"I am such a terrible person."

"What did you do this time, girl?" asks Alya, laughing. Marinette groans, rolling onto her back.

"I was at the fencing academy, and this kid comes in demanding the join the fencing team. So they fence with Adrien, and they're up to the last point, and I'm the only one who sees it. And they touch each other at the exact same time but I said it was Adrien! They got kicked out of the team because of me!"

"It was one mistake," Alya says. "Don't stress, girl!"

"I'm a terrible person," Marinette groans, and rolls over again, promptly falling off the lounge. Alya laughs, and Marinette pushes her face into the carpet.

"Girl, you don't even know who this kid was."

"They're going to hate me forever," Marinette complains. "And Adrien knows I called it wrong and he's going to hate me forever and we'll never get married, live in a beautiful house and have three kids and a hamster!"

"I actually can't hear you because your face is in the floor," Alya says, "but from the length of your rant I'm guessing it's about Adrien again. He's not going to hate you for one mistake, Marinette."

"It's a million mistakes," Marinette mutters. "So many, just piling on top of each other. I'm sure he thinks I'm an idiot."

"Excuse me?"

Adrien follows the fencer in red out of the school, not long after Marinette left. They turn, surprised to see him.

"I'm sorry. I'd love to have a decisive match," Adrien says, and hands them the saber in his hand. They reach out to take it, but then pull their hand back in.

"No, I lost it. You keep it. Listen, it was lovely of you to let me have a go, but I-"

"I personally think it was your point."

The fencer, who had turned away, turns back around.

"That's not what your friend saw."

Adrien sighs a little.

"Marinette can get flustered easily," he says. "She's kind and means well. She'd never cheat. Today was her first ever experience with fencing."

"You like her a lot, huh?"

"Marinette?" Adrien asks, surprised. "Yeah, of course. She's a very good friend, and you'll really like her too, once you get to know her."

It's disconcerting, having a conversation when he can't see the fencer's face, but he ignores it. He's had conversations with his fellow fencers before, after all.

The fencer in red hesitates.

"Please, take it."

They glance at Adrien, and then reaches out and takes the saber. Adrien smiles.

"I'm Adrien. Nice to meet you."

The fencer pushes up her mask, to reveal a pretty Japanese girl with blue-black hair. She smiles at him.

"Kagami. Likewise."

Behind her, a car pulls up. Her chauffeur, obviously. Adrien smiles, and waves as she gets in.

"Get ready for that decisive match!" Kagami calls, and Adrien grins. She's a talented fencer, that girl.

Not long after, Adrien's bodyguard arrives, and Adrien gets in. It's a short trip to his house, and he's up the stairs and in his room within minutes.

After all, he's got an akuma attack to write.

Beepbeep.

"Girl, your phone," Alya says. Marinette checks it, and blanches when she sees the Miraculous icon.

You have a new message

"System notification," she says, sitting up and dismissing it quickly. She discreetly sets it on vibrate, and can feel it in her hand as another message comes through. "Thanks for the support, Alya, but I think I'm okay now."

"Call me again if you need more emotional support," Alya says. "And, of course, if you have any more leftover croissants."

"Of course," Marinette says. "What would we do without you? How would we deal with our leftover croissants?"

"Exactly," Alya says. "You'd be nothing without me. See you at school."

"See you," Marinette says, and waves as Alya leaves. She climbs onto the balcony, and when she sees Alya she waves and goes back inside.

Only then does she open Miraculous, to see her five messages. All from ChatNoir.

ChatNoir: hey bugaboo

ChatNoir: i was thinking

ChatNoir: (dangerous i know)

ChatNoir: that we actually do an ep for season 2 together lol bc all the others have been done alone

ChatNoir: opinions?

LadyBug: i'm down, let me open my laptop

Marinette leaps across her room and swivels her chair as she turns on the screen. She can draw something fencing-inspired, after today. Her huge mistake.

LadyBug: any ideas? this thing happened today, i misjudged something and someone got rlly upset

ChatNoir: i mean i saw this girl and guy outside college francais dupont for the fencing class. one in red, one in white. opinion on using them??

Marinette can't help laughing. Of course ChatNoir would happen to mention the exact same thing as her.

LadyBug: awesome idea chaton. shall we begin?

She lets ChatNoir design Riposte, and she finds herself taking the back seat as he clearly knows an awful lot more about fencing positions than her.

LadyBug: ur an expert, huh?

ChatNoir: matter of opinion, i guess. most of it is book knowledge

When the fencer in white defeats the one in red using a fancy movement that Marinette has never seen before, and she's pretty good with the book techniques, she can't help but doubt it. Could ChatNoir be in the fencing class?

LadyBug: hey chat, i need some advice

ChatNoir: go right ahead

Marinette takes a deep breath.

LadyBug: so this thing happened with my crush today. he had a disagreement with someone i didnt know, and my opinion was asked to settle the disagreement. i didnt know much about the topic, and i honestly had no idea who was right. but i said my crush, even though he clearly thought it was the other kid. now im afraid hell hate me

ChatNoir: chill, bugaboo. as a male, i know we dont judge girls based on small mistakes. as long as you make it clear it was an error in judgment, he'll forgive you. tbh, if he knows you didnt know much about the topic, he probably doesnt even realise u feel bad about making the mistake

Marinette thinks this over. Adrien knows she's new to fencing. Maybe ChatNoir is right. Maybe the idea of hating her hasn't even occurred to him.

LadyBug: thank u, chat. i dont know what id do without u XD

"Adrien?"

"Yeah?" Adrien asks, turning. Marinette stands behind him, and she shuffles her feet nervously.

"I'm sorry about the incident at fencing. I got flustered, and even though you touched at the same time, I said you. I'm sorry I made the other fencer so upset."

"It's cool," Adrien says, surprised. He didn't expect Marinette to apologise. Point-giving errors have been made by seasoned professionals. "Her name's Kagami. We're going to have a decisive match soon. I'll tell her you're sorry."

"Thank you," Marinette sighs, slumping slightly in relief. "She deserves the place more than me. See you in class."

Instead of heading off to the canteen, she turns a corner and disappears. Less than a minute later, Adrien's phone buzzes and the conversation is forgotten.

LadyBug: ive said sorry, and i think u were right chat. he didnt even realise there was anything to apologise for XD. thank u so much

ChatNoir: no problem, princess

[A/N: More chapter bc I keep forgetting how much I adore this AU]