The bell rang, but no one moved. Miss Bustier wore her signature smile—the one that always meant that some exciting news was coming.
"I know we're all recovering from midterms," she said, hands clasped in front of her. "But it's time to start preparing for this year's Annual Day Festival!"
Chatter broke out instantly.
"Wait—is that the thing where we have to, like, perform?" Kim asked, half panicked.
"It's optional, Kim," Max said, adjusting his glasses. "But highly encouraged."
Alya's hand shot up. "Can we do something huge this time? Like a musical? Everyone in the class has some kind of talent. I mean, half of us could be famous if we tried."
"There's a stage and sound system being set up already," Miss Bustier continued. "So if you're interested in performing—music, dance, theater, anything creative—you'll need to form your teams by next week."
"Dibs on the tech booth!" Max called out.
"I'm in if Adrien sings," Nino joked, nudging his best friend.
Adrien let out a laugh. "Only if you rap next to me."
The class was already forming groups in their heads, voices rising and overlapping. Marinette sat quietly for once, just... listening. It was a weird feeling—not needing to plan every second. She was still reeling from being made Guardian. Things with Chat Noir had been... complicated. But right now, she was just a girl at school. And for a second, that was enough.
Until—
"We could ask Luka to play," Rose suggested brightly. "He's so talented!"
Juleka gave a small, rare smile. "He's not doing a tour right now. He's probably still in Paris."
There were nods of agreement, but one person stiffened.
Marc.
He gripped the handle of his guitar case tightly. "We already have musicians here. We don't need someone from outside the class."
Nathaniel nudged him gently, whispering something, but Marc wasn't done.
"I just think," Marc said louder, "if this is supposed to be a class performance, it should be with our class."
Adrien raised his eyebrows but kept his voice calm. "That makes sense. But Luka's not just some random guest. He's... kind of part of the group."
Marc looked away, lips tight. "Sure."
It got weirdly quiet after that.
Miss Bustier, bless her patient soul, stepped in. "Let's not worry about guest performers yet. First, let's decide what kind of performance you want to do. Musical? Play? Dance number?"
"Musical!" Alya, Rose, and Sabrina chorused.
"Imagine a whole dramatic storyline with music!" Rose gasped. "Luka could write something!"
"And so could Marc," Nathaniel added pointedly. "He's written great lyrics."
Adrien smiled brightly at that, hoping it would ease the tension. "Maybe you two could even collaborate?"
Marc didn't answer.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop later that afternoon...
Chat Noir landed beside Ladybug, striking a pose dramatically.
"Did you miss me, milady?"
Ladybug didn't even look up from her communicator. "You were exactly two minutes late."
"Oof, cold as the Seine in December."
Chat clutched his chest dramatically.
"One of these days, you'll laugh at my jokes, admit you like me, and we'll run off into the moonlight together."
Ladybug gave him a look.
"Keep dreaming, kitty."
He smirked. "Always."