Tap tap tap!
Bulma ran up to Ken, examining him from head to toe with a curious tilt of her head. Her gaze was filled with childlike wonder.
"Bulma, don't be rude," Dr. Brief quickly warned.
"Huh? Is this a tail?" Without even waiting for Ken's response, Bulma reached out and grabbed his tail.
Ken: "…"
Do you know what manners are?
"This tail's so fun to play with," Bulma said as she rubbed it in her hands. "All fuzzy, like my little teddy bear."
Dr. Brief didn't say a word, just gave an apologetic look.
Luckily, Ken didn't seem angry, so the doctor let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Bulma, why don't you keep our alien friend company for a while? I'll go get something to help move the spaceship to the lab," Dr. Brief said. "You're both the same age, you should get along just fine."
"Okay!" Bulma nodded brightly.
Dr. Brief pedaled off on his bike.
Meanwhile, Broly was fixated on a stalk of foxtail grass not far away.
The poor kid had never seen a plant before, and he was utterly fascinated by the fuzzy thing swaying in the wind.
He even gently brushed it with his tail.
The foxtail tickled him, making Broly burst into laughter.
Bulma glanced over, hearing the laugh.
"Who's that guy?" she asked. "Is he with you?"
"Yeah, his name is Broly," Ken nodded. "And I'm Ken."
"So you really are an alien," Bulma said, still skeptical as she studied him again. "You don't look that different from us… except for the tail."
Ken didn't comment.
"I heard you can fly. Is that true?" Bulma blinked curiously.
"I can fly a little." As Ken spoke, he began to hover in the air.
Bulma: "…"
She was stunned.
Ken gently floated back down.
"Hey, do aliens have boys and girls like we do?" Bulma asked again.
"Of course," Ken nodded. "But… I'm afraid all the women from my planet are probably extinct now."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Bulma asked, surprised.
"When we left our planet, it was destroyed by a villain," Ken replied with a hint of sadness.
"Destroyed by a bad guy? That's awful… So you're homeless now?" Bulma sighed, then tried to comfort him. "It's okay, you can treat this place like your home from now on."
"That sounds good." Ken nodded.
"Hehe, tomorrow is my kindergarten graduation! Will you come with me?" Bulma giggled.
Ken: "…"
So that's what this is all about? You want to show me off at your graduation?
"Sure, I'll come," Ken agreed readily.
…
That night, the Brief family prepared a grand dinner to welcome Ken and Broly.
The two Saiyans dug in without restraint.
The whole family was stunned.
"Incredible… Their appetites are like forty people combined," Bulma's mother, Panchy, stared in disbelief.
"Were they starved to death in a past life?" Bulma mumbled.
"Haha, eat all you want, make yourselves at home!" Dr. Brief laughed, then turned to the chef. "Go prepare more food!"
"Y-Yes, sir…" The chef was completely stunned too.
It had been a long time since Ken had tasted food this delicious.
On Planet Vegeta, most of the food available was just ham.
That starch sausage Ken had brought from there was considered a hot commodity—more popular than regular meat.
And yet, even that paled in comparison to Earth's food.
Meanwhile, the television was airing news coverage of Ken and Broly's arrival in East City's suburbs.
At this point in the Dragon Ball timeline, smartphones weren't widespread, so there weren't many good photos or footage of the event.
"According to eyewitnesses, two aliens descended from a spaceship hovering above West District. They were estimated to be about one meter tall…" the newscaster said. "Experts have since confirmed that the spaceship is part of a new project developed by Capsule Corporation, and that the so-called aliens were actually holographic projections."
Bulma: "…"
"Is the news just making stuff up now?" she grumbled like a little adult.
"Some experts came by earlier today. I told them that so we wouldn't draw unnecessary attention," Dr. Brief explained.
Bulma instantly pouted.
Great, now that you've covered it up, how am I supposed to impress everyone at kindergarten tomorrow by bringing Ken?!
So frustrating!
Good thing Ken could fly.
Maybe that alone would be enough to wow her classmates.
"Oh, by the way, isn't your graduation tomorrow, Bulma?" Panchy asked sweetly.
"Yup, no more kindergarten homework, thank goodness." Bulma let out a long sigh of relief.
"Ken, don't aliens go to school?" Panchy asked.
"Nope, never," Ken nodded.
"No kindergarten, elementary, or middle school?" Bulma followed up.
"Nope. Otherwise, how would I be able to travel at five years old?" Ken laughed.
"Mom, I wanna go on a trip too. I'm about to graduate from kindergarten!" Bulma pleaded, puffing her cheeks.
"Where do you want to go?" Panchy asked, doting on her.
"I want to travel to space, of course! Once Dad converts the spaceship, Ken can take me!" Bulma declared.
"Well, you could, but some planets are too dangerous for you," Ken said honestly. "You might die the moment you land."
Bulma: "…"
He wasn't wrong.
With so many planets in the universe, most had environments completely unlike Earth. Some had gravity twice as strong—just standing on one of those could be deadly for a frail Earthling.
And with all the places Ken needed to visit, dragging Bulma along just wasn't realistic.
"When I become a god one day, I'll take you," Ken said. "By then, no matter where we go, I can keep you safe."
"Become a god?" Bulma blinked in surprise.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]