After leaving the old gym, Hawk walked toward the parking lot.
He had no idea what was happening behind him.
Even if he did, he wouldn't have cared.
Sure, Spider-Man was considered the number one Marvel IP character, but honestly, Hawk and Peter weren't close.
Even though they were in the same grade.
By the time Hawk, with his backpack slung over one shoulder, reached the parking lot, the last orange school bus was already waiting with its doors open.
The bearded driver in a school uniform leaned lazily on the wheel, fiddling with a portable radio.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hall," Hawk greeted politely as he boarded. "Any special news today?"
Despite his fierce appearance, Mr. Hall wasn't scary at all.
Quite the opposite.
He was a good man.
"Still about the Quantico building collapse—reports say it was a terrorist attack." Hall glanced at his watch, then at Hawk. "You're two minutes later than yesterday."
Hawk shrugged.
"Sorry, shower took longer today."
"Lucky I know you always ride with me. Otherwise, I'd have gone straight to the gate already. Sit down, we're heading out."
"Alright."
Hawk nodded politely and headed to the back seats.
Hall started the engine and prepared to shut the door when—
Peter suddenly darted up, squeezing in just before the bus doors closed.
Hall nearly jumped.
"Holy—"
He stopped himself mid-curse, swallowing it, then looked at Peter, who was panting hard, and at Flash Thompson and his three lackeys standing outside.
Flash and his gang didn't get on. They just stood there, glaring at Peter.
Hall frowned. "Hey, you getting on or not?"
Flash glanced at Hall, but instead of answering, he turned and left with his crew, sulking.
Bullying classmates was one thing. Doing it in front of school staff was another.
He was a bully, not an idiot.
Peter wasn't stupid either. Once the doors shut, he thanked Mr. Hall.
Hall just gave him a look, but said nothing.
He knew exactly what was going on. But as long as there was no bullying on his bus, it wasn't his business.
Peter didn't push further. He turned, looking for a seat—only to notice Hawk sitting by the window at the very back. After a moment's hesitation, he walked over.
"Thanks."
"…."
Hawk, who had been lost in thought staring out the window, blinked back to reality and looked at Peter with a blank expression.
"I didn't help you. No need to thank me."
Then he turned his gaze back to the window, ignoring Peter.
He didn't know if Peter had mutated yet.
Most likely not.
But even if Peter had become Spider-Man, Hawk had no interest in dealing with him.
To be precise, Hawk had no interest in dealing with any superhero.
Superheroes sounded good on paper. But in reality, they were magnets for disaster.
Before he had his cheat, Hawk had already decided—he wouldn't go looking for superheroes. He only wanted to live a long life. Reborn into this world, at the very least, he wanted to die of old age.
If possible, he wanted to live freely, happily.
Now that his cheat had appeared, that goal hadn't changed.
The only difference was…
Before, he aimed to live freely.
Now, if possible, he wanted to live even longer, and even freer.
But in either case, the foundation of his goal remained the same.
In one sentence—
Stay out of superhero business.
That's why, even after enrolling and learning about Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, he never tried to befriend them.
Gwen was different, though.
She was their eleventh-grade student assistant. But dating Gwen Stacy—the most famous Marvel "first girlfriend"?
Hawk had no such thoughts. At least not now.
He wasn't qualified for love yet.
Peter looked at Hawk, who had dismissed him so coldly, opened his mouth as if to say more—but in the end, he thought better of it and sat down on the opposite row.
Soon, the bus reached the school gate, picking up the last batch of students.
The once-quiet bus quickly filled with chatter.
An hour later—
They arrived at Jackson Heights.
As Hawk stepped off the bus, Hall smiled.
"See you tomorrow, Hawk."
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Hall."
Hawk replied politely before heading toward a five-story old apartment building with its orange-painted walls peeling.
The building was owned by New York City's housing authority.
Hawk lived on the fifth floor. The apartment was small, but there was one advantage—through the fire escape, he could easily reach the rooftop.
Back home, Hawk dropped his bag, pulled out the plastic bag with his washed clothes, grabbed a few hangers, and climbed up the fire escape to the roof.
After hanging his clothes, he walked to the edge, leaning on the railing, watching planes fly past overhead—either landing at LaGuardia or taking off.
Counting planes in the wind was one of his few ways to relax.
Recently, though, he had found a new hobby.
Stargazing.
As night fell, Hawk sat against the vent shaft, enjoying the summer breeze and staring up at the night sky.
The stars stretched endlessly above.
Brilliant, countless.
And maybe it was just his imagination—
But since half a year ago, as he continued his daily training, he had felt a connection to the vast night sky.
Tonight, that feeling was stronger than ever.
Constellations that had looked blurry with the naked eye yesterday now appeared crystal clear.
Pegasus!
Dragon!
Cygnus!
Andromeda!
Phoenix!
…
Scutum!
…
The forty-eight constellations symbolizing the forty-eight Bronze Saints—all appeared vividly before Hawk's eyes.
It was as if—
Tonight…
The entire universe shone for him!
…
(End of Chapter)
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