"Hi! Thank you!"
MJ looked closely at Ethan's face, as if seeing for the first time the unique charm of his features.
As a traveler with looks like a young John Lone, Ethan's appearance was naturally striking.
While MJ was staring at Ethan's face, he was also looking at her.
This girl with the low-cut top and large face… her, uh, figure seemed oddly familiar.
It seemed like he had seen this look somewhere around the 1:20:40 mark of the first original Spider-Man movie, the uncut version online.
So, was she actually Mary Jane, the first Spider-Man's girlfriend? The one known for screaming, dramatic expressions, and green tea girl vibes?
This version of Mary Jane gave Ethan the impression that, while her figure was curvy and appealing, her face didn't quite match his taste.
He hadn't expected that, just after becoming Spider-Man, the original Mary Jane would appear. He was surprised but relieved that his green card had brought out Gwen instead of Mary Jane.
If he had drawn this Mary Jane, he'd probably hesitate over whether to use it or not.
She was like a walking heartbreaker! Flirting with Parker when with Thompson, flirting with Parker when with Harry—even when she was engaged, she was still flirting with Parker.
Maybe, in her mind, both Parker and Spider-Man were just backup options.
Whenever things went badly with her current boyfriend, there would always be a "puppy" or "bad boy" waiting for her.
Who would dare want a girlfriend like that?
A Second Strike on the School Bully (Revised)
Mary Jane had no idea what Ethan Cole was thinking. Seeing his gaze on her, she assumed he was yet another potential admirer drawn to her physical "assets."
"I haven't even noticed yet…"
Mary Jane didn't hurry to get up; she wrapped her arms around Ethan's neck and, with a very interested look, was about to say something flirty to tease him.
As an experienced flirt, Mary Jane was quite skilled at turning potential admirers into full-blown backup options.
But before she could say anything, Ethan raised his hand and pushed her away.
"If you're fine, then go. I still need to eat."
After saying that, Ethan turned back, focused on his tray of burgers as if they were a thousand times better than Mary Jane's "assets."
Watching him devour the burgers, the nearby students started feeling hungry themselves.
"What?"
Mary Jane stumbled a bit from the push, her face filled with confusion. She couldn't understand what had just happened. Her foolproof flirt game had actually failed?
"Ethan!"
A loud shout suddenly came from nearby—not a celebration, more like a roar of anger.
The name "Ethan" could be heard as "Yeah," and sometimes, Ethan even felt like his classmates were calling him "boss."
Luckily, his name was Ethan Cole, not Ethan-Ethan…
Behind him, Thompson charged forward, roaring like an enraged lion.
"You bastard! Ignoring me, holding my girl, and now you even dare reject her? You piece of crap, Ethan Cole!"
Originally, Thompson hadn't planned on causing Ethan more trouble. Being punched away earlier had been pretty painful.
But just now, after Ethan's heroic rescue, Mary Jane had looked at him with a flirty expression, which really stung Thompson.
No one likes being cheated on—especially not right in front of them.
With his lackeys egging him on, Thompson quickly lost his temper.
A Second Strike on the School Bully – Part 2 (Final Version)
Approaching from behind, Thompson grabbed someone's tray and swung it at Ethan Cole's head while he ate.
Remembering his last encounter, this time he planned to use a tool and keep some distance so Ethan wouldn't grab him or counter with that devastating punch.
He even mentally congratulated himself on his clever strategy.
"You bastard! F**k! Go eat crap!"
As Thompson's tray came down, his vision went black again. The tray, along with leftover soup, slammed right into his face—and then a sharp pain exploded in his chest as he was sent flying once more.
In the classroom earlier, everything had happened too fast for anyone to register it clearly.
But this time, everyone was already watching—Mary Jane's near fall had grabbed their attention, and Thompson's shouting had only made it more obvious.
So when Thompson tried to attack Ethan with the tray, only to have it slammed back into his own face and then get launched backward by a sudden spinning kick, nearly everyone in the cafeteria saw it happen.
A hush fell over the crowd.
"He just… sent him flying!"
"What was that? Reflexes like that don't come from nowhere."
"Is this guy in some kind of special training or something?"
"That was insane. That move looked like something out of a movie."
Not far away, Gwen paused mid-bite.
She had seen the entire thing—from Ethan's quick reflexes saving MJ to the flawless takedown of Thompson.
To be honest, at first, seeing Mary Jane flirt with Ethan had made Gwen feel a little uncomfortable.
Everyone has the right to pursue love, but someone as grounded and decent as Ethan didn't seem like the kind of guy who belonged with someone like Mary Jane. Honestly, Thompson felt like a better match for her.
But Ethan's calm and mature rejection made Gwen feel unexpectedly satisfied.
Standing your ground with grace—now that was something rare.
As for Thompson's sneak attack and Ethan's reaction, Gwen couldn't help feeling conflicted.
Justice, With a Side of Burgers
Thompson was a bully, and it was good that Ethan Cole defended himself.
But… wasn't that counterattack a little too much? Sending someone flying several feet into a table—couldn't that actually hurt or even seriously injure him?
As the sheriff's daughter and a top student, Gwen's strong sense of justice told her she should probably speak up.
But… speak up to who?
Say something to Ethan?
Sure, he hit hard—but it looked so effortless and cool!
In her heart, Gwen felt like giving him a thumbs-up. How could she bring herself to criticize that?
Meanwhile, Ethan casually sat back down and returned to his burger, as if nothing had happened.
Right now, food came first. Everything else could wait.
Even if the school guards or the cops showed up, he could just claim self-defense. Saying it was "too much" would be pushing it.
"If I were trained in actual combat," Ethan thought, "I wouldn't have even needed to wait for a second chance—Thompson would've gone down back in the classroom."
Compared to Gwen, who was loyal from start to finish and didn't waver even when her father opposed her relationship, Mary Jane was worlds apart.
If he used a green card on Mary Jane, he'd be "green" for sure.