A few more days passed, and the hands of time quietly moved to Thursday. It was an ordinary school day.
At the front of the classroom, Caline, with a gentle smile on her face, announced the week's important matters: "Good morning, students.
Today, we are going to announce something that concerns our entire class—we will be electing a new Class Representative, as well as an assistant to help him or her."
Her voice echoed in the quiet classroom: "The Class Representative is a bridge between students and teachers, a position to serve everyone. I hope everyone will actively sign up and contribute to our class."
Caline's gaze gently swept over the vibrant faces below the podium, wondering to herself who would be willing to take on this responsibility this year.
Jaden was idly twirling his pen, while Chloé and Sabrina, sitting next to him, lowered their voices and began to whisper.
Their voices were very soft, like the buzzing of mosquitoes; he couldn't hear them clearly, and he didn't bother to listen.
"How utterly boring,"
Chloé's voice was full of disdain, and she gave Sabrina her characteristic eye-roll.
"Class Representative? What's the point?
Listening to those boring classmates complain about trivial needs?
I can't imagine what kind of person would want to participate in such a thankless task."
Upon hearing this, Sabrina instinctively wanted to agree, but her gaze inadvertently fell upon the composed Jaden next to her.
An idea flashed through her mind.
She leaned into Chloé's ear and said in a tempting tone, "But, Chloé, there are... benefits to this."
"Oh?" Chloé raised an eyebrow.
"For example,"
Sabrina's tone carried a hint of shrewd calculation, "if you become the Class Representative, you can legitimately act with Jaden under the guise of 'helping classmates.'
Creating opportunities for one-on-one time, or arranging 'class activities' that only the two of you participate in... these can all be utilized."
Sabrina's words instantly made Chloé's eyes light up, and the disdainful sneer on her lips quietly transformed into a smile of interest.
Then,
"Hmm..." She drew out her words, feigning reluctance.
"It sounds... not bad.
Since no one else is willing to serve the class, then I, the mayor's daughter, will take on this important responsibility."
The next second, to the astonished gazes of the entire class, Chloé raised her hand.
"Caline, I want to run for Class Representative."
Her voice was clear and loud, full of undeniable confidence, "And Sabrina will be my assistant."
Caline showed a hint of surprise when she saw Chloé volunteer, but she still smiled and nodded: "Alright, Chloé, Sabrina, please come to the front first."
The two stood by the podium. Chloé crossed her arms, her chin slightly raised, her gaze sweeping across the entire class, as if the position was already hers for the taking.
"So,"
Caline continued, her gaze encouraging as she looked at the others, "Are there any other students who want to run?"
Kim almost instinctively wanted to raise his hand; he had always thought Class Representative was a cool title.
Kim's hand twitched, raising halfway.
Two sharp gazes came from beside the podium.
Chloé and Sabrina were glaring at him coldly, their eyes seemingly saying, "Do you dare?"
Kim's hand instantly retracted as if it had been burned, and he nervously scratched his head, pretending nothing had happened.
Caline noticed Kim's hesitant movement and gently asked, "Kim, do you have an idea to run?"
"Ah... no, nothing, teacher!"
Kim quickly waved his hand, secretly glancing at Chloé.
Caline followed Her gaze and looked at Chloé, sighing helplessly in her heart.
She knew that Chloé was once again using her privilege as the mayor's daughter to silently suppress others.
Her gaze turned to the young man who had remained aloof throughout.
"Jaden?"
Her eyes were full of encouragement and expectation. In her opinion, Jaden was steady in character and well-liked by his classmates, making him the most suitable candidate for Class Representative.
However, Jaden seemed to have completely missed her signal.
He simply took a book from his desk and, without deviation, placed it directly in front of his face, isolating himself from all external disturbances.
(What a bad student.)
Caline thought with amusement in her heart.
She knew that if Jaden was willing to run, Chloé wouldn't stand a chance.
But the key was that he didn't want to get involved. Her gaze had to turn to the others again.
However, what she received was a uniform silence.
Nino stared out the window, bored, pretending not to hear;
Adrien had too many extracurricular activities and no time at all;
Max's entire focus was on his portable game console;
Marc and Nathan's heads were together, drawing and doodling in their notebooks; for them, a Class Representative was far less appealing than a new comic character;
Mylène was gentle in nature, but lacked a bit of decisiveness because of it;
Juleka was even more timid; asking her to stand at the podium in front of the whole class was harder than asking her to fight an Akumatized Person;
Rose, though lively and cheerful, seemed a bit naive when it came to handling complex matters.
Alya, on the other hand, was completely lost in thought; she was propping her chin with one hand and gesturing with the other under the table, her mind entirely on how to "date" Jaden this weekend, and whether she should prepare a brand new pair of roller skates for this "important date."
As for the other two new transfer students, Lila watched this farce with interest. She couldn't understand why a young lady like Chloé would be interested in a thankless Class Representative position, but this didn't stop her from enjoying it all with a mindset of watching a good show.
And Kagami, her thoughts were still lingering on Jaden's words to her a few days ago: "That's His choice."
That sentence was like a stone, casting ripples in the calm lake of her heart, leaving her still savoring it.
And even if she wanted to participate, she couldn't do anything without her mother's permission.
As for Alya, her fingers were rapidly tapping on her phone screen; clearly, updating her "Ladybug" blog was far more important than participating in a foregone election.
A strange silence permeated the entire classroom.
Everyone knew that as long as Chloé ran, no one else would have a chance.
After all, no one wanted to court trouble.
"Alright, since there's no one else for now..."
Caline was about to announce the temporary end of the nomination phase, giving everyone time to reconsider before lunch—
"Creak—"
The classroom door was pushed open.
"Sorry! I'm late!"
Marinette rushed in, panting. Her pigtails were a bit messy from running, and a healthy blush flushed her fair cheeks.
"Marinette," Caline looked at her, asking helplessly yet caringly, "What happened again today?"
"Uh... the bus... had a little accident!"
Marinette explained vaguely while catching her breath, then quickly slipped into her seat, sitting down next to Alya.
No one knew that early this morning, Hawk Moth had released another Akuma Butterfly, causing a small commotion.
As Ladybug, Marinette had to spend some effort to solve the problem.
After everything was over, she returned to her room by scaling walls, detransformed, and collapsed exhaustedly onto her bed.
Tikki flew out. She casually grabbed a few macarons and fed them to it, then, as if remembering something important, dragged an unfinished storage box from under the bed.
It was something she had specially designed and made for her diary.
She picked up her tools and began the final finishing touches.
After a while, a storage box with an ingenious mechanism was finally completed.
She carefully placed her diary inside.
"Marinette, is this really safe?" Tikki asked with some concern.
"Don't worry,"
Marinette confidently patted the box,
"No one will be interested in a normal girl's secrets. And, I even added anti-theft measures!"
She gestured for Tikki to fly in and try.
Tikki curiously went over. As its small hand touched the diary, there was a "click," and the box instantly closed and locked, trapping it inside.
"Hey! Let me out!"
Marinette laughed, unlocked the box, and let Tikki out: "See, no problem now, right?"
After doing all this, she finally looked at the alarm clock, realized it was already late, exclaimed, grabbed her schoolbag, and rushed out the door.
This led to the scene of her rushing into the classroom just now.
As soon as she sat down Alya immediately leaned over and quickly whispered in her ear: "You came just in time, something big happened, Chloé is running for Class Representative!"
"What?!"
Marinette couldn't believe her ears.
Her bright blue eyes were filled with shock, and she froze in her seat.
She cautiously looked around and found that the atmosphere in the classroom was indeed a bit strange.
Most of the students seemed not to have heard the teacher's words, each with their heads down, either pretending to read or fiddling with something under their desks, looking distracted.
Chloé... Class Representative? Chloé, who was self-centered and never thought about her classmates, would actually want to serve the class?
This was even more outrageous than Hawk Moth announcing his candidacy for mayor of Paris.
And, most incredibly, no one stood up to compete with her.
She leaned into Alya's ear and whispered in a mosquito-like voice that only the two of them could hear: "Alya, what exactly is going on?
Chloé... And why aren't you running? If you were elected, you'd definitely be the best Class Representative in all of Paris!"
Alya didn't even lift her head, her fingers still dancing rapidly on her phone screen. She responded casually, "I'm busy updating my blog, no time."
She paused, then silently added in her heart: Besides, the guy who made me want to participate is hiding his face with a book himself, so I'm too lazy to join in the fun.
Just then, Teacher Caline's voice rang out again: "Alright, since there are no new candidates for now, I will ask again before lunch.
If there are no changes..." Her words were unfinished, but the meaning was already clear.
Subsequently, the class bell rang, the discussion about the election temporarily ended, and the classroom returned to a studious atmosphere.
The short break between classes was like a moment of respite for a taut string.
Most students left the classroom in twos and threes, either to get some fresh air in the hallway or to rush to the playground.
The classroom instantly became much emptier, with only a few scattered individuals remaining.
Jaden was still slumped in his seat, using books to build a small fortress, isolating himself from the outside world, his breathing steady, seemingly truly asleep.
Meanwhile, on the playground downstairs, Chloé was like a queen surveying her territory, leading her assistant Sabrina, "reminding" potential competitors one by one.
"...So, do you understand?"
She stood in front of a seemingly hesitant male student, speaking condescendingly, the sunlight dancing on her golden curls, yet doing nothing to warm her icy tone.
"I am definitely going to be the class representative. I don't want to see any 'unpleasant' accidents happen."
The male student nodded repeatedly, not daring to meet her gaze.
At the same time, Marinette's "investigation" also began.
She first found Rose, who was with Juleka, fiddling with a scrapbook in the corner.
"Rose," Marinette squatted down and asked in a low voice, "Why...why don't you run for election? You love helping people so much."
As soon as Rose heard this question, her sweet smile was overshadowed.
She glanced hesitantly at Chloé not far away, her voice even lower: "Marinette, I...I can't run.
If I run, Chloé will definitely kick me out of the paper-cutting club."
As she spoke, she caressed the colorful stickers in her hand, her eyes full of love and reluctance.
"I really...really love these, I can't lose them."
Marinette looked at her expression, a sense of powerlessness rising in her heart.
She then found Alix, who was doing warm-up exercises alone.
"Alix, what about you? You're so energetic, you'd definitely be capable."
Alix stopped, wiped her sweat with a towel, and replied coolly, "I'm not interested in being a candidate, it's too much trouble."
As she spoke, her eyes unconsciously glanced towards the classroom, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
"Besides, I have more important things to do this weekend, I need to prepare well."
Seeing that Marinette still wanted to say something, Alix turned the tables on her, raising an eyebrow and asking, "What about you, Marinette? Why don't you go? What's your reason?"
"I..." Marinette was stunned by the question and suddenly speechless.
Her reasons? Her reasons were too many and too complex.
She not only had to be an ordinary teenage girl, but also had to deal with heavy schoolwork and pursue her dream of being a designer.
More importantly, she also had to transform into Ladybug again and again, defeat Akumatized Person, and save this world.
These things already occupied all of her time and energy, where would she have the extra capacity to be a class representative?
"I...I'm very busy!" She could only vaguely give a pale and weak answer.
"Yes, she's busy,"
Alya walked over at some point, put her arm around Marinette's shoulder, and said playfully, "Busy sleeping."
"Of course not!"
Marinette immediately retorted. She looked at Alya's eyes, which were full of teasing smiles, and the competitive spirit in her heart was ignited.
She took a deep breath, her eyes becoming firm, "If...if no one else really steps up, I won't let Chloé get her way so easily!"
The class bell rang again, like a bugle call to battle.
Teacher Caline stood on the podium, her gaze sweeping across the class once more.
"Alright, students, lunch time is almost here, this is the last chance.
Is there anyone else who wants to run for class representative with Chloé and Sabrina?"
The classroom was dead silent.
Some students lowered their heads to read, some looked out the window, some even covered their faces with books, everyone deliberately avoided the teacher's gaze.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Teacher Caline's eyes. She was about to announce the results: "If not, then Chloé will be the only candidate in our class, and we will no longer vote, she will..."
"Teacher!"
A clear and firm voice broke the suffocating silence.
All the students' gazes followed the voice, converging on that direction.
Only Marinette, the girl who was usually a bit muddled and unconfident, now stood up straight from her seat.
Her hand was raised high in the air, and although her hand was still trembling slightly, her eyes were exceptionally bright.
"Teacher, I...I want to run!"
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
Teacher Caline's face instantly bloomed into a joyful smile.
"That's great, Marinette! Very good! Then, tomorrow we will have the election speeches, and then the whole class will vote to decide the final candidate."
A small, irrepressible commotion broke out in the classroom.
The students looked at Marinette with various complex emotions—surprise, bewilderment, but more than that, a kind of heartfelt admiration.
In this class shrouded by Chloé's "authority," someone actually dared to stand up and challenge her.
Meanwhile, Chloé and Sabrina, by the podium, had expressions like a spilled palette.
Chloé's confident smile froze on her face. She looked at the "roadblock" that had suddenly appeared, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.
During lunch break, on a bench in the school yard.
Marinette sat somewhat distractedly, holding a sandwich she had barely eaten.
The courage that had surged in her during class, fueled by a burst of enthusiasm, had now mostly receded, replaced by waves of apprehension and confusion.
"Alright, our future class representative,"
Alya sat down next to her, took out her phone, and adopted the posture of a professional reporter.
"Now, can you reveal your campaign plan to your exclusive news officer?"
"Plan?"
Marinette made a bitter face,
"What plan do I have...I just got a rush of blood to my head at the time, I really couldn't stand Chloé's attitude, and I wasn't willing to let her get her way so easily."
No sooner had she finished speaking than several figures gathered around.
"Marinette, you're amazing!"
Rose's eyes sparkled, full of admiration, "If you win, can you change the chairs in our classroom to softer ones? I think pink would look great!"
"And the library!"
Nino also came closer, "Can I listen to music in the library?"
Juleka, holding her drawing board, stood timidly nearby and whispered, "Um...and this..."
She pointed to the bare walls in the school hallway, then to her drawing board, saying no more, but the anticipation in her eyes was obvious: Marinette, you should understand what I mean.
The students' suggestions, like a tide, surged towards Marinette, making her already confused mind even dizzier.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the stairwell not far away.
Jaden was slowly descending the stairs, seemingly on his way to the cafeteria.
He still had that calm and composed look, as if the small commotion in class just now had nothing to do with him.
Alya saw him.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she decided to give her best friend, who had backed out at the last minute, the strongest shot of courage.
She cleared her throat, deliberately raised her voice, and shouted towards Jaden, "Hey! Jaden!"
Jaden stopped, looked over at the sound.
Alya pointed to Marinette beside her, a sly smile on her face, and asked loudly, "Marinette is running for class representative, you'll vote for her, right?"
This question instantly silenced everyone.
Including Marinette, everyone's gaze was fixed on Jaden.
Jaden looked at Marinette, who was surrounded by everyone and so nervous she was almost petrified, then looked at Alya, who seemed to thrive on chaos, and couldn't help but smile.
He didn't directly answer Alya's question but took a step and walked in front of Marinette.
The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting a soft golden edge on his black hair.
He lowered his head slightly, looking into Marinette's round blue eyes, wide with nervousness, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze stroking a lake.
"I believe that if it's Marinette, she will definitely become a very excellent class representative."
These words were more powerful than any grand promise.
Upon hearing this, Marinette's cheeks uncontrollably warmed, and her heart beat strongly in her chest.
She looked up, meeting Jaden's encouraging eyes, and her fighting spirit, which had been extinguished, reignited fiercely at that moment.
She took a deep breath, turned to Alya, and said, "Alya, let's discuss our battle plan properly!"