Soon enough.
After everything had been explained, the three got up from the couch. After saying goodbye to Mrs. Snow, they left Mrs. Snow's office behind them.
Gwen glanced at Hawk beside her.
"Do you need me to take you to the Bio-Electrical Power Department later?"
"No, I can go myself."
With that, Hawk did not linger. Slinging his bag over one shoulder, he headed out of the office building.
He did not have much time left.
Afternoon classes were about to begin, and he needed to shower at the gym first.
Peter, who had followed the two of them out of Mrs. Snow's office, watched Hawk's departing back.
Hmm.
He stared rather intently.
Gwen, who had been secretly observing him, suddenly spoke up.
"Peter!"
"...Ah!"
Peter looked at Gwen with slightly dazed eyes. His pupils quickly focused, and he came back to himself. "Gwen?"
Gwen smiled faintly. "Nothing. By the way, are you going to the grade dance this year?"
Peter smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I probably can't make it."
If Hawk was not attending the dance because he had no money and no date, then Peter was simply not attending because he had no date.
But Hawk had no date because he could not be bothered to find one.
If he wanted to, with his looks, physique, and the temperament forged through years of boxing, it would have been easy for him to find a girl willing to be his date.
Peter, on the other hand, simply could not find one.
More precisely, who told Peter to hang himself on Mary Jane's tree alone?
Mary Jane was Peter's neighbor and also an eleventh grade student.
Perhaps Peter thought no one knew about his crush on Mary Jane, but in truth, most people already knew.
After all, no one was blind. Under those circumstances, no girl would agree to become Mary Jane's substitute for Peter.
And the real Mary Jane would not accept Peter's invitation to the dance.
Peter did not want to go to the dance alone, only to watch the goddess of his dreams dance with another man.
Gwen was not surprised by Peter's answer either.
Because she was friends with Mary Jane, and when the grade dance had just been confirmed, Mary Jane had gone to her and submitted her name along with the name of her date.
Harry Osborn.
Hmm.
That fit Mary Jane's usual standard for boyfriends perfectly.
Gwen thought to herself, but did not say anything more. After getting Peter's answer, she nodded and turned to leave as well.
But...
After turning away, Gwen seemed to think of something. She instinctively turned her head and glanced back.
Peter was still standing where he was, staring absently in the direction Hawk had just left.
A few days later.
Cheers suddenly erupted from Midtown High School.
School was out, school was out. The summer vacation the students had been eagerly awaiting had finally arrived.
"L, have you planned your summer break yet?"
"Yeah, Hawaii, here I come."
"Tom and I are planning to go to Slovakia."
"Damn, Slovakia? Haven't you seen the news?"
"What?"
"Didn't they say last week that tourists had gone missing in Slovakia?"
"Fake news. Besides, Tom and I are so strong. What could possibly happen?"
With the arrival of vacation, students headed toward the parking lot in groups of two and three, talking excitedly about their holiday plans.
Cars started up one after another. Before long, Midtown High School seemed to have suddenly become empty.
The noise that had once filled every corner of the school vanished as well.
Only the rhythmic sounds of striking from the Old Gymnasium continued to ring out.
About ten minutes later.
The striking sounds stopped.
Hawk stood in place, adjusting his breathing as he lowered his eyes and unwound the bandages around his hands.
Although punching steel plates barehanded no longer even made his hands turn red, the habit had been formed over more than a thousand consecutive days. He still instinctively wrapped his hands whenever he boxed.
Just as Hawk removed the bandages, his swordlike brows rose.
The next second.
A voice came from behind him.
"I heard this gym is going to be turned into a swimming pool next semester."
"...Peter."
Hawk turned around and looked at Peter, standing not far away with a face remarkably similar to Maguire's. "It's not a rumor. It's true."
Peter smiled, but said nothing.
That was another reason Hawk liked the original Spider-Man.
Compared to The Amazing Spider-Man's slightly chatty nature and Holland's tech Spider-Man's extreme chatterbox tendencies, he preferred the original Spider-Man's restraint.
Just like himself.
Talent concealed beneath restraint.
Not good with words.
Hawk thought to himself, then stuffed the bandages back into his pocket. He looked at Peter. "You didn't come here today just to tell me this gym is being converted into a swimming pool, did you?"
Peter hurriedly shook his head. "No."
"Then what is it?"
"Uh..."
Peter had just been about to speak, but the words reached his lips and retreated again. He looked at Hawk, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Hawk smiled.
Looking at Peter's hesitant expression, he said nothing. Instead, he walked over to his backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and headed outside.
"Happy summer vacation, Peter."
"Psh!"
Hawk had nearly reached the doorway when he heard a sound beside his ear like a spider shooting silk. As he turned, his right fist had already shot out.
Peter's Spider-Sense flared at the web-shooting sound, and he instinctively dodged to the side.
The next second.
Bang!
A bench in the Old Gymnasium suddenly split apart down the middle.
Peter's eyes widened as he stared at the shattered bench.
Hawk, meanwhile, peeled the webbing stuck to his shoulder bag away.
It was very sticky.
He shook it hard several times before finally flinging the clump of webbing away.
Peter had recovered by then and looked at Hawk again.
"Hawk, you too..."
"I'm not."
Hawk raised his head and directly interrupted Peter.
The strength he had today came from his own tireless struggle and effort, day after day for a thousand days.
Of course.
Perhaps the cheat had played a slight role in it.
But not much.
Hawk firmly believed that even without the cheat, he still could have awakened his Cosmo.
Yes.
After all, the cheat had already left and no longer had any right to speak, so there was absolutely nothing wrong with him saying that.
But that was not the real reason he had interrupted Peter.
Hawk gave Peter a look.
Peter, who possessed Spider-Sense, instantly understood.
Hawk smiled faintly.
"Happy summer vacation, Peter. See you next semester."
"...Okay. See you next semester."
Peter withdrew the words he had intended to say this time and replied.
Hawk said nothing more and turned to walk out of the gym.
Then...
He looked at Gwen outside the door, surprise flashing across his face. "Gwen?"
Gwen: "..."
Before you continue