LadyBug: hey chat i need some advice

Marinette sits by her laptop, stewing. She's using her usual self-recommendation: when unsure what to do, draw.

That's why she's drawing Max Kante, after she kicked him out of the Ultimate Mega Strike III competition, getting akumatised by Nooroo.

Two hours after she's sent the message, she gets a reply.

ChatNoir: whats up, bugaboo? i can see uve been stress-drawing

LadyBug: guilty as charged, i must admit. have u heard of the ultimate mega strike iii competition??

She adds the finishing touches to Max's outfit, and then starts drawing him "collecting" the civilians.

ChatNoir: that i have, mlady

She continues to draw, unsure of whether she should tell him. Whether he'll work out who she is.

ChatNoir: continue

She sighs, and stops drawing. She types the message, hesitates, and then sends it before she can change her mind.

LadyBug: well, there were 2 guys in my class who were going to represent the school. one of them inspired todays akuma. but the other one is the guy i like, and i dont rlly care about the competition. i just wanted to spend time with him, and so i kicked the other guy out of the competition

The controllers sit beside her laptop, and Marinette keeps spotting them out of the corner of her eye. Two hours ago, she and Adrien were playing with them.

She pushes them out of her vision.

LadyBug: i feel rlly bad, bc hes got a real passion for gaming and in comparison i rlly dont. im so ashamed that i was so shallow as to kick him out so i could spend time with my crush

Marinette rubs her eyes, and keeps drawing. There is a long pause before ChatNoir replies, so long that Marinette has finished the next frame.

ChatNoir: the guy who inspired gamer is passionate about gaming and u took his position, yes?

Marinette nods, before she remembers Chat can't see her and types.

LadyBug: yeah. feel free to give me honest truth here. it's my fault he isnt in the competition, and im rlly sad that ive hurt my friend

ChatNoir: honest truth? give up your place for him. hes obviously a great gamer if hes so passionate, and youve said it doesnt mean as much to you. also pro tip: the guy u like will probably be more likely to like u back if u do this

Marinette considers his advice. It's what she's been considering for hours, but the second point hadn't even occurred to her.

LadyBug: i suppose ur right. itll be a shame to miss out, but ill be there to support him, and its more important for someone who loves the game and is rlly good than someone who doesnt care but is also good (not tooting my own horn here but)

ChatNoir: true words, princess, true words. ive got to go, but good luck

LadyBug: thank you, chat

She doesn't get a reply, but she doesn't need one. She finishes the episode with determination, and posts. Now she's had that conversation, she knows exactly what she's going to do.

LadyBug: hey chat i need some advice

After leaving Marinette's, Adrien has his fencing class, so it's only two hours after she sent it that he sees her message. He turns on his laptop, and is surprised when he sees that she's already done a lot of the next episode. Apparently she's been stressed.

ChatNoir: whats up, bugaboo? i can see uve been stress-drawing

Her reply is quick.

LadyBug: guilty as charged, i must admit. have u heard of the ultimate mega strike iii competition??

Adrien's mind flashes to him and Max competing in the library earlier. He can't help feeling bad about that. He didn't need to exceed Max's score, he just needed to beat whoever was below Max. maybe then he would have been the one kicked out of the tournament, not Max.

He doesn't say all this, though.

ChatNoir: that i have, mlady

There's a long pause, in which LadyBug continues to draw and is obviously not typing, and Adrien decides to prompt her. If she's been stress-drawing for two hours, she obviously needs to tell someone what's up.

ChatNoir: continue

This time, LadyBug stops drawing. Adrien waits a minute, before the reply comes through.

LadyBug: well, there were 2 guys in my class who were going to represent the school. one of them inspired todays akuma. but the other one is the guy i like, and i dont rlly care about the competition. i just wanted to spend time with him, and so i kicked the other guy out of the competition

Adrien almost laughs. Apart from the whole crush-on-one-of-the-boys thing, that sounds like him, Max and Marinette earlier today. It's like she's trying to describe Adrien's own inner turmoil.

LadyBug: i feel rlly bad, bc hes got a real passion for gaming and in comparison i rlly dont. im so ashamed that i was so shallow as to kick him out so i could spend time with my crush

Adrien doesn't reply immediately. He just watches as LadyBug draws another frame, thinking. She's right. Max has a real passion for gaming, and it's not fair that he doesn't get to play.

ChatNoir: the guy who inspired gamer is passionate about gaming and u took his position, yes?

He knows he didn't take Max's position, that he and Marinette won fair and square, even Max admitted it, but he can't help feeling bad.

LadyBug: yeah. feel free to give me honest truth here. it's my fault he isnt in the competition, and im rlly sad that ive hurt my friend

Max's upset face flashes through Adrien's mind, and he types his response.

ChatNoir: honest truth? give up your place for him. hes obviously a great gamer if hes so passionate, and youve said it doesnt mean as much to you. also pro tip: the guy u like will probably be more likely to like u back if u do this

He won't be a hypocrite. He'll follow his own advice, and give up his place in the tournament. Marinette's better than him, anyway. She and Max would be a better team anyway.

LadyBug: i suppose ur right. itll be a shame to miss out, but ill be there to support him, and its more important for someone who loves the game and is rlly good than someone who doesnt care but is also good (not tooting my own horn here but)

Adrien almost laughs. That's exactly what he was thinking.

ChatNoir: true words, princess, true words. ive got to go, but good luck

He doesn't need to go, but he thinks LadyBug might want some time to think about this herself. He needs some time alone with his revelation as well.

LadyBug: thank you, chat

Adrien's glad that he's helped her, but she's helped him too. Now he's had that conversation, he knows exactly what he's going to do.

Alya is surprised by Marinette's decision from the moment she tells her. To be honest, she has a point.

"It's just that I feel so bad for Max. And, well, it just wouldn't be right."

"You're doing the right thing. But, honestly, it's not like you get the chance to play with Adrien every day!"

Marinette stands up, and walks over. Their entire class is there, but Max is standing away to the side, his back facing them. Marinette can't blame him.

"Max?"

He turns, and it's obvious that Marinette is the last person he wants to talk to.

"I've thought about this a lot, and-"

"And now, representing Francais Dupont High School...!" interrupts the loud speaker. Marinette ignores it.

"Well, I think you should be playing tonight, Max."

"What?"

He's surprised. Actually, shocked might be a better word.

"Don't get me wrong, I love gaming, but it's not my heart and soul," Marinette says. "This is your tournament, Max. I don't want to take that away from you."

"Dude, make up your minds," scoffs Nino from behind Marinette. "They're waiting for you."

"I insist!" Marinette says, and hands Max the controller in her hand.

"I... I don't know how to thank you," Max stutters.

"By winning the tournament?" suggests Adrien, coming up from behind Marinette and putting a hand on her shoulder. "With her."

Of all the things Marinette was expecting, that was not it. Adrien laughs at her expression.

"Go on, Marinette. You're a hundred times better than me. You belong on the team. Win the tournament for the school. I know you can do it."

Behind Adrien, Alya facepalms. Nino seems to share her frustration.

"Go on, dudes! They're waiting for you!"

Nino pulls Marinette over, and she stands beside Max with Adrien's controller in her hand. And it doesn't matter to Marinette or Adrien that College Francais Dupont wins, because they both did the right thing. Because the other had given them the strength to do it.

[A/N: God those idiots are so dense they're lucky the fandom loves them]