“Are you really going to try this again?”

“You betcha.”

From the top of the three-story building, Dahyun grinned down at Chaeyoung, who was standing in the alley below. Her girlfriend had her arms crossed, and looked very sceptical, but Dahyun was nowhere near ready to give up. If she could stop trains from crashing and defeat supervillains with way too many arms, she could totally pull this off.

“Seriously.” Chaeyoung sighed. “You’re going to give yourself a concussion.”

“No I won’t. Benefits of spidey-strength. It takes a lot of knocks to keep me down.”

“Ok, but you’ve hit your head five times now.”

“Exactly.” Dahyun slipped on her mask. “It’ll take at least another three before I start getting dizzy. Now get in position, I’m going to get it right this time.”

Chaeyoung shook her head, but there was a smile on her face as she walked over to the wall.

“If you bang heads with me again I’m going home. It’s dark and cold, and we’ve both got school tomorrow.”

“Deal.” Dahyun crouched down. “But only if I hit your head. If I hit my own head off the ground then we’re still giving it another go.”

“Are you sure this is even possible?” Chaeyoung seemed to be growing more cynical by the second, or maybe it had something to do with all of Dahyun’s previous failed attempts. “So far, your webs haven’t been the right length.”

“If Peter Parker could do this then so can I.” Dahyun shot a web into the edge of roof, then tugged on the string once to make sure it would hold.

“Peter Parker had the advantage of comic book physics. You’re stuck with reality.”

“True, but I have one advantage none of the comic book Spidermen ever had.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“You.”

Dahyun jumped off the edge of the building. Despite it being her sixth time doing this stunt tonight, the adrenaline rush still hit her on the way down. She could feel the web stretching as she fell, the string connecting her to the roof growing longer and longer. A spot of bright orange below told her that she was getting close to Chaeyoung, so she twisted her wrist, and the web stopped stretching. Dahyun bounced once, twice, then came to a stop, hanging upside down and face to face with Chaeyoung.

“Hey there.” Beneath her mask, Dahyun had the biggest smile on the face. “Hope you don’t mind me swinging by. I heard there was a cute girl in the neighbourhood who was looking to kiss Spiderman.”

“Sorry.” Chaeyoung smirked. “I’m afraid I’m taken.”

“Really? Who’s the lucky gal?”

“Kim Dahyun. My best friend. Maybe you’ve heard of her? Bit of a goofball, likes getting head injuries trying to recreate iconic movie scenes.”

“Can’t say that I have, no. But you look like a woman with good taste, so I imagine she’s very beautiful.”

“Oh, she is.” Chaeyoung brought her hands up, gently rolling Dahyun’s mask back so that the bottom of her face became visible. “She’s also very understanding, so I’m sure she won’t mind one kiss between me and the famous Spiderman.”

“That’s good.” Dahyun murmured. “That’s really good.”

Chaeyoung pressed their lips together, her hands tracing over Dahyun’s exposed face. Dahyun felt shivers down her spine, and she opened to deepen the kiss. She tried to move her arms to grab Chaeyoung’s shoulders, and it was only then that she remembered the string keeping her off the ground.

Uh oh.

The string snapped at her sudden wrist movement, and with a yelp Dahyun collapsed onto the damp concrete. Chaeyoung jumped at the sudden end to their kiss, but when she realised what had happened she burst into laughter.

“I’m that good, huh?” she smirked.

Dahyun lay flat on her back, trying to catch her breath. Whether she was winded from the fall or from the kiss, she wasn’t entirely sure. Probably both if she was being honest.

“Wow.” she said dizzily. “That was...”

“As good as you hoped it would be?”

“Better than I ever could have imagined.”

“Wow, you must have hit your head really hard this time.” Chaeyoung reached down to help her up. “You usually only get this cheesy when you’re drunk.”

“Or when I’ve just had the coolest kiss of my life. But also, yeah I think I have a concussion now.”

“I guess you could say… I’m a real knockout.”

Chaeyoung looked so proud of herself that Dahyun couldn’t help but laugh, even though it made her head hurt even more.

“And you call me a dork?” she chuckled. “Even Jeongyeon wouldn’t make a joke that bad.”

“She absolutely would and you know it.”

“So,” Tzuyu popped a chip into , her eyes on Chaeyoung. “The press got some interesting pictures of Spiderman last night.”

“Did they?” Chaeyoung poked at the meatloaf, wondering if this time the school lunch was actually edible. “I’m surprised they still cover him. He’s not exactly big news anymore.”

Dahyun nudged her leg under the table and Chaeyoung struggled to keep a straight face, picturing the outrage in her girlfriend’s head right now. The three of them sat in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by other tables. With all the loud conversations going on around them, no one payed any mind to their idle chit chat about the city’s most famous superhero.

“You know what’s really interesting though?” Tzuyu chewed slowly on her chip. “The pictures show him kissing a girl with bright orange hair. She’s around the same height as you are, Chaeyoung.”

“Really?” Chaeyoung kept her eyes on her tray, pushing the meatloaf away from the mashed potatoes. “That is interesting.”

“Yup.” Tzuyu ate another chip, her eyes never leaving Chaeyoung’s face. “Super strange coincidence, that.”

“Tzuyu.” Dahyun gave a bright laugh. “Are you suggesting Chaeyoung is dating Spiderman? That’s ridiculous, it’s not like she’s the only person in the world with bright orange hair.”

“Really?” Tzuyu looked from Dahyun to Chaeyoung, neither of whom would make eye contact with her. “You’re still going to pretend like you’re not Spiderman? I literally caught you walking on the ceiling last month.”

“And I told you already; I was using suction cups to try and imitate him.”

“Fine.” Tzuyu threw up her hands. “You leave me no choice. We’re doing this the hard way.”

She pulled out her phone, and Chaeyoung dropped her fork onto the tray. Beside her, Dahyun sat up straighter.

“Tzuyu don’t you dare.”

“Admit the truth and I won’t have to do anything.”

“The truth is that secret identities are secret for a reason.” Dahyun looked ready to jump across the table and snatch Tzuyu’s phone. “I’m sure whoever Spiderman is would want you to respect that.”

“So are you still trying to make me believe that Chaeyoung wasn’t the one kissing Spiderman last night?”

The reasonable thing to do here would be to admit to your best friend that your girlfriend was, in fact, Spiderman, and that was why you were caught on camera kissing last night. Tzuyu knew the truth, and a confession wouldn’t change that, it would only make things easier. But Chaeyoung was too stubborn to back down from the challenge, even if she really should.

“It wasn’t me.” Chaeyoung shrugged. “Honestly, I’m starting to get worried about you. This Spiderman conspiracy has made you delusional and paranoid.”

Tzuyu hummed thoughtfully, and Chaeyoung could feel the danger in the air.

“Maybe you’re right. If it really is all in my head, then I’m sure you won’t mind me getting some outside opinions on these pictures.”

“Tzuyu!” Dahyun lunged across the table, but it was too late.

 Both of their phones started pinging, first from Tzuyu’s text, then a horde of new messages flooding into the group chat.

Yoda sent two images.

Yoda : Is it just me or does the girl in these pictures look like Chaeng?

Nadong : Oh my God it is Chaeyoung! Why is she kissing Spiderman?

Just don’t give me a dumb nickname like God : The hair is exactly the same. Wtf how is this possible?

Just don’t give me a dumb nickname like God : Also can someone PLEASE change my nickname.

Moguri : Is Chaeyoung cheating on Dahyun with Spiderman?

Satang : Wait, why is Chaeyoung’s kissing a guy? I thought she was gay?

Mitang : Chaeyoung, what’s going on?

Cool Mom: Dahyun, did you know about this?

“You’re evil! I can’t believe you did this.” Dahyun whined at Tzuyu, who had a smug smile on her face. “They’re not going to let this go now.”

“Well if you’re not Spiderman, then there’s no problem here, is there?”

Dahyun opened and closed a few times, clearly struggling for a good response. Luckily, Chaeyoung had her covered. She whipped out her own phone and began texting the group chat.

“I’m sorry Tzuyu, but you forced me to do this.”

Strawberry Shortcake : Hey Momo, are you free Friday night?

Moguri: Yep! Why, what’s up?

Tzuyu’s face had gone pale as she read the texts, and Chaeyoung scooted her chair back in case the taller girl tried to steal her phone.

“Chaeyoung don’t do it.” Tzuyu warned.

“You expose me, I expose you.” Chaeyoung smirked. “I’m just a little more effective.”

Strawberry Shortcake: Tzuyu really likes you. Want to go out with her?

Tzuyu screamed, just as the lunch bell rang. Chaeyoung let out a maniacal cackle, and Dahyun smiled and waved at the people staring at them.

“I hate you!” Tzuyu threw her own phone across the table. “How could you do this to me? Now I have to change my name, get a new phone and move back to Taiwan!”

“Or…” Dahyun gently pushed Tzuyu’s phone back towards her. “You could read Momo’s reply. She didn’t say no.”

Tzuyu slowly unlocked her phone, looking so nervous you’d swear it was about to bite her. Chaeyoung shook with laughter in her seat, nowhere near ready to get up and head to class.

Moguri: Tzuyu is this a joke? Or is she serious?

“She didn’t say yes either!” Tzuyu moaned, resting her head on her hand. “Now I have to respond! What do I say? What can I tell her? What if she actually agrees to go out with me on Friday?”

The attention had been thoroughly shifted away from the whole ‘Dahyun is secretly Spiderman’ issue, and Dahyun reached out gratefully to squeeze Chaeyoung’s hand. Chaeyoung shot her a smile as Tzuyu continued to panic over what she should text Momo.

“I’ve bought us a few hours, but they’re not just going to forget those pictures.” Chaeyoung whispered.

“Don’t worry.” Dahyun grinned. “I’ve got a plan.”

Midnight on Friday saw Chaeyoung stumbling out of the club, supporting Nayeon and Sana who were both two tequila shots past tipsy. The cool night air helped sober all three girls up, and luckily, they all lived within ten minutes walking distance of the club. As they began the slow, stumbling walk home, Sana kept turning around to look back at the club entrance.

“Should we really have left Momo and Tzuyu behind? What if they feel bad that we ditched them?”

“They told us to go on without them.” Chaeyoung steered them left onto a smaller road. “And trust me, with the way they were each other’s faces I doubt they care about being left alone.”

“I want to someone’s face!” Sana pouted. “Why isn’t Mina here? She’s my official face er.”

“I really hope she never finds out you called her that.” Chaeyoung turned into an alleyway, and the other two followed. “And you know why she’s not here. She’s got schoolwork to catch up on, same as Dahyun.”

“Jeongyeon and Jihyo too.” Nayeon sighed. “Our girlfriends won’t come out with us anymore. No wonder Chaeyoung’s started kissing superheroes.”

Chaeyoung bit her lip to avoid yelling at Nayeon. She reminded herself that she had a plan, and all she needed was-

“Hey ladies. You need some company tonight?”

Perfect. While Nayeon and Sana stiffened, Chaeyoung turned around to face the men with a smile. There was only one lamppost in the whole alleyway, but they were near enough to it that Chaeyoung could see all three men clearly. The one who had spoken was openly leering at her, a knife in his hand. The other two were just as creepy, and Chaeyoung didn’t feel at all sorry for what was about to happen to them.

“Trust me boys, you don’t want to mess with us.” Chaeyoung tried not to sound too amused. “If you try to hurt me, my girlfriend can make life very difficult for you.”

“Dahyun?” Sana whispered incredulously in the background.

“Oh yeah?” The ringleader stepped forward, brandishing his knife at Chaeyoung. “Well is your girlfriend here now? Because if not, who’s going to stop me?”

Right on cue, a white web splattered onto the man’s hand, covering it from the knife point to the wrist. He looked down in surprise, and then his eyes widened when he saw the white rope leading upwards.

With a yell he was swept off his feet, the white web carrying him up until he was dangling from the nearby lamppost. Crouching on top of the lamppost, Spiderman waved cheerfully at them. She was dressed in full costume, and if Chaeyoung didn’t know who was beneath the mask she wouldn’t be able to tell if they were a boy or a girl. The media assumed it was a guy, and Dahyun just went along with it, but for tonight Chaeyoung was determined to make it clear that she wasn’t dating a man.

“Hey Chaeng.” Dahyun said. “These guys bothering you?”

She was using her deeper ‘secret identity’ voice, but it wasn’t quite as low as usual. It still didn’t sound like Dahyun, but there was no doubt that it was a girl’s voice.

Nayeon and Sana looked absolutely gobsmacked, and it took a ton of effort for Chaeyoung not to burst out laughing. The remaining two men tried to run away, but Dahyun shot out two webs. One guy got caught in the shoulder, and the other on the back of his trousers. They cried out as Dahyun tugged them up so that they were dangling next to their buddy.

“You fellas sit tight, and hopefully the police will get here soon.”

She backflipped down onto the ground, because Dahyun was a show-off like that. Chaeyoung just raised an eyebrow, unable to keep the smirk off her face.

“Sorry babe, I can’t stay for long. More crime to stop and all that.” Spiderman looked dramatically up into the night sky as she spoke. “Tell me, is Dahyun still on for tomorrow night?”

“She is.” They’d rehearsed this script a good few times, and Chaeyoung was pleased by how natural it sounded. “She wanted me to tell you that she’s looking forward to all three of us spending time together.”

“As am I.” Dahyun’s low voice was distractingly y, but Chaeyoung powered through it admirably. “It’s been too long since I hung out with both my girlfriends.”

She could practically feel Dahyun’s wink beneath the mask. Her girlfriend leant over and gently bumped their noses together, then she shot out a web and swung away into the darkness.

Chaeyoung had three seconds to enjoy the swooping feeling in her stomach (because Dahyun may be a nerd but Spiderman could be pretty darn smooth sometimes) before Nayeon and Sana came running over.

“Chaeyoung! I can’t believe you’ve been keeping this a secret all this time!”

“You’re dating Dahyun and Spiderman? And Spiderman is actually a girl? What the hell is going on here?”

“Do you think she could get me Wolverine’s number? Or Quake, I’m not picky.”

“I never realised you were into having more than one girlfriend! I can’t believe you and Dahyun managed to hide this so well!”

Chaeyoung smiled as they continued to talk over each other. Somewhere out there, Dahyun was probably busy taking down more muggers and criminals. It was a hard and dangerous night job, and sometimes Chaeyoung wondered why her girlfriend didn’t just go public and reap the benefits. But at the end of the day it was Dahyun’s decision, and Chaeyoung respected it and supported it.

With Tzuyu distracted by a potential new girlfriend, and the rest of their friends believing Chaeyoung and Dahyun had a secret polyamorous relationship with a superhero, it looked like Dahyun’s secret identity was safe for now.

“So Chaeyoung, you have to at least tell us this: Does she use her webs to tie you up? I bet she does, she looks like a top. Sana you agree, right? Spiderman had that aura.”

Ah, the things Chaeyoung did for love.