It was a sunny and breezy Saturday at the Trocadéro.
The Eiffel Tower stood silently against the azure sky in the distance, adding a touch of romance and solemnity to the open space.
Today, this spot would be the stage for a youthful competition: Alya and Kim's roller skating race, which had attracted the attention of the entire class.
Jaden arrived alone at the designated viewing area.
He looked around and saw many citizens and tourists out for the weekend, but not a single familiar face.
It seemed he had arrived early.
He found a step with a clear view, sat down, rested his hands casually on his knees, and waited quietly.
A figure appeared silently beside him and sat down.
It was Kagami.
She didn't look at him, keeping Her gaze fixed on the bustling square ahead, and spoke in a cool voice: "I'm sorry."
The apology was sudden, but Jaden understood what she meant.
He turned his head, looked at Her gently, and smiled: "It's nothing. Besides, did you find the answer you were looking for?"
"Mm."
"...I did."
Kagami nodded, then added, with a hint of belated reproach in Her tone, "But you were too reckless."
She analyzed, "When the Pyramid suddenly collapsed yesterday, Cat Noir must have prepared for it beforehand.
You only needed to stall for a little more time and wait for the heroes to rescue you; there was no need to put yourself in danger."
Listening to Her logical yet far-from-the-truth analysis, Jaden found it slightly amusing.
How could he explain to Her that Cat Noir was Adrien, the one she had tied to the top of the Pyramid, unable to move?
And the ability to turn the entire Pyramid into dust was Plagg's masterpiece.
Thinking of this, Jaden's head seemed to ache slightly.
The reason Plagg's seemingly effortless strike yesterday caused no collateral damage was entirely due to his fourth emotional monster.
"Reckless or impulsive, whatever you call it."
Jaden pulled back his thoughts, His tone still calm, "But the final outcome was good, wasn't it?"
Kagami was silent for a moment, seemingly acknowledging his point.
She turned Her head, looked directly into Jaden's eyes, and asked, "Do you... have time this weekend?"
"What's wrong?"
"I want to teach you fencing," she said directly and clearly.
"Why?" Jaden was puzzled.
"Because,"
Kagami's expression was unusually serious, "You have no means of self-defense whatsoever.
Relying only on that fearless courage won't work.
By learning fencing, at the very least, you can protect yourself."
She gazed at him, and his reflection was clearly visible in Her deep, dark eyes.
Jaden could feel that she genuinely meant it; the concern was pure and direct.
Just as he was about to answer, a voice came down from the steps above.
"He doesn't have time! This guy is too lazy!"
Alya's voice held a hint of affectionate complaint.
She jumped down in a few steps, reached Jaden's side, and glared at him irritably.
Her look clearly said: Why were you so reckless yesterday?
Adrien is the young master of the Agreste family, and he has Gabriel, his father, worrying about him behind the scenes.
What do you have?
You're always telling me not to be reckless, and what happens?
You're the one who rushed in first!
Jaden understood all the subtext in Her eyes and returned a reassuring look: It's okay, it's okay, I'll be careful next time.
Following closely, Lila also arrived beside them with light steps.
She looked at Jaden, Her face bearing Her signature sweet smile: "Jaden, you were truly amazing yesterday!
To remain so calm in that crisis, I watched the live broadcast, and I really admire you!"
Her praise was like a spring breeze, sweet but not cloying, making it very pleasant to hear.
Jaden responded with a few smiles.
Seeing that others had arrived, Kagami stopped speaking and redirected Her gaze forward, as if the invitation to fence had never happened.
"Jaden—!"
Chloé spotted Jaden from afar, immediately put on a weepy look, and opened Her arms.
She rushed over with a gust of perfume, sweetly calling out, "Jaden! I was so worried about you!"
However, Her "embrace" was intercepted midway by a strong arm.
Alya steadily blocked Jaden, allowing Chloé to crash into Her own arms.
Chloé, eyes closed, rubbed against "Jaden's" "chest" a few times, muttering, "Hmm? Why is it so soft..."
She opened Her eyes in confusion, looked up, and met Alya's half-smiling face.
"Chloé,"
Alya teased, "Girls shouldn't get too touchy-feely with each other."
Seeing Her plans interrupted by Alya, Chloé's face went pale with anger.
But seeing Jaden watching nearby, she had to forcefully suppress Her fury, huffed, and walked silently to the other side.
Sabrina, who was behind Her, looked worriedly toward Jaden.
Only after Jaden returned a reassuring "I'm fine" look did she feel slightly relieved.
Next, Mylène, Juleka, and Rose also came down from the steps.
"Jaden, are you okay?
You really scared us yesterday!"
Rose's sweet voice was full of lingering fear.
"I'm fine, it's all over," Jaden replied with a smile.
Juleka merely hid behind Rose, secretly watching him.
When Jaden's gaze came over, she quickly withdrew Her eyes like a startled deer, but Her deep eyes clearly showed, "It's so good to see you safe and sound."
Mylène did the same, nodding shyly to express Her concern.
Next to arrive was Nathan.
He walked up to Jaden and lightly punched him on the shoulder: "I have to say, you were like a hero from a fairy tale yesterday.
But it was also too reckless, just like in those melodramatic dramas."
"What else was I supposed to do?"
Jaden shrugged and chuckled, "They had already set a deadline.
If I didn't show up, the hostages couldn't wait any longer."
The two exchanged smiles.
Finally, Nino, Max, and Kim, surrounding Adrien, also arrived at the square.
"Jaden! Your performance yesterday was absolutely amazing! So thrilling!"
Nino immediately gave Jaden a bear hug.
Max adjusted his glasses and said in his usual analytical tone, "From the results, your actions, though reckless, were the most optimal and reasonable choice at the time."
"It was great!" Kim summarized, "But you guys better cheer me on later!"
Adrien walked up to Jaden and, without speaking, simply circled him, looking him over carefully, left and right.
Jaden felt a bit creeped out by the scrutiny and said helplessly, "I told you, I was healed by Ladybug's Miraculous Restoration. I'm really fine."
Only then did Adrien relax.
He playfully patted Jaden's shoulder, but His tone was serious: "I was worried.
Who knows if Ladybug's magic can restore things perfectly every single time?"
Almost everyone had arrived, only Alya, the other main participant in the race, and Marinette were missing.
Waiting is always a bit boring, so those present gathered in small groups and started chatting.
Juleka and Rose walked to a quieter corner.
Juleka looked at Her friend's rosy complexion and asked worriedly, "Rose, is your health... really okay now?"
Rose glanced at Jaden and the others in the distance.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, she leaned closer to Juleka's ear and whispered, "Juleka, you might not believe this... The doctor said I seem to have... never had leukemia."
"What?" Juleka was very surprised.
"How could that be? I remember, since we were little, you..."
"I don't know either."
Rose herself was full of confusion.
"The last time I felt unwell at school, I thought it was a relapse.
But when I went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor told me that my health was excellent, and all my indicators were perfectly healthy."
She looked bewildered as she spoke about this.
"When I went back and told my parents, they asked how I could joke about something like that."
She pointed to Her hair.
"As for this, they said wasn't it because the barber accidentally shaved my head bald the last time I went for a haircut, and that's why I'm wearing a wig?"
Juleka listened, and although she found it unbelievable, she held Rose's hand and was genuinely happy for Her: "Even though we don't know what happened, the result is good, and that's enough.
I truly wish you well, Rose."
"Mhm!"
The two girls smiled at each other; the cloud that had previously hung over Rose seemed to have completely vanished at this moment.
Then, they huddled next to Mylène and began discussing in whispers, speculating on how Alya would launch Her "date invitation offensive" toward Jaden today, since the first opportunity couldn't be wasted.
On the other side, Chloé and Sabrina were hiding together.
Chloé looked at Alya, who was standing with Lila and talking quietly on the phone.
She complained quietly to Sabrina: "That four-eyed chicken is such an eyesore, always ruining my plans!
I finally worked up the right emotion, and just as I was about to rush into Jaden's arms and tell him how worried I was about him yesterday, that girl ruined everything."
"Chloé, please don't get upset," Sabrina quietly soothed Her.
However, Chloé changed the subject, showing little interest in Kagami's Akumatization, instead saying: "But Hawk Moth was decent this time; he didn't Akumatization Jaden and that Japanese woman together.
If he dares to do that, I won't forgive him when I Akumatization in the future!"
She certainly didn't want to see Jaden Akumatization alongside any other girl again.
After speaking, she pulled Sabrina away to discuss the latest fashion trends.
As for today's race, she was clearly just there to watch the excitement and didn't genuinely care about the outcome.
The boys, meanwhile, formed a circle, and the center of their discussion was naturally the upcoming race.
"Hey, how long do you guys think Kim can last this time?" Nino asked with a mischievous grin, starting the conversation.
"Last?" Kim protested, "Can't you guys have a little faith in me?"
Everyone simultaneously rolled their eyes.
"You've lost several times already," Nino stated mercilessly.
Max adjusted his glasses and analyzed calmly, "Based on past data comparison, Kim is at an absolute disadvantage in both speed and technique.
His win rate is... zero."
"We have faith in you," Adrien said with a smile, "but we have more faith in Alya."
Nathan sighed, "My sketchbook is ready; I'm just waiting to draw you falling down."
Kim turned his last hope toward Jaden.
Jaden looked at his expectant eyes, pondered for a moment, and then said seriously, "Hmm... just average."
Kim looked at his teasing friends and said defiantly, "You just wait and see! If Adrien could beat Kagami yesterday, I can definitely beat Alya today!"
His inexplicable confidence left the others looking at each other, unsure what to say.
Can those two things even be compared?
Meanwhile Alya was calling Marinette, who was far away on the other side of town.
In the bakery's attic room, Marinette was hunched over Her desk, racking Her brain over a math problem.
"If I just substitute this formula in, and then do this... No, no..."
"Marinette, if you just swap X and Y, the answer will pop out."
Tikki floated beside Her, whispering the hint.
"Tikki, stop interrupting my thoughts!"
Marinette frustratingly scratched Her head.
"Maybe I can figure it out myself.
Once I finish my homework early, I can..."
Her words were interrupted by a sudden phone ring.
She looked at the screen; it was Alya.
"Hello Alya?"
"Marinette! Where are you?
The whole class is here, and you're the only one missing!
The race is about to start!"
Marinette immediately panicked when she heard this.
She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was already nearly the agreed-upon time.
"Ah ah ah! I'll be there right away!
Just a few more minutes!"
She made a flurry of promises into the phone, and after hanging up, she was completely flustered.
She frantically dragged out the banner she had rushed to make to cheer for Kim and Alya from under Her bed, grabbed Her backpack, and prepared to leave.
"But Marinette, you can't possibly make it to the Trocadéro in just a few minutes," Tikki reminded Her from beside Her.
Marinette paused Her rush downstairs, Her mind quickly turning, and she showed a mischievous smile.
"Marinette can't make it,"
She touched the earrings on Her ears and said playfully, "But that doesn't mean Ladybug can't!"
She quickly rushed onto the balcony, and after confirming no one was around, she decisively shouted the transformation phrase.
With a flash of red light, the agile figure of Ladybug appeared on the balcony.
She swung Her yo-yo, hooked onto the top of a distant building, and swung out, rapidly heading toward the square.
Meanwhile, at the square, Max checked his watch and said to the group, "There are three minutes left until the agreed time, and Alya still hasn't arrived."
"Hmph," Kim said smugly from the side, "She must be scared of me and isn't showing up!"
Seeing his expression, everyone was speechless.