The First Day of School (Seeking Collection, Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Chapter 23: First Day of School... (Please Collect, Please Follow)

A few days later, New York Midtown School.

As the break ended, the once-quiet campus began to buzz with activity this morning.

"Hey, Peter."

"Wow, how'd you get so tall over break?"

"Guess I hit a growth spurt..."

Walking through the familiar halls, only a few classmates he knew greeted him, quickly surprised that just one vacation had made Peter shoot up noticeably.

Weaving past the crowded clusters and a couple of pairs who hadn't seen each other all break and were already eagerly locking lips, Peter finally reached his locker.

"Huh, another boring prank."

Opening the locker, he saw two dead rats inside, his mind utterly unruffled.

The next moment, he used the locker door to hide his eyes, which had started glowing red.

"Huh? Why isn't that coward reacting?"

Not far off, the two pranksters were watching Peter's response.

But the reaction they'd expected—Peter screaming and stumbling back—never came.

And his calm demeanor made it seem like he hadn't even noticed their handiwork.

"Hey, did you actually put that stuff in there?"

"Yeah, I did, boss."

"Then why's he not reacting?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's gotten used to it and braver now."

"Let's go check it out."

Seeing Peter walk off unfazed, the two went over, skeptical.

"Fuck, you said you put it in? Look, where is it?"

Sneaking a peek into Peter's locker, they found nothing but personal items—no trace of their masterpiece.

"But I swear I put it on the bottom shelf. How's it gone?"

The scolded lackey felt confused and wronged.

To prove his innocence, he couldn't help sticking his hand into the locker to feel around.

"Ahhh... it's burning!"

The next moment, a sudden scream drew every student's attention.

His hand, which had reached into the locker, yanked back as if touching an electric socket, but even so, it was already blistered from the heat.

"They brought that on themselves."

Hearing the scream and classmates' laughter behind him, Peter sighed silently and walked into the classroom.

Entering the classroom, Peter followed his memory to his seat and sat down.

"Too bad, this spot doesn't seem to get any sun."

But no sooner had he sat than he stood back up.

His seat was in the far corner against the wall, completely cut off from sunlight.

How could Peter accept that? He still had a buff to take advantage of.

"Hmm, that spot's good—right by the window."

Scanning the classroom, Peter quickly found a nice spot.

It was centered on the window, catching sunlight both in the morning and afternoon.

Without hesitation, he walked over, even though someone was already sitting there.

"Hey, Flash, we need to talk."

Looking at Flash Thompson, who was chatting with other guys about football, Peter spoke calmly.

The name always made him think of some guy who called himself the fastest man on Earth.

"Yo, Peter Parker, can't wait to get sent home to recover on the first day?"

Flash, the school bully, turned to see that the one interrupting his chat was the once-pathetic Peter.

Rage flared instantly, and he shot up from his seat.

"Oh, I get it—you grew over break. No wonder you've got the nerve to bother me now."

But when he stood, he realized that in just one vacation, the scrawny, timid Peter was now a head taller than him.

And in terms of presence, he seemed utterly unafraid of him.

"Sorry, I just came to switch seats with you."

"Hmph, don't think that just because you've grown a bit taller you can come provoke me. I'm the absolute star of the school football team."

Seeing that his intimidation hadn't scared off the timid Peter, and with his lackeys watching everything unfold, Flash felt his status challenged.

Without hesitation, he threw a heavy punch straight at Peter's chest.

Thud! Crack!

"Ah... it's broken..."

With a dull thud of impact and a crisp snap of bone, Flash immediately clutched his fist and howled in pain.

"Better take him to the infirmary."

Looking at Flash, who was nearly in tears from the pain, Peter said calmly to the stunned lackeys around him.

"Right, right, we'll take him to the infirmary now."

By then, the lackeys were dumbfounded. When had the always-bullied Peter Parker become this tough?

To that, Peter could only think to himself, My Man of Steel can't even be scratched by bullets—how could your fist break through?

As the lackeys escorted the writhing Flash to the infirmary, Peter sat down without hesitation in Flash's former seat.

Basking in the sunlight, his body and mind felt instantly at ease.

"Mr. Parker, you seem to have changed a lot over this break."

A female classmate with black-rimmed glasses and an Asian face behind Peter looked at him with disbelief in her eyes.

Ring, ring, ring...

As the bell for class rang, most of the students in the classroom had already taken their seats.

"Class, it looks like everyone had a great break," the first-period teacher said as he walked in, observing the nearly all-smiling students.

"But a new semester has begun, and this one is crucial for you."

"For those of you short on credits, remember to earn enough this last semester, or you might not get into college."

"Alright, enough talk. Let's start class now..."

"Wait, teacher!"

Just as the teacher was about to begin, a female voice came from the doorway.

"Being late on the first day isn't a good look, Ms. Stacy."

"I'm sorry, teacher. It won't happen again."

"This once. Take your seat."

Gwen hurried into the classroom and walked toward her seat, inwardly fuming: If it weren't for some bus driver being half-asleep on the way to school, how would I be late?

"Huh? Peter Parker? Why is he sitting here?"

Seeing the familiar face in the seat behind her—the one usually occupied by that annoying classmate, Flash—Gwen was taken aback.

"Morning, Ms. Stacy."

"Good morning, Mr... Parker."

A bit uncertain, Gwen greeted Peter and sat down in front of him, a strange feeling stirring in her heart.

Meanwhile, after the greeting, Peter had already closed his eyes again, savoring the pleasure of sunlight flooding his body.

Listen to the lecture? Screw the lecture! Nothing was more important than his sunbathing.

"General, the air force and army are assembled. Shall we launch the attack now?"

"Good, prepare to strike. This time, we must completely eliminate that green monster!"

Halfway through the class, as Peter basked in the sun with his eyes shut, his Super Hearing—enhanced countless times—picked up a conversation that piqued his interest.