"I hate February fourteen," Adrien muttered under his breath when a hoard of fangirls slammed into the limo as they pulled out from the mansion's gate, with their hands slapping the tinted window of the passenger area screaming Adrien's name and professing their undying love.

A similar sentiment happened again when he was about to enter the school grounds. Thankfully, Françoise Dupont has a very tight security for celebrities like him that barricaded those rabid fans who wanted to grab and harass him, but the situation became difficult when flowers and chocolates were thrown to his way.

"Are you alright?" asked Nino as the blond began to spew some petals that he accidentally swallowed when a bouquet smacked his face "It's been a while since I last witnessed a girl's fight."

"Yeah," he croaked then squeaked when a bunch of cards and envelopes burst out from his locker.

"Seems like everybody wants you to be their Valentine," Alya deadpanned as she emerged from their side "Good morning, boo."

Adrien rolled his eyes indignantly when his best friend preened with delight "Good morning, bae. You look so dashing today."

"Thanks, handsome. You're cute as usual," the brunette planted a sloppy kiss on her boyfriend's lips much to the blond's disgust "Hey, Agreste. Would you like us to help you dump these incriminating fan mails in the incinerator?"

He shook his head briskly then knelt down to collect the letters "I'd appreciate if you can lend me a spare tote bag. Besides, I can't simply burn something that is made out of love regardless if they're unrequited or not. Marinette warned me not to treat my admirers with apathy."

The two eyed each other for a moment then moved their gaze towards the huddling blond with melancholia. They crouched down and helped the blond collecting the mails in silence.

"So, does this mean that you're going to read it all?" his best friend asked after they placed the mails neatly into the loaned tote bag.

"And reply to them," Adrien answered, hooking the bag on his shoulder as they went to their classroom. He almost dropped it when he saw his desk being buried by gifts then bemoaned "Oh no."

"That's a lot of chocolates, dude. Would you like me to help you eat those? I don't mind sacrificing my diet for you."

"Geez, Nino. I have no idea that you're on a diet - "

A flash of yellow zipped on his line of sight, followed by a heavy body that almost snapped his neck.

"Adrikins!" Chloe's squealed excitedly, hugging the blond model like a leech while pushing his two friends to the side "Happy Valentine's day! Papa reserved us a table in our hotel for our dinner date!"

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but I can't," said Adrien as he removed her arms around his neck "I'm grounded for a month."

"I'll have to talk to Papa so he can call your father and lift the ban!"

The blond boy cracked an apologetic smile "Even if Father allows it, I'm still have to decline your offer. I have something important to do tonight."

"Important to do what, thanking your fans for the letters that you received today?" the mayor's daughter scoffed then flipped her hair testily "Why are you still going to do that? Marinette is not around anymore to help you write a reply."

There was a sharp intake of breath at Chloe's selfish words, followed by a loud collective gasp from their classmates.

"Why you insensitive brat – " Alya snarled hotly and about to take charge but Adrien blocked her way with his arm.

He flashed a model smile "Just because Marinette's not here doesn't mean I'm going to break the tradition. Now if you will excuse me, I have to clean up my desk before our teacher arrives."

Chloe was about to talk back but Alya interfered hastily by gripping the blondie's arm and hissed "Don't you dare mention my best friend's name that way again, or I will snap your bones like a chicken drumstick."

Mme. Bustier entered the room just in time to hush the commotion.

Nobody mentioned the exchange as Adrien isolated himself from the rest of the class.

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"I hate February fourteen," Ladybug scowled as she helped the cops arresting a drunkard who was caught assaulting a female customer in the restaurant. It was her fourth love-related incident that day, and with the unstable hormones permeating in the air, there's a high chance that an Akuma will show up to ruin the day.

Tikki was silent the entire patrol - probably on a date with Plagg - so she was left with no choice but to entertain herself by watching the bypassers below.

She was forced to avert her gaze when she caught a couple having a heated kiss near the park, which made her notice a familiar figure on top of Collège Françoise Dupont.

His tense shoulder jerked when she landed behind him. She was about to reprimand him for staying out late again but when she saw the dark bags under his eyes and the tear stains that marred on his cheeks, she asked warily: "What's wrong, Adrien?"

"Ladybug?" Adrien uttered with disbelief. He furiously wiped the dampness on his face and caused some slight irritation "Yo - you remember me?"

"How can I forget your delicious cocoa?" the heroine quipped, securing her yo-yo to her side as she approached the blond "Why are you crying here on the roof deck of your school alone? What's wrong?"

He shook his head then chuckled "Nothing's wrong, Ladybug. I'm just, uh, reminiscing something."

"Was it bad?"

He shook his head again "It was a memory in the past. A good memory in the past."

"Oh," her shoulder visibly deflated with relief "I'm sorry, I presumed you were sad because you were crying, and you were alone here, so I thought - "

"I never realized that I've been inviting Marinette for a dinner date every Valentines day," was his nonchalant reply, making the heroine choked her spit.

"W - What?!"

"Erm, you see," he rubbed his nape with bashfulness "I'm always swamped with love letters and chocolates every Valentines – not that I want to brag - that sometimes I just want to throw them away instead of answering them. Marinette scolded me about it, reprimanding me for breaking a maiden's heart without any proper explanation. She told me it was an un-gentleman, or I'd rather say, dick move."

"She volunteered herself later on, and very much insistent on helping me write my thank you's to my fans, though deep inside I know she just want to eat some chocolates," the blond bemused at the memory "Until such time it became our tradition – her spending a night in my house reading love letters while binge-eating my chocolates. I really miss those times."

Ladybug decided not to make a comment.

"I didn't know that Marinette harbored some romantic feelings towards me at that time. Oh, how I wish she still loves with me despite my shortcomings," he looked at the masked heroine with endearment "What do you think, Ladybug?"

"I can't give you an answer to her behalf," was her stoic reply.

"I'm glad that you're here, you know. I really want to see you today, and I didn't expect that you will show up here, of all places," He pulled out a heart-shaped card from his bag "I have something for you."

Ladybug eyed the red card on his hand for a moment before taking it. She opened it with caution, then froze immediately after reading the content.

"Your hair is black as night, your pretty bluebell eyes, I wonder who you are underneath that strong disguise. Every day we see each other and I hope that you'll be mine, together our love could be so true, please, will you be my Valentine?" her head jerked towards the blond with a furious glare "What is the meaning of this?!"

He tilted his head as he made a noncommittal hum "You told me before that, and I quote 'Marinette Dupain-Cheng is dead', so why am I going to hung up on someone who isn't here anymore?"

Ladybug blanched, stepped back slowly then trembled at his piercing gaze "Y – You...? How?"

"There's something about me that no one knows yet," he muttered, sauntering towards her like a panther towards his prey, and when her back hit the corner, he smirked, " 'Cause I have a secret."

The masked heroine gulped audibly as she braced herself for his revelation.

"I am a magus, Ladybug"