When You're a Superhero

9. You'll Come to Tell Your Origin Story

Videl furrowed her brow, her cunning eyes studying him. "Go on."

Gohan took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to tell her. There was no going back now.

He gazed into her deep blue eyes. How would she look at him after he told her about his origins? Would she freak out? Would it be too much for her? Would it change the way she saw him? Would it bring them closer, or would it raise an impenetrable wall between them?

His heart tightened at the thought. This, without a doubt, would determine if he ever had a chance of a future with Videl. It was a gamble, one he wasn't sure he could win. But he had made up his mind.

When he tried to say it, however, only stammers came out of his mouth.

"I'm… Well… The thing is… uhh… There's… um… err… My, uh… My father…"

He pursed his lips. It was so hard to get the words out. The fear of driving her away with the truth was gripping his chest.

He sighed and slumped his shoulders. This was tougher than he had imagined. He did want to tell Videl about his Saiyan side, but he couldn't help thinking that he was going to freak her out.

Maybe it was too soon. Maybe he just wasn't ready. Maybe Videl would be more open to the truth if he put off telling her for now. Surely Videl would understand that he needed more time, wouldn't she?

"Do you want me to tell her for you?"

He turned his head to his mentor and blinked behind his visor. "Huh?"

"Since you seem to be having trouble getting it out," Piccolo said point-blank. "I can tell her about Saiyans if that's easier for you."

"I…"

Gohan pinched his lips together. He shifted his gaze to the young woman, who was looking at his mentor with her head tilted, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Though he had started getting cold feet, the young hero figured he might as well just rip off the bandaid. Besides, if it turned out that Videl couldn't deal with the truth… as much as he hoped that didn't happen, it was best to know now that they weren't meant to be before he fell too hard for her.

He swallowed hard and clenched his fists. "Okay. Tell her for me."

Piccolo nodded at him, then turned to Videl.

"Saiyaman's father was from another planet. The people there were called Saiyans."

Gohan held his breath as he watched the young woman. Her eyes widened while her hand rose to her lips.

"Another planet…?" she murmured.

"Saiyans are now extinct, only a handful of half-breeds and one full-blooded Saiyan remains. They were a race of proud warriors with a strong thirst for battle and seemingly endless potential. Saiyaman's father was sent to Earth as a baby and grew up without knowing where he came from ━ not that he cared or ever wondered about it anyway."

Gohan couldn't help chuckling at the comment. That was so true. His dad was the opposite of an overthinker. He would go through life like a breeze, just doing his thing without a care in the world.

In his place, Goku wouldn't have worried about telling someone special about his alien origins, or about how they were going to react to the truth. He never even cared if passersby saw him use his superhuman strength. If it were him, Goku wouldn't have needed a disguise to save people, he would've just fought crime as himself and even introduce himself to the press.

Gohan admired and envied him for that trait. His father's carelessness wasn't always the best quality, but it certainly would have made his life a lot less complicated if he were more like his dad in this aspect.

"But it was only after he got married and had a son that he found out that he wasn't born on Earth."

Videl swallowed so loudly that Gohan heard it as though it had come from his own throat.

"So Saiyaman is…" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm… half-Saiyan, yes."

He had mustered all of his courage to say these words. It was easier now that Piccolo laid out the groundwork for him.

It didn't mean it wasn't nerve-wracking though.

Videl turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide open; her lips were moving but no word came out.

His heart pounded painfully. He tried to reason that Videl being shocked was to be expected after learning that she knew someone with alien blood, but the way she was staring at him, like she was seeing him for the first time, and not in a good way… It felt even worse than the mental torture he had been through earlier.

"We'll give you some privacy," Dende said softly. He nodded to Piccolo, and the two walked away.

Gohan sighed in defeat, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're freaking out, aren't you?"

Videl averted her gaze and swallowed audibly. "I'm just… wrapping my head around it."

He nodded, his lips pursed in a thin line. Was it a mistake to tell her so soon? Should he have refused Piccolo's offer and told Videl he wasn't ready to tell her about Saiyans just yet? Would she have reacted better if he had waited? Maybe they just weren't meant to be. As much as it hurt to think like that, he couldn't pretend that it wasn't a possibility.

They stood there in silence for a while. It was too late now anyway, and Gohan could only wait for Videl to process everything and hope for the best.

"I… I don't know how I'm supposed to react to this," she blurted out without looking at him, her hand over her mouth.

"Are you scared of me?"

His serious tone drew Videl's attention. Her wide eyes observed him; she took a step closer to him and reached up with her hand, slowly raising it to the visible part of his face, grazing her fingers on his cheek.

Gohan's heart was pounding like crazy. Her touch was as electrifying as ever. He swallowed hard and decided not to pry her hand off this time. As rattling as this simple contact felt, if this was Videl's process to hopefully accept the truth about him, he didn't want to disturb it.

"I'm not scared," she declared, raising her gaze to his visor. She shifted her hand slightly and cupped his cheek, stroking it tenderly with her thumb.

He felt so breathless. He wanted to close his eyes lean into her touch, but at the same time, he was completely frozen because of it.

"I just… I don't know. I think I'm… worried."

His eyebrows scrunched up. He focused on the discussion, trying to ignore the fact that Videl had her soft palm on his cheek.

"Worried about what?"

She pulled her hand back and averted her gaze, and Gohan raised his eyebrows as her face visibly reddened. She bit her lip.

"About… what it means, being a Saiyan. About how it might affect me, I guess…"

A small smile started tugging at the corner of his lips. "Affect you? I'm part-alien, Videl, not part-drug or something. I won't have any more effect on you than a regular person."

Her blush deepened for some reason and she raised a hand to cover her mouth and nose. Gohan blinked. Why was she reacting like this? What was there to get flustered about?

"That's not… what I meant." She sighed and moved her hand to rub the back of her neck. "I mean, how it might affect my life, getting close to someone with alien blood."

His face fell instantly. "Oh."

His chest suddenly felt tighter than ever, and he tried to swallow the thick lump caught in his throat.

"I guess I just didn't expect to…"

But Videl cut herself off and covered her crimson face with her hand, letting out an aggravated sigh.

"What it is?" he murmured, chancing a step closer to her. "What didn't you expect?"

She shook her head. "I just, I have a lot on my mind, and I need to put some order in my thoughts…"

Gohan pursed his lips. He understood that this was a lot to process, but the way things were going didn't look too encouraging. And if Videl ended up unable to accept him for who he was…

He wasn't sure he could ever get over the heartbreak.

He turned his head away, his fists tightly clenched at his sides. "Are we… are we still friends?"

A pause followed his question. Gohan shut his eyes behind his visor, his whole body tensing up as he waited for his sentence. He couldn't even look at her. He couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes as she inevitably pushed him away.

"Of course we are. That was never in question."

His head whipped at her and his lips parted as he stared at her. "It wasn't?"

Videl placed a hand on his arm and tilted her head to the side, her eyes softening. "Is that what you thought I meant? I'm sorry I confused you, that wasn't it at all. My head is such a jumbled mess right now, I'm having a hard time expressing how I feel. But, yes, Saiyaman, we're still friends. I still think you're a great guy ━ I guess you got even more fascinating," she added with a small smirk.

It was like the weight in his chest just vanished into thin air, as though it was never there in the first place. Gohan was so relieved and happy he thought he might cry.

Looking at her in that moment, the enamored young man was unable to bottle down his emotions this time. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, his eyes tightly shut as he held her close.

It took her a few moments, but Videl eventually hugged him back, putting her arms around his broad back and snuggling up to his chest. Gohan lowered his head slightly, immersing himself in her beautiful fragrance.

His heart was going crazy. His breathing was short and erratic. His body was even trembling slightly. It just felt so incredible, having Videl in his arms, getting lost in her intoxicating scent, feeling her soft, curvy body all pressed up against him… Gohan never felt anything like this in his life. He never wanted to let go.

"Were you that worried…?" she mumbled into his torso.

"Yes," he replied honestly. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but I've come to care a great deal about you, Videl, and I don't want to lose you." He cleared his throat and quickly added: "As… As a friend, I mean."

He thought he heard Videl swallow, he wasn't sure.

"Right…"

Their embrace was probably dragging on, but Gohan wasn't willing to let go. Holding Videl so close like this… It soothed his soul. He needed this right now. He didn't want it to end so soon. Or ever.

He was so completely crazy about this girl.

Videl let out a soft sigh that sounded a little bit like a moan. "This feels nice…"

Gohan hummed in agreement. He was glad Videl was willing to let this go on. He just didn't have the heart to let her go. He wished he never had to.

"You know… I thought it might be something like that, to be honest. The alien thing," she murmured. "I mean, it's usually how it goes in a superhero's origin story, right? They're either aliens, or they went through a freak accident that gave them superpowers, or they devoted their lives training to become the strongest possible."

He couldn't help cracking a small smile. He let his chin rest on the top of her head. "Do you like these kinds of stories?"

She gave a nervous chuckle; Gohan felt it reverberate against his chest. He liked that feeling. "I grew up reading comic books, yeah. I guess it was one of the reasons I started fighting crime: I wanted to be a superhero too."

His smile grew a little wider. Yeah, that sounded like her. He loved learning more about Videl.

"So… you're not freaked out? About me being half-alien?"

"I… don't think so. But…"

He began to frown. "But…?"

Videl sighed and started to pull away from him. It took all of his restraint not to tighten his arms around the petite girl to keep her close to him.

She was blushing, and didn't seem willing to look at him.

"But… I just didn't think I would… That I… That…"

She trailed off and bit her lip, avoiding looking at him while putting her hand over the lower part of her face, maybe to try and hide the bright blush on her cheeks.

Gohan felt his heart thump. Videl looked so adorable when she was flustered. He didn't know what brought on this reaction, but she was so freaking cute that he almost didn't care. Almost.

"That…?" he pressed on.

But Videl shook her head. "Nevermind… I just got a lot on my mind. I'm still processing."

"Ah. Okay."

While he was a bit disappointed that Videl didn't finish that thought, Gohan figured that as long as she wasn't freaking out and pushing him away, he could content himself with that response.

"So, um…" She cleared her throat and shifted her hand from her face to scratch her throat. "Your father was an alien, and your mother is human, is that it?"

Gohan watched her with a longing smile. Ah, he missed holding her close… He hoped he would have more opportunities to embrace Videl like that in the future. She had been fine with it, after all, she even said it felt nice…

"Yes, she is, but so was my father," he precised, forcing himself to focus on answering any inquiries Videl may have. "Saiyans are a race of humans too, that's why they're compatible with Earthlings. I wouldn't exist otherwise."

She blinked. "Oh. I always thought humans meant Earthlings."

Gohan nodded. "It's an understandable mistake seeing as alien origins aren't public knowledge."

"I see. So, Saiyans are naturally super-strong, right? Since they were warriors and all. That's the side of you that makes you as powerful as you are, right?"

"Well, I wasn't born this strong; like I've told you before, I had to work for it. But, yes, if not for my Saiyan genes, I wouldn't be nearly as strong as I am."

"I guess that would be your origin story, huh…"

The term made him chuckle. Gohan thought it was cute that Videl was a comic book fan. It likely helped his case, too.

"What about Dende and… your mentor? Are they aliens too?" She smirked and crossed her arms. "They're not from Mars, are they?"

Gohan snorted laughing at the joke and tried to stifle the unappealing sound with his hand.

"They're from a planet called Namek," he replied after he calmed down enough, shaking his head in amusement.

She turned her head to look at the Namekians from afar; they were standing side by side, on the edge of the Lookout. "They're not humans though, right?"

"Yeah, they're not. Their race only has male people and they reproduce by spitting eggs."

She looked back at him and blinked. "That's… convenient?"

He laughed slightly. Her responses were quite entertaining.

"Do you have any more questions?"

She lowered her head and her eyebrows scrunched up. "I have one."

But she didn't say anything after that. Gohan tilted his head in confusion. Was it something difficult to bring up?

"Why…" she murmured. "Why are you being so open with me? We barely know each other, and yet you just told me one of your biggest secrets."

He smiled fondly. Oh, if she only knew…

"Because… you asked, and I didn't want to lie to you."

She raised her head, still frowning as she looked at him. "So if I asked you who you are, you'd tell me? Since you don't want to lie to me."

His smile fell. "That… I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"Then couldn't you have just said that instead of telling me about Saiyans?"

He tilted his head. "Aren't you glad I was honest with you?"

She blushed and lowered her head. "Well, of course, but it's just… We've only known each other for a few days, and yet you trust me with something so big… I know you said you cared about me, but…" She looked up at him again. "How do you know you made the right call? How do you know I'm going to keep your secret?"

"Aren't you?" he asked simply.

It didn't even cross his mind, the possibility that Videl could betray him, not even once. He may have only met her a few days ago, but he had no doubt that she would never knowingly hurt him. She was a good person, and she had high principles; she had proved it again earlier when she didn't even think of taking his helmet off when he was in a weakened state despite how much she died to know who he really was.

She opened her mouth to retort something, but then she closed it and looked away. "Yes, of course," she admitted in a soft voice, "but you couldn't have known that."

"But I did. It may have only been a few days, Videl, but I trust you."

She was still frowning; her eyes were shifting from side to side, like her mind was reeling.

"If you trust me, why aren't you telling me who you really are?"

"That's because…" He sighed and massaged the back of his neck, his gaze rising to the clear blue sky. "It's complicated. I guess I just… I feel safer with the helmet on. Somehow, I feel more like myself when I'm Saiyaman than in my everyday life. It's easier for me to be more open with you while hiding my real identity."

"That makes sense, I guess…"

They fell silent after that. Gohan fiddled with his hands. Videl had a point. If he could tell her he was half-alien, he should be able to show her who he really was too.

He couldn't admit to her that he wanted to make sure that she was the one for him before he revealed himself to her. His real identity wasn't something he could share with just anyone. He was only considering telling Videl because he wanted to be with her and it was the only way. Sure, he supposed she would keep his identity a secret regardless of whether she liked him back, but if their relationship wasn't meant to evolve into something more, then there was no need for Videl to know who he really was. If that were to happen, he would rather just keep being her friend as the Great Saiyaman.

Gohan really hoped things didn't turn out that way, but his heart tightened at the possibility. If Videl never returned his feelings, he wouldn't want to face her as himself in addition to interacting with her as his superhero persona. It would be rough enough pretending he was okay being just friends with her as Saiyaman. He would at least not have to see her as Gohan as well.

There was nothing he could do about it if that ever happened though. Just because he liked Videl didn't mean she had to feel the same way about him. These things couldn't be forced.

"Should we… get going?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

She sighed and nodded her head. "I guess we should."

They joined Piccolo and Dende at the edge of the Lookout to say goodbye.

"We can't find them," Dende said with a concerned frown on his brow. "These wizards. They must be cloaking their presence with a spell."

Gohan pursed his lips. "I guess it would've been too easy finding them this way. In that case, we can only wait for them to strike again and stop them then."

"Try to meditate as much as possible," Dende advised. "I know you're really busy, but you have to be able to fight back the next time they attack you."

Gohan swallowed thickly. The thought of going through the excruciating mental torture again made him feel queasy in the stomach. He knew Dende was right, and he didn't have a choice if he wanted to catch those wizards, but he wished that didn't have to mean enduring that kind of agony again.

Maybe a shield could work, like Piccolo had suggested. Gohan wasn't feeling too confident about that option; after all, magic and ki-control used very different kinds of energy, but he supposed it was worth a try.

"Thanks for everything, Dende. And, um, you too," he added toward Piccolo, refraining from saying his name in front of Videl.

"You're welcome, Saiyaman," Dende said with a warm smile. Piccolo hummed in response. "Come see me if you get hurt next time, I'll heal you again."

Gohan nodded. "I will."

"It, uh, it was really nice meeting you both," Videl said, bowing low to the Namekians. "Thank you for everything."

"It was nice meeting you too, Videl," Dende replied. "I can tell you're meant for grand things."

She blushed and thanked him humbly. Gohan cracked a smile. He completely agreed with Dende. He had no doubt that Videl was meant for greatness.

"Well, I'll see you soon," he told his green-skinned friends. He turned to Videl and held out a hand to her. "Shall we?"

She cracked a small smile and put her hand in his. Gohan pulled her to him and picked her up, carrying her like a bride once again. Videl wrapped her arms around his neck.

He was starting to get used to having Videl close to him. It felt more comfortable, less nerve-wracking. Almost natural.

It still made his heart race though.

Dende waved at them. "See you soon, Saiyaman."

Piccolo gave him a nod, silently bidding him goodbye. Gohan smiled and nodded back, and then he turned and jumped off the edge of the Lookout.

He used his ki to shield Videl from the strong wind as he zipped down at breakneck speed.

"Do you want to make a quick stop at the top of the tower or should we just head back to Satan City?" he asked, loud enough to be heard over the whistling wind.

"Let's go say hi," Videl replied. "I'm curious about the people living there."

He cracked a smile. Of course she was.

He soared through the air and quite soon, the saucer-shaped habitation at the top of the tower came into view. But then he paused in mid-air as a thought occurred to him.

Videl turned her head to look at him and tilted her head. "What's the matter?"

He gave her an awkward smile. "It's just… They might blurt out my name when they see us, and I can't really take them aside beforehand to tell them to call me Saiyaman, given the structure of the place…"

"Right…" She smirked. "Wouldn't it be simpler to just tell me who you are?"

He chuckled nervously. "Yeah, it would. Do you mind meeting them another time?"

She shrugged. "We better get back to Satan City anyway. Dani must be waiting for me."

"Alright. Thanks for understanding."

His white aura burst around them and he zipped down the tower, flying faster than before to get back to the city quicker. Maybe he ought to go see Dani too before going back to work. Being the boss was quite convenient; he could take time off without having to answer to anyone and didn't have to worry about getting in trouble. He felt bad for taking advantage of his position and leaving his employees to do all the work, but his superhero job was just as important, if not more so. He couldn't just stand aside when innocent lives were at stake.

He frowned as he thought of the wizards they had faced today. When would he have time for meditation to train his mind? His schedule was already packed as it was, so adding another activity was going to be complicated.

Should he put his career on the back burner and focus on fortifying his psyche? He just started the job though, and he didn't want to appear like a slacker. People would think for sure he only got promoted because he was close to Bulma and not because he deserved it. It could end up affecting his authority as a leader.

But those wizards were extremely dangerous, and stopping them had to be the priority, no matter what.

His lips pursed. What should he do? He just needed more time. If only there were more than twenty-four hours in a day…

He suddenly stopped in mid-air and looked over his shoulder. Of course! How did he not think of that before? The Room of Spirit and Time would be the perfect training ground for him. He still had over a year left to be in there before the door to the other dimension disappeared on him, and he only needed a few minutes a day, if that. He could even get some work done in there while he was at it, to keep a head start at his day job. It was ideal.

"Something wrong?" Videl asked.

He turned to look at her and couldn't help grinning. "No, nothing's wrong." He chuckled in good humor. "Don't mind me. I just had an epiphany."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"

"I was trying to figure out how to fit in meditation in my busy schedule, and then the solution dawned on me."

"Are you that busy? Dende mentioned that too."

"Well, like I said before, I do have a job."

She frowned slightly, looking thoughtful with her head tilted to the side. "How are you able to take off to fight crime in the middle of the day though? Won't you get in trouble? Or maybe… you're the boss?"

Gohan pinched his lips together. He wished she wouldn't ask him personal questions. Even if she had no way of linking him to Son Gohan, whom she had officially met just a few hours ago, the clever glint in her gaze was making him nervous. It felt like Videl knew a lot more than she let on.

But that couldn't be true, right?

He gave a meek smile. "You know I can't answer that."

"I know. I was just thinking out loud. I wonder what you do for a living, and what you're like in your everyday life." Her eyes softened. "I bet you're very competent at what you do, whatever it is."

He observed the young woman silently. Her smile was making his heart ache.

His gaze unwittingly trailed over her harmonious traits. This up-close, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her skin was truly flawless. Gohan itched to take off his glove and trace her features with his fingers. Her lips looked especially inviting.

His throat tightened. He felt flushed. His heart was pounding. Would he ever be lucky enough to kiss those gorgeous lips?

"Shouldn't we get on our way?" Videl reminded him with an amused smile.

He swallowed and tore his eyes off her tantalizing mouth, focusing his attention ahead of him. "Right."

Letting his energy burst around them once more, he resumed flying, soaring through the sky at full speed without turning Super Saiyan.

Even though he had made up his mind about Videl, his doubts still lingered. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing by inviting the young woman into his complicated life. As much as he liked her… As much as he wanted to be with her, Videl might be better off not getting involved with someone like him.

He supposed his inner struggle was pointless. He didn't even know how Videl felt about him, or if she even saw him that way. She may never return his feelings, and he needed to be fine with that if things turned out that way. He needed to find a way to be fine with it, one way or another.

Hopefully, he would never have to…

Satan City soon came into view and Gohan slowed down. "Where should I drop you off?" he asked Videl, loud enough to be heard over the wind whistling in their ears.

"Capsule Corp., if you don't mind," she replied in kind. "I need to pick up Dani."

"What about your jetcopter? You left it again at the crime scene."

"It's fine. I'll drop by the police station later."

He nodded his head and headed toward his workplace. Soon enough, he swooped down toward the same deserted alley as the day before when he'd dropped her off near Capsule Corp. He landed softly and gently put her down. As he pulled his arms away, Gohan felt a pinch in his chest at the loss of her warmth.

His face heated up at her beautiful smile.

"Thanks for the ride. And for being so honest with me." She stepped closer, joining her hands on her back. Gohan's throat tightened as he got lost in her eyes. They were so blue. "I feel like we've gotten closer."

He wondered if she could tell he was blushing despite his helmet.

"I… I'm glad." He cracked a small smile. "That's what I was aiming for."

She leaned closer. "Oh?"

Good gods, she smelled so incredible. Everything about her was just so damn attractive.

"Are… Are you really okay with what you learned about me?" His voice was hoarse as he asked the question. "That I'm part-alien?"

She smiled slyly. "You're still human though."

He chuckled slightly, scratching the side of his neck. "That's true."

"And it's not like the existence of aliens was a secret. Remember when the East Capital was wiped out, nearly twenty years ago? The only things remaining from the blast were two pod-like spaceships. I don't remember what became of them though… I think I was five at the time."

Gohan turned his head away, still scratching his neck, and cleared his throat nervously. If he remembered? That had been his very first battle to the death to save the world.

"Though, I certainly didn't think I would ever meet an alien in my lifetime, let alone start to… um…"

She didn't finish that thought and looked away with a blush, scratching her cheek. Gohan tilted his head in wonder. Why was she getting flustered again? Why did she keep cutting herself off? What was she trying to say?

Videl cleared her throat. "Anyway, you don't have to worry, I don't think any differently of you now that I know where you come from."

His lips curved into a smile at these words. "That's good to know."

She took a step back. "Well, I better get going."

"Ah, about that, would you mind if I waited around for you and Dani? I meant to go see her today, and I might as well do it now since I'm already playing hooky anyway."

She chuckled. "Sure. Dani's very attached to you, she'll be happy to see you. Then I'll be right back."

Gohan nodded. Videl turned around and walked away. His eyes glazed over as he watched her retreating figure. Videl paused just before getting out of the alley and looked back at him over her shoulder, flashing him a smile. He responded with a wave of his hand, a dazed look on his mostly-concealed face. Videl chuckled before getting on her way.

The young man sighed in longing. He couldn't get over how much he liked this girl. He leaned back against the wall and rubbed the back of his neck. Was it really okay for him to try and pursue her? He closed his eyes and brought his fingers to his lips, conjuring the memory of her touch from last night. His heartbeat quickened at the recollection. It had made him so breathless ━ her fingers were like fire on his lips. It had felt electrifying. Intoxicating. And the way she had stared at his mouth and slowly leaned closer, as though… as though…

Gohan swallowed thickly. Was Videl actually thinking of kissing him last night, or were his own desires making him see things? Could he maybe consider what happened as a good sign? They even shared a long hug earlier… Gohan couldn't help smiling at the recollection. Maybe he actually had a chance with her, even with the helmet on. Maybe Videl could indeed come to return his feelings one day.

Maybe she already did…

His heart was racing at the possibility. Their relationship was complicated for sure, but if the superheroes in comic books could make it work with their love interest somehow, surely he could too, right?

Videl even accepted him for who he was, alien half and all. That meant a future with her was at least possible, if anything.

Should I get my hopes up?

He looked up at the sky and let out a deep sigh. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to believe it wasn't just wishful thinking, that his feelings for Videl weren't one-sided. That, in the long run, he and Videl could have something real. He, as in Son Gohan, not Saiyaman. Even though he had no choice but to pursue her as Saiyaman for now, if things went well between them and Videl accepted his feelings, he would finally be able to show himself to her as Son Gohan.

The lovesick hero smiled up at the sky, and the image of the lovely young woman who had stolen his heart appeared among the clouds. If only…

Hope you liked the chapter! By the way, my birthday just passed this week, and I would love some feedback as a present haha. :D

See you next time!

October 3, 2021