Hello everyone, Lealius here with a new chapter
In this one, Izumi meets some new faces, as well as going on a trip
With that, enjoy
Shikimori´s not Just a Cutie and its characters belong to Keigo Maki
Spider-man and its characters belong to Marvel Comics
Cover Image made by KrystalDragonArt
Shoutout to 501awezome, Diabolos Dragon, and Sprogster85 for their help. Without it, This chapter would not have been possible
Thursday January the 2th
After receiving the new year, the gang was meeting up at the riverside in order to have a "nostalgic hangout"
-"You bundled up way too much Hachimitsu!" Inuzuka said, referring to the amount of winter clothes the short girl was currently wearing
-"It feels so nice" Nekozaki added, almost like she was a purring cat
-"Morning everybody" Izumi said
-"Yo" Inuzuka said
-"Morning" Nekozaki said
-"H-Hi" Hachimitsu said, slightly hesitating
-"Anyway, shall we begin?" Shikimori said
-"Did the Equipment Team get the Hanetsuki stuff and the Kite?!" Inuzuka asked
-"Of course!" Izumi and Nekozaki said, since they were both in charge of that
They started to work on their kites
While they did so, Hachimitsu took the occasional glance at Izumi
-"I still can't buy it" she thought
After connecting the dots and all the evidence she had, reaching to the conclusion that Yuuki Izumi, her unlucky to go yet optimistic friend, was the superhero that saved her and many others was shocking to say the least
-"Of course, it could all be just one big coincidence, but Spider-man knew that I got myself a new game, and the only person I told that is Izumi, unless you´re telling me that Spider-man can read minds"
She saw him making his kite while talking to his girlfriend, she then took a glance at Nekozaki
-"If Izumi is actually Spider-man, Nekozaki is gonna die from embarrassment, considering some of her… comments in regards to the superhero"
She did admit the reaction could be funny though
However, two questions were going through her mind
-"If he´s Spider-man, should I confront him about it?, and… Why hasn't he told us anything?"
Though she could make a guess for at least one of those questions
After a while, the kite were finished
Izumi´s, Hachimitsu´s, and Inuzuka´s were splendidly done, while Shikimori´s and Nekozaki´s were… well, disastrous to say the least
-"Shikimori-san" Izumi said, handing her his kite "You're welcome to fly my kite"
-"Huh!?" she felt embarrassed "No, no, it's alright!"
-"Well, um" he scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed "I have a feeling it wouldn't end well"
Many times has he tried to fly one, only for the string to break, or the strong wind carrying him around like the wrapping of a candy
-"Although, I guess if the string breaks, I could just use my web"
He´ll have to try that the next time he's alone
-"Ahh" Shikimori realized what he meant, minus the web thing of course
-"It was plenty of fun making them, all that's left is to fly them"
-"... Alright, I´ll hold the string, could you help me out?"
-"Yeah!"
They got themselves ready, Izumi holding the kite, while Shikimori was holding the string
-"The wind is picking up"
Suddenly, Shikimori threw the string spool at him
-"HUH?!" Izumi said, juggling it between his hands
-"Izumi-san, run!" she kept pushing him to get a move on
And he did so
The memory of him as a small child with a broken kite flashed through his mind
However
-"Izumi-san!"
This time
-"Look up!"
His kite was majestically flying high in the sky
Izumi looked at his kite, a feeling of accomplishment that only compares to the one he has whenever he saves someone as Spider-man
However, this one was cut short by another kite bumping into his
-"Ah!" Izumi said, his kite being cut off from the string, and getting lost into the sky
-"Ah, my bad. my bad" Inuzuka said embarrassed "I´ll go look for it"
-"No, I´ll"
-"Let's do this!" Nekozaki said, her face covered in ink due to her losing the Hanetsuki "Whoever finds lzumi's kite first is the winner!"
-"l said I'll look for it too. It's my fault anyways" Inuzuka said
-"But"
-"I´ll help too" Hachimitsu added
They all began to run ahead
-"What are you doing?!" Izumi was confused
-"Pick up the pace, Izumi!" Inuzuka yelled
-"You´ll get left behind" Hachimitsu added
To this, the young hero could not help but smiled "Jeez"
After some time looking
-"We absolutely did not find it" Nekozaki said, scattered on the ground
-"l underestimated your bad luck…" Hachimitsu said, also on the ground, and slightly tired
-"Excuse me" a female voice said "By any chance" she handed them a kite, Izumi´s kite "Is this what you´re looking for?"
She was a mature looking woman, probably 20 at most with black hair down, wearing gloves and a long skirt, an overcoat over her sweater
-"Ah, there it is" Izumi felt relieved "Thank you so much"
-"Fufu" she cutely laughed "Here you go"
-"Such a nice person" Shikimori thought, though she could not stop sweating
-"What… What a pretty onee-san!" Nekozaki thought, also captivated
-"But, it's like" Hachimitsu thought
The three of them thought of the same thing
-"She smells like trouble"
-"Good for you Izumi" Inuzuka said while catching up with the others
-"Oh" the new lady said,, she recognized his voice
-"Huh?" Inuzuka said
She put a hand on her hip "If it isn´t Shuu-chan"
-"Isana-san" he said, sounding polite yet casual "Yo"
-"He… knows her!?" the others thought
-"What are you doing here?" Inuzuka asked
-"So rude" she faked to be offended "Am I not allowed to?"
-"Wha. . .sort of relationship do you two…" Nekozaki was struggling to find her words
-"Nothing special" Inuzuka said "Just my senpai at my part time job"
-"Nice to meet you" she said, and then remembered something "This works out perfectly" she walked to Izumi
Shikimori eyed her suspiciously
-"You can have this"
She handed a couple of tickets "Tickets for unlimited coffee" her voice was candid "Do make sure to come by"
-"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Inuzuka yelled at her
-"Thank you"
-"Well, I have to go for work now" she waved at them as she left "Bye, Byeee"
No one said anything, the others were staring at Inuzuka
-"Don't come" he said, sounding rather commanding
-"We won´t" the others said
-"Absolutely not" he added
-"We promise"
-"' WELL, IT'S TIME FOR MY SHIFT GOING. YOU BETTER NOT COME" and he was gone
-"Cool, let´s go" Hachimitsu said
-"HUH?!" Shikimori was shocked
-"If we show up unannounced, he' ll totally be surprised" Nekozaki nonchalantly added
-"I" Shikimori was nervous, it's not like she disliked her, but that mature aura she gave… it made her nervous "I´d like to not have anything to do with this!" she then looked at her boyfriend, almost pleading "RIGHT, IZUMI-SAN!?"
-"But, we do have these tickets, and I'm sure lnuzuka-Kun will understand" he failed to notice her feelings "I´m going too!"
-"WHAT?!"
And so, there they were
-"Thanks for coming" she greeted them "Specially this soon"
-"Huh, where´s Inuzuka-kun?" Izumi asked
-"Aah… Shuu-chan ls probably at his other part time job"
She began to prepare their drinks
-"You have such a different vibe from earlier that it's surprising" Izumi pointed out
-"Fufu" she played with her apron "Does it suit me?"
-"Yes!" Izumi said
Shikimori began to sweat, panic on her face
-"You look cool"
She was sweating more
-"Does Inuzuka really work at a stylish place like this?" Nekozaki asked
-"Yes he does" Rika Isana said "He's really popular with the regulars"
-"Is it true what you said, he's working two jobs?"
-"Huh?" she was confused "Did you not know? What it takes for the dreams of his future, he's saving it all up"
That was something they were not aware of
And then, Izumi spoke
-"That's so cool! Inuzuka-kun really is something! I´ll make sure to support him!"
They all looked at him, sharing the sentiment
-"Right!" Nekozaki agreed "He's so reserved, I wonder why he never told us!"
-"What a shy guy" Hachimitsu added
-"Ah...maybe he didn't want to be asked about; it so much…" Izumi said
-"I think it´ll be fine to ask him directly" Shikimori said "If he doesn't want to tell us, that's fine too"
While they were chatting, Rika kept looking at them
-"Shuu-chan… they're just like you told me… They're so wonderful, these friends of yours"
She then heard a ring sound from the oven
-"Oh, they must be ready"
She went to look for something
-"Wonder what that is?" Izumi asked
She returned with a tray that had some cupcakes on it
But not regular ones
-"Here, enjoy"
-"Wow!" Nekozaki was the first to spoke "They have Spider-man´s face"
-"Yeap" Rika said "They are our most popular product at the moment. We´ve been thinking of a blend after him as well"
Izumi looked at cupcake, slightly embarrassed "It does feel weird to eat something that has my face on it"
However, Shikimori had a conflicted look on her face
The words of Shocker echoing on her mind
-"Blame Spider-man for your fate"
She shook those words away, as best as she could anyway
Than something clicked on Nekozaki´s head
-"Hey, Hey!" she yelled at Rika "ARE YOU TWO GOING OUT!?"
She let out a giggle "No, No"
-"HUUUUH! IS THAT THE TRUTH ~~?!" she was not convinced
-"Shuu-chan probably also doesn't feel that way" she looked at Izumi "Besides" she extended her hand, trying to grab his "You´re much more my type"
However, she was quickly grabbed by the wrist by Shikimori
-"Ah…uhhh…" she was struggling to find her words "Err" she frowned at her, red as a tomato "You… You can't"
However, the elder one only waved her hand in mock defense "Fufu, I'm joking, I'm joking. You must really love him"
-"HUH?!"
-"She was totally played" Nekozaki thought
After a while chatting, it was time to leave
Izumi was preparing his stuff
-"Thank you for the coffee"
-"Hey" Rika spoke "What´s your name?"
-"Ah, it's Yuuki Izumi"
-"Izumi-kun" she gave him a warm smile "Make sure to always stay friends with Shuu-chan, okay?"
-"Yeah, of course"
He went towards the door "Isana-san, the coffee was really good! I´ll come back again!"
-"Then" she leaned forward, slightly embarrassed "If I open up my shop, will you come by"
Izumi just stared at her, then kindly smiled "Yeah! I look forward to it!"
And he was gone
However, Rika´s expression was uneven, like she was about to cry
She remembered some of her classmates words
-"lsana 's that self-conscious? HUU, so that's what she's like. That's pretty unexpected (lol)"
-"It's impossible for you, Rika. Get a proper office job at a company"
-"Even without anyone's support" she thought to herself "People can still achieve a lot. If I'm going to be insulted, I´d rather stay out of the public eye. Fortunately for me, I can keep going all by myself" her legs were shaking "Is what I thought. Thinking I don't need anyone´s support is a lie" She put a hand on the door "To think that someone´s encouragement, could chase away the little trepidation in my heart"
She let out a sigh
-"Shuu-chan… I´m so jealous of you"
Monday, January the 6th
It was time to return to school
And while they were waiting for the teacher to show up
-"Huh? My dreams for the future?" Inuzuka asked, slightly surprised "It's not that big of a deal though" he added nonchalantly "I´m gonna be a vet"
-"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US BEFORE?!" Nekozaki asked, slightly offended
-"Well, nobody asked me" and that's when he made the connection "You guys went to my job, didn't you?"
-"Isana-san´s such a nice person" Hachimitsu said
-"Her coffee was pretty good, right? Plus, the Spider-man cupcakes were her idea too… Although" he folded his arms "She's A monster"
-"That's rude" Shikimori said
-"No...I mean she's paying for college by herself, she's top of her class, and she's up late experimenting with her brewing. That effort is crazy" he looked away, slightly irritated "She's really amazing… I won't lose to her"
-"This guy…" Nekozaki thought, not believing this "He's around someone as beautiful as that"
-"And all he feels is rivalry" Hachimitsu finished her thoughts
-"Speaking of which" Izumi added "She said we could come hang out when she opens her own store"
That was a revelation for him
-"I see" he thought of her "She told you about it as soon as you met her" he smiled at his best friend "Izumi… You're amazing"
-"Whaa" he was flattered, yet confused "Why?"
-"Well" he looked down, feeling embarrassed "No reason"
Meanwhile, Nekozaki and Hachimitsu were calming down a concerned Shikimori
Tuesday, January the 7th
The following day, as he was waking up, Izumi remembered a rather tragic even two years ago
-"Yes, yes" his mother said over the phone "It looks like he's not feeling well"
He was tuckered up on bed
-"Yuu" his father said "It's alright… We can all go when you're feeling better"
However, that didn't stop the tears
As he was walking towards school
-"It 's finally here,Shikimori-san!" the young hero could barely contain his excitement
-"You're really looking forward to it" Shikimori said, waving for him to calm down "The school trip. Besides, aren't we just picking groups today? What´are you so eager about?"
-"Because I" he opened his arms bigly "I love Kyoto"
-"Well, don't be so excited that you get sick, okay?"
-"Right"
She then grabbed him by his sleeve "By the way, Izumi-san"
-"Hm?"
-"Just once, during the school trip" her stare went deep into him "Make some time for me"
-"Huh?" he was hyperventilating "What for? With Kyoto, we could also go again when we´re adults"
-"But" she smiled at him "This is the only time I'll ever go with Highschool Izumi-san… We want to make memories, don´t we?"
Izumi looked down, slightly embarrassed "You're right" he thought of her and his friends "That's right, this time is special… I need to do my best"
At school
-"Today, you will pick your group for the free time during the second day"
However, their excitement was cut short when
-"Three boys and three girls per group. Please form a group of six! After that, figure out a group leader"
They were a boy short
They started to discuss in regards to what to do
-"IS IT OKAY FOR ME TO BE THE GROUP LEADER?!"
-"Well, we don't even have a sixth person yet" Inuzuka said, somewhat taken back by his friend´s excitement "Besides, why do you wanna lead!?"
-"BECAUSE I LOVE KYOTO AND I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE FUN"
Unanimously, they agreed
-"YES!" he threw his fist into the air "THEN AS GROUP LEADER, I WILL GO FIND THE LAST MEMBER!"
After a few minutes
-"I BROUGHT SOMEONE!"
He was a young man of average height with ahoge black hair
-"Thank you for joining" Izumi said "Saruogi-kun"
Takashi Saruogi
However, being put into the spotlight like this
He couldn't help but cover his eye in nervousness
-"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Izumi asked concerned "DO YOUR EYES HURT?!"
-"Ah" he raised a hand "it's nothing"
He looked at the group, his face melting "Ah, well, uhh" his voice was cracking, he was so shy "Nice to meet you… all"
Eventually, they all took a sit, a map and some pamphlets spread over the desk
-"Where does everyone wanna go in Kyoto on the second day?" Izumi asked
-"Eigamura looks like it´d be fun" Inuzuka said
-"I want to eat matcha sweets" Nekozaki said
Eventually, Inuzuka looked at Saruogi
-"You have any ideas, Saruogi?"
-"Huh?" he was caught off guard "Ho" his face was melting
It took him a few seconds, but "Whatever is fine" his voice was trembling
-"Saruogi-kun is super nervous!" Izumi though, looking concerned at him "Of course! How can you join a new group by yourself and not be nervous?"
Meanwhile, Hachimitsu´s face was also melting "Oh g-g-god… I had already forgotten about Saru… Saru… Saruwhatever"
They kept on throwing suggestions, with poorly results
-"We couldn't decide on anything" Shikimori said
-"What should we do? Want to sit and think some more?" Izumi suggested
-"Ah, actually" Saruogi said as he stood up "I" his face went pale, and as quickly as his legs let him, he began to run from there "I HAVE SOME ERRANDS, SO I MUST BE GOING! SEE YOU TOMORROW!"
And he was gone
-"I thought he was going so shake until he exploded" Nekozaki said
-"Don't remind me" Hachimitsu said while wiping her mouth "Saruwatari is such an interesting dude"
-"IT´S SARUOGI, NOT SARUWATARI!"
-"But I've never talked to him… Have you, Nekozaki?"
-"I haven´t, but" she leaned against her chair "He's a super nice guy. I saw Saruogi give up his seat on the train to an old woman"
-"That´s nice" Shikimori said
-"Well" she looked down, feeling pity for him "He got off at the next stop, maybe to give up his seat without saying anything. But then he ended up being late"
-"HE GOT OFF THE TRAIN JUST TO GIVE UP HIS SEAT?!" Inuzuka asked, not believing it
-"I think he's so shy that he left rather than saying something" Nekozaki added
-"That's way too awkward"
-"Wonder why he would get off the whole train" Izumi said
-"Maybe…" Hachimitsu said, it was time to put one of her plans in action "Maybe he´s Spider-man"
They all stared at her, Izumi in particular with wide eyes
-"You think?" Shikimori asked
-"Think about it. Maybe he got off the train to help out someone, and the the train was his way to cover his tracks"
Arriving late at school like a friend of her had done before
-"Saruogi being Spider-man?" Inuzuka asked, not entirely sure "I don´t know, with how shy he is, do you really think he would go swinging through town?"
-"Well, stranger things had happened lately" Nekozaki added "Though it would be cool to have a classmate who's also a superhero"
Izumi felt flattered
-"Here comes the bride" Hachimitsu added
-"Ngh" Izumi tightened his pants with his hands
This didn't go unnoticed by Hachimitsu
-"Haha, very funny" Nekozaki said deadpan
-"Well, regardless of that, we are all a group now" Inuzuka said "We should all do our best to get along with him and help him be less stiff"
-"Agreed" Izumi said, feeling relieved that the conversation about Spider-man was over
-"Hmmm" Hachimitsu hummed, this was not over
After that, they parted ways
As they were walking down the road, Shikimori spoke
-"Izumi-san, are you depressed about it?"
Indeed he was
-"We were the ones that invited him, but I couldn't follow through well… Even though I´m the group leader"
And it´s not like he can use his superpowers here
-"Izumi-san" she dashed, standing in front of him "If the group leader makes a face like that, no one will have fun" she used her hands to turn his mouth into a smile, by pulling his cheeks
-"If he really doesn't like being in our group, we can probably just change that" she smiled at him "Instead of guessing at "What should I have done?" You should be thinking "What will I do now?"
-"...Okay" she was right "Yeah, you are correct Shikimori-san" he stretched his arms "I want to make someone as kind as Saruogi have a fun time too!" he felt better "I´m not depressed anymore! I´m the group leader after all!"
He can´t be mopey, not only Saruogi and the others need him, Captain Kamiya is also counting on him
But then, something caught Shikimori´s attention
-"Huh?" she was surprised
Izumi turned around
Saruogi was across the street
-"Saruogi-kun?"
-"Hey!" Izumi called
He turned around
And what they saw made them dropped their jaws
Because his face was full of scratches
-"Izumi" he said
-"Sa-Saruogi-kun, he's hurt" Shikimori said
Not wasting time, Izumi crossed the street
-"Was he attacked by criminals? Is Kingpin behind this somehow?" his mind was on fire "I need to get dressed, but there's too many people here, plus, I can't just leave him like that"
Once he caught up to him, he noticed him holding something
-"A cat? Why?"
-"It was run over" he said, although he quickly regretted it "AH, WAIT, NOT RUN OVER, BUT… IT'S BLEEDING.. I THINK IT´S PRETTY HURT…ANIMAL HOSPITAL, IF I DON´T GO"
-"Calm down" Shikimori said, taking the cat off his hands "I´ll take it to the vet. Saruogi-kun, you take care of your injuries"
-"But"
-"Just do it, where's the hospital?"
He showed her the location
-"Izumi-san" she handed him his bag "Take care of my stuff, I leave the rest to you"
-"...Right" he was determined
They headed to a nearby park
-"I promise I´ll go to the hospital after this" he said, somewhat embarrassed
Izumi took out a first-aid kit form his bag
-"Yeah" part of his daily misfortunes "Speaking of, how did you get hurt so badly?"
-"Uh… well" he was melting once more "I got too flustered, and… fell down?"
-"Did you get hit badly anywhere? Show me your legs"
And he did so, showing an ugly bruise
-"You´ve got such a nasty bruise" he said while applying some gauze "lf you're not feeling any weird pain then it's okay…" he looked at him "If you ended unable to go to the school trip, it´d be pretty lonely"
Saruogi could not believe it "Izumi, you´re so nice"
-"You too" he had a small smile
-"I" he stood up, a nervous smile on his face "I don't think so… Someone like Spider-man, he's truly nice and awesome"
Izumi was surprised to hear that, but he ended up smiling "I think you´re far nicer and awesome than Spider-man"
Saruogi slightly blushed, not expecting a compliment
-"No… I am far leagues behind Spider-man, saving a cat is not enough, and I couldn't do it on my own" he bitterly thought
Eventually, they met up with Shikimori, the cat was ok
-"I'll take it" Saruogi said "And look for someone to adopt it"
-"Understood" Izumi said "But... if anything happens, tell us. If there's
anything we can do to help, we will!"
To this, he couldn't help but smile back "I understand" he then went for the exit "I´m gonna head home"
-"UH, WA!" Izumi yelled
-"W-WAIT!" Shikimori yelled
To this, he stopped
-"Izumi-san, Shikimori-san…" he avoided making eye contact "Th-Thank you… And, uh, at school, I didn't get to say it, but" he gave them the best smile he could "Fushimi Inari… I´d… I´d like to go too"
They were surprised to hear him say that
-"Um, I mean" he panicked "DON´T WORRY ABOUT IT!" and he was gone
-"See you!" Izumi waved at him
-"See you tomorrow!" Shikimori added
As he was heading home, Izumi felt relieved "I am glad he was not attacked by criminals or something, now we can all enjoy the trip" he then remembered someone "Speaking of, I have to inform him that I´ll be out of town for three days"
Saruogi opened the door of his apartment
-"I'm back" he said
He got no answer
He went towards the living room, where he noticed the TV was on
He turned it off, and saw his father and mother spread across the couch
Cans of beer were scattered on the ground
He let out a sigh "Well, could be worse"
He put a sheet over them, although he's certain they won't realize he did it
He went to the bathroom
Once inside, he looked at himself on the mirror
-"I fell" he let out a sad laugh "Seriously, that's the best I can come up with?"
He lifted his shirt
He had far more bruises on his belly and chest area, some of them had dried blood
-"Thank goodness Izumi-san did not lift my shirt"
After leaving the supermarket
-"Well, Well"
Saruogi turned around
And saw 3 menacing looking highschool students from another school
-"Long time no see, Saruogi-kun" one of them said
-"Um" he panicked
-"Don´t worry" the leader of the trio put an arm around him "We just want to talk"
They took him to an alleyway
And
-"You think changing schools will make any difference?" one of them as he landed a punch in Saruogi´s stomach
-"Uff" he could feel the air leaving his lungs
-"How is that drunk moron of your father?" another blow to his chest
-"Agh"
-"Has he and your ugly mom wasted more money?"
A kick to his side
-"Blagh"
-"Man, you really are pathetic!" the trio said as they continued his assault on him
Each blow he received, each one hurted, and each time, the feeling of helplessness increased
How many times has he gone through this?
-"Man, beating this guy is the best" one of the trio said "I feel like a new person"
-"Come on, let's get out of here, I´m starving"
And they were gone
Saruogi´s was on the ground, twitching in pain
-"Ugh"
Until he heard a meowing
Dragging himself up, he used the wall to support his body
And he found the source of the sound
An injured cat
-"Why can't I be like Spider-man? If only I had powers like him, or powers of my own, then they wouldn't pick up on me… I wouldn't be so useless… I wouldn't have to endure this!"
In the end, he let out a sigh "Nothing I can do about that…" he remembered his new group "At the very least, I should do my best for them"
And with that, he went to bed
Wednesday, January the 8th
The following day, after classes were over, Izumi was meeting with Captain Meiyo Kamiya
-"So that´s the thing" the Captain said "Susanoo, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are refusing to speak"
-"I see" the web-head said "What about Toomes?"
-"He keeps making his accusations about Fisk, but without tangible evidence, he's being brushed off" he let out a sigh "At the very least, according to some surveys, people are doubting Fisk, so there's that silver lining"
-"Yeah, but still" he fist bumped "We can´t let him have his way any longer"
-"And we won´t, because I actually have some good news as well"
-"Oh?"
-"Thanks to some contacts of mine, I might have found someone who can help us reveal the truth about Fisk"
-"Really?" Izumi felt hopeful "That´s amazing"
-"Let's hope it turns out to be"
-"By the way, I have something to tell you as well
-"What is it?"
-"Next monday, I´ll be out of town due to some reasons for three days"
-"Is that so?"
-"Yeah, sorry, but this is important"
-"I understand"
-"You are not gonna ask me what it is?"
-"I don't have to, I can tell it is important, I trust you Spider-man"
Izumi felt touched by his ally´s faith on him
-"Thank you
"Do come to meet me the day after you return, Kingpin is bound to take advantage of your absence, so we can´t drop down our guards when we might be close to counterattack"
-"I know, and I will!"
And with that, they parted ways
Monday, January the 13th
This was it, the day finally arrived
After one travel by train
They finally arrived to Kyoto
-"We… We made it!" the young hero could not contain his excitement, his face beaming "We'll be staying together for the next three days… I´m so excited!"
Until, he and Inuzuka felt a cold wind, which forced them to wear more winter clothes
-"Wait… Could it be" the realization was dreading to him "Was it my fault?!"
-"It's just the season" the teacher said
-"So I didn't cause it" he felt relieved "Thank god, I was worried that my powers were evolving and I can control weather now"
After a bus ride, they arrived at the Byoudouin
While they were exploring, they were paired up in alphabetical order
Izumi with Inuzuka
Nekozaki with Hachimitsu
And
-"Nice to meet you, Saruogi-kun!" Shikimori´s smiled
Which was too much for him, so he shielded his face "N… Nice to meet you. Oh, by the way, I was able to find a home for that cat"
-"That's awesome! Great work, Saruogi-kun!"
Her smile
It was a tough opponent for him
-"This is the Byoudouin Phoenix Temple, which became the design on the 10 yen coin" the teacher said
-"Whoa, cool" Inuzuka said
-"What a lovely temple!" Izumi gushed
Meanwhile, Nekozaki and Hachimitsu were comparing it to the actual 10 yen coin
And
-"It's nice how it reflects the lake, huh?" Shikimori said
-"Ama…" Saruogi was shaking "Zing"
-"Isn't it?" she took a glance at him, her smile beaming "I wonder if it'd look different if it were showing?"
That smile yet again
It knocked him to the ground
-"WHAT´S WRONG?!" Shikimori asked, shocked at his over dramatic reaction
-"l was blown over by the power from Shikimori- san's eyes"
-"Huh? a beam from my eyes?"
Her classmate began to stand up "That was close"
-"Did lasers come out of my eyes?" she asked while pointing at her eyes
-"No way, although"
-"What?"
-"Do you have powers like Spider-man?"
-"HUH?! NO!"
She then heard a laugh
Taking a glance, he saw her boyfriend laughing happily
She kept staring at him a slight pout on her face
This didn't go unnoticed
Eventually, they made it to the entrance of the Temple
-"Let's take a class photo here" the teacher said
They started to form a line
-"The second line starts from Saruogi-kun"
He went to his place, with him ending behind Izumi, who was on his knees
-"Ah, it's Saruogi-kun and Shikimori-san!" he waved at them
Shikimori´s place was behind Inuzuka
Izumi and Inuzuka were chatting happily
To this, Shikimori could not help but have an jealous expression on her face
She wanted to be next to him
Taking a few breaths, Saruogi spoke "Shi…Shikimori-san"
She looked at him
-"Do you want to swap places?"
-"Huh? Why?"
-"Well, like" he panicked "I want to get closer to the center of the picture so I can stand out more…"
-"Yeah, no way" she was not buying that "You don't need to get recognised like that"
-"No, I mean"
They heard a loud laugh coming from Izumi, and Inuzuka elbowing him amused
Another pout from Shikimori
He couldn't take this anymore
-"Come on, before the teacher notices"
Before she could say anything, they swapped places
-"Oh, did you swap?" Izumi asked, noticing his girlfriend behind his back
-"Mhm" she was flustered
-"You look like you're in a good mood" he was smiling from ear to ear "Kyoto´s fun, huh?"
She returned the smile "Yeah, it is"
-"Can the people in the second row crouch down?" the teacher said
Shikimori did as she was told
However, she took this opportunity to lean against Izumi´s back
The hero flustered
-"The Kyoto I love so much, with its beautiful scenery, has captivated me… Even still"
Both young lover were blushing
-"All I can think about is your touch in my back"
After taking the photo
-"Saruogi-kun" Shikimori said
-"Yes!?" he panicked
-"Thank you"
Her smile yet again
It wasn´t that bad this time
-"Shikimori-san"
-"Hm?"
He relaxed a bit "You love Izumi, don´t you?"
Her face turned red, and he tightened her brown at him, embarrassed and mad "WHAT?!"
That was not the reaction he was expecting
-"Is it that obvious?!"
-"More or less"
Izumi and Inuzuka noticed them talking at each other
-"They seem to be getting along pretty well"
And thus, the first day wa done with
Tuesday, January the 14th
-"Group Leader lzumi, what sort of plans are we Following today?" Inuzuka asked
Confidently, the young hero raised one finger "First, we' ll eat something in Gion" he raised a second finger "Then we' ll take the train over to Fushimi lnari and check out the thousand torii gates" he raised a third finger "Lastly, we' ll spend whatever time is left at Eigamura"
Everybody were impressed at his plan
After exploring Gion for a while
-"I've come up with countless plans to make sure we don't run into any trouble…" the young hero was determined to make this work "I want to make sure I make great memories for everyone!"
Nothing could go wrong…. Except that when they arrived to the restaurant he had chosen for them to eat
-"There's so many people" Hachimitsu said ,noticing the big line outside
-"It-It's alright"
Time for plan B
Which was temporarily closed
Time for plan C
Which was relocated far from them
-"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" the web-head felt destroyed
He started to go through his book, looking for a solution
They all noticed him state of stress
-"Hey, hey" Nekozaki chirped in "How about we pick something a little less carefully?"
-"But"
-"Don´t worry, I got this" he pointed into the distance "Hit it , Hachimitsu!"
For the first time in a while, the short blondie´eyes went wide, she started to emanate a powerful aura
She pointed at a restaurant "I´m sensing…. Something"
-"WHAT KIND OF POWER IS THAT?!" Izumi asked shocked, and yet he was the one with spider-like powers
They made it to the restaurant, and started to eat all sorts of delicious food
However, Izumi was somewhat worried
-"Since we've spent so much time here, we probably don't have time for Yasaka shrine… We probably do have time to go through the shopping district"
-"Izumi-san" Shikimori said
This brought him back to reality
-"It's really good, right?" she was talking about the soup
-"Ah" he drank some of the soups, easing his worries "Yeah, it's great"
It seems her plan worked
-"We got pretty lucky" Nekozaki said
-"Looks like fortune is on our side" Inuzuka added
-"It's all thanks to Hachimitsu" Izumi said
-"It's no biggie" Hachimitsu waived the praise off
Saruogi could not help but smile
After taking a group picture, they left the restaurant
-"Alright!" Izumi said "Let's head for the station through the shopping district. Let me know if you see any store you wanna visit"
-"Okay" they all said
As they were walking down the district, a peculiar store caught Nekozaki´s attention
-"Look over there!" she pointed at the store
It was a medium sized store that had the image of Spider-man on the glass window
Outside of it, there were balloons with the Izumi (as Spider-man) face, they were painted on the colors of Spider-man´s suit
Inside of it, there was all sorts of Spider-man merchandise. Toys, cards, t-shirts, and more
-"The Spider-man Emporium" Shikimori said
-"So Spider-man is also famous around here" Inuzuka said
-"That's the power of the internet" Saruogi said
Izumi felt embarrassed that so much stuff with his superhero persona was being sold
-"I should go in and buy something as a thank you, even if they don´t know I am Spider-man"
-"Man, good for him to finally start receiving the support he deserves" Nekozaki said
It was time for Hachimitsu to put another one of her plans into action
-"Sorry for doing this, Izumi and Nekozaki" she thought "You know, Nekozaki"
-"Hm?"
-"I know I tease you a lot in regards to Spider-man, but the thing is"
They all looked at her
-"He asked about you when he saved me"
They were surprised to hear that
Izumi in particular "WAIT, WHAT?!"
-"He did?" Nekozaki asked
-"I DID NOT, RIGHT?!" as tired as he was back then, he was certain he didn´t ask anything in regards to Nekozaki
-"Well, to be fair, he asked me if I know you, and when I said yes" she took a quick glance at Izumi, noticing his panic "He asked me what were you doing on Christmas"
-"EEEEEEEEEEEH!?" Izumi internally scream, thank goodness no one noticed the state he was in
Except for Hachimitsu of course
-"He" Nekozaki was struggling to control her excitement "He did?"
-"Yeap. I think he wants to meet you… in private"
-"HUH?!" Nekozaki and Izumi yelled, though the latter was internally
-"Is that true, Hachimitsu?" Inuzuka asked
-"It is"
-"I was not expecting that" Saruogi said
-"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT! WHAT IS HACHIMITSU-SAN TALKING ABOUT!?" Izumi was doing his best to hide his desire to scream embarrassed
-"Aw, he's so adorable!" she was gushing while holding her cheeks
-"Are you going to try and see him, Nekozaki?" Shikimori asked, feeling somewhat concerned
-"Nah, I told you I don´t think of him that way, but I do feel flattered" she then remembered something "Though, mom has been saying she would like for him to stop by one day and cook for him, as a way of thanking him for what he did for us"
Izumi´s panic went down, and had a small smile on him "Nekozaki-san… Thank you so much…" he put a hand on his chin "I guess I can "patrol around her area at random" one day and make that happen"
-"And then you will confess your love for him!" Hachimitsu added
-"And you ruined it" Inuzuka said while facepalming
-"Hey, all I am saying is that, maybe in the future, Spider-man and Neko can go on double dates with Izumi and Shikimori"
-"HUH?!" Shikimori and Izumi yelled, again, the latter doing so internally, and for completely different reasons
-"Oh, that would be so cool! Right, Michhon!?" the cat girl said while rubbing her cheek against the pink haired
-"R-Right"
-"A-Anyway" Izumi interfered, not being able to endure this anymore "Let's keep moving to the station"
As they were doing so, Izumi let out a sigh of relief "I have no idea what Hachimitsu-san was talking about, but it was stressing"
As for Hachimitsu, her theory was pretty much confirmed… However, she still had something to do
Meanwhile, Shikimori looked down, somewhat… worried "But Nekozaki, you were kidnapped because of him to begin with"
As they kept walking, Saruogi closed his eyes for a moment "This is… Kinda… pretty fun, I think"
Until someone bumped his shoulder
Opening his eyes, he realized he was starting to fall behind the others, and he couldn't get through the crowd
A memory played on his mind
Him on the ground, as some of his friends from his previous school were walking ahead
Not noticing him lagging behind
-"It's okay" his mind began to go to a dark place "I don't have to desperately try and catch up… Just don´t get separated… No one will even notice I'm gone… But that's probably for the best"
Until he felt a hand holding his wrist
-"Sorry about that, Saruogi-kun" It was Izumi, with a smile from ear to ear "We were going a little too fast"
Saruogi could not believe he went back for him
-"Make sure you don't get separated"
-"I understand"
They caught up with the others, relieved to see he was fine
-"Ahh" he closed his eyes once more "I feel really comfortable with them"
They made it to the station
-"Alright!" Izumi said "Let' s head over to Fushimi Ina…" he looked at the information sign "Ri"
Due to some issues with the train… There is an unexpected 45 minute delay
-"Th" Izumi's eyes went wide "There it is!"
His usual bad luck has hit yet again
A somber atmosphere filled the environment
Shikimori wanted to place a hand on him
-"Mmm, lzumi's bad luck really is overpowered" Nekozaki thought, concerned for her friend
-"Does this mean any sort of transit is not good?" Hachimitsu thought
-"Honestly, I figured this would happen when it snowed" Inuzuku thought
-"Izumi" Saruogi thought, feeling pity for him "You were looking forward to this so much"
However, what happened next, was something no one expected
-"Alright" he turned around, smiling "Let' s switch over to the bus. Let' s head over to the boarding area"
-"He's not depressed at all" that went through everybody's minds
-"It'll take 20 minutes longer than the train, and there are a bunch of transfers. Let's be careful we don't get onto the wrong bus"
Now they were all absentminded
Who was this guy?
One bus ride later, they made it to their destination
And they couldn't contain their excitement
-"Good thing we took the bus" Inuzuka said "We got to see so much famous stuff along the way"
-"Thanks to our tour guide, Izumi" Hachimitsu said
Shikimori was falling behind, looking at his boyfriend's back
-"I´m the group leader, after all" those words echoed on her mind "I'll do my best, so watch me, Shikimori-san"
For her, he looked so… so cool
-"He…" she was blushing, her eyes spiraling "It's like he's a completely different person"
However, Izumi tightened his fist
-"Did I handle this well?"
-"Izumi" Saruogi called "Is it okay if I use the bathroom?"
-"Ah! That's right! I´ll come with you!"
A few minutes later
-"Shall we head back" Izumi said
-"Hey, Izumi" Saruogi nervously said, but he was happy "Thank you, I´m… having a lot of fun"
The young hero smiled from ear to ear
That was a relief for him "I'm glad!"
That's when Saruogi noticed something
-"Izumi, where's your muffler?"
Izumi touched his neck
The muffler Shikimori gave him… was gone
-"No way"
A memory from his middle-school years played on his minds
He was sick one day, so he missed the school´s trip
But the truth is
-"l guess I must have dropped it before we got to the restrooms"
-"Is the scarf that important?"
-"It was a gift from Shikimori-san"
-"Oh, geez"
The young hero scratched his head embarrassed "I really am pretty unlucky, right?"
-"No, you don't have to apologize…"
-"Maybe if we pray to god, it might improve the situation… Ahaha" that was a laugh, yet, his spirit was falling down "Just kidding"
Saruogi panicked "I'll go checked the way we came"
-"It´s ok"
-"Huh?"
-"I' ll look for it by myself. You meet up with the others and keep sight-seeing"
-"But"
Izumi put his hands on Saruogi´s shoulders, trying to push him to go
-"It´s fine"
-"You didn't go on your middle school trip 'cause you were sick, right?" Saruogi protested "If you want to make up for that, you shouldn't go alone"
Izumi stared at him
He smiled at him "That's not true… I had lied to my parents about catching a cold… For the first time"
Saruogi was shocked upon hearing that revelation
-"Back in middle school, I was constantly losing to my bad luck… So, I could see that if I went on the school trip, it'd mess everything up" he looked down "I didn't want to ruin everybody's memories" he tightened Saruogi´s shoulders "But this time, I won't lose to my bad luck. I´m not going to mess everything up… So, please" his voice was cracking "Go, don´t let me ruin it"
Before he could replied
Izumi was gone
-"I have to make sure this goes well" he was fighting back the tears "If I can't make a simple school trip go well….. How am I going to stop Kingpin?"
Saruogi started to run back to them
-"Izumi, it is thanks to you… That I was able to feel at home in this group" he picked up the pace "Always looking out for me" he met with the others "That's why"
The others asked him where Izumi was
-"I won't be able to honor your request… This might hurt your pride" he grabbed his arm "And you might come to hate me… But that's fine… I really don't want to… But… It's worse that you´re by yourself"
-"Saruogi-kun?" Shikimori asked
-"He lost the muffler he got from Shikimori-san, and went to look for it on his own… Can we all go look together?"
Not wasting any time, they splitted up
-"Saruogi-kun" Shikimori said "Thank you for telling us" she had an embarrassed smile "Since it´s Izumi we are talking about, I bet he said "Don´t tell anyone, right?"
The tears started to fall from his face
-"I…Izumi… Is going to hate me for this"
-"There´s no way" Shikimori said "You know he's not that kind of person"
-"I know that, but I can't help thinking that way"
-"There´s no reason to think like that"
-"Why?"
-"Because lzumi-san. ..all of us too" she smiled at him "Like you way, way more than you think"
His eyes went wide when he heard those words
They were so beautiful
He dried his tears
-"I" he started to run in the opposite direction "I´ll go look over this way!"
Shikimori run away too
Saruogi kept on running as best as he could
Until, in a tree´s branch
Meanwhile, with Izumi
-"I can't find it anywhere" he was flustered, despair sinking in "What do I do? There's no more time"
He then noticed a group of students nearby, having fun
He then thought of his friends and girlfriend
-"I hope everyone is having fun… Even without me, they"
-"There you are" he felt something around his neck, it was a muffler "Izumi-san"
He turned around, and saw his girlfriend, smiling at him "Why are you here?"
-"Let's give up on the scarf" she was not angry "' Although everyone's looking for it now, if we take any longer, all our plans will go to waste"
-"Why" he couldn't get it "are you not walking around with everyone? You won't be able to go to all the places you wanted to"
She threw him a glare
-"Do you think we'd just leave you here and go enjoy ourselves?"
-"Um, well"
-"I gave you my muffler in order to make you happy, so I don't want you to be sad anymore"
She grabbed him by the wrist "Let's return to everyone"
-"...Yeah, let's go" the tears started to fall "l´m sorry for losing your scarf… I´m sorry"
She panicked, and, clumsily, took out a tissue
-"S-Sorry, I got a bit flustered"
-"It´s ok. my tears started to fall on their own… I´ll… I´ll stop now" he was crying more rather than stopping
-"I… I was happy, you know… You searched as hard as you could in the middle of the snow… That feeling was enough for me"
She grabbed his hands
-"Smile, Izumi-san" her smile warm "Smile, and blow away your misfortunes, that's how we can overcome them"
Seeing her smile, how she wanted for him to be ok
It was enough to bring comfort to him
And so, amidst the tears, he smiled back "Yeah"
But before they could take one step
-"Ah, Izumi" Saruogi said, almost out of breath "I… found your scarf"
Izumi and SHikimori were shocked upon the state he was in
-"YOU'RE A HERO!" Izumi hugged him tightly, feeling immense gratitude
-"Where was it?" Shikimori asked
-"It was on a tree´s branch, thankfully I was able to climb it, but" he was catching his breath "I really need to do more exercise"
Izumi let go of him
-"Izumi" he looked down ashamed "Sorry, I said it" he clenched his teeth, preparing for the worst "You may do whatever you want with me"
-"...Pft, hahaha" Izumi was laughing "I won't do anything"
Saruogi looked up, did he hear him right
-"Saruogi-kun" he had a big smile "Thank you, for not leaving me alone… I told you, you´re nicer and more awesome than Spider-man" and he meant that
Saruogi looked down, feeling embarrassed… yet happy at the praise "It's fine, you don't need to thank me"
And so, they began their way back to the others
-"Izumi, those words" Saruogi looked up at the clear sky, despite the snow falling "That's exactly, what I´ve been thinking this whole time"
Eventually, they met with the others, who were happy Izumi recovered his muffler
-"Nice work, Saruogi" Inuzuka said, having him in a friendly headlock "To think it was stuck up on a tree"
-"Great work" Nekozaki said, patting his head
-"Alright, let´s resume our Kyoto trip!" Inuzuka looked at Izumi "So what's our schedule like, Izumi?"
Izumi´s face turned into a sad one "We could head to Eigamura, but
it'll take a while to get there, with the snow and all… I don´t think we'd have time to enjoy ourselves" he felt terrible "I´m sorry, everyone"
He tightened his fist
However, Nekozaki broke the silence "For me, As long as we get an awesome picture with all of us, I'm good. A memory just for the six of us. you know?"
Izumi´s eyes went wide "Nekozaki-san"
-"After all, it's fun to look back at photos from trips, right?"
-"Yeah… That's true" he started to feel better
-"Besides" Hachimitsu added "Even without Eigamura, Kyoto is packed with famous places"
-"Th-Then" Saruogi said "How about we go somewhere not many people go to"
They all agreed to that
-"Group leader" Inuzuka said to Izumi, a warm smile on his face "Want to show us the way?"
Izumi felt speechless as he realized something important
-"How could I have forgotten?"
Whether it was at school, hanging out at the bowling place, traveling at the river, working at the library
-"They´re all able to laugh away my bad luck… They're amazing… Always cheering me on and pushing me forward"
He remembered being alone in his room, and quickly pushed that memory away
-"It's not like the past"
And not only because he has superpowers now
-"What I can't do by myself… I can with them" he felt Shikimori´s hand pushing him forward "I can with you"
A new year has started, and with it… he felt better than ever… And it's a resolution he will have when fighting crime
-"We´ll get through it together… How could I have forgotten that?"
And so, they enjoyed the rest of their trip
Because that´s the only thing that truly mattered
With a beautiful photo overlooking the entirety of Kyoto at Fushimi Inari
Wednesday, January the 15th
They were on their way back home
-"Three days went by in a flash" Izumi said "It was fun though"
-"Yeah" Shikimori said "Izumi-san, you really did a great job"
-"Huh?" he was confused
-"Right before the trip you said, as group leader, you'd make sure everyone had fun… So that was a big success"
-"... In the end though, I hardly did anything. In fact, I realized that the daily life I take for granted is actually pretty amazing" he smiled "I was saved, by both you and Saruogi-kun. Everyone helped push me forward… It was a great time, because of everyone else"
She grabbed his hand
-"No, it's because you did your best. We saw how hard you were working, and that made us want to stay positive and have fun… So, thank you so much for making sure we enjoyed the trip"
Izumi looked away for a moment, his life flashing before him once more
-"I' ve always been sick of it. Whenever something unreasonable happened, brushing it off with "It won't happen again"
He remembered enduring many hardships, even as a kid
-"Dealing with it in my daily life"
Getting sick, getting hit by something
Losing his dad
-"But not anymore"
Shikimori passed through her mind
-"Ever since I met you, it's been different. You and the others taught me, that there´s nothing I can´t do"
He thought of his mother
-"Gradually"
He thought of his friends and allies
-"Little by little, my life has become dazzling, like a dream"
He grabbed her hand
-"Thanks to you.. Because" he leaned forward "You´re here with me"
And
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Shikimori´s eyes were wide as he leaned back
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He had kissed her on the lips
-"Huh?" her face was turning red
-"Hahaha" Izumi let out a nervous laugh "I´m not sure why"
Shikimori looked away, embarrassed
-"Probably… I also wanted to make a memory… That was just… for the two of us?" it came as a whisper
Shikimori tightened her grip on his hand
-"Don´t look over here"
-"You' re redder than I've ever seen you"
-"What are you smirking about"
-"Hehe"
-"By the way, just now… Did you say something, Izumi-san?"
He smiled at her "Yeah, I´ll tell you again sometime"
Back in Hino, Kingpin was talking to his right-hand man
-"Another successful sell" Kingpin said, feeling pleased
-"Yeah. Thank the heavens Spider-man hasn't bothered us lately. What do you think has happened to him?"
-"I do not know, but I doubt he simply gave up" the crime lord put a hand on his chin "He must be planning something"
-"What about him?" his right-hand man said, referring to a certain loose end "Based on what Natsumi informed us, we need to do something"
-"I know"
-"Should we tell him to lure him into a trap and kill him?"
-"Tempting, but he has too much support from the public, as well as some politicians. We kill him, we create a rallying figure for the people, they will demand justice, and it could come back to bite us. We don't need a martyr"
-"That´s true"
-"But don´t worry" The Kingpin had a feral grin on his face "I have a plan"
-"Which is?"
-"Simple, we need to remind him… That there are fates worse than death"
The gang was back home
Some had already been picked up by their parents
Which left Izumi and Hachimitsu waiting for theirs to show up
-"I hope you had fun, Hachimitsu-san" Izumi said
-"I did"
They heard a car´s hunk
-"That's my mom" he looked at his friend "See you at school, Hachimitsu-san"
-"Wait Izumi"
-"What is it?"
Hachimitsu began to walked towards him
Ever since finding out his identity as Spider-man, which she has decided not confront him about it, she realized she forgot to do something important
And so
She wrapped him in a hug, her face resting against his chest due to her short height
-"Huh?" Izumi was blushing
-"Thank you… and" she broke the hug, and, by standing on the tip of her toes, pat him as best as she could on the head "Good work" and she left on the opposite direction, leaving a confused Izumi
-"Hachimitsu-san" he smiled, despite the strange situation "Thank you, but, I don't think the hug and the pat on my head was necessary"
He was unaware of her true intentions
It was a thank you for saving her, and congratulating him on his job as Spider-man
-"I´ll wait until you´re ready to tell us the truth, Izumi" Hachimitsu thought while walking "And don´t worry, your secret is safe with me"
And so, Izumi returned home, to get some well-deserved rest
Because tomorrow
The fight continues
And that´s the end of that, and *face falls on desk* thank god, that took forever. I am really sorry for the lack of Spider-man action here, specially considering how long this chapter is, but I needed to cover the events of the manga, and well, I didn´t want to split this into two chapters like usual. I was tempted to make Izumi fight someone while in Kyoto, but I couldn´t come up with a proper excuse for him to be alone, the muffler situation would only buy a few minutes at most, so I gave him a break here
Let´s see, we have Rika, which, I´ll be honest, I have no idea what I´m going to do with her. She appears so little in the manga. I do have time before the Inuzuka part of this story, so hoepfully I´ll have something by then. Alos, as I was re-reading the manga, she really is just another Kamiya like character, guess that speaks volumes about Keigo´s skills, right?
And we have Saruogi, whose first name was never reveal, so I wnt with the first japanese name I could come up with. I took advantage of the lack of backstory for him to made one of my own, because I have something crazy in store for him
And the ending, ahhh, such an amazing group of friends... Too bad they live in the Spider-man universe. And yes, the correct term would be Marvel, but I don´t want you guys to think the Avengers or X-men or fucking Thanos will show up here. This is a purely Spider-man story
Which is my main reason doing this. You see, I have always said that the simplicity of the Shikimori series is its greatest assest and weakness, specially considering how it ended, like for real, Keigo, how on Earth can you screw up that badly?
And so, I am using Spider-man elements to further expand the world the characters live in. I will put them through situations they otherwise wouldn´t have, which obviously means I will at some point step away from the canon of the manga. You guys will see what I mean at the end of this saga
Speaking of, next time, the final battle between Izumi and Kingpin begins. That´s right my people, we are only 3 chapters left from finishing this, I have already been checking stuff for the battle, as well as Kingpin backstory, and my good friend KrystalDragonArt has already made the cover image for the next saga, so look foward to that
On a side note, this fic is also available on Archive of Our Own, so you can read it there if you prefer that site
As usual, thank you all for reading, leave any reviews or send a PM, and I will gladly answer
Once more, shoutout to 501awezome, Diabolos Dragon, and Sprogster85 for their help. Without it, This chapter would not have been possible
Until next time
Peace