Just like right now, he clearly cares about Finn in his heart.
But his outward emotions and behavior—clearly, he was hurting Finn once again.
But Harry could not control himself.
He just couldn't control himself.
Don't yell at him!" Andrew was the first to rush in. If it had been a week ago, he would never have thought of facing Harry Osborn directly; he actually had such courage and confidence. "Why do you still use this kind of attitude to hurt him?
Harry's gaze swept over Catherine and Joseph rushing toward the hospital bed, then landed on Andrew's hostile face. His throat moved, but in the end, he only uttered a sentence that sounded calm on the surface: "You two stay with him."
Peter wanted to walk quickly to Finn's side, but then he saw—
Finn's gaze was still firmly locked on Harry, while Harry's retreating figure looked disheveled, every step exuding a sense of haste as if wanting to escape immediately. He gave Finn a worried look, but ultimately followed Harry's footsteps with hesitation.
"Go be with him." Harry strode out of the ward. Sensing footsteps behind him, he turned his head abruptly, his voice carrying a suppressed raspiness.
I—" Peter frowned slightly, "Are you okay?
Peter could certainly see that Harry's situation was not good at all.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a sense of fury and impatience, looking as if his mind had also been driven into a corner.
Even Peter wanted to ask the Osborn brothers quite bluntly—
Does your family have a hereditary mental illness?
Don't worry about me." Harry sneered, "Go accompany Finn.
He could not give Finn the warmth he desired, so he simply let the person who could stay by his side.
"It's an opportunity, Harry," Peter said earnestly.
"An opportunity? No, this isn't an opportunity at all, it won't change anything!" Harry stared intensely at Peter, his eyes churning with suppressed irritation and helplessness.
"I can satisfy all of Finn Osborn's material needs—money, resources, whatever he wants, I can give it to him. But I can't give him the kind of thing he wants! My care for him is cold, distant, cheap, poor quality; it simply cannot satisfy his craving for affection. This situation will only make his condition worse." One thing Harry Osborn was even more certain of was that even his own emotions were uncontrollable, just like in the hospital ward; his loss of control would only continue to hurt Finn Osborn.
Looking at it from another angle, at least like this, Finn seems to have started to desensitize to the 'family' he wants." Harry paused, his tone carrying a hint of self-deceiving certainty, "We.. should maintain our previous relationship; perhaps it would be better for everyone.
Finn was like a drowning man; he had struggled for a long time, yet he could not receive any help.
Then he learned how to breathe underwater by himself, he could move freely both on the surface and deep beneath the sea.
Harry didn't understand; what was the point of him appearing at this moment and then pretending to lend a helping hand?
Why must you jump to conclusions so quickly?" Peter also frowned; he clearly thought this was the best turning point. "Harry, even for your press conference, you would need a vast amount of time, energy, resources to prepare before you could have that brilliant debut on the day of the event, wouldn't you? You've only spent one day, yet you've already decided that nothing can be changed?
It can be changed. I have always believed that there is nothing between family members that cannot be overcome," Peter said firmly. "Finn will see a psychiatrist, you can go with him. If a husband and wife can undergo counseling together to repair their marriage, why can't brothers? You know that no matter what happens, I will help you both.
Peter saw the signs of softening in Harry's eyes and sighed inwardly.
He was truly worried sick about these two brothers.
—Please, you two brothers, go see a psychiatrist together!
Go accompany Finn first. I still have many things to handle, I will consider this matter later." Harry took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the surging agitation in his heart; although his head was still throbbing, he had finally managed to regain some calm. As if suddenly remembering something, he frowned, pulled the car keys from his pocket, held them out to Peter, "Take this, give it to him for me.
"Okay, I'll give it to him." Peter reached out and took the car keys.
By the time Peter returned to the room, Finn was still sitting on the hospital bed with a look of confusion, surrounded by Joseph, Catherine, Andrew, though the atmosphere remained quietly oppressive.
"Where is Harry?" Finn asked, looking at Peter as he entered the room.
He said there are still some things that need to be handled." Peter walked to the bedside, "He asked me to come and keep you company first.
Finn nodded and said nothing more; his mind was still dull, confused, heavy.
Like a program infected by a virus, even if it managed to resume operation, it could only maintain the slowest possible speed.
The frantic increase in Misery Value made Finn suddenly realize—
It seemed as if he had hurt many people.
Did I do something wrong?" Finn lowered his eyes slightly, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, his tone filled with uncertainty, as if he were unsure whether he was asking the person beside him or asking himself, who had always lived by the standard of "completing the mission.
"You didn't do anything wrong! You did nothing wrong!" Catherine countered almost immediately, her voice carrying a clear trace of stress and an urgent need to protect him; she could not bear to see Finn self-denying like this.
"Yes, you did wrong." After a second of silence, Peter spoke.
Everyone stared at Peter in shock.
Finn also looked up, those green eyes as beautiful as an inorganic gemstone.
Clear yet hollow, staring straight at Peter.
At this moment, Peter sat on the edge of the bed and gently took hold of Finn's bandaged wrist.
No matter what happens, you shouldn't hurt yourself." Peter looked solemnly at Finn, "It really is your fault.
Actually, it wasn't really Finn's fault, because Finn had no control over himself at the time, but Peter said it that way on purpose anyway.
Looking closely at Finn's arm at this moment, Peter could hardly piece together the scene in the bedroom back then; he wasn't calm at all, he was simply relying on his muscle memory and instincts developed through his training as Spider-Man to treat Finn's wound and deal with that situation.
He forced himself to stay calm amidst the chaotic scene, forced himself to face Noah's fury and Harry's irritability, forced himself to tell everyone in a firm tone that everything would be alright..
He was merely holding on, holding on until now.
But facing Finn's bewildered eyes at this moment, the eighteen-year-old youth was nearly in total collapse.
He could not deny that he really liked Finn.
He liked the passion in his bright smile, he liked his pure way of treating others, he liked his unadulterated sincerity.
The closer he got, the more he felt that Finn was like a beam of light, so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.
He was so joyful to spend Finn Osborn's birthday with his dual identities as Peter Parker and Spider-Man, as if the two identities could allow him to occupy more of Finn's time and bring Finn more unique surprises and happiness.
That excitement kept his heart racing, but immediately after.. he personally pushed away that blood-colored nightmare.
Stop doing things that hurt yourself like this, okay?
Peter's eyes were rimmed with red as he asked him cautiously, his voice trembling slightly with a hint of pleading.
Pinky swear.
"Okay." Finn was stunned for a moment, then he reached out his hand without much hesitation.
That uninjured hand had fingertips that were still slightly cool.
The moment they finished their pinky swear, Peter took the opportunity to reach out and gently pull Finn into his embrace.
Once again, that familiar, warm embrace, filled with a reassuring strength, enveloped Finn.
[So warm.] Finn truly loved Peter's warmth.
In such a close embrace, Finn seemed to feel Peter's heartbeat, thumping steadily, powerfully, vibrantly.
Harry specially prepared a very beautiful convertible sports car for you, saying he wanted to give you a birthday surprise," Peter said. "We came together, we're both very happy and looking forward to the scene of you receiving the gift.
Peter knew that he could hear Finn's inner thoughts, but Finn could not hear the thoughts of others. He could clearly see that Catherine and the others all wanted to protect Finn, that no one wanted to mention what happened on the morning after his birthday. However, some things, if left unsaid, might never be understood by Finn, who was habitually immersed in "systematic thinking."
Perhaps he wouldn't even know just how important he truly was.
But the moment I pushed open your door that day—" He paused, his voice suddenly filled with a trembling fear, "Finn, I felt like my heart had stopped beating. I was so close, I was truly so close to being scared to death by you.
“During the time you were unconscious, I was very sad, pained, full of self-reproach.”
Not just me, but everyone.
Because you are very important to us, we cannot accept you being harmed in any way.
Peter took a deep breath and spoke out those surging emotions, word by word, clearly.
Blunt, candid, without any concealment.
Fearing that Finn would not understand, he simply laid these most direct emotions clearly before Finn's eyes.
Andrew stood to the side, staring blankly at Peter as he spoke those words.
To be able to express one's emotions so clearly and without reservation is, in itself, an extraordinary ability.
At least he and Harry Osborn both couldn't.
"I'm still looking forward to our Halloween party, I still want to go out driving in the new convertible with you, I still want to go to the Rat Rise show with you, I still have so many, many things I want to do with you.." Peter's embrace of Finn grew even tighter; he thought that everything had only just begun.
But seriously, for a moment, I thought.. I was going to lose you.
[Misery Value detected to be rising, Misery Value +1%]
Finn froze when the notification sounded in his mind once again.
The young man's gaze remained somewhat lost, as if covered by a layer of chaotic mist, blurred and distant.
But at this moment, within this warm and solid embrace, that layer of mist seemed to be slowly dissipating.
Finn tilted his head slightly with an expressionless face.
A tiny, incredibly faint glimmer of light was slowly, slowly spreading from the depths of his emerald eyes.
How strange.
He had never thought like this before.
Was that the sound of Misery Value rising?
But then, it also seemed to be—
A very clear voice was heard, as someone felt heartache for him.
Chapter 47: Powerful Support
Noah waited until the morning of the second day after Finn's hospitalization to arrive.
He had previously been forcibly evacuated by Dr. Thomas and Elias.
On one hand, it was because Noah's mental state was truly too poor.
On the other hand, there was also the fear that Noah and the awakened Finn, both fellow patients, would trigger one another.
—Please, just don't let him get even sicker.
On the way to the ward, Noah's heart began to feel gloomy, terrified, uneasy once again, his footsteps were as heavy as lead.
He had not yet seen Finn in the throes of an episode with his own eyes, countless terrifying conjectures surged within his heart: he feared that the young man who always shone brightly in his eyes would be gnawed away by depression until he collapsed, showing a look of despair and breakdown in his hospital bed; he feared even more that the ailing Finn would use the same sharp and indifferent attitude he used toward Harry to shut him out.