Chapter 6

"You never liked coming here, right?" Clark asked Mitch with a puzzled expression. He still had a bit of a grudge against Mitch after the school bus incident earlier in the day, so his tone wasn't too friendly.

Mitch shrugged and replied, "Well, this is your secret hangout, isn't it? I figured it's best not to bother you. And honestly, I can see everything from anywhere, so why bother coming here?" There was a sly grin on Mitch's face.

Clark's confusion deepened. Did that mean Mitch could watch Lana's every move even if she didn't live nearby? Combined with Mitch's opinion of Lana, Clark's heart sank. Could it be that Mitch was also interested in Lana?!

As he grappled with his feelings, Mitch turned away, shaking his head. He told his younger brother, "Look, Clark, Lana isn't really your type."

Clark quickly fired back, "You sound like Mr. Escalante, making judgments about things you don't know much about and trying to control everything according to your own agenda."

Mitch chuckled, "Clark, Mr. Escalante won't be hanging out with you in your secret spot." He then strolled over to the telescope and started adjusting its lenses. "Lana's place is just a mile away, but she's never visited our house. I think there must be more to it than just not liking you, don't you think?"

Clark found Mitch's sarcastic tone increasingly annoying. "Well, whatever. Just remember to respect people's privacy, Mitch."

With those words, Clark hurriedly descended the stairs, wanting to put some distance between himself and Mitch.

Mitch stood there, slightly befuddled. He couldn't help but feel that Clark was being a bit hypocritical, talking about respecting privacy while snooping on people with binoculars.

The next morning at school, Clark noticed that many students were talking about him. "Hey, our superhero's here!" someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see Chloe holding a book, with Pete by her side.

Chloe, a girl with short blond hair and a strong desire to become one of the four state university interns selected by the Daily Planet, remarked, "What's the deal, Clark? Is this the topic of your report today?"

Clark tried to play dumb, "Do you really believe all that, Chloe?"

Chloe shot him a skeptical look, "I have my doubts."

Pete, lost in thoughts about the upcoming homecoming dance, finally noticed Clark's gaze and spoke up, "Considering that you managed to get to school before us even after missing the school bus, lifting a school bus shouldn't be too tough for you, Clark."

Chloe made a face of disgust, "So, your shortcut must've been a black hole, right?"

"Alright, let's set that aside for now," Pete said, pulling Clark aside for a private chat.

Clark listened as Pete explained, "Clark, I've got a new plan to avoid becoming scarecrows. Trust me; it's the best option apart from joining the football team."

Clark looked puzzled, "Scarecrows?"

Pete elaborated, "The football team's tradition is to paint an 'S' on a freshman's chest and hang them up like a scarecrow before every game. You and I seem like prime candidates for that 'honor.'"

Chloe, having joined them, grimaced, "Sounds like those selected freshmen will need years of therapy."

Clark sighed, realizing his objections wouldn't carry much weight. "Fine, I'll go along with it."

As his friends walked away, Clark couldn't help but feel like he often didn't have much say in their decisions.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the school, Mitch had run into some trouble. He found that someone had tampered with his locker. The lead box inside, containing Kryptonite fragments he had recently acquired, was missing.

Since arriving in this world, Mitch had focused on two things: developing his physical abilities and collecting Kryptonite fragments scattered throughout the town.

"Who could've stolen this? Could it be our unknown enemies lurking around?" Mitch squinted, his gaze fixed on the locker.

  *Power Points and Follow*