Chapter 58: Bulma's Self-Strategy
Carefully observing Franklin's expression, Bulma's eyes widened. Just as she was about to shout, Franklin immediately covered her mouth. After signaling her to keep her voice down, he slowly let go.
Bulma instinctively lowered her voice, her lips trembling slightly as she said, "Franklin, are you from the future? Before I went out to search for the Dragon Balls, I looked you up in the national database.
There was a six-year-old boy named Franklin who looked exactly like you. At first, I thought that might be your son—but who names their son the same as themselves?
I thought it was just a coincidence, but now it seems that was you as a child, and the one standing before me is your adult self. Am I right?"
Bulma's face was serious, her body trembling slightly as she stared at Franklin, waiting for his answer.
After spending so many days together, Franklin's feelings for Bulma had grown. They both liked each other, but neither had said it out loud or taken a step further.
Facing Bulma, whom he genuinely liked, Franklin decided not to hide the truth.
"You guessed right. I really am from nine years in the future. Nine years later, I was still in high school. The wish I asked you to make on the Dragon Balls—that was my selfishness talking."
Franklin admitted it honestly. Bulma, though still shaken, began to calm down. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked up at him again.
"So you're being honest about it. But won't this affect your future? Like, what if I go find your younger self and it ends up changing everything?"
Franklin shook his head firmly. "You won't do that. In my memories, I never met you as a child. Either you never did it, or something stopped you before you could.
Whatever the case, I didn't meet you when I was little—that's a fact that can't be changed. Unless your power grows so great that you can completely erase causality itself."
Hearing his explanation, Bulma looked up at his tall, perfectly built figure—over one meter eighty-five—and his strikingly handsome face. The more she looked, the more excited she became.
"Being able to travel from the future to the past, this strong, and still a high schooler with such a good temper—Franklin, you're literally the template for a novel's main character, my ideal prince charming!
When I left home to find the Dragon Balls, my very first wish was to find you—the guy who broke his promise.
You healed my dad, left behind the materials that helped him develop Capsule Technology, and then vanished without even taking payment!
I was planning to repay your kindness by offering myself to you, but it turns out you didn't even care!
So tell me—how many girls are already in your harem? Did you come back just to 'conquer' me? Or are you on some kind of cross-time rescue mission to change the past and rewrite the future?"
Bulma's excited outburst completely caught Franklin off guard. Her words were things he couldn't have imagined she'd say.
"Ahem… hypothetically, let's say I like you and want you to be my girlfriend. But before this, I already had several girlfriends—and even a fiancée. You wouldn't get mad?"
Bulma's excited face instantly turned serious. She glared at him.
"Scumbag. So you really are a pervert. Saving my dad, helping with Capsule Tech—was all that just to make me fall for you? You are a scumbag, aren't you?"
Franklin hadn't expected her mood to swing so fast, but he pressed on, saying, "Saving your dad was thanks to your mom's psychic powers. If she hadn't come to find me, I wouldn't have saved him.
As for Capsule Technology—that has nothing to do with me. That was entirely Dr. Brief's achievement. I only provided a tiny test tube I didn't even care about.
And as for a harem—I don't have one. Though in the future, I do have a marriage contract with the princess of the Deviluke royal family, rulers of the Milky Way."
Seeing Franklin's serious face, Bulma let out a long sigh.
"So I really was a step too late?" she murmured, then suddenly looked up. "Hey, Franklin, do you like me?"
Her blunt question made Franklin nod like a man. "You're smart, beautiful, and though your figure isn't perfect, it's still pretty good. After spending so much time with you, I think I really do like you."
"'My figure isn't perfect'? Gee, thanks, you jerk… ah, forget it."
As she spoke, Bulma pulled out her smartphone—and the recording app was running.
"'After spending so much time with you, I think I really do like you…' 'After spending so much time with you, I think I really do like you…'"
"Hehehe, now I've got it recorded! That makes me the first one—time-wise, I'm number one, hahahaha!"
Her little stunt left Franklin completely stunned. He hadn't expected that's what she was after.
"Well? Surprised? From now on, I'm the senior one! You'd better make that clear to all your future girls."
Her words left Franklin utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"What do you think? Figure it out yourself, you pervy scumbag. You're way too attractive to girls. Tell me—if I walk away and try to find someone like you, where would I even look?
So no, I don't believe you'll only love one or two women. Who knows how many you'll end up with? But time's on my side—no one can steal my place."
Franklin hadn't expected Bulma to be this open-minded—completely unfazed by the idea of him having a harem.
"You're not against it?"
At his question, Bulma stomped up to him and flicked him on the forehead. A second later, she was clutching her fingers in pain.
"Would being against it even help? There'll always be girls prettier, curvier, or more talented than me. You think you could resist? I'm not stupid.
At first, maybe you'd hold back for my sake—but what about later? What if I get older? Sure, the Dragon Balls can keep me young forever, but what if you refuse to let me use them?"
Franklin was honestly stunned. He hadn't imagined Bulma would think this far ahead.
"Sorry, but I'm definitely not that kind of person."
Bulma pouted. "You aren't now, and I know that. But what about in the future? The future's unpredictable. I'm just doing what I can to prepare."
Franklin rubbed his temples. "Alright, alright, calm down. Goku, Puar, and Oolong are all watching."
Bulma's cheeks instantly flushed red. Seeing Puar and Oolong's amused faces made her blush even harder.
"This is all your fault! Now get in the car—we're going to find the last Dragon Ball!"
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