Time quickly moved to the next day. In the classroom, Caline stood at the front of the podium, a gentle smile on Her face, and lightly tapped the podium.
"Students, please quiet down."
She cleared Her throat, Her voice clear and pleasant,
"Regarding the election of the class representative, the results are in. After tabulation, I announce that our class's new representative is—Marinette!"
As Her words fell, enthusiastic applause erupted in the classroom. Marinette, in Her seat, lowered Her head somewhat shyly,
A lovely blush appeared on Her cheeks, but Her eyes sparkled with confidence.
"At the same time,"
Caline continued, "Alya will serve as Marinette's assistant, helping Her to serve the class."
Alya excitedly gave Marinette a victory sign, and applause rang out again, even more enthusiastically this time.
"Marinette, congratulations!"
Alya leaned into Her best friend's ear, lowering Her voice and excitedly saying, "I knew you could do it! Class representative, future top designer, you'll definitely be able to handle all these roles at once, I believe in you!"
"We can definitely do it."
Marinette clasped Alya's hand in return, Her eyes filled with anticipation for the future and gratitude for Her friend. The two exchanged smiles, everything unsaid.
"Alright, let's get ready for class."
Caline smiled and gestured.
Just then, Lila raised Her hand.
With a hint of apology and vulnerability on Her face, She softly said: "Caline, my tinnitus is much better. May I sit in a slightly more backward position? It will be quieter there."
Caline thought for a moment and nodded:
"Of course, Lila. So, you can sit in the row with Juleka and Rose, okay?"
"No problem, thank you, Teacher!"
Lila immediately flashed a sweet smile, picked up Her backpack, and elegantly walked to the back of the classroom, sitting in the empty seat next to Rose and Juleka.
As this small interlude ended, Caline officially began Her lesson.
Below the podium, life's small theater, however, was silently unfolding.
Next to Adrien, Nino lightly nudged him with his elbow, leaning forward and whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Phew… that Lila finally left."
Adrien's gaze remained fixed on the blackboard, as if he were listening attentively, only his lips moved almost imperceptibly: "What, you hate Her that much?"
"Oh, you bet,"
Nino complained softly, "You don't know how much trouble having a girl sitting next to you brings us.
It's been terribly hard to even whisper to you these past few days."
He paused, then changed the subject, his eyes sparkling with gossip, "Enough about Her.
Your dad… really agreed to let you go watch Kim and Alix's match?"
"Yes, he agreed." Adrien responded softly, his voice calm and unruffled.
"What?!"
Nino's voice abruptly Rose due to excessive surprise, instantly breaking the classroom's quiet.
The entire class and Caline's gazes all simultaneously turned towards him.
"Nino,"
Caline's tone was serious, "Is there something wrong with what I'm teaching?"
"No, no! Teacher!"
Nino jolted, immediately sat up straight, a fawning smile on his face, "You're speaking wonderfully, very brilliantly, I just… couldn't help but exclaim in admiration!"
"Then please keep your admiration to yourself and be quiet."
The teacher turned back and continued writing on the blackboard.
Nino breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned closer to Adrien again, urgently asking in a voice softer than a mosquito's: "What exactly happened? Tell me quickly!"
Adrien glanced at the podium and mouthed to him: "Let's talk after class."
Nino saw Caline's gaze sweep over again, quickly pulled back, and put on an appearance of intense concentration and attentive listening, as if he had "I am a good student" written on his face.
The long lesson finally ended with the dismissal bell.
As soon as Caline left the classroom, the suppressed atmosphere was instantly released, and the entire space was immediately filled with various sounds, becoming lively again.
In the back row, Rose was enthusiastically greeting Her new neighbor, Lila. Her sweet voice was like melting honey:
"Hello, Lila! We'll be desk mates from now on!"
"Hello, Rose,"
Lila responded warmly, with a beaming smile, then turned to the quiet Juleka beside Her, "You're Juleka, right? Your purple highlights are so cool!"
Her social skills, in just a few words, brought them closer.
On the other side, Alix and Mylène huddled together, chattering away, discussing a certain "secret plan" for tomorrow's match.
And in another corner of the classroom, Adrien, Nino, Kim, and Max had already formed a circle.
"Are you serious? Adrien?"
Nino recounted their classroom conversation to the other two, and Kim and Max both showed expressions of disbelief.
"It's simply incredible,"
Kim scratched his head, his simple mind struggling to process it, "Even though my brain isn't that great, I know how strict your dad is with you!"
Max pushed up his glasses and calmly analyzed: "Based on the data model, behind such a sudden concession, there must be an equivalent exchange condition.
Adrien, you must have agreed to something, right?"
Three pairs of curious eyes turned to Adrien simultaneously.
Adrien smiled helplessly and nodded: "Yes, there's a condition."
He paused, then said, "My father said that last time I lost to Kagami in fencing class,
So… the condition is that this afternoon, I have to have another duel with Her. As long as I win, tomorrow will be no problem."
"What if you lose?" Kim blurted out.
Nino and Max rolled their eyes simultaneously.
"What else can you do?"
Nino said irritably, "Then, of course, it's back to being his exclusive model, endless fashion shoots, and endless tutoring classes!"
"Then you absolutely cannot lose!"
Upon hearing this, Kim immediately became nervous. He patted Adrien's shoulder, vigorously cheering him on,
"Brother, for the sake of our precious weekend, you must win! Besides, what kind of look is it to lose to a girl!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Nino also echoed from the side.
"From a technical analysis, as long as you perform normally, your win rate should be above sixty percent."
Max gave his judgment.
Looking at his brothers cheering him on, a warm current surged through Adrien's heart. He clenched his fist, and fighting spirit ignited in his emerald eyes: "Don't worry, I won't let you down."
In a nearby seat, Kagami sat quietly. She seemed to be tidying Her books, but Her thoughts had already drifted far away.
She recalled the brief but profound conversation She had with Her mother after returning home yesterday.
She had intended to ask Her mother for permission to watch the match the day after tomorrow, but unexpectedly, Her mother brought up the matter first.
"Kagami,"
Mrs. Kagamiyama sat upright on the tatami mat. Although Her eyes were blind, Her aura remained powerful and sharp, "Gabriel contacted me. He requested that you have another match with his son."
Kagami was somewhat surprised.
"You should go."
Mrs. Kagamiyama's voice was without a ripple, "Go and teach that child well that true Kendo does not tolerate slackness. He should not be so indulged in wasting time with those… in school."
"Yes, Mother." Kagami agreed.
At this moment, She looked at Adrien, who was laughing and playing with his friends, and a trace of imperceptible fighting intent flashed through Her cold eyes.
She didn't care about the surrounding noise. Perhaps in the last match, Adrien hadn't fully displayed his strength.
However, She also didn't think She would lose.
"Marinette, is the banner ready?" Alya asked Her best friend while packing Her things.
"Don't worry, I've almost finished rushing the work, just the last bit of finishing touches left."
Marinette confidently patted Her chest.
"Brilliant! You truly are my little genius designer!"
Alya exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Just one night, that's amazing!"
"It's nothing, really." Marinette said, but Her eyes involuntarily glanced at Alix's figure on the other side.
She looked back at Alix, who was discussing with Mylène, a hint of worry on Her face, and quietly asked Alya: "You say… what exactly is Alix's plan?"
Her expression became a bit twisted and conflicted, "I… I hope Her plan is ordinary, but… but I also hope She succeeds…"
Alya looked at Her best friend's expression and understood perfectly.
She knew what Marinette was worried about. She pretended not to know, nudged Marinette with Her elbow, and teased: "What's wrong?
Worried that Alix's plan will succeed, steal your thunder, and leave you no chance to be with a certain someone?"
Alya's peripheral vision, however, subtly swept over Jaden, who was sitting quietly alone on the other side.
As Jaden's secret lover and Marinette's best friend, Her feelings at this moment were complex and subtle.
She both sympathized with Marinette's infatuation with Jaden and enjoyed the secret that only She knew.
"No, no, it's not that!" Marinette's face immediately turned red.
"Alright, alright," Alya said with a smile, comforting Her, "We'll know tomorrow, no need to worry so much now."
Just then, Jaden stood up.
He walked past Chloé and Sabrina's seats, went to Nathaniel and Marc's row, and sat down in the empty seat beside them.
"Are you two going tomorrow?"
He asked gently.
Marc's face showed an apologetic expression: "Sorry, Jaden, I have a small family matter tomorrow, so I can't go for now."
"I'll go." Nathaniel said with a smile,
"It's settled then."
Time passed imperceptibly, and soon it was time for school to end in the afternoon.
Most of the students in the classroom had already left, making it spacious.
Jaden packed his schoolbag, ready to leave, but was called by Adrien.
"Jaden, wait a moment!"
"Hmm? Is there something?" Jaden turned his head.
Adrien seemed a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head, His tone somewhat hesitant: "That… my duel with Kagami… could you… come and witness it?"
"Witness?"
"Yes!"
Nino and the others also gathered around, explaining in a flurry of voices that they all couldn't stay to watch due to various reasons.
"Please, Jaden!"
Just then, Kagami also walked over. She carried Her fencing bag, Her gaze clear and firm as She looked at Jaden: "I also hope you can come."
Invited by both parties at the same time, Jaden smiled and nodded: "Okay, no problem."
Inside the school's fencing hall, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn. Sunlight streamed in from the high windows, forming bright patches of light on the polished wooden floor.
Coach A'rangke had already been waiting there. He had changed into a professional coach's uniform, his expression calm, but his eyes sparkled with barely suppressed excitement.
Adrien and Kagami each went to the changing rooms, and soon, both had changed into white fencing suits, put on protective masks, and, holding their sabers, stood at opposite ends of the piste.
They connected their body cords to the scoring machine, preparing to begin this fated duel.
The match began.
The crisp, rapid clash of metal echoed through the hall.
Their figures moved back and forth on the piste, swift as lightning.
Adrien's movements were agile and creative, while Kagami's swordplay was precise, steady, and watertight.
The red and green lights on the scoring machine alternately lit up, but then instantly extinguished simultaneously.
Several times in a row, it was a draw.
Coach A'rangke stood at the sidelines, His heart already churning with turbulent waves, but he maintained the calm demeanor of a referee.
After a brief pause in the exchange, Kagami took off Her mask. Her breathing was somewhat ragged, and Her usually cool face was filled with shock: "Your strength…"
Adrien also took off his mask. He shook his golden hair from his forehead, his emerald eyes filled with confident and candid brilliance: "This is the real me."
"Very good."
Stronger fighting spirit ignited in Kagami's eyes, "Then, let us remove these unnecessary equipments."
She pointed to the electronic scoring device on Her body, "This way, we can better determine the winner."
"This is the true spirit of fencing!"
Coach A'rangke could no longer contain his excitement; he was almost cheering.
He looked at Adrien, seeking his opinion.
"I have no problem."
Adrien agreed without hesitation. He turned His gaze to Jaden on the sidelines and said earnestly: "Then, Coach, and Jaden, I'll have to trouble you to watch closely, and see who the final winner is."
The two removed their electronic equipment, leaving only the purest swords and protective gear.
The duel began again.
This battle was more intense and freer than before.
Without restraints, their figures covered the entire fencing hall.
The clash of swords, the rapid footsteps, and the heavy breathing intertwined into a tense and exciting symphony.
They fought from the center of the piste to the nearby stairs, their sword tips sparking against the metal handrail.
Then they grappled from the stairs to a row of tall bookshelves, their figures appearing and disappearing in the shadows of the books.
Coach A'rangke was already boiling with excitement. He ran back and forth, following their figures, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
Jaden also quietly followed, His gaze tightly fixed on the two white figures in the arena, trying to capture every subtle movement they made.
Finally, in an open space in front of the bookshelves, the battle reached its decisive moment.
Both launched their final sprint simultaneously, their sword tips cutting through the air, aimed directly at each other's vital points.
"Cling!"
An extremely crisp sound.
Their movements froze simultaneously.
Adrien's sword tip rested on Kagami's chest. And Kagami's sword tip also touched Adrien's chest.
They had struck each other almost at the same time.
The two slowly lowered their swords, removed their masks, and their gazes all simultaneously turned towards Jaden, who was not far away.
"Jaden," Adrien's voice carried a hint of breathlessness and uncertainty, "Who… won?"
Coach A'rangke also recovered from his extreme excitement. He quickly walked over, also casting an inquiring gaze at Jaden, the only one who could remain calmly observing: "Yes, Jaden, your eyesight is the best. You tell us, who struck first in that last hit?"
In an instant, Jaden became the focus of everyone's attention. He stood there, looking at Adrien and Kagami, who were both eagerly awaiting the answer, but he was stumped.
He frowned slightly, carefully replaying the lightning-fast scene in his mind.
Those two white figures, those two incredibly fast flashes of silver light,
Too fast, faster than the limit the human eye could clearly distinguish.
From his perspective, it was indeed "simultaneous."
He looked at their expectant eyes, smiled gently, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Sorry, I was dazzled."
He spread his hands, honestly saying: "In my opinion, you two are truly evenly matched, almost hitting each other at the same time."