SPIDERMAN [JMJ]

8

heart raced as she approached the school gates, spotting Wenny standing there, clearly waiting for her. The usual cool, confident demeanor Ken carried was starting to crack under the pressure of Wenny’s persistent gaze. She knew she couldn’t avoid this any longer, but she wasn’t sure how to face it either.

Wenny didn’t wait for Ken to speak. The moment Ken was within earshot, she cut right to the chase. “We need to talk. Now.”

Ken swallowed hard. “About what?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Wenny said, frustration evident in her voice. “You keep running off, you refuse to explain anything, and now you’re talking about danger? I’m tired of being left in the dark, Ken. What are you hiding from me?”

Ken looked away, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. She didn’t want to lie to Wenny, but the truth felt impossible to share.

“Wenny, I told you… it’s not something I can just tell you,” Ken muttered, her voice low. “You’re better off not knowing.”

Wenny stepped closer, her eyes softening slightly as she looked at Ken. “I don’t believe that. Whatever it is, I can handle it. I care about you, Ken. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”

Ken’s chest tightened. Hearing those words from Wenny made everything harder. She wanted so badly to let her in, to tell her the truth, but what if something happened to Wenny because of it? Ken couldn’t live with that guilt.

“I’m not like other people, Wenny,” Ken said softly. “There are things about me that… you wouldn’t understand.”

Wenny frowned, but there was no anger in her expression—just concern. “Then help me understand. You keep pushing me away, but I’m not going anywhere, Ken. I won’t stop trying.”

Ken opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a motorcycle engine revving caught their attention. Ken’s eyes widened slightly as she realized it was hers—the bike she had parked around the corner. She hadn’t given anyone the keys.

“I’ll be right back,” Ken muttered, dashing away from Wenny before she could say anything more.

She rounded the corner and spotted two guys messing with her motorcycle, clearly trying to steal it. Ken’s frustration boiled over. She was already dealing with too much, and now this?

Without a second thought, Ken dashed forward, grabbing one of the thieves by the back of his jacket and tossing him to the ground. The second guy tried to make a run for it, but Ken was too fast, yanking him back before he could escape.

“Touch my bike again, and you’ll regret it,” Ken growled, her eyes flashing with anger. The two thieves scrambled to their feet, wide-eyed, and ran off without looking back.

Ken sighed, brushing off her motorcycle before looking around to make sure no one else was watching. She knew she’d lost control for a second there—she had used more of her strength than she should have.

But as Ken turned back toward the school, her heart sank. Standing a few feet away, staring at her with wide eyes, was Wenny.

“Ken… what the hell was that?” Wenny asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ken froze. Oh no… This wasn’t supposed to happen. She hadn’t meant for Wenny to see her like that, to see the strength that wasn’t exactly… human.

“Wenny, I can explain—” Ken started, but Wenny shook her head, taking a step back.

“No. You just threw a guy like he weighed nothing, Ken. How is that possible?” Wenny’s voice was trembling now, a mixture of shock and confusion in her eyes. “Are you even human?”

Ken’s heart pounded in her chest. This was the moment she had feared. She had tried so hard to keep this side of herself hidden, but now Wenny had seen too much. There was no going back.

“I… I’m not like everyone else,” Ken admitted, her voice barely audible. “I’m different.”

Wenny stared at her, waiting for more, but Ken didn’t know how to explain it in a way that would make sense. She couldn’t just blurt out Oh, by the way, I’m Spider-Man. But if she didn’t say something, she knew Wenny would walk away for good.

“Ken, you’re scaring me,” Wenny said quietly. “What are you?”

Ken took a deep breath, her mind racing. She couldn’t avoid the truth anymore, not now.

“I… I’ll tell you everything,” Ken said finally, her voice shaking slightly. “But not here. Not now.”

Wenny looked hesitant, but she nodded. “Fine. But you better not run away from me again.”

Ken gave her a small, strained smile. “I won’t.”

---

That night, Ken sat in her room, staring at her Spider-Man suit hanging in the closet. She had promised Wenny that she would explain everything, but now that the moment was approaching, she felt paralyzed with fear.

How was she supposed to tell Wenny that she wasn’t just Kenjiro Nakamura, the guy who showed up at school on a motorcycle and barely talked to anyone? She was Spider-Man—a superhero with a secret identity, a life full of danger and responsibility. Could Wenny really handle that? Could Ken trust her with that?

She thought back to how Wenny had looked at her earlier—shocked, scared even. Would she look at Ken the same way once she knew the full truth?

Ken’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Wenny.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow. You better explain everything, Ken.”

Ken’s heart sank. Tomorrow, there would be no more hiding, no more running. Tomorrow, she would have to reveal everything.

And whatever happened after that… Ken would just have to face it.

TBC.