Dalton School.
One of the most prestigious private high schools in New York, and frankly, the entire United States.
Known for its powerful faculty, rich academic resources, and rigorous admission standards, it was hailed as the "Cradle of the Ivy League." The annual tuition alone exceeded $60,000.
It embodied all the pros and cons of an elite institution.
Especially now, after New York had suffered through two major battles. Several other prestigious schools in Manhattan had been damaged or destroyed and were still rebuilding.
The Dalton School, located in the Upper East Side but miraculously untouched, stood out even more.
However, no matter how special Dalton was, or how glorious its history...
To Luca, it was just... a place to play house.
In fact, for this renowned private high school, Luca's enrollment was an honor.
Because...
"Look! That's Luca Aurantius, right?? He's really going to school with us!"
"It really is him! I saw him on the news. They say he's the wealthiest high schooler in America right now. Does a guy like that even need to go to school?"
"So handsome! I wonder if he has a girlfriend? That mechanical arm is so cool! Imagine if it moves... ah~"
---
And that was his life now.
The leisurely campus life Luca imagined? Non-existent.
From day one, he felt like a panda released into human society. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by whispers and stares.
He didn't know what was going on in the heads of American high schoolers these days. Despite being an academically rigorous school, in just a few days...
Luca had received countless love letters sealed with lipstick kisses.
If he hadn't personally beaten up a sissy boy dressed in neon pink who tried to get too close, those letters might have included some truly bizarre items.
Maybe I should just skip grades, get a college diploma, and be done with it. I have a ton of work at the company...
Walking down the hall with a look of utter despair, the thought of skipping grades resurfaced.
I don't need to learn the basics here anyway. And for exams, Haro can help me cheat...
Enduring the whispers, Luca stepped into his classroom.
"Hi. Good morning, Gwen~"
He greeted weakly.
The response came in stereo. Two nearly identical voices replied.
"Good morning, Luca~" x2
Yes, two voices.
In front of Luca sat two beautiful girls who looked almost identical, differing only slightly in hairstyle and clothing.
"Native Gwen" (Gwen Stacy) and "Otherworld Gwen" (Ghost Spider).
"Luca! You won't believe it! Potts likes the same band as me! We're planning to go to a rock club later and recruit people to start a band. Want to join?"
While Gwen Stacy excitedly shared her new discovery, "Gwen Potts" sat beside her with a constipated expression, frantically winking at Luca.
Luca ignored her distress completely. He put on an exaggerated look of surprise.
"Really? See, I told you Potts is your long-lost twin! Even your names are the same. Maybe it's twin telepathy! Keep looking, I bet you have even more in common!"
"By the way, Gwen, do you have any birthmarks? I can help you check..."
SWISH.
A pencil case flew at Luca's head.
He caught it effortlessly.
Looking at "Gwen Potts," whose eyes clearly said 'Say one more word and I'll kill you,' Luca wisely chose to shut up.
"Gwen Potts." Just hearing the name told you Tony Stark was behind it.
Since they hadn't found a way to send Ghost-Spider home yet, and knowing Luca was starting high school...
Tony used his "genius" brain and decided to enroll Ghost-Spider in the same school to keep an eye on Luca.
But since the surname "Stark" was too conspicuous in New York, he gave her the fake name "Gwen Potts" (using Pepper's last name).
However, whether it was fate or Tony's prank...
The real Gwen Stacy was also attending this school. And she was in the exact same class.
On the first day, Gwen Stacy met the girl who looked exactly like her and shared her first name.
Still just a normal human, Gwen Stacy briefly wondered if her police captain father had sown some wild oats in his youth.
Once the misunderstanding was (mostly) cleared up, Gwen Stacy immediately adopted Gwen Potts as her best friend.
Her current hobby was finding similarities between them.
Gwen Potts was suffering. She was already half-committed to joining Luca's "Drop Out of School" campaign.
But Luca had zero sympathy. Teasing "Perky Gwen" and "Grumpy Gwen" every day was one of the few joys of his high school life.
After a few more minutes of banter, the bell rang. Luca returned the "confiscated weapon" (pencil case) to Gwen Potts and sat down under her glare.
The subject teacher walked in, followed by the homeroom teacher.
And behind the homeroom teacher was a slender, pale boy.
Clap clap clap.
The homeroom teacher clapped to get everyone's attention.
"Class, we have a new student today. Due to some health reasons, his enrollment was delayed by a few days."
"Harry, please introduce yourself."
The boy named "Harry" nodded. He stepped forward, his voice gentle and polite.
"My name is Harold Theopolis 'Harry' Osborn. My friends call me Harry. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can get along well during our high school years."
After the brief intro, Harry Osborn stepped back.
The teacher scanned the room for an empty seat. He pointed to the desk next to Luca.
"Harry, you can sit there."