"Yeah, like I said to him, he really isn't that good at hiding his true intentions. And he has the nerve to blame me for something he did to himself! It's crazy Ai, really crazy, honestly, I'm just glad I don't have to deal with that jerk in school anymore."
"[I'm glad to hear that Sekinin-kun! It seems he really is scum for trying to pick on you. And, as you said, he pushed that glass to the ground, which cost Ozukōpu Industries the whole thing. Was it just at school where you don't have to see him?]"
"Yeah, but sadly today I just saw him on the streets just 10 minutes ago, like always he picks fights with someone, and I think he got a black eye when he messed with the wrong person. He took one look at me and immediately knew who I was. And assumes I was still the wallflower."
Sekinin was talking to Gyaru Ai on the phone. Sekinin and Nijika are walking to the Hikawa Shrine to meet up with Ai there to receive blessings and ofudas. Well, Nijika just wishes to have the blessing so that she can make her father proud while Ai wishes to buy energy ofudas as Sekinin mentally noted in the phone call she sounded a bit exhausted.
Ai took the time to call Sekinin as he was still away from the location and that he had to maintain his normal identity from her and Nijika.
"[So he tried to intimidate you but it ended badly? That's so shocking!]"
"Yep! He threw a punch at me, I dodged it, he did another but I also dodged it, and when he tried to kick me down I just took a few steps back making him fall on his own. Honestly, it was kind of refreshing to see."
As much as Sekinin didn't wish to use his powers to humiliate someone, as much as he really did wish to humiliate his old bully, he thought it would be better to use them to make his bully humiliate himself while Sekinin did absolutely nothing but dodge.
Nijika laughed as she overheard the conversation between the two. Nijika was a bit surprised that Sekinin already had another friend and hadn't told her about Ai Hayasaka, but she found out from Sekinin that the two only message each other.
She wondered if they didn't have the time to meet until today. She thought that Ai must be very busy with something that prevented her from meeting Sekinin in person. Perhaps that was what Nijika was thinking as she listened in more.
"He tried to act like a victim when he realized that he couldn't land a single hit, but unlike school his actions caused people around him to dislike or view him as an attention-seeker. Some even recognize him as the guy who made Ozukōpu lose so much money on the project they were working on. I can't believe someone like that was heard by the public."
"[Wow! Hey since you were there that day. What kind of thing caused all of the ruckus there? You mentioned that the bully was the reason Ozukōpu was in a panic, but no one knows what exactly was escaping.]"
Sekinin wonders if he should tell Ai the truth about what really escaped from Ozukōpu Industries. But one look from Nijika, who gave me a look that said it was his choice, made Sekinin think of Arawareru for a quick moment. He smiled as he explained.
"It was something that made even the scientists afraid as they literally wore protective gear to avoid getting hurt. I guess the venom it produces was that dangerous or something. To answer your question it was a jumping spider, a modified enhanced spider made out of other kinds of spider DNA."
Looking back at it, it would make sense why that very spider was able to hide away throughout that whole day before biting Sekinin's hand.
"[And that bully was the sole reason that special spider escaped? Seriously? Something that special would definitely cause so much chaos, or so what I've heard about it. I wonder where the spider had gone to?]"
Sekinin just said it was possibly hiding somewhere no one would ever find it. Because the corpse was still near Starry until someone threw away the spider while he himself had the spider's blood inside mixed with his own blood.
The fact that he survived the venom that the spider injected with that bite was something to be called a miracle. Because he researched spider bites during that first week and some spiders have venom contained in their bites but some don't but that didn't mean the effects were good, no, not at all.
"Anyway we're about to reach the stairs, we could have arrived there sooner but the bus route had to be changed because of a construction site nearby."
Sekinin wondered why the road leading to the was now being constructed, but the moment he got through another route and saw the reason was. He wonders if last night he actually was close to where Shocker was or if he appeared after he and Yuri went home. Because the streets and roads look like they've been hit by shockwaves.
The damage of those shockwaves is too familiar to Sekinin, especially as he felt the attack head-on and saw how much damage it could cause.
"[Ah! So that explains why— Oh hey I see you both!]"
The call ended on Sekinin's side as he immediately guessed Ai hung up as she said she saw him and Nijika. She raced over as she beamed at the two in front of her.
"Hey, hey! I can get to hang out with Sekinin-kun again! And you must be Nijika-chan! Sekinin-kun texted me so much about you! He really was right, you do look like an angel!"
Nijika smiled as she greeted another fellow blonde but was immediately blushing as she looked at Sekinin who turned away to avoid meeting her gaze.
"Oh! And he totally said another nickname that looks like he was right. Dorito-chan!"
Ai comments on Nijika's ahoge as she has never seen an ahoge that floats a bit above Nijika's head. And the picture Sekinin sent about an American chip called Doritos really looks like he was spot on about her ahoge.
Nijika suddenly stopped smiling as she slowly turned to Sekinin with a frown that made him feel he angered the divine next to him. And at the same time, he began to sweat as he just recalled telling Ai about the nickname he secretly gave to Nijika.
"(Why did I tell her about that nickname! Perhaps this was fate's message for the world to punish me for calling Usagi, Bunhead!? Then again I did have another nickname for… Actually yeah, Meatball Head actually sounds more mean.)"
Sekinin can really see that it was karma itself punishing him when he made Nijika's nickname when they were little. But who could blame him? Her ahoge is literally something that cannot be explained by science and how it was floating was a pure mystery to him, and it reminded him of the Dorito chips back in New York.
Heck Sekinin even thinks Ai is wondering how Nijika's Dorito ahoge is even floating as she might look like she is amazed but Sekinin can easily tell she is very calculative of how such an ahoge like Nijika's is possible.
The three soon arrive at the shrine as Nijika comments on how she forgot how long the stairs are. The three of them soon reach the top of the stairs minutes later. Sekinin could see people either praying or buying omamori charms, seals, and other things that anyone can buy at a shrine.
Sekinin's eyes wander as he forgets what the Hikawa Shrine in the Minato ward looks like in the morning as he is met with a sight he didn't think he would ever see. Rei speaks with a blond boy as if he is asking her information about the charms with Rei answering him about what they can do. Sekinin couldn't help but grin as he quickly approached the blond boy.
"Hey, Miyuki! Haven't seen you in a while!"
Miyuki Shirogane, a friend of his when Sekinin was 7, and apparently years before his parents' deaths, they helped him and his father Papa Shirogane when they had a financial crisis when Papa Shirogane's factory got shut down, as from what he learned from Ben apparently Papa Shirogane decided to mess with a guy named Oko Shinomiya which led to his factory downfall.
The surname Shinomiya was something that anyone in Japan has heard of, so why Papa Shirogane decided to mess with a guy with the guy who is part of the family of the most powerful, wealthy influence, and other things they have was beyond Sekinin. Even if the reason why was never explained.
And also the fact that Papa Shirogane's wife left him with Miyuki's little sister Kei, whom Sekinin never met.
Anyway, the financial status of the Shirogane household, as they now live in the Minato ward, was stable enough for them to continue their lives but to carefully manage their money to ensure that they won't go broke or poor. Even Papa Shirogane was grateful to Sekinin's parents and it seems that, from what May and Ben had told him, Papa Shirogane and Miyuki attended his parents' funeral.
"Huh? Oh, Sekinin! It's… Been…"
Miyuki stops mid-sentence as he swore he heard a familiar person with a deeper voice as he can only see a teenage version of a friend of his that he hadn't seen in months. His jaw dropped when he recognized the black hair and blue eyes as Sekinin nervously laughed as he knew why Miyuki was shocked.
"Here's the short story: my puberty was very different in my body."
The way Sekinin said that with a straight face really confused Miyuki so much but Rei laughed as if she knew (which she really does) the actual truth. But she welcomes Sekinin and Nijika like old friends.
"It's good to see you again, Sekinin, and Nijika, it's been a while."
"Rei-chan! It's been so long. Oh, that reminds me."
With no hesitation, Nijika smacks Sekinin on the head, surprisingly as she is shorter than him, and the smack literally went through his spider durability as Sekinin actually felt the hit of that smack.
"I just remembered I hadn't punished you enough for not seeing Rei-chan for that whole year."
"I got it, I truly deserved it."
Rei just bursts out laughing when she sees this while Ai just watches in pure confusion as well. But she can guess what it was about when she heard from both Rei and Nijika. As she couldn't help but speak up.
"Wow, Sekinin-kun, you really haven't visited this pretty shrine maiden in a year? How bad!"
Sekinin just scratched his head, while avoiding the soreness he felt on that one spot on his head.
"I had just had… Some problems during that year."
Nijika's expression went from seriousness to softness, while she is mad at her best friend for not visiting Rei, she is deeply concerned about the blackouts he faced during the last year. She even remembers the first time it happened as she asked her family if they had seen Sekinin as he just vanished only for him to reappear and for him to nearly pass out from exhaustion for reasons unknown.
"Oh speaking of those problems, Sekinin, did you use the ofudas I gave you, properly?"
"Yeah I did, and honestly they really helped Rei."
Rei just nodded with a bit of a blush on her face as she said it was no problem. Sekinin just smiled as he turned to Miyuki giving him a warm smile that made Miyuki still see that Sekinin is still Sekinin.
"How is Papa Shirogane?"
Miyuki smiled as the two spoke like they hadn't seen each other in months while the three girls got to know each other.
Rei and Nijika are catching up, Nijika and Ai are getting to know each other more, and Ai and Rei are just talking to each other for the first time. But Nijika doesn't know that the two of them are thinking of their thoughts of one another.
"(So this is the rumored shrine maiden that possesses unusual powers? I wonder if this shrine is the reason why Sekinin got those mysterious blackouts.)"
Ai thought to herself as she showed and acted friendly, she is very suspicious of Rei Hino.
"(Hmm, this girl, she is hiding her true expression behind that act of hers. Is Sekinin aware that this girl is not showing her true self or perhaps he does knows but acts like he doesn't.)"
While Rei isn't sure, she felt suspicious of Ai Hayasaka because of her persona to act like a gal.
"Isn't this great? It's like we're gathered together by Sekinin!"
Nijika, oblivious of what is happening to the two's minds, she just acts as if it is a social gathering of the friends of Sekinin in one place. Ai and Rei could easily tell how pure and innocent Nijika is so they don't suspect her one bit. But that didn't mean that they didn't leave each other out of their suspicion as they secretly glared at each other.
Meanwhile, Sekinin and Miyuki are talking about the news they heard about yesterday evening and night.
"I've heard that the Shocker, I think he was called Shokkā Schultz escaped custody last night and is on the run. Do you think the Sensational Spider-Man could find him?"
"That really depends on how Spider-Man does it, Miyuki, if Spidey could find out where the Shocker is hiding then he can beat him again like how the news said of the aftermath of that idol live house."
"Oh, that nickname of Spider-Man reminds me of something I saw this morning! I saw Ai Hoshino's Instagram latest post, which shows a post of her looking relieved after the attack of the Shocker as the text said she is thankful to Spidey for saving her. I'm surprised you also know Spider-Man's nickname too Sekinin, do you also follow Ai Hoshino?"
Sekinin sweats when he recalls seeing the nickname Idol Ai on her Instagram profile. A part of him expected her to admit what her first interaction with Spider-Man was, but perhaps in her mind, at least what he thought, that she assumed she went too personally with him and just decided to post that photo as an apology.
Then again he did receive a text message from her that same morning.
[Idol Star✨- Spidey~ I'm so sorry if what I said was too personal to you. So here is the link to my Instagram post! UwU #Spideyforever!]
Yeah as if that hadn't made him blush enough the moment he woke up and opened that message link.
But Sekinin decided to text her back as he did feel guilty for hanging up on her when he did.
[Real Spidey - Hey, Hoshino-tan, my apologies for ending the call like that. It was just that I'd learned some new information regarding Kamiki as I kept my emotions in and it just exploded. If you want then we can perhaps have a call again soon but if you're okay with just texting then I don't mind.]
Sekinin recalled sending that message as he hadn't gotten the response back, perhaps she was that busy with her idol work or she was still perhaps actually pouting for him hanging her up like what he did last night.
"I guess you could say that but I've just begun to see why everyone likes her."
"Hmm, oh! How's May-san and Ben-san been doing? I kinda need your Uncle Ben's word of wisdom for something."
"Oh? What is it, perhaps I can help considering I am a Parker myself."
Miyuki felt a bit embarrassed, which made Sekinin tense immediately as he recognized the look on his friend's face. Miyuki took a deep breath as he looked Sekinin dead in the eyes.
"Do you think you could help me learn how to ride a bike?"
Sekinin now wished he had kept his mouth shut. But then again he should have expected this, for some very odd yet strange reason whenever Miyuki asked, depending on who he asked, him or his aunt and uncle it was like he was cursed to be so bad at anything. But he is actually good at studying or doing volunteer work.
Yet for like, let's say… Singing, dancing, soccer, and just anything Miyuki asks as he reveals just how bad he is at certain things. Sekinin can still remember the first time he asked him to teach him and play soccer with them when they were 8 leading Sekinin to having to spend a week with Miyuki to kick the ball to the goal.
So with a new request for riding a bike, Sekinin can already imagine the days it would take for Miyuki to not fall off his bike before he actually starts peddling, which would take even more days.
The dread was very visible on Sekinin's face, but he knew that only he and his aunt, and his uncle could get this guy to actually learn what he asked for someone to help him.
So with a nod as well as the feeling he will once again regret this, agreed to help Miyuki as he thanked Sekinin.
"Thanks so much Sekinin! Oh by the way, is there a reason why you're here at the shrine?"
"I honestly could ask you the same thing, but I'm here to visit my friend Rei over there as I owe her many visits that I somewhat willingly neglected during the past year."
"Oh, so that's why Nijika-chan smacks you on the head. Well, I came here to get a blessing for my father and me as well as buy a cheap talisman that is good luck but I don't think there is one that cheap considering what Miss Hino has told me."
"You're going to do more jobs for your neighbors aren't you? Not for the talisman but also to further earn more yen?"
"Well, it's something I can do at the moment as I'm not old enough to get a job. But considering you're literally taller than me, you could actually get a job without trying to act like you're 15 or something. You can actually lie about your age and get a job."
Sekinin did in fact consider doing something like Miyuki suggested, but even he could tell it was something that Miyuki hoped would happen to him just to earn more money for him and his father. Sekinin can understand that clearly.
But for Sekinin himself, getting a part-time job was just asking himself to be more exhausted as he was already doing his Sensational Spider-Man while still being Sekinin Parker with his two places at once unique ability.
"I will think about it but right now I just want to be a kid who is literally in this teenage body."
Miyuki nodded in understanding as Sekinin suddenly felt like his other half was leading a case of something Yuri had found. And for some reason, he felt or sensed it would be different from what the two expected the trail to be.
Because right now he is just hanging out with friends at the shrine, but the other half was now confronting a guy who invited himself on the case Spider-Man was on.
And that involved him investigating a hidden factory of illegal drugs but before he could do anything someone shouted at the guy as the Chameleon.