Chapter 49 – Aunt May
"Peter, wake up. If you don't get up now, you'll be late."
"I know, Aunt May." Peter quickly got out of bed, washed up, and ate breakfast. In order to catch the school bus, he had no choice but to rush out with bread in his mouth.
After finishing the housework, May Parker also began her own task for the day—job hunting. Yes, May Parker had already been unemployed for a month, and her savings were nearly depleted. Of course, her credit cards could still carry her for a while, but that clearly wasn't a long-term solution.
As a single woman, Aunt May had been raising Peter Parker on her own for many years. Tuition for private schools in New York wasn't cheap, while the quality of public schools was worrisome. With no other choice, Aunt May gritted her teeth and enrolled Peter in a fairly well-known private middle school.
Fortunately, May's previous job had paid decently, and Peter's grades had always been at the top of his class, earning him plenty of scholarships. That made Aunt May feel her sacrifices had all been worthwhile.
Unfortunately, May Parker's company eventually went bankrupt for various reasons, leaving her temporarily unemployed.
Given her academic background—a Master's degree in Medicine from Columbia University—finding a new job should have been easy. But she had to consider the location, and she also worried about harassment at work.
Yes, although May had received plenty of job offers, she had also encountered men who tried to harass her. Perhaps they thought, given her age and single status, that she'd be easier to pursue romantically—a source of great distress for her.
Today was no different. She hadn't found anything suitable. After all, a job that paid well, was close to home, and wasn't overly demanding was hard to find anywhere.
At 5:10 p.m., May Parker looked at the time on her phone, her mood sinking. She was on the verge of giving up on today's interview altogether.
Another fruitless day.
"Uchiha Medical Center, specializing in medical services, now hiring. Talented individuals welcome." A recruiting poster at the base of a building caught May Parker's attention.
Compared with most recruitment ads in New York, this one was extremely plain, even shabby. Yet, it occupied the prime advertising spot of the building.
"Should I give it a try?" For some reason, May felt this might be a good opportunity.
"Excuse me, are you hiring here?" Following the address on the ad, it took May half an hour by subway to find the interview location. Stepping into a circular multi-level building, she noticed the spacious lobby contained only one recruiter.
Black hair, black eyes, and a typically Asian face.
"Yes, I'm the interviewer. May I ask, which position are you applying for?" Uchiha Mikoto looked up with a smile.
Staying cooped up in the manor had been boring, so Mikoto had gone out to stretch her legs—and conveniently help Uchiha Akira handle some minor tasks.
"I'm here to apply for the front desk position. Of course, I also hold a Master's degree in Medicine from Columbia, with a specialty in trauma treatment. My last job was in medical equipment. I may be a little out of practice with frontline medical work."
May Parker briefly explained her background and her previous work experience.
Her sincerity surprised Mikoto. Of all the applicants, May was the only one who openly admitted her shortcomings. That alone piqued Mikoto's interest.
"Could you tell me more about your background in detail?" A faint red glint flashed in Mikoto's eyes, unnoticed by May.
Suddenly, May began talking as though intoxicated, recounting her life story in full detail—her career, family circumstances, and even how she had raised Peter.
"Ah—my apologies." May finally realized she had spoken too much. She didn't know why she had been so talkative today, even revealing all her personal matters.
"I just kept rambling about myself. I'm sorry. Thank you for patiently listening. I've wasted so much of your time. If you have any further questions, please contact me."
With that, she hurriedly left. If not for the fear of being rude, she would have bolted out the door.
"This is so embarrassing. Why did I spill all my secrets to a stranger today? How mortifying…" May thought as she rushed home, desperate to shake off her shame.
Meanwhile, Mikoto had gained valuable information—especially about Aunt May.
"Akira, I remember you once told us to keep an eye out for a boy named Peter Parker."
"What, did you run into Peter Parker today?" Akira's voice came over the phone.
"Not him, but most likely his guardian, May Parker. She came here job hunting. I used the Sharingan to lightly hypnotize her and confirmed she's indeed Peter Parker's guardian."
"Does May Parker meet the requirements for the job? If so, hire her into the medical center. We need capable people."
As for Peter's future as Spider-Man, that wasn't Akira's primary concern. In fact, there might even be conflict later—knowing Spider-Man's personality, clashes weren't exactly uncommon.
"Right now, Peter Parker is only just starting high school, not even Spider-Man yet. Maybe we could try recruiting him?" Akira thought for a moment, then dismissed the idea. Spider-Man wasn't that valuable at this stage.
Besides, their collaboration with the mutants was going smoothly, and Peter's combat ability held little appeal. His potential as a researcher might be worth attention in the future, though.
Like Orochimaru back in the Shinobi World, true scientists earned Akira's respect.
Back at home, May Parker finally began to recover from her earlier embarrassment. But since she had returned so late, Peter still hadn't eaten dinner.
"I'm sorry, Peter. I got delayed today. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll make something right now."
"No need to cook, Aunt May. I'm… not that hungry… I still have two burgers. Let's eat them together." The boy pulled out two burgers—one beef with pickles, the other chicken—completely cold by now.
Aunt May could easily guess how Peter had resisted the temptation of hunger, waiting instead for her return.
"Alright, Aunt May will eat with you." Watching Peter devour the burger in big bites, her heart filled with both pride and sorrow.
Ring ring ring—the phone rang again.
"Hello, is this XXXX? I'm calling from the HR department of Uchiha Medical Center. You've been hired. Please come by tomorrow at 10 a.m. to complete the onboarding process."
Uchiha Medical Center? Wasn't that the same newly opened place where she had just embarrassed herself today? And they responded this quickly?
"Yes, I understand. I'll be there on time tomorrow."
"Very good. Goodbye."
To May, this new company already seemed different from traditional ones. Normal firms sent emails—this one called directly.
Watching Peter wolf down his meal, Aunt May finally felt a little relief. At least the job problem was temporarily solved. Peter was still growing and needed proper nutrition. With steady work, she wouldn't have to worry about raising him anymore.
"Peter, I'll go make some more food. I don't think you're full yet. What about you?"
"Yeah, Aunt May, you're right. I think I could eat a little more too…"
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