The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 222

Chapter 222: 222 | The Unforeseen Returns on a Wardrobe Investment [PS BONUS]

"That’s a good philosophy."

"It’s the only philosophy that makes sense. People spend so much energy trying to hide what they feel and position themselves for advantage. It’s exhausting just watching it. I’d rather be honest and deal with the consequences."

We reached the 1-B dormitory entrance. Through the windows, I could see the common room had filled up again. People moving around, conversations happening, the usual chaos of twenty young heroes learning to live together.

"Same time next week?" Felicity asked.

"What?"

"Shopping. We still need to work on your pants situation. And your shoes are a disaster that we haven’t even begun to address."

"My shoes are fine."

"Your shoes are a crime against fashion. But we’ll fix them. One disaster at a time."

She reached out and squeezed my arm, the same gesture she’d used throughout the day. Warm and friendly and completely platonic despite what my treasonous body wanted to interpret it as.

"Thanks for today, Lukas. I had fun."

"I had fun too."

"See? Joy isn’t that hard. You just have to let yourself experience it without analyzing it to death."

She disappeared through the dormitory door, leaving me standing outside with my shopping bags and my complicated feelings and a System notification blinking in my peripheral vision.

〘 Side Quest Complete: Mall Crawl 〙

〘 Reward: 500 Skill Points 〙

〘 Note: The Host managed to spend an entire day with an attractive woman without incident. The System is genuinely impressed. This will not last. 〙

I dismissed the notification and headed inside.

The common room was louder than I expected. Caden had claimed the center couch and was doing something with his phone that kept making Marco laugh. Percy sat in his usual spot near the bulletin board, notebook open, pen moving. Rina had claimed the corner chair again, her sheep mug clutched in both hands while she watched the room with wide eyes.

A few people looked up when I entered. Then a few more. Then the entire room went quiet.

"What?" I asked.

Caden was the first to speak. "Dude. What happened to you?"

"I went shopping."

"You look like a completely different person."

"I look like myself in different clothes."

"That’s what I said. Completely different person."

Marco leaned forward, studying me with the intensity of someone solving a puzzle. "The blue really works with your complexion. Brings out your eyes."

"Thanks?"

"You’re welcome. Fashion advice is free. Relationship advice costs money."

Camille appeared from somewhere near the kitchen, a protein bar in her hand and suspicion in her eyes. She looked me up and down with the kind of assessment that made me feel like a specimen under a microscope.

"Fitzgerald’s work?" she asked.

"Hardy’s."

That got a reaction. Camille’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened slightly before she caught herself.

"The blonde one? The one with the illusions?"

"That’s her."

"She dressed you?"

"She helped me shop."

"For clothes."

"That’s typically what shopping involves, yes."

Sloane: I said the hoodies make you look washed out. The shirt makes you look like someone I want to rip the shirt off of. Different things.

Me: That’s aggressively flirtatious for a text message.

Sloane: I’m an aggressive person. You knew this when you started dating me.

Me: Fair point.

Sloane: 20 minutes. Cafeteria. Be there or face consequences.

Me: What kind of consequences?

Sloane: The kind that involve fire and disappointment. Not necessarily in that order.

I put the phone down and stared at the ceiling.

Somewhere on campus, Felicity was probably talking about our day with whoever would listen. Sloane was probably picking out what to wear to dinner while thinking about ways to mark her territory. Camille was probably analyzing my new clothes and wondering why they bothered her so much.

And I was lying in a reading chair, surrounded by shopping bags, trying to figure out how to navigate a life that got more complicated by the hour.

The System notification appeared without my permission.

〘 Main Quest Update: First Step To Harem King 〙

〘 Progress: 3/3 Meaningful Contacts Established 〙

〘 Bonus Objective Complete: Rivalry Condition Met (Imara Steele) 〙

〘 Quest Status: Ready for Completion 〙

〘 Reward Available: 2000 Skill Points + Gacha Token (Silver) 〙

〘 Accept Reward? Y/N 〙

I accepted.