June was graduation season for American high schools.
Since most schools in the United States did not have uniforms, graduates would wear gowns similar to university graduation robes for the ceremony, marking this important day in their lives.
Unlike university gowns, which were primarily black, high school graduation gowns generally used each school's representative colors. There was no standardized color.
For example, Midtown High School, another famous public high school in New York, used light green graduation gowns. Standard High School, where Gwen studied, used pink.
Standard High School held its graduation ceremony on a Saturday. This made it convenient for parents to attend without having to take time off work, ensuring they wouldn't miss an important moment in their children's lives.
Henry attended as well. And he wasn't alone. Katherine Hepburn and Skye came too. There were simply too many people packed together at the ceremony; otherwise, the old lady would have wanted to bring Kitty along as well.
The group stayed together with George Stacy, the police commissioner, effectively forming the girl's support squad.
The solemn ceremony even quieted the normally most mischievous students. The principal personally handed a diploma to every graduate, symbolizing the end of an important stage in their lives and the beginning of their journey into the next.
Some people cried. Some laughed. Others were busy saying goodbye to their friends.
After all, whether they entered the workforce or went to college after graduating high school, there was no guarantee everyone would remain together. A goodbye spoken at this moment might be followed by another meeting at an unknown time in the future.
Others ran around the campus, perhaps recalling the memories they had made over the years, or perhaps hoping to leave one final deep impression.
Gwen's popularity was especially evident at this moment. She was constantly surrounded by classmates saying goodbye. Some were reluctant to part, while others attempted one final confession of love.
Of course, some of them might simply have wanted to say what they had been holding inside so they wouldn't have any regrets.
The girl's attitude had always been clear. Throughout four years of high school, there hadn't even been the slightest hint of ambiguity. So these final confessions weren't about breaking through some invisible barrier. They were simply a way to receive a polite rejection, finally give up, and find the courage to pursue another romance.
With her square cap and round face, Gwen wasn't particularly tall. Although she looked petite, she wasn't the delicate, frail type. She was actually quite athletic, with the compact build of a gymnast.
By Western standards, Gwen's appearance leaned toward the slender side. But she had a strong presence. Even without the advantage of height, she remained the most eye-catching person in a crowd. People's eyes naturally gravitated toward her.
Besides being outgoing, she was also quite confident. Her knowledge and abilities supported that confidence. More importantly, she was a child who had grown up surrounded by love.
Although she came from a single-parent family, Gwen still had memories of her mother. George was often busy with work and frequently came home late, but he had never neglected his care and affection for his daughter.
Gwen had responded to all of this as well. She knew she was happy, which was why she could display such carefree confidence.
Perhaps sensing the fundamental difference between their souls, Skye, who had initially been very happy to attend the graduation ceremony, found herself overshadowed by Gwen's radiant confidence. Her own confidence began to fade, and she almost seemed to retreat into a shadow.
Her manner became timid and evasive, and Skye even wanted to find somewhere to hide.
Fortunately, Gwen was remarkably perceptive. She anticipated the girl's fear and pulled her only student over to her side, gradually dispelling the layer of inferiority that had wrapped itself around her.
The two girls bickered and played around like sisters. Perhaps Gwen paid special attention to Skye because she knew about the girl's past.
No one wanted to see a child living in that kind of hell. And being forced to endure such a place wasn't the child's fault.
Henry, on the other hand…
Gwen stared dumbfounded at the man standing before her. He was dressed extremely casually and even wore a baseball cap.
Most notably, the enormous beard on his face had grown back!
"What happened here?"
Gwen immediately reached out and grabbed it.
She accidentally peeled up a small section of the fake beard at its roots, frightening herself so badly that she immediately withdrew her hand.
Henry pressed the fake beard back into place and said helplessly, "Right now, I only have stubble that's neither long nor short, and it looks terrible. So I took the beard I'd plucked out before, turned it into a fake one, and stuck it back onto my face."
"Couldn't you just shave it? Do you want me to give you a razor?"
George's heart clenched at the side.
His daughter had never given him a razor as a gift!
Henry had no mind-reading ability, so he didn't know that the bounty on his head had just been raised by several more digits by the police commissioner. He merely waved his hand.
"No need to waste money. An ordinary razor can't shave my beard anyway. You don't think I've let my hair grow this long because I'm too lazy to get a haircut, do you?"
As he had said before, Henry had never hidden the fact that his body was made of steel, including the fact that his hair roots were equally indestructible. He simply didn't bring it up with everyone he met.
Gwen could easily learn about it from George, who already knew.
"Then how did you deal with it before?"
Henry was rendered speechless.
His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.
"Anyway, it's complicated. I can't get my hair cut or shave my beard for the time being."
"All right, I won't ask."
Gwen held out her hand, palm upward.
"What? You want to shake hands?"
Like an obedient puppy, Henry curled four fingers into a little paw and placed it in Gwen's hand.
The angry girl slapped the "paw" away.
"Where's my graduation present?"
At the perfect moment, George presented his daughter with a bouquet of flowers, his attitude and expression carrying a hint of pride and even provocation.
Skye and Katherine Hepburn had gifts for her as well: a silver bracelet and a fountain pen.
The silver bracelet had been made by Skye herself. Its charm was Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls, the perfect little girl created by Professor Utonium with sugar, spice, and Chemical X.
The fountain pen Katherine Hepburn gave her was made by Cross, the brand founded in 1846. The rose engraving and gold-leaf detailing on the barrel showed that this wasn't an ordinary model but a customized piece.
Henry, who had arrived empty-handed, stared dumbfounded at the old lady and the little girl beside him.
Neither of them had reminded him!
Henry looked at Katherine Hepburn with a deeply aggrieved expression that seemed to say: You planned this!
The old lady smiled affectionately as though she knew nothing about it. Her eyes remained fixed firmly on Gwen, refusing to move or turn, desperately resisting the urge to meet Henry's accusing gaze.
If this wasn't deliberate, then Henry's super brain had truly been wasted.
Henry wondered whether he should pull off his fake beard and give it to her.
Just kidding!
What about the Kryptonian DNA?
If the girl could figure that out, she could probably collect Nobel Prizes until her hands went numb.
Seeing that Henry had nothing to give her, Gwen didn't get angry. Instead, she looked delighted.
"Could it be that the present is really big, so you couldn't carry it in your hands? Then I'll look forward to it.
"I hope it's a car. Preferably a Mini Cooper. That car is so cute. A Volkswagen Beetle would be fine too. New or antique, I can accept either.
"But I don't want anything too big. I'm worried you'll bring me a tank. And don't tell me the advantage of that kind of vehicle is that you never have to look for parking because you can park anywhere—even on top of someone else's car."
Henry took a step backward and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"You think this is a magic lamp and I'm a genie granting wishes? No! Greedy girls don't get presents. Even Santa Claus would take a detour to avoid you. Other than my paw, there isn't any other present."
As he spoke, Henry extended his hand again, curling his fingers into a dog paw.
"Ah! Skye was right. You really are a jerk!"
Gwen nearly used the bouquet her father had given her as a club and smashed it straight into Henry's face.
Fortunately, she stopped at the last moment and spared the poor flowers from being destroyed.
George, meanwhile, was experiencing an indescribable mixture of emotions.
He was afraid Henry might actually give her a car, whether new or secondhand. Such an expensive gift wasn't appropriate between friends unless there was something more than friendship between the two.
But Henry refusing to give her a car—or apparently any present at all—made George equally furious.
His daughter was graduating, and the man couldn't even be bothered to give her a little something. Even a sticker would have been fine.
Who did he think he was looking down on?
Then George realized that his reaction was completely irrational.
Shouldn't it be best if the two of them were completely innocent and had absolutely no relationship?
That realization only made George even angrier.
The old father's emotions weren't like soaking in a hot bath.
It was more like someone had thrown another log onto a bonfire; then, thinking the fire wasn't large enough, poured a bucket of gasoline over it; and finally, deciding that still wasn't enough, tossed in a bundle of dynamite.
At this point, he genuinely felt like he was about to explode.
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