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."

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