Is someone watching me?
David seemed to sense something and cast his gaze over. The others also turned to look.
A man with a black jacket and a golden slicked-back hairstyle, his face cold and indifferent, like a predator at the top of the food chain, seemed to completely disregard the four of them. He turned in the direction Lana had left.
"Was that cool guy just Gregg?"
A few seconds after the man had passed, Pete turned his head, his face full of shock.
"It took me a few seconds to recognize him," Chloe also said, her eyes wide with surprise.
She had collaborated with Gregg before, publishing articles about insect popular science in the Torch Report, which she hosted.
Compared to the Gregg she knew before, who wouldn't even dare to make eye contact with girls, he was like a completely different person.
"He not only took off his glasses and changed his clothes, but his entire demeanor has changed."
Chloe rubbed her arms with a suspicious expression. "He gave me goosebumps."
It wasn't embarrassment or shyness, but a primal discomfort, like a deer encountering a hyena, its body instinctively signaling danger and urging it to flee.
David and Clark didn't feel the same way Chloe did at all.
The four continued chatting as they walked towards the classroom.
Chloe flicked her newspaper and then brought up another strange incident she had read about.
"Look at this. Jeremy Kree, he was a student at our high school over ten years ago. After the meteor shower, he was found in a coma. After an incident where medical equipment leaked electricity, he disappeared from State Hospital. Yesterday, he was found at the entrance of our town's hospital."
"It sounds like someone stole a comatose patient from the hospital and then dumped him at our hospital entrance?" Pete asked, confused. What was the benefit of doing that?
David and Clark exchanged a look, Clark looking a bit nervous.
"I'm going to put this on my Wall of Weird."
Chloe had a Wall of Weird in the activity editorial department assigned to her by the school, where she recorded all sorts of strange and unusual events.
"Ahem, this isn't that strange, is it?"
Clark said guiltily.
"What's interesting is that this formerly unremarkable comatose patient, after this incident, doctors discovered he seemed to have not aged at all for over a decade, for reasons unknown."
As they spoke, they arrived at the editorial department and opened the storage room inside. Chloe pinned the newspaper to the wall.
The entire wall was covered with similar newspapers and magazines, all detailing strange incidents caused by the meteor shower.
There was a magazine cover on it.
"It's Lana."
A flash of sadness crossed Clark's eyes.
The cover showed a young Lana, wearing a cute pink princess dress and holding a sparkler, dressed as if waiting for her parents to take her to an amusement park.
But she was dirty and crying mournfully, as if she had just experienced a disaster.
The magazine title read: "Heartbroken Angel After the Meteor Shower."
The meteor shower over ten years ago had caused a catastrophe, claiming some lives, including Lana's parents.
Clark first noticed Lana because of this incident. After secretly watching her many times, he developed different feelings for her.
...
"Insects, arthropods among invertebrates, are the most numerous animal group on our Earth.
For example, cockroaches, ants, bees..."
"Classmates, don't look down on these small creatures. Insects have immense potential and can easily accomplish many things that seem incredible to us humans.
It's just that most of them have short lifespans like shooting stars, not living past a summer.
So, once insects mature, driven by strong genetic instincts, they generally quickly begin to search for mates, defeat competitors by any means necessary, and lay offspring..."
A day of school life passed in a flash. After a monotonous biology class.
It was time to go home in the afternoon.
The horizon faintly showed the colors of dusk. David and Clark walked out of the school gate with the others.
At the school entrance, Gregg, who had looked so cold at noon, was smiling and saying something to a tired-looking Lana.
"Lana, you look like you're in a bad mood.
I heard there's a nice coffee shop in town. Would you like to go sit for a while?"
He dangled his homework in his hand.
"I was hoping you could tutor me for my literature report."
"Gregg, I told you at noon that I really liked the butterfly you gave me.
But I'm not in the mood to accept invitations right now. Can you let me be alone?"
Whitney, anxious to win back his girlfriend, had been pestering her around campus, but this only led Lana to formally suggest taking a break from their relationship.
Having just experienced a romantic failure, she was emotionally and physically exhausted.
"Okay... okay."
Gregg's smile became a little strained.
Lana nodded at David, Clark, and the others, a brief greeting, then turned and left tiredly, clutching her books.
"Even though Gregg has changed his appearance, he still doesn't know how to talk to girls," Chloe said, shaking her head playfully.
"Man, I don't think what you should be doing right now is standing here," Pete said, clapping Clark on the shoulder and winking.
What a rare opportunity this was.
"David..." Clark realized, his eyes lighting up, and he said sheepishly, "Tell Mom and Dad I'll be back later."
David, arms crossed, his expression showing no surprise, said as he walked past him, "On the way home with a girl, if you run into some thugs, I advise you to protect yourself first, Clark."
Lana put the Kryptonite necklace back on.
If some melodramatic scenario occurred where someone jumped out to harass Lana, Clark's attempt to be a hero might just result in him being the first one to fall.
If the future Superman, the leader of the Justice League, tried to save the damsel in distress in high school and ended up beaten to death by thugs in an alley, it would be a joke.
"I know."
Already accustomed to his brother's peculiar, sarcastic reminders, Clark helplessly ran to catch up with Lana.
David and the other two got on the school bus and left.
"If you don't want to be stuffed in a trash can, insect freak..."
At the school gate, Gregg watched indifferently as Clark chased after Lana, lost in thought.
Suddenly, someone slapped him hard on the shoulder and whispered threateningly.
"Stay away from my girlfriend!"
After delivering his threat, Whitney went to chase after Clark to warn him again.
But suddenly, a strong hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"A failed competitor should have the awareness of a failure."
Gregg's hand, like a hydraulic press, gripped Whitney, making his bones crackle with pain. He was in agony and furious, turning to smash an elbow into the other's face.
"Let go of me!"
"You're out of the game, Whitney."
The cold words, like those of a heartless, cold-blooded creature, moved faster than his actions. Gregg flung him backward. Whitney, like a weightless stuffed toy, was sent flying, crashing into a trash can by the school gate, and knocked out in a pathetic heap.
Ignoring the screams of others.
Gregg expressionlessly watched Clark, who had caught up to Lana and was trying to speak, then glanced at the departing school bus.
"Only I will be the one to win a spouse in the end!" he said, turning to leave.
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