Chapter 104: 104 | The Style War for a Simp’s Soul [CASTLE BONUS]

"Probably Fashion Island. Haven’t decided yet." Jordan shrugged. "Chloe is coming too but—"

"My schedule is completely empty." Alexis’s words came out faster than Jordan had ever heard her speak. She immediately tried to backtrack. "Not that I’m dying to go or anything. I just happen to have free time today. And you clearly need help dressing yourself."

"I was going to say it was gonna be a date thing." Jordan kept his expression neutral. "With Chloe."

Alexis’s face fell for half a second before her mask snapped back into place. "Oh. Well. Obviously I wouldn’t want to intrude on your date."

"But if you’re going, I definitely want to come!" Kumiko bounced in her seat. "I love dressing people up! Oh, Jordan, I could make you look like a K-pop idol! You’d look so good in streetwear! Oversized hoodies and chains and—"

"Absolutely not." Alexis cut in. Her nose wrinkled. "He’d look ridiculous. If anyone’s styling him, it should be me. Dark academia would suit him much better. Turtlenecks, blazers, the whole aesthetic."

"K-pop!"

"Dark academia!"

The air between the two girls went tight. Alexis’s smile was a thin line; Kumiko’s pout was a weapon. Jordan was caught directly in the crossfire.

"You know what," Jordan said slowly, "why don’t you both come? Chloe won’t mind."

That was probably a lie. Chloe would absolutely mind. But watching Alexis and Kumiko fight over how to dress him was too entertaining to pass up. Plus, it solved his daily quest problem. Two hours of shopping with three girls? Easy completion.

"Perfect!" Kumiko clapped her hands. "We can make it a group thing!"

"I suppose I could clear my schedule." Alexis inspected her nails with renewed interest. "Somebody has to stop you from turning him into a walking TikTok trend."

"Says the person who actually thinks turtlenecks work on anyone under forty!"

Alexis’s eyes narrowed. "Turtlenecks are timeless."

"Timeless? Try dated." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"At least I’m not suggesting he dress like a twelve-year-old."

"K-pop stars are not twelve!"

The classroom door opened. Dr. Jones entered at precisely 9:00 AM, his leather briefcase in one hand and a disposable coffee cup in the other. He crossed to his desk without acknowledging the seventy-three students scattered throughout the lecture hall. The coffee went down on the desk. His laptop came out of the briefcase. He connected it to the projector cable with the mechanical efficiency of someone who’d performed this exact routine five hundred times before.

Jordan opened his notebook and started taking notes as Dr. Jones launched into a lecture about fiscal policy and government spending multipliers. Behind them, someone whispered about Jordan sitting between two of the hottest girls on campus. Another voice asked if he was collecting them or something.

Jordan ignored the commentary and focused on copying down the GDP formula Dr. Jones wrote on the board. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Chloe: how’s class

Jordan: sitting between alexis and kumiko

Chloe: ...why

Jordan: they picked this spot before i got here

Jordan: also we’re going shopping after class. all four of us

Chloe: excuse me?

Jordan: i’ll explain later

Jordan: they’re fighting over how to dress me

Chloe: this should be interesting

Chloe: fine but i get final veto power on all outfits

Jordan: deal

He pocketed his phone and returned his attention to the lecture. Beside him, Alexis had actually started taking notes on her laptop. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, perfectly manicured nails clicking against the keys. She’d pulled her blazer closed slightly, covering more of the lace bra situation.

Kumiko doodled in the margins of her notebook, little hearts and stars surrounding her economics notes. Every few minutes she’d glance at Jordan with a small smile.

The lecture dragged on for the full fifty minutes. Dr. Jones covered aggregate demand curves, multiplier effects, and the relationship between government spending and GDP. Jordan took notes mechanically, his mind half on the material and half on the shopping trip he’d just agreed to.

Four girls. A mall. Multiple stores. This was either going to be the best decision he’d made all week or a complete disaster.

Probably both.

When Dr. Jones finally dismissed class at 9:47, students started packing up immediately. Jordan closed his laptop and shoved his notebook into his bag.

"So today at five?" Kumiko stood and stretched. Her pink cardigan rode up slightly, showing a strip of pale skin at her waist. "Fashion Island?"

"Works for me." Jordan stood as well. "Alexis?"

"I’ll be there." Alexis gathered her things with deliberate slowness. "Someone needs to make sure you don’t leave looking like a idiot."

"You mean more than I already do?"

"Exactly."

They filed out of the lecture hall together. In the crowded hallway, Kumiko walked close to Jordan’s left while Alexis maintained exactly two feet of distance on his right. Students parted around them, conversations dropping to whispers as they passed.

They reached the building exit. Bright California sunlight hit them as they stepped outside.

"Well." Alexis adjusted her sunglasses. "I have to meet someone for coffee. Try not to do anything stupid before tonight."

"No promises."

She almost smiled. Almost. Then she turned on her red heels and walked away, her skirt swaying with each step. Half the guys on the quad tracked her movement.

Kumiko giggled. "She likes you."

"She definitely doesn’t like me."

"That’s how you know she likes you." Kumiko patted his arm. "Trust me. I’ve known Alexis for two years. She’s never this worked up about anyone."

Jordan watched Alexis disappear into the crowd of students. "Eh, doesn’t matter to me."

"Keep telling yourself that." Kumiko checked her phone. "I have to run to my engineering class. See you tonight, babe!"

She skipped away before Jordan could respond. The babe thing was going to cause problems. He could already see it.

Jordan pulled out his phone and checked the System. Three green checkmarks glowed beside his daily quest objectives. Kumiko’s hug at the start of class. Alexis’s tsundere act throughout the lecture. Both counted as legitimate interactions over the two-minute minimum.

Quest complete. Three tickets earned.

His total sat at thirteen tickets now.

Maybe he should go gambling...