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Marinette loves Alya with all her being, although she'd save Misterbug first than Alya if forced to choose, but it seems her team DJWifi has altered her best friend's mentality without her knowledge. Not that Alya's latest hobby is worse than constantly searching for danger in Paris (which could lead to akumatization), but Alya's latest venture involves her love life. Marinette is not joking.
"Alya. What is this supposed to be?" Marinette asked, staring down at the notepad given to her by the nosy reporter. She and Plagg were supposed to get ready and head out to buy cheese until her parents called from downstairs of an incoming visitor. She scans it through her eyes, realizing it's a script. Not just any script, but an ask-someone-out-to-a-date question.
"You'll thank me later." Alya promised and Marinette slowly looked up at the brunette. Is she really? Marinette blinked twice as Alya continued to explain. "Come on girl. I figured your mystery man out. Blonde hair? Green eyes?"
"W-what?!" Marinette squeaked, almost dropping the notepad as Alya picked her phone.
"It's definitely Adrien." Alya nodded as if she's an expert. "You should've told me sooner. Why else does Adrien light up when you enter the room?"
"Adrien?" Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't talking about Adrien. She was talking about Misterbug- Marinette paused, mind suddenly shutting down and rebooting to process the possibility. If it weren't for Plagg squirming in her jacket, Marinette wouldn't have woke up from the installation of logic process. "I-No! Forget it! (Marinette tossed the notepad as if it's cursed.) This is never gonna work!
"Too late. It's dialing." Alya held out her phone, grinning as the bluenette gasped. Alya used her phone to call the new kid who could be Misterbug that she's best friends and partners with to a date which is very unprofessional and awkward- Task Manager has stopped responding.
"Hey, this is Adrien's voicemail. Leave a message."
"Leave a message! Don't improv." Alya whispered as she gave the phone to Marinette.
"U-uhh. Hello? Bu-Drien. Uh. You're Marinette? No. I'm your part-pastry classmate I mean! Baker classmate, Marinette." Marinette struggled to get back her suave Lady Noire senses, but the idea of Misterbug sitting in front of her cannot be unseen! She mistook Misterbug with so many people, but Adrien as Misterbug sounded too good to be true wait NO it's bad because she can't imagine Adrien being playful and throwing back puns like Misterbug and aaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.
"If you have time, like if the akuma comes out or maybe tonight? I well you should uhm talk NO!" While Marinette's internal mind in shambles, the body speaks. "Call me before patrol-I mean call me in the metro! Call ME!"
"If you wish to hear your message again, press 1. If you wish to erase your message, press 2."
"Girl!" Alya hissed and Marinette looked at her best friend. She didn't even reply as Alya tried grabbing the phone from her. Marinette has a strong grip.
"I told you not to improv. That's terrible!" Alya muttered under her breath.
"Well I'm sorry you forced me into this." Marinette is overthinking too much and she can't handle the knowledge of being so lucky for actually being close to her partner-Wait. What if Adrien isn't Misterbug and she's just overthinking this?! Finally recovering her confidence, Marinette sighed. "Please tell me you deleted it because I wasn't in the right state of mind-"
"Message saved. Goodbye."
Both girls stared at the phone.
"..." Marinette is torn to strangling her best friend or herself. If Adrien is Misterbug and he hears whatever she said, he would disown her for being too blunt and flirty. Misterbug is a professional and heartwarming hero. He would never see her the same way if Misterbug realized she wanted to flirt with him seriously. They barely even know each other outside the mask.
"!!!" Marinette staggered, taking a step back and realizing the repercussions. The real repercussions. 'What if Adrien isn't Misterbug and he heard her speak that way?! What if he learned I'm Lady Noire and tells everyone so I have no choice but to give up my miraculous and face my life with a bag over my head and-'
"Think of it this way: no more secrets!" Alya chuckled and Marinette mechanically walked to pull random schedule charts she has hanging up her room. Adrien's schedule is recent.
"I have to delete the message." Marinette managed to tug down Adrien's schedule on her second attempt, scanning the time period and the date. "I cannot let him hear that message!"
"Okay, okay. I got an idea. If Adrien's phone went to voicemail, it means the dude's busy." Alya rationalized as Marinette wandered in her room to get a couple of items to picklock doors and certain lockers. "Which also means you can get to it before he does- oH. Oh. You are seriously insane. You know that, right?"
"You are coming with me." Marinette turned to Alya, grabbing her purse with the necessary items for a break-in. For the sake of Adrien's safety, Misterbug's innocence and her pride, Marinette Dupain-Cheng must enter a guy's locker room and steal a phone. Plagg has long stopped moving in her jacket, receiving a chunk of cheese and aware she tossed a can of cheese in her purse.
"We're breaking in."
...
...
Marinette never cared about any grand openings of a new place or the start of an event or even a celebrity so why should she act any different. So what if there's an unveiling of a statue of Lady Noire and Misterbug? So what if Misterbug is there and waiting- Ah Lemon tarts. Marinette had to look at her partner, did she? The worst part here is that she promised to try and be there with him.
"They're unveiling Misterbug and Lady Noir's sculptures today!" Alya said in awe and Marinette can't admit to the journalist that Lady Noire actively checks on the blog if she has stuff to do. If Alya didn't do a reminder in the blog then there's a great chance Lady Noire AKA Marinette will forget she has an event to attend to as well. "I totally spaced!"
"Me too." Marinette doesn't know if she should head to school or search for a place to hide and meet up with Misterbug. 'But what about Adrien's safety and my pride?'
"Listen." Alya used her negotiation voice again. Marinette looked at the reporter as she brought out her phone. Alya's body is faced at the statues. "About Adrien's cellphone, what if we go right after?"
"I. I can't." Marinette knows Misterbug will be disappointed on her for not being there, but a civilian's life is in danger because of her slip-up and she has to fix this because she still has time to fix it. "If we wait after the ceremony, Adrien's fencing training will be over, and he'll have his phone back by then."
"Shoot. I gotta cover this event for the Ladyblog..." Alya bit her lower lip, looking back at her bestie. "I'm sorry, Marinette!"
"Don't sweat it. I can manage." Marinette pats Alya on the shoulder.
"Good luck, and stay out of trouble!" Alya told her. Marinette wants to laugh because she's pretty sure stealing someone's phone is already troubling enough. Alya then had the nerve to repeat her last advice which caused her to be here in the first place. "And don't improv!"
...
"So we got a phone to snag?" Plagg managed to worm all the way to her collar. Marinette waits for the sign to change so she can walk pass the street. "Got to hand it to you, pigtails. This is better than the unveiling."
"I have no choice. My honor is on the line." Marinette ran towards the school, going against the crowd as they all went to the weird statue thing. "If we can delete the message early, we might make it to the ceremony in time."
"Or not." Plagg snickered as Marinette leaned on the wall to avoid detection. "And who knows? Maybe Sunshine actually likes you?"
"Hush you. Adrien has shown no attraction to me for the past few months." Marinette is sure of that. She stealthily went to the side, evading the fencers as she sneaked into the locker room without notice. "This is all Alya's fault. I knew this would've happened, shipping me with another as if my love life is her concern."
Whatever you say, brie. Now go ring that phone." Plagg flew out to scan the room. "Then we can buy cheese!"
"You bet we will. Gonna celebrate if we can pull this off." Marinette fished out her phone, ready to call the device and get this over with. When the phone rang, the two split up to search for the locker. Once Plagg opened it, Marinette and Plagg encountered another problem.
...
[The phone has a lock screen password.]
...
"Take it with you." Plagg advised as Marinette tried and failed (yet again) to guess the sequence. She touched it very lightly making sure not to exert any evidence or incriminating fingerprint. "Maybe that reporter girl can open it?"
"Alya does know how super-expensive high-tech smartphones work." Marinette agreed with her partner-in-crime's idea. She delicately placed it in a sealed bag to avoid fingerprint, closing the zipper and closing the locker. Plagg locked it as Marinette and kwami turn around and-
*Bam!
"Me and my bad luck." Marinette cursed, quickly rushing to avoid detection from the fellow fencers. Plagg's laughing all the way. Lucky cat. Marinette pulled out her own phone, sending a text as she moved to head behind the door as another pair entered the sight. [Al! You busy? Text back if YES.] Marinette then heads outside with her item. 'Maybe internet has answers?'