But Videl still remembered that handsome boy.
She had seen him live on the broadcast back then.
Still, as the years passed, his face had grown blurrier and blurrier in her memory.
He should be around my age now, right? He must've gotten even more handsome.
The more she thought about it, the more her cheeks started to flush.
"Videl, was that guy really that strong?" Erasa asked from the side. "Could he actually be stronger than your dad?"
Only after asking did Erasa notice how red Videl's face was, leaving her completely confused.
"Don't be ridiculous. Videl's father is Mr. Satan, the World Champion who saved the Earth," said the bespectacled boy beside them. "Who in the world could be stronger than him?"
"Videl, why's your face so red?" Erasa tilted her head and studied her. "You look like my cat when she's in heat."
Videl fell silent.
"Erasa," the boy with glasses corrected, "that's not exactly how you say it."
"I'll say it however I want," Erasa huffed.
Videl did not bother explaining.
Let them think whatever they wanted.
"Ahem!"
Just then, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom and addressed the students.
"Starting today, our class will have two new students joining us," the teacher announced, then gestured toward the door. "You two can come in now."
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Gohan and Kale walked into the classroom one after the other.
"Introduce yourselves," the teacher said.
"H-Hello, everyone. My name is Son Gohan. Nice to meet you," Gohan said shyly.
"Hi, everyone! I'm Kale!" Kale, on the other hand, sounded completely at ease.
"Huh? That boy's actually pretty cute. He's exactly my type," Erasa said softly.
"Hmm?" Videl blinked. The two of them looked vaguely familiar, and she could not help mumbling, "I feel like I've seen them somewhere before…"
"He looks like a total bookworm," Sharpner said with a grin, not paying much attention to Kale.
"You can find seats wherever you like," the teacher said.
"Yes, ma'am."
Gohan and Kale nodded together and looked around the classroom.
"Over here!" Erasa raised her hand.
Gohan started walking over, with Kale following right behind him.
There was only one empty seat in Erasa's row, but there was another empty one in the row in front of it.
Just as Gohan was about to sit down, Kale spoke to Erasa instead. "You. Move up to the front."
Erasa froze.
"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.
"I'm sitting with him," Kale said with a snort. Then she grabbed a pair of craft scissors and crushed them into a twisted lump of metal with one hand.
Erasa's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She started trembling so hard her lips shook, and she nodded over and over again.
A moment later, she obediently picked up her books and moved to the empty seat beside the boy with glasses in the front row.
Videl gave Erasa a strange look, completely confused.
Since when did Erasa get this obedient?
She should never have given up her seat.
Didn't she want to sit next to that boy?
Then why had she moved on her own? This was weird.
Wait, I get it. Did Erasa decide he was already taken and back off on her own?
But that really doesn't sound like her.
Videl's mind spun through all kinds of possibilities.
In the end, though, she did not think much of it.
She had not seen Kale crush the scissors just now.
Gohan could only laugh helplessly and signal to Kale not to cause trouble.
Kale just grinned and sat down right next to Videl.
Gohan took the outer seat.
The seating arrangement ended up like this: in the front row sat the boy with glasses on the inside and Erasa on the outside; behind them sat Sharpner on the inside, then Videl, then Kale, and finally Gohan on the outside.
The moment the two of them sat down, Erasa suddenly turned around and glared at Kale.
Kale blinked. "????"
"You trying to fool me with a magic trick?" Erasa had finally figured it out.
This new girl had to have used some kind of trick.
You expect me to believe you crushed scissors into a metal ball with your bare hand?
No way.
I can't believe I actually got scared by that!
"A magic trick?" Kale looked confused.
Erasa ignored her and turned to Gohan with a friendly smile instead. "Hi, I'm Erasa. Nice to meet you. The girl next to her is Videl."
"Oh?" Gohan immediately turned to look at Videl past Kale.
For some reason, the moment he saw her, his heartbeat sped up.
What's going on with me? Am I about to turn into a Great Ape?
My heart always beats faster when that happens.
But I don't even have a tail anymore.
Kale's bad feeling grew even stronger.
Especially when she looked at Videl and saw how pretty she was, she could not help feeling inferior.
Then Kale took another look at the blonde beauty sitting in front of them, Erasa.
She was pretty too.
Why did I ever agree to Aunt Chi-Chi's idea of coming here to school?
Wouldn't online classes at home with Gohan have been fine?
Now that we're at school, there are way more girls around him.
I really don't feel safe.
The more Kale thought about it, the worse she felt.
Seeing the faintly dazed look on Gohan's face, Erasa smiled smugly.
Serves you right for threatening me with that "magic trick."
Looks like your precious Gohan is already wavering.
"You'll probably be shocked to hear this, but her father is Mr. Satan, the World Champion," Erasa said, pressing the advantage as she introduced Videl.
"Huh? Mr. Satan?" Gohan looked a little surprised.
"Hehe, I knew that would surprise you." Erasa gave him a playful smile.
Of course, Kale knew who Mr. Satan was too.
Wasn't he that goofy guy at the Cell Games?
No, wait, that's not right.
Merus-nii told me that guy named Satan is supposed to be a friend of Zeno-sama…
And Zeno-sama is the greatest god in all the universes…
Kale had been just about ready to sneer and fire back, but the moment she thought of that terrifying god, she swallowed the words.
"You should be grateful to her, really. We're only still alive because of her dad," Erasa said with a smile.
Suddenly Videl snapped back to attention. "I remember now. You two were at the bank robbery scene this morning too."
"That's right," Kale answered for Gohan.
"Huh? But didn't they say the Golden Fighter showed up too?" Erasa asked, confused.
"What's the Golden Fighter?" Gohan asked.
"Gohan-nii, don't talk!" Kale blurted out.
I'm not letting you talk to this blonde girl.
Why do I feel like the way you two are looking at each other is weird?
"Why not?" Gohan scratched his head.
"Because I said so. You're not allowed to talk to her," Kale huffed.
Gohan could only nod helplessly.
"That's okay, Gohan," Erasa said with a smile and a wink. "Even if you don't talk to me, I can still talk to you. You can just listen."
Fire practically blazed in Kale's eyes.
That shameless little vixen.
"You're new here, so it makes sense that you don't know about the Golden Fighter yet," Erasa explained. "That warrior of justice has shown up three times now. He's a really strong boy with upright golden hair, and he's pretty famous in Satan City."
Gohan's heart skipped a beat.
Uh-oh. She's talking about me.
Kale and I came to this school twice already to handle enrollment.
And then there was this morning too…
Videl studied Gohan more carefully, and the more she looked, the stranger things felt.
That expression of yours is awfully telling.
"I asked witnesses before," Videl said as she looked straight at Gohan. "They said the Golden Fighter was wearing this school's badge, a white shirt, a dark vest, and brown trousers."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Exactly what you're wearing."
"Huh? You're right!" Erasa stared at Gohan, suddenly surprised.
Gohan panicked internally.
"Hey! You lot over there, quiet down!" the homeroom teacher called out toward their side of the room.
No one paid any attention.
"Fine then," Kale said with a huff. "Gohan-nii is the Golden Fighter. Happy now?"
The moment those words came out, both Videl and Erasa stared at her in shock.
Gohan scratched his head nonstop and shot Kale look after look.
Why did you just tell them who I am?
"Hahahaha! At least look at him properly first," Sharpner finally cut in from the side. "You really think that guy looks like hero material? Besides, his hair isn't even golden."
"Yeah, hahaha, he looks way too skinny and weak," Erasa agreed, nodding along with Sharpner.
Gohan quietly let out a breath of relief.
Videl glanced at Gohan once more, then lowered her eyes to her textbook and fell into thought.
No… it probably isn't him.
I'll look at the footage of Dad fighting Cell again when I get home.
Damn that hacker.
Why did they have to censor it?
I remember there really were some weird people in that group who could turn their hair gold.
Not just gold, either. There were other colors too.
Dad says it was all just fake tricks.
But then what about the god he invited from outside?
I remember getting along with them pretty well back then.
Especially that one named Zeno-sama.
He really was pretty cute.
But so many years have passed, and I've never seen him again.
Where did Zeno-sama go?
Kale blinked at Gohan, trying to tell him with her eyes that she had only said that because she knew no one would believe it.
"Gohan-nii, sometimes there's no need to hide your identity on purpose," Kale whispered into his ear with a grin. "If you say it out loud, people just won't believe you."
"That actually makes a lot of sense," Gohan said, nodding.
"Gohan, do you live at home or rent an apartment?" Erasa turned around again and asked.
Kale's chest rose and fell with anger.
Are you done yet?
Are you seriously not going to stop chasing after my Gohan-nii?
This is so annoying.
Gohan was just about to answer when he remembered what Kale had told him earlier—that he was not allowed to talk to that blonde girl.
So he clapped a hand over his mouth and said nothing.
Seeing how obedient he was, Kale finally calmed down a little.
"Gohan-nii and I live together. Happy now?" Kale snorted, answering for him.
"I get it now. So you two are brother and sister?" Erasa reacted immediately.
Gohan nodded over and over again at the side.
Kale's anger flared right back up.
Brother and sister?
Who are you calling siblings?
And why are you nodding like that?
Do you really want to be my brother that badly?
Do you only see me as a little sister?
You've kissed me before!
"We're not siblings," Kale said, giving Gohan a light shove. "We're that kind of relationship. A man and a woman."
"Really? You two are actually dating?" Erasa said with a giggle, her eyes full of doubt.
"Of course it's true!" Kale said, though for some reason she sounded a little guilty even to herself.
Gohan, meanwhile, scratched his head awkwardly.
If only I were as easygoing as Ken.
Being surrounded by girls like this is such a headache.
"So where do you live?" Erasa asked with another playful blink toward Gohan. "You can't even answer that?"
Gohan shook his head repeatedly.
Nope. Not happening.
Kale said not to talk to you, so I'm not talking.
If I make her angry, she'll turn into a Legendary Super Saiyan.
And if that happens, even I won't be able to stop her.
"We live in East City District 439. It's a small village," Kale said, lifting her chin proudly.
But once she lowered her gaze and looked at herself, her chest, which she had just puffed out, slowly sank again.
It was bad enough that she was not as pretty as Erasa, but now even her figure did not compare.
I really need to ask Shenron to make me prettier.
"East City District 439? Oh, come on," Erasa said, not buying it. "That's over a thousand kilometers from here."
"That's enough! Can you be quiet for once?" The homeroom teacher finally snapped, pushing up her glasses before calling her out by name. "Erasa, I'm talking about you. No turning around and chatting."
Erasa obediently turned back around.
Then she hugged her books and lowered her head, muttering another huff toward Kale. "I still don't believe you."
Kale could not be bothered with her.
Gohan, meanwhile, felt utterly helpless.
Honestly, online classes at home were way better.
…
Outer space.
A small spaceship was racing toward Earth.
Inside were Caulifla, Cabba, and Frost.
"Seven years…" Frost said darkly as he stared at the blue planet in the distant starfield. "And this is when you finally remember this place?"
"Hmph. We had to get stronger first. Otherwise what was the point of coming here?" Caulifla snorted. "At least now we'll have the strength to put up a fight."
"It's been so long that I don't even hate those two men, Goku and Vegeta, as much anymore," Frost said with a sigh.
Cabba said nothing and focused on piloting the ship.
"Whether you still hate them or not has nothing to do with me," Caulifla said indifferently. "I'm here to take my sister home."
"What kind of tone is that?" Frost's face darkened as he glared at her.
Caulifla did not care in the slightest.
"Please, both of you, stop arguing," Cabba said, stepping in to smooth things over. "We're almost at Earth. And Frost, Caulifla does have a point. We've all trained hard these past few years. At the very least, if we run into Goku and Vegeta again, we won't lose so easily this time."
Frost said nothing.
"But speaking of that, Caulifla…" Cabba said after a pause, "there hasn't been any news about the prince or princess for years, has there?"
"Who knows?" Caulifla shook her head. "My brother said they probably went off to train again. They're trying to get even stronger, I guess."
Very few people knew anything about Ken absorbing Temat's energy and the others.
So it was perfectly normal that Caulifla had no idea.
"The prince was already that strong, and he's still training?" Cabba said in astonishment.
"One day I'll be even stronger than that," Caulifla said, clenching her fists.
The spaceship arced across the stars and sped toward Earth.
Whoosh!
A moment later, it tore through the atmosphere and landed safely on the planet.
…
Orange Star High School.
"Same as last time, today's PE class will be split into teams for a basketball game," the PE teacher announced to the students, including Gohan and the others.
"Hey, do you even know how to play basketball?" Sharpner asked, turning to Gohan.
"Uh… I've never actually played it, but I do know the rules," Gohan replied with a nod.
"That's kind of hilarious. You really are a country bumpkin," Sharpner said with a laugh.
"Who are you calling a bumpkin?" Kale snapped.
"Kale, it's fine, it's fine," Gohan said quickly, grabbing her before she could start something.
"Hmph. If you insult my Gohan-nii again, I won't let you off," Kale shouted, hands on her hips.
Sharpner had no interest in arguing with a girl, so he simply ignored her.
"Well, Videl? One team each?" Sharpner looked at her with open challenge.
"Of course." Videl accepted immediately, then turned to Gohan. "Want to be on my team?"
"Me?" Gohan blinked, pointing at his own nose before nodding.
"I'm on Gohan-nii's team too," Kale said, planting herself right beside him.
"Do you know how to play basketball?" Videl asked.
"I've seen it on TV. I didn't really understand it, though," Kale answered honestly.
Videl had no words.
You didn't even understand it, and you still want to play?
Are you trying to drag the whole team down?
"I don't care. I'm staying on Gohan-nii's team," Kale said stubbornly.
"Kale's actually really strong," Gohan said on her behalf.
"All right then. You can join us," Videl said at last.
"Go, Gohan! I'm rooting for you!" Erasa waved from the sideline, then shot Kale a provocative look.
Kale snorted, really wanting to smack that little vixen clear across the court.
The teams were quickly set.
Videl, Gohan, Kale, and two other classmates made one team.
Sharpner, the boy with glasses, and three other boys made the other.
"Our side is all guys. Isn't that a little unfair?" the bespectacled boy said, adjusting his glasses, almost sounding embarrassed. "Should we call Erasa over just to even the numbers?"
"Don't underestimate them," Sharpner said seriously. "And definitely don't think of Videl as just a girl."
"You're right," the boy with glasses said with a nod.
The other three boys nodded as well.
They really could not afford to think of Videl as just a girl.
That woman was ridiculously strong.
"Begin!" The PE teacher tossed the ball into the air.
The basketball shot upward.
Videl leaped beautifully and tipped the ball to Gohan.
Gohan dribbled it once out of habit.
One of the opposing players immediately slapped a hand toward the ball.
Gohan reacted instantly and hugged it to his chest.
"Gohan-nii, over here!" Kale had already run beneath the hoop.
Without hesitating, Gohan sent the ball flying in a graceful arc.
Kale jumped high, caught it one-handed, glided two meters through the air, and slammed it straight through the hoop.
The whole court erupted.
Everyone except Gohan stood there stunned, staring at Kale with their mouths open.
Kale was not especially tall, only around 163 centimeters.
A girl that height should have had a hard time dunking under normal circumstances.
And yet she had just done it with absurd ease.
"Y-You just jumped two meters high… and then flew another two meters in the air…" The PE teacher rubbed his eyes and stared at Kale as if she were a monster.
"Oh? Did I?" Kale brushed off her hands and grinned. "So how many points is that? A move that flashy has to be worth at least ten, right?"
"You dunked it into your own basket," the teacher said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Blue team, two points."
Kale fell silent.
So did Gohan.
And Videl.
What a complete liability.
Why did you run to your own basket?
Laughter broke out all around the court.
Kale's face went bright red with embarrassment. "Don't worry! As long as I'm here, I'll make up the score!"
The game resumed.
Gohan stole the ball with ease and drove straight for the other end.
He had never played basketball before, but with his strength, his control over the ball was naturally excellent.
And with his speed, how could ordinary humans possibly stop him?
In just a few seconds, Gohan had already charged to the three-point line. Then he jumped beautifully and drove toward the hoop for a dunk.
This time I definitely won't get the wrong basket.
I'm sure this one is the other team's.
"I'm not letting you score!" Sharpner gritted his teeth, sprang up, and spread his arms wide to block Gohan.
Gohan was stopped short, and after a brief pause, a thought flashed through his head.
I need to go easy.
If I smash the backboard, that'll be a problem.
Gohan swung his arms down with the ball.
Smack!
The ball came crashing down directly onto Sharpner's head.
Sharpner froze.
In that instant, it felt as though ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his mind, and he immediately got dizzy.
The moment he landed, he collapsed to the floor, only barely staying conscious.
Everyone around them stared with their eyes wide, too speechless to react.
"Y-You actually jumped from the three-point line… and still reached the hoop?" the PE teacher said, having caught that detail.
"From the three-point line?" Gohan scratched his head. "Does that mean it counts as three points?"
The PE teacher had no answer.
There had never been a precedent for that.
Since the invention of basketball, no one had ever been able to jump from the three-point line and dunk.
The distance was simply too much.
And yet Gohan had jumped from there and still reached the hoop.
If Sharpner had not gotten in the way, Gohan really would have made the dunk.
"So… does it count as three?" Gohan still asked, genuinely hung up on that part.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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