"Marinette!" Miss Bustier called. "Could you come to me after the lesson?"

From the guilty expression on the teacher's face, Marinette realized that she wanted to give the girl some of her work again, citing her position as class representative.

Before, Marinette hadn't objected to such errands, but lately, her prolonged silent depression didn't leave her strength for unnecessary things.

Marinette realized that while she was distracted by such things that didn't concern her at all, she missed more important things when she failed as a Guardian.

Of course she blamed herself for everything! Marinette fell for the same trick twice, confusing one boy for another, and gave up the weapon that was used against her.

Marinette let her feelings for Adrien cloud her mind and the akuma's influence only made it worse. She didn't pay attention to the little things that now seemed so obvious to her...

And now that this traitor was in the same class as her, she just fumed every time she saw him.

Marinette couldn't calmly endure any of his actions and sometimes she was even worried that her such an obvious attitude towards him would betray her secret identity.

Fortunately, Felix managed to harm not only her and not only in this, so her classmates attributed everything to her deleted confession from Adrien's phone.

Confession of love that she left behind.

Her silly crush on Adrien had caused enough troubles in her life. And after her feelings for him made her act so recklessly, she realized that she couldn't look at him at all.

It lasted for a while.

Then her warmth gradually returned, but now she saw the guy more alive, real, and really could see a friend in him, leaving naive sighs to the new generation of schoolgirls.

A few weeks ago, Marinette turned 18 and now she looked at her future with a more sober look.

Until a few days ago this guy showed up...

In recent months, Marinette has been very focused on fighting akumas: repelling the miraculous from her akumatized friends, strengthened by the miraculous themselves, was not an easy task, and Hawkmoth was smart and sophisticated...

Her friends often said that she was too stressed out when she refused to participate in their parties. Though Marinette wasn't THAT depressed, but more like very concentrated and a little sad.

And then Adrien suddenly gave her this phone number.

During their long midnight conversations Marinette felt that she was falling in love with great speed – his every word fell deeper into her than she could expect from a stranger.

Besides, at this point she was hungry for romance, and these poems, as well as his soft slightly familiar voice in her ear, poured into her hungry heart like a full-flowing river...

Marinette approached the teacher, thinking how to subtly refuse her request.

"Marinette, I want to ask you to help Felix fill out these papers." Miss Bustier said. "Since he's only been with us for a few weeks, he's the only one in the class who hasn't filled them in yet, and I have to turn them in by the end of the week. Therefore, it would be best if you participate in order to make sure that he doesn't have difficulties and we are all done on time."

At the mention of Felix, Marinette was so fumed that she even forgot that she was going to refuse this job.

She grabbed the papers and walked away.

Well, at least everyone had already dispersed and she had some time to calm down, otherwise Marinette would have attacked him again and spoiled her mood even more.

*

Marinette was sitting in her room when her phone buzzed.

Miss Bustier: Marinette, you left so fast, I forgot to give you Felix's phone number in case you need to contact him out of school for finishing those papers

Miss Bustier: here is his contact information

Marinette sighed and reluctantly began saving the new number on her phone.

"This number already exists," – her phone reported.

Marinette frowned. She didn't remember saving Felix's number before. And in his case, she definitely would.

She tried again with the same result before finally checking, which contact her phone considered to be recurring.

Her back went cold.

Marinette stared at the screen of her phone, not believing what she was seeing.

That shouldn't be right, her mind protested.

But gradually pieces of information formed in her head into one picture, and Marinette realized what exactly had happened.

Adrien gave her his cousin's number – that's where the weird name came from. And when the model realized his mistake, he didn't tell her...

But he alone knew what Felix had done to her! Not to her, of course, to Ladybug! But still! Is this good-boy ready to forgive all the villains: Chloe, Lila, Felix, maybe even Hawkmoth?!

And Felix himself...

He knew it was her from the start! He even heard her conversation with Adrien!

What a sophisticated revenge for her constant scandals with him! What a cruel game, with poems and long conversations...

This red dog made her fall in love with him just as one of his pranks!

But she will show them both! Especially this vile traitor!..

Marinette didn't even notice that her mind didn't resist the confession of her feelings that sounded in her head for the first time.

*

Marinette entered the class with a tense face, and it seemed to Felix that there was some nervousness in her gait too.

He couldn't tell what exactly, but something was off.

"Adrien!" She exclaimed, passing by his cousin. "I just wanted to thank you again!" Marinette continued, "You are such a good friend!"

"I uhh..." Adrien looked at her confused. "Thank you, Marinette. You are a very good friend too."

"Oh, but not as good as you are!" Marinette insisted. "You helped me so much when you gave me your friend's number! I think I almost fell in love!" She added.

Then she abruptly turned away from the model and went to her seat without waiting for his response.

Felix saw Adrien turn slightly pale as he turned his surprised face after the girl. Then he lifted his gaze and looked into his cousin's face with horrified eyes.

Felix straightened up in his chair and stared at Marinette's back, feeling his body shake slightly at this unexpected turn of events.

If she hadn't almost confessed her love to him before, Felix would have thought it was sarcasm – so hard her voice sounded. But maybe something just spoiled her mood?

And he definitely didn't expect her admitting her progressing feelings towards her new friend in front of her crush. Ex-crush?

As soon as the lesson started, a new message appeared on Felix's phone screen.

Marinette: i feel his eyes on me again

Coz: who's?

Marinette: there is this boy in my class

Marinette: he is kind of hot

Of course! – Felix thought woefully. How could he dream about her confessing her love to him when there was Adrien nearby!

Wait, Marinette couldn't talk about Adrien, he's sitting in front of her and can't see her...

Felix looked around the class: Kim?

Marinette: he is sitting behind me