Chapter 75: Reunion with Master Roshi
After crushing and erasing the earpiece, Franklin's body trembled uncontrollably for a moment. He hadn't expected that both of those alien beings—each comparable to a Core Formation–level powerhouse—would appear right at the start. If such strong aliens had already shown up, what kind of monsters would appear next?
Forcing himself to calm down, Franklin exhaled deeply. After being gone for eight years, he was finally reunited with Lala.
He had planned to spend more time with her and take action over the weekend, but now it seemed that waiting another day or two might already be too late.
The more Lala thought about that figure that had suddenly flown overhead, the more familiar it felt—yet no matter how she tried, she couldn't recall why.
Feeling the intense emotional fluctuations coming from beside her, Lala gave up trying to remember. Just as she turned her head, she saw Franklin destroy the earpiece marked with the Deviluke insignia.
"Lin, what's wrong? Did Zastin say something bad to you?"
Not wanting to make Lala worry, Franklin circulated his spiritual energy to suppress the unease in his heart. "Zastin said that the one we encountered halfway was a Shining Starian.
Though the name sounds kind of stupid, the battle armor he wore was equipped with a blue energy core. I might need to leave for a while to find a way to counter it."
"Shining Starian!!!"
Lala suddenly shot to her feet, instantly drawing the entire class's attention. The trio who had been secretly recording their conversation—Saki Tenjōin, Rin Kujō, and Fujisaki Aya—immediately stiffened in surprise.
The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and Lala quickly sat down. "It's all Dad's fault. Things are really getting troublesome now. Lin, what do you mean by a 'way to counter it'?"
Franklin coughed lightly. "You already know Earth is special. There are seven Dragon Balls on this planet. If you gather all seven, you can summon Shenron and make one wish. So this time, I'm going to search for the Dragon Balls. Lala, why don't you come with me? Taking two days off school isn't a big deal."
Lala's eyes sparkled instantly, all thoughts of the Shining Starian vanishing from her mind.
"Lin, when do we leave? It sounds like so much fun!"
Seeing her excitement, Franklin felt a rare sense of ease. Though Lala's personality had changed a lot because of him, at least her playful nature hadn't disappeared.
Just then, Mr. Furukawa walked into the classroom. Lala, though excited, still sat down out of respect for the teacher.
"Ehem. Today, our class is welcoming another transfer student. Everyone, please give them a warm welcome."
At the mention of another new student, everyone instinctively turned to look at Franklin—after all, the last few new transfers had all ended up sitting beside him.
"This time, is it a guy or a girl? Don't tell me they're also here for Franklin."
"All the pretty girls in class are already around him. It's so unfair."
"He already has a fiancée like Lala, yet he's still surrounded by other girls. That's just too much."
"Stop whining. If you've got the guts, just punch him. Problem solved."
Feeling dozens of stares filled with mixed emotions, Franklin couldn't help but feel awkward.
Ren walked into the classroom just then, only to realize that everyone's attention was focused entirely on Franklin. Not a single person noticed him, and his irritation almost exploded on the spot.
"It's a guy, huh? So this one shouldn't be here for Franklin, right?"
"He's handsome! But you don't think Franklin swings both ways, do you?"
"Who knows? I mean, look at how many good-looking girls he's got around him already. Maybe he's greedy enough for both…"
Hearing the teasing whispers and seeing the girls blush and giggle, Franklin felt both speechless and helpless.
Seeing that no one cared about his arrival, Ren looked completely deflated.
"Um, everyone, could we please give the new student some attention? Otherwise, that's just plain rude," said Mr. Furukawa.
The room immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned toward Ren at the front of the class.
Feeling the renewed attention, Ren perked up again.
"Hello everyone, my name is Ren Elsie Jewelria—but you can just call me Ren."
"His name's so long! Sounds just like Lala's. Don't tell me they're from the same place?"
Hearing that, Ren straightened up, his confidence returning as if he'd found his footing again.
"You guessed right. I came here for one reason—to take Lala away from Franklin! Only I deserve to be Lala's man. No one else is worthy!"
Mio Sawada's eyes lit up. "A love triangle? A battlefield of romance? Who will Lala choose, and how will Franklin respond? What do you think, Risa?"
Risa Momioka looked uneasy. Ever since learning Lala's true identity, their friendship had stayed the same, but the idea of a romantic rivalry made her worry for Franklin.
"This is reality. There's no room for such melodramatic nonsense. Lala likes Franklin, and Franklin likes Lala. That Ren guy doesn't stand a chance."
"Ugh, boring. I thought you'd have something more interesting to say."
Lala stood up angrily. "I already told you—I don't like you! I only like Franklin! The teacher still has to teach, so stop disrupting the class!"
Her sharp words left Ren speechless. His entire demeanor dimmed as he slumped down into the seat behind Lala, right behind Franklin's right side.
Before long, class ended. Lala grabbed Franklin and hurried up to the rooftop. Ren chased after them, only to watch helplessly as the two were enveloped in a beam of white light and vanished.
"Sir, where would you like to go?"
Looking at the detailed Earth satellite map aboard the ship, Franklin zoomed in on the South Sea. After searching for a while, he finally spotted a familiar-looking building on a small island.
"Send Lala and me there first. We might need to teleport again later."
Zastin waved his hand. "Go ahead, young master. Teleport as much as you want—just don't lose."
When the white light faded, Franklin and Lala were standing on Master Roshi's island. Franklin's outfit had changed into a black tracksuit, while Lala wore her familiar white bodysuit.
"Ah, ahhh—you're that kid from before, aren't you? Hah, it's been so many years, but you haven't aged a bit. The one with you though, she's new. And who might she be?"
Seeing the familiar old sea turtle, Franklin smiled. "This is my fiancée, Lala Satalin Deviluke. You can just call her Lala.
By the way, old turtle, is Master Roshi around? I need to talk to him about something."
As soon as Franklin finished speaking, the door opened and an old man with a turtle shell on his back stepped out. "Don't you have a way to sense things? Why even bother asking?"
Franklin smiled. "It's impolite to sense someone's presence without permission—especially someone like you, Master Roshi."
Roshi nodded in satisfaction—but his gaze never left Lala. Knowing full well what kind of person Roshi was, Franklin immediately stepped in front of Lala and cleared his throat twice.
"Master Roshi, I came here to ask where Goku is living these days. I need to borrow his Four-Star Dragon Ball for a bit."
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