8. On my own

˓˓ʕ՚Ջ՝ूɁ॰∘☼

"I can watch a sunset on my own."

˓˓ʕ՚Ջ՝ूɁ॰∘☼

10 months ago

"Focus Marinette!," Reyom yelled.

"Find his opening!"

Sabom's student quickly launches a roundhouse kick to my head and I felt everything go foggy.

"Get up! Hurry and get up now!," I heard Sabom yell.

I regain my vision back a few seconds later only to see my instructor walking away angrily and his student holding out his hand to me. I take it and he slowly lifts me up.

"Is he angry?," I asked.

The boy shakes his head "don't worry about him he just hasn't had his morning tea," he laughed.

I frown not believing him.

He smiles at me softly before patting my head "you did better than I did when I first started Taekwondo."

"I highly doubt that but thanks for trying," I mumbled and sat down on a bench.

"Since we didn't really have that much time to introduce ourselves hello I'm Anthony Yuan born

and raised in Beijing, I'm 18," he bowed to me.

I stand up and slowly bow "hello I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng you can call me Marinette, born and raised in Paris France, I'm 17."

"Call me Anthony."

We stayed quiet for a few minutes till he finally spoke up.

"I heard you moved here in a rush, what a criminal?," he joked.

I laughed "I didn't feel strong enough."

"I wanted to get away from trying to be a person I am not."

"Who was that person?," he asked.

"Someone that seemed fine with everything."

"Did you show your true self to someone at least?"

"I didn't even know my true self, but now I'm slowly figuring out who I am," I smiled.

"I didn't figure out my true self till I started Taekwondo," Anthony laughed.

"I guess martial arts is a good way for people to figure out who they really are."

"True, many people I've met always said the same thing we once felt," he looked up at me "not knowing who we are."

"Thank god my mom forced me to come to my lessons, I was just a trouble maker 3 years ago, always got in trouble in school and been to the police stations a couple of times for small fights I had with other class mates. My mom got tired of it and one of my teachers recommended her to bring me to his friends taekwondo class here in Shanghai. When I met Sabom he tried his best to get me on the right track in life and he did, I found myself, stopped worrying my mom, started getting good grades,and I met some really cool friends, that I didn't have much of, I can call a family."

"I hope I can become a good friend to you," I smiled at him.

"I mean we practically are best friends now since I never told anyone about this," Anthony laughed loudly.

"I'm glad you told me."

"Anyways want to catch the sun before it sets?," he asked.

I nod as we stand up and run outside the building.

"Here this way!," without realizing Anthony was climbing up a ladder that led to the roof.

"What if we get hurt!," I yelled.

"Trust me you won't get hurt," he laughed.

"Can't really trust someone I just met," I laughed.

"Weird," Anthony looked down at me as I made my way up the ladder.

"What?"

He hold out his hand "I trust you with my life," he grabs my hand and lifts me up.

I laughed as he leads me to the corner of the building and sits me down before we hang out our feet and admire the sun.

"I won't push you to tell me more about yourself," he started and looked at me.

"I hope in the near future you can tell me the things that bother you and rely on me," Anthony said with a large smile.

Present-

I look up at my Masters and they look at me with pure shock in their eyes, I run up to them and smile.

"I did it!," I cheered.

"H-how - when did you even learn that?," Sabom asked.

"I saw it once while looking at other matches and just kept practicing it, I didn't know I'll actually pull it off-."

"You did it perfectly!," Master Hui hugged me happily.

"Marinette!," I turn up to my friends seeing everyone and Adrian cheering for me happily.

"You won baby!," Chloe yelled.

"I know!," I smiled and waved.

"That's my little girl!," my dad screamed.

My mom lifted up her purse and Tikki's sticks out a sticky note congratulating me for my victory.

After getting awarded I change into some lazy pjs and walk out the the locker room expecting only to see my instructors and parents.

"Hey Marinette," Anthony stood there with an ice pack on his head and a small smile.

"Hi Uhm how are you by the way?," I asked and pointed to his head.

"I'm fine, hurts like crazy though."

"Sorry."

"No it's okay I was going at you in full force, sorry."

"I can't compete for a while, but it's okay I needed some rest from Taekwondo," he laughed.

"I'm sorry," I sighed.

"No worries, I hit you pretty hard didn't I?," Anthony touched my head and I winced.

"Sorry," he pulled back quickly.

"No it's fine I'll be okay."

"I'm sorry, I knew you wanted to go to nationals and I stopped that from happening-," he cut me off.

"It's okay," he smiled "it's a good thing you won, that just showed me that I needed to work on my moves more, and that I wouldn't be able to handle nationals."

"You won fair and square, you are much stronger than I'll ever be and I'm happy that our country would be represented by someone as talented as you Marinette."

I smile lightly.

"Anthony let's go we are running late to the airport!"

Anthony stands up and I quickly grab his hand and bow.

"Thank you for everything Anthony you are a great friend to me! Thank you for helping me back in Shanghai! Thank you for this opportunity! I would do my very best to make you and everyone home proud! Thank you for such a great match. I pinky promise that I will win no matter what!," I felt myself start to cry.

"I know you'll win," He patted my head and sniffed before he bowed.

"Thank you for the match, I'm happy that our friendship means so much to you as much as it means to me. I had fun, hope we can see each other again in the near future," we both held on to each other's hand before he pulls me in a hug.

"I'll miss you Marinette."

"I won't disappoint you," we pulled apart and wiped out tears.

"I know you won't," he looks behind him and walks away.

All of a sudden I hear a cough from behind me and I turn around, my eyes widen lightly as Adrian stood there with a bouquet of red tulips and small white flowers as well as small leaves. I try to wipe my tears some more and get a hold of myself before walking towards him nervously.

"Hey?"

"Oh Uhm these are for you," he hands me the flowers.

"I was going to give them to you as a good luck gift but I arrived late due to some traffic," he scratched his head nervously.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"You did really- wow o-out there," he laughed "you really knocked out that kid."

"Yeah that was one of my close friends when he would visit Shanghai to practice matches with me," I smiled as I remember our sparing fights.

"Where'd he leave off to?"

"Back home," I tried to smile "they have to catch a plane."

"Ohhh, uhm so everyone left to the small after party they threw at your house for you," Adrian smiled.

"I offered to give you a ride back since your parents left quickly to set up everything," I nod and grab my bag.

"Okay cool."

"Uhm Gorilla is waiting outside in the car for us so shall we?," we start walking to the car, Adrian opens the door for me and I whisper a quick thank you before getting in seeing his bodyguard looking at me in rear view mirror.

"Thank you for the ride," I smiled, he nodded and smiled to me.

"So how's your head?," Adrian turns to me.

"It's fine, I've been through worse when I didn't block," I laughed.

"Should we get you some medicine? Gorilla should we get her some pain killers or something?," I shake my head no, but his bodyguard nods quickly.

"I'll get them just make sure the little lady doesn't sleep," Gorilla stopped the car near a pharmacy and ran inside.

"I'm really okay it's a small injury, I've been through worse-," I sighed.

"You guys are worrying for nothing I'm completely fine," I mumbled.

"We're friends of course I'm going to worry for you," Adrian laughed.

I nod.

After they stared me down to swallow the pills we reached my house and Adrian quickly opened my door before helping me out.

"Uhm I hope all of you have fun, I have a date with Kagami...," he mumbled.

I can feel my smile slowly fall.

Of course.

"Okay, have fun and thank you for coming today I appreciate it," I turned around and walked inside.

Everyone started to surround me, congratulating my win, showing me love and support, I had everyone that I love and care about in front of me but I felt like someone was missing.

And I knew who it was.

Adrian.

Adrian's POV

Marinette.

"Hello Adrian? Are you even paying attention," I turn to Kagami who sat beside me in the theater.

"Sorry the act was distracting me, go on."

"So like I asked where were you earlier today, I tried calling you and it kept leading to voicemail?"

"Oh Marinette had a taekwondo match and I went to go show her support."

"How was it after, did she cry when she lost? Tell her I sad sorry that she can do it the next match."

"Actually she won."

"Really? Surprising isn't it?," Kagami laughed.

"Not really only thing that surprised me is that after getting kicked on the head that she'll be resting," I laughed.

"I think it's surprising that she was even able to get on the mat, well I mean she did trip or something right?"

"Nope but she acted like her normal self, she has a great relationship with her instructors so she looked very comfortable," I smiled as I remember her skipping during the tournament.

"I'm happy that she won, but don't you find it weird that she actually won.... get me?," Kagami looked at me.

"No I actually don't," I cross my arms over my chest as I feel a sudden change in the air.

"I don't know it's a little strange how big was her opponent?"

"As big as me, he looked a bit more built."

"See! It was rigged," Kagami snaps her fingers thinking she was right.

"No," I mumbled and turned away from her as I feel anger slowly start to grow.

"Think about it babe, Marinette is small and can't take care of herself, how can she- that girl beat someone twice her own size? Wow I can't actually believe Marinette cheated-."

"Kagami stop," I mumbled.

"Adrian I understand she's your friend but she cheated it's not fair-."

"Kagami!," I yelled lightly.

Everyone turns to us, I mumble a quick sorry and get up before walking out the theater.

Kagami can sometimes say things that are rude and mean, but I would never think she'll go after Marinette who was nothing but kind to her. I know it was shocking that Marinette beat up that guy at ease but I was there and I saw her win fairly. Kagami wasn't even invited and the tournament hasn't even aired so of course I'm gonna be upset when Kagami is making up such idiotic assumptions of Marinette.

"Adrian! What's wrong why are you upset?," Kagami walks out the theater door looking confused.

"Because once again you're talking bad about one of my good friends Kagami how am I not going to be upset?," I said sarcastically.

"I was just thinking what you were thinking."

"When did I ever say that huh? Hell you don't know everything that goes on in my head," I mumbled.

"Then how do you know she won without cheating?," Kagami pushed.

"Because I was there! I went remember! I saw her take down that guy! And Marinette will never cheat, I know her better than you do Kagami because she is my friend and not yours."

"She didn't want to be my friend remember?," Kagami sighed, I felt my self falter at her sudden words.

"Remember? I asked her to be friends and she turned away from me because she thought I was taking you away from your friends," Kagami said sadly and turned away from me.

I slowly go up from behind her and turn her to me feeling like a complete jerk.

"I remember, I'm sorry okay? Let's just drop it okay," I sighed.

"I'm sorry for acting rude," Kagami mumbled and hugged me softly.

"It's alright, let's go finish the film and take you out for some ice cream?," I smiled down at her.

"You know I don't like sweets," Kagami laughed lightly.

"Right..."

"Wrong person," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," I smiled as she opens the door to the theater.

"She's playing you like a fool kid," I heard Plagg sigh.

"What?"

"Nothing dummy."

—

I will start posting whenever I finish a chapter meaning possibly tomorrow the 29 or 1 more day.