Chapter 22: Bonds of Mortality - Part 1

“O-ohhh…!”

I was holding two sheets of paper—tickets.

“Hehehe.”

A weird laugh slipped out of me, the kind I normally wouldn’t make.

These tickets had such a sweet aroma about them… No, the tickets themselves just smelled like paper, but still.

Written on the front: “Sweets Festa 202X.”

Yes, this was an invitation ticket to a sweets festival where patissiers compete.

One of the bakeries I regularly raid for cake—these tickets are only given to loyal customers. It’s for a tasting event of new cakes, held in a slightly larger venue.

Patissiers from all over New York gather to show off their latest creations… and I can eat as much of the most delicious cakes as I want.

I could hardly keep my excitement in check—my breathing was getting heavier.

…It’s being held this Sunday.

Just thinking about it made my heart race.

“Hmhmhm~”

Humming out of tune, I placed the tickets on the table… Two of them, huh.

I can invite someone else.

Gwen… doesn’t really do sweets, does she?

Then maybe…

---

“Peter, let’s go eat cake together.”

“Huh? Today?”

Right now, I was eating lunch on the rooftop with Michelle and Gwen.

Ned… was out sick today, apparently.

They did a Star Wars marathon on TV last night—late into the night. Probably overslept from staying up for it.

“No, not today. Sunday. Look at this.”

Michelle’s clearly in a higher mood than usual.

Something good must’ve happened… Probably that ticket she’s showing me now.

“What’s that?”

Gwen leaned in to peek at the paper Michelle was holding out.

“Sweets Festa?”

“Yup! All-you-can-eat delicious new cakes! I’ve got two tickets, so I want you to come too, Peter!”

“Uh, why not go with Gwen—”

Thud!

An elbow dug sharply into my side.

Gwen.

“What the heck was that for, Gwen?”

I whispered to her quietly.

When Gwen jabs me like this without saying anything, it usually means she wants to whisper something to me.

“Virgin. Idiot. Enemy of women. A girl’s inviting you on a date, and you’re thinking of turning her down? Rude.”

“A-a date!?”

“Idiot, keep your voice down.”

Another elbow jabbed into my side.

The cuts on my ribs were long healed, but she was careful to jab the uninjured side.

She’s still showing some mercy, I guess.

Still… a d-date?

I looked over at Michelle, who was tilting her head, confused by our quiet exchange.

No, I mean, it’s not like I’m not happy, but it’s Michelle, of all people…

“When a girl and a guy go out together, it’s a date. That’s just how it is.”

“R-right…”

Gwen’s probably being a bit extreme.

But still.

“Michelle, I’ll go. To the, uh, dessert fest?”

“Thank you, Peter!”

…Honestly, I’d never seen Michelle look so happy before.

Grinning from ear to ear, she happily bit into an éclair.

…She had cream on her cheek, but should I point that out…?

---

Sunday.

Morning of the Sweets Festa.

The event runs from 2 PM to 5 PM.

…Of course, I want to be there from the very start and eat all I can until the end, so I need to arrive before 2.

Thanks to the super soldier serum’s extraordinary metabolism, I can eat several times more than an average person.

Eat what I like, as much as I like—that’s my life motto.

And I’ve got the superpowers to live it out.

I stripped off my pajamas and took a shower in my room.

Dried my platinum blonde hair with a dryer and combed it.

In front of the vanity, I put on a little makeup—just what Gwen taught me.

She said, “Michelle’s cute enough without makeup, so just a bit is fine,” or something like that.

Honestly, I only started using makeup recently… Back when I lived in Hell’s Kitchen, I barely interacted with people… so I’m not used to the hassle of makeup, and this minimalist approach is a big help.

Being born a beautiful girl is great!

…Or so I tell myself.

Still in my usual shirt and shorts, I sat on the bed.

I turned on the TV to kill time when—

Ah.

I remembered what Gwen told me two days ago.

“Absolutely don’t go in your usual clothes, okay?”

“You’ve gotta wear something girlier!”

“There’s a thing called dress code, you know? It’s TPO!”

Panicking, I yanked off my shirt and opened the closet in just my underwear.

“Something girlier…?”

To be honest, I used to be a guy in my past life, so my sense of self is somewhere between male and female.

Wearing a skirt feels kinda embarrassing, so I tend to avoid them.

So all I’ve got are things like shirts, hoodies, coats, jackets, shorts, jeans…

“Ughhh.”

Gwen warned me… and I completely forgot.

No way I have time to go shopping now.

“Wh-what do I do…”

I rummaged through the closet in a frenzy.

No good. That’s no good either. This one… probably no good too.

“Ah.”

Found it.

A casual black dress.

It’s a one-piece type with a lace design at the shoulders—something a teenage girl might wear to look a bit stylish. Perfect for the occasion.

Yes, it’s the same dress I used during that special mission on the boat the other day.

When I said I’d lost it, Tinkerer remade it for me.

…In other words, this isn’t a work outfit—it’s for personal use.

Honestly, I thought Tinkerer was creepy for that.

Sending a dress to a girl he barely knows? What kind of nerve does that take?

You can never tell what’s going on in his head. He’s seriously unsettling.

In the end, I never got a chance to wear it, so it just sat in my closet collecting dust… but I never imagined it’d come in handy.

I also pulled out the pair of heels in the closet.

These had a titanium alloy core built into the heels… Yep, Tinkerer-made again.

Even after that incident where I didn’t report my unauthorized action to the organization, for some reason, Tinkerer is weirdly kind to me.

…But it’s not like he looks at me in a sexual way.

Doesn’t seem like he’s in love with me either.

I changed into the casual dress, picked up my bag, and reached for the door.

…Oh, right. I need to put my comm device in my bag.

I grabbed the charging comm device from the desk—and noticed I had a message.

I tensed for a moment… but relaxed when I saw it wasn’t from the organization.

The sender… was Peter?

“Sorry, Michelle! Something came up—I’ll be a little late!”

I stared at the device.

…No, I’m not mad.

I’m not mad, but.

We live in neighboring rooms, so the plan was to go together once we were both ready.

…If he’s running late, I might as well head to the venue first.

I typed a reply on my device:

“Understood. I’ll be waiting at the venue entrance.”

I slipped the device into my bag and stepped out of the apartment.

It was still bright outside.

---

I took a taxi to the venue entrance.

…I had planned to ride with Peter. And split the fare.

Now I had to cover the whole thing myself.

No, it’s not like I’m strapped for cash.

But still…

Running into trouble like this right from the start had put me in a bit of a foul mood.

I’d been hoping we could talk in the car.

And then—

…It’s been fifteen minutes since the venue opened, and there’s still no sign of Peter.

Sighing, I opened my comm device.

The news feed scrolled by, and one article caught my eye.

“Giant Rhino Appears in Business District?!”

“…A rhino?”

I tapped the link out of curiosity. It was a news video.

The audio blasted out louder than expected, so I hurried to lower the volume and stepped away from the entrance.

The footage showed a street in New York’s business district.

A giant rhino was on the scene, inside a restricted zone marked off with yellow-and-black caution tape.

But it wasn’t a real rhino.

I knew right away.

It was a metal, rhino-shaped powered suit.

“…Rhino?”

Rhino was a villain who appeared in Spider-Man’s stories.

Used to be a mercenary, I think… He became a superhuman by adapting to a powerful powered suit.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen Rhino in this world.

He’d caused havoc in New York a few times already—every time, Spider-Man would take him down, and it’d hit the news.

On-screen, he was stomping along the concrete pavement, leaving cracks in his wake.

A newscaster was narrating the scene from a safe distance.

…They’re seriously brave.

It’s dangerous out there.

Newscasters in this world are impressive.

There was an elderly woman left behind in Rhino’s path.

Her cane had snapped, and she couldn’t stand.

And then—

A red silhouette rushed in to rescue her.

“…Ah, right.”

That’s why Peter was late.

Spider-Man helped the old lady, then lunged at Rhino—

“Young lady, got a minute?”

Startled, I quickly locked the screen and turned around.

“…Yes? What is it?”

Responding with awkwardly formal speech, I looked at the man in front of me.

…He gave off a flashy vibe.

Reminded me of Flash back when I first transferred to Midtown High.

…Though these days, Flash is more like a clean-cut athlete. Seems like he’s turned over a new leaf.

Anyway, the guy in front of me right now… is exactly the type I can’t stand.

“You here alone, miss?”

“I… am.”

“Then how about we go in together? They’ve got that Sweets Festa going on today, right?”

I know.

That’s the whole reason I’m here too.

“Sorry, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Huh? Waiting? But the event’s already started, hasn’t it? Maybe they bailed on you?”

“That may be, but…”

…Yeah, I’m starting to feel like I don’t owe this creep any polite speech.

“If they’re late, just forget ’em. Come in with me—”

Huh?

“Stop right there.”

Just as I was starting to feel murderous, a brown-haired man appeared at my side.

He was tall, sharply dressed in a suit, and handsome.

“…Who the hell are you?”

“I’m the one she’s waiting for. You’re in the way. Leave.”

The brown-haired guy jabbed his finger into the pickup artist’s chest.

………Huh? Wait? What? I’m waiting for Peter though?

“Tch, she’s already got a guy…”

Clicking his tongue, the pickup guy walked off.

“…You’re not the person I’m waiting for, though.”

“Hm? Ah, of course. I know that……… Whoops, sorry. It was just a line to get him to back off. If it upset you, I apologize.”

…This smooth-talking brown-haired guy—

Actually seems like a decent person.

“No… Thank you.”

And he looked to be about the same age as me.

Maybe I don’t need to keep speaking so politely?

“No, no, I’m not really someone you need to thank. I came over to hit on you too, after all.”

Hearing that, I took a step back.

Scratch that—he wasn’t a good guy.

“Haha, I see you’re on high alert. Don’t worry, I won’t force anything. You’re waiting for someone, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“…No.”

“Then maybe I still have a shot.”

He flashed a smile, teeth white and perfect.

…He’s handsome.

Ridiculously handsome.

If I were a normal girl, I’d be squealing and following him without question.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly “normal,” and whether I even am a “girl” is debatable.

“When’s your friend supposed to arrive?”

Leaning against a pillar with arms crossed, he struck a casual pose.

…Good-looking people really are unfair. Even the smallest gestures come off as cool.

“I don’t know.”

“I see…”

He nodded solemnly.

“In that case, why not head into the venue ahead of them?”

“…But I told him I’d wait at the entrance.”

“No need to stick around for someone who’s late.”

“Peter wouldn’t…”

I cut him off mid-sentence.

“Peter wouldn’t be late for no reason. That’s not who he is.”

“…I see. So his name is Peter… My apologies. I spoke without knowing anything.”

He bowed his head.

…Really, he’s a sincere and decent guy after all.

I’m sure he only said those things because he was genuinely concerned for me.

“Well then, I’ll head into the venue. But don’t stay out here too long—you’ll catch a chill.”

“…I’ll be fine.”

I forgot to be polite and put on a brave front.

Well, the truth is, with my body strengthened by the super soldier serum, I’m not bothered by a little cold anyway.

The man turned and walked toward the venue.

A man in black followed behind him…

Hm?

That outfit… and the man in black—it all screams “rich kid with a bodyguard.”

He seemed about my age too… probably a student, I’d guess.

I watched him go, then pulled out my device again.

I reopened the news and saw footage of Rhino and Spider-Man clashing.

…Honestly, no matter what entertainment is out there, I think Spider-Man reports are the most fun to watch.

---

And then, three hours later.

It was past 5 p.m.

The event was almost over.

The news showed that Rhino had been defeated by Spider-Man and was now in police custody.

Rhino was a hulking villain clad in heavy armor. Tough, relentless—it must’ve taken time to bring him down.

Spider-Man had nearly gotten pulled into an interview with a reporter… but hurriedly made his exit.

He looked more flustered than I’d ever seen him.

…The Sweets Festa was now in the middle of its closing ceremony.

Even if he rushed, he wouldn’t make it in time.

Looks like I missed out on the cake.

I sighed, looking up from my device… and saw the brown-haired man who’d helped me earlier walking toward me.

“Ah.”

“So your friend… didn’t show up after all, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“I see…”

He nodded again, his expression solemn.

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, so as not to hurt me.

“Here, for you.”

From his hand, he offered me a box.

A white one.

“What’s this?”

“Cakes from inside the venue. I asked the event staff to pack up six of them. I can guarantee the taste—they were the ones I found the most delicious.”

It definitely felt like six cakes in there, weight-wise.

…The box felt cool to the touch.

Probably packed with dry ice too.

“Thank you.”

I meant it, from the bottom of my heart.

No doubt about it.

This guy was a genuinely good-looking good guy.

If I were just a normal girl, I probably would’ve fallen for him.

“…Also, if you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?”

He asked as he looked straight into my eyes.

“Michelle. Michelle Jane.”

“…I see. That’s a lovely name.”

He said it with a warm smile.

………Wait a sec?

Why hasn’t he told me his name?

“And you are?”

When I asked, he hesitated slightly, like he was searching for the words. Reluctantly, he opened his mouth.

“Me? I’m…”

He drew a deep breath.

“Harry… Harry Osborn.”