Gwen's small mouth fell slightly open.
She looked at the dust that still revealed the shape of the punching bag under the refracted sunlight, slowly drifting away at a visible pace, and found it utterly unbelievable.
Heavy Sword Without Edge, Great Skill Is Unskilled!
Hawk stood where he was and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air before turning around.
Gwen shifted her gaze back to Hawk as well.
Their eyes met.
Looking at Hawk's slightly sweaty forehead, white tank top that accentuated his powerful muscular build, and hands wrapped in bandages, Gwen suddenly felt something she couldn't put into words.
Hawk, meanwhile, was somewhat surprised to see Gwen here.
"Do you need something?"
"No."
Gwen shook her head, her hands behind her back. As she walked toward Hawk, she surveyed the Old Gymnasium, which she hadn't visited since the new gymnasium had been built. "The new gym has air conditioning. Why don't you go there?"
Hawk thought about it.
"It's quiet here."
"It really is quiet."
Gwen agreed with Hawk's explanation.
Hawk was a little dumbfounded as he watched Gwen walk over to the bench where he had set down his backpack, then sit down directly.
"Do you need something, Gwen?"
"No."
Supporting herself on the bench with both hands, Gwen smiled slightly and looked at Hawk standing before the punching bag. "I had nothing better to do, so I came to enjoy watching a friend punch."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Looking at Gwen's smiling face, he felt that there was some hidden meaning behind her words.
But...
Forget it. Punching came first.
With that thought, Hawk shook his head, withdrew his gaze from Gwen, and looked back at the punching bag before him, preparing to continue his Daily Ten Thousand Punches task.
After all, he had almost finished just now.
Then Gwen had walked in.
Now he had to start all over again.
Thinking that, Hawk adjusted his breathing. Without using the power of his Cosmo, he continued relying solely on his physical strength to complete his Daily Ten Thousand Punches task.
As for Gwen beside him?
She could watch if she wanted. This was a public gymnasium, after all. He couldn't exactly stop someone from entering.
There was no reason to.
Very soon.
As Hawk threw another punch, the crisp, rhythmic sounds of impact once again rang through the Old Gymnasium.
However, compared to his previous pace, Hawk unconsciously sped up this time in order to finish the task sooner.
One punch, then another, then another.
Then...
Afterimages of fists appeared.
Sitting on the bench, Gwen felt her vision blur. When she looked again, the sight of what seemed like countless fist shadows before her left her stunned.
What was going on?
I didn't even blink.
With that thought, Gwen instinctively pulled out her phone and aimed it at Hawk.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hawk noticed while concentrating on his punches.
"Don't record it."
"...Okay."
Hearing that, Gwen looked at Hawk, whose movements hadn't stopped and who hadn't even glanced her way. She blinked, somewhat doubtful that she had imagined it, but still lowered her phone.
After a while.
The countless fist shadows gradually vanished, and Hawk's movements stopped. The Old Gymnasium became quiet once more.
Hawk then pulled on the chain and took down the suspended punching bag. With one hand, he casually flung it back into the corner. Under Gwen's watchful gaze, he walked over to the bench, took a towel from the outer pocket of his backpack, and looked at Gwen sitting beside him.
After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Are you sure you don't need anything, Gwen?"
Gwen nodded.
"I do."
"..."
The corner of Hawk's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
But Gwen caught it.
She smiled.
Still, Gwen didn't keep teasing Hawk. Instead, she stated why she had come. "They're counting attendees for this year's grade dance. Are you going this year?"
Though Midtown High School was a private high school focused on elite education, it still had all the usual dances and parties, such as the back-to-school dance, masquerade parties, and grade dances.
Gwen asked Hawk almost every year whether he planned to attend.
But Hawk had never gone even once.
He was a lone wolf. He liked peace and quiet, not noisy, boisterous environments.
That was the tactful way of putting it.
The real reason was simple.
He was poor. He had no money for dance clothes, no car, and not even a driver's license. He couldn't exactly walk his date home after the dance, could he?
Most importantly.
He didn't even have a date.
Why would he go to a dance alone? To watch couples rub it in his face and shower him with affection?
This year was no exception.
"No."
Hawk shook his head without hesitation.
Compared to attending some dance, he preferred staying on his apartment rooftop and looking at the stars.
Quiet.
Most importantly.
It didn't cost money.
Save where he could, spend where he had to. He was already living independently and no longer received federal assistance. Between renting an apartment and buying necessities this week, his savings had shrunk drastically.
Hawk even felt that his idea of buying a car a few days ago had been far too hasty.
So he had already given up on buying a car.
Better to keep some money for emergencies.
Besides, the school had free buses to Bridge Park Station. What did he need a car for?
He didn't even have a driver's license.
Even if he bought one, he couldn't drive it.
Damn it.
Maybe I should consider robbing a bank. Meteorites cost money too.
No.
If I was already planning to rob something, couldn't I just rob a meteorite? Why rob a bank first?
It wasn't as if he could rob a bank, then take the money and ask those rich people to sell him their meteorites.
Was he sick in the head?
Hawk's thoughts drifted.
He was already considering how feasible it would be to directly rob meteorites.
Wakanda definitely wasn't going to obediently hand over Vibranium to him anyway.
He would probably have to steal it when the time came.
Since stealing Vibranium was stealing, and stealing meteorites was also stealing, if he was stealing both Vibranium and meteorites anyway, then robbing a bank on top of that didn't seem like such a big deal.
Gwen watched Hawk. After shaking his head and saying he wouldn't attend the grade dance, his gaze had suddenly become unfocused, as though he were thinking about something. She was curious.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Robbing a bank."
"..."
Gwen raised an eyebrow.
Hawk came back to himself and instinctively looked at Gwen.
Their eyes met.
The next second.
With a thoughtful expression and a smile on her face, Gwen looked at Hawk. "Then which bank are you planning to rob? I recommend Pacific Bank in the 19th Precinct's jurisdiction."
Hawk frowned slightly.
"Is Pacific Bank easy to rob?"
"No."
Gwen's smile was brilliant. "But my dad is the chief of the 19th Precinct."
Hawk fell silent.
After a while.
He looked at Gwen seriously. "I was joking."
He had decided. If he really did rob a bank, he would stay the hell away from the 19th Precinct's jurisdiction.
Still smiling brightly, Gwen rose from the bench. Just as she was about to speak, the phone in her pocket started ringing.
"Mrs. Snow..."
"Hawk?"
"Okay."
"I know where he is."
Very soon.
After ending the call, Gwen looked at Hawk, who was watching her. "Come on. Mrs. Snow is looking for you."
Hawk: "..."
Before you continue