Chapter 5: Keep Spending
The feeling of Ava buying him clothes and shoes now was eerily similar to Lindsay buying him medicine back then.
First, give a little sweetness, then play hard to get, like flying a kite. You step forward, she steps back. You step back, she steps forward.
After long enough, you become her simp.
Holy crap. This familiar operation, this routine—it's terrifying.
I just want to earn some simp bucks. I don't actually want to be your simp, okay? Can you let me go?
Jeff came to this realization while getting his haircut.
He decided he would never invest real feelings so casually again.
Spending money was fine. Dating was fine. Buying things was fine. Ambiguous vibes were fine. But emotional involvement? Hard no.
Tony's skills were impressive.
When Jeff's messy hair was transformed into a sharp, trendy cut, and his flip-flops, shorts, and hoodie swapped for the sleek outfits Ava had picked, his entire presence shifted.
Jeff wasn't ugly. He'd just been lazy about himself. His base looks were solid.
Now, cleaned up, he looked like one of those viral TikTok guys—sharp jawline, confident posture, effortless charm.
Ava was stunned.
The before-and-after contrast was insane. It felt like a different person.
Ava Reynolds: Favorability +5
Ava Reynolds: Favorability +5
Ava Reynolds: Favorability +5
Unknowingly, her favorability had climbed to 55.
55 points was solid. High enough for a girl to start pursuing.
In Ava's mind, Jeff was turning into a hidden gem.
He'd played broke for so long, low-key and mysterious.
He was generous without bragging.
He was devoted—willing to humble himself for someone he liked.
And now, cleaned up, he was actually handsome. Way better than Blake.
Thinking about how Lindsay had wanted that Gucci bag but Blake refused with excuses, Ava felt a smug satisfaction.
Lindsay had the best and threw it away.
"How about we grab something to eat?"
It was already nine o'clock. Jeff hadn't eaten all day.
If he didn't eat with Ava, he couldn't use the simp bucks.
His personal card had barely two hundred dollars left.
If he didn't seize this, he'd be eating dirt.
"Okay," Ava agreed easily.
They left the mall and hit a high-end rooftop spot in SoHo.
The meal was relaxed. Ava didn't mind Jeff eating like he was starving.
He looked good doing anything now.
At eleven, they wrapped the day.
They exchanged numbers.
Back at the dorm, his roommate Taylor looked up from his phone.
"Bro, where'd you disappear to? And damn, that fit—new drip?"
"Went on a date."
"With Lindsay? Dude, give it up. She's using you. Tool, meal ticket, whatever. She's not on your level. Let go."
"Not Lindsay. Ava Reynolds."
"Who? Ava? No way. She's one of the top girls in Tisch. Super picky. Would she date you?"
"Jeff, you're wilding lately. Don't put all your eggs in pretty baskets. Find someone who fits. You gotta be worthy too."
Jeff's phone buzzed.
He thought it was Ava.
It was Lindsay.
"Jeff, you asleep? I didn't mean those things today. Don't be mad, okay? I just didn't want Blake to misunderstand, so I said harsh stuff. I'm upset too. Can you forgive me?"
Here we go again.
The hot-and-cold game that had kept him simping for years.
Before, he'd be angry, she'd coax, and in days he'd be back under her thumb.
But now...
He had to keep spending.
The system bound the relationship. No choice.
"It's okay. I forgive you. As long as you're happy, I'll do anything."
He sent it casually.
In the goddess dorm, Lindsay stared at the reply.
She'd expected days of groveling to calm him.
Forgiven instantly?
Maybe he was just saying it.
She didn't care if he was mad. She wanted to know where his money came from.
"Jeff, I'm sorry. I have my own problems. My mom's sick, hospitalized, needs fifty thousand for bills. I had to ask Blake for help. If I hadn't acted cold in front of him, he wouldn't lend it. I'm really sorry!"
A transfer notification popped up.
Jeff had sent fifty thousand. Click to accept.
Lindsay froze.
She hadn't meant to actually scam him out of fifty grand.
It was just a cover lie.
But he transferred without hesitation.
Fifty thousand. Not fifty bucks.
Thinking of Blake, who wouldn't even buy her a bag, she felt a surge of upset.