Seeing those gazes, mixed with dissatisfaction, doubt, and gossip,
Shining on Nino like spotlights, making his already irritated face, due to the unsuccessful filming, flush red, Jaden stepped forward.
"Everyone, don't look at Nino like that,"
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly eased the tense atmosphere in the classroom.
"Actually, intimate scenes like this, arranged to advance the plot, are very common in most movies and TV shows. It's just a requirement for professional artistic creation, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes, Jaden is right!"
Nino, as if granted a great pardon, quickly agreed as if grasping at a life raft, "That's right! It's purely for art! Art!"
With Jaden, the most popular male lead in the class, vouching for him, the girls' scrutinizing gazes finally softened a bit.
Although they still felt a little uncomfortable, they couldn't pursue the matter further.
"However,"
Jaden changed the subject, looked at Nino, and said seriously, "If we temporarily change roles now, it would probably require more time for coordination.
Moreover, all the scenes Mylène has already filmed might need to be reshot to ensure character continuity.
Time… I'm afraid it's really not enough."
His analysis was well-reasoned, making everyone fall into contemplation.
"Not enough time?"
Chloé, however, chuckled dismissively. She walked up to Jaden, almost pressing against him, and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Wouldn't it be fine to just ask the film festival committee for a slight postponement?
I believe if my father steps in, this small matter can be handled.
After all, who knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first?
We should seize every opportunity to make our work more perfect, shouldn't we?"
Her words were tantamount to directly announcing that if she took the stage, she could resolve all time-related issues.
"In that case, why not let Mylène continue?"
Marinette retorted indignantly, "Since time can be extended, Mylène should be given more time to adjust!"
Chloé's gaze finally moved from Jaden and landed on Marinette.
Her eyes held a hint of undisguised malice and contempt, as if she were looking at a naive and troublesome fool.
"Alright, alright,"
Jaden stepped forward again, gently calming everyone, "Everyone, please calm down first.
I think the most urgent task right now isn't to argue about changing people, but to find Mylène first and ask for her thoughts."
With that, he didn't give Chloé or Marinette any more chances to argue, turning directly and pulling his two most trusted companions—Marc and Nathan.
"Marc, Nathan, let's go."
The three nodded in understanding and quickly left the classroom with its strange atmosphere.
Watching Jaden's retreating figure, Chloé's triumphant expression slowly froze, eventually turning into a gloomy dissatisfaction.
She slowly sat back in her seat, radiating a low pressure that screamed "do not approach."
Why? Why is it always like this?
Her heart was churning with immense grievance and unwillingness.
She was clearly the "first" to notice him, the "first" to show him favor.
She had clearly made many changes for him—she tried not to be so harsh, tried to "understand" others, and even condescended to actively request to participate in this kind of student short film that she used to disdain.
But why, every time she approached him, did he always use this gentle and distant way, finding various excuses to decline and gently push her away?
He was so good and gentle to everyone, taking care of everyone's emotions, but this gentleness, like sunlight, shone on everyone, yet it didn't linger on her for an extra second.
She didn't want this fair sunlight; she wanted unique focus, belonging only to her.
Sabrina saw Chloé's troubled expression and wanted to go over and say a few comforting words, but seeing her gloomy, almost dripping expression, she was a little scared and didn't know how to start.
Lila, on the side, a glint flashed in her eyes. She stood up and said with a smile to everyone, "Ah, I'm going to the restroom."
Then, she quietly walked out of the classroom as well.
"Alya, you think… Mylène won't be in trouble, will she?"
Marinette asked worriedly, looking at the empty doorway.
"Don't worry,"
Alya patted her shoulder, confidently saying, "With Jaden on the case, what could go wrong? Maybe when they come back, Mylène will be lively again."
On the other side, in the corridor outside the classroom, Nino, Adrien, Max, and Kim were also gathered.
"Sigh,"
Kim scratched his head, looking at the plush headpiece in his hand, "This thing… is it really that scary? I think it's quite cute, actually. I really don't understand why Mylène would be so afraid."
"Was I… a bit too harsh on her just now?"
Nino leaned against the wall, a hint of regret on his face. Although he was anxious, he didn't want to hurt a timid girl because of it.
"From a director's perspective, your attitude was not wrong; urging progress is your responsibility."
Max said in his unique tone, "But the problem is, Mylène's personality is just like that.
Her fear threshold is much lower than ordinary people's; it's a psychological trait that cannot be easily overcome by willpower."
"Nino's filming can be like that sometimes,"
Adrien said with a smile, trying to ease Nino's guilt, "Not to mention amateur actors; even famous professional actors,
Often have to redo (NG) a segment dozens or hundreds of times because they can't get it right.
So your attitude is actually quite normal.
Besides, Jaden has already gone to find her, so it should be nothing serious.
As for the filming time…"
He thought for a moment and suggested, "Later, I'll go with you to talk to the principal and see if we can extend the classroom usage time a bit. It should be fine."
Hearing Adrien say this, half of the weight in Nino's heart was lifted.
He nodded, "Sigh, that's all we can do. I hope… Mylène won't have any issues with me because of this in the future."
He didn't want any rift to form between him and his friends because of a short film.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom, Kagami observed the entire situation with cold eyes. In her clear, cold gaze, there was no sympathy, only an almost disgusted impatience.
In her opinion, this whole matter was Mylène's problem from beginning to end.
Fear is a sign of weakness, and wasting everyone's time due to one's own weakness is unforgivable.
If it were her old personality, she might have already reprimanded them.
However, she didn't.
Since the last incident where she underwent Akumatization into Riposte, her mother's attitude towards her had subtly changed.
She no longer forced her to attend endless tutoring classes but allowed her to "attend school in peace," and even permitted her to arrange her after-school time according to a normal schedule.
Although Kagami didn't know why her mother suddenly became so "open-minded," she was happy to have more time at school to observe this place full of "variables."
What she didn't know was that behind Mrs. Tsurugi's actions was a deeper suspicion of Gabriel.
Mrs. Tsurugi felt that Gabriel must be hiding something even more important from her.
Jaden, Marc, and Nathan searched the teaching building separately, from the library to the art room, but found no trace of Mylène.
The three reunited at the end of the corridor.
"We've searched the entire teaching building, nothing," Marc said.
Nathan guessed, "Could she be… in the restroom? Girls often like to hide there when they're sad."
"Possibly."
Jaden nodded.
But that place was clearly not convenient for the three boys to enter.
"Let's go back to the classroom first."
As the three of them returned to the classroom, Lila also happened to walk in from outside.
"How was it? Did you find her?" Alya immediately asked.
Jaden shook his head.
"We searched everywhere, but didn't see Mylène."
Everyone's gaze turned in unison to Lila, who had just returned.
"Lila, what about you? Did you see Mylène when you went to the restroom?"
Marinette asked expectantly.
Lila's face showed a naive and innocent expression. She shook her head, her voice sweet, "No, there was no one in the restroom. I didn't see Mylène."
Everyone was immediately puzzled.
The campus was only so big, and with Mylène's timid personality, she couldn't have run out of campus alone.
So where could she be hiding?
Just as everyone was chattering about various possibilities, Jaden's gaze met Lila's in the air.
He saw a faint, almost imperceptible smile curving Lila's lips.
And when she noticed Jaden looking at her, she immediately put on a concerned expression and gave him a sweet smile, as if to say, "I'm worried too."
A realization dawned on Jaden.
He subtly stood up and said to Lila in a gentle tone, "Lila, could you come out for a moment? There are some things I'd like to ask you privately."
"Okay." Lila readily accepted, obediently following him.
Jaden led her to a relatively secluded stairwell outside the classroom.
He turned around, his dark eyes calmly watching her, and asked directly, "Lila, did you really… not see Mylène in the restroom?"
"Of course not."
Lila's performance was perfect; her face showed a wronged expression, as if misunderstood, "Jaden, why would you think that?
Do you think I would lie? I said I would never lie to my friends.
Don't you believe me?"
Her tearful appearance was enough to make any man feel guilty.
Jaden was about to say something when his body suddenly froze for a moment.
No way… Mylène, undergoing Akumatization?
He immediately realized.
Mylène would indeed feel guilty because of her timidity, eventually being transformed by a Hawk Moth into a "Fear Monster."
Lila saw him suddenly stunned, and a triumphant smile flashed deep within her seemingly innocent green eyes.
Of course, she saw Mylène.
She saw Mylène, hugging her knees and quietly sobbing, in the restroom stall.
She didn't open the door, but through the door, she said to the girl inside in her gentlest, most sympathetic tone:
"Mylène, this isn't your fault. Everyone makes mistakes. Don't blame yourself; we all understand you."
Her words were as soft as feathers, yet like the sharpest needles, pricking Mylène's already fragile heart one by one.
"It's not your fault," "everyone understands"—these words sounded like comfort, but in reality, they were constantly reminding her: it's you who dragged everyone down.
Mylène, hiding in the stall, cried even more sadly.
She felt like she had disappointed everyone. But to keep Lila outside from worrying, she still held back her sobs and choked out, "I… I'm fine… Thank you, Lila."
She even specifically asked Lila not to tell anyone that she was hiding there.
And Lila, smiling, promised in her sweetest voice, "Okay, no problem. I promise not to tell anyone that 'I saw you in the restroom'."
So, she didn't lie at all. She merely kept her promise.
How could keeping a promise to someone be considered deception?
As for whether this promise would lead to serious consequences, that was not her concern.
Just like that Sunday, she merely "accidentally" told Alya about seeing Jaden and Rose on a date.
Otherwise, how would Alya have known?
Everything she was doing now was for one purpose: to intensify Mylène's negative emotions, allowing that strong self-blame and unwillingness to become the perfect breeding ground, luring that hungry butterfly.
In the last stall of the girls' restroom.
Mylène was still hugging her knees, quietly crying. "Why… why can't I do it… why am I always so timid…"
She blamed herself over and over again.
Just then, an Akuma Butterfly flew in from the vent.
It circled once, then flew straight to the button on Mylène's patterned headscarf and quickly merged into it.
Before Mylène's eyes appeared a butterfly mask made of purple light and shadow.
A deep, seductive voice echoed in her mind.
"Fear Monster, I am Hawk Moth. Are you suffering because of your timidity? Are you tired of always hiding behind others?"
"Eagle… Hawk Moth? Isn't it… Hawk Moth?" Mylène looked up doubtfully, her eyes teary.
"What does it matter?"
The voice coaxed,
"You are afraid and scared now, it's okay. I can, like Hawk Moth, grant you the power to make others taste fear too. Let those who once disappointed you also experience what true fear is!"
A hint of struggle flashed in Mylène's eyes.
"And what I want is very simple…"
The shadows completely swallowed the small figure.
Meanwhile, in the corridor.
Jaden looked at Lila's innocent face and her eyes sparkling with cunning, and he withdrew all his questions.
He knew that arguing with her about these things now was meaningless.