n

n

nThe new apartment was much bigger than her room. It had a bedroom which was not big but enough room for a bed, dresser, and a nightstand. It also had a small closet on one of the walls. The other room was a kitchen

/living room. It had a small kitchen that was much bigger than her old one and space enough for a couch and TV in the other half. As for the bathroom, as Tina had said, it was only a half bath. Just a small sink and a toilet. There was also a small patio on the far wall that had a clothes washer hookup. It was clean, repainted, and kept in very good condition. The best part of all was that it was in a good neighborhood and right down the street from her college.

nYuki smiled faintly as she looked around.

"Perfect. Tina, I can't thank you enough.

"

n

"No, I should be thanking you. My parents had been stressing over renting this place out for a while now. They have had many applicants, but none of them were able to pass my rigorous background checks.

" Tina chuckled as she said this.

"I know it was hard to lose a bit of income for them on this place because I am so picky, but I did not want someone living here who would trash the place or give them a hard time.

"

n

"I would have done the same.

" Yuki said as she placed her bag down.

"I just need to buy a bed and some food, and I should be good to go.

"

n

"Let's go get the bed then while I am still free. I have no idea when I will get free time like this again.

" Tina knew Yuki had no way of getting the bed sent here easily, and she would not stop here when helping someone. She planned to help Yuki any which way she could.

n

"But… I do not think your car can hold a bed...

" Yuki was thinking of how the police car was not designed to move things.

n

"Ah! Haha! No, I have my parent's truck we can use. We can fly to the nearest IKeeya and get what you need. It's pretty cheap so you should get a dresser and nightstand or even some things for the living room. Also! Kitchen stuff!

" Tina seemed more excited about shopping than Yuki!

nThe two left and went to the closest IKeeya. It was a mega store that had everything one could think of. They even sold cars. The thing about this store was that it was one of the Evergreen family's businesses. Luckily they sold quality goods and no cheap knock offs. Everything was of the IKeeya brand.

nWhen Yuki had on her usual face mask and hat with her hair balled up underneath. Tina found this strange to dress like a boy when Yuki was a cute girl, but when she remembered where she was living before, she realized it was a form of protection. But luckily, her normal style kept her bruised face and broken nose from prying eyes.

nThe store had multiple floors splitting up each section. Yuki and Tina went up to the floor, which had all the furniture. When they got off the elevator, Yuki spotted a familiar figure with a group of girls and boys following after her. This figure was Trisha Evergreen, the princess in the flesh. Yuki noticed that Trisha's face seemed to be forced. The smile she had on was not her true smile. Yuki could understand that smile. It was the same one she used in front of customers at her old job.

"Must be hard...

" Yuki whispered to herself.

n

"Hmmm? Did you say something?

" Tina asked.

n

"Ahh… No, I was just talking to myself. It seems the beds are over there.

" Yuki pointed at a sign that read 'Bedroom Furniture'.

nAs the two headed in that direction, Trisha's eyes followed the girl. She did not know why she was so focused on this girl. Ever since they met in the shower room and she was faced with such sarcastic words, she felt that the girl who hid her gender was one of the only people who was not fake around her. Her gaze stayed on Yuki until she disappeared from sight. Only then did she turned her gaze away. The words of the people chattering around her never entered her ears once.

n

"Princess, what do you think? Should we check it out?

" The girl next to her asked.

nTrisha had no idea what she was being asked. Annoyed by their prattling, she decided it was time to go home.

"I have to head home for now. You girls go have fun.

" After saying this, Trisha did not wait for an answer before walking off.

nThe girls and boys who were just smiling away at Trisha, expressions turned into sneers.

"Who does she think she is!? She is nothing but an unwanted princess. If it was not for the fact that her last name was Evergreen, we wouldn't even bother with her. We only need her so we can have a chance of meeting one of the true princesses or princes.

"

n

"I know, if it was not for this fact and the fact my father makes me kiss her ass, I would have bashed her face in a few times already. I bet she thinks she is all high and mighty just because she has the title of princess. She doesn't even have the abilities of a true Evergreen. She is only a bit smarter than a normal person.

" Another girl said.

n

"I know, right? I bet her mother was so stupid that even the Evergreen family's genes couldn't even make up for it.

" This was the true nature of these so called friends that hung around Trisha.

n

"Are you sure this is the bed you want? It looks unfinished!

" Tina looked at the small bed that had no headboard or anything else, it was more of a cot than a bed.

n

"It's only 60 crowns. Why spend hundreds of crowns on a bed? I only need the base, and then I can get a comfortable mattress to go on top of it. So in the end, I will spend the same amount of money on one of the more expensive bed frames and get both mattress and frame at the same price.

" Yuki's thrifty nature was in full force. Her old mattress was nothing but a thin stiff thing that could be mistaken for cardboard. So spending money on a mattress that was a bit thicker was already a luxury for her.

n

"Fine, fine, it's your choice but still… Sigh, but let me buy you a blanket. I have a feeling if I were to leave it to you, it would turn into some kind of plastic bag.

" Yuki pursed her lips at Tina's teasing. She didn't feel she was that bad. In the end, Tina bought Yuki 2 blankets, 2 sets of sheets, and a fluffy pillow, and a few other items that Yuki did not see.

nWhen everything was bought, Yuki ended up spending 300 crowns on her stuff. She got everything she needed immediately. When they returned home, Tina pushed her way around the house, putting things away for Yuki. Yuki was speechless at this, but she also felt warmth in her heart. She wondered if this was what it was like to have a mother.

n

"Okay, everything is all set up. I will be stopping by every now and then to check on you. So make sure your door is locked. I will leave a note for you if you are playing that game, so you won't get freaked out when someone is standing in your living room. Make sure you eat well. You are far too skinny. With the money you have now, you can at least spend money on food. Do not be thrifty with it, okay? Men do not like girls who are too skinny.

" Tina really did go into full mother mode when she was about to leave.

n

"I do not think you will be seeing any guys by my side anytime soon.

" Yuki replied. There was no way she would want to date any man right now. Just thinking about it sent chills up her spine, especially after Mary's incident.

n

"Well… Even if it's a girl, they wouldn't want you to be too skinny.

" Tina gave an awkward smile.

nYuki really didn't know what to say to Tina's words just now, so she could only nod her head and reassure Tina she would eat properly.

"I will put my stomach first, don't worry.

"

n

"Alright, remember to lock the door.

" Tina finally left, leaving Yuki alone in her new apartment.

nYuki looked around at her new place and realized that there were many new things she had not even bought hanging about. She shook her head and smiled. Tina was really a nice person.

"My rent is paid for the next 2 years, so I do not need to worry about that from now and My bank account is filled. With Soul Fusion Online, I should be able to save up a lot of money while still going to college. I have to make the most of my time but first, food!

"

nAfter a bite to eat of her horrible cooking skills and triple checking all the locks and windows, Yuki went to her bedroom and laid down on her new bed. She slipped under her blankets and put her headset on before logging in.

n

"Meow!

" Nergal was the first thing she heard when she logged into the game.

n