Notes:
Written for GoChi Week 2022
It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got more and more words so I decided to split it into three chapters and fit the chapters to the themes of the special week.
This one corresponds to the first one, theme: Love Dream
The second and the third will be for days 4 and 5.
Dear Kami, that place looked abandoned. Anyone looking from the outside wouldn't know that there was a human being living there! Well, maybe not exactly a human, but a living being with intellectual capacity, a functional adult. At least that's what he thought.
Krillin shook his head and knocked a few times on the door, but no one came to answer it. He knew, however, that his friend was inside, he could feel his KI. He then decided to go inside and as soon as he stepped through the door the monk immediately brought his hand to his tiny-almost-non-existent nose, trying to inhibit the smell of something rotten that was inside. He soon found Goku stretched out on a musty old futon with no shirt and no pants, and Krillin was mentally thankful that his friend was at least wearing underwear, which, however, was stained, from something he didn't know what was, but preferred not to think about. Goku had clearly not showered for days, his hair was greasy, and his beard was unshaven – which in Goku's case meant months since his beard grew very, very slowly. There were scraps of food scattered around the house, as well as dirty clothes, his fighting suits, and stinky boots. He did not doubt that that house must have been infested with rats and cockroaches.
He slapped his own face and shook his head. The strongest warrior in the world was done.
He had been like this ever since Chichi and he had broken up.
Krillin never thought Goku would feel so bad about it, after all, the same man had been dead and away from his family for seven years and had apparently taken that distance very well. However, now that he was in the world of living again, but separated from Chichi, it seemed that he no longer had the will to live, and that was depressing. To see Goku, the one who was always smiling and in a good mood, who always saw the positive side of things, in that situation, cut him to the heart.
Goku needed to get his shit together. He then shook the sayan who was drooling and snoring on his stomach on the futon.
"Hey, Goku, wake up!"
"Huh?" the sayan opened his eyes and wiped his saliva with the back of his hand until he got situated on what was happening. "Oh, hi Krillin, I didn't know you were here!"
The warrior stretched and straightened himself on the futon and then scratched his groin with one hand while the other scratched one of his eyes. Krillin made a disgusted face at the scene.
"My goodness, Goku, you look terrible!"
"What are ya talking about?! I'm fine!" Goku shrugged and reached for an open and slightly dented can of soda laying on the ground, which the liquid he drank was highly doubtful. He then burped loudly and smiled, scratching the back of his neck.
Krillin sighed. The sayan didn't look fine at all, but apparently, he refused to accept reality. At least Goku had improved a little in the last few days. In the first week, the sayan was inconsolable. He was down, discouraged, seemed lifeless, didn't want to do anything, wasn't eating, and wasn't training. At least in the last few weeks, his friend seemed to have returned a little to his normal state, as he saw that he was at least training again – and apparently eating as well, although in a very sloppy way.
"How can you live in this pigsty?"
Krillin refused to believe that Goku was that sloppy. They had lived together for a few years while training under Master Roshi's tutelage, and his friend, while wild and unmannerly, was not a dirty, unhygienic pig. Not even Oolong did that. His behavior was a clear reflection of how he was really feeling.
Chichi certainly made quite a difference in his friend's life.
Goku shrugged.
"I only come here to sleep, actually, sometimes to eat too."
After the breakup, Goku had moved into the old little house that had once belonged to his grandfather but had not made much of a point of renovating, tidying up, or even cleaning it.
"But you have to do something, you can't keep living like this!"
"I'm fine, really!" replied Goku, trying to convince his friend, or maybe himself about it.
"Listen Goku, you have been separated for months, you need to... you need to get out of this, you need to get over this separation. It is hurting you! You're not you anymore!"
"Um... look I don't know what you're talking about, because I'm fine, really!" said the Sayan as he scratched his belly unpretentiously. Then, he saw a ball of meatball on the floor, on the edge of the futon, and picked it up, saying, before putting it in his mouth "Look, a meatball!"
The monk made a disgusted expression and shook his head.
"No, you're not!" Krillin shouted. "And it's past time for you to move on. It's time to accept that you and Chichi are over!"
Goku grumbled and grimaced in displeasure. That subject was always a sticking point for him. However, his short friend was right, he wasn't well, but it was still hard to accept that everything was over. At least he could count on Krillin, who was his best friend, and ever since he and Chichi broke up, the monk would pay him constant visits to check on him and see if everything was okay. He was a good friend, so maybe he should listen to him and get his life together.
"What do you suggest I do?"
"You haven't started the divorce process yet, have you?"
"No..." Goku replied. He already knew what divorce proceedings were, Krillin had explained it to him before, but until then, he hadn't lifted a finger to make the separation official, and he hadn't heard that Chichi had done the same. Maybe deep down he had hoped that things would change, but it was just an illusion that his foolish heart was futilely feeding on.
"Don't you think you should start with that? Put an end to your situation?"
Goku sighed and replied, gloomily: "I prefer to let Chichi take care of that."
"Well, if you need it, I can try to help you find a contact for a good lawyer."
"Thanks." he sided smiled. "But I... I just wanted... I just want to end this, this... this frustration!"
The short bald man shook his head, saddened. He could understand, that if he were in Goku's shoes and separated from his beloved android, he would also be feeling lost.
"You have to forget about her, Goku!"
"But... there's no way I can forget her, Krillin, she's the mother of my children..." Goku said. One day he had already forgotten her, and that wasn't good, he felt guilty for having forgotten about her and the promise he had made. And now, how could he simply forget her again? He wasn't sure he could, they had children together. "How can I forget who the mother of my children is?"
"No, Goku, not literally forget! Of course there's no way you can forget who she is, but you can overcome it! Get over this separation and be happy again!"
Goku nodded, understanding what he was trying to say, but not sure if he would ever be able to forget her or the love he felt for her.
"And how can I do this?"
"You haven't thought about, I don't know, meeting someone new?"
"Meet someone new? Is there someone I should meet?" asked the sayan innocently. He didn't understand how meeting someone else could make him forget about Chichi.
"Yes! No! I mean get out! Get out of this mountain, go for a walk, meet new people, other women, you know? Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone special or at least have some fun!" suggested the bald man.
"I dunno, Krillin... I think it's too soon..."
"Too soon? Goku you have been separated for almost a year!" exclaimed the monk. "It's not too soon!"
Goku scratched his head, a little uncertain. Had it been that long? Wow! Even he hadn't realized it, although to him it seemed like an eternity... But even tho, that time was still short compared to the time they had been together.
"Well, they always say there's nothing better than a new love to heal a broken heart!" Krillin smiled. "You might find the right person for you, but for that, you have to start going out and meeting other people."
Goku had already found the right person for him and that was Chichi. There was no way he could find another. Not least because, like her, there was only one!
"I dunno, I don't think that could work."
"You can at least give it a chance. You never know what might happen. You could go to the bars in the capital, for example!"
"The bars? What for?"
"Well, that's where you will meet the beautiful women, Goku. Or do you think you will meet anyone here on this mountain?"
Goku shrugged. He met Chichi right around the fire mountains.
"Although... On second thought, maybe this isn't the best way for you to start..." Krillin pondered. Goku wasn't the conventional type who could go to bars or parties, he barely knew how to behave properly at the parties Bulma gave at her house, let alone in an environment like a bar. "Maybe you can start by meeting people online!" Krillin's smile brightened.
"Online?"
"Yamcha told me about this dating app he is using, called Finder. Maybe it could be useful for you! Give me your cell phone!"
Goku didn't understand very well how it worked, but he got up to look for the cell phone that Gohan gave to him after he left home. It was the only use of the device, by the way, to talk to his children, because Goku didn't use it for basically anything else, except for Goten, who every time he went there, took out his cell phone to play games, since the little one was forbidden to have one for the time being – Chichi thought he was still too young for that.
"Ah, here it is!" Goku smiled as he found the device inside one of his boots and then handed it to Krillin, who grimaced as he took it.
"We shall see." murmured the monk who started to download the app in question. "Your smartphone is a bit of an outdated model, but I think you can still use Finder... I think it'll be great for you to start socializing a little more. It's an app that uses one hundred percent anonymity. You don't see anyone's name or picture, just details and information that you choose to put in your profile. If you see a profile that interests you, you can give a like and if the person is interested in your profile as well, they'll match it and then you can start talking through the app. If things progress, then you set up a date to meet in person!"
"Hm..." Goku pondered for a moment. He knew what date was, he had had several with Chichi over their first years of marriage, but the rest of the things Krillin was telling still sounded foreign to him. It had been a little over a year since he had returned from the world of the dead, so he was still adapting to all those new technologies that, before he died in the battle against Cell, didn't yet exist.
"Come on, let's create a profile for you! What will be your username?"
"What is a username?"
"It will be your 'name', your nickname in the application."
"And it can't be my own name?"
"No! The idea is not to use your own name, otherwise, people might be able to recognize you somehow, like searching for your name on the internet and finding information about you or your family." Krillin explained. "Listen to me, it's very important that you don't reveal to just anyone who you are. The internet is a great tool, Goku, but it can also be dangerous if not used wisely. You better not give them a chance to do you or your sons any harm."
Goku tilted his head to the side, thoughtfully. At that moment he understood Chichi's concern about Goten having a cell phone.
"What is yours?
"Mine?" Krillin's eyes widened. "Are you crazy, Goku?! I don't have one! I'm married, remember?!"
"So am I!"
"But you're separated, for God's sake!" Krillin replied, annoyed. "That's not my case! I only found out about this app because Yamcha told me! If you prefer, I won't say anything to anyone, I think it's even better, then you'll feel more at ease when it comes time to start talking to someone. I won't even tell Eighteen, okay?"
Goku shrugged. There was no reason to say anything to anyone.
"All right. So, I need to choose a username, a nickname... Like..." he thought for a moment and remembered the nicknames Chichi used to call him, especially in those more intimate moments. He blushed. Surely he couldn't use one of those dirty nicknames, mainly because they'd remind him of her, and the whole point of this business was to forget her. Right? "How about ... Kakarot?"
"Kakarot? But that is your sayan name! No. It could connect to you! Let's think about it! It has to be something sexy because you're going to use it to communicate with women, but it can't be obscene, or they will think you are a pervert. It has to attract attention, to show that you are a sophisticated guy!" Krillin looked at Goku, who was picking his nose clueless about what he was talking about. "Yeah, maybe not that sophisticated... Maybe something to do with your simple, yet powerful lifestyle! Like 'Mr. something'! Think of something that might suit you!"
Goku put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment until his mind lit up with an idea: "Hmmm, how about... Mr. Carrot?!"
She ran her hand over her head which throbbed with pain before taking an aspirin.
There were good days and bad days.
And that one was bad. Definitely bad.
She closed her eyes and tried to remember everything that had happened the night before, but there were only flashbacks of a few things. She remembered going out with Eighteen to go to the bar for a few drinks. They had done this at least once every two months since Goku was dead. The two had become very good friends after the android had crossed over to the light side of the force and married Krillin. They always did things together such as going for walks with their children, shopping together, and even going out to drink on some nights.
And after Goku and she broke up, Chichi used the days his children stayed with him to go out with her friend, but apparently, the night before, she had overdone it, because the hangover she woke up with that morning was a strong sign that she had crossed the line.
She also remembered going to a karaoke bar, to laugh at the people who subjected themselves to that ridiculousness and, of course, with no intention of singing. They ordered some drinks and snacks until...
Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! She sang! By Kami, she sang!
Chichi put her hand to her head, despair and embarrassment overtook her. She had sung, and from the fragments of memory she had, she hadn't even sung properly. She was dead drunk!
How did Eighteen allow that?
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth! Ah, but her fair-weather friend was going to pay her dearly, oh she was!
She then sighed and splashed some cold water on her face, but when she went to dry off, she couldn't find a towel. She went back to her room and looked in a drawer for a towel, but instead, she found an old Goku t-shirt that had been left behind.
She froze as she looked at the garment in her hands and her heart squeezed.
Oh, who was she kidding? The only reason she boozed up the night before was to forget about the stupid image of Goku that insisted on penetrating her mind night and day, especially the day before since it was their anniversary date!
And the worst part was that while she was bitter, sad, and depressed because she was remembering their wedding anniversary date and heartbroken that they were no longer together, Goku probably didn't even remember that that date supposedly had an important meaning for them! Which ended up making her angry too.
And that was it! That was the necessary combo for her to do something stupid like drink herself to death and sing a cheesy song at a karaoke bar full of strangers, all in an attempt to forget her idiotic husband's stupid smile.
Husband...
Chichi sighed.
Ex-husband, actually.
The weight of that word hit her violently every time she thought about it. Her Goku was no longer hers. They were no longer together, and not because he was dead, but by his own decision.
She tried, but she couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes, but then she heard a knock on her bedroom door and a voice calling her: "Mom, are you there? May I come in?"
"Yes, sure, dear!"
The door opened just as Chichi closed the drawer and Gohan entered the room saying: "Mom, Eighteen's there..." he stopped suddenly when he realized that something was wrong with her. "Are you all right?"
"Huh? Of course, honey, everything's fine yes! Eighteen's here, you said?" she dismissed as fast as she could, Gohan was good at picking up on the nuances of her emotions.
"Yes, she's in the living room..." Gohan replied, still uncertain about his mother's answer.
"Oh, okay then, thanks honey, I'll go talk to her!" Smiled Chichi and left the room, leaving behind her thoughts and daydreams about her failed marriage.
Gohan still stood in the room watching his mother walk out the door. He then turned and peered at the drawer she had closed, knowing it was something related to his father. It had to be.
He didn't understand why his parents broke up. He knew why, they had explained it to him and also to Goten, but he couldn't understand it. He could see, it was clear how much his parents loved each other. Chichi was crazy about her father and Goku worshipped her. So why couldn't they see that too? Why couldn't they get it right?
Frustrated, he rubbed his hand through his hair. He just hoped that one day they would finally get back together.
Chichi, in turn, headed for the living room where she found her friend standing there looking bored.
"Hi, Eighteen!"
"Oh, hi Chichi! Come here, shouldn't Gohan be with his father today?"
"Oh yes, but he has a date with Videl later and decided to come home a little early." replied Chichi. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
"Yes I am, I just came to return the cell phone that you left with me yesterday!" said the android, taking out Chichi's cell phone from inside her small purse. "But I should be asking you, are you okay? Because last night... wow!"
Chichi huffed and violently pulled the cell phone from the blonde's hand.
"Arrg! How could you let me sing, Eighteen? You're supposed to be my friend and not let me embarrass myself!"
"And you think I could hold you back?" snickered the android. "But I filmed your performance, don't worry, I'll send it to you later!"
"You are worthless!"
Eighteen laughed again and tossed his hair to the side, debauched.
"My friend, singing was the least of yesterday's problems!"
"What?" Chichi squinted. Damned drink that had made her get amnesia.
"You got real waist, Chichi, after you came off the stage! It was crazy! I filmed everything, by the way!"
"What? You have got to be kidding me!"
"Hun-hun!" she denied with her head while smiling mischievously. Chichi put both hands to her face, not knowing where to hide her face from such shame.
"Oh, my! What have I done?!"
"Relax Chichi, everyone goes through this someday! You know I've had my moments too!" Eighteen reached out to support her. "The important thing is that we had fun!"
Chichi couldn't help but give an empathetic smile. From what little she remembered of the evening, it had been really fun.
"Yeah, but now I have a horrible hangover!" she grumbled and looked at her cell phone, which was full of notifications from an app she didn't know about. "What's it?"
"Oh, you don't remember?" asked the blonde as she looked at Chichi's cell phone screen, making sure of what she was talking about. "Wow, that was back when you hadn't even had tequila yet. I thought you would remember!"
"Finder? What the hell is that?"
"Well, it's a dating app that you signed up for!"
"A dating app? B-but what do you mean?"
She knew what a dating app was, but had never done one before. Chichi opened the app and was faced with several notifications, such as:
'Devoted_lover liked your profile'
'BigFatCock liked your profile'
'Dr_Dick liked your profile'
'Hot_Guy liked your profile'
And for each of them a button where she could mark: 'like back' or 'reject'.
"Hm, wow, this one looks promising, huh!" Eighteen scoffed when she read another notification that had just popped up:
"Naughty_pussy_eater liked your profile"
Chichi felt her cheeks heat up violently. She couldn't believe those obscene nicknames!
"My Kami!" she opened her mouth in shock. "How do I check my nickname?" she sounded desperate, if she couldn't even remember making that profile, how can she be sure she didn't use a nickname as perverted as…
"Relax, your profile is very coherent. Look!" Eighteen helped her to open the screen with Chichi's profile where the nickname was: 'LadyMilk'.
"Whew! And how do I delete this?"
"Delete? Why delete?"
"Are you crazy? I can't use an online dating app!"
"And why not? Take the opportunity to meet someone, woman, since you refuse to give your phone number to the men who always hit on you at the bar." Eighteen rolled her blue eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears. "You're the one who said you wanted to forget about Goku! This is your chance!"
"I-I-I don't know..." Chichi stammered, uncertain. Not about the app itself, but about getting involved with someone else, opening herself up to meet other men. She hadn't done that even when Goku had been dead for seven years. She didn't know if she would have the courage to do that now...
"Oh, Chichi, come on, enough of it!" Eighteen shouted. She wasn't a patient woman, and seeing that Chichi was still stuck with her ex made her slightly annoyed.
She believed that Chichi deserved to be happy, and as much as she admired the princess' love and devotion to the warrior – even after his death – she believed it was time for her to move on. She even understood Chichi refusing to get involved with anyone during the seven years of Goku's death, because she still felt married to him, even as a widow, there was still a bond and a commitment, but now... now it was gone.
The android, like any good friend, had to pick up Chichi's pieces for a long time after their break up, because she was the only friend Chichi would open up to, so she knew how much her friend was suffering and how much she needed to get over that breakup.
"Chichi, you were the one who said you wanted to forget about him, you were the one who asked me for the phone number of a lawyer to start the divorce proceedings that you didn't even contact, by the way, did you?"
Chichi's shoulders slumped in defeat, Eighteen was right. She had to file for divorce or there would never be an end to it. But she didn't dare to do that, she didn't have the courage to put an end to it. Goku had been her first love, her first man, and she had dedicated so many years of her life to him. Doing that was like giving up on her dream, her dream of love, the dream she had cherished since she was a child.
"I know, I know... I just... I don't think I'm ready to take this step yet!" Chichis squeezed the fabric of her clothes between her fingers.
Android Eighteen rolled her eyes.
"My friend, I understand, but it's been almost a year since your break up, it's time for you to forget him. You're a mother, but you're still a woman, you're young and beautiful, don't waste your time suffering because of a man, go live, go be happy! You deserve it! And don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you are starting to move on, not even Krillin. When you're ready, you'll tell. Tell your kids, tell your father..." Eighteen complemented, for she knew that Chichi didn't like Goku to know about her life, she was rather proud in this aspect.
Chichi looked once more at the app in her hand and then at her friend who was smiling in a way that encouraged her.
Maybe she should give it a chance...
Apparently, the conversation with Krillin had had some positive effect on the warrior, who, after realizing how much he was decaying, tried to get his life together. He still wasn't completely well, but he was doing better. In fact, he owed it to his children, who were devastated to see him in that situation every time they went to visit him. So he cleaned up the mess in the house, threw away the old and musty futon and bought a new one, bought beds so that the boys would have a decent place to sleep when they went there – and not in sleeping bags as they were doing before – and a TV for Goten to watch cartoons.
He had plenty of money that he had received from Mr. Satan as a prize for defeating Kid Boo. He had said that Chichi could keep everything, after all, she got the boys and needed much more than he did, as he could live with just the basics, but she refused, she kept a small part that she thought was necessary for Goten's education and for a few more basic things for the half-sayan and the rest remained with him. But Goku didn't need it all, although he didn't have much to do, he couldn't win an argument against her, so he just saved the rest of the money for when it was needed.
A few weeks had passed since Goku had created his profile on Finder, which he hadn't paid much attention to after his friend left. He even looked at some profiles, but nothing that caught his attention, and he found it boring, so after a few minutes he dropped it. Anyway, Goku had no interest in meeting women online. He had no interest in meeting any other women, in fact.
Yet there he was, with his cell phone in his hands and looking at the profiles that appeared to him. He had a frown on his face and a sullen scowl.
All this because, during his son's last visit, he had heard something that did not make him very happy.
"How's your mother?"
This was a curiosity that he always had and once in a while he questioned it. Gohan ended up running away from the answer, he had already tried to intervene in their matter before, but it ended up making things worse, so he preferred to leave it to the two of them to resolve themselves, so in general, he answered that Chichi was fine or okay. Goten, on the other hand, perhaps because of his innocence and naivety, was more sincere and talked a little more.
"Okay, I guess." he answered without taking his eyes off his father's cell phone. "She and Mrs. Eighteen was going out for a walk in a fancy place, I guess, since Mom was wearing that outfit."
"Which outfit?"
"She was wearing a dress, just like the clothes Mrs. Bulma wears!" replied the little one. Goku arched an eyebrow. "Mrs. Eighteen said that mommy looked beautiful and hmmm... she still got it... hmmm... that she should wear that outfit with... on a date."
"What?"
Goku startled.
Did he hear right? Was Chichi... was she... was she going out on dates?
He frowned, becoming suddenly irritated.
"Daddy, what is a date?" asked Goten innocently. "Is it that kissy-kissy stuff Gohan and Videl do?"
That left Goku on the verge of turning into a super sayan. He couldn't believe that Chichi was going out on dates, that she was going out with other people! He thought that maybe, who knows, they still had a chance. Deep down he still had a little hope. But knowing that his ex-wife was moving on made him extremely uneasy.
Goten pulled him by the shirt bar and Goku shook his head, trying not to punch the wall of the house.
"No, son! It's just a... a... meeting between adults!" replied the sayan nervously, then pulled the cell phone from his son's hand, saying "Now give me that."
"Hey, but I'm playing!" protested the younger one.
"It's time for your bath!" affirmed Goku with a scowl.
"Awww..." Goten pouted, his father wasn't one to pick on this kind of thing so much and sometimes even let him stay without a bath, but he obeyed anyway and went out grumbling. "I can't wait to have my own cell phone..."
The sayan waited for his son to leave the room, then opened the Finder and started looking at the profiles that appeared in recent notifications.
If Chichi was going out on dates, so would he.
Goku was not happy at all to hear that Chichi was dating other guys, that she was going out on dates, that she was... moving on. The mere image of his ex going out with others was too much for his mind that he couldn't even imagine it without feeling anger.
And jealousy too.
A lot of jealousy.
And that was all very unfair! For it was Chichi who had thrown him out of the house. He was there, suffering and dreaming that they could still get back together, while she moved on and even started seeing other men. Why did he have to be such an idiot and think that they still had a chance? Why did he have to be so innocent and naive to think that maybe she still loved him?
Argh! he grumbled mentally. Maybe he was even more frustrated that he couldn't find anyone interesting on that damn app he had been looking at for days. All the profiles that appeared to him or that he liked were completely dull from the descriptions. He didn't feel the slightest desire to meet or at least start a conversation with any of those women.
'Blonde, green eyes, 21 years old... '
Too young. Dear Kami! He wasn't looking for a child to raise!
'Bluenette, black eyes, 36 years old... '
Mehh! he had never been into blue-haired women.
'Red hair, brown eyes, 30 years old, vegetarian...'
Vegetarian? That would never work!
It would never work. He would never find an interesting woman in his life again. He couldn't stand to look at that application anymore. He was about to give up and accept that he was destined to be alone for the rest of his life on earth, UNTIL finally, a profile caught his attention...
She was already somewhat recovered from her last meltdown, for as much as she had gotten used to being without Goku for seven years, after his return she had kind of unlearned how to live without him as if those seven years had actually been seven days. Then after he had left home again, she felt it all over again. And it was even worse knowing that he was alive this time and living only a few meters away from where she was.
Her cell phone then rang, bringing her out of her thoughts that were preventing her from concentrating on the movie she was supposed to be watching. She picked it up and saw on the screen a notification from the Finder app that made her roll her eyes.
"I thought I had already disabled the notifications on this thing!" she grumbled to herself, but then realized that it was not an app alert notification, but a notification to update the app.
She shrugged and threw her cell phone aside, ignoring it. Since she had no interest in using with it, there would be no point in updating it.
However, another question permeated her mind: why hadn't she deleted it yet? Maybe she should have done that already the very day she had found out that she had created that profile, but she hadn't, for some reason she had left it there, just deactivated and ignored.
She picked up her cell phone again and went straight to the delete button, but before she could do that, she bit her lip, uncertain. Should she really delete it? Should she not even look at the profiles there? Should she not start considering a new relationship?
But after so many years... She didn't know if she'd be ready to get involved with someone again. So many years of her life had been dedicated to Goku and the love she felt for him, how could she get involved with someone else? She hadn't been able to do that even when he was dead. She felt as if it was wrong, as if she was betraying him.
But then, a memory of an afternoon, when she was at her android friend's house, came to her mind.
She had taken Goten to play with Marron. What she hadn't counted on was encountering the unpleasant presence of Oolong there. That shameless, cretinous pig.
"So, Chichi, how are the dates going?" asked debauchedly the pig, who was sitting on a beach chair next to Chichi and Eighteen, who were sitting at a small table while watching their children playing in the water.
"What?"
"Well, are you telling me that you are not seeing anyone? Because if you're not, you're wasting your time. I heard that Goku has been dating Yamcha. You know, YAMCHA! His only single friend!" The black eyes stared at her shrewdly. "What do you think they went out to do? To talk about martial arts moves and techniques? Of course not! They went out to pick up women! And the worst is that they didn't even call me! Jerks!"
"Oolong!" Eighteen glared at him.
"I don't think Goku is like that."
Oolong laughed.
"He might not have been like that when you got married! But now things have changed, right, he's a grown man, single, he's the type to attract women's looks, and most importantly, he's a man!" Punctuated the pig. "As much as he has no intention of going out to get women, he is still going out with Yamcha, as I said, his only single friend. Of course, Yamcha will want to take advantage of his company to attract women, and do you really think that there won't be some that won't hit on him, that he won't like the attention, that he won't want something? You are being an idiot if you're not taking advantage of your situation to go out with other men as well..."
Chichi lowered her eyes, a bitter taste of bile in her mouth as her stomach churned. She hadn't even had anything to drink that afternoon except tea, but that mental image of Goku flirting with other women or giving in to their charms, whatever, was something her mind wasn't able to handle very well.
"If you think that this can't happen, then you're much more naive than I thought. Really!"
"Oolong, shut up!" shouted the android who was fed up with that unwanted visitor, who just ignored her. "Who invited you here anyway?"
"Your husband!" retorted the pig, without an ounce of remorse.
"Uhh, remind me to kill Krillin later!" she said to Chichi, but then threw a deadly glare at Oolong, who kept quiet, afraid of being killed by the android.
Chichi sighed. It was painful to think about the failure of her marriage. It was hard to move on, especially since she still loved Goku. However, the sayan obviously didn't feel the same way anymore, since he had left home. He was the one who had left her, and now he was living his life as if their marriage had never meant anything.
She swung her leg and bit her lower lip. Enough of that, if Goku had already forgotten her – which probably should have happened long ago – she would forget him too.
Chichi then decided to give the app a chance, opened it, and started to check the notifications that were pending. There were only boring, dull and lame profiles. She looked at each notification one by one, and there were many, but she refused them all. At each new nickname, at each description, she made a face, none of them seemed to be compatible with her, until she arrived at a specific notification that had arrived for her about 2 hours ago.
'Mr_Carrot'
The name alone drew some attention since most of them were ridiculous and obscene names, but the profile was something that really attracted her.
'Dark hair, black eyes, 38 years old, divorced.
Height: 5′ 9″
Hobbies: spending time with my two children, physical activities, and gastronomy.'
Chichi suddenly found herself smiling.
That Mr. Carrot guy looked promising.
Goku opened his eyes when he felt the vibration of his phone on his abdomen. He had fallen asleep after looking at so many profiles on that app.
He then checked the notification on the screen and smiled.
'LadyMilk liked your profile. Would you like to start a conversation?'
Notes:
Just to be clear: I don't believe that a breakup/divorce between Goku and Chi-Chi can happen in any way, ever, ever! But here I created this scenario to favor a crazy idea I had, since I didn't want to do something in an alternate universe, but in the original.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing!