The name hit Ryuuto like a small electric jolt.
Gwen Stacy… the heroine from The Amazing Spider-Man.
He hadn't expected to see her here of all places — a random science fair at Oxford University. He'd only come to pass some quiet time, hide in plain sight for a bit… yet fate clearly had a sense of humor.
The blonde girl before him was exactly as the movies had shown: gentle, composed, the type who chased excellence with quiet fire. A perfect contrast to the chaos that usually surrounded him.
He just didn't know if this Gwen was already dating Peter Parker.
Seeing her standing at her booth, ignored by the crowd, Ryuuto walked over.
Beside her was a glass display case — completely empty.
"What's this supposed to be?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Gwen brightened immediately, voice laced with that spark of passion only real inventors had.
"It's a fungal culture that can treat skin diseases! The concept's simple — one strain kills the other that causes infections. I wanted to build a large-scale version for human testing, but funding's tight. And well… skin diseases aren't exactly the kind of thing people volunteer to show off, so no one's stepped up."
Ryuuto raised a brow. "So it's basically a cure fungus? Sounds like a video game item."
She laughed softly and held up her phone. "I recorded proof! I tested it on a Pomeranian with dermatitis — want to see?"
He nodded, watching the clip as she proudly handed over the phone. The video showed a small dog covered in red blotches being placed inside a smaller glass chamber. Minutes later, the inflamed skin faded to normal.
Primitive setup or not — it worked.
"That's… actually amazing," Ryuuto said honestly.
"Right?!" Gwen beamed, relief flashing across her face. "Thank you! At least someone here gets it."
"You're really craving validation that badly, huh?" he teased lightly.
"Well, yeah," she admitted with a tired grin. "I spent almost two years on this project, all funded through part-time jobs. So of course I want recognition. But… no luck. My classmates drop by, mock my empty glass box, then leave. Some biotech rep even told me I was wasting my time."
"That must've pissed you off."
"Why would I waste my energy?" Gwen replied, calm and clear. "If I get angry, he wins. I just smiled and said I'll try again. If no one funds this, I'll make something new. As long as I'm alive, I can keep making miracles."
Her words caught him off guard. There was real steel behind that smile.
"You're… ridiculously optimistic," Ryuuto said, half admiring, half envious.
"Ha, you flatter me." Gwen tilted her head. "Wait—are you a student here too?"
"Yeah. Microbiology, freshman," he lied smoothly.
"You liar," she said, smirking. "I study microbiology too, and I've never seen you in class."
Ryuuto chuckled. "That's because I just transferred. International student — Japan."
He reached out his hand. "Name's Ryuuto. Nice to meet you."
She shook it with an easy smile. "Gwen Stacy. And… Japan, huh? That explains the accent. Still, your name sounds oddly familiar… wait—wasn't the X-Men's captain named Ryuuto too? You're not that guy, are you?"
Ryuuto grinned. "If I were, would I really be here casually checking out fungus samples? The mutant scanner at the gate already cleared me."
"Huh. Still, you two look really similar. Let me check…"
She pulled out her phone, searching, then frowned at the picture. "At first glance, you look identical. But looking closer, nah. You could pass as brothers, but not the same guy. Lucky you—if you were him, I'd be too scared to talk."
"Not a fan of the X-Men, I take it?" he asked.
"Honestly? Not lately." Gwen's tone dimmed. "Mutants have caused a lot of chaos recently. People died. So yeah, I'm… cautious."
Ryuuto hummed in thought, gaze distant.
Yeah. People died.
And not all of them deserved to.
Then he leaned closer, lips quirking into a sly smile.
"Gwen, do you know why that biotech guy said you were embarrassing yourself here?"
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
Ryuuto grinned. "Because people like him can't stand being shown up by someone who still believes in doing the impossible."
The words hung there — sharp, sincere, almost prophetic.
...
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