Sydney's Counter
Sydney's counter, also known as the rental counter, is a subsection of the School library where the player can purchase educational paraphernalia and chat with Sydney.
How to Enter
The player can visit the rental counter at any time when school is in session, meaning from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, provided school isn't out.
Most of the counter's functions can only be accessed while Sydney is currently operating it, meaning it's off limits from 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM. Attempting to visit the counter during this period has the player greeted by a sign reading: "In class." The player also cannot utilise the counter after Sydney has gone home for the day (around 4:40 PM, or 4:00 PM on Fridays).
After 5:00 PM (or any time of the day when school isn't in session), the player can sneak behind the counter and steal textbooks or loot the cash register. They won't be able to access the changing rooms at this time, however.
People of Interest
- Sydney
- Robin, Whitney, Kylar, Sirris, and Leighton make brief appearances here during certain scenes
- Several unnamed students
Walkthrough
Aside from being Sydney's main hotspot, the rental counter serves two purposes: allowing the player to rent textbooks and purchase school-sanctioned clothing.
Interacting with Sydney
As the player develops their relationship with Sydney, they'll unlock several ways to interact with them at the counter, including a few opportunities for lewd encounters. For more information, see the following page.
Rental Textbooks
Rental textbooks cost £20 each. Only one can be rented at a time, and are rented for 14 days at a time. If the player is already renting a textbook, they can instead renew their rental for £15, resetting the counter for its due-date. There are five different textbooks the player can check out, one for each school subject (besides swimming), as well as a copy of Raul and Janet (requires a C or higher in English).
After renting a book, the player does not need to actively use it to gain its benefits; rather, rented books passively boost the player's understanding of its respective subject on a daily basis. One day with a rental textbook serves as the equivalent to actively studying in the library six times. At the highest grade for any given subject (A*), roughly 3 or 4 days with a rental book is enough to offset the weekly decay to understanding without having to actively study.
The timer for when a rental book is due will not go down during school holidays, so the player won't have to worry about turning in their book until school is back in session. They'll still gain the benefits of rental books during holidays, however, so it's worth renting a book shortly before a school break.
Should the player fail to return a book on time, they'll receive + Delinquency every day they fail to return it after the third day, and an additional + Crime every day after the seventh day. This is represented in-game with the following messages:
- You have a book overdue, and have incurred delinquency. - Appears 3 days after failing to return an overdue book
- You have a book severely overdue, and the police have been informed. - Appears 1 week after failing to return an overdue book
Upon properly returning a library book, Sydney will thank the player, giving them a small refund if they're returning the book early (over a week before it's due). Sydney's reaction depends on how
- "That was... fast." Sydney fumbles around with the register for a moment, before handing you £15. - When returning a book the same day it was rented.
- "Done early?" Sydney fumbles around with the register for a moment, before handing you £10. - When returning a book over a week before it's due.
- "Thanks for being punctual!" Sydney happily takes the book from you, before returning it to its place. - When returning a book within the week it's due.
- "Late. But at least it isn't damaged. Please try to be more punctual on returns." Sydney writes something down, frowning. - If the player is returning an overdue book and Sydney's Love is low.
- "Late." Sydney looks up. "I know you know better." - If the player is returning an overdue book and Sydney's Love is high.
- "I wish I could make exceptions for you, but... Headmaster/mistress Leighton scares me." - If the player is in a relationship with a pure Sydney.
- "I wish you'd stay on top of your rentals as well as you stay on top of me," he/she says while blushing. - If the player is in a relationship with a corrupt Sydney.
Crime and Punishment
In any case where the player returns a book late, Sydney will punish them by writing Book Criminal >:( (or Book Criminal <3, if the player is in a relationship with Sydney) on their face. This can occur even if the player returns an overdue book at night when Sydney is absent.
If the player has any bodywriting on the spot Sydney is attempting to write on, they'll wipe it off, provided it isn't permenant. This doesn't apply to any Sydney-related bodywriting, however; they'll look at it and blush, letting the player off with only a warning. If the player already has Book Criminal >:( written on them, Sydney will put their marker away and remark that their punishment isn't harsh enough (+ Delinquency).
Lastly, if the player has Book Criminal >:( itself tattooed on their face, Sydney will respond appropriately. "You... I... it's... permanent? Book... you've..." He/She stammers off, slowly sitting back. In this case Sydney, unsure of what to do, lets the player off without further punishment.
If the player has Bodywriting disabled, they'll instinctively smack Sydney's marker away when they attempt to write on them, sparing their face at the cost of + Delinquency and - Love. Furthermore, if the player's face is covered in tattoos, Sydney will incredulously attempt to wipe them off before finally giving up, letting the player off with a warning. Note that they'll only let the player off easy the first time they show up with a covered face; on all subsequent times, they'll receive + Delinquency and - Love.
School Clothes
The player can purchase any clothing tagged with the 
School trait, with the exception of the classic clothes and the serafuku from the Forest Shop. Note that the price of all clothes purchased from the school shop will be marked up considerably. Raising Sydney's Love and decreasing Delinquency gives the player a slight discount, though even under the best possible conditions, the player is still better off purchasing cheaper clothes from the Shopping Centre.
Stealing from the Counter
If the player attempts to access the counter when school is not in session (after 5 PM on school days, or any time of the day when school isn't in session), they can make limited use of its utilities. They can steal a book, provided they don't already have one in their possession (+ Crime), or return any books they've already stolen/rented. Bear in mind that Sydney will know if the player attempts to return an overdue book in this way, assuming they actually rented the book properly and aren't returning a stolen book. The clothes store is completely inaccessible after hours.
With a D or higher in Skulduggery, the player can break into the counter's cash register, stealing anywhere from £30 to £90.
The player can still return stolen library books to Sydney as they can return normal ones. In this case, Sydney's reaction varies depending on how often the player returns stolen books.
- "That's...!" Sydney looks aghast as you hand the book over. "You found it!" Before you can interject, Sydney pulls you into a hug from over the counter. "I was so afraid of being punished by Headmaster/mistress Leighton. You've really saved my skin." | + + Love - The first time the player returns a stolen book.
- "That book is in the record as stolen. This is the second time you've returned one of those..." Sydney stands up with a look of sudden understanding and frowns at you. "I'm disappointed. But thank you for returning it and being honest." - The second time the player returns a stolen book.
- Sydney looks to be on the verge of tears. "Why do you keep doing this?! You understand that the headmaster/mistress will hold me responsible for all this, right?" | - - Love - The third and all subsequent times the player returns a stolen book.
Every day the player has a stolen book in their possession, they'll gain a small amount of crime. Furthermore, their thievery will not go unnoticed. When approached at the counter, Sydney may mention a missing book, eventually leading to an event in which Leighton punishes Sydney (and the player as well, potentially) in the library.
