High Stakes and Handshakes: Meet Gwen Stacy!

On the rooftop of Midtown High's main building, Noah leaned against the railing, looking thoughtfully at the New York skyline. Life choices buzzed in his head, like dropping out of school. After all, he didn't have a family or anyone else tying him down.

Growing up in an orphanage gave Noah a lot of freedom—and a lot of solitude. It didn't exactly matter if he stuck around in school or not. For a second, he almost convinced himself to quit, but then reconsidered. His pre-memory-recovery plan was simple: study, avoid trouble, make enough cash, and live comfortably.

But right now, he had one glaring problem: money. His hard-earned savings had drained on recent expenses. And while he wouldn't just drop out, skipping a few classes now and then? Maybe. He needed a way to make quick cash, and the answer wasn't exactly clear.

"It's so frustrating. If nothing else works, maybe I'll go for the ultimate 'career'—gigolo for some rich woman. Can't exactly rob a bank, can I?" he muttered, mostly joking.

With his memory from a previous life just recently intact, he was frustrated that he hadn't awakened sooner. All the missed opportunities to capitalize on what he knew about this world... If he'd just gotten a head start, he wouldn't be so stuck now, in desperate need of a few thousand dollars.

Taking in a deep breath, Noah refocused. The cool breeze brushed his face, and he couldn't help noticing the height of the building, something that sparked an idea. What if he used high-stakes exercises, teetering between life and death, to push his spirit and focus to the max?

He took off his coat, gripped the rail firmly, and, with a swift swing, flipped upside-down, balancing himself on the narrow iron bar. It was a gut-wrenching height, and a single misstep would send him straight down, but that was the point—he needed the thrill to drive his focus.

Noah's intense concentration had an effect similar to that last-minute exam cramming—where the fear of failure somehow unlocked peak performance. This method, borrowed from unconventional martial arts, was his latest "extreme focus" training.

As he stabilized his balance, Noah released one arm, shifting his body weight to perform single-handed push-ups in this death-defying stance. His focus sharpened, his mind intent on his Status Screen, ready to pump up his Constitution if anything went wrong. The added strength would keep him from injury if he fell. He wasn't reckless; he had a backup plan.

The counts added up: 132… 133… 134… Each push-up sapped a little more strength, and by the 160th rep, his arm began trembling. Leaning on his inner energy reserve, he barely kept his balance. Just as he began another push, he heard a faint creak.

The door swung open.

A girl with striking blonde hair stepped onto the rooftop, and there he was, perched on the railing, staring back with a straight face as if nothing unusual was happening. With an air of calm, he swung his legs down and sat upright, looking back at her.

"Hey, isn't it class time? Wrong place, maybe?" he said nonchalantly.

The girl looked at him, her surprise quickly replaced by a smirk. She took him in, noticing his fair skin and flushed cheeks from the workout. "Funny, I should be the one asking you that. Are you skipping extracurricular practice too, Noah?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

Wait… she knew his name?

"Wait, you know me?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Of course. Everyone remembers you from last year's welcome party. I just have a good memory," she said, extending her hand with a confident grin. "I'm Gwen Stacy."

The name hit him, and out of habit, he shook her hand—but she surprised him, pulling him down from the railing with a gentle but firm tug.

"You're really cool with sitting on railings, huh?" she said, flashing him a friendly smile.

Noah shook his head, still a bit thrown off by her confidence. She seemed to have her own plans, or was she just being friendly? But before he overthought it, a tiny, sharp tingle from her handshake triggered his Status Screen, revealing her stats.

Name: Gwen Stacy

Strength: 1.0

Agility: 1.0

Constitution: 0.9

Spirit: 1.1

Charisma: 1.3

Good to know she wasn't the Spider-Woman type—just your everyday friendly Gwen. He offered a simple, "Take care," grabbed his coat, and turned to leave.

Gwen looked like she wanted to say more, but he didn't stick around, disappearing down the stairwell. As he made his way down, Noah quickly checked his own Attributes; while Gwen had interrupted his exercise, it had still yielded results. His Strength and Constitution barely budged, but Spirit training efficiency had doubled.

"Not bad," he muttered to himself, satisfied. And with his classmate Peter Parker—Spider-Man—transforming soon, he'd finally get to assess those Spider powers up close.

Finding an empty classroom, he practiced his Zixia Magic Skill until he realized it was already past 10 p.m.

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All right, my exams for this week are done. So, I will try to consistently upload for maybe the next 2 days. And here is one of the promised Bonus Chapters. There will be more. Maybe...

So, this is my first time doing this. I hope you guys can help me improve by providing your feedback, and some stones would be nice. (づ ◕‿◕ )づ