-----
-----
Seeing the four Dragon Balls they had collected so far, Bulma almost bounced with excitement."Broly, look! We've already got four Dragon Balls! Once we find the last three, we can summon Shenron and make a wish!" She didn't even try to hide her happiness as she shared it with him.
"Yeah? Heh, then I guess I should congratulate you in advance."But Broly's brows were tightly knitted, and he didn't know how to say what was on his mind. Bulma clearly cared a lot about the Dragon Balls, and that only made it harder.
"What's wrong, Broly? We're almost done collecting them, and then we can summon the dragon. Aren't you happy? We're good friends! If something's bothering you, just say it. If I can help, I definitely will!"
Bulma was sharp as ever. She'd already sensed something off about his reaction, so she asked directly.
"Well… in that case, I won't hide it. I actually have something really troublesome going on. There's no way for me to solve it anytime soon. I need Shenron's help, and I have to be the one who makes the wish, or it won't work. So…"
"Oh, that's all? Then it's fine! When we gather all the Dragon Balls, you can make the wish."She waved him off casually before he could finish explaining, as if granting him the wish was no big deal.
But that only made Broly more embarrassed. He met her eyes seriously and promised, "Thank you, Bulma. Really. If you ever want something, and I can do it, I'll make it happen for you."
"No need, Broly. We're friends. If you have something important to handle with the Dragon Balls, then it's only right I let you use the wish."
Her voice grew smaller, cheeks turning bright red. "Besides… my wish isn't that far from coming true anyway. You don't have to make it up to me."
Broly stared at her crimson face, and a wave of disappointment hit him as he remembered what her original wish had been in the story. But then he froze. Something didn't add up.
When Bulma first met Goku at Mount Paozu, she definitely still had that wish. But right now…
He thought back on their journey. Other than wild beasts, the only males they had run into were Master Roshi, Goku, himself, and… an old sea turtle.
Master Roshi? Yeah, no way Bulma would ever go for someone with tastes that questionable.
Goku? Without Broly around, that might eventually happen. But with Broly here, and Goku still a scrawny little kid who hadn't spent much time with her, that chance was tiny.
The turtle didn't even deserve consideration.
As for him—he might be the same age as Goku, both of them being eleven right now, but neither Bulma nor Goku knew that. Just by appearance alone, he looked like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teen. Goku, meanwhile, was developing late, just like in the original story.
Compared side by side, Broly seemed way more mature and dependable. He'd even saved her life once back at Mount Paozu. And honestly, he knew perfectly well that in this lifetime, his looks could easily pass as "approved by the audience, the people, and the nation."
So maybe…Maybe the person she meant was actually him.
No—he was sure of it. It had to be him. It needed to be him.
With that thought burning in his chest, he looked into Bulma's gleaming violet-blue eyes. Bright, clear, like a spring of water rippling with emotion. And before he even realized it, he took her soft hand in his.
Summoning a surge of courage from who-knows-where, he held her gaze and said, almost like a vow:
"Bulma… will you be my girlfriend?"
Bulma froze. Her Prince Charming had just confessed to her—suddenly, emotionally, and so directly that it hit her like lightning out of a clear sky. When she finally snapped out of it, she slapped her hands over her mouth, as if trying to contain the happiness crashing through her like a tornado.
"Bulma? You don't want to? You won't even give me a chance?"
Seeing her standing there like she'd been petrified, Broly panicked. Maybe he'd guessed wrong. Maybe she didn't like him at all. He hurried to ask.
"No—no! It's not that, Broly. I'm just… too overwhelmed! I didn't expect you to confess so suddenly. It caught me completely off guard…"
Bulma waved both hands, terrified he'd misunderstand.
"....."