Page 11 of The Jorogumo

I glanced down, then blinked, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Had I fallen and hit my head, and this was all a hallucination?

Because I couldn't possibly be wrapped up in fine, silky strands of spiderwebs, could I? This wasn't a comic book.

Sitting upright on the hammock-ish thing made out of snow-white strands of fine silk, I ran my fingers over the material, stunned at their sticky softness. What the absolute hell?

There was only one other person in the store with me, so I glanced up at Haruto, who sat right where he'd been, looking utterly calm and unruffled, though his eyes were a touch wider than usual.

"Uh, Haruto?"

I remembered him saying he foundSpider-Manrelatable, but I'd never thought this was what he'd meant. For some reason, I found the thought unbearably amusing, and I wondered distantly if I was in shock.

"Liam? Are you okay?"

I went to rub my palm over my face, then realized I was still holding the comic. Well, at least I'd managed to get it.

"What just happened?"

Haruto grimaced, then threw his head back with a groan. "This wasn't how I was planning to do this."

"Do what?"

He gave me a cautious look, then shrugged. "Tell you everything," he said, which clarified nothing.

Haruto pulled his phone out, checked the screen, then glanced at me. Since the hammock was only a few feet above the ground, we were for once the same height.

"Could you take your break a little early today?"

If it meant getting some answers before my brain burst from all the ridiculous, comic-worthy scenarios it was coming up with? Hell yes.

Nodding, I carefully got to my feet, then gave the hammock another look in case I'd imagined it, before heading toward the front door.

I changed the signs, then turned the lock, before heading back to the shelves since Haruto hadn't come out.

He was right where I'd left him, though now the ladder stood beside the hammock, all patched up and covered in a layer of spider silk.

"I feel all kinds of ridiculous asking this, but are you a real lifeSpider-Man?" I made a face as soon as the words were out of my mouth, and it didn't help when Haruto snickered, his brown eyes twinkling merrily.

"Not quite. How about you sit down and I'll tell you everything?"

I eyed him for another moment before nodding and settling on the hammock. Now that I was over the surprise, excitement filled me.

As a comic book geek, a tiny part of me always hoped there was more to this universe than just humans. Aliens, mutants, super beings...there were so many options.

"Okay, so I want to preface this by saying that you are not in any danger from me. I won't ever hurt you."

I shot him a deadpan look and rolled my eyes, gesturing at the hammock I was sitting on. "Dude. You just revealed what is probably a big secret to save me from what would've at worst been the bruise of a lifetime or a broken bone. Yeah, I'm not scared for my life."

Haruto smiled, then dipped his head in acceptance. "Fair enough. Okay, do you know anything about Japanese mythical beings?"

Not where I thought this conversation was headed, but since my only knowledge of mythical beings came from my beloved comics, I shook my head, and Haruto hummed.

"Okay, well, I'm the modern-day descendent of a being called the Jorogumo. They—weare a human-spider hybrid of sorts, and we feed on sexual energy to gain power and do things like taking on a human form. I...don'tdo that, hence this." He waved down at his wheelchair, and it took me a moment to realize what he meant.

Was he saying he didn't have legs hidden under that blanket? Or rather that he didn't have human legs?

Oh wow. My brain was struggling to make sense of it, and if it weren't for the very soft, very shiny hammock under me, I'd have thought Haruto needed some psychiatric help. But I couldn't lie to myself, and I didn't want to.

I wanted to know more. I wanted to know everything.

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