Chapter Text
“Hello friends! Today the XYZ news will cover the rising pop/indie band ‘Flight of the Pink Ladybug’! As most of you ‘Ladybugs’ probably already know, the aspiring band members have created one hit after another, and their debut ‘Late Night Adventures’ has recently reached 500 million views on MeTube! Needless to say, their newest song, ‘Miraculous’, has created such a ripple in this France!”
Kagami raised one eyebrow as interest began to pile up. “Flight of the Pink Ladybug”... that’s the name of a “dream band” Marinette talked about… right? She wasn’t so sure anymore now that her memories were fading away after moving out of Paris. If only she was able to stay in touch, but her mother would never have allowed it…
“First, an interview with the three band members.” the entertainment broadcast continued, snapping Kagami back into reality. “We have Marinette Dupain-Cheng as the main singer/pianist, Luka Couffaine as the guitarist, and last but not least, ex-model Adrien Agreste as the drum player.”
“Marinette?!” Kagami gasped and turned up the volume despite her mother’s strict rule of no “useless television.”
“Ms. Dupain-Cheng, do you have any words you would like to share with us?” the broadcaster held up the mic close to Marinette.
“Well… aheheh… I’m super honored to be interviewed by France’s biggest news broadcast! Oh… what inspired us? Well, uh, it was my friend Luka - well, obviously you already know about him - who, uh, yeah, loves to play the guitar and makes amazing music! And um, Adrien… he, he volunteered to play the drums for us, and uh… um, I can, hehee, sort of sing and play the piano, so, uh, yeah!”
Kagami grinned at Marinette’s reaction and remembered her old days with Marinette, Adrien, and Luka; the embarrassment Marinette had whenever she was interacting with Adrien; and the loving glances towards Marinette from Luka.
“Haha, don’t mind her. I will take over.” Luka is still protective of Marinette , she thought. “She’s like that whenever she’s nervous. Isn’t that right, Marinette?”
Nothing had changed… except that she wasn’t there anymore. Kagami remembered she ad never participated in their music making, partly because she did not understand why music had made them so joyful, but more because she did not know any instruments to accompany them in the fun.
The emptiness and aching were starting to fill up her chest again, and part of Kagami wanted to turn off the television and practice fencing so that her mother, just maybe, would agree to her moving back to Paris… Kagami shook her head. Her stubborn mother would never acknowledge the fact that there she had made a mistake, and if she decided that they were a bad influence, she will not let Kagami meet them until the day she dies. Even when she graduated from college, her mother still hung over her, controlling her life like a puppeteer. Is this what Adrien felt before? She wondered.
As if feeling the presence of herself in Kagami’s mind, Tomoe opened her eyes from meditation and walked quietly towards Kagami’s room. Her hands rested upon the doorknob, ready to turn it and enter.
At the last second, hesitation rushed through her body and stopped her hand. Kagami was still obedient as usual, but their interactions had become much more machine-like. For the first time, she doubted whether she was right to make all the choices for Kagami, even when Kagami was already an adult.
Maybe it’s time she let go.
An almost inaudible sigh escaped her as she slowly turned away. Her daughter had inherited a lot of her personality; she was fierce, thoughtful, and most of all, stubborn. If she decided that she won’t appreciate her decision to move away from Paris, she would probably never forgive her. She turned away, ready to walk away and make herself a cup of tea to clear her mind.
Kagami, however, had already heard Tomoe’s footsteps, and had quickly turned off the television before she could find out.
“Mother, you may come if you want.” She called out, fixing her clothings.
Tomoe stopped her movements, then turned around to open the door. Kagami was dressed up in her sleep garments, and her dark-blue hair had already grown enough to have the tips slightly rest upon her shoulders.
“Is there anything you need, mother?” Kagami asked, trying to act as natural as possible.
Tomoe did not notice Kagami’s odd reactions, as her mind was absorbed in the pain that Kagami no longer considered their interactions anything other than fulfilling demands.
Tomoe kneeled down on the zabuton and motioned for Kagami to take a seat opposite her across a wooden table, which was one of the few things Kagami was allowed to keep from Paris.
There was nothing Tomoe wanted from Kagami, and she searched desperately for words to say, in hope to have a lighthearted conversation with her daughter.
“Ka-kagami, I think it’s time you cut your hair.” Tomoe blurted out. “Or else you’d have to tie it up for fencing.”
She bit her tongue immediately after in regret. Why had she chosen a topic which had torn them apart in the first place? Must improve communication skills. She made a silent note to herself.
Kagami was a little caught off guard. She had expected something much more serious, not a suggestion for a haircut. Her instincts told her to tell her mother “yes” and that she will go to the hair salon to get a clean cut the next day, but her tongue seemed to be tied into a tight knot, and no words came out when she tried to give the expected answer.
“A-actually, mother,” Kagami struggled to speak the words. “I’m perfectly fine with typing them into a bun.”
Tomoe was a little surprised at Kagami’s sudden change of attitude. “But Kagami, I thought you hated to have your hair tied up; you said it feels as if your freebom is being… restricted…”
She stopped speaking as she realized the hypocrisy in her words. Was she not restricting Kagami’s freedom by essentially trapping her inside the world of fencing and nothing else?
“I just want to try something new,” Kagami explained.
“Oh… well, if you insist, Kagami,” Tomoe blinked. “Well, if you ever need anything, make sure to let me know.”
Kagami nodded. Tomoe, seeing that Kagami had no means of starting another converation, stood up and started walking out of the bedroom, as she was unable to stand the awkward atmosphere anymore.
“Wait, mother,” Kagami suddenly called out. Tomoe stopped and looked back.
Kagami took a deep breath.
“I want to learn a musical instrument.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Wheeeeeeew! Luka, Adrien, you guys totally saved me again!” Marinette let out a sigh of relief as the trio strolled into the hotel they stayed at.
The interview was quite exhausting for all of them, as it took place right after a concert. It was already way past midnight by the time they had left the XYZ Broadcast Stadium.
Adrien and Luka smiled at each other. “No problem, Marinette. We know that you can get a little nervous, haha.” Adrien reassured her.
Marinette chuckled in embarrassment. “I-I guess I’ll try to pull myself together next time… heheheh…”
“No need to worr about that,” Luka laughed. He passed a look with the other blonde, and seeing his nod, he turned back to Marinette.
“By the way, since our next concert will not be until a few days later, we coul totally just relax and have our day off tomorrow. What do you think? Sleeping in late, spending the rest of our day in that nearby park barbecueing, stuff like that. I heard that not many people usually visit there, despite the fact that it has beautiful scenery. It’ll be perfect!”
Marinette’s eyes shined brightly at the idea. “Sure thing! Can’t wait!” She squealed. “Though right now I’m so tired I don’t even know if I’ll be able to wake up until past noon!”
“Of course, sleep as much as you like!” Adrien laughed. “We’re all tired. I think we all deserve to have a little break.”
“Yup! So… I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Marinette grinned and pulled out her key to open her room. Luka and Adrien waved goodbye as they made sure Marinette entered her room safely before opening the door to their own rooms.
Marinette took a quick shower and jumped onto her bed. Her eyelids were already filled with lead, and she couldn’t seem to open them after she settled onto her bed.
She remembered that five years ago, she had been such a shy girl who stammered whenever she was in front of Adrien. Now she was older, and especially with increased interactions with Adrien and Luka, her unnaturalness eventually faded away. Marinette wondered if that meant those little butterflies in her stomach had also flown away as time passed.
She let out a tiny laugh. How could that be? Ever since that unforgettable rainy night, Adrien would forever take up a special place in her heart, and nobody could ever possibly replace him, not even Luka.
Nobody…?
Marinette felt as if her mind were mushed up together, and she had a terrible headache. She can’t think properly at the moment, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She remembered vaguely that there was someone else… someone who shared her joys and her sadness, and probably the same feelings for the love of her life… but she has never seen her ever since her sudden disappearance from Paris.
Marinette closed her eyes and drifted into deep sleep.
Kagami… it’s been quite a while now…