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Kagami’s eyes glid over the text displayed on her phone. She just wanted to make sure she remembered everything right. Sure, she was not certain what to do with this information. Yet, she wanted to see whether she was right.
“Kagami?” Adrien’s voice made her jerk a little. She was still not used to having other people around. Other people at least, who were not her mother.
She looked up from her phone. “What is it?” she asked softly.
“Nothing.” He came over to the park bench she was sitting on, leaning over the back of it. His eyes glid over to her phone. “I was just wondering what you were doing.”
“I…” She paused, not quite sure what to do. But then she looked at him, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Actually, I have a question for you.”
He smiled, his usual easy smile. Kagami knew it was not quite as easy as it looked. “You knew Marienette much better than me. And I… I have been thinking about something.”
For a moment Adrien just looked at her, clearly waiting for something. Then he came around the bench, sitting down next to her. “Okay, then tell me. What have you been thinking about?”
Kagami paused. “I know that Marienette is Chinese…”
“Well, her mother is Chinese,” Adrien replied. “Her father is French, though her grandmother is technically Italian, so…” He paused, thinking about it. “She visited family in China earlier this year.”
Kagami once more looked at her phone. “I see.” She really did know so very little about Marienette, didn’t she? She cared about her, but right now she was wondering, how people even learned about other people. Some part of her had to assume that they talked, but talking was not always that easy. One could so easily say wrong things after all. And asking someone questions could be rather unfriendly, too, right? People did not want to share everything. Kagami did not want to share all things about herself after all. But how would one go about it, when asked directly?
“What are you thinking about?” Adrien asked.
She felt herself blushing just a bit. “I just… It is autumn, right?”
Adrien looked around in the park. Some of the trees around them already bore their autumn leaves in orange, red and yellow. “Yes.”
“You know, when I was living in Japan, during the early autumn, there was a festival. Tsukimi. People would go outside in the night and eat dango together while watching the mid-autumn full moon. And… I know that the tradition originally came from China. There is a thing there. The Autumn Moon festival. And…” She broke up, because saying things was too hard.
Adrien took her phone, now himself scrolling over the article. He read through it for a moment. “Yes, I actually remember this. When I was on a photoshoot once they served these moon cakes.” He read further, before pausing. “So, you wanted to watch the moon together with Marienette?”
Kagami evaded his gaze. “You could come, too. I mean, I think I would like that as well. But…” She fixed her gaze on a little rock on the path. “I just realize… I do not know you as well, as I would like. But I know even less about Marienette. And she is my girlfriend.” Again the blush made her cheeks burn. “And I would like to know more about her.”
For a moment Adrien did not reply. Then, however, he slid his hand into Kagami’s. “How about you ask her about it then?” he suggested.
Kagami looked at him. “Ask her?”
He gave a little chuckle, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. “That is usually the way you learn about people. You ask them.”
“But what if she does not want to talk about something?” Kagami asked.
“Then she will tell you that.” Adrien looked at her and smiled. “Believe me, the problem with Marienette is not her inability to tell you when she does not like something. It is more her inability to admit to the things she likes.”
In some way, Kagami could see it. Though she well remembered how Marienette had rather not talked to her at all, than admit to her own failed mission to woo Adrien. Of course, these things were more complicated now. Or maybe they were easier?
Again Adrien was chuckling just a bit. “You know, right now you are overthinking this as much as she usually is. So please, do not come up with a way too complicated plan to set up some secret date. Just ask her.” He was still holding onto her phone with his right, and now looked through her contacts. He got out the right one for Marienette, before handing the phone back to Kagami.
Kagami sighed, looking at the entry in the phone. Yeah. Right. She could just phone Marienette. Right. She could simply call.
Breathe in, and breathe out. She was a descendent of samurai. She should be able to deal with at least this much.
Once more she looked at Adrien, who just gave her an encouraging nod and smile.
This was complicated. Why was this so complicated? She pressed the call button, her heart racing just a bit more than before. As she lifted the phone to her ear, she waited, and then she hung up, as she remembered something.
Adrien raised an eyebrow questioningly. “What is it?”
“I just…” Kagami paused. “I do not even know where in Paris we can get mooncakes!”
Adrien’s gaze clearly told her, that he doubted the validity of her argument. Sure, it was an excuse. But she felt strange about it. “I assume there are shops where you can buy Chinese specialties.”
“But do you know one?” Kagami asked.
“No. Not of the top of my head. But I could ask Natalie. I am pretty sure she… She usually is good at finding those things out.”
“Then maybe we should do that first.”
Adrien looked at Kagami for a long moment. “Are the mooncakes really that important?”
“I assume they are,” Kagami replied, now crossing her arms. “If anything it should be authentic, right?”
There was a long pause, until Adrien gave in. “Right…”
***
Kagami looked at the collection of items now lying on the counter of the kitchen in the Adreste mansion. She knew most of them, and even those she did not know she could make sense off. Of course. Being a Tsugiri, she had learned all the Japanese traditions. She knew how to fight, yes, but she also knew how to prepare a tea ceremony. She could make most traditional Japanese sweets, as this too was considered part of a proper education. And it turned out that a lot of traditional Japanese dishes had at least some influence from China and Korea.
Adrien had long gotten out his phone looking up some instructions, while Kagami felt a bit lost. “You don’t really need to do it.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “This was a dumb idea to begin with. I am sorry.”
Adrien looked at her. “Why is it a dumb idea?”
“Because… I mean, you said yourself. Marienette knows little about China, and maybe she does not even like this, and… Well…” Again Kagami looked at the ingredients. It had turned out that they had been unable to find mooncakes anywhere in Paris. However, one of the little asia markets had very much sold everything that belonged in a mooncake and some other stuff. Then Natalie had remembered that they had forms for the mooncakes that Gabriel, before he had died, had gotten during some overseas trip.
“I don’t think it is a dumb idea,” Natalie said. “It is perfectly reasonable. Also, it can be a valuable cultural experience for both of you.”
“Right…” Kagami looked at those things.
Yes, she had learned how to prepare sweets. But then again, she never considered herself quite that good at it. And she knew that Marienette was at least rather good at preparing those European sweets. So maybe in the end Marienette would just call her out on her lack of skill. Or she would not like it. After all, a lot of people who were not used to this sort of palette did not enjoy it.
There was also the fact, that they did not have time to properly cure egg yolks, if they wanted to have the cakes ready until the full moon tonight. And if it did not have a cured egg yolk, was it even a real moon cake? After all, from all Kagami knew, the treat was called a “moon cake” because the cured yolk looked like a moon, right?
“Well, according to these we need to boil the lotus beans first for a long while,” Adrien said.
“Yes, of course.” Kagami looked at the ingredients as well. “Same with the adzuki beans. I think the recipes for the paste is similar.” And red bean paste was a traditional part of so many Japanese sweets she had grown up with.
“Then that is where you should start,” Natalie said.
“Right.” Adrien gave a somewhat awkward smile. “I rarely get to use the kitchen.”
“You really should,” Kagami noted, before she could hold her tongue. “After all, you are fourteen already. At some point you should learn how to cook.”
“I probably should.” He smiled. “Marienette talked about teaching me how to properly bake.”
Kagami hesitated, then smiled. “Yes. That sounds like a good first step. Though you should learn cooking, too. In fact it would be highly valuable, if you learned several different styles of cooking, just in case that…”
“Maybe we should start with how to make those pastes then,” Nathalie said softly.
“Right.” Adrien looked at her. “You do not need to help us, Natalie.”
She smiled back at him. “I do not have any other plans for the afternoon. And I think it would be advisable if at least one adult was present to help with the process.”
“She is probably not wrong,” Kagami said. Even she could sense that between the two of them things were still somewhat tense, had been since Adrien’s father had died. She just did not exactly know why. The entire story had left her with more questions than answers, and by now she doubted that she would ever get any answers to them. Ladybug maybe knew, but she would not tell.
There was some silence in the kitchen, until Adrien reminded himself what they were doing. “So, we should put the beans into a pot each and fill it up with enough water to cover them. Then let them soak for half an hour, before starting to simmer them. Then it says they need to boil for two hours, before we grind them, and cook the paste again with fat and sirup until it is shiny.”
“Yes,” Kagami said. “That is at least how I learned to make bean paste.” She got her own phone out once more, looking onto it. It was already two in the afternoon – and she was not certain how long time she would have today.
She wanted to get this done. More than that she wanted to get those mooncakes to Marienette. But while Adrien might have gotten free from his father, her own fate was not quite as easy. For now her mother was content with believing she was in a relationship with Adrien. However, she could never know about Marienette’s role in that relationship. If she found out. Well, Kagami was not certain what her mother would do then.
***
“I am very sorry, mother,” Kagami said into her phone. “I am still over at the Agreste’s.”
“You are with Adrien?” her mother asked.
“Yes. I…” Her voice was close to faltering, as she looked over to Adrien, who was wildly gesturing. “I have promised him to show him how to prepare traditional sweets. And we might still be working on those for the next… three hours.”
“Traditional sweets?”
“Yes,” Kagami said, looking at the pans that Natalie was guarding right now. “I am showing him how to make red bean paste.”
“Very well,” her mother replied. “That is an admirable pursuit. However, I want you back home at ten at the very latest.”
“Yes, mother.” Kagami sighed. “I will see you then.” With those words she hung up. A sigh came over her lips, when the tension left her.
Adrien took her hand, gently gasping it in his own. “You will find a way to get free at some point.”
“If it only was that easy,” Kagami muttered. She looked at their hands intertwined. The worst part of it was, that she still did not quite hate her mother. She only feared her. In the end her mother had always been like a dragon in her life, breathing fire and keeping her locked up in a tower. Like the princesses in European fairytales.
Adrien shot her one of those encouraging smiles, before letting go of her hand. “What do you think, Kagami. Is the paste shiny enough?”
Kagami stepped over to the stove, taking one pan handle from Natalie. She took the wooden spatula from the woman as well, moving the paste around as well. It was by now fairly thick, and the surface of it was glossy. “Yes, I think that will do.”
“From my understanding there is some dough involved, too, right?” Natalie asked.
“Yes,” Kagami replied, but looked over to Adrien. She did not really know how to make this Chinese styled dough.
“It is fairly simple,” Adrien quickly replied. “Just water, sirup, and flour.”
“Very well.” Kagami drew some water from the kitchen sink. “What are the amounts?”
Adrien gave them to her.
“Do you need help?” Natalie asked, but Kagami shook her head.
“I want to do something of this myself.” After all, she had been the one to have this idea before. And she really wanted to make it for Marienette – hoping that she would like it. She was not sure.
“Say,” Adrien started, as Kagami measured the water and sirup, mixing both together thoroughly. “Have you been to China before?”
“Yes, obviously,” Kagami replied. “I accompanied my mother several times. Though I did not get to meet a lot of people there. I know you have been there before.”
“Yes,” Adrien replied. He sighed, leaning back just a bit. “I think it is sad, you know? Marienette has only ever been once. And I wish I could just take her. Though I do not know enough to properly show her around.”
“I would love to take her to Japan,” Kagami muttered. She started sifting the flour into the water and sirup mix. “But I couldn’t. Not with my mother… I mean, she would never allow it. She does not even want me to be friends, let alone…”
For once Adrien was the one who sighed, leaning further onto the kitchen counter. “Yeah, I know. I…”
He did not get to finish, as just in this moment his phone started to ring. He got it out, looking on it. “Oh. It’s Marienette.”
Kagami froze, as he picked up.
“Hi, Marienette.”
While the phone was too quiet for Kagami to hear Marienette’s words, she could make out at the very least that Marienette was speaking.
“Slow down. Slow down.” Adrien was laughing now. “No.” He tensed a bit, and blushed. “No, that’s not what I mean. No.” He paused once again as Marienette was speaking. “No, actually. Kagami is over. No, I… Ugh.” Now he seemed to get awkward. “Actually, she wanted to talk to you.” With those words he slid his phone over to Kagami.
Kagami stared at the phone as it stood besides the bowl with the half-finished dough. Her hands were dirty. She should not pick it up.
Natalie, however, realized this too. She picked the phone up for her, holding it to Kagami’s ear.
“Kagami?” Marienette asked.
Kagami swallowed hard. She really did not know how to react in these situations. “I… Uhm… Yes.”
“Oh,” Marienette said. “I am sorry. I wanted to call you later. I just… Uhm, well, technically speaking, I was, uhm, mostly just trying to ask you, whether you would under any circumstances and maybe together with Adrien…” She was getting lost in her many words once more. A thoroughly adorable trait.
At least it meant, that Kagami was not the only one who was awkward.
She drew in a deep breath. “I wanted to ask you, whether you would want to meet with me to watch the moon together,” she whispered. “I…” What did she want to say?
“Of course,” Marienette said. “I would love that. Is it the full moon tonight?”
“Yes, actually,” Kagami said. “It is the mid-autumn moon.”
“The mid-autumn…” Marienette paused for a long moment thinking. “Oh, I think I know what you mean! Fei has mentioned something like that.”
“So, would you… Would you want to watch the moon with me?” Kagami asked.
“Yes, absolutely!” Marienette replied. “I… Uhm, yes. Just yes. Just… Uhm…”
Kagami chuckled. “It is fine. I think I get it.”
“Yeah, uhm. Where do we meet?”
“I don’t know…” Kagami muttered. “Where is a good spot to watch the moon?”
“Maybe on my balcony. I mean, there is a lot of light, but… Uhm, well. I don’t know. I, uhm… Like…”
“Yeah,” Kagami replied. “That sounds perfect.”
***
“Are you sure you do not want to come along?” Kagami asked Adrien, as they stood in front of the mansion.
“Don’t worry. You two girls can do something together with just the two of you as well,” he said. He smiled. “You need to get better in talking, you know?”
Kagami gave a little sigh. “I know.” Between the three of them Adrien was seemingly the only person capable of holding a normal conversation. Both she and Marienette got lost in their own words over and over again. It was just that dates were so much easier with the three of them for this precise reason. Because that way at least one among them could talk like a normal person.
Adrien leaned over to kiss her. “You’ll manage. I believe in you.”
Nervously Kagami tucked away one of her strands of hair. “I know. Thank you so much.” She bowed, as she had learned it in her homeland. Then she took a deep breath. “I shall be going.”
“You’ll manage,” Adrien said, smirking now. “You’ll see.”
She just hoped he was right, as she got into the car to allow his bodyguard to drive her over to the bakery, that Marienette’s family had.
Soon enough she found herself moving up the stairs in the building, only to be met half-way by a rather nervous Marienette. “Oh. Kagami. Hi. I… Uhm. Yeah, you had said you wanted to come and I am actually, totally, one-hundred percent prepared and not absolutely just halfway…”
“Relax,” Kagami said. “You look fine.” Even though she was aware that Marienette probably had wanted to wear something else. “Have you been busy?”
“I was just working on this new design, and…” Marienette sighed. “I lost track of time.”
Kagami chuckled just a little. Yes, that sounded like a perfectly typical Marienette thing to do. “That is fine as well.”
“So, uhm… The mid-autumn moon,” Marienette started, breaking off. “Uhm, it is this festival in China, right?”
“Right,” Kagami said. “Do you not know about it?”
“Well, Fei sent me something. And mom explained. But I…” Marienette paused. “Come up, first.” She gestured towards the narrow stairs leading up to her room.
In her room there was indeed a new dress in the making hanging over her mannequin. It was elegant in black and white.
“It looks pretty,” Kagami muttered, before she could stop herself.
“You really think so?”
“Yes, of course.” Kagami smiled at her. “You are a talented designer, Marienette.”
A light blush showed on Marienette’s face. “Thank you, Kagami.” She paused, before leaning over, pressing a soft kiss onto Kagami’s cheek. They looked at each other for a moment, their cheeks glowing, before Marienette turned around.
“Well, as said. Fei sent me something.” She went over to her work corner, getting a little box. She showed it to Kagami, opening it.
It was filled with wonderful golden mooncakes.
“Oh.” Kagami stared at the box, certain rather self-aware of how her own cakes had turned out a bit too dark and dry.
“Mom said, that it is an autumn tradition in China,” Marienette said. “And something about a story about a…” She paused.
“About Chung’e and Hun Yi,” Kagami muttered. “It is the story celebrated. She took an immortality potion and floated to the moon.”
“Right,” Marienette said. “It is a really sad story, right?”
“It is in a way,” Kagami replied. She paused, for a moment considering to not show her own cakes, that absolutely would not prepare to those that Marienette had already received. But in the end… No, it would not be right. Adrien had helped making those as well.
So, she sighed. She got out the glass container she had brought over from the Agreste household.
“Oh!” Marienette said. “You made some as well.”
Kagami nodded awkwardly.
It took Marienette a long moment to realize the other thing. “For me?”
“Well, yes,” Kagami muttered. “I… I was not certain if you ever had them. So Adrien and me made them together. I know they will probably not be able to compare with those others you already had, especially as did not have time to cure egg yolks, but…”
“You and Adrien made those?”
“Yes…”
“Oh, Kagami.” The next thing Kagami knew was, how she got pulled into a tight hug. “That is so sweet.”
“I…” Kagami was not certain how to react, but in the end one thing seemed to be the easiest reaction: She returned the hug. “Anything for you.”
