Fussy Girl's Boat

"You have had quite the tough life." said a figure in a black robe with black smoke that prevented you from seeing their face.

The figure was short and unimposing as it rowed a black wooden boat across a river of pristine water.

It was conversing with a teenage girl with black hair cut in a bang on the front while the rest of her hair scared down her back, all the way to her waist.

"Indeed it was tough and I have my regrets but there's nothing I can do now." said the girl in a sweet voice was filled with calmness.

"Hmm...that is not necessarily true." said the figure in response.

Cynthia had a feeling that the face behind the smoke probably had a mysterious smile at the moment.

"You're not going to explain yourself."

"Nope." declared the rower. "I can tell you one thing though. Due to the rules of the river of reincarnation, your though life has qualified me to grant you one cheat for the next one."

"A cheat?" questioned Cynthia. "Don't those only exist in fictional stories."

"Hahaha. Come on, you come from a world where people have all sorts of superpowers. Plus, cheats can be anything from being born rich or having an unrivaled talent in something."

"You are indeed right. So a cheat huh." Cynthia sighed. She already had a cheat-like talent in making money. She was not only a professor but a being who had made hundreds of millions off of trading stocks and cunning investments.

If she were to get a cheat that supported her money-making abilities, she could reach immense heights.

'Money can't buy happiness but you can't really be very happy without it.' This was the motto she lived by after detaching herself from the Duketh's and making her own fortune.

It didn't get to the point of rivaling their billions but she was content with her achievement.

"Do I get to keep my memories and past talents?" she asked as reincarnation is quite a strange topic.

"Memories no but yes to talents. Your talents in money is natural and part of your soul and so is the cheat I'm going to give. You want something to do with money so I'll give you that." said the figure as he stared at the river beneath.

"Thank you." Cynthia had only said these words to three people during her lifetime. This figure had become the fourth.

'No problem. It's kinda my job. Just remember to not abuse it. Your natural talent is what matters most."

"I know."

"Here." The figure stopped rowing and opened his palm. A white ball of light floated out and attached itself to the ethereal body of Cynthia. "No, let's head to the memory wipe area."

Cynthia nodded as she received a set of information in her head that told her what her cheat was.

'Hahaha! It's cheating that only people with my talent can use.' Cynthia laughed in her head as she found her cheat amusing. It was something she would have fun with.

She was going to ask when her cheat would awaken in her next life but the cheat told that to herself.

She had to meet one of three criteria:

1. The user must be in a dangerous or life-threatening situation

2. The user is in serious debt that could be solved with money

3. The user encounters an anomaly that directly affects them

The first two were negative and the last one was ambiguous. It didn't matter anyway since she might end up having an easy new life and not having the chance to awaken it.

ClINK! ClINK! ClINK!

"What was that?" asked Cynthia as she heard the sound of glass being shattered.

"Oh my. This... this is fantastic!! Girl, your fate has given you a second chance. I hope you use it well." said the shrouded figure with great enthusiasm.

"What do you mean....ahhhhhh!" Cynthia was bewildered but before she could do anything, a black hole the size of a football appeared behind her and sucked her soul in.

After several moments of since and finding itself on the boat alone, the mysterious figure laughed hysterically.

"Hahaha. That child is surrounded by some strange yet powerful existences. She fits right in." The figure continued to laugh. Its voice sounded different every time it spoke. It never gave away its gender, even if it had one.

It looked at the side of the boat to view the name. "Fussy Girls Boat. It's been who knows how long it has been since I have had this boat but only now has it revealed its name."

Even if no one could see it, the figure was indeed smiling at the moment. It fell joyful beyond recognition.

"I've been lonely for long enough. Time to take a break. That girl's world is perfect for a vacation."

...

Location: Masterfat Highschool, Nervas City, Zega Province, United Federation of Aznolia

Time: 1:12 PM

Exact Location: 7th stall on 3rd-floor girls bathroom. On top of the toilet cover.

There sat a teenage girl of great beauty. Her silky black hair was wet and sticky as a group of girls had just dumped a bucket of mop water on her.

"Ugh! What just happened." 15-year-old Cynthia's head ached so she rubbed her forehead with her index and thumb.

"Cynthia! A...a...are you o...okay in there." The voice of a worried girl could be heard from outside the bathroom stall.

'20 years. This was 20 years ago on that sh*tty day.' though Cynthia. She had superb memory which made it hard to forget her past. Getting over it wasn't easy but now she is back here!

Cynthia shuddered. Not from her cold and wet body but from the feelings of rage and despair she had felt all those years ago. She was sure they were discarded long ago but they were trying to slither into her body like snakes once again.

"Ugh!! So this is what that being meant by a second chance." Cynthia had always been an adaptive person. She could quickly become calm and calculating in any situation.

That was how she held herself from trying to tear apart the Duketh household in the past.

She just adjusted herself to her conditions and tolerated everything from bullying at school to the disdainful stares of her so-called family.

Cynthia decided that this time, with her cheats, she may be able to gain enough resources to collapse the behemoth that is the Duketh Group of Industries.

"Cynthia! Please respond. I heard your voice." The girl outside became even more worried as she became furiously banging on the stall's door.

Click!

The door opened and Cynthia came out in her uniform that was wet. A white dress shirt with a red jacket and short red checkered skirt. Her exquisite face had her signature icy look on it.

Even if it was wet, she still looked like a goddess, especially with her long, slender legs. Cynthia remembers very well that these legs caused many of the boys to salivate in this school.

That didn't mean that they would help her out from bullying since they partook in it as well.

"You scared me. Why didn't you come out earlier?" said the girl with a short stature while she tightly hugged Cynthia.

Cynthia let out a small smile and separated the girl from herself and took a good look at her face.

"Round and soft, just like a baby. Your cuteness is heavenly, Natsumi?" said Cynthia teasingly as she played with the small girl's cheeks.

The girl quickly blushed and then flicked her twin-tailed pink hair at her I protest the tease.

"Ahhh... your hair smells nice. Which shampoo was it again?" Natsumi's protest had failed as Cynthia could never beat her with words or actions. She was too timid, short, and weak.

"Do you need a towel?" asked Natsumi in the process of getting rid of her embarrassed face. She was too weak to compliments.

"I would appreciate one," replied Cynthia, amiably.

Natsumi tapped on a pink bracelet that was tightened around her left wrist. A thick, white towel materialized from it and she handed it over. "Here you go. How about a uniform?"

"I have a spare one." Cynthia taped on a similar bracelet on her wrist and received an identical uniform to the one she was wearing.

The only visual difference between the two bracelets was that she had a black one with the words 'Duketh' written in gold.

Cynthia takes a couple of minutes to dry and change. Natsumi kept during this time.

"Hey, do you want to go visit my mom?" asked Cynthia as they two were walking back to class.

"Sure. It's been some time since I last saw her. I miss eating her carrot cakes." Natsumi looked sad as she always kept her emotions on display.

Cynthia on the other hand was back to her cold and unfeeling mode as she sported an uninterested expression.

"I miss them too. Let's go." She grabs Natsumi's hand and runs towards the stairwell.

"Aaaaack, wait! The stairs... slow down. Please!" Natsumi becomes flustered as she tries to keep up with her.

"Heh heh. I'm just playing around." When they reach the stairwell, Cynthia stops running.

"Won't the teacher be mad if we leave right now?" asks Natsumi. The school wasn't dismissed yet so leaving would be bad for the teacher's impression of the two.

"Do you think I care?"

"You don't." Natsumi sighed as she knew Cynthia for 10 years now and she is someone who gives no thought to what others think about her.

After they got outside the school building, Natsumi gave a call to her driver who picks them up two minutes later. As they rode towards the hospital, Cynthia talked about all sorts of topics with her friend.

She wanted to refresh her memory and align the timeline of events that had already happened. She was already making up plans in order to put down a stronger foundation this time around.

'I'll make sure to bury those two 6 feet under, NO! I won't even leave a body behind. they don't deserve a single ounce of my empathy.'

Cynthia was determined to use this chance well give her murders a life of endless hell.

Once she's satisfied with their suffering, she would be sure to make their death's as painful as possible. She would make them beg her for an early demise.

It had only been a week since she had moved to Nervas city from Dormin City where her mother was factory manager.

Natsumi and she have always been neighbors and attended the same school since kindergarten.

When Natsumi learned that Cynthia's mom had been hospitalized and her dad would make her move, she followed her best friend to a new city.

Natsumi was fully capable of doing so as her parents had a nationally successful enterprise of their own. They could easily fund Natsumi's move to Masterfat Private Highschool. Both of them also had excellent grades so there were no hiccups in the process.

"Hey, mom!" yelled Cynthia energetically as she leaped the side of her mother's bed and took a seat.

"Hi aunty!' Natsumi did the same as well. They both felt energized whenever they could see this woman who raised them. Natsumi's parents were always busy so they entrusted Cynthia's mom to help foster her.

Natsumi was deeply attached to Mellisa Sanders. Cynthia's mom never married so she kept her maiden name.

"You two skipped class didn't you." The two girls expected the woman with strawberry blond hair and mysteriously purple eyes to greet them with excitement.

Unfortunately for them, Mellisa is quite a smart woman. She knows their classes don't end until 2:30 PM and it was only 1:50 at the time.

"Hahaha... you caught us." Cynthia let out a nervous chuckle but she was dead scared of her mother. She may have been raised caringly but her mother was strict when it came to matters of academics and relationships.

Believe me, you don't want to know how scary she could become. Mothers may as well be the most feared existence within all species.

"Hmph. I'll let you two off only once since just moved. Apologize to your teachers tomorrow." Mellisa commanded as she adjusted her patient gown and got up to drink a glass of water.

"YES MA'AM!" The girls saluted like soldiers but then started laughing hysterically. Melissa also gave off a rare smirk as she enjoyed the company of her daughters. It was boring to be in a hospital all day.

How much can a person stream anyways?

After some small talk about how the young girls were adjusting to their environments, Mellisa let them go home.

She knew the two must be trying to adapt and however minuscule their problems might be, she wanted to face it with them. No mother wants to be left out of her children's problems.

When Cynthia reached the Duketh estate, she ignored all the gorgeous plants and flowers. Over the years she became fond of how beautiful the gardens are.

Back then, they were one of her ways to omit the brutal atmosphere inside the mansion from her mind.

Once inside, she paid no attention to the servants scurrying around. They were preparing for lunch.

Her room was on the second floor of the west wing. She locked the door and jumped onto her very comfortable bed. It was well kept by the servants but she liked to mess things up after school because it was fun.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" She took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling wondering. Wondering how she had ended up with a second chance that only showed up in the novels she used to read when life was boring.

Ding! A translucent, blue screen appeared in thin air just as she was about to take a quick power nap.

[System has detected multiple anomalies related to the user. Requirements for awakening have been met.

Synching system with planetary core.....Complete!

Synching with star system core.....Complete!

Synching with galactic core...Complete!

Synching with 10,000 galactic cores...Complete!

Synching further sequences will require system upgrades!

Upgrade Currently Unavailable. Initial Awakening complete.

Good afternoon user Cynthia Duketh! I, the Interdimensional Trading System am at your service!]

"YEAAAAAAAAAAH!" Cynthia burst off her bed and started break dancing on the floor while the servants outside her room were struck with a confused expression.

Servant 23: "You think the new young miss is alright?"

Servant 45: "Probably. She sounds happy...I think."

Servant 42: "I would be glad if that girl can actually show some emotion. Remember how cold she was when we firsts saw her."

Servant 28: "It might not be her screaming. Maybe she's watching some show and accidentally turned up the volume."

Servant 23: "I think you're right. I've never seen the young miss show even a single smile for the past week. It didn't sound like her anyway."

All the servants: "She's just like our master."

It only took a week for the servants to believe that their newest young miss is just as cold and apathetic as the master of the house.

Alexander Duketh, the father of Cynthia Duketh has not shown a single smile in the past couple of decades since his older sister passed away.