EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

Chapter 16: Planning Ahead

Fortunately, Vahn was far from the wolf-like man Bulma assumed all guys to be. He did stop by to check on her, but, instead of insisting she let him in, he brought her a cup of hot cocoa and asked if she was okay. After she assured him she was, he gave her a gentle and chaste kiss on the forehead before wishing her peaceful dreams.

When Vahn first left her alone, Bulma was a little annoyed with him. She knew he would be going to spend time with Sarina, so, despite being the reason they weren't sharing the same bed, she placed most of the blame on him.

For this reason, Bulma was more than a little surprised when she woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed. She didn't even remember falling asleep the night before. All she recalled was taking a bath and getting in bed.

Though she suspected Vahn had done something, a quick perusal of the security tapes showed that she had simply fallen asleep moments after hitting her bed. Thus, after a quick scan of the cup Vahn had brought to her the previous night, Bulma accepted that, even if he had done something to help her sleep, there hadn't been any malicious intentions behind his actions.

Comforted by the lack of evidence, Bulma took a quick shower before commencing her hour-long ritual to find a suitable outfit and hairstyle. She hated wearing the same outfit twice, and, thanks to one of her inventions, she could adjust the length of her hair whenever she wanted. Thus, unless the situation didn't allow it, she made sure to change her hair and clothing every single day.

It was during this process that Bulma discovered a tiny, subtly luminescent golden ring balanced atop the faucet of her bathroom sink. This confused her at first, but, seeing her name engraved in a peculiar form of cursive along the interior, Bulma's heart skipped several beats as the notion that it was an engagement ring crossed her mind. Instead, it was something even better, as, shortly after putting it on, Bulma's eyes went out of focus as a three-dimensional projection of her current form appeared in her mind…

Realizing what the ring was, Bulma spent what felt like two hours cycling through the options in the [REquip] System only to discover that seconds had passed in the outside world. Upon realizing this, the smile on her face became so wide that it threatened to tear at the muscles of her face. After all, as much as she enjoyed choosing outfits and styling her hair, it was an extremely tedious and time-consuming affair. Now, even if she spent ten times as long picking out the perfect outfit, she would never be pressed for time.

Feeling adventurous, or, at the very least, emboldened, Bulma selected a pair of lacy white lingerie on the off chance that something happened later on. Over that, she wore a pair of form-fitting tan hotpants, as, even after a mere two days, she had already noticed Vahn's obsessions with butts. She hadn't caught him sneaking a glance at her breasts even once, yet, the moment she wore a pair of form-fitting shorts, he ended up copping a feel the first chance he got.

Completing her outfit, Bulma wore a simple white t-shirt with her name embossed over the breasts. Then, after checking herself in both the mirror and her mind, she donned the flight jacket Vahn had given her the previous day. It was, technically speaking, the first gift she had ever received. Her dad usually just gave her a credit card to buy whatever she wanted on her birthdays, so, while she would never complain about receiving money, Bulma would be lying if she said it didn't bother her.

Donning the remarkably comfortable jacket, a smile developed across Bulma's face as she checked herself in the mirror one last time. Then, believing Vahn was already up and working on breakfast, Bulma departed her Capsule Home before following the fragrant aroma of breakfast sausage and baked goods to the kitchen…

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Sensing Bulma's arrival, Vahn briefly inspected her aura to determine which side of the bed she had awoken on. Pink, yellow, and azure blue was a good sign, so, after adjusting the flow of time within the oven, instantaneously completing the baking process, he emerged from the kitchen with a tray of souffles and a relaxed smile, saying, "Good morning, Bulma. You're looking especially radiant this morning. Sleep well?"

Though she briefly glanced towards Sarina and Goku, a smile developed across Bulma's face as she retorted, "Yeah, I wonder if a certain someone had something to do with that…?"

Shifting her attention to Vahn, Bulma's expression became visibly amused as she noticed his smile cramping. Instead of pressing further, however, she took a seat on the opposite side of Goku before asking, "So, what's the plan? I may no longer have an interest in the Dragon Balls but I'm willing to see this journey through to the end. Just keep in mind that I need to be home before October. My school starts up on the 2nd."

Though he was unsurprised by Bulma's words, Vahn's mind briefly stalled at the notion that Bulma was the first student he had ever 'dated'. She would literally be attending Senior High for six days a week, and, due to her electives and club activities, she would be leaving around 6 AM and returning at around 5-6 PM every single day. If she decided to attend college after graduation, they would be spending more than half the day apart…

"What's the matter…?"

Noticing Vahn's not-so-subtle pause, Bulma couldn't help wondering what was on his mind. In the end, she almost wished she hadn't asked as she had no idea how to react when he answered, "I just realized we won't be able to spend that much time together while you're away at school…" in a soft, melancholic tone of voice.

Unfortunately for Bulma, she and Vahn weren't the only two at the table. Thus, long before she was able to get her own thoughts in order, Sarina chimed in to say, "If it bothers you that much, you can always enroll as a student or a professor. I'm also interested in school so I wouldn't mind attending for a year or two before focusing on my training."

As most of her favorite animes and mangas revolved around protagonists in Middle or High School, Sarina would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in attending. Two of her top three choices for Actualized Worlds would have involved enrolling as a student, so, now that the subject of schooling had presented itself, she figured she might as well give it a shot.

Having acted as both a Headmaster and a Teacher in the past, the notion of becoming a student actually intrigued Vahn quite a bit. It was one of the things he had most been looking forward to during the year-long intermission when he was waiting to reincarnate. That changed pretty quickly once he found himself in the Netherworld, but, deep down, the desire to attend school still existed in the depths of his subconscious. The only reason he hadn't tried it out in an Actualized World was his fear that every female student in his class, teachers included, would invariably imprint on him…

Now that he had his promise with Bulma as insurance, Vahn was confident he could attend school without too much trouble. The real question was whether or not he should become a teacher or a student…

Interrupting Vahn's train of thought, Bulma slammed the table with both hands as she stood up and shouted, "No way! I can't have my fiancee attending the same school as me! Teacher or student, it makes no difference. The moment people find out we're engaged, every hussy within West City will be trying to get their grimy little hands on you just to spite me!"

Though she made an earnest effort to fit in, Bulma had made quite a number of enemies over the years. People were supremely jealous of her beauty, wealth, and intellect. It was one of the reasons she had never been able to get a boyfriend. Everyone around her saw her as a means to an end, an easy way to make all their dreams come true without any real effort. Men viewed her as a trophy or an object of conquest while women, despite putting on polite airs and praising her in public, spread all kinds of negative rumors behind her back. When she tried exposing them using information she collected online and using private investigators, she, the person they were actively victimizing, was somehow seen as the bad guy…

Surprised by Bulma's outburst, any desire Vahn had to attend school was temporarily quashed as he softly replied, "It's okay, Bulma. In case you've forgotten, I'm not exactly a normal person. You don't have to worry about me breaking my promise. Besides, Sarina was just making a suggestion. Even if I were to attend school, it wouldn't without first discussing it with you."

Relieved by Vahn's words, Bulma returned to her seat with a plop. A wave of guilt promptly washed over her, but, as the notion of attending school with her Godly fiance was a little too much, she was glad Vahn was willing to compromise. She might be able to tolerate Sarina but there was no way in hell she would be okay with her classmates vying for Vahn's attention. This had very little to do with him. She just didn't trust other women.

"I can probably pull some strings to get Sarina enrolled once we return to West City. As for you, I'll talk to my father about getting you set up in our mansion. He generally lets me do whatever I want so I can't imagine him refusing to let you stay once you demonstrate your abilities. Sarina and Goku can obviously stay as well…"

Though the idea of putting up one of her fiance's mistresses made her uncomfortable, Bulma knew she couldn't simply pretend Sarina didn't exist. If she tried, Vahn would find someplace else to stay. After all, he could literally create entire buildings out of thin air. Heck, he could probably plop down a mansion on the Moon or some distant planet she had never even heard of. Thus, even she wasn't enthused by the notion, she had no choice but to accept Sarina into her home.

Understanding that Bulma was basically treating her as an afterthought, the expression on Sarina's face morphed from a happy, moderately enthusiastic smile to an understandably hostile look. She was more than willing to accept Bulma as her 'sister' so she couldn't understand why the latter was so mean. It's not like she was the interloper in this scenario.

Fortunately, Vahn wasn't going to just let Bulma's behavior slide. Sarina was the entire reason he had come to the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, so, in response to Bulma's words, he said, "I'll most likely set up a residence in the countryside. I've never been particularly fond of large cities, and, as much as I appreciate your offer, my original purpose for visiting this world hasn't changed. I'm here to train Sarina. Doing so within the city limits is impossible."

As it wasn't particularly difficult to see through Bulma's intentions, Vahn intended to do everything in his power to make sure she never had the excuse that Sarina was some kind of add-on leeching off her assets. If they were going to make things work, Bulma was going to need to change the way she thought about others. This would invariably occur the moment they had sex, but, until then, the tensions between her and Sarina were bound to increase…

("Looks like I'll need to seize the initiative on this one…")

(*You do have a reputation for breaking prideful women…*)

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it~','Sarina's other choices were Naruto and Bleach. She likes the classics that Vahn enjoyed as a kid','Soon enough, Bulma will be grateful for Sarina's presence xD…')