Before is before, now is now

Hawk looked genuinely surprised.

Gwen fell silent, watching his expression.

Fake.

Too fake.

Gwen couldn't help but offer an honest critique.

"Your acting is terrible."

"Sorry."

Hawk shrugged. "I'm not a professional actor."

Right.

Gwen had been outside the whole time.

To be precise, she'd arrived just as Peter was about to come clean with him, but stopped when she heard the commotion inside the gym. She'd thought Hawk and Peter wouldn't notice.

But...

After awakening his Cosmo and mastering his five senses, Hawk could hear not just Gwen's footsteps, but even a leaf falling behind the gym if he wanted to. Peter, with his Spider-Sense, was the same—especially since this version of Peter was a genuine, mutated Spider-Man.

Only, this Peter had probably just mutated recently and hadn't fully adapted yet. Plus, Hawk's punch had left him stunned. But with a look from Hawk, Peter quickly caught on and picked up Gwen's breathing outside the gym.

So they'd both silently chosen to shut up.

See.

This was another reason Hawk liked the original Spider-Man the most.

He had no comment on The Amazing Spider-Man.

But the tech Spider-Man?

Hmph.

Hawk had no doubt that if it were Holland's tech Spider-Man, that guy probably wouldn't even get what he meant—he'd just keep rambling on and on.

No.

Not probably. Definitely.

Hawk thought to himself.

Just then.

Peter came out from behind, looked at Gwen outside, and forced a surprised expression onto his face. "Gwen, you haven't left yet?"

Gwen watched the stiff, fake surprise on Peter's face and couldn't take it anymore.

"Peter, your acting is even worse than Hawk's."

"Ah, haha, hahaha..."

Peter's expression froze. He scratched his head with a sheepish laugh, said goodbye to Hawk, and then walked off toward the school gate on his own.

Seeing that, Hawk was ready to leave too.

He had to start his summer job at Osborn Bio-Industry early tomorrow morning, so he planned to get some sleep tonight.

Gwen blocked his way.

"You're not right, Hawk."

"Huh?"

Hawk blinked in surprise.

Gwen furrowed her brow, studying him with curiosity. "Since when did you get so close to Peter? I've never seen you talk to him before."

To be precise, she'd never seen Hawk chat with anyone.

Even when other classmates approached him, Hawk would brush them off in a few words and go back to doing his own thing.

And then there was the dance. At first, some girls had asked Hawk if he'd be their date.

But...

In the words circulating among the girls:

"Hawk?"

"That guy's an iceberg—a damn ten-thousand-year-old iceberg."

That was the case for the other girls.

And Gwen was no exception.

She remembered that sometimes when she approached Hawk, even if he didn't show it, she could feel he seemed reluctant to talk to her.

But today?

Her intuition told her that now, when Hawk spoke to her, that intangible sense of resistance seemed to have vanished.

Gwen was curious about this.

Hawk, listening to Gwen's complaints, explained with a relaxed expression: "I'm not really close with Peter. He came to me because I happened to be there last time when Flash cornered him in the restroom—he came to thank me for that."

Gwen fell silent again as she listened to Hawk's explanation.

After a moment.

She looked into Hawk's eyes, a faint smile appearing on her face: "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. There's no need to lie."

Hawk thought about it, then met Gwen's rather pretty eyes and nodded.

"Alright, I don't want to say."

"I'll find out on my own."

"Fine."

Hawk nodded, ready to leave, but as he was about to go, he paused, thought for a moment, and said to Gwen: "Find out all you want, but don't get sucked in. I've heard that when a woman gets curious about a man, that's when she starts to fall."

Gwen finally confirmed that Hawk's earlier intangible resistance toward her was gone, but she gave a dismissive snort.

"I don't think I'd fall for a guy who barely considers us friends."

She thought back to a few days ago, when she'd walked Hawk home, only to see that reluctant look on his face when she said they were friends.

No.

Even back then, Hawk's resistance toward her had already weakened.

Gwen replayed that scene in her mind, her heart stirring.

Hawk didn't argue. He just shrugged and headed down the stairs.

"Goodbye, Gwen."

Gwen watched his retreating back and called out: "I'll find out your secret."

"Good luck!"

Hawk waved a hand without looking back.

He didn't take it to heart.

What he'd just said to Gwen—about a woman getting curious about a man and falling for him—was just something he'd said offhand.

But then...

Before awakening his Cosmo, he probably wouldn't have said something like that.

Sitting in the very last row of the bus heading back to his new apartment, Hawk watched the scenery flash past the window and couldn't help thinking.

After all, for the Hawk before awakening his Cosmo, love was a luxury.

A luxury he couldn't even reach for.

But after awakening his Cosmo?

There's a saying.

Money makes a man bold.

Hawk still had no money, but he had fists!

Power is fists.

Power is money.

Same logic.

Fists equal money.

So...

The past is the past.

Now is now.

Now that he'd awakened his Cosmo, he should have the qualifications—from a position of strength—to say he could have love.

Hawk thought to himself.

Just then.

The image of Gwen locking eyes with him flashed through his mind, and his heart gave an involuntary lurch.

"Hiss!"

Hawk snapped out of it, sucked in a sharp breath, and instinctively shook his head, shoving that sudden thought aside.

No reason.

The three great illusions of life warning had kicked in again.

He wasn't Peter.

Peter would mistake Mary Jane's faint smile for her liking him.

Hawk wouldn't have that illusion.

So...

Forget it.

Business first.

Tomorrow's the first day of summer work at Osborn Bio-Industry—then he'll know if what's in Dr. Connors' lab is the Gamaneon he wants.

If it is, perfect.

Hawk's already decided.

Once the key to forging the Saint Cloth—Gamaneon—is confirmed, his next target is Wakanda, rich in vibranium.

Same as before.

If Wakanda willingly hands over the vibranium he wants, all's well that ends well.

But if Wakanda not only refuses but dares to strike back at him?

Heh.

Then sorry.

He.

Hawk.

Is no talker.

But...

Knows a thing or two about fists!