Author's Note: Finally, it's done! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
Yusuke got up and yawned, stretching the sleep out of his system shortly after the instant the first rays of sunlight entered his room and touched his face. He looked out through the window, admiring the beauty of the morning sun. If he could, he'd love to paint it on a canvas in memory of this moment... if he had brought one, that is. Other than that, his growling stomach desired food. His roommate had also woken up, getting himself ready for today's adventure.
Yusuke combed his smooth hair, brushed his teeth, got dressed and left the room... except he ran straight into none other than Lila Rossi. He stared, blinking in surprise. Had she been waiting for him outside his room this whole time? Now that is disturbing. The evil smile on her face said what he knew she was going to say.
"Good morning, handsome," she purred. "Do you have an answer for my request?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact." Yusuke's eyes narrowed. "I have no intention of making you my model, and that's final."
The smile on Lila's face morphs to a hateful frown. "You will regret turning me down, Kitagawa. I'll destroy your life so badly that no one will even dare associate with you once you go back to Japan."
"Good luck with that. You don't know my teacher or my peers that well. They're not as gullible as your delusional cult." With a bitter chuckle, Yusuke heads for the elevator and leaves her behind.
Lila's frown hardens into an extremely irritated scowl. Does he truly think his entire class will not turn on him? Does he truly believe his teacher will automatically take his side and defend him? Is he that naive? She tells people what they want to hear, and she knows Yusuke's reputation will plummet once she tells his class what a horrible monster he really is... and Maribrat will get the blame, as usual. Only one thing left to do; get Chloe and go through with the plan.
MARINETTE: Good morning, Uncle Jagged. Or rather, good evening, depending on the time in Paris. How are you doing?
JS: Hello, Marinette! I'm doing great! Your folks told me you're in Hawaii. How's it going down there? Did you have some awesome rock-n-roll adventures?
MARINETTE: You betcha! It's amazing here. I also made some new friends from Japan.
JS: Japan, eh? Cool! That reminds me, I heard stories on the internet regarding these Phantom Thief blokes. Don't know why the bloody cops think they're criminals, but if you ask me, they're heroes just like Ladybug. Care about putting an end to injustice and corruption.
MARINETTE: That's what I think of them too. But there's actually a more pressing matter to why I'm contacting you. You see, there's this girl in my class, her name is Lila Rossi. Does the name ring a bell?
JS: Never heard of her. Why do you ask?
MARINETTE: She's been telling lies about you and herself to make herself popular. She claims to have saved your kitten from getting run over by a plane and developed tinnitus as a result. In gratitude, you wrote a song about her. I tried to tell people that she's lying but everyone accuses me of being jealous, even when I've personally worked for you and know none of this is true. Here's a link to the video she posted, along with her Instagram.
She waited patiently after delivering the video file and the link to the liar's website. Fortunately, Marinette didn't have to wait long because his response came instantly.
JS: THIS IS SICK! I don't write songs for underage girls; people will think I'm some bloody pedophile! And I never owned a cat, I'm highly ALLERGIC to fur! As for that photo, I've NEVER invited that sausage-haired girl to a red-carpet event! It's definitely PHOTOSHOPPED!
Marinette was caught off-guard, not expecting her honorary uncle to react like this. Then again, Makoto was correct. Those lies could've destroyed her honorary uncle's career. There was a pause for a few moments, then came another response.
JS: Sorry for losing my cool. What this Rossi girl is saying in that video and what she posted on Instagram is going to convince people that I could be a pedophile. What's worse, I could be sued and arrested.
MARINETTE: I know... I wish I had told you sooner. I'm really sorry.
JS: No need to apologize, Marinette. I'm glad you informed me. I'll have my lawyer look into it. Who's the owner of that blog again?
MARINETTE: Alya Cesaire, she is... or WAS my best friend, but she chose to trust Lila over me. We'll be coming back home tomorrow, so please keep my name anonymous when your lawyer speaks with them.
JS: Don't worry, my lips are sealed. And I betcha their parents will punch holes in the wall when I tell them what their girls have been saying about me online. Anyway, you probably have other things to do so I'll let you go from here.
MARINETTE: Great, thanks Uncle Jagged! Say hello to Penny and Fang for me! Goodbye!
JS: Goodbye!
Marinette sighed in relief and leaned back on her pillow, glad to have finally taken care of the first goal. Lucky for her to know Uncle Jagged was very understanding when she apologized for not reaching out sooner. Hopefully, when she gets back to Paris, Ladybug will have to come clean about that false friendship story between her and Lila. But what of Prince Ali? It's impossible to contact him. Only Rose has his number, except she's not on good terms with her, and Marinette doubted that she'd willingly hand over her phone if the young designer came up with a lame excuse to borrow it. And she didn't want to steal Rose's phone to contact the prince, refusing to go down that road again, back when she first stole Adrien's phone to erase an embarrassing love message to him.
"Good morning, Mari." Here comes Makoto out of the bathroom, all dressed and ready for the day. "Did you contact Jagged Stone?"
"I sure did!" she replied, grinning. "He was upset when I told him what Lila's been saying. It's just like you said - he's concerned how Lila's lies would get him accused of pedophilia. He's going to have his lawyer interrogate Alya and Lila once we get back to Paris. As well as keeping my name anonymous." She frowned, concerned etched on her face. "I just hope this doesn't backfire on my plan, because Lila uses her lies to get away with it."
"Try not to worry too much. Just think positive." Makoto assures her, patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, I think it's time somebody legally knocked Lila and Alya off their high horses." She shares a chuckle with friend over what she commented. "C'mon, let's go get some breakfast."
Breakfast was good, plenty of choices to pick from the buffet. Ryuji, Ann and Yusuke had the time of their lives choosing whatever they wanted, albeit ignoring the subtle glares of the French students when they came around to pick what they'd like to eat. Nobody had forgotten the confrontation that night, and in their eyes, those Japanese kids are in the wrong for cruelly attacking Lila.
And to them, Marinette is the one to blame for manipulating them to treat Lila like a liar when the poor girl can't control her disease. The young designer found herself on the receiving end of those heated glares while she was busy scanning the buffet food with a plate in hand, but was very relieved to have Makoto's presence at her side to keep them at a distance. One lethal look from the brunette was enough to intimidate the French students to not try anything stupid.
But the ever-bold, or ever-stupid, Alya decided to take her chance. "Morning!" she waved, attempting to keep things civil.
Of course, Marinette completely ignored her, but Makoto nodded politely. "Good morning," she responded.
"How did you sleep last night? Did you have any problems waking Marinette? Girl always slept past her alarm." Using such a joke was a poor move on Alya's part, failing to notice Makoto's burning gaze. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you managed to talk some sense into Marinette last night after we spoke."
"Yes, we have spoken after you had the nerve to air out her dirty laundry in order to prove we can't trust her because Lila is trustworthy." The cold sarcasm in Makoto's voice doesn't go unheard as Alya took a step back, stunned. "I did talk to Marinette, but not in the way you think. Now, if you'll excuse us." She left the buffet when she finished her choice of what to eat.
Marinette followed closely after she got the food she wanted, eager to get away from her former friend. She reached the table where Ren and the others waited, having witnessed the interaction with curiosity and confusion.
"What was that all about?" Ann questioned, which caused Marinette to cringe nervously.
"It's kind of complicated to explain."
"We're all ears! What happened? What did Alya want this time?"
Makoto rejoined them, seating herself next to her boyfriend. "Alya tried to break into our room last night, because she wants to discuss with Marinette about certain things, which I have no doubt it involves Lila. I made it strictly clear of the consequences she could've faced if she had succeeded."
"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling us that Alya actually tried breaking into your room?" A baffled Ryuji voiced everyone's bewildered reactions, wondering why on earth would that girl be so careless to barge into the room of the toughest girl in Shujin.
"Doesn't she know it's suicidal to do that when it involves you?" Ann mumbled not to quietly, knowing how lucky Alya is to not get her ass kicked. Noticing the confused Marinette staring at her, the blonde girl explained, "Oh yeah, we haven't told you. Makoto is trained in aikido. It's a Japanese martial art..." now that part she whispered, at least clear enough for her new friend to hear, "I guess Alya got lucky not to piss off Makoto."
"Oh... I see..." The pupils in Marinette's eyes dilated, slightly fearful.
"Don't worry, I didn't hurt her," Makoto reassures.
"Then what exactly is this about 'talk sense' or 'airing out dirty laundry?'" Yusuke asked, ever so innocently.
Saying that caused Makoto to glare warningly at the artist. "Don't be push it. It's Marinette's choice if she wants to tell you." She swore not to tell the others unless Marinette wanted to. But to her surprise...
"No, it's okay. I'll tell them." Marinette decided to come clean to Ren and the others. Now that would be a challenging moment for her, especially given her history of struggles regarding her previous love-obsessed behavior with Adrien. As she garnered the courage, she took a deep breath and exhaled softly. "I know I told you guys before that I've acted in ways I'm not proud of, and I need to share what I've been hiding..." she quickly looked over at the Akuma Class, especially Alya, sitting at another table, "before a certain someone in my class tells you her biased version first."
The group exchanged worried glances, and before anybody could say a word, she beat them to it.
"My crush on Adrien was nothing but an unhealthy obsession. I've done things I can't justify. Like..." she hesitated, "breaking into his house, stalking him in or out of school, keeping his photos in my room, using his work schedule to plan love confessions which always backfired, sending a video confessing my love to him on the day of his mother's disappearance, sabotaging any girls' attempts to get chummy with him, such as his date with Kagami at the movie theater... and I teamed up with Chloe, of all people, to do it! And I know it was wrong, but I was a stupid, crazy, jealousy, obsessed idiot! When wearing imaginary rose-tinted glasses, I was blind to what I was doing wrong! Everything that happened has been a wake-up call about how toxic my obsession had become. It made me so insecure that I didn't know how to handle it, and my former friends refused to let me forget Adrien because 'we're destined to be together,'" she quoted with brief sarcasm, "I let those feelings consume me, and it hurt not just me, but the people around me... no wonder they never believed me whenever I tried to warn them about Lila." Tears are coming back, stinging the brim of her eyes. Not this again.
Nothing but dead silence at the table as the group stared at Marinette, processing what she recently told them. The extent of her actions was quite a shock for them to know the story of a girl with an obsession so unhealthy, she had done all of those things just to get a boy to like her. Heck, even doing stunts that were practically insane or illegal.
Ann, bless her soul, takes a handkerchief out of her pocket and offered it to Marinette, who accepted it. Then she said something unexpected, "But if it wasn't for that jealousy, you'd never have found out about Lila's lies, right?" Everyone stared at Ann, stunned. Yes, even Marinette was surprised. "Hear me out! If you hadn't found out what a fraud Lila is because of your crush on Adrien, you would've been under her spell like the rest of those crazy clowns."
Realization dawned in Marinette's eyes, processing what he explained. "I... well, yeah... I never thought it like that."
"I'm not gonna lie here, but what you did was crazy." The group looked very annoyed when Ryuji just blurted out as if he offended Marinette, but that wasn't his intent, and he wasn't done. "Look, babe, this whole breaking and entering, or sabotaging his date... that's totally messed up. If I were you, I would've just confessed to Adrien in a private spot, not make it into a big fancy show. If he doesn't like you that way, then he's not your type."
"I know, but my friends-" Marinette didn't a chance to finish as the former athlete ranted onward.
"And screw those dipshit friends! What do they know about love? It's not 'destiny' for you and Adrien to get all lovey-dovey. They should've stopped to realize what they're pushing you to do is stupid, and things would never work between you and Adrien in the first place." Everyone was momentarily surprised into silence by Ryuji's sudden wise words.
The silence ended when Ren spoke with the firm mannerisms of a benevolent father figure lecturing his daughter for doing something bad. "It's as you said before, you wore rose-tinted glasses and became blind to what you were doing. That kind of behavior is unhealthy. Stalking someone, posting his photos in your room, and everything else Ryuji just said... that's not love. It's not some sort of game where you can just stalk a boy endlessly, plan a grand surprise of ambushing him with an insane romantic confession. Makoto is my girlfriend, and our relationship is built on real love and trust. Neither of us have done anything stupid before we got together."
"Except when she stalked us endlessly because she had been ordered to spy on people by that fat bastard principal." The snicker came from Ann, who grinned mischievously at the memory.
"Now's not the time for this." Poor Makoto averted her gaze, slightly annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.
"Wait, what?" Marinette looked back and forth between them, baffled.
Yusuke cleared his throat loudly to get attention. Eyes are on him, especially Marinette's. "I may know nothing about love considering how sheltered I've been all my life, but I believe when you're in love, you accept that person for who they are, despite their flaws. You know everything will be fine because the person you love will shield you from danger, trust your judgement and respect your boundaries. Love is about giving you the confidence to be a better person every day."
As Marinette processed what he instructed regarding love, she found herself gazing at Yusuke. Heart pounding in her chest, a very familiar emotion bubbled up in his chest. In that moment, she suddenly found herself growing attracted to Yusuke. Not just his physical appearance or his voice, but his personality as well - his true self. But wait, this can't be right! He lives in a different country, and maintaining a long-distance relationship could pose a problem, along with her superhero responsibilities getting in the way. This can't happen again.
Those thoughts were cut short by Ann placing a reassuring hand on Marinette's shoulder. "But at least you're finally getting over Adrien, right? Moving on is a big step and it's a good thing. Even admitting your faults is a big step, too. Don't dwell on your past but you can learn from it. And I think you're really brave to share this with us. We all have our struggles and mistakes, so you're not alone in this."
More tears start coming back, only this time it's for gratitude and relief. Marinette wipes those teardrops away, managing a small smile. "Thank you, guys. I just wanted to let it out." God, how are these guys so amazing? Especially Yusuke, whom she found herself falling in love with.
One by one, the group started their own experiences which none of them are proud of, although Marinette was already familiar with those stories by now, she got to hear their struggles, regrets, and how they moved forward. A bond of vulnerability was created in that moment. The atmosphere had shifted to one of solidarity and support, brainstorming ways to help Marinette move forward.
When breakfast was over, both the Shujin and Kosei groups, accompanied by the Dupont class, boarded three transport buses to the volcano. Marinette hated having to stay in the bus and listen to Lila spreading more falsehoods about how she climbed the Diamond Head volcano to rescue a kidnapped child held hostage by a ruthless criminal, wishing she could've joined Makoto's or Yusuke's classes, but Miss Bustier 'insisted' she needs to stay with her class because she's their representative. And by insistent, it was more like threatening a student with three months of detention if she refused, so Marinette had no choice but to obey. Poor girl was forced to sit in the back because her classmates keep giving her the cold shoulder (except for Sabrina, who looked at her sympathetically), and Alya didn't bother to sit next to her because she wanted to be close with her boyfriend. And stupid, cowardly Adrien refuses to speak up on her behalf, allowing Lila to clutch his arm (discreetly smirking as if reminding Marinette that she's won the prize) while the brat continued with her insane fairy tales. Thank God for Ann or Ryuji constantly sending Marinette messages to check up on her or make subtle jokes to lift her spirits.
And thank goodness the drive finally came to an end. Students got off, one by one, and the hike up the trail proved to be tiresome and difficult, as many people would complain after journeying to the top. But some would say the journey is worth it because when you succeed and reach the top, the view is an incredible, beautiful sight to behold.
The tour guide assigned to all three classes gave a logical explanation to the origin of the Diamond Head, but most kids are more interested in taking photos or videos. Marinette felt her phone ping a few times, meaning someone was trying to message her. It couldn't be her new friends as their attention was focused on the ocean and landscape, neither of them has their phones out. So, she discreetly checked and, to her surprise, found Jagged's name popped up.
JS: Sorry to bother you, Marinette, but I wanted to ask you something. My lawyer, Penny and I have been examining Lila's Instagram and the Ladyblog. Some things aren't adding up.
MARINETTE: What kind of things?
JS: Not only did she make insane fabrications about me, but she's been saying weird things about Prince Ali and Ladybug. According to my lawyer, the prince only does charity work for orphans and there's no mention of him ever inviting a girl like Lila to ride on his private jet, much less ever been in a relationship with him. He could be accused of charity fraud if this charity to save the environment is exposed as false, or some could call him a womanizer who charms young girls to ride on his private jet to do... well, you know... AMOROUS things.
Marinette almost dropped her phone at what her uncle was trying to imply. No way the prince would ever do such a thing, but she never thought of that before Jagged's lawyer had suggested it.
MARINETTE: I seriously doubt Prince Ali is the kind of boy who would seduce girls to his plane and make out with him. Like I said before, I did try to warn everyone when she lied about being in Achu doing charity work to save the environment, but everyone assumes I'm jealous.
JS: Those ignorant brats... I'm sorry to hear that. Anyway, my lawyer is going to visit the ambassy and speak with Achu's ambassador about this matter.
MARINETTE: Good to hear it.
JS: As for Ladybug, my lawyer is baffled on why people blindly believe such a fairy tale without Ladybug to confirm whether this friendship is true or not, and how this video or these fake photos could put Lila or her family in danger with Hawkmoth or any other criminal who despise Ladybug. If their friendship is real, it should've been kept quiet, but I guess that girl's dumber than a toddler for making herself a target, the same can be said to that Ladyblogger. No offense, I know you used to be friends with Alya.
MARINETTE: No, you're right. Alya lost her brain cells whenever Lila is around.
JS: LOL! Good one. As I was saying, according to my lawyer, the chances of people believing the so-called friendship without confirmation is only convincing the public that Lila's word is 'truthful.' The matter should've been addressed SOONER. Wherever Ladybug is, my lawyer is hoping to speak with her to get her side of the story.
A pang of guilt struck Marinette in her chest, if only she had come forward sooner. But all that changes soon. Tomorrow is when she goes home, and she'll need to find the right time to pay Jagged Stone and his lawyer at visit, after a rest from a long flight home.
MARINETTE: I'm sure Ladybug will be around to talk with you. Try to be patient.
JS: If you say so. Now, I'm sure you have other things to do. I'll let you go from here.
MARINETTE: Alright! One more thing. Here's a photo from the top of Diamond Head.
She sent him a picture of the magnificent scenery from the top of the volcano to her honorary uncle, as a little gift for him.
JS: Wow! Totally rock-n-roll! Thanks, Marinette. Bye.
"Well, at least something is also being done about the Prince Ali and his environment charity fabrication." Marinette sighed in relief, glad to know she won't have to make an excuse to borrow Rose's phone or make an attempt to steal it.
Meanwhile, Hifumi Togo was busy filming a video of her surroundings so she can send it to her parents in memory of this wonderful moment... until she noticed something deeply suspicious - there was a girl born of Italian descent with a strange hairstyle, whispering conspiratorially with a blonde French girl wearing a ponytail. Whatever it is, the shogi player suspected it wasn't good judging by their evil smirks.
That's when the incident happened sooner than expected.
As they approach the viewpoint, Lila suddenly pretends to stumble and grabs a handrail, leaning her weight halfway over the rail as if she could fall any second now. "Aah! Oh goodness! Yusuke, help me!" she gasped loudly.
Hearing the cry, Yusuke turns around and, despite his dislike toward the witch, thought she was going to fall over the handrail and rushed to her aide. "Are you okay?" he asked. Until he realized too late that he, the ignorant fox, had fallen into the conniving vixen's trap when he saw a glimpse of her sinister smile.
Lila quickly took advantage of the situation, fake tears welled up in her eyes as she screamed dramatically, drawing attention from everyone. "You pushed me! Why would you do that? How can you be so mean to me?"
While Yusuke was left utterly speechless to what just happened, Chloe jumps in to make the accusation, feigning concern for her partner in crime. "Did you see that? That nasty boy attacked Lila! He's out of control!"
Students nearby started to gather around the threesome, murmuring in confusion or shock. Those in Shujin who recognized Lila immediately suspected she was doing something wicked to discredit an innocent. While the Kosei students didn't know Lila well, they knew Yusuke well enough to know he's not the type of person who would attack a random girl without reason.
However, just like always, the idiotic Dupont students fell for it. Fury lit up in their eyes, outraged at what this awful jerk is doing to their precious friend. Faces twisted in a mix of anger and disgust. The tension was so thick, one could cut it with a sword.
An aggressive Kim stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, ready to give this bully the beating of a lifetime. "You think you can just push a girl like that and get away with it?"
"You're going to pay for what you did!" Alix joined beside him, pounding a fist in her palm.
Suddenly Marinette bounded herself forward, placing herself in front of Yusuke and her arms stretched out to shield him, protectively. If she got hit, she didn't care so long as neither of them hurt this sweet boy. "Back off! Yusuke didn't do anything wrong!"
Fortunately, the blue-haired girl wasn't alone as the rest of Yusuke's loyal phantom thief allies made a shield around Yusuke so nobody dared tried to assault him. They assumed they would be ready with their eyes and ears open for whatever Lila had planned, but they didn't see this coming.
Then came Hifumi who spoke loud and clear, "Exactly! I was near Kitagawa-kun when this Lila girl called for his help, and he rushed over to help her!"
"That's not true!" Lila interrupted, wailing pathetically. She pretended to wipe off tears that aren't there. "He was cruel! I asked him if I can model for his art, but he rejected me! Saying 'Good god, you're too ugly to be a model! Shoo, shoo! Go away!' It was then I found out he's playing favorites with Marinette, and she persuaded him to try sexually harassing me because I deserved it for taking Adrien and her friends away from her!"
Gasps swept through the crowd like a tidal wave flooding a beach. Of course, the Kosei students' reactions were filled with rage at what she just said about their classmate. And what they shouted next wasn't exactly what Lila or Chloe expected to hear.
"What the hell is wrong with you!? Kitagawa would never sexually harass a girl!"
"That's a lie! Kitagawa may be eccentric, but he's a great guy!"
"How dare you accuse him of blasphemous slander!"
"We won't let you get away with this, you manipulative bitch!"
This is not what Lila wanted to hear, for everyone was supposed to turn on Yusuke and accuse him of all sorts of unsavory things. What is wrong with them? Why are they automatically taking his side and defending him? His reputation was supposed to plummet, but it appears everyone likes and respects Yusuke so much, nobody will hear one bad word against him.
Lucky for her, Chloe intervened and did what she instructed her to do - lay the blame at Marinette. Even she can tell people what they wanted to hear too, when it comes to getting what she wants. The mayor's brat scoffed, crossing her arms. "Look at you, peasants. So gullible, I pity you." She pointed a sharp manicured finger in Marinette's face. "Dupain-Cheng is just a devil using you to harass Lila because of a stupid, petty grudge against her!"
"Lila is the real devil here!" Ann interjects, brushing Chloe's hand aside. "She manipulates people to attack Marinette!"
Chloe merely rolls her eyes. Those fools are utterly ridiculous to stand up to someone as powerful as her. "You just don't get it. Dupain-Cheng is just jealous of Lila like always, and after what she got Kitagawa to do, I'll have my daddy put her in jail for this!"
The Japanese students murmured in outraged shock as the threat hangs in the air. The French students, on the other hand, didn't seem intent to argue, accepting the fact that their once beloved Everyday Ladybug will go to jail for going too far in attacking an innocent girl.
Somewhere in the crowd, Marinette noticed Adrien standing silently behind Lila's cult. She couldn't read his face to figure out what he was thinking. Is he disappointed in her, again? He's not even speaking up for her. What a jerk.
As for Sabrina, the poor girl kept her distance from the public spectacle. Why she's not taking part in the Chloe and Lila's scheme, who knows? Wait, is that a bruise on the left side of her forehead? Or is that a trick of the light making Marinette see things?
"What the hell is going on here!?" Mr. Hoshi, the homeroom teacher of the Kosei kids, rushed in on the scene, followed closely by the tour guide, Kawakami, Dr. Kurtzberg and Bustier.
"That pretty boy, Kitagawa, tried to attack and sexually harass Lila after he turned down her request to model for him!" Nino explained the situation, more likely a biased viewpoint of what he believes. "Marinette told him to do it because she can't let go of her stupid grudge against Lila!"
Shock crossed her features as Bustier registered what she had been told. Then, it was replaced with a stern expression. Stepping forward to reach the center of the crowd, she looked down on the two culprits. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Yusuke Kitagawa!" her voice raised in admonition. "I can't believe you would do something so heinous! You've crossed a line!"
Marinette felt the hurt rise in her chest, but she can't let Miss Bustier's words shake her. "But I never-"
"Not another word! When we get back to Paris, I'll have to report this to the principal, and then to the police! What you've done is serious!"
The Japanese students couldn't believe what they were hearing. A teacher is blaming a girl without knowing the whole story. She doesn't even see the evil smirks on Chloe and Lila's faces. How unforgivable. So many voices are suddenly raised, furious on Marinette's behalf and shouting profanities.
Good thing Mr. Hoshi intervened by blowing a long, loud, clear whistle he had been wearing around his neck to silent the crowd. His expression was also dead serious, but he was glaring directly at Bustier. "Look here, Ma'am, you can't jump to conclusions and make a report without knowing the details. There hasn't been a proper investigation, and we need to consider all sides."
Kawakami nods in agreement, and a look of annoyance is seen clearly, frustrated at having to deal with another one of this idiot woman's incompetence. But this... THIS is crossing a line. "That's right! We need to hear from everyone before making any irrational judgments."
Bustier's eyes widen in disbelief, attempting to defend her position. "But Lila is a victim here! There's no way she would ever make up something so horrendous!" She stopped abruptly when Hoshi interrupted her.
"Are you really willing to believe that without evidence?" When he got no answer as the woman stuttered, just like he suspected, Hoshi turned to his student with a gentle disposition. "Kitagawa-kun, what exactly happened here?"
Relief washes over Yusuke, happy to know his teacher is there for him and willingly to hear him out. That's what he liked about him. Mr. Hoshi never tolerated bullying or liars, such as the time he had suffered a few students giving him hell over his connection to Madarame, and when they tried lying their way out of it, Mr. Hoshi never believed them and after doing a proper investigation, he had them suspended.
"I can explain!" Hifumi's voice cut the art boy's voice off before he could speak, while she approached their teacher, phone in hand. "I was just recording the landscape so I can send it to my parents later, when I chanced upon this."
As she spoke, she played the video for her teacher to see. There it was, Lila pretending to lose her balance and forcing herself half off the railing, crying out for Yusuke to rescue her. Yusuke came to her rescue, only to get viciously accused of attacking Lila. And Chloe, that little brat, had witnessed the whole thing and straight up lied to everyone's faces.
Gasps of horror and disbelief fill the crowd like an explosion was just unleashed. Multiple eyes darting back and forth between the liars and Hifumi's evidence. Chloe and Lila felt the color on their faces drain, staring like a pair of deer caught in the headlights. Bustier and her class gazed at the video, shock and denial written all over their faces. The expressions of Hoshi and Kawakami harden with anger.
"You two..." Hoshi's voice grows colder by the second, "lying to frame two good students of assault! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"
"How could you do such a thing!?" Dr. Kurtzberg's eyes burned like fire. "It was evil!"
While Chloe had nothing to say with the panic shown clearly in her eyes, Lila grips her arm to discreetly and silently tell her not to say a word. She regains her composure, trying to pass off as a meek, frightened victim appalled by a biased testimony. "That video was taken out of context! It's all a misunderstanding! She just doesn't know what really happened because she's blinded by the nasty rumors Marinette's been spreading to ruin my reputation-"
"NOT ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU, ROSSI!" For the first time in her life, Kawakami raises her voice, making several students standing near her jump back. Her steely gaze shifts to Chloe next just as the blonde girl tried to object. "Nor you, Bourgeois! You two are in a world of trouble!"
Despite the mounting evidence, Alya steps in to defend her bestie, but not Chloe, because she knew that brat better than anyone. "Now wait a minute! You can't possibly believe Lila would do something evil! Just like she said, it's a misunderstanding. And we all know Lila has a disease that makes her do things without meaning to." Ignoring the Japanese students' huge wave of irritated groans, she was glad to get the support of her classmates agreeing with her. "It's obviously Chloe's fault!" She pointed an accusatory finger at said blonde, who frowned angrily. "She's pulled this kind of stunt before, and we all know Chloe is always up to no good! She must've taken advantage of Lila's disease to trick us!"
Everyone in both Shujin and Kosei gawk at her like she had completely lost her mind, or perhaps she already has. Heck, even Kawakami looked ready to pound her head against a wall. Dr. Kurtzberg never said a word, her face a blank look of confusion just like everyone else.
"Okay, I don't know what kind of nonsense you're going on about, young lady..." Hoshi fixated a hard stare, mixed with confusion, at the young reporter, "but this is not a misunderstanding. What Rossi did, she needs to be punished for it."
"It's not nonsense!" Bustier protested, standing firm. "It's true! Lila really does have a disease that causes her to lie uncontrollably!"
Silence filled the air, and an awkward one at that.
"Um, Ma'am... are you high right now?" This is what Hoshi finally said as he almost felt his brain cells die just listening to this garbage. His question caused Ryuji and Ann to snicker quietly, until they were shushed by Makoto and Ren.
"That's exactly what I'm thinking," Kawakami mumbled in agreement.
"I think I've heard enough." The tour guide finally found his voice, deciding to put an end to this madness. "Miss Bustier, may I have a word with you?" He glared at Chloe and Lila. "You two as well. Come with me."
Without a word, the two brats silently followed the tour guide and the three teachers to a private corner in the area to discuss their punishment. When nobody was looking, Chloe and Lila exchanged determined scowls, knowing their status will give them leverage to escape punishment, like always. Even with Lila's hold on Bustier and her classmates growing stronger by the minute, there's nothing that goody two-shoes Marinette can do about it... especially once they go back to Paris, her new friends can't protect her anymore.
As the adults continue to discuss the next steps, the Shujin and Kosei kids remain hopeful, while the Dupont class kept faith in Lila's innocence and Chloe's guilt. The Japanese kids avoided the Akuma class as if they're a plague, disgusted with their idiocy and blind loyalty to an obvious liar.
Feeling terrible, Marinette blamed herself for this incident. Lila was going after Yusuke now, and she got Chloe involved. It's just as she feared, those two devils are working together to cause mayhem. It's one thing when those devils tried to ruin her life, but her new friends were another. What if they leave her to save themselves? Why socialize with someone who put targets on their backs?"
As if he can read her mind, Yusuke leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "Stop blaming yourself. You had nothing to do with this. I should blame myself for not realizing what Lila was up to." She looked at him, stunned. "I wasn't prepared for what she had in mind for me. Still, I appreciate you sticking up for me. And for that, I thank you." His sincere words made her blush. "But remember this - we will never abandon you. We've been through things far worse than what Lila has done."
Without realizing it, Marinette found herself leaning in Yusuke's embrace, feeling safety and protection in his arms. It was then she realized what was happening next before it was too late to stop herself - she was falling in love with Yusuke Kitagawa.