The next day, halfway through period 2, there was an akuma alert. 

"Darn!" Ms Bustier placed the chalk down on the board. "Everyone, for your safety, please go directly home!" The teacher ordered, and everyone gladly obeyed.

Everyone except Marinette and Adrien, that is.

As the other students were heading for the class door, Marinette ended up next to Adrien.
The blonde boy spoke to her. "Thanks again for the pendant, Marinette. It means a lot to me." He smiled at her, but then he ran ahead.

Marinette decided she could fangirl later. Right now, time to save Paris.

She ran into the girls bathroom and, seeing nobody there, said the  words:

"Tikki, spots on!"

~

Turns out the akuma had been in the victim's hairband . 

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat Noir fist-bumped each other, celebrating another job well done.

Chat's ring beeped, reminding him time was nearly up. "Whoops, gotta go. Till next time, M'lady!" He leant down to kiss her hand, and Ladybug shoved him away.

"You're such a flirt," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I try my best," Chat winked, then leant down to pick up the now normal-victim, Delphine, who had transferred from a school across the city to College Dupont, and turned around.

The opposing heroine gasped at what she saw.

Hanging out of his back pocket was a ladybug pendant.

"Chat!" She called.

The cat hero turned around, glancing confusedly at his ring and the woozy girl in his arms.

Ladybug pointed to the pendant in his pocket. "Where – that, where did you get that?"

Chat Noir chuckled. "I thought you didn't want to know anything about me, M'lady," he grinned. "But if you must know, a close friend gave it to me. For a New Years' Gift."

His ring started beeping more furiously, and Ladybug's earrings beeped alongside.

"It was a pleasure, M'lady, but now I really have to go!"

Ladybug stared after Chat Noir bounding away, watching him leap from rooftop to rooftop before disappearing. 

Her earrings beeped, the noise snapping her awake again. She looked around, making sure nobody was watching, before running behind the roof's chimney.

She allowed her transformation to drain, her suit burning off in red light. Her kwami was expelled from her earrings, floating.

"Tikki?" Marinette asked weakly, staring into space.

The Kwami's eyes widened. "Marinette, don't –"

"Adrien is Chat Noir."