Fierce Kiss, Encircled

Indeed, this time Merlin had not only stayed out of trouble but had also driven back the sudden monster, protecting his classmates.

All of this was visible on the surveillance footage.

Because the Lizardman incident carried significant weight—if mishandled, it could easily spark panic—Sheriff George couldn't leave immediately. He could only send someone to escort Merlin home.

After returning home, Gwen and Hannah had already set up the grill on the balcony and lit the apple charcoal.

"Merlin, you're finally back. Hurry up and cut the meat." The apartment's open-air balcony was spacious, rivaling some rooftops, so the grill didn't feel cramped or stuffy.

"Where's Peter? He didn't come?" Though Merlin had a rough idea of Peter's situation, he still wanted to confirm.

At Merlin's words, Gwen shook her head gloomily. "Not sure if it's a cold or a bad mood, but he said he's not coming."

"Then it looks like it's just the three of us drinking." Merlin raised the beer he'd bought on the way back.

"That's enough!" Gwen's eyes lit up. At home, George kept her on a tight leash; getting her hands on beer was basically impossible.

Only when she came to Merlin's place could she sneak a little.

Once the barbecue was done, the three sat around the grill, sipping cold beer and chatting while enjoying the city nightscape.

Mostly, though, it was Merlin and Gwen bickering, while Hannah watched with a smile, chiming in now and then.

Afterward, Gwen cleared the smell of alcohol from her breath and crept carefully back home, while Merlin had to see Hannah home.

At this hour, aside from the main district, the streets were mostly empty. Walking home alone in such conditions was dangerous.

All sorts of cramped alleys could easily hide crime.

"Come on, get on." Merlin kicked the engine to life and tilted his head toward Hannah, whose cheeks were flushed.

He hadn't expected her tolerance for alcohol to be so poor—just one cup and she already seemed a bit dizzy.

That said, with her rosy cheeks under the hazy streetlight, Hannah looked a lot cuter.

"Mhm..." Hannah climbed onto the back seat with unsteady steps, then wrapped her arms tightly around Merlin's waist, pressing herself almost completely against him.

"Not bad..."

He muttered in surprise, then released the clutch and started the motorcycle.

As if she'd heard Merlin's words, Hannah's already flushed cheeks turned even redder.

"Vroom..." The exhaust note echoed through the silent street before gradually fading.

Sitting on the back, Hannah felt the rushing wind against her ears. Under the cool breeze, her dizzy head cleared up a bit.

Outside the Manhattan District, drunk-driving checkpoints weren't common, and even rarer at this hour. Merlin rode the motorcycle unimpeded all the way, quickly arriving at Hannah's home.

"We're here. Get some rest early. Thanks for your help at the venue today."

"Hannah?" When the back seat remained unresponsive for a while, Merlin turned his head in confusion. But the next moment, Hannah, her face flushed red, leaned in and kissed him directly.

Merlin didn't hold back either. He turned around, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her onto his lap, and then held her legs as they sat face-to-face on the motorcycle, kissing passionately.

After a long moment, Hannah's ragged breathing sounded under the moonlight. Her eyes, framed by red-rimmed lids, gazed dazedly at Merlin, who was inches away.

"Crack!" Suddenly, the sound of a door opening rang out.

Merlin and Hannah both turned to look. A silver-haired old lady was squinting at them, as if trying to confirm something.

"Grandma!" Hannah yelped, quickly jumping off Merlin's bike and running over with a blushing face.

"See you tomorrow!" Merlin waved with a smile, then kicked the motorcycle to life and disappeared into the night.

"Ahaha, looks like I interrupted you two." Hannah's grandmother chuckled, looking at her blushing granddaughter.

"You really did interrupt..." Hannah patted her still-warm cheeks, staring absently in the direction Merlin had gone.

The next day.

Merlin went to call on Gwen. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't home.

With the Lizardman appearing, she wouldn't just sit back and do nothing. She'd probably gone back last night to change into her Spider suit and drunkenly swing through the skies over Big Apple City.

Though he wondered if she'd crawled into any sewers.

The moment Merlin arrived at his destination on his motorcycle, a crowd of reporters and tech company staff who had been waiting eagerly swarmed him.

"Hello, according to the police report, you were the one who drove back the Lizardman. Is that true?"

"Based on our investigation, Spider-Man was also present at the scene. Why does the announcement say you drove back the Lizardman?"

"Is it because of your close relationship with Sheriff George Stacy?"

"How did you manage to drive back the Lizardman?"

"Move aside, move aside. He's not available for interviews right now—we're the ones you should be talking to."

Before Merlin even got out of the car, he was surrounded by a forest of cameras, long and short lenses. The reporters fired off all sorts of pointed and leading questions, trying to stir up a bigger scoop or a conflict.

The people from the various tech companies, on the other hand, were shoved to the outer edges by the reporters.

Merlin looked helplessly at the microphones practically shoved into his mouth. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, one of them would end up stuffed right in.

But at times like this, staying silent was the best move. Even so, they could twist his silence into all kinds of meanings and slap on whatever headline they wanted.

Silence ≈ tacit admission.

Talking was even worse.

Fortunately, the principal of Midtown High quickly brought over the security guards and managed to calm the reporters down for the time being.

After all, these people didn't have appointments, and conducting interviews like this on a whim was against regulations.

"We'll hold a dedicated press conference later. Everyone is welcome to come and interview then."

"No! We just want to know the specifics of what happened yesterday. You can't stop us from pursuing the truth!"

"That's right! He needs to stay!"

The reporters immediately kicked up a fuss. If you pulled him back and coached him, what would they have left to dig up?

They had come early and blocked him here precisely because they saw that Merlin was young and could be coaxed into spilling more.

But the principal knew exactly what these reporters were like, so he didn't indulge them. He had the security guards escort Merlin into the school, blocking them outside.

The people from the various tech companies straightened their collars and followed along inside.

They were here to discuss cooperation, and also to see if they could poach this high school student, Merlin, for themselves.

Since he had already built an Atomic Gun, college wasn't really necessary anymore. It would be better to just recruit him directly into the company for training.