Chapter 58: Birthday Song - Part 5

And so, the day of the birthday party arrived.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I opened the mailbox.

…Huh?

There was a large package inside.

I took it and returned to my room. There was no sender’s name written on the white box.

Looking at the side… it had the Stark Industries logo.

…Mr. Stark?

I opened the box and inside was a gift-wrapped package and a letter.

When I unfolded the letter… it was handwritten by Mr. Stark.

“Happy Birthday! Peter Parker”

That simple message was all it said—and just like that, I was moved. This was a birthday present from Mr. Stark.

I unwrapped the box, and inside was packaging showing the latest smartphone provided by Stark Industries.

“Whoa… That’s so Mr. Stark!”

I was both surprised and grateful that he’d nailed exactly what I wanted. I opened the box.

…But it wasn’t a smartphone.

It was full of electronic components—meaning, circuit boards without the chips installed, and small bags filled with parts.

In other words, it was an unassembled smartphone.

“…Huh? Wait… what?”

Still confused, I noticed another letter inside the box.

I quickly grabbed it and opened it.

“This is homework from me. Have fun. – Stark”

Also included was a manual for assembling it—a DIY electronics kit.

…No, come on.

What kind of student builds their own smartphone?

Sighing at Mr. Stark, I laid the parts out on my desk.

It was still early in the morning.

There was plenty of time before the birthday party.

I cracked my knuckles and sat down in my chair.

…Man, maybe I should start a phone company someday. Something like Parker Industries…

---

I, Eddie Brock, opened my mailbox.

…These days, anyone still using mail is either a weirdo or just bad with tech.

Usually it’s empty, but today was an exception.

There was a single envelope inside. I opened it with a letter opener.

It was… a message from Ryker’s Island Prison.

The contents were full of legal jargon, but the short version was this: The execution of Cletus Kasady will take place today, August 10th.

“They send me this crap—what, are they trying to say I’m the one who killed him?”

All the information I got from questioning Cletus Kasady was handed over to the police.

Of course, I also sold it to the papers as an exclusive scoop.

That alone made me a ton of money.

In the end, everything he told me turned out to be true, and a bunch of unsolved cases were closed.

With no need to cut a deal with him, the state just went ahead with the execution.

The government probably wanted to execute him way earlier. Once he was no longer useful, they moved fast.

Still, the reason his execution was pushed forward is because I sold that info to the cops.

In other words, the one who killed him was—

“Hey, Eddie! The eggs are burning!”

“O-Oh, crap!”

I stirred the scrambled eggs in the frying pan.

From my shoulder, a black tar-like substance flowed out and formed a face.

The face turned to look at me.

“Eddie! Don’t worry about it!”

“About the eggs burning?”

“No, you idiot!”

Venom headbutted me in the face.

“Hey! Don’t do that when I’m using fire!”

“Eddie, if he dies, it’s on him! Not our fault!”

“A-Ah… Wait. Is that… Are you trying to cheer me up?”

“No!”

Another headbutt made me stumble. I almost dropped the frying pan, but somehow managed to hang on.

“I told you, that’s dangerous!”

“You’re the one saying dumb stuff!”

“I wasn’t kidding! You’re the weird one, saying random crap like that!”

Bickering like always, I kept cooking breakfast.

Venom might be loud and obnoxious… but he’s not a bad guy.

And today, that noise was strangely comforting.

---

I pressed the buzzer next to the door of the room next to mine.

Feeling a bit fidgety, I straightened my clothes just in case the person inside came out.

Then I heard a sudden clatter and laughed a little.

After a moment, the door opened, and Peter—wearing the same clothes as always—stepped out.

“Ah, Michelle…?”

“Peter. Time.”

I took out my phone and showed him the screen.

The digital clock read 2:33 PM.

…Today is Peter’s and my birthday party.

It’s being held at Gwen’s place, and we’re supposed to meet up there at 3:00 PM. Since Peter and I live in adjacent rooms, we agreed to go together.

The meet-up time was 2:30 PM.

And now?

2:33… no, 2:34 PM.

Which means—

“You’re late.”

“Wha—Eh!? Ah… s-sorry! I’ll get ready right away!”

“Mm.”

Nodding, I waited in front of the door.

…There was a rustling sound, like fabric brushing.

He must be changing in a hurry.

I returned my phone to the bag hanging from my shoulder, took out a compact mirror, and fixed my hair.

After a short while, the door opened and Peter appeared.

…He wasn’t wearing his usual checkered shirt—it looked like he had dressed up a little.

“S-Sorry, Michelle…”

“Let’s go.”

I left the apartment with Peter and we began walking. It takes about twenty minutes to get to Gwen’s house on foot.

As we walked, I asked Peter a question.

“Why were you late?”

“Ah, well… that’s, um…”

Peter stammered, clearly struggling to answer, and I smiled.

“I’m not mad… no need to panic.”

“Ah… thanks, Michelle.”

I nodded at his thanks without slowing down.

“So? What was the reason?”

“Uh… this, actually.”

Peter pulled a smartphone from his chest pocket.

But… wait? Wasn’t his phone broken?

I thought it was, which is why I’d gone out of my way to knock on his door.

“Did you buy a new one?”

“No, I got it as a present…”

Because it’s his birthday, maybe… Still, someone gifting a brand-new smartphone is pretty generous.

…Maybe his guardian? Aunt May, perhaps?

Curious, I asked Peter.

“From who?”

“Uh, from… a relative who works at Stark Indu—I mean, Stark Industries. See, it’s a Stark model.”

I leaned over to look, and sure enough.

There was the Stark Industries logo beneath the phone screen.

A relative, huh?

Works at Stark Industries?

…No, it’s probably Tony Stark.

“I’m glad for you, Peter.”

“Yeah, thanks… Setting it up took a lot longer than I thought…”

…Hm?

Was Peter ever the type to struggle with phone setup? I always thought he was more of a tech-savvy guy…

Well, whatever.

A few minutes later—

We arrived at Gwen’s house.

A fairly spacious yard and a wooden detached home.

There was a swing set that didn’t look like it had seen much use.

Did her dad George build it?

…Gwen must be really loved.

I rang the doorbell and stood beside Peter, waiting.

“Michelle… you look kind of happy,” Peter said.

I nodded.

“It’s my first time having my birthday celebrated.”

“…Huh.”

Peter let out a soft, thoughtful sound. As I turned to glance back at him—

The door opened.

“Yo, you two are late. Everything’s ready already.”

It was Ned.

He must’ve arrived earlier.

Late…?

I stole a glance at the wristwatch on Peter’s right arm.

…No, we should actually be ten minutes early.

Even though this is Gwen’s house, it was Ned who let us in… and I saw Gwen at the table setting up the cake.

“Ah, Gwen.”

When I called out, she turned around and smiled brightly as she gave me a pat.

“Happy birthday, Michelle! …Well, technically it’s still one day early.”

“Mm, thanks. I’m happy.”

It kind of felt like I was being treated like a small animal, and it made me a little uncomfortable.

I slipped away from Gwen’s hand and looked at the cake on the table.

It was a whole shortcake.

But with just me, Peter, Gwen, and Ned… it seemed a bit big for the four of us.

I turned back to Gwen and asked:

“Ned just told me we were late… did I mess up the meeting time?”

“Hehe, no no. Michelle, lend me your ear.”

Gwen leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“I told Ned the time thirty minutes earlier. So he could help with the setup.”

“Ah, I—I see…”

Honestly, if she had just asked him outright, Ned probably would’ve helped without hesitation… but, well, that’s so Gwen. Still, it feels like she’s being a bit unfair to the other two. Or maybe that just means they’re close enough that it doesn’t matter.

I glanced over in their direction.

Ned and Peter were chatting, laughing together. Peter gave Ned a pat on the shoulder, smiling.

...Compared to when he's with me, he looked so relaxed. Completely at ease.

Maybe it’s just the amount of time they’ve spent together. Or… maybe it’s because I’m a girl.

I felt a little envious.

…If I had been a boy in this world too, could I have had that kind of bond with Peter?

Or… would he never have taken an interest in me at all?

No point in thinking about it.

Just as I was sinking into that pointless train of thought, Gwen tapped me on the shoulder.

“Alright, let’s get the candles on the cake!”

“Okay.”

I shook off the daydreams and came back to reality.

Seventeen candles.

One for each year—mine and Peter’s.

Noticing Gwen take out the candles, Peter and Ned returned to the table.

With both of us watching, Gwen set the candles on the cake. Then Ned lit them.

The flickering red flames reflected in my eyes.

Gwen switched off the lights… and in the dim room, the glow from the candles was the only thing illuminating us.

Gwen spoke up.

“Wanna sing something?”

“Nah, we’re a little old for that, don’t you think…”

Ned shot it down.

I looked at Peter… he didn’t seem to care either way.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to sing. I mean… I’m bad at it.

Maybe it would've been fine in my past life, but I’ve never even tried singing since I was born into this world.

“Well, never mind that. Michelle, Peter, you two blow out the candles.”

…Wait, both of us?

Peter and I glanced at each other, then shifted slightly left and right before blowing out the flames.

…Peter’s breath brushed against my cheek, and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment.

Apparently, he felt the same, because he pulled away from the cake with a conflicted look.

Gwen and Ned were watching and laughing.

What’s so funny? It’s super awkward.

“Yup, happy birthday to you both.”

“Happy birthday.”

Gwen and Ned wished us well, and we both thanked them.

…It’s been such a long, long time since someone celebrated my birthday like this.

Wait… “a long time”?

Ever since the organization took me in, I don’t think I’ve had a birthday party at all—

The lights came on.

Ned started cleaning up the candles, which had melted slightly from the heat.

“Okay, let’s cut the cake.”

“I’ll do it.”

Ned took the knife from Gwen and sliced the cake into five pieces.

…But there are only four of us?

Oh, right. The fifth must be for Mr. George.

Now that I think about it…

“Gwen? What about Mr. George…?”

“Huh? Oh, Dad? He said he had work today… said he’d be home late.”

“I see. That’s too bad.”

I was going to thank him.

Apparently, he was the one who paid for the birthday cake.

To think he’d spend money on a birthday party for his daughter’s friend…

“Well, maybe he thought it’d be awkward to hang around at a party for his daughter’s friends. He’s probably just being considerate, so don’t worry about it.”

Gwen patted me on the head again.

…She was careful not to mess up my styled hair, patting me gently—but still, it was so embarrassing I wanted her to stop.

Even so, seeing Gwen smiling so happily made it impossible to complain.

I sat down and placed my slice of cake onto a plate.

It was sweet, and delicious.

I was this happy, eating something so good…

It almost made me worry I’d get a stomachache from being too happy.

Once the cake was gone, Gwen picked up the empty plates and headed to the kitchen.

…There was still a lot of whipped cream left on the plate.

It felt like a waste, but—well, I wasn’t going to lick it or anything.

Suddenly, Ned seemed to remember something.

“Oh, right. This—birthday present.”

He handed me a white bag with a red ribbon tied at the top.

A gift bag, clearly wrapped just for this.

“Thanks, Ned. Can I open it?”

“Of course.”

I opened the bag, and Peter, sitting beside me, leaned in curiously to peek.

Inside was...

“A DVD?”

The package featured artwork from a superhero movie. One I’d seen before… but it had burned along with my old room.

“No, it’s a Blu-ray.”

“…Thank you.”

I smiled, genuinely happy.

Ned really did have good taste.

And he paid close attention to me.

What makes a gift special isn’t just the object itself—it’s the thought behind it. Knowing someone cared enough to think about me and pick it out with sincerity… that’s what really made me happy.

“And for you, Peter—this.”

“Ah, yeah, thanks…”

Ned handed Peter his present.

Unlike mine, it wasn’t wrapped. He gave it to him as-is.

Which meant I could see it too.

Wait… what is that?

It looked like… a card?

“Ned, what’s this?”

“What do you mean? It’s a gift card. Five dollars.”

…The gap was so extreme, I forgot how to breathe for a moment.

I didn’t even realize not picking a gift was an option.

And five dollars? Seriously?

“What, you already gave the gifts?”

“Oh, Gwen.”

Gwen returned after placing the dishes in the sink.

She rummaged under the table and pulled out a small box.

“Here, this one’s for you, Michelle.”

“Thank you.”

The box was about the size of my palm, and surprisingly light.

“Come on, open it!”

“Okay…”

Nodding at Gwen’s urging, I opened the box—and found a tube of lipstick inside.

“Um, Gwen, this…”

“Well, you don’t usually wear makeup, Michelle… I mean, you’re cute enough without it, of course. But, you know—if you want to win over that special someone, it might come in handy, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

Overwhelmed by Gwen’s intensity, I took the lipstick in hand.

…Truthfully, I almost never wear makeup. Just a bit, lightly.

Something this bold… I’d never even tried a lipstick with color this strong before.

It made me nervous.

“D-do you think it’ll suit me?”

“Pfft, obviously. I picked it out.”

She grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a hug.

…Well, she is my fashion mentor.

Back when I didn’t even know the basics—not just about trends, but even about women’s clothes—she taught me everything.

So, if she recommended this lipstick, then I’m sure… it’ll look good on me. Probably.

“And for Peter, this.”

“…Uh.”

It was a small box.

“Hair wax. A little hint to step up your style.”

“Oh, uh, right. Thanks…”

Peter nodded and accepted it.

…Well, Peter does have those slightly wavy curls.

Once Gwen and Ned had finished handing out their gifts, Peter pulled out a box of his own.

“Uh, Michelle, this one’s from me.”

“What is it?”

“Um…”

Peter hesitated, fumbling for words.

I opened the box myself.

Inside were several photographs.

…Beautiful shots of New York scenery.

“Peter… are these…”

“I took them myself.”

A smile spread across my face.

They were so like Peter—gorgeous and full of character.

Views from tall buildings.

The city at night.

The ocean.

Neon lights.

I flipped through them one by one. And then—

“…Huh?”

I noticed the last photo.

…A man in a red mask.

“Spider-Man…?”

As I said it, Ned and Gwen leaned over to look.

It was a photo of Spider-Man web-swinging through the city.

“Uh, you mentioned you were a fan of Spider-Man… so, I brought a photo I took before, one that turned out really nice.”

…Before?

No, that’s not true.

From the reflection in the building’s windows, I could tell—it was a photo taken after the Daily Bugle was rebuilt.

In other words, it was taken recently.

…He went out of his way to take a selfie just to give it to me as a gift.

Ned was staring at Peter with a look like, “Are you serious right now?”

…Huh?

So Ned really does know Spider-Man’s identity?

While I was caught up in that suspicion, Peter—maybe realizing just how embarrassing this was—gave a very awkward, sheepish smile.

Gwen smacked him on the shoulder.

A full-on shoulder punch.

“Peter, you were doing pretty well up until that point…”

“Huh? Wait, it wasn’t good?”

“The fact you don’t get that is why you’re still a vir—never mind.”

…For some reason, she was scolding him.

Gwen let out a sigh of exasperation.

I opened my mouth, trying to defend Peter.

“I-it’s fine. I’m really happy, actually.”

“See, Gwen? She said she’s happy.”

“…Idiot.”

Gwen muttered it under her breath, directing it at Peter.

But honestly…

This photo—this Spider-Man selfie—I really was happy to receive it.

When I get home, I’m definitely going to wrap it and put it in my scrapbook.

And then—

Gwen turned toward me.

“So, Michelle. Got a present for Peter? …Or do you?”

That was blunt.

Of course I brought something.

“Um… here.”

I pulled a wooden box out of my bag.

“Mind if I open it?”

“Go ahead.”

Peter opened the box.

Michelle and Ned leaned in to look.

…Somehow, it felt a bit embarrassing.

Inside was a picture frame.

“Peter, you like taking photos… right?”

“Yeah… yeah, I really do. Thank you.”

Peter smiled warmly.

He really looked happy, and that made me relax, nodding with relief.

Seeing that, Gwen spoke up.

“Hey, Peter. You have your camera with you?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah—of course. I brought it for the party.”

“Then how about this—let’s take a photo right now to put in that frame.”

Gwen rested her elbow on Peter’s shoulder.

Peter looked over at me and Ned.

“Great idea. Alright, everyone—gather in front of the sofa.”

Peter took his camera from his bag, adjusted the timer, and set it on the table.

The four of us lined up in front of the sofa.

The flash went off—and the shutter clicked.

Peter checked the photo on the camera.

From behind, I called out to him.

“Peter, how is it?”

“Uh, here—take a look.”

I leaned in to see the photo.

Me, Peter, Gwen, and Ned—all smiling together.

I couldn’t help it; my cheeks relaxed into a smile.

Seeing my expression, Peter spoke to me.

“…Michelle?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“You just… looked really happy.”

…Well, yeah.

A photo means this moment will last forever.

Even if I disappear someday… even if everyone forgets me… the memory will stay.

It’s proof—tangible proof—that I, Michelle Jane, was here.

And that alone fills me with this overwhelming, bittersweet happiness.

But I could never tell Peter something like that.

“It just turned out to be a nice photo, that’s all.”

“Oh yeah? If it makes you happy, I’ll take as many as you want.”

“…Thanks, Peter.”

I gave him a quiet thank you and looked at the photo again.

…I’d never really thought about it before, but I was smiling like this—so naturally—when I was with everyone.

“Really… thank you, Peter.”

I spoke again, as if savoring the feeling of happiness.