Macarons

[Marinette's Room]

"Is this a good blog... or maybe this one? No, no, this one isn't good enough," Alya murmurs, frantically scrolling through her blogs and videos, searching for the best ones to show the recruiter.

"Alya..." Marinette tries, hoping to get her attention.

"Ah! THIS is the one!" Alya exclaims as she finds one that finally seems perfect.

"Alya," Marinette repeats, a little louder, but still unsuccessfully.

"WHY DIDN'T I SEPARATE THEM EARLIER?!" Alya screams, desperate.

"ALYA!" Marinette yells, losing her patience.

"WHAT?!" Alya responds, agitated, turning toward her.

Marinette places a hand on Alya's phone and gently lowers it. "I know this is important, but we need to talk about Nino."

Alya sighs, clearly uncomfortable. "I don't know if I can deceive Nino like this," she admits, a trace of guilt in her voice.

"Doubting now won't help. Think of this as not really a lie," Marinette replies, trying to make Alya understand that hiding the truth is the best thing for everyone.

It's crucial to keep Alya's identity a secret. After all, she was discovered once, and most likely, everyone thinks she has no connection to Ladybug anymore. If the information leaked, both Alya and Marinette — and their families — would be in serious danger.

[Dupain-Cheng Bakery]

As Marinette continues trying to convince Alya that lying is the best option, a sleek Rolls-Royce Phantom V softly stops in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. A young man calmly steps out of the car, adjusting his impeccable suit. With determined steps, he heads towards the entrance as the vehicle drives away.

[Image]

Upon entering, a small bell rings with a soft "ding," announcing his arrival. Tom Dupain and his wife, Sabine Cheng, look up, surprised by the clean, professional appearance of the newcomer.

Sabine, always friendly, offers a smile. "Good day, how can we help you today?"

Before responding, Aiden's expression completely changes. From serious and professional, he shifts to a friendly smile, his demeanor more relaxed. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Aiden, I'm a representative for Green Couture." With a smooth gesture, he hands them his business cards. Tom and Sabine take them, clearly interested, with a hint of surprise. Green Couture is a well-known brand, and Sabine, without thinking much, comments with curiosity.

"Aren't you a little young to be a representative?" she asks, accompanied by a curious smile.

Aiden nods, not losing his confidence. "I am, but I'm good at what I do, and they've entrusted me with this responsibility. I'm here to speak with Alya Césaire. Is it true that she's here right now?"

Tom nods in response, though his expression changes slightly, becoming more protective. "Yes, but... may we know why you're looking for her?"

Aiden, noticing the unease in the question, nods again, fully understanding their concerns. "This morning, she was offered a sponsorship under evaluation. I'm here to discuss the details with her."

Tom blinks, clearly surprised. "This morning? That was quick."

Aiden smiles, his tone relaxed. "It's part of my job. I'm always where I'm needed."

Tom nods, though he still seems thoughtful. "Alright," he says finally, glancing toward the stairs. "Let me go get Alya."

"It'll just be a moment," Tom replies before beginning to climb the stairs, giving Aiden one last glance.

[Marinette's Room]

Meanwhile, in Marinette's room, the conversation about keeping their identities a secret continues. Alya sighs, looking at her hands with clear worry.

"Ah... I don't know, Marinette," she says, her voice laced with doubt. "This feels wrong. Like I'm betraying Nino," she admits, guilt in her voice.

Alya nods, uneasy. "You don't lie to a boyfriend. If Nino finds out I'm lying to him, he'll stop trusting me."

Marinette approaches her, speaking softly to calm her down. "Alya, I understand. I hid the truth from my best friend for a long time. I know how hard it is, but sometimes... it's just what needs to be done."

At that exact moment, the hatch connecting Marinette's room to the ground floor suddenly opens, and Tom's head appears through the hole. "Hey! Girls, there's a young man waiting downstairs—"

Before Tom can finish the sentence, Marinette quickly interrupts him. "Sorry, Dad, but we're busy with homework," she says, gently pushing him back to close the hatch.

"Wait, Marinette, this is important—" Tom tries to say, but his voice fades as the door closes behind him.

Marinette sighs and, relieved, leans against the wall. "See? I'm still lying to my family," she says with a melancholic tone. "I've had to keep this distance all this time, but... I have no choice. We have to protect our secrets."

"And besides," Marinette adds with a slight smile, "it doesn't make sense to turn back now that we've started. As long as Nino doesn't find out, it won't hurt him."

[N/A: Important words for later]

[Dupain-Cheng Bakery]

Tom returns to the room and finds Sabine chatting animatedly with Aiden; they seem to be getting along well. Sabine, noticing Tom's arrival, watches him with a curious look and, seeing his nervous expression, gives him a discreet signal to follow her to the kitchen.

Sabine quickly excuses herself from Aiden and hurries toward the kitchen. "What happened? Where are the girls?!" she whispers, frowning, trying to keep her anger under control.

A drop of sweat runs down Tom's forehead as he struggles to find the right words. "I... I was kicked out!" he responds, a bit embarrassed by the situation.

Sabine looks at him, clearly concerned. "Now what do we do? We can't tell him to wait, this sponsorship seems important. The girls can't take too long to come down..."

"Hmm..." Tom becomes thoughtful, trying to come up with a quick solution. "What if we distract him?" he suggests with a nervous smile.

Sabine looks at him incredulously. "How?" she responds, clearly confused, not knowing how they could distract Aiden without seeming rude by making him wait.

"Everything okay?" Aiden asks, approaching the kitchen, curious about the tension in the air.

"Oh, yes," Tom replies quickly, coughing lightly to clear his throat. "About Alya, she'll be down in a moment. But... I was wondering if you'd be interested in seeing how the kitchen works, how we do the baking."

Sabine looks at him intently, with an expression that clearly says, "Are you serious?" She's not sure how well this plan is going to work.

Aiden, however, seems to have no doubts at all. "That would be... fantastic!" he exclaims, letting out a light laugh, clearly amused by the proposal.

Aiden takes off his jacket, puts on an apron and a chef's hat. "Actually, I'm a baker too," he says, pulling out a certificate and proudly showing it to Tom and Sabine. "What do you think if we go to the back and make some macarons?" he suggests, walking eagerly toward the kitchen.

Tom stays behind, smiling conspiratorially and raising his eyebrows, clearly celebrating his success. Sabine rolls her eyes and sighs, but keeps smiling. Calmly, she turns around and follows Aiden into the kitchen, as if nothing unusual had happened.

[Two Hours Later]

Marinette and Alya walk down the stairs. Alya had planned to go home, but the laughter coming from the kitchen catches Marinette's attention. Curious, she gestures for her friend to check it out. Together, they approach, and as they peek into the kitchen, Marinette is surprised to see someone she doesn't recognize.

"These macarons are perfect!" Tom exclaims with a proud smile as he looks at the tray full of small pastries. He turns to Aiden, his face glowing with satisfaction. "You've got a real knack for this, huh?"

The conversation is interrupted by Marinette, who, not knowing what else to do, decides to speak up. "Hello?" The word comes out with a slightly confused tone, and both men turn to look at her.

"Hello, Marinette!" Tom responds enthusiastically, holding up the tray of macarons. "You've got to try one," he says cheerfully, offering her the tray.

Marinette, though tempted by the macarons, has an important question. "Who is he?" she asks, looking at the stranger with curiosity.

Tom, remembering the reason for Aiden's visit, quickly responds: "Oh, this is Aiden. He came from Green Couture to talk to Alya."

"WHAT?! How long has he been here?!" Marinette exclaims, almost in shock.

"Well... about two hours? Maybe a little longer," Tom replies, scratching his head, clearly uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you call us?!" Marinette asks, more upset than ever.

"Well, you were busy, and we got distracted baking," Tom justifies, scratching his head, a bit embarrassed.

Marinette, still eyeing Aiden, notices his appearance: a flawless suit, as expected from someone of high class, but with a hairnet and a kitchen apron. "Did you put that on to work?!"

"Yes!" Tom answers enthusiastically, unaware of his daughter's discomfort. "And he's really good."

Marinette slaps her face, clearly embarrassed, while Alya, for her part, thinks: "Well, this is the end... goodbye sponsorship, goodbye journalism career. It was good while it lasted."

Aiden, noticing the tension in the air, decides to intervene to calm the girls down. "Relax, everything's fine. It was my idea, I got a little carried away, that's all," he says as he takes off the hairnet and apron. He calmly wipes his hands, regaining his usual, more professional posture. Then, with a slight bow of his head, he takes both girls' hands and, with a courteous gesture, kisses them, causing a slight blush on their faces.

"How about we talk while we try some freshly made macarons?" Aiden suggests, smiling as he points to the tray he just pulled out of the oven.

The girls, seeing his relaxed and confident attitude, feel a little more at ease. Alya nods, but before continuing, she glances at Marinette, seeking her support. "Do you think Marinette can join us too?" she asks, hoping to have her by her side as a source of confidence.

Aiden nods with a smile. "Of course, no problem," he responds, and together they head to the front of the bakery, where they sit at a table with the tray of macarons. Meanwhile, Marinette's parents decide to step away, giving them some privacy.

Alya looks nervous, and Marinette is too, but to a lesser extent, as she's not the one being evaluated. "So..." Alya tries to start the conversation but is interrupted by the sound of her phone: "Brrr!" it vibrates, announcing an incoming call. Alya quickly declines the call and sighs in frustration.

"Sorry... Has the evaluation already started? This is going to cost me points," Alya murmurs nervously. She didn't have time to prepare and feels like if they evaluate her right now, she'll definitely fail.

Aiden, with a calm tone, replies: "Don't worry, the evaluation is in a few days," trying to reassure her. His relaxed tone seems to work, and Alya finally exhales, not realizing she'd been holding her breath.

"So, why are you here then?" Marinette asks, somewhat confused.

Aiden scratches his head with a slight smile. "My presence here is more of a favor," he says, looking at Alya. "I'm here to give you some advice, help with your preparation, those kinds of things," he adds, trying to ease some of the tension.

"It's not as bad as it seems. Getting Nannyra's attention is already half the battle."

"Does she have to answer some questions or something?" Marinette asks, somewhat confused.

"No," Aiden replies with a smile. "It's more about Alya showcasing her strengths and the content she has."

Alya, feeling a bit insecure, asks, "What if I don't have good content?" Recalling all the hours she spent unable to decide which of her videos were the best, she feels a little discouraged.

Aiden, incredulous, looks at her. "What are you talking about?" he says, as he begins to pull a folder from his suit. "You have excellent content." He opens the folder and starts reading aloud: "Exclusive interviews with Ladybug and Cat Noir."

Alya touches her head, confused. "They're not that special," she says with a nervous laugh. "They've already given interviews to others."

"Yes," Aiden says, nodding. "They gave one interview to a local station, and it didn't go very well." Aiden shows them some clippings documenting the failure of that interview, which ended with a villain's attack. "Besides," he continues, "Also, what is a failed interview compared to, if I'm not mistaken, the four you have on your blogs?"

"Also, look at this," Aiden says, passing her several photos, all taken from Alya's blog. "You have amazing material," he comments with admiration. "Incredible photos, none of them blurry like most cameramen's shots."

By this point, Marinette starts to sweat a little, feeling the pressure of the situation.

"Look at this quality," Aiden says, excited. "And look at these angles. It's like you were actually there during the fights." Aiden keeps pointing with enthusiasm, each photo more impressive than the last. "Look at this one!" he exclaims, handing her a photo. "How did you get Rena Rouge to take a selfie for you?"

Alya becomes even more nervous, not out of fear of them discovering her identity, but from the feeling of Marinette's gaze fixed on her.

"I-I got lucky," Alya responds, nervously, as she begins picking up all the photos on the table, almost as if trying to distance herself from them. "I don't think Ladybug will let me interview them again, will she?" she asks, turning her head towards Marinette.

"I don't think so, Alya," Marinette responds thoughtfully. "Something tells me Ladybug is going to stay off-camera for a while."

Alya lowers her head when she hears those words.

[N/A: Alya is applying the Peter Parker way.]

"It doesn't matter right now whether you can get more exclusives from Paris' heroes," Aiden says with a calm smile. "What matters is that you already have this content, and you can use it for your presentation."

"Thanks for giving me time to prepare," Alya responds, visibly relieved and grateful.

Aiden nods, relaxed. "No problem. Also, it's better to keep all of this as discreet as possible."

At that moment, Alya's phone vibrates again, but she quickly rejects the call to continue paying attention to what Aiden is saying. "What do you mean?" she asks, somewhat intrigued.

Aiden takes a breath. "I mean it would be ideal for as few people as possible to know that I'm here," he clarifies, with a calm yet serious tone.

Marinette, hearing this, immediately apologizes, somewhat embarrassed. "I didn't mean to… I didn't want to intrude if this is so private."

Aiden gives her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, Marinette, it's fine. You're her best friend, there's no problem. But it's better if no one else knows." Then he turns to Alya, taking on a firmer tone, though still cordial: "It's important to keep my identity secret from anyone outside. Your family, Marinette, and her parents, who already know me, are fine, but no one else, understood?"

Alya nods confidently. "No problem, I'm great at keeping secrets."

Marinette, unable to help herself, rolls her eyes, remembering that just hours ago, Alya couldn't keep her superhero identity secret from Nino.

The conversation continues casually, with both girls asking Aiden more questions. However, suddenly, Alya's phone rings again, interrupting the conversation and starting to annoy her. "Brrr!" the phone rings, and Alya looks at it with frustration before quickly rejecting the call.

Marinette, noticing how upset her friend is, decides to intervene to ease the tension. She picks up a macaron and takes a bite with a big smile. "These are really amazing!" she says, trying to distract attention from Alya's phone interruptions.

"How are you such a good baker?" Marinette asks, genuinely interested in the subject.

Aiden smiles with pride, pulls out his wallet, and begins showing them several cards. "To be a recruiter, you have to be good at many things," he responds, showing a pastry certification card.

Marinette, curious, looks at the other cards on the table. "Can I...?" she asks, pointing to the other certificates.

Aiden nods with a smile. "Sure, take a look."

Marinette and Alya take the cards, surprised by the variety of certifications. From pastry to programming, Aiden's list of skills is impressive, giving them the perfect topic to continue the conversation. The talk flows smoothly and without rush, until it's finally time to say goodbye.

Once everything is ready, Alya and Aiden prepare to leave. After a final farewell with Marinette and her parents, they exit the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

They walk through the streets for a while, chatting casually, until Alya's phone rings again with a vibrating "Brrr!" that breaks the calm.

"Oh, THIS CAN'T BE!!!" Alya exclaims, now visibly angry. "Ugh!" she grumbles, clearly frustrated. She looks at the screen and sees that it's Nino, for the seventh time.

Aiden, with a light smile, points at Alya's phone. "I suggest you turn it off when you're being evaluated," he comments in a relaxed tone.

"Yeah, sorry," Alya says, quickly putting the phone away. "I thought it might be an emergency."

Aiden watches her closely, noticing her discomfort, and asks softly: "Everything okay?"

Alya sighs, putting her phone in her bag and responds, a little calmer: "Yeah, nothing important."

"Trying to ease the tension of the moment, Alya decides to ask, 'Hey, would you mind if I interview you?' Her tone shifts to that of a determined journalist, ready to get a great story. For her, interviewing Aiden would be a golden opportunity for her blog.

Aiden raises an eyebrow, visibly intrigued. Alya, aware that her proposal might sound a bit unexpected, quickly adds, 'I won't publish anything now! Only after you leave, and I promise not to cause you any trouble.'"

Aiden smiles and nods. "If you promise, then it's fine."

"Great!" Alya exclaims, pulling out her recorder with enthusiasm. But just as she's about to start, her phone vibrates insistently. "Ahhh!" she exclaims in frustration, grabbing the phone as if she intends to throw it into the nearby river.

Aiden laughs softly and stops her. "Seems like it's not the best time for an interview."

"No, no, it's fine," Alya quickly responds, turning off the phone while letting out a nervous laugh. "This doesn't usually happen to me."

"Relax," Aiden interrupts. "Is it someone important?"

"No, just... personal stuff," Alya responds, dodging the question.

Aiden nods in understanding. "Alright, you don't have to tell me. But it seems like you have things to take care of... How about we schedule the interview for another time? Does that sound good?"

Alya lowers her phone and smiles, relieved. "That would be great," she says with a sigh. She has a lot on her mind that needs sorting first.

Aiden walks with her for a bit until they finally say goodbye. Alya heads to Nino's house; it's time to put an end to the dilemma of her secret identity.

-/-

Author's note: The next chapter should start to have some action, if I'm not mistaken. Leave a comment, I like reading them... or a review, those would be better.