The earth-shattering mecha battle, like a brief but brilliant typhoon, swept through Parisian afternoon, then quietly dissipated with Ladybug's "Miraculous Restoration," leaving countless legends to be relished in people's memories and on social media.
Time, once again, quietly slipped by for a few days in the peaceful campus life.
On the honor wall of François Dupont High School, there was a gleaming gold trophy for the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" winner.
However, the ones who ultimately represented the school were not Jaden and Marinette, the "genius duo," but Adrien and Max.
It is said that after that day, Max proactively sought out the principal and Teacher Caline, and with an unusually calm demeanor, apologized for his actions during his Akumatization.
Furthermore, Jaden and Marinette, by unspoken agreement, "forgot" the competition time, perfectly missing the grand event.
This not-so-small incident of "desertion" was ultimately downplayed as "unwell" through the mediation of the principal and Teacher Caline.
The pair representing the school became Max and Adrien, an unexpected yet undeniably strong combination.
The result was also as expected. With their absolute technical superiority, they swept through the competition, effortlessly bringing home the gleaming gold championship trophy for the school.
These past few days, Jaden would occasionally run into Max in the hallway.
The young man who had once fallen into despair because of failure seemed to have regained his usual calm.
However, the way he looked at Jaden always carried an indescribable complex emotion; he hesitated to speak several times, but ultimately said nothing, just silently lowered his head and walked past.
Jaden did not delve into the reasons behind this; everyone has their own knots to untie.
He simply attended classes as usual, read books, and occasionally discussed the latest manga plot with Nathan and Marc; life was uneventful.
But this tranquility, for some, was like the calm before a storm... During lunch break, on the school rooftop.
Alya stood with her hands on her hips, giving her best friend, who was still immersed in the afterglow of their "partnership," a "military-grade" strategic briefing.
"Marinette! Listen to me!"
Alya's expression was more serious than ever.
"I've devised three battle plans for you: A, B, and C. Today, we're executing Plan A — the Zoo Date Plan!"
"Z-zoo?" Marinette blinked her large blue eyes, a little confused.
"That's right! The zoo!"
Alya extended a finger, waving it in the air like a general commanding troops.
"Think about it, what's in the zoo? All sorts of animals!
Especially the scary-looking ones, like snakes! Spiders! Gorillas!
When the time comes, he'll be walking in front, you'll be following behind. When you see those animals, you immediately let out a cute and perfectly timed gasp.
Then, naturally, 'because of fear,' you lean close to him and grab his arm! Understand?!"
However, after hearing this "brilliant" idea, Marinette made a long face and whispered, "But... Alya, I'm only afraid of small insects.
Those animals... behind glass and bars, I... I don't find them scary at all..."
"Oh, come on!" Alya exclaimed upon hearing her, looking at her with an expression of disappointment, reaching out and pinching her cheek hard.
"My dear lady! Did you not get the main point? The point is to 'pretend' to be scared!
It's not about you being 'really' scared! It's about creating an opportunity for 'reasonable physical contact'!"
"B-but... Alya, you know, I... I'm not very good at acting..."
Marinette's voice grew softer and softer, and her eyes began to dart around.
Looking at her best friend's unpromising demeanor Alya took a deep breath. Suddenly, her expression became exceptionally serious, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible... anxiety.
"Marinette, you have to hurry."
"Why?"
Marinette looked at her confusedly, not understanding why Alya's attitude had suddenly changed.
"Because..."
Alya opened her mouth, but didn't know where to begin.
How could she say it? Could she say that she herself was almost unable to suppress the growing, inappropriate feelings she had for Jaden?
Could she say that when she saw Jaden looking at Marinette gently, her heart would ache?
No, she couldn't say it. She couldn't betray this friendship.
"Because! Because the competition is too fierce!" She could only forcefully steer the conversation in another direction, and began to list the "potential threats" for Marinette.
"Look! Mylène, she's been researching healthy recipes every day lately, and her figure is getting better day by day!
And Rose and Juleka, they're always huddled together whispering, surely planning some 'chance encounter' operation!
Not to mention alix, I don't know why her eyes look at him differently!
And! And Chloé and Sabrina, those two are like flies stuck to him, you can't even shoo them away!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, as if those girls were not Marinette's romantic rivals, but her own.
Hearing her, Marinette also felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
Especially when Chloé and Sabrina's names were mentioned, her face immediately showed undisguised displeasure.
"Alright! In short, you must speed things up!"
Alya patted Marinette's shoulder, making her final decision.
"I'm going to ask Jaden out now! Then, you two, go to the zoo first!
I'll follow behind you and give you 'remote tactical advice' through an earpiece! You must do exactly as I say this time!"
"Then... thank you Alya!" Marinette hugged her best friend, moved.
"Wait for me!" Alya hugged her back, her expression changing somewhat unpredictably from an angle Marinette couldn't see, but soon, she reverted to her usual cheerful self, loyal and ready to go to great lengths for a friend.
Watching Alya's retreating figure, Marinette's heart was filled with infinite anticipation for the upcoming "zoo date."
Visiting the zoo with Jaden... being scared by "frightening" animals... then, naturally, hugging his arm... maybe even another "accidental" intimate contact like last time... Just thinking about it made her face flush and her heart feel as sweet as honey.
"Marinette,"
Tikki, floating beside her, suddenly poured cold water on her enthusiasm,
"I think... Alya seemed a little strange just now."
"Strange? How could she!"
Marinette, however, shook her head confidently,
"Alya is my best friend! She's doing all this for my own good!" she said confidently, completely unaware of anything amiss.
In her opinion Alya's "urgency" was entirely due to those "romantic rivals."
Especially the names Chloé and Sabrina, Marinette involuntarily felt a wave of irritation.
So she completely disregarded Tikki's reminder, only immersed in her beautiful fantasies.
She even began to ponder in her mind which dress she should wear today to appear both cute and natural in front of Jaden.
"Alright, Marinette,"
Seeing her like this, Tikki could only helplessly advise, "First, adjust your mindset. Opportunity is for those who are prepared."
"Mhm!" Marinette nodded vigorously... Meanwhile Alya, like a secret agent on a mission, went directly to Jaden, who was reading by the flowerbed.
She didn't beat around the bush at all, nor did she show any hesitation or wavering, like throwing a swift fastball.
"Jaden."
She stood in front of him and asked directly, "Are you interested... in going to the zoo with Marinette this afternoon?"
Jaden was reading his book. Hearing this straightforward invitation with no preamble, he couldn't help but look up, a little surprised at her.
— That was a bit too direct, wasn't it?
He silently complained in his mind. He looked at Alya's unquestionable eyes, which seemed to say, "Dare to refuse me," and then thought that he indeed had no special plans for the afternoon.
"...No problem."
He closed his book and agreed with a smile.
"Great!"
Alya, upon receiving an affirmative reply, immediately turned and left, her steps hurried, as if staying for another second would reveal something.
"I'll go tell Marinette first! Remember, be quick!"
— Why such a fast, direct pitch?
Jaden looked at her retreating figure, which even held a hint of "fleeing in panic," and a small doubt arose in His heart ... After school, at the entrance of the Paris Zoo.
Marinette was pacing anxiously back and forth at the entrance like an ant on a hot pan.
She had an earpiece in her ear, through which Alya's voice, like a military instructor, was coming.
"Attention! Attention! 'Target' confirmed to have left, expected to arrive shortly!"
Through the earpiece Alya's voice, like a secret agent commander, came through,
"Marinette, control your breathing! Show your best state! Remember, in a moment, all actions are to be directed by me!"
"K-knew it..." Marinette responded softly.
However, plans always change.
Just as she held her breath, preparing for her and Jaden's "first official date," a familiar, vibrant voice came from nearby.
Two familiar figures walked over from a nearby path.
It was Kim and Max.
"Hi, Marinette!" Kim greeted her enthusiastically.
"You... why are you two here?" Marinette was a little surprised.
"Oh, I brought Max to see the new black panther!"
Kim pointed towards the depths of the zoo, his face showing that unique male curiosity and longing for fierce beasts,
"To let him judge whether my muscles are stronger, or that little cat's!"
"..." Marinette was speechless.
She quickly waved her hand, refusing, "Then... then you two go quickly! I... I'm waiting for a friend here."
She certainly didn't want these two huge third wheels to disrupt her date with Jaden.
Kim still wanted to say something more, but Max, who was beside him, instantly understood something after hearing the words "waiting for a friend."
"Waiting for Jaden?"
Max, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
His voice still had that flat tone, but Marinette heard an unusual meaning in it.
Max knew who Marinette was waiting for. His reason for coming here with Kim today, besides genuinely wanting to see the black panther, was more importantly, he had some things he wanted to ask clearly face to face.
He thought, perhaps he could use this coincidental occasion.
Just as Marinette didn't know how to answer, the figure she had been eagerly anticipating finally appeared at the end of the road.
Jaden's figure approached from a distance. Today, he wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, appearing clean and refreshed in the afternoon sun.
He walked forward, looking at the three people in front of him, a small hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, seemingly not expecting to run into Kim and Max here.
"Marinette."
He greeted Marinette first, a gentle smile on his face.
"J-Jaden! You're here!" Marinette immediately broke into a brilliant smile, completely forgetting about the other two boys.
However, just as this atmosphere of pink bubbles was about to form, a calm yet slightly suppressed voice forcefully interjected.
It was Max.
He pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses, for the first time, so persistently and unblinkingly, looking directly at Jaden.
"Jaden,"
He spoke, his voice not loud, but like a pebble thrown into the ambiguous and tranquil air,
"Can I ask you a question?"
Without waiting for Jaden to answer, he asked the question that had been lingering in His heart for days, keeping him tossing and turning.
"Why did you... give up that competition?"
This direct and heavy question, like a boulder, instantly crashed into the lighthearted and pleasant atmosphere at the zoo entrance.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment because of it.
Kim's face, still holding an excited smile about going to "scorn" the black panther, also froze.
He looked at Max, then at Jaden, a little confused, clearly not understanding what this sudden serious atmosphere was about.
And Marinette, she subconsciously held her breath, her large blue eyes filled with nervousness and worry.
She tightly clutched the corner of her skirt, afraid that Jaden would say something to hurt Max.
However, Jaden's reaction was surprisingly calm.
He showed no offense, nor any impatience.
He simply watched Max, his black eyes, which always held a gentle smile, now reflecting a profound understanding.
"Give up?" He repeated the word, then shook his head, looking at Max with sincerity.
"I haven't 'given up' anything. Because from the start, that championship wasn't something I wanted."
"This is neither belittling nor looking down."
Without waiting for Max to question further, he continued to explain in a calm, factual tone, "For me, participating in some championship and going to a coffee shop for tea in the afternoon are essentially no different.
The only reason I participated in the in-school selection that day was to respond to everyone's expectations, or rather... to simply deal with the school's request."
He paused, turning his gaze to the true owner of the gleaming trophy, his voice becoming a little more serious.
"Moreover, Max, you dedicated a whole year of unimaginable hard work to this project.
You are the kind of person who possesses top-tier talent and is willing to pour sweat into it—a true 'player'.
How could I possibly destroy the opportunity for such a hardworking person to achieve his dream?"
His voice was not loud, yet it resonated like a morning bell and evening drum, clearly striking Max's heartstrings.
"Compared to someone like me, who might just be a 'passerby' with a little talent,"
Jaden finally looked at him and said something that completely stunned Max on the spot,
"Your talent, your effort, your passion... are all greater than mine. So, why should someone who is already at the peak be confused and worried about a passerby's 'non-participation'?"
As his voice faded, the world seemed to fall silent.
Max stood there quietly, his eyes behind his glasses unblinkingly fixed on Jaden.
His heart , which had become fragile, sensitive, and even somewhat twisted from being crushed by a "genius," at this moment, felt as if a gentle hand had smoothed out all its wrinkles.
So... that's how it was?
It turned out that what he saw as a battle to determine the "strongest," a battle for a year's worth of dignity, was, in the other's eyes, merely a casual, inconsequential game.
It turned out that what he perceived as "charity" and "giving up" was, in the other's eyes, the highest respect for his efforts and dreams.
The knot in His heart , named "jealousy" and "self-doubt," which had plagued him for days, suddenly unraveled at this moment.
He felt his shoulders, which had been tense for days, finally, completely relax.
"I... I understand."
Max let out a long, relieved sigh.
He gave Jaden a heartfelt smile.
Then, he turned around and patted Kim, who was still in a daze, beside him.
"Kim, let's go. To see the black panther." His voice had returned to its usual calm, even with a hint of ease.
"Ah? Oh... okay!"
Kim hadn't fully grasped the situation. He scratched his head while being pulled forward by Max, muttering softly, "Hey, Max, what did he mean by that? I feel like I understand every word, but when they're put together, I completely don't get it."
"Some things can't be analyzed with the mind," Max's voice came from a distance, with a hint of a smile.
"Huh? You again, saying things I don't understand..."
The two figures gradually receded, eventually disappearing into the depths of the lush, tree-lined path of the zoo.
Watching them leave, Jaden's smile deepened.
Beside him, Marinette cautiously, with a hint of hesitation, softly asked:
"Um... Jaden, are you... alright?"
"Hm?" Jaden snapped back, looking at her worried expression, and gently shook his head, "I'm fine. What's wrong?"
"No, nothing, nothing!" Marinette quickly waved her hands, a brilliant smile returning to her face. The heavy stone in her heart finally settled.
She quietly mouthed into the miniature earpiece in her ear: "Crisis averted!"
"Excellent! Keep it up!"
Alya's voice, suppressing excitement, came through the earpiece, "Now, the plan continues! Take him to the reptile house!"
"Then... then can we... start?"
Marinette looked up at Jaden with her watery, innocent, deer-like eyes, her voice full of anticipation.
"Of course."
...And so, a zoo date, remotely controlled by "strategist" Alya and full of "tactical intentions," officially began.
Alya's figure, like an experienced secret agent, silently lurked about fifty meters behind them in a row of ornamental bushes.
She held her phone, the screen showing the backs of Jaden and Marinette walking side-by-side, which she had just captured with a telephoto lens, and was muttering real-time tactical instructions.
"Very good, Marinette! Maintain this distance! Not too close, not too far! Create a relaxed and natural atmosphere! Yes, just like that!"
However, this focused "strategist" did not notice that further behind her, a "counter-reconnaissance operation" targeting her had also quietly begun.
"So... Big Sister,"
Etta's small head peeked out from behind a large palm tree, and she lowered her voice, posing a soul-searching question to Nora beside her,
"Why are we stealthily following Sister Alya like thieves?"
"Exactly, exactly,"
Ella also peeked out from the other side, echoing, "Wouldn't it be better to just go up and ask her?"
Nora's sharp eyes were fixed on the sneaky figure in the distance, her brows tightly furrowed.
She completely couldn't understand what her sister Alya, usually so boisterous and straightforward, was up to today.
Helping others pursue someone they liked? Such a thing was utterly incomprehensible in Nora's "might is everything," straightforward mindset.
"You don't understand,"
She said to her two younger sisters in an experienced, elder-like tone,
"Your Sister Alya is engaged in a 'secret activity'."
"Secret activity?!"
As soon as the two twin sisters heard this phrase, their eyes instantly lit up, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity.
"Of course!" Nora saw their expressions and knew she had successfully piqued their interest. She cleared her throat and began to assign tasks.
"Listen, my little detectives. My body is too big, too obvious a target, so it's inconvenient for me to continue tracking. Therefore, the next mission is up to you!"
She pointed at Alya in the distance,
"You two, use your agile and small advantage, quietly follow Alya, and see what on earth she's up to! Remember, don't get discovered!"
"Yes! Mission accomplished, sir!" Ella and Etta immediately clicked their heels together and saluted, mimicking what they saw on TV.
"Very good." Nora nodded in satisfaction, then pointed in the direction Jaden and Marinette were heading,
"And I'll go to the predator zone ahead and 'accidentally' run into them.
I want to see what kind of person that boy really is."
She couldn't explain why she was at the zoo, but if it was to "happen" to visit her father, who was the zoo administrator, then it would be perfectly reasonable.
A "secret tracking team" composed of three sisters, each with different goals, thus quietly began their operation.
Nora's figure quickly disappeared down another fork in the road.
Meanwhile, Ella and Etta, like two nimble kittens, held hands and used flowerbeds, trees, and crowds as cover, silently tailing Alya.
Alya was currently engrossed in her phone screen, directing the "battle" ahead, though her sharp journalistic intuition occasionally made her feel something was amiss behind her. But whenever she turned to look, the mischievous twins always found perfect cover in an instant, leaving her empty-handed... And on the "front line" of the battlefield, Jaden and Marinette were walking side-by-side in the dimly lit reptile house.
The air carried a damp, earthy, and plant-like scent.
In the glass display cases all around, various snakes, lizards, and turtles were lazily coiled, occasionally flicking their tongues or moving their eyelids.
"Marinette, prepare! Three o'clock direction, that golden python! It moved! Now!"
Alya's exciting instructions came through the earpiece.
Marinette took a deep breath, building up her emotions. Then, just as Jaden's gaze turned to the slowly writhing, indeed somewhat terrifying golden python, she let out a perfectly timed, not too loud, not too soft, gasp.
"Ah!"
She stumbled, her body "bonelessly" and precisely falling towards Jaden, her hands "out of fear" tightly gripping his arm.
"Don't be afraid,"
Jaden immediately reached out and steadied her. He felt the softness and slight tremor of the girl's body on his arm, and could even smell the faint shampoo scent from her hair.
He lowered his head, looking at her "frightened," somewhat pale, and endearing little face, his voice unconsciously becoming even softer.
"It's alright, it can't get out. Look, there's such thick glass."
He comforted her gently, his palm lightly patting the back of her hand that was tightly gripping his arm.
"Mm..." Marinette buried her face in his arm, letting out a satisfied, nasal hum.
The feeling of holding his arm was even more reassuring and pleasant than she had imagined.
And so, she naturally held his arm and continued walking forward with him.
In the bushes behind Alya watched this "great success" on her phone screen, but a pang of bitterness inexplicably arose in her heart.
She was happy for Marinette, truly.
But at the same time, a bitter emotion, like a vine, quietly wrapped around her heart.
Just as she was a little lost in thought, her keen intuition once again sounded an alarm.
This time, she didn't turn back immediately.
Instead, she pretended to nonchalantly adjust the angle of her phone, looking behind her through the screen's reflection.
Then, she saw it.
Behind an ice cream cart, two identical small heads with low ponytails were peeking out, looking in her direction!
—Ella! Etta!
A vein instantly popped out on Alya's forehead.
She abruptly turned around and, with the speed of a special forces soldier, silently circled to the other side of the ice cream cart.
Ella and Etta were completely unaware of the impending danger.
"Sister, did you see that? Sister Alya's expression just now was so strange," Etta whispered to Ella.
"Yeah, yeah, she looked like she was about to cry," Ella nodded.
Just as they were about to peek out again to observe, a face with a "kind" smile, like a ghost, suddenly appeared before them.
"My two lovely sisters," Alya's voice was as gentle as if telling a horror story,
"What are you two... doing here?"
The two little ones shivered in fright. Seeing it was Alya, they quickly put on angelic, cute, ingratiating smiles, trying to bluff their way through.
"Sister Alya!"
They said in unison, "We... we came to buy ice cream!"
Alya looked at their darting eyes, sneered, and grabbed them by the back of their collars, one in each hand, lifting them out from behind the cart.
"Is that so? Well, that's perfect, I want some too. Let's go, together, and by the way... have a good chat about your 'secret activity'."