Improvement

She was caught off guard by his invitation. 

Why wouldn't she? 

No matter how he worded it, it came off like he was asking her out. 

He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing he might've been too forward. 

Trying to recover, he stammered, "I—I didn't mean it like that. I just thought it'd be nice, you know, to go out for a meal. Not, uh... not like a date or anything." 

She giggled, cutting him off. "I don't mind going for dinner. Actually, it'll save me some time because I was planning to throw you a small party later anyway." 

For a second, her tone sounded playful.

"I'll clean the house first, then put your lunch in the refrigerator." 

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, curious. 

"It's a surprise," she said softly, closing her eyes for a moment to show off her long lashes before turning away. 

Terrence watched her back and swallowed hard. For some reason, she looked even more attractive today. 

'Yeah... I'll just treat this as mental training. So staring at her isn't exactly a sin.'

He nodded to himself, trying to justify the way his eyes kept drifting to her bottom half. 

'This is for the future of humanity…' 

Even he wasn't convinced by what he just said. 

Satisfied with his so called mental training, he locked the door and sat on his bed.

Most his time were spent training and making money, so he decided to give himself a break on his birthday. 

The GPS map lit up his phone screen as he searched for a mid to high end clothing store.

Before, he hated the idea of spending too much on stuff like that—most of it was overpriced nonsense. 

But with the world heading toward destruction, treating himself didn't seem like such a waste anymore. 

'This place is not that far'

Zooming in on the map, he focused on the route. 

The store was near South Maple Street, a place known for its shops and pricey restaurants. 

He started getting ready. 

First, a long, hot bath. Then came a white cotton shirt that finally sat right on his body, fitting better after the weight he gained. 

Black pants came next, followed by white rubber shoes.

Effie gave him branded items every year, though most of it stayed untouched in the closet. 

'Not too bad. Not too bad at all,' he muttered, giving himself a look in the mirror. 

The dark circles under his eyes were gone, and his skin looked healthier, with more color than before. 

'Just need a new haircut, and I would actually look presentable,' 

Stepping onto the first floor, he didn't spot his aunt, so he quickly texted her to let her know he was heading out. 

He booked a ride. 

While waiting on the porch, he tapped the railing and breathed in the crisp morning air

'I should get a nice car after I have my license,' he mused to himself. 

After eight minutes, a sleek black sedan rolled up in front of the house.

The driver, a middle-aged man, gestured for him to get in. 

"Good morning," the driver said with a polite nod. 

"Morning," he replied, settling into the leather seat. 

The tinted windows shielded him from the sunlight, offering a sense of peace as the car pulled away. 

They drove through the gated neighborhood, where tidy houses and trimmed lawns lined tree-shaded streets

As they arrived, they saw a street with tall, old buildings, some two stories, some three.

These buildings had fancy European designs with lots of detailed architecture, showing they were very old and had a lot of history.

"Thanks for the ride," he said as he got out of the car.

Looking around, he saw young adults in branded clothes, flashing the latest phones.

Most had overpriced coffee in one hand and their other busy posting it all on social media.

'Mmm... that's the scent of wealth. Or debt. Hard to tell these days.'

He had nothing against it. The world was ending soon anyway, so there was no point in saving money. 

As he walked farther in, a row of stores came into view, each one showcasing bold clothing for men and women.

However, he wasn't a fan of the flashy styles with loud patterns that screamed the brand.

His taste leaned toward subtle, yet classy, styles.