5.Gwen

Noah was gazing out the classroom window when he suddenly heard someone call his name. Turning around, he realized the teacher was asking him to introduce himself. 

He stood up and walked to the front of the class, giving a brief introduction. As he spoke, he noticed Peter Parker sitting in front of him, and to his right, Gwen was watching with interest.

After his introduction, Noah returned to his seat, and the teacher resumed the lesson.

As soon as Noah sat down, Peter turned around shyly. "Hey, Noah, thanks again for stepping in earlier, blocking that punch and getting my camera back. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, man. I didn't do anything," Noah replied with a smile.

Noah and Peter hit it off right away, even planning to do homework together sometime.

After chatting for a bit, Peter focused on the class, while Noah, having already learned the material, found himself getting a little bored. 

"At least I have a window seat. Otherwise, I'd probably die of boredom," Noah thought, gazing out the window.

Suddenly, someone spoke to him, "Aren't you going to listen to the class?" 

Noah turned around to see Gwen looking at him.

"I've already studied this part myself, so I'm a bit bored," Noah explained.

"Oh, I thought maybe there was something you didn't understand. I could help if you need it," Gwen said.

Looking into Gwen's striking blue eyes, Noah felt as though he could see his reflection in them. His heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression unchanged, despite the feelings bubbling inside him. 

*[Cliche I know I told you I don't know romance like most of you so let's suffer in silence please]*.

Meanwhile, Peter, sitting in front of Gwen, was also distracted—this time by a red-haired girl sitting next to him.

"She's the girl who was with Gwen earlier," Peter thought, his eyes unconsciously lingering on her.

The girl seemed to sense Peter's gaze and turned to face him with a smile. "Is there something on my face, Mr. Parker?" she asked.

Caught off guard, Peter's face turned red. "Uh, no. I... I think I've seen you somewhere," he stammered, embarrassed.

Inwardly, he was cursing himself. *Oh my god, what am I saying? Even Uncle Ben wouldn't make such a ridiculous comment. How could I be so stupid?*

The girl chuckled, shaking her head. "Mr. Parker, that's a bit cliché~"

"But it works, I suppose," she added with a playful smile. "My name's Mary Jane. Nice to meet you."

Peter was still embarrassed, but her light teasing seemed to show she wasn't too put off. Realizing this, he relaxed a bit and began to play along, using humor to win her over. Slowly, Mary Jane's interest in him grew.

Watching from the back, Noah thought, *Peter has a good sense of humor when he sticks with it, though he's not a good as me.*

Noah mentally patted himself on the back. 

[Power stones please]

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. Everyone packed up and left.

Noah noticed Peter, still talking and laughing with Mary Jane. *Wow, Peter seems pretty good at flirting in this world. Strange, but good for him.* 

Turning to Gwen, Noah said, "So, Miss Stacy, I'm new to New York. Would you be open to having dinner with me sometime and showing me around the city?"

Gwen looked at him, slightly surprised, then smiled. "That's pretty brave of you, Mr. West. Asking someone out on a date the same day you meet them."

Noah grinned. "You've got to be brave when you find something that attracts you."

Gwen's cheeks flushed a little, and she responded, "Okay, we'll pick a day later." She quickened her pace a bit, walking ahead of Noah.

Noah smiled and watched her go, thinking, *Maybe coming to New York wasn't such a so bad decision after all.

"A few days later" 

The night in Queens was noisy in some areas and quiet in others. Noah stood on top of the clock tower, gazing down at the streets and lights below.

As the name "Venom" gained popularity, the crime rate in Queens had dropped significantly. Criminals clearly feared Venom, dreading his sudden appearance.

However, these criminals were mostly petty thieves. The real villains, who saw themselves as untouchable, didn't fear Noah. They saw him as a crazy person in a costume and believed they had nothing to worry about.

Noah's strength had grown alongside his rising fame and the points he'd accumulated. 

As he continued to battle criminals every day, he noticed people were taking pictures of him. Some of those he saved had even started promoting him. An entire online forum had formed around Venom.

The media quickly caught on to the link between his appearance and the decrease in crime rates, leading reporters to cover him in their stories. Some even criticized the police for not doing enough.

Overall, Noah was happy. He was doing good, getting stronger, and gaining recognition for it.

Of course, he wouldn't admit that the true source of his happiness was Gwen.

They had even set a date for dinner on Saturday.

Noah smiled at the thought of their upcoming date. "Just two more days," he thought, shaking himself out of the daydream. "Better get to work now."

He had begun thinking of fighting crime as his "job," even though he wasn't getting paid for it.

Noah jumped off the top of the building and landed on the side of a neighboring structure. He pushed off the wall with his feet, using the momentum to propel himself toward the roof of the building across the street.

With Venom's suit providing cushioning, he landed effortlessly, without any need for extra movement.

Moving between buildings, he kept an eye on the ground below. Venom's super hearing allowed him to pick up on criminal activity, and the suit had evolved to the point where it could communicate with Noah after possessing several people.

Along the way, Noah captured a few thieves, knocking them unconscious and leaving behind a note detailing their crimes.

"Huh... no wonder Spider-Man is always late and has no time for love. This job is exhausting. Why are there always so many criminals?"

It wasn't until the early morning that Noah returned to his room and began meditating.

In the time since, he had accumulated many points, which allowed him to upgrade all his skills—close combat, firearm proficiency, and first aid— to the intermediate level.

He also purchased additional melee weapon proficiency and upgraded it to intermediate as well.

The point system was as follows: 20 points for beginner level, 100 to advance from beginner to intermediate, 500 for intermediate to advanced, and 1,000 for advanced to professional.

After several rounds of meditation, Noah relaxed his body and fatigue faded away. He lay on his bed, and once again, thoughts of Saturday's date with Gwen began to fill his mind.