In the afternoon, the afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue across the sky, and the red brick walls of the teaching building appeared especially soft in its light.
The oak trees beside the playground swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling and casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
Students walked down the boulevard in groups of three or four, their laughter mingling with the rhythm of their footsteps.
A few boys practiced on the basketball court. The squeak of their sneakers against the pavement mixed with the thud of the ball hitting the backboard, adding a burst of energy to the quiet campus.
A faint scent of freshly cut grass hung in the air, occasionally mingling with the sweet aroma of baking wafting from the home economics classroom—apple pie, made by students in the last period.
Damian slouched lazily under the weight of his schoolbag, flanked by Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. The three were deep in conversation about their spring break plans.
"Honestly, Z," Gwen said, blinking as she turned to him with curiosity, "you're so talented—wouldn't it be a shame if you never played basketball?"
Damian yawned and waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. I have zero interest in basketball! Besides, I've already got enough on my plate—two and a half years of singing, dancing, and who knows what else. Overalls and choreography aren't exactly my thing."
Peter frowned, puzzled. "Wait… what do overalls and dancing have to do with basketball?"
Before Damian could answer, Gwen suddenly froze, her eyes scanning the crowd. "That's… Harry?"
At her words, Damian and Peter looked up, following her gaze.
Outside the school gate, a gleaming black Rolls-Royce Phantom idled by the curb. Leaning against it was a handsome blond boy in a sharply tailored dark blue suit, flashing them a bright smile as he waved.
"Hey, guys! Long time no see!"
Harry Osborn's voice cut through the afternoon chatter.
"Harry?!" Peter's eyes lit up instantly. He dashed over and pulled his friend into a tight hug.
Damian and Gwen hurried to join them. Harry greeted each with a warm embrace, then clapped Damian on the shoulder and grinned. "Long time no see—you're still as lazy as ever."
Damian shrugged with a theatrical sigh. "Alas, what can I do? If I don't slack off now, I won't get the chance once I graduate and start working for Master Harry."
Harry chuckled, smoothing the wrinkles Peter had left in his suit. "You're overthinking it. Master Harry won't hire you because you're lazy."
"Then I thank you for sparing me!" Damian said with mock relief.
The four of them gathered around the car, chatting easily. Harry seemed far more relaxed than the last time they'd seen him.
He reached into the car's refrigerator and pulled out several bottles of premium-looking soda, handing them around before leaning back against the door with a contented sigh.
"So," Damian asked, popping the cap off his bottle and raising an eyebrow, "what brings you here all of a sudden? Something good must be going on?"
Hearing this, Harry Osborn smiled—his eyes regaining a long-lost brightness—and his tone was noticeably relaxed as he said:
"You're still as sharp as ever, Z! Something really good has happened recently! A while back, the biomedical department led by Dr. Connors made a breakthrough!"
"So… Uncle Norman's illness is… cured?"
Peter Parker reacted instantly, his voice filled with surprise.
Harry had previously mentioned that he'd hired Dr. Connors—a renowned biology professor from Imperial College—to lead research into the Osborn family's genetic disease.
Now that there had been progress, it stood to reason that the condition affecting both Norman and his son might finally be treatable.
Harry smiled and nodded, but then his expression dimmed slightly.
"It's only temporary," he said. "The newly developed inhibitors can't cure our family's genetic disease—they can only suppress its progression and prevent further deterioration.
"But at least for now, my father seems no different from an ordinary person. He's come back to take over Osborn Industries, and… I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
Gwen Stacy beamed. "That's wonderful! Congratulations, Harry."
Damian raised his soda bottle, clinked it against Harry's, and grinned.
"That is good news. I won't have to watch you moping around all day anymore."
Harry chuckled, his spirits lifting. His tone grew cheerier as he said:
"Hehe… How about this—I treat you guys to a vacation?"
"Vacation?"
At the trio's skeptical chorus, Harry reached into his suit pocket and pulled out four gold-embossed tickets. They gleamed luxuriously in the sunlight as he explained:
"These are for a five-day, four-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Argonaut, a luxury cruise ship. Pioneer Technologies sent them to me after we signed the cooperation agreement a few days ago.
"I've been exhausted lately and really need to unwind—but going alone would be boring! They gave me a whole set of complimentary tickets, so why not use them? It's almost vacation time anyway!"
Peter Parker took a ticket, eyes wide. "Wow… this looks seriously expensive. How much does something like this cost?"
Harry tilted his head, thought for a moment, then shrugged casually.
"It's just a regular cruise—shouldn't be that pricey! Besides, the Argo is actually a subsidiary of Pioneer Technologies, so these were basically a gift."
Gwen Stacy examined the ticket more closely. "I don't think 'regular' covers it. It says the ship has underwater viewing chambers and a helicopter deck! Most cruise ships don't come with all these bells and whistles."
Harry blinked, then waved a hand dismissively.
"Who cares about the cost? It's a gift, and I can only use one. If you don't come, the rest go to waste! Just come with me and have some fun!"
Damian snapped his fingers. "The cruise departs right around the start of our vacation, so that works for me.
"I'll accept your offer with audacity! Thanks, Master Harry!"
Gwen Stacy nodded with a smile. "A free luxury trip? I'm not about to pass that up. Thank you, Master Harry!"
All three turned to Peter Parker.
He stood there, ticket in hand, throat dry, and hesitated.
"I… I need to ask Uncle Ben and Aunt May first…"
Harry had clearly anticipated this. He pulled an Osborn Industries ID card from his pocket and pressed it into Peter's hand with a knowing grin.
"Don't worry—I've got you covered! Tell them this is an official 'Outstanding Student Research Enrichment Program' sponsored by Osborn Industries, complete with a formal invitation.
"And if they're still unsure… just have them call me. I promise I'll make it work for you."
Peter stared at him. "…Are you always this prepared?"