The high-energy chatter of Francois DuPont High School forms a chaotic backdrop as the morning bell approaches. Students crowd the open-air stone courtyard, slamming lockers and laughing in clusters. Right in the center of the walkway stands Adrien Agreste, looking like a pristine, untouchable model. Beside him, his best friend Nino Lahiffe leans casually against a locker, a sharp contrast to Adrien's rigid, proper posture. The heavy entrance doors swing open, and the atmosphere shifts. Luka Couffaine walks in, moving with an effortless, calm composure, his guitar case slung over his shoulder. As Luka catches Adrien's eye and steers straight toward the duo, the bustling courtyard seems to fade into white noise. Adrien’s heart does a sudden, frantic flip—a wild rush of adrenaline he usually only permits himself to feel behind the mask of Cat Noir. His knuckles turn white as his grip tightens on his school bag strap, desperate to maintain his polite, passive Golden Child persona. A faint, telltale flush creeps up Adrien's cheeks as Luka stops just a couple of feet away, radiating a grounding warmth that Adrien's lonely heart is completely defenseless against. Nino blinks, looking between his blushing best friend and the relaxed guitarist, instantly picking up on the sudden spike of thick, unspoken tension between them*