Indeed, there were still good people in this world.
Heroes like Superman—undoubtedly, the best of them all.
Gordon cast one last glance at the two students lying on the ground. He picked up his bag, grabbed the tray from the desk, and left.
…
Meanwhile.
After leaving Midtown High, Carl returned to Jang Man-wol's dormitory.
Though it was already past nine, Jang Man-wol was still resting. She had no filming scheduled for today. In fact, not just her—most of the cast was on break.
Several days had passed without shooting.
Carl was a little surprised when he learned of this.
How could a drama have such long breaks in filming?
Only after asking did he come to understand.
K-dramas are filmed and aired almost simultaneously.
Of course, "simultaneous" doesn't mean scenes shot today appear instantly on TV—that would be live broadcast. Filming inevitably produces numerous failed takes—"NGs"—which could never make it onto the screen. Hence, editing was essential.
Thus, in Korea, "filming while airing" means the crew shoots two or three episodes at a time, then editors work under tight deadlines to finish them before broadcast.
Take Jang Man-wol's drama for instance. By yesterday, they had already filmed about five episodes. Since it was a new series, more material was needed upfront. The editing team would need at least a week to produce two finished episodes for TV.
This way, the production could gauge audience response and ratings before deciding the total length of the show. If ratings soared, they would extend the series. If not… well, that was the end.
Moreover, many productions adjusted their plots based on audience feedback.
For example, if the second male lead unexpectedly became far more popular than the protagonist, the writers would promptly expand his role—sometimes to the point where his storyline outshone the male lead's.
Carl was taken aback hearing all this from Jang Man-wol.
He had never paid much attention to the industry's workings. Though he had invested in films in Korea—thanks to Jang Man-wol—and also in Hollywood, his involvement was strictly in movies, not television. Films were on a tight schedule; there was no "trial and error" like this.
Back in his previous life, dramas were filmed to completion before airing.
So naturally, this approach seemed novel to him.
That evening, after dinner, Jang Man-wol, still weary from yesterday, went to rest, while Carl watched a movie in her room. He rarely watched Korean films, but they weren't bad—like anywhere else, there were both hits and misses.
After a while, though, he grew bored.
Using his super-vision, he checked on the people close to him.
Sky, Erika, Isabella—all safe. Then he glanced at his bar, at Tony, at Banner. Finally, when he checked on Peter Parker, he discovered Eugene troubling him.
And so, he had stepped in.
Truthfully, Carl and Peter Parker weren't really friends. The only reason he had paid attention to him in the first place was because Carl once considered capturing the spider that bit Peter. But after gaining his own powers, he lost interest.
Still, Carl respected the Avengers. They were heroes, after all. He didn't know every member personally, but to see Peter bullied—he couldn't just stand by.
Thus, Carl went straight to Midtown High, stopped the bully, and the rest unfolded as it did.
All in all, it wasn't a wasted trip—he'd beaten up the school tyrant and even collected a sign-in point. Midtown, after all, was part of New York City, and Carl could sign in here directly.
With Jang Man-wol still asleep, Carl had nothing better to do, so he resumed watching films.
…
Midtown High Infirmary
Eugene and his two cronies were undergoing surgery. Normally, a school infirmary couldn't handle broken bones. But Midtown High was different.
What kind of place was Midtown?
It was part of Manhattan—the very heart of New York's prosperity. The Empire State Building itself stood here. Manhattan was not only New York's wealthiest borough but also famed as the world's economic center.
In short: money was everywhere.
A school in such a district certainly wasn't short of funds. Midtown High's facilities were top-notch. Their infirmary was practically a small hospital, equipped with advanced instruments. Performing a fracture surgery was no challenge.
While Eugene and his two friends received treatment, Peter Parker attended class. Before leaving, he promised to visit them afterward.
…
At noon, Peter arrived at the infirmary.
By then, Eugene and the others had completed their operations and rested for some time.
"Hey! How are you guys feeling?"
Peter greeted cheerfully.
"Not bad," Eugene muttered, then fell silent. He felt a pang of shame.
He was, after all, just a teenager—straightforward and not yet hardened. He had bullied Peter for attention and vanity. Yet when trouble struck, Peter was the first to rush in, helping him to the infirmary.
Eugene had once tormented Peter. That made this all the more awkward.
Peter turned to the other two.
"And you guys? How are you holding up?"
"Pretty good. Surgery went fine," one replied.
"That's good." Peter nodded. After a pause, he asked,
"Have you told your families yet?"
"Not yet… we don't know how to explain it," Eugene admitted.
Peter stood. "Alright. I'll grab some lunch. Want me to bring you something?"
"Of course. I want a burger," said one.
"I'll take pizza," added the other.
"Got it." Peter made a mental note, then asked Eugene,
"What about you? What'll it be?"
"Flash, what do you want to eat?" one of the others prodded.
"…A burger, I guess," Eugene replied.
"Okay, hang tight." Peter nodded and started for the door.
"Peter!" Eugene suddenly called after him.
"Hm?" Peter turned back. "Did you think of something else?"
"No… the burger's fine. Here, take this." Eugene pulled out some bills from his bag and held them out. Then he barked at the others, "What are you two staring at? Hand him some cash!"
"Oh, right, right…" The other two hurriedly produced money as well.
Peter accepted their money. As he reached for Eugene's, the boy lowered his voice.
"…Thanks, Peter."
"What?" Peter hadn't caught it.
Eugene raised his voice, face red. "I said, I'm sorry! And… thank you for helping me."
"…Ah." Peter blinked, then smiled.
"No need for that. We're classmates."
With that, he stepped out of the infirmary.
End of chapter...
WORLDWIDE SUPERMAN STRENGTH
🔹 Dimension Walker – 15 chapters ahead
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