right Netty-Chan."
Marinette immediately dropped the exaggerated manner when she smiled and let out a giggle. It was true, the bluette couldn't think of her brother in every way except blood acting any different. He was himself no matter what may happen. "So, what happened during the Akuma Attack?" Marinette asked in a curious tone, more so to make it seem like she wasn't in the middle of the action.
Tsugiyoshi shrugged when he said, "Knowing Alya-chan, she'll give you the load-down with more enthusiasm in, 3, 2,1..."
On cue, both Marinette's and Tsugiyoshi's cell phones started ringing for a group video chat.
Marinette took her phone out to see that the grey-haired teen was right. "How do you do that?" when she asked in amazement, Tsugiyoshi just shrugged as he took his phone out. The bluette frowned when she said, "All that brain power and you choose to be a B Average student. I swear, you'd easily be the class brainiac if you actually tried."
Tsugiyoshi glanced at the bluette when he said, "B+ Average. Besides, Kante-kun is more suited for that title, plus I don't need the extra pressure."
Marinette rolled her eyes fondly as she and the grey-haired teen tapped the little phone icon to answer the face-time. Alya's face immediately appeared on their phones.
"Guys! You are not going to believe what happened!" Alya practically exclaimed with too much glee as her grin nearly split her face in half.
Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes when he said sarcastically, "Anansi-san lost a kickboxing match." Marinette tried and failed to hold back a laugh.
"No!" Alya stated immediately with a frown before she said in more of an annoyed tone, "And don't you even dare say that to her face."
Marinette giggled when she said, "Alya-chan, Tsugiyoshi-chan is joking. We already know about the Akuma Attack and that Tokyo's Heroes saved the day again."
Alya immediately said, "No! Uh, well, yes, they did, but that's not what I was talking about." She took a breath before she said, "Aira-san was saved by Ushii-sama!"
"Really?" Tsugiyoshi asked with a raised brow.
"She was there?" Marinette asked, acting surprised. The bluette had played with the idea of taking some acting lessons because she was worried that she might be overdoing it with the surprised reactions' whenever someone talked about Ladybug or anything related to Tokyo's Heroes.
Alya nodded on the screen with a smile when she said, "I got footage of Ushii-sama destroying a crumbling building and taking her away from the battle." The ombre-haired girl let out an excited squeal before She got out happily, "I'm going to interview her about it tomorrow at school! It'll be a HeroBlog exclusive!"
Marinette rolled her eyes fondly in an 'as expected' manner as Tsugiyoshi stated, "Long as it's not during any of the class lessons or if she says no. I don't see a problem with it."
Marinette then added, "And if Aira-san says that she'll hurt you if you don't back off, that's a 'No'. Got it, Alya-chan?"
Alya huffed when she said, "Fine, I get it. No means no and I can't force her."
Tsugiyoshi rolled his eyes with a smile as Marinette said, "Make sure you remember that tomorrow, Alya-chan."
Alya puffed her cheeks over the video chat in response.
~}I{ Agreste Residence }I{~
Adrien snuck back into his room with no problem and quickly darted into the bathroom after he made sure to close and lock the window. He quickly changed into his regular clothes and neatly folded his school uniform. After the uniform was hidden, Adrien fixed his hair and sprayed a little cologne.
Plagg then said as they exited the bathroom, "I really don't get you sometimes. You actually get to stay home all day, but you choose to sneak out to go to school. I know I wouldn't mind spending all day here." The black Kwami then flew over to the couch and bounced on a pillow. Plagg turned the tv on and flipped through the channels.
Adrien sighed as he flopped on the couch when he said, "Plagg, you don't understand. When I'm stuck here all day, I don't interact with anyone unless I'm out modelling for Father's company. Yeah, I can talk and interact with Father's employees but these are co-workers. I want friends, real friends. I want to take in the sights and learn all the interesting locations of the city without it having to be a photoshoot where I have to focus on the camera." The blonde snatched the remote away from Plagg when he added, "And it would be nice to have people around me that care about me as a person and listen when I voice my opinions. Tsujiie-Sensei had to be the first person since my mother to lend me an ear."
Plagg blinked in confusion when he heard that. When the black Kwami turned his attention towards the blonde teen when he asked, "Wait? Really? When did your mum leave?"
Adrien glanced away as he leaned against the backing of the couch when he said, "It's been almost a year since Mother vanished... Father wasn't that bad of a parent when she was around... She was always there to listen and make things right..."
Plagg floated over to the blonde, placed a paw on his shoulder, and said, "I didn't know... But you have me now. You can talk to me, even if I may not always seem like I'm listening."
This made Adrien feel a little better. Plagg promised himself to pay more attention to his current Holder and to help him out when he can.
~}I{ Kashii Household }I{~"Is it just the staff again?" Eiji asked as he walked into the dining area and the table set for dinner.
Yamato shook his head when he said, "Not tonight, your cousins are dropping by to check up on you."
Eiji was surprised by this before he asked, "Did I miss their birthday?" Though he didn't think he did. It was fall and Eiji knew their birthday was in the early winter.
Yamato shook his head gently before saying, "No, they just want to make sure you're all right. they're... Worried about your parents being away so often... As are we..."
Eiji lowers his gaze. He knew the house staff meant well and that they cared for him so very much, but there was only so much they could do for him while trying to adhere to the employer/employee relationship... At least when Eiji's parents were around, which wasn't often. The ravenette's cousins cared for him as well, even if his parents didn't allow them to come by... At least when they're home. Eiji had an inkling that his cousins and the house staff had been in communication behind his parents' backs, but he wouldn't complain if they were.
Yamato placed a hand on Eiji's shoulder when he said, "Your parents are unaware of this visit, nor are we going to inform them of it."
Eiji smiled a bit before saying, "It has been a while since I've seen Ichiro-Ani, Niijiro-Ane, and Sanji-Ani."
This made Yamato smile, and the other staff members too.
Stompp peeked out of his hiding spot and saw this. The purple Kwami couldn't help but wonder why the conversation felt... Odd somehow...
~}I{ The Next Morning }I{~Adrien snuck out of the house easily enough, again, but this time around he felt a little more uneasy about how neither Nathalie nor his father (but mostly Nathalie) didn't come by to give him today's schedule. It's been over a week since they discovered he snuck out once and neither of them has caught onto his little escapades.
While Plagg did comment that the blonde should be happy that these two haven't caught on, he did understand why the teen found it unsettling... If you included the time it took to get to and from school, Adrien would've been 'studying' for almost seven hours in his room and didn't 'leave' the room for any reason... But given that neither Agreste-san nor Nathalie bothered to 'check' on Adrien at any time during the week to make sure he hasn't snuck out again... On that note, yes, the Gorilla still 'kept guard' but Adrien did ask him if either his father or Nathalie came by while he was 'out', but the answer was always the same... No...
And it... Was unsettling to Adrien... But it was even more unsettling to the Kwami. Plagg was NOT liking the situation his new Holder was in. But how to fix it without causing a scene?
Adrien managed to reach the school on time. He entered the building with a smile on his face. At least here, there were people who cared about him.
As Adrien switched his outdoor shoes for his indoor shoes, he noticed Michio and Max talking to each other in an excited manner. They were talking a little too fast for the blonde to understand, but he was able to catch one word the two kept repeating. "Ojii-chan?" Adrien muttered, unsure what that particular word meant.
~}I{~After classes were over, cleaning began. This gave the students a chance to talk about their plans for the weekend. Chloe did put up a fuss about cleaning, but she did it anyway, at least with the minimum effort. This also gave Adrien the chance to ask Nino what the word 'Oji-chan' meant as they wiped and moved the desks. However, they ended up having to ask Marinette to translate it into French.
"|::|Oh, So it's just a casual term for Grandfather,|::|" Adrien said, summarising what he had learnt.
Marinette nodded as she stacked the chairs on top of one another when she said, "|::|It's more along the lines of Grandpa. It's usually used by direct family members or individuals close to the family.|::|"
Adrien soaked in this information, but paused before he asked, switching back to Japanese, "Wait, does that mean that Tsuki-kun's and Kante-kun's families are close?"
"Oh, that's what Tech-chan and I were forgetting," Michio commented thoughtfully, somewhat pausing his cleaning actions.
Adrien, Sabrina, Chloe, Misaki, and Nanashi blinked at the name before they all uttered in confusion, "Tech-chan?"
Max pushed his glasses up when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well, now is as good a time as any to inform our transfer students that Michio-chan and I are 2nd cousins."
"|::|You're What?!|::|" All the Transfer Students got out in their native tongues in shock.
Michio calmly explained not all that surprised by the responses even if he didn't understand what was said, "My dad and Tech-chan's mum are cousins, therefore we are 2nd cousins." He then pushed his glasses up as they slid down. Michio quickly turned to Max when he told him, "We're going to have to get our glasses tightened next time we see the eye doctor." Max nodded at this.
Okay, now that that was explained, the Transfer Students could understand how they could miss the two being related.
Adrien quickly switched back to Japanese when he said, "Ah, so when the two of you were talking about "Ojii-chan", you were talking about yours?"
Max and Michio nodded as the shorter of the two explained, "If you want to get technical, we both call him "Ojii-chan" even though he's actually my grand-uncle. He sees both of us as his grandchildren." .
Nanashi let out a coo before he said, "How sweet~." Misaki nodded in agreement.
Michio gave a shrug when he said, "I guess, but Ojii-chan has always been like that."
Marinette then added, "Our class has met him, he's pretty nice despite the persona he has to the public."
Max chuckled when he said, "That's because he likes you, Marinette-chan." Michio snickered out an agreement. The exchange students glanced at one another, none being sure what they heard, as Marinette gave a nervous giggle.
Tsujiie-Sensei made his round around the classroom, making sure that the students did their assigned chores, when he came to the blackboard. Sabrina and Chloe were wiping the board clean, though the blonde wasn't doing it as enthusiastically as the orangette. The teacher stroked his beard in thought before he said, "Very good, Raincomprix-san, Bourgeois-san. The board looks ready to use for tomorrow."
The two French nationals turned to face the teacher as the orangette said with a smile, "Thank you, Sensei!" But the blonde had a rather confused look on her face.
Tsujiie-Sensei noticed and thinking that Chloe didn't understand what he said, asked Sabrina to translate. The Orangette happily complied. The blonde still looked confused, which the teacher couldn't help but raise a brow at.
Tsujiie-Sensei moved onto the next cleaning group, bookmarking that piece of information for later.
Kanae told her that Alya couldn't do any interviews today due to club activities, which disappointed the blogger.
~}I{ Two Days Later, Monday }I{~
NOW Plagg was getting very concerned that only that Bodyguard found out about his Holder sneaking out of that oversized house to go to school... 'Seriously, did either that so-called dad or that secretary lady ever bother to even think about checking on him,' the Kwami of Destruction thought as he watched Adrien hustle towards school from the surprisingly cosy bag. Plagg was laid back, but even he knew when to get serious. And this was a serious issue. 'The problem is… How to approach the topic?' the Kwami thought as his Holder continued on his route.
Adrien got onto the school grounds with time to spare. He made his way towards his assigned classroom. The atmosphere hit the blonde as soon as he opened the door to the classroom. It felt like there was a massive grey cloud overhead or something...
Adrien nervously gripped his bag when he got out in an uneasy tone, "Um, good morning?"
Everyone gave their good mornings to the blonde, but it was clear that didn't completely register that another student came in.
Adrien noticed the Yuukis off to the side, looking just as confused as him. So he made his way over to them and asked them in a hushed tone, "Um, what happened?"
Misaki whispered back, "I'm not sure... I want to ask but..."
Nanashi then added, "We're not sure how to ask or if we should..."
Chloe and Sabrina came in next. They noticed the cloud over the class. Chloe being Chloe, commented on them knowing that they weren't going to attend the upcoming Embassy party, that, of course, she, Sabrina, and Adrien would be attending. The blonde model wasn't exactly happy about the comment.
"That's nice..." Marinette grumbled out as she slowly turned the page of a Kanji exercise booklet.
This got under Chloe's skin. So she tried a different type of dig when she said in her stuck-up tone, "All the best icons of Fashion in Japan are there to greet us. Jealous Dupain-Cheng-kun?"
Marinette stared at the booklet when she grumbled out, "Good for you..." It didn't seem like she heard what was said, at all...
The transfer students looked at each other in confusion and concern at this... Oddity...
Maybe Sensei would know what's going on and could explain things to them...
}I{Tsujiie-Sensei took attendance when he came in. He did seem to understand what was going on and didn't question the conspicuous absence of Tsukui-Kun and Kante-Kun.
Adrien was officially worried. The Yuuki's followed suit, and then Sabrina. Chloe was more confused than anything.
}{
During lunch, Tsujiie-Sensei asked for the exchange students to accompany him outside the classroom. They did, hoping that the teacher was going to explain what was going on. And he did, and it wasn't what any of them did. Expected...
"Tsukui-Kun and Kante-Kun's grandfather passed away yesterday?" Misaki parroted in shock.
Nanashi couldn't help but ask, "The same one they were talking about before the weekend?"
Tsujiie-Sensei nodded when he replied, "Most likely." He lowered his gaze when he said, "He's been by to teach some calligraphy lessons to the school... So my whole class knows him..." He let out a soft sigh before he added in a downcast expression, "I guess it was just his time to go..." He turned his attention to the door of his classroom when he stated, "There's going to be a wake for him after school is done... You kids don't have to attend since you never met him, but the others..."
"That's... understandable..." Misaki said in a soft, sad tone. Nanashi lowered his gaze at those words.
Sabrina and Chloe glanced at each other, both unsure about this whole thing. Adrien blinked in confusion when he asked, "Is a wake the Japanese term for a funeral?"
The others and Tsujiie-Sensei couldn't help but stare at the blonde boy with uncertain looks in their eyes. The teacher raised an uneasy brow when he explained best he could in simple Japanese, "Not really, Agreste-San, a wake is a ceremony for the family, relatives, and close friends to gather to say their goodbyes to the dead. I'm not sure how wakes are done in France, but here in Japan, the people close to the person gather and spend a period of time in the same location as the body of the departed. The next day, the body is taken to wherever the funeral will be held." Tsujiie-Sensei was a little confused as to how this child thought a wake was a funeral.
"|::|Adrikins, I know your dad is a private person but, didn't he have a wake to mourn Antie Emilie?|::|" Chloe asked, switching to French because she knew he would respond better.
Adrien had to think about that for a bit, somewhat missing the confused looks from the teacher and the Yuukis. A look of realisation appeared on the blondes face as he struck his right hand on his open left palm when he said in French, "|::|Uh, not really, but we wore black for an entire month. I was wondering why we did that. |::|"
Sabrina couldn't help but comment in an uneasy tone, "|::| You mean you wore black for that long and didn't know why? Adrien, didn't you ask Mr Agreste?|::|"
Adrien turned to his childhood friends when he replied, "|::|Of course, I did. He just told me that we were to wear black for a while, he didn't tell me why.|::|"
Tsujiie-Sensei was glancing between the three French nationals as they spoke. Somewhat wishing he'd ask Dupain-Cheng-San to join him for this... But what he could pick up was… Concerning... If the teacher could wager a guess, and given what they were talking about just moments ago, he'd guess Bourgeois-San was asking Agreste-san how he doesn't know what a wake was and that the boy's father didn't think he should know even though they had to mourn someone by the name of 'Emilie'... Tsujiie-Sensei couldn't help but think, 'Though given the context, this person must've been close to their families...
The Yuukis glanced at each other as they shrugged their shoulders.
Tsujiie-Sensei had to interrupt the French nationals when he told them, "Ano, I don't want to be rude, but... I do have to ask all of you to be respectful to your fellow students and let them mourn. Especially Tsukui-San and Kante-san."
"Understood, Sensei," the exchange students' response.
The teacher then stated, "And please be aware that not everyone will be... Up to their usual vigour for a while." The five exchange students nodded before they were let back into the classroom. It didn't seem like the class even noticed that their teacher and classmates were missing.
}I{ After Classes Were Over }I{
It became uncomfortably clear that no one, aside from the transfer students, was motivated to do anything...
Adrien's curiosity got the better of him and he asked Nino about Tsukui-Kun and Kante-Kun's grandfather.
"Ah, right, I guess you wouldn't know..." Nino responded when he registered the question. He took a deep breath before he explained, "Tsukui Hikaru is... Uh... He was one of the Calligraphy Masters in Japan..." Nino glanced away when he continued, "He's... Uh... He was strict but passionate about calligraphy... He's... He's where Tsukui- Kun got his interest in calligraphy and lettering..." He fiddled with his pencil as he spoke.
Adrien didn't know what to say. To both cheer his friend up and about the information he had just learned.
~}I{ Later }I{~
Marinette was laying on her bed as she slowly flipped through the Kanji Exercise book. She was just staring at the neat and tidy notations that Tsukui-Ojiisan made. Rereading the little notes of correction, some stylising tips, and praises that he wrote.
Tikki was a little confused by this. Well, the staring at the writing part, at least. The act of grieving was the part the Kwami of creation understood too well.
When a knock was heard from the hatch, Tikki immediately hid in the bag her Holder would be bringing to the wake.
Sabine slowly opened the hatch to see exactly what she thought was happening. The mother climbed into her daughter's room and made her way over to the younger. Sabine gently placed a hand on marinette's shoulder to get her attention.
The younger bluette finally took her attention off the exercise book to look at her mother.
Sabine motioned for her daughter to come along. Marinette nodded as she closed the book, clutched it to her chest, and stood up from her bed. As the two left, the younger grabbed her bag on the way, still clutching the Kanji exercise book as if it were a tablet of gold and gems.
Tikki was worried about her Holder...
~}I{~
The window to Hawmoth's lair opened and the white butterflies scattered at the sudden light.
The villain let out a low hum when he said out loud, "A loss of a loved one is understandable. The pain, the grief." Hawkmoth smirked when he got out, "This will do nicely for Akumatization!" He then gingerly caressed the Butterfly/Moth Miraculous broche under his collar when he added in an almost tender tone, "But it's not perfect yet. It needs just a little more time to use. A little more negative emotions, and it'll be just right."
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~