Marinette, the newly appointed, reluctantly operating 'bug catcher expert,' was now so skilled it was almost heartbreaking. She didn't even need Jaden to remind her; she took a swift step forward and, with the small plastic jar, using a technique almost like 'scooping fish with a net,' captured it again.
"Click."
The sound of the lid screwing on, at this moment, was surprisingly crisp and pleasant to the ear.
Inside the classroom, there was first a deathly silence, and then, a burst of uncontrollable laughter and cheers, louder than any time before!
"Hahahahaha! Chloé, well done!"
"Oh my god, I'm going to get abs from laughing so hard!"
"In my lifetime, I've seen a butterfly look like it has nothing left to live for."
"I recorded it! I recorded it!" Alya excitedly waved her phone, as if she wasn't documenting a potential crisis, but filming the best comedy of the year.
Chloé raised her chin high, a proud and satisfied smile, befitting a victor, on her face. She revelled in the adoration of the crowd. The thrill of outsmarting a powerful villain through intelligence (and unparalleled arrogance) was far more sophisticated and enjoyable than simply bullying classmates using her father's authority. She glanced at Sabrina, who was still looking at her with adoration, and for the first time, she felt that this follower wasn't entirely useless.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, on the top floor of the Agreste Mansion, the atmosphere could no longer be described as merely gloomy.
Gabriel, or rather, Hawk Moth, was slumped in his massive chair, a symbol of power and solitude. His perfectly tailored, imposing purple suit now looked like a clown's costume. Outside the huge circular window was a bright and beautiful Paris, but this beauty, to him, was filled with endless mockery.
His mind was blank, with only three words endlessly repeating:
Why me?
Why?
How could this be?
He, a man of tragic heroic colours, who for the sake of resurrecting his beloved, would not hesitate to become an enemy of the entire world; a dark lord who could easily discern people's hearts and transform mortals' negative emotions into world-destroying power... at this moment, was being repeatedly, publicly, and mercilessly... desecrated by a group of high school students in a way he couldn't even dream of.
What did he hear?
A boy angry because he lost a game.
A girl sad because her limited edition stationery was broken.
And... a rich young lady who was self-pitying because she couldn't get her mother's approval.
These... these were the 'warriors' he had placed his high hopes on, who were supposed to win back the miraculous for him?
His invincible warlord was only concerned about whether he could finally win Chloé's heart.
His 'Sad Princess' only cared if her pen could change back.
His most promising Miraculous Queen was a complete and utter liar from beginning to end! She even had the audacity to signal her follower during the Akumatization process!
Disgrace.
This was no longer a simple failure; it was a deep-seated, humiliating disgrace that rubbed his dignity and villainous style into the ground repeatedly.
This farce continued to escalate in that wild classroom.
After Chloé's success, the students' enthusiasm was completely ignited. They discovered that this was not just a game, but an unprecedented and unique experience that allowed them to safely peek into their own dark side and transform it into capital for 'dialogue with the villain.'
"My turn! My turn!" Max, the usually most rigorous and logical science boy, also excitedly raised his hand.
"What's bothering you again?" Alya asked curiously.
Max pushed up his glasses, a look of extreme discomfort on his face, troubled by something irrational: "My Marc, my most perfect AI creation! I asked it yesterday to calculate π to how many decimal places? It actually... actually had a calculation deviation of 0.0000001%! Although this deviation is negligible in any practical application, it represents... imperfection! A logical flaw! This kept me tossing and turning all night! This is simply the greatest blasphemy against the God of Mathematics!"
The whole class: "..."
However, this emotion, full of 'science student-style anger,' also successfully attracted the already somewhat numb Akuma Butterfly.
Hawk Moth in his lair now felt like an emotional trash can. He weakly bestowed the title of "Logic Virus" upon Max and promised him the power to correct all logical errors and become the God of Calculation.
Then, after Max calmly gave the "ahem" signal, Nathaniel, standing beside him, with the precision and elegance of an artist painting, pulled out the paper and tore it.
Marinette once again skillfully captured it.
Immediately after, Ally also stepped up. Her reason was even more direct — yesterday, while practicing rollerblading, to avoid a cat that suddenly darted out, she left an imperceptible scratch on her beloved, custom-made rollerblades!
"This scratch," she pointed at her shoe, her eyes burning with anger, "destroyed its streamlined shape and perfect aerodynamic structure! This is an insult to my speed!"
Hawk Moth weakly named her "Fury of Speed."
Then, as Ally performed a stylish glide and turn, preparing to snatch her own paper, Lino, who had been watching her, got there a step ahead and tore it.
Marinette captured it for the third time.
Finally, encouraged by Rose, even Julie, who was usually the most introverted and reluctant to draw attention, plucked up her courage. She lowered her head and softly spoke of her troubles: "I... I drew a picture I really liked yesterday... but... I accidentally dripped a drop of water on it, smudging it... Although it's only a little bit, I always feel like... it's not perfect anymore..."
This emotion, filled with an artist's unique sensitivity to 'flaws' and a sense of loss, once again successfully attracted the Akuma Butterfly, which had completely given up resistance.
Hawk Moth no longer wanted to come up with any fancy names. He just said to Julie in her mind, in a perfunctory tone as if he was about to run out of breath: "Alright, alright... I get it... Stained Artist... I'll give you the power to turn the whole world into the perfect artwork you want... Is that good enough? Hurry up and agree, or have your classmate tear up the paper, quickly, I'm tired..."
In the lair, Gabriel buried his face in his hands, letting out a desperate groan.
He gave up. He truly gave up. He felt that his lifelong pursuit, that deep love for his deceased wife that sustained him, was at this moment completely deconstructed by these high school students with limited edition pens, game outcomes, tiny scratches, and a drop of water, becoming ludicrous, absurd, and meaningless.
Inside the classroom, before Julie could even give a signal, Jaden, who had been silently observing, moved.
This time, he didn't tear the paper.
He simply walked slowly to Julie's side. Julie was immersed in Hawk Moth's tempting words and her own struggle with the flaw in her work, appearing somewhat lost.
Jaden reached out and picked up a charcoal pencil from Nathaniel's drawing board nearby. Then, he gave Julie a gentle, encouraging smile.
"Julie," he said softly, his voice not loud, yet possessing a magic that could cut through all the noise, "Sometimes, the opposite of perfect isn't imperfect."
He paused, picked up Julie's drawing with the small smudge, and with the charcoal pencil in his hand, gently and skillfully added a few strokes next to the spreading water stain.
He drew a small butterfly, poised to take flight. The water stain perfectly became the most unique and beautiful pattern on the butterfly's wings.
The original 'flaw,' under Jaden's strokes, instantly transformed into a unique, vibrant 'finishing touch.'
"Sometimes," Jaden handed the drawing back to Julie, his voice so gentle it could melt ice and snow, "the opposite of perfect is 'completeness.' It is these unique 'accidents' that make a work, a person, truly complete and distinct."
Julie stared blankly at the drawing in her hand. The butterfly, formed by the smudge and charcoal lines, seemed to truly come alive on the paper. She no longer felt any annoyance about the flaw; instead, she was filled with an unprecedented sense of being understood, elevated, moved, and relieved.
The negative emotions in her heart instantly vanished.
The dark energy on the paper in her hand also receded. The Akuma Butterfly, as if losing its foundation for possession, automatically and plaintively retreated from the paper, floating unsteadily in the air, as if saying: "Alright, this time you don't need to tear it, I'll leave by myself."
Marinette, for the fourth time, with an almost sympathetic gaze, put the miserable butterfly into the jar.
The entire class fell silent at this moment. They all looked at Jaden, their eyes filled with shock.
If the previous 'paper-tearing game' showcased their wit and mischievous spirit, then Jaden's action at this moment was a true 'rescue.' He didn't use violence to destroy, but transformed the problem itself into a more beautiful answer.
Especially Julie, she looked up at Jaden, and in his deep eyes, for the first time, there was no shyness or introversion, but rather a starlike glimmer, mixed with adoration and gratitude.
Even Chloé, who had always found all of this boring, now looked at Jaden's profile and couldn't help but fall into thought. This man... seemed truly different from everyone else.
Just as this farce was finally about to reach its next stage, Ms. Caline, the teacher on the verge of collapse, finally found her voice.
"Enough—!" She used all her strength to let out a sharp roar, filled with the implication of "if this doesn't stop, I'm quitting."
This roar finally jolted the wild students back to reality. They looked at Ms. Caline's face, flushed red with anxiety and anger, and only then realized that they might have... gone a little too far.
"Uh... teacher..." Lino awkwardly scratched his head, "We..."
"Everyone, get back to your seats! Now! Immediately! Right away!" Ms. Caline pointed to various corners of the classroom, her voice carrying an undeniable command.
She walked to the centre of the classroom, a peculiar expression on her face, a mix of fatigue, helplessness, but also an unshakeable determination.
She took a deep breath, looked at the entire class, her gaze sweeping across the faces of Jaden, Marinette, Alya, Chloé... everyone. "I'll be the last one."
"Teacher?!" The entire class was stunned.
"No! Teacher, this is too dangerous!" Marinette was the first to object.
"Yes, teacher, you can't..." Alya also quickly tried to dissuade her.
Ms. Caline, however, waved her hand, her eyes unusually calm. "My mind is made up." She looked at the jar in Marinette's hand. "Don't worry, I know what to do. And... I also have my 'troubles.'"
The students exchanged glances, not daring to say more. They could feel that the teacher was serious this time. Jaden looked at Ms. Caline, nodded thoughtfully, and motioned for Marinette to comply.
Ms. Caline took a blank timetable from the podium and held it gently in her hand. She closed her eyes, a genuine, gentle, yet melancholic smile appearing on her face.
What was she thinking?
She wasn't thinking about her exhaustion from being tormented by these mischievous students, nor her meagre salary and heavy workload.
She was thinking about this class. She recalled Chloé's longing for recognition behind her arrogance; Marinette's kind heart beneath her timidity; Julie's delicate emotions hidden within her reticence; Kim's impulsiveness, Lino's liveliness, Jaden's calmness... Every child was a unique world.
But why were there always so many frictions, misunderstandings, and conflicts among them? Why couldn't they be like a true big family, caring for and understanding each other?
This was her biggest trouble, and also her most sincere and purest wish as a teacher.
A very special 'negative' emotion, a mixture of deep love, helpless worry, and a longing for a beautiful vision of 'world peace,' emanated from her.
Hawk Moth, in his lair, felt like a signal receiver with a bad connection. He had just experienced the most ridiculous and humiliating series of failures in his life, and his mind was in a semi-crashed state. However, this new emotion was so different. It contained no anger, jealousy, sadness, or any purely destructive desires. It… was warm? It… was pure?
"What… what is this?" he muttered to himself in confusion.
But out of a villain's professional ethics (if he still had any), he still listlessly dispatched the Akuma Butterfly, which looked so tormented it was almost faded.
The butterfly fluttered unsteadily into Caline's hand and merged with the class schedule.
Hawk Moth's voice resonated in Caline's mind, but this time, there was a hint of uncertainty and exhaustion in his voice.
"Harmony Mentor… uh… I am Hawk Moth… I sense your pain regarding… uh… division and discord. You wish for everyone to love each other, right?"
Caline replied in her mind with her gentle yet firm voice, "Yes. I wish for every one of my students to open their hearts, embrace each other, and for this class to become a loving family. Can you… give me that power?"
"Of course…" Hawk Moth's voice sounded even weaker. "I can grant you the power to make everyone cast aside prejudice and be forced to love each other. You will create a perfectly harmonious world, free from any conflict…"
He stopped himself before he could finish his sentence.
He suddenly felt… it was pointless.
Forced to love each other? What use was this power? To defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir? To make them suddenly start hugging and dancing in the middle of a fight? This sounded… even more absurd than that "invincible warlord" named Kim!
Moreover, the other party's wish was so pure, so… "positive energy," that his dark rhetoric, which he prided himself on using to manipulate people, became pale and powerless. He couldn't even find any selfish desire to exploit as an opening.
He felt as if he wasn't corrupting a fallen soul, but rather receiving purification and salvation from a saint.
"I'm not doing it! I'm not doing it!!"
Hawk Moth let out his most broken, desperate, and dramatic roar ever. He abruptly severed the mental link with the Akuma Butterfly, and then, in an act of catharsis, used his power in reverse!
The black aura on the class schedule in Caline's hand receded like a tide. The butterfly flew out of the paper, but it was no longer purple-black; instead, at a visible speed, it was forcibly "reverse-engineered" from an evil Akuma Butterfly back into a… pure, flawless… white butterfly radiating a soft glow.
It elegantly circled in the air, as if saluting Caline, then flew through the window without looking back, soaring into the clear blue sky and completely disappearing. It didn't even linger for a moment. The classroom once again fell into a deathly silence… no, it was filled with sighs of regret.
"Ah? Why did it fly away?"
"I didn't even get a turn yet!"
"Exactly! I wanted to see if my resentment over yesterday's dinner green beans not being salty enough would succeed!"
Alya, Nathaniel, Marc, Sabrina… even Mylène, all showed expressions of "still wanting more." Especially Marinette, looking at the white butterfly flying away, she actually felt a slight impulse. She also wanted to try, to know how Hawk Moth would comment on her troubles of "always messing things up." But now, there was no chance.
"Alright! The farce ends here!" Caline let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like she had accomplished a great feat. She clapped her hands, restoring her teacher's authority. "Now, everyone, class starts!"
…Although class began, the students' minds had clearly drifted far away. As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Alya immediately became the new center of attention.
"Video! The video is here!" She held her phone high, the screen displaying her "masterpiece" swiftly edited during class time— "Live! Hawk Moth's Epic Fail Caught on Camera."
She had edited together clips of Kim, Rose, Chloé, and others before and after their Akumatization, but it was missing the most crucial part—Hawk Moth's voice.
"No, it's not impactful enough without the voice!" Alya waved her hand. "We need voice acting! Repeat everything that big bad guy said in your heads at the time! We need to let all of Paris know how stupid he is!"
This proposal was immediately met with everyone's enthusiastic response.
"Me, me! He said I was the 'invincible warlord'!" Kim was the first to rush forward.
"And me! 'Sad Princess'!" Rose also raised her hand.
When it was Jaden's turn, Alya handed him her phone: "Jaden, you were the first, and most crucial! The name Hawk Moth was exposed through you! Come on, do the voice-over!"
Jaden took the phone, looking at his own struggling face on the screen, his eyes flickered. He cleared his throat, deliberately lowered his voice, and slowly read in a magnetic, authoritative, yet subtly seductive tone: "Hello, I am Hawk Moth, ah… I sense… a lonely soul that does not belong to this world… You, a hypocritical wanderer abandoned by the world…"
As his voice came out, the entire room fell silent. The girls, especially Julie and Rose, felt their hearts pound and their faces flush.
"Wow… Jaden," Alya's mouth hung open in surprise. "You… you could be a voice actor for villains! That voice… it's so captivating!"
Jaden just smiled and handed her back the phone. He instructed Alya to accurately edit in everything he had heard about the "Soul Wanderer" and Hawk Moth's purpose.
Next, others took turns doing voice-overs. When it was Chloé's turn, a dramatic scene unfolded once again.
"He said I was the 'Miraculous Queen'," Chloé said, arms crossed, in a haughty tone as if reciting an imperial decree. "He said my radiance would illuminate the world, my nobility would make all bow before me, my mother would return from New York just to see me, and I would become the undisputed, true Queen!"
She finished, looking smug.
But the surrounding classmates looked at her with an expression that said, "Are you bragging?"
"No way, Chloé?" Alya was the first to express doubt. "That's too… too perfect, isn't it? It sounds like you made it up yourself. Would Hawk Moth be that nice to you?"
"Exactly," Marinette rarely chimed in. "He wasn't that polite to me… uh… to Jaden and Kim."
"What do you mean?! How dare you doubt me?!" Chloé's fur bristled instantly. "Hawk Moth said exactly that! Not a single word less!"
"I believe it!" Kim immediately stood up. "Chloé is so beautiful and noble, Hawk Moth would definitely use the best words to flatter her!"
Sabrina also nodded frantically from the side: "Chloé is telling the truth!"
"Alya," Chloé pointed at her commandingly, "You must be factual! Add my words in, word for word! Of course…" Her eyes flickered. "About my mother… you don't need to be so specific." She still didn't want to fully expose her most vulnerable side to the public.
Alya looked at Chloé's undeniable demeanor, then at the others, and could only shrug, modifying the video according to her request. After finishing the modifications, she immediately clicked the "Publish" button, uploading this video, which was destined to go viral, to her "miraculous Blog."
"Oh, by the way, Chloé," Jaden walked over at this moment and said to her, "To increase the video's credibility and prevent it from being seen as a prank, I think you need to do a small favor."
"What favor?" Chloé raised an eyebrow.
"Have your father, the Mayor of Paris, officially verify or share the authenticity of this video," Jaden said calmly.
"Oh, small problem." Chloé waved her hand dismissively, immediately pulled out her phone, and dialed her father's number.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"Hello? My little darling Chloé! Missed Daddy?" Mayor Bourgeois's doting, saccharine voice came from the other end of the line.
"Dad, I need you to do something for me…" Chloé briefly explained the situation.
"No problem! Of course, no problem! Whatever my precious daughter says goes! Daddy will have the secretariat handle it right away! You are truly Daddy's pride!"
After hanging up, Chloé lifted her chin at Jaden, as if to say, "See? It's that simple."
…School finally ended. The sky had, at some point, begun to drizzle. The fine rain, carrying the chill of autumn, enveloped the city of Paris in a hazy, romantic yet somewhat melancholic veil.
Students, two by two, held umbrellas, said their goodbyes, and disappeared into the rain.
Marinette stood under the eaves of the school gate, looking at the rain outside with some worry. The weather had been clear when she left home this morning, so she hadn't brought an umbrella. The rain wasn't heavy, but she would definitely get wet walking home.
Just as she was hesitating whether to brave the rain and run home, a black umbrella suddenly appeared in her line of sight.
She looked up and saw the familiar face that made her heart race.
It was Jaden.
He stood quietly in front of her, holding another umbrella, and handed her the clean black umbrella in his hand.
"Looks like you didn't bring an umbrella." His voice, amidst the patter of rain, sounded exceptionally clear and gentle.
Marinette froze. She looked at Jaden, at the umbrella he offered, and for a moment forgot how to react.
"You… you…" she stammered, unsure what to say.
"You were very brave today, Marinette," Jaden said with a smile. "Whether it was capturing the butterfly again or standing up to the teacher. You did very well."
Upon receiving his praise, a blush instantly crept onto Marinette's cheeks. She lowered her head and whispered, "No… compared to you, I'm far behind. You… you are the most reliable."
She gathered her courage, looked up, and earnestly met his eyes: "Whether it was saving Alya yesterday, coming up with a solution to help everyone, or later comforting Mylène… and today, again, you saved Mylène, and in such a dangerous situation… you were so calm, so reliable…" "Reliable?" Jaden's eyes flickered with a complex, indescribable emotion. "But I… I almost got dark transformed, didn't I?"
His tone revealed no particular reaction, but that faint self-mockery suddenly twisted Marinette's heart. She suddenly felt that this seemingly omnipotent young man also had an unknown, vulnerable side. This feeling made her want to comfort him, to get closer to him.
"That… that's because Hawk Moth is too cunning!" she quickly defended. "It's not your fault!"
Jaden looked at her sincere and anxious expression and couldn't help but smile. He didn't continue the topic, only extended the umbrella further. "Take it. Go home early, don't catch a cold."
He opened the other umbrella in his hand, held it over his head, and waved to Marinette.
"See you tomorrow."
With that, he turned, holding his umbrella, and slowly walked into the hazy rain, his silhouette tall and composed.
"Looks like… someone's shy, huh?"
A tiny, teasing voice came from her satchel. It was Tikki.
Marinette instantly snapped back to reality, her face burning even more fiercely. "Who… who's shy?!" she retorted in a fluster, her voice changing pitch. "I just… I just think… he really is… quite reliable…"
Then Marinette stood blankly in place, tightly clutching the umbrella that still carried Jaden's warmth. Raindrops tapped on the umbrella surface, making a "tap-tap" sound, as if also tapping on her heart.
"Oh? Just reliable?"
Another teasing voice suddenly came from beside her.
Marinette jumped, sharply turning her head, only to see Alya, holding a colorful umbrella, standing beside her with a mischievous expression, as if to say…