Chapter 150: First Deep Conversation with Mikado Ryōko
"Lin, can't I really take a closer look at Ikaros?"
Meeting Lala's eager gaze, Franklin shook his head firmly.
"No. Absolutely not. Lala, even though your scientific abilities are among the best in the galaxy, your inventions always come with… some sort of flaw. I don't even have to say it—you know that better than anyone. You can observe Ikaros with your instruments, sure, but under no circumstances are you to touch her body or internal structure. I'm worried that if you do, she'll end up even stranger than before."
Both Momo and Nana, who had suffered from Lala's defective inventions, shuddered in unison. After glancing at Ikaros, they turned to Lala.
"Sis, maybe just hold off for now. If something goes wrong, Ikaros would be the one who suffers most."
"I agree with Nana," Momo added. "Ikaros just regained her freedom. If your research caused another accident, that would be…"
She didn't finish the sentence. Confronted with everyone's persuasion and reminded of her history of flawed inventions, Lala sighed, disappointment flickering in her eyes before she nodded seriously.
"Alright, I get it. I'll hold back—no, I'll fix the problems with my inventions first. Until I've figured out why those side effects keep happening, I won't bring this up again."
Bulma looked as though she wanted to say something, but seeing Lala's expression, she swallowed her words.
Franklin gave a faint smile, saying nothing. His gaze swept the room, a vague sense nagging at him that he'd forgotten something important.
When his eyes fell on the lunch Mikan had set aside for Mikado Ryōko in the corner of the kitchen, he finally remembered. There were still plenty of questions he needed to ask her.
Looking at the cheerful scene at the table, Franklin hesitated briefly, then finished his meal in a few quick bites.
"You guys go ahead and eat. Ryōko-sis hasn't had lunch yet—I'll take this down to her. I haven't properly thanked her for her help this morning. I'll be back shortly."
"Master…"
Ikaros started to stand, but Franklin gently pressed her shoulder to keep her seated.
"Ikaros, you keep eating. If there's anything you don't understand, ask Mikan or the others. I don't need your help for now."
After nodding to the girls, Franklin used his spiritual energy to lift the lunch Mikan had prepared and stepped into the elevator leading to the underground lab.
As he descended, he replayed Ryōko's words from that morning in his mind—he figured it was time to be a little more honest with her.
When he entered the lab, he saw Ryōko sitting leisurely at a workstation, watching something on the main surveillance screen.
The sound of the elevator doors drew her attention, and when their eyes met, she smiled and waved.
"Finally thought of me, huh? I missed breakfast, and I was actually planning to come up for lunch—but when I saw everyone already seated, I figured I'd wait. Kind of regret it now—I'm starving."
As she eagerly took the lunch box, Franklin used his spiritual energy to set it up neatly for her.
"You could've just come up anyway. The table's big enough—even if I made a few more dishes, it'd still fit. Nobody would've kicked you out."
Pulling off the plastic wrap, Ryōko took a few bites and a sip of soup before nodding approvingly.
"Ikaros's cooking really isn't bad."
Then she gave Franklin a strange look and chuckled softly. "It just reminded me of something. That dining table upstairs—it's one Lin-jie customized herself. She said that in the future, that table would be for you and your little girlfriends. Only once you 'grew up' could you and your girls sit there together. After hearing her say that, I kind of stopped wanting to eat at that table."
Franklin looked at her, speechless.
"Really? You came down here just to roast me now? Sure, I might be a bit of a flirt, but what's that got to do with you having lunch upstairs?"
Ryōko kept eating as she replied, "Lin-jie also said that any girl who eats with you at that table has an eighty or ninety percent chance of ending up your wife. You tell me—how am I supposed to feel after hearing that?"
"Uh… that's kind of an exaggeration, don't you think? It's just a table. Sharing a meal doesn't mean anything."
Ryōko sighed, raising her hands helplessly. "At first I thought so too. But lately, more and more girls have been gathering around you. Every one of them seems to like you quite a bit. If I sat there too, it would just feel weird.
I mean, yes, I'm your honorary big sister, and we've lived together for over ten years—but somehow, our relationship feels a little… complicated.
When Lin-jie first rescued me and brought me back to Blue Star, I lived with your future self for quite a while—about five or six years, actually. Back then, I really did develop feelings for you. You were the son of my benefactor, close to my age, mysterious, and honestly, quite attractive to a girl like me.
But after you left for a few years, I started spending time with the younger version of you—watching you grow from a baby into the person you are now. Those feelings slowly faded.
It's hard to explain… kind of indescribable. I guess I did like you, but it was a strange kind of affection. Anyway, never mind. Go on back upstairs—Lala and the others should be done eating by now. I'll just stay here and cool my head."
Franklin stared at her "you can go now" expression, utterly at a loss. He turned toward the elevator, and just before stepping inside, he looked back.
"Ryōko-sis, actually… my soul's been eighteen years old since the day I was born. I've understood a lot since then. And honestly—I've always liked you.
Over the years, sure, things have changed, and that feeling has become… strange. Sometimes I even question whether what I feel for you is just familial affection. But as a man, I can say this honestly: I like you. I like your beautiful face, your wine-red hair, your curves. None of that is a lie."
He quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed the close button. Through the narrowing gap, he caught a glimpse of Ryōko's cheeks flushing red.
When Franklin returned to the dining area, lunch had been completely finished. With a wave of his hand, water-element energy surged through the air—
the dishes and utensils gleamed as if newly washed, neatly stacked in the cupboards, while the waste water vanished down the drain.
"All done. So—anyone else have plans? If not, I'll take Ikaros out to buy her some clothes."