31: Master Fu

"How did it go, Y/N?" Chat Noir asked as he suddenly entered through the window. You were unphased, spinning around lazily in your chair.

"Horribly."

It had been a couple of days. You had just video chatted with your aunt and uncle, and as the two superheroes asked, you had gone forward with your plan to ask about their jobs. It didn't go so well. They questioned why you were asking. You made up a horrible excuse, and well... They got super suspicious, you screwed up with your excuses a couple more times and... In the end, they decided they were coming home early. To make sure you were okay, because you were acting weird...

"I thought I was at lying!" You groaned, extending your limbs to exaggerate your point. You let out a sigh, burying your head in your hands as you leaned toward your knees. Somehow, your excuses just spiraled into a world of confusion, and you merely used the excuse that you were sick, resulting in them both worrying. "They're coming home early, though. You can do your investigation on them then, and when you find nothing, we'll just ask where the plant came from. Simple."

"And what makes you so positive we won't find a thing on them?" Chat asked as he sat upon your desk. You rolled your eyes.

"They're two of the most regular people on the planet. My uncle's a normal guy, slightly nerdy, my aunt's a nice regular lady. If you really do find something on them, then I'll be really surprised." You shrugged. He grinned, a glint in his eyes.

"Maybe that's just a nice act."

"...Well, they must be really good at it, if they could keep it up for years and at the same time convince me that they're horrible liars and actors." You shrugged as you stood up from your chair. His grin stayed plastered to his face.

"What if they're part of a whole organization? And they've been lying to you the whole time?" He asked. You thought about it for a moment.

"...Nah. That wouldn't happen. We don't know each other so much anyway, so I don't think I'd be hurt or anything. But that just feels unlikely."

"You sure~?"

"Positive. Where's Ladybug?" You asked, tired of the subject. Chat was putting his hopes too high with these two...

He put a finger to his lip, leaning back slightly toward the wall. "Hmm... Not sure. She hasn't contacted me."

"Oh. Should I go find her?" You asked. Since you knew of Ladybug's identity, you could find her whenever you wanted now. He let out a deflated sigh, his posture loosening.

"...How come you get to know her identity and I don't...?" He pouted. You let out a laugh at his expression.

"'Cuz I put her in a plastic bin bag, duh. Everyone knows that's what every girl wants." You scoffed sarcastically. He laughed. "Oh, right, don't forget about kidnapping too~ Crucial step, can't do without it."

"I can't believe you did that to her. What if she suffocated?" He laughed. 

"I just hoped she wouldn't." You said, raising your arms and shrugging. He raised an eyebrow at you.

"...Seriously?"

"Yup~"

"...You're evil, Y/N..." 

"I evil. Now I'm slightly less evil." 

"Haha. That's nice to know."

 You were back in school.

To be honest, being in school felt weird, especially after you were with Chat Noir and Ladybug each day, theorizing and searching for anything to do with that plant. Chat was in charge of finding where that thing came from, Ladybug looked for any info on the plant itself and you were experimenting with your powers, trying to find out if anything changed. 

The whole color scheme had gone from pitch black to a dark navy, similar to the plant's smoke, only darker. Aegean, maybe? Slightly greyish, but a dark blue, that was almost black... That was the only noticeable change, though. Everything else seemed to be normal. Your power levels were the same, your abilities were the same... Everything was the same. Also, Hawkmoth seemed to not be able to connect with you anymore. Made sense, since the Akuma was gone. Still, though, the fact you had powers was convenient.

Jaku had no friends. He acted normal around other people, but he generally tried to stay away. He was distant with all the people in your class. Almost as if he didn't want anything to do with anyone. He kept saying he was tired all the time and never stayed around for long. You automatically assumed he thought he was above you all, which angered you.

In reality, he was too tired to interact socially. Pretending to be angry at you was enough for him. It was exhausting, and he just wanted to go home. He was overwhelmed by the simplest interactions. To be short,   was .

Still, you were mad, not knowing the truth behind his emotions. He returned your anger, which only fueled your hate. Clearly, something bad had happened between the two of you, and everyone knew it. Neither of you made your hate for each other unobvious.

You, Nathaniel and Marc all talked together in the library during break. Marc was a cool guy; you talked some times before. He, too, was worried about your akumatization. After all, you had run away from an Akuma together at one point... But that was old news by now, and the three of you hung out. Turns out they really made a webtoon. You read it, and it was pretty cool.

"Oooh, you have a patreon button." You spoke, raising an eyebrow. You pressed it, and they both panicked in unison.

"W-Wait, no, don't pay for anything, Y/N!" Nathaniel gasped.

"Yeah! We couldn't take your money!" Marc protested. You started to laugh.

"Woah, you two are so in sync! You even panic at the same time!" You giggled. They looked away awkwardly.

"Ehe..."

Jaku then walked past, and you both shared a chilling glare. The two boys next to you shivered. He disappeared into the next aisle of books, and you heard a annoying voice.

"Jaku~ You know me, right? Chloe Bourgeois~?" She asked. Chloe Bourgeois. A girl you had no experience with, but observed quite a bit. After watching her actions, you came to the conclusion that she was a jerk. If the two jerks got together, then, well...

"No. Leave me alone." Jaku spoke with a snarl. The three of you were surprised. Jaku didn't use this tone, not even with you. He may not like you, but glares and sarcastic remarks were the only things he used. Never such a hostile tone.

"What the-?!" Chloe growled. She stayed silent for a moment, probably composing herself, before putting on that sweet voice. "Hmm~? Why so mean~?"

"Get out of my face. I don't associate with disgusting buffoons like ." He scoffed. You could hear the clatter of his footsteps as he walked away.

"HUH?! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!" She growled. You could hear her furious breathing. "Who does he think he is?! I'll get my revenge...!"

You heard her walk away, and Nathaniel let out a breath of relief that he didn't realize he was holding. Marc's posture relaxed, and you blinked confusedly.