Chapter 5: Midtown High School

"Hey, where are you from?"

Uh-oh.

"Your hair is so pretty… What shampoo do you use?"

Uhhhhh...

"What club are you joining?"

"Interested in joining a band?"

"Got any hobbies?"

"Can I take a picture with you?"

Uhhhhhh...

And just like that, I was surrounded by classmates—boys and girls alike—peppering me with questions from all sides.

But, well… teenagers at this age are intense.

Is it just youthful curiosity toward the unknown?

At this rate, I’m going to get smothered.

I glanced over at Peter.

He quickly averted his eyes, looking awkward.

Coward.

"Yo."

A guy stepped in between us.

The students around me backed off a little, giving him space.

...It was like Moses parting the Red Sea.

"And you are?"

"Me? I’m Flash. Flash Thompson. You can just call me Flash."

He gave me this smug, grinning look as he said that.

…Ugh. Gross.

I really don’t like how obviously he’s checking me out.

It’s not that having ulterior motives is a problem—whatever.

I am a beautiful girl, after all.

But if you're not even going to pretend to hide it? That’s just a deal-breaker.

At least try to keep it subtle. Make some kind of effort.

I could feel my internal temperature drop a few degrees—but Flash, completely oblivious, kept talking.

"My folks aren’t home today. Wanna come over for a house party? We can make it your welcome party."

Ugh, no thanks.

Hard pass.

…Wait, Flash?

Flash—that Flash?

Flash Thompson?

Isn’t he the bully from Spider-Man?

Good at sports, decent-looking, kind of a jerk?

Don’t remember the details, but—

He’s the guy who bullies Peter!

"Sorry, I already have plans today…"

"Aw, don’t be like that. C’mon, it'll be fun."

Flash grabbed my arm.

I frowned.

Stop that.

Don’t touch me like that.

Grabbing a girl’s arm when you’re not even friends? What the hell is wrong with you?

…Actually, maybe he gets away with this kind of pseudo-harassment because he's popular and no one calls him out on it.

"Back off, Flash. She’s clearly not into it."

The voice came from Peter.

Flash let go of my arm.

The moment I get home, I’m washing it. Full shower.

"The hell, Peter? This ain’t your business."

"Maybe not… but she's clearly uncomfortable."

"What’d you say? Hey, Michelle-chan, you're not uncomfortable, right?"

He turned to me with this smile, the kind that thinks it works on girls—but he clearly didn’t believe for a second I was uncomfortable.

Michelle chan?

“Chan”? Seriously?

You're calling a girl you just met “chan”?

Ugh. I’m getting goosebumps.

I stayed silent, not giving him the satisfaction of a reply, when suddenly another girl slipped in beside me.

Blonde. Wearing bold lipstick.

She had that strong-willed kind of look.

"She is uncomfortable, Flash."

"What?"

"You really don’t get girls, do you?"

She said it with a cold, cutting glare.

Flash opened his mouth like he wanted to say something… then glared right back at her.

"...Tch. Fine, whatever. Michelle-chan, the welcome party’s always on the table. If you change your mind, come find Flash Thompson."

"...Tch. What a self-absorbed jerk."

The strong-willed-looking girl muttered under her breath, just loud enough that Flash wouldn’t hear.

Even after Flash walked off, none of the other classmates came any closer.

He probably is the popular guy in class. No one wants to get dragged into drama with him.

Good-looking, athletic, decent grades… yeah, I guess that’s enough to be popular.

Still, the fact that no one’s crowding around me again is a blessing. I’d rather not get bombarded with another round of questions like earlier.

More importantly—I should thank the girl in front of me first.

"...Thanks."

"No problem."

She gave me a playful wink.

...Oh no. She’s cute.

And cool.

That’s dangerous.

If I wasn’t in a girl’s body right now, I definitely would’ve fallen for her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure slumped over.

...Ah. I completely forgot about Peter.

"Thanks to you too, Peter."

"Ah, well... I didn’t really do anything."

He scratched his cheek shyly, looking a bit embarrassed.

The strong-willed girl gave a smug grin as she looked at him.

"Seriously, he’s right. Peter’s completely useless. Total deadweight."

"Hey! That’s harsh, Gwen."

"But it’s true."

With an exaggerated snort, she struck a clearly mocking pose.

Gwen… Gwen?

"Gwen, is your name?"

"Hm? Oh, guess I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Gwen Stacy. Nice to meet you, Michelle."

She reached out her hand to shake.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

When I took her hand, she gave it a vigorous shake—back and forth, really strong.

She’s seriously full of energy.

So… Gwen. Gwen Stacy, huh.

If I remember right… wasn’t she Spider-Man’s girlfriend?

Ever since reincarnating, my memories of comic book stuff have started to fade.

This body’s memory is actually pretty sharp, but for some reason, it’s only my memories from my previous life that are slipping away.

…It’s probably some kind of side effect. But I wouldn’t know.

I’m not a scholar. I’m not a priest. I’m not a mage.

If I don’t understand something, then I just don’t understand it.

Still, I won’t write anything about my past life in a diary or anything like that. I’d never store that kind of stuff somewhere someone else might see it.

If a certain organization found out, it could be a disaster.

Seriously, if the world ends because of my diary, that’s not even funny…

Anyway, it seems like Gwen and Peter are close… so I guess they are dating?

"So… are you and Peter close?"

I asked.

"Well, yeah."

Peter replied, but his voice was kind of vague.

“We’re not close at all.”

Gwen shot back with a teasing smirk.

…Which, obviously, meant they were pretty close.

They probably weren’t dating, though.

Peter kind of leaned away whenever Gwen got near him… Maybe he’s a little uncomfortable around her?

Or maybe he’s just not used to being around girls.

…Yeah, that’s probably it.

But why, though? Peter’s a good-looking guy.

As I tilted my head in thought, Gwen suddenly called out to me.

“Oh, right—Michelle?”

“Eh? Yeah? What is it?”

Gwen was watching me closely, a mischievous hum in her throat.

“How about M.J.? Short for Michelle Jane. You know, as a nickname.”

“…Please don’t call me that.”

That’s literally the name of Spider-Man’s heroine.

Mary Jane Watson’s nickname, right?

“Aww, really? I thought it sounded cute.”

“I really don’t want to be called M.J.”

Stop trying to set up romance flags between me and Peter, please.

Not that I hate Peter or anything.

If anything, he’s kind of my ideal hero—kind, brave… and, well, yeah, handsome.

Of course I don’t hate him.

But even if I look like a beautiful girl, my heart is still male.

There’s just no way I’m falling for a guy.

That much, I can say with total confidence.

Yup.

“Just Michelle is fine.”

“Fine, fine. Michelle it is.”

“Yep.”

“Class is about to start. We should get ready.”

With that, Gwen stuck her tongue out at Peter and went back to her seat.

Ah, right. Class is about to start.

Peter and I hurried off toward our lockers.

◇◆◇

Classes at Midtown High were… well, to be honest, pretty easy.

Part of that was because I had the mind of a college-educated working adult.

But more than that—my brain had been enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum.

The fake Super Soldier Serum I’d gotten from the Power Broker.

Its main effects were enhanced physical ability, healing, and—most relevant here—boosted memory and cognitive speed.

If I really wanted to, I could memorize an entire textbook front to back in an hour.

I won’t say I can breeze through every advanced problem out there, but at least for high school-level math, it’s effortless.

So even when the teacher called on me, I had zero issues.

That’s because I’d already prepped the material in advance.

Not just for today’s lesson—no.

I’d already reviewed the full curriculum for all four years of Midtown High.

And yet… despite all that memory capacity, I still can’t hold on to my memories from my past life.

…Isn’t there anyone who knows about parallel worlds?

Like Doctor Strange or someone?

Well, whatever.

Even if they did exist, it’s not like I could get involved.

They’re heroes. I’m… a villain.

We’re fundamentally incompatible.

And just like that, the school day ended.

Down the hall, near the boys' lockers, I spotted Peter talking with someone.

“…Your class… had a cute…”

“…Yeah… right… that’s…”

I couldn’t catch all of it, but I quietly walked up behind Peter as he rummaged through his locker.

Then, I hid behind his locker door—right behind where he’d close it.

“If you’re that interested, just go see for yourse—”

Clang—the locker slammed shut.

And suddenly, Peter was face to face with me, hidden behind the door.

“Wha—ahh! Geez, you scared me! What are you doing, Michelle? Hiding there!?”

“Nothing. I saw you and thought I’d mess with you a bit.”

Peter’s shocked expression was just too funny. I couldn’t help but giggle a little.

He blinked a few times, then scratched his cheek awkwardly.

…Oh, right. He was talking to someone.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Michelle.”

“…Huh? Ah, hey. I’m Ned. Ned Leeds… There are three Neds in our school, so…”

The slightly chubby boy returned my greeting with a nervous, cautious tone.

Ned, huh.

Hmm… That name rings a bell. Is he another character from the Spider-Man comics?

"Nice to meet you, Ned."

When I held out my hand, Ned tilted his head.

"Handshake."

After I said that, he gingerly reached out and grasped my hand like he was handling some delicate porcelain antique.

“Whoa—so soft… and smooth…”

Ned, your inner monologue is leaking out.

…Well, can’t really blame him.

I am a beautiful girl, after all.

I snuck a glance at Peter—he was just staring blankly at my hand still held in Ned’s.

"Peter? What’s up?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing! Nothing at all, Michelle."

“…You’re acting weird, Peter.”

I tilted my head, then stepped away from the locker.

"So, what were you two talking about?"

"Eh… uh… well…"

Peter awkwardly turned away, struggling to answer.

"...Something shady?"

Or maybe something pervy?

"N-No! Nothing like that!"

"Actually, we were talking about you, Michelle."

…Huh?

"Me?"

"Dude—seriously, Ned?!"

"What? Come on, Peter, it’s fine. I just heard a girl transferred into Peter’s class, so I wanted to ask about it a bit, you know? I'm in another class, so I was curious. Like, what’s she like~?"

“…I see.”

Ned’s a talker, huh?

Well, he’s not being annoying. Honestly, he seems kind of fun.

"Man, I was shocked. The rumor already made it to other classes—about the cute transfer student. Even Peter—"

"Hey! Quit it, Ned!"

Peter jabbed his elbow into Ned’s side.

Ned let out a dull “oof” in response.

…That was a pretty solid hit.

Now he’s coughing, trying to catch his breath.

Guess loose lips sink ships.

Still—

“Cute? You mean me?”

I asked, and Ned didn’t hesitate.

“Obviously. Just look in a mirror—you’ll see it too.”

…Being called cute so directly like that doesn’t happen often, so… yeah. It’s kind of embarrassing.

I mean, I know I’m cute, but still.

"Uh… thanks."

"No need to thank me. It’s just the truth."

Oh—right.

“…What about you, Peter?"

“Huh?”

"Peter, do you think I’m cute?"

This was a key moment.

Peter’s a good-looking guy.

I bet tons of girls are already flocking around him.

If he said I was cute, that’d give me some serious cred.

"Uhh… umm… well…"

"Peter… do you not think I’m cute?"

I dropped my eyebrows and put on a slightly sad expression.

…Well? Pretty convincing, right?

I have practiced finding the perfect angle to look cute in front of a mirror, you know.

…Though suddenly, it’s all feeling kind of hollow.

Peter, seeing my expression, panicked and started shaking his head frantically.

"N-no! That’s not it at all! Uh—hey, Michelle, didn’t you say you had plans after school today!? Isn’t it about time? Maybe you shouldn’t be chatting around like this…?"

Ahh… right. I did say something like that to Flash, didn’t I?

“That was a lie.”

“…A lie?”

“Yup.”

Peter paused for a moment, as if running it through his head, then nodded with a look of understanding.

“…You’ve got a really interesting personality.”

“Not sure how to take that as a compliment.”

Peter seemed to catch on that I was teasing him and gave me this deadpan, slightly exasperated stare.

“…Wow. So Peter and Michelle-san are pretty close, huh?”

Ned said that with a grin on his face.

“Yep. We’re good friends.”

“……”

Even though I confirmed it, Peter said nothing.

Boys around this age tend to get embarrassed about being seen close with a girl.

While we were chatting, a blonde girl came walking up, waving her hand.

It was Gwen.

“Oh, hey Gwen.”

“Yo, Michelle.”

“"Ugh, Gwen..."”

Peter and Ned both grimaced at the same time and took a subtle step back.

“Oh, the nerd squad. You guys were so gloomy I almost didn’t notice you.”

“What the heck, Gwen…”

“Nerd? What’s a nerd?”

I tilted my head, and Gwen leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“It means gloomy geek.”

“Ahh… I see.”

Must be slang or something.

I glanced over at Peter and Ned.

…Somehow, I was starting to understand why Peter wasn’t exactly popular.

Noticing my stare, Ned raised his voice defensively.

“W-what is it?”

“I was just explaining to Michelle that you two are nerds.”

“Huh!? So what if we are? Nothing wrong with being nerds!”

Ned puffed up with an indignant look like How dare you!.

But still, how do I put it?

It didn’t feel like she was genuinely mocking him, and he didn’t seem genuinely angry either.

So it made me think—

“You guys get along, huh?”

As Ned and Gwen bickered, Peter quietly leaned in beside me and whispered,

“Ned and Gwen are childhood friends. I only became friends with both of them once we got to high school.”

Ahh. That clears that up.

“Thanks, Peter.”

When I whispered my thanks, Peter flinched with a visible shudder.

“…Uh, I’d kinda prefer it if you didn’t talk right into my ear like that.”

……Even though he whispered to me earlier.

Why is it only a problem when I do it?

I don’t get it.

Feeling the injustice of this world weigh on me, I turned my attention back to the pair still bickering.

…And somehow, watching them argue like that made me feel at peace. Just a little, quietly happy.

But—

The phone in my breast pocket started to buzz. I’d set it to silent since we were still on campus.

I pulled it out and tilted the screen so the others couldn’t see.

……

Sigh.

“Sorry, guys. I’ve got something I have to do—gonna head out first.”

“The thing you mentioned to Flash?”

“Huh? Didn’t you say earlier you didn’t have anything planned?”

“…It came up just now.”

I gave that answer, and though all three of them tilted their heads slightly, they eventually nodded in acceptance.

“Hmm, okay. Well, see you tomorrow, Michelle.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow. At school.”

Waving to Gwen, Ned, and Peter, I turned and walked away.

The message on my phone screen was a string of encrypted characters.