Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Making a House a Home
Rayne and Julian followed the housing administrator to the west side of the base, where the lodgings overlooked the river valley.

“Here we are. It’s a bit far from the center of the base, but it’s quieter around here too,” she explained, leading them up to the third floor.

“Yours is the room on the edge over here,” she pointed with her hand. “Please feel free to let me know if there are any issues in the future.” Then, she quickly turned around and left to return to the office.

Rayne walked up to the door and unlocked it with the key she had been given. As they walked inside, Rayne quickly realized that it was a one-bedroom unit. She turned to look at Julian, wanting to gauge his reaction, but all she was met with was a bright smile.

“This place looks nice and cozy, just needs a good clean. If you wouldn’t mind giving me a few cleaning supplies, I’ll get started,” he said happily. The moment he realized it was a one-bedroom unit, he felt ecstatic. He would get to experience what it felt like living together with Rayne, his heart racing with excitement.

Rayne blushed at his excited expression and turned to open her system panel. She took out brooms, mops, different cleaning solutions, rags, buckets, and a variety of other cleaning supplies.

They both quickly got to work, cleaning every little corner of the unit until it was sparkling clean. A faint lemon scent lingered inside from the soaps and disinfectants.

Julian picked up the buckets of dirty mop water and turned to Rayne. “I’ll go dump this outside. Feel free to decorate and make this place comfortable as you see fit. We’ll be staying here for a while, and there’s no need to shortchange ourselves on comfort.”

After he left, Rayne opened her system panel and looked through to see what items she had that could be used for improvements. One of the first things she wanted to do was secure the place.

Since more and more people were continuing to flood into the base to seek refuge, there was bound to be some sort of conflict. Rayne wanted to at least ensure that the place they slept at night would be secure.

She looked through the ‘security’ folder and pulled out a new door that was originally advertised as being able to withstand bullets and explosives. She chose this specific model because she could attach the unit’s original door to the front side, maintaining the original facade.

Rayne also pulled out a new door lock. Although the master key was in the hands of the base’s administration, she chose not to trust that everyone there was upstanding or would not be bribed.

After setting those items aside, she walked over to inspect the three windows in the unit. There were two in the living room and one in the bedroom, and thankfully, each one was in good shape.

Julian came back with the two buckets, now empty, and noticed the sheet metal door along with the new door lock near the entrance.

“Oh wow, this is a great idea! Let’s get this door installed right now,” he said and began to remove the current door.

Rayne came over and helped him, taking out any necessary tools along the way. They both worked quickly and efficiently, getting the new metal door installed in no time. Julian went ahead to install the new door lock while Rayne went around to furnish the new living space.

She turned the small space near the entrance into a small kitchen area, placing a long and narrow wooden table against the wall. On top of the table, she set up an electric cooktop and a coffee maker, and placed a small mini fridge under the table, plugging it into the outlet.

The items she chose for the living room were simple but comfortable. She chose the most basic-looking grey rug and grey sofa, hoping that it wouldn’t be too eye-catching. They had noticed a few trucks with various furniture when they first arrived, so she felt that having a few pieces of furniture out should be okay.

The last piece of furniture Rayne added to the living room was a small coffee table, which would double as a dining table during mealtimes. She had a hard time finding one that looked really simple, so she settled for the one she had stored from her room in the bunker.

The next order of business was curtains and blinds. Privacy was very important to her, and she didn’t want to leave the windows bare. She chose some basic wooden blinds and heavy linen curtains, providing privacy and adding warmth to the rooms.

Julian helped her install the curtain rods and blinds, enjoying the process of decorating their home together. He noticed how she hesitated to decorate the only bedroom in the unit and smiled.

“How’s it going? Are you concerned about something?” he asked, hugging her from behind.

Rayne blushed at his embrace. “Umm, I’m just not sure how to set up the bedroom… since there’s only one.” She was about to offer to sleep on the couch and give Julian the bedroom, but he beat her to it.

“Why don’t you put two single beds here? One against each wall, with a nightstand in the middle,” he quickly suggested. He had a feeling she was about to suggest sleeping in a different room, and he wanted to prevent that from happening.

Deep down, what he truly would have wanted was to sleep together in the same bed, but he knew it was too early for that. Two beds in the same room would be a good opportunity for them to get even closer to one another, gradually progressing their relationship.

Rayne thought about his suggestion for a few moments, feeling like it should be okay. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?” she asked.

“Yes, of course. I even promise not to snore,” he teased.