One week had passed since the ad had appeared in the Capsule Corp. newsletter. The boys had been right. Hundreds of women had replied to the ad, all eager to meet the mystery man they had read about. Now it was time to decide which candidates would make it to phase two: a date with Yamcha.
Trunks and Goten were once again standing before Megumi Tereda's desk. The pink-haired woman was idly twirling a pen in her hand while she spoke on the phone with the marketing manager.
"He wants how much?" she demanded. She let out a grunt of disgust. "Well, tell Mr. Satan he can forget about endorsing our product unless he agrees to lower his price. I don't care who he is. He's publicity hungry. He'll cave if we press him enough. You got that, Miki? Okay. Ja ne."
Megumi slammed down the phone and then turned to the two boys. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"That's fine," stated Trunks hurriedly. He was ready to get working. "Where are the applications you were talking about?"
Megumi patted a tall pile of papers that sat on the corner of her desk. "I received about eight-hundred. I've weeded out the obvious 'no's' and this is what's left. I would say roughly three-hundred."
"Wow," whispered Goten in awe. He was impressed, especially since he couldn't count that high.
"This is going better than I had planned!" stated Trunks with a smile.
"Well, you didn't have to filter through all of those," replied Megumi, waving her hand to indicate the pile.
"Thank you very much," replied the lavender-haired boy appreciatively.
Megumi shrugged. She picked the top ten papers off of the stack and laid them out across her desk.
"I narrowed it down to these," she explained. "They had the best applications. I figured you two can pick out the winner."
Trunks and Goten exchanged a glance. The older boy nodded to his friend.
"You pick, Chibi."
Goten hesitated a moment and then stood on tiptoe. He scanned over the papers spread out across the desk.
"Hm…I pick…this one!" He pointed to the one of the far right. "Kinomoto Usagi. I like that name.'
Megumi picked up the paper and scanned over the writing. "Well, then. I'll inform Yamcha-san that he has a date tonight with Kinomoto-san. We'll be leaving at 7:00 sharp, so you two be ready."
"Hai!" they chirped in unison.
"I'll take care of the rest," stated the pink-haired woman.
******
Yamcha was sprawled out across the couch, his eyes glazed as he watched the television. Another pointless day in his worthless life. He let out a heavy sigh and flipped the channel. Pu'ar was curled up on the back of the couch, her tail switching back and forth. Their quiet afternoon was shattered by the phone ringing.
"I'll get it," offered Pu'ar as she hovered into the air.
Yamcha heard her answer the phone in the kitchen. After a moment, she called out for him.
"It's for you, Yamcha-kun!"
The tall man frowned and slowly got up off of the couch. He sluggishly walked to the kitchen. "Those stupid managers better not have planned another practice without informing me again," he grumbled as he leaned against the doorframe. Pu'ar passed him the phone. "This is Yamcha. Whadduya want?"
"Good day, sir. This is Tereda Megumi, Briefs-san's personal secretary," replied the voice on the other end of the line.
Yamcha thought for a moment. He knew that he recognized the voice. Then he remembered that this was the woman that he had usually called to cancel dates with Bulma. "Um…hello, Tereda-san. How can I help you?" he asked nervously.
"Please, call me Megumi. I was calling concerning your date for tonight…"
"Date?" interrupted Yamcha. He glanced over to where Pu'ar had been hovering nearby a moment ago only to find that she had disappeared. "What date?"
"You're date with Kinomoto Usagi…"
"With who?"
"Yamcha-san, if you would kindly stop interrupting me, I would explain everything," stated Megumi firmly, sounding more than a little miffed.
"Excuse me," grunted Yamcha.
"You're excused. As I was trying to say, I'm calling to arrange plans for your date with Kinomoto Usagi for tonight…"
"Who the heck is this Kino-whatever chick and how on earth do I have a date with her?"
"YAMCHA-SAN!"
"Gomen," he murmured.
"You should be much more appreciative of all the hard work that Goten and Trunks have done to make this possible…"
Yamcha's chest tightened with the beginnings of an anxiety attack. If the two children were involved, it wasn't a good sign. "Goten and Trunks?"
There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "Yes. They've been very concerned about your…marital status. So, they decided to help out by finding you a girlfriend. Think of this as a free dating service."
"I don't need help with my love life from two little kids," spat Yamcha. He looked around for Pu'ar. She was still no where to be found. Suddenly, he had the sinking feeling that she was involved in all of this.
"Are you sure about that?" retorted Megumi.
"Listen…" began Yamcha.
"No. I apologize. That was…harsh. But you should give the boy's idea a chance. They really care about you, Yamcha-san. It would break their hearts if you didn't at least play along. And who knows? Maybe you'll find 'the one'."
Yamcha sighed and pressed his forehead against the wood-paneling of the doorframe. "Okay, fine. What do I have to do?"
"I knew you would understand!" exclaimed Megumi happily. "The boys and I will be at your house at 7:15 tonight. You'll be picking Kinomoto-san up at 8:30 exactly. I have reservations for two at a local restuarant. We'll discuss matters in detail when I arrive. Ja ne!"
"Ja ne," replied Yamcha dully. But Megumi had already hung up the phone.
*****
"The least you could do was warn me," complained Yamcha as he ran a comb through his hair for the fortieth time. He glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. 7:12 PM. He growled and began to readjust his tie.
"If I had said anything you would have refused!" replied Pu'ar in her squeaky little voice.
"This entire idea is madness," continued the tall warrior. "I don't know anything about this Kinomata…"
"Kinomoto," interjected Pu'ar.
"Whatever. I don't know anything about this girl. She could be a serial killer…or something."
The blue feline rolled her eyes. "Like that's possible."
"It is possible, Pu'ar," retorted Yamcha. "I could be putting my life at risk."
"Should I even bother mentioning all those times you ran off to face some undefeatable villain?" asked the cat.
"This is different."
"Oh?"
"This is a woman. Women are devious, manipulating, malicious…"
"Excuse me. What is my gender again?"
"Sorry."
The conversation was interrupted by the soft chime of the door bell. Yamcha felt his stomach knot. There was no escaping now.
"Well, are you going to answer the door?" asked Pu'ar, staring at the frozen man in front of her.
Yamcha shot her a nasty look and then made his way to the front of the apartment. He stopped in front of the door and simply stared at the doorknob. Taking in a deep breath he opened the door.
"Koban wa," greeted the woman that was standing on the front stoop.
Yamcha gawked at her. Pink-hair fell down past her shoulders to her mid-back. Brilliant, emerald-green eyes shone behind black-rimmed glasses. She was dressed smartly in a deep amethyst pants suit.
"Please tell me you're my date," breathed Yamcha.
The woman blushed and ducked her head. Trunks and Goten, who had been standing on either side of her, totally unnoticed by Yamcha, glanced at each other.
"Um, no," spoke up the older boy. "This is Tereda Megumi. Mom's secretary. She's here to help you get ready."
Yamcha's face turned crimson. "Tereda-san! Of course, I remember you now. It's been awhile since I've seen you face to face."
"It was Briefs-san's baby shower. For Trunks-kun," murmured Megumi softly. She cleared her throat. "May we come in?"
"Yes, of course!" stated Yamcha as he stepped aside.
Megumi glanced at him as she stepped inside. "Is that what you're wearing tonight?"
Yamcha frowned and glanced down at the pair of khaki's and the white dress shirt he was wearing. The tie was yellow with small blue polka-dots. "Is there something wrong?" he asked defensively.
"Well, no…" began Megumi.
"The tie is tacky," stated Trunks.
The woman nudged the boy. "Don't be so rude, Tru..tru…" She broke off with a loud sneeze.
"Bless you," chirped Goten.
"Thanks," sniffled Megumi, rubbing her nose. She sneezed again. "Oh, dear."
"Are you okay?" asked Yamcha, a slight frown tugging at his lips.
"I'm fine…" she murmured. She glanced up at him and then past his shoulder, where Pu'ar was floating. "Oh. You have a cat."
"This is Pu'ar," stated Yamcha. "Pu'ar, this is Tereda Megumi."
"Pleased to meet you," squeaked the floating feline.
"Likewise," replied Megumi. She sneezed again. "I'm ever so sorry, but I'm allergic to cats."
"Oh," muttered Pu'ar, looking dejected. "If you would like, I could leave…"
"Heavens, no," replied Megumi. "I can handle a couple of sniffles for the next hour." She turned back to Yamcha. "Now about your clothes…"
"What's wrong with them?" he asked defensively.
"Nothing. It's just not the sort of thing you would wear to 'Henry's'…"
"'Henry's'?"
"Oh, that new ritzy restaurant that overlooks the park?" gasped Pu'ar.
"Yep," replied Trunks. "Mom says it's real nice. And romantic."
"Yeah, romantic," agreed Goten.
Both boys grinned up at Yamcha.
"But isn't it also expensive," muttered the tall warrior. He blushed slightly. "I don't have that sort of money. Not even for a special occasion."
Megumi nudged Trunks. The boy dug into his back pocket and pulled out a credit card. He held it up to Yamcha.
"Mom says to have fun tonight and good luck."
Yamcha glanced down at the card in Trunks's hand and then shook his head. "I can't take that…"
"Briefs-san insists," stated Megumi firmly, taking the card from Trunks and pressing it into Yamcha's hand. "She's really wishing for the best for you. It would be an insult not to take it."
Yamcha took in a deep breath and nodded. "Tell her thanks," he murmured softly.
"Of course," replied Megumi with a smile. She turned to the two boys. "Now how about we help Uncle Yamcha find a decent outfit?"
******
At exactly 8:00 Yamcha was heading out the door. For the first time in history he was going to be on time for a date. He was dressed in a light grey suit, a white dress shirt, and a black bow-tie. He had to admit, Megumi didn't do such a bad job.
"You're forgetting something!" called out the pink-haired woman from the doorway. She held up her car keys and jingled them. "Take my car."
Yamcha glanced towards her silver sports car. "Are you sure?"
"Yep. My way of saying good luck tonight," she replied, tossing him the keys. He caught them effortlessly. "You're gonna knock her dead."
"Thanks," he stated with a grin.
"Good luck, Uncle Yamcha!" called Goten.
"You'll do great!" added Pu'ar.
Trunks didn't say anything. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, looking exactly like his father. He smirked and then winked. Yamcha winked back.
Yamcha slipped inside the car. He paused for a moment to admire the leather interior and the top-of-the-line sound system. Then he cranked the car and pulled away from the curb.
Megumi and the others watched as the car disappeared around the corner. She glanced down at her wristwatch.
"Well, boys. We had better hurry. Our reservations for four are at 8:45. We don't want to be late."
"'Four'?" asked Pu'ar.
"You're coming too, right Pu'ar-san?" asked Trunks.
"Please?" whined Goten.
"Of course, she is," replied Megumi, smiling at the cat.
Pu'ar grinned back at her. Then the four of them headed back inside to get ready. They had some spying to do.
Trunks and Goten were once again standing before Megumi Tereda's desk. The pink-haired woman was idly twirling a pen in her hand while she spoke on the phone with the marketing manager.
"He wants how much?" she demanded. She let out a grunt of disgust. "Well, tell Mr. Satan he can forget about endorsing our product unless he agrees to lower his price. I don't care who he is. He's publicity hungry. He'll cave if we press him enough. You got that, Miki? Okay. Ja ne."
Megumi slammed down the phone and then turned to the two boys. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"That's fine," stated Trunks hurriedly. He was ready to get working. "Where are the applications you were talking about?"
Megumi patted a tall pile of papers that sat on the corner of her desk. "I received about eight-hundred. I've weeded out the obvious 'no's' and this is what's left. I would say roughly three-hundred."
"Wow," whispered Goten in awe. He was impressed, especially since he couldn't count that high.
"This is going better than I had planned!" stated Trunks with a smile.
"Well, you didn't have to filter through all of those," replied Megumi, waving her hand to indicate the pile.
"Thank you very much," replied the lavender-haired boy appreciatively.
Megumi shrugged. She picked the top ten papers off of the stack and laid them out across her desk.
"I narrowed it down to these," she explained. "They had the best applications. I figured you two can pick out the winner."
Trunks and Goten exchanged a glance. The older boy nodded to his friend.
"You pick, Chibi."
Goten hesitated a moment and then stood on tiptoe. He scanned over the papers spread out across the desk.
"Hm…I pick…this one!" He pointed to the one of the far right. "Kinomoto Usagi. I like that name.'
Megumi picked up the paper and scanned over the writing. "Well, then. I'll inform Yamcha-san that he has a date tonight with Kinomoto-san. We'll be leaving at 7:00 sharp, so you two be ready."
"Hai!" they chirped in unison.
"I'll take care of the rest," stated the pink-haired woman.
******
Yamcha was sprawled out across the couch, his eyes glazed as he watched the television. Another pointless day in his worthless life. He let out a heavy sigh and flipped the channel. Pu'ar was curled up on the back of the couch, her tail switching back and forth. Their quiet afternoon was shattered by the phone ringing.
"I'll get it," offered Pu'ar as she hovered into the air.
Yamcha heard her answer the phone in the kitchen. After a moment, she called out for him.
"It's for you, Yamcha-kun!"
The tall man frowned and slowly got up off of the couch. He sluggishly walked to the kitchen. "Those stupid managers better not have planned another practice without informing me again," he grumbled as he leaned against the doorframe. Pu'ar passed him the phone. "This is Yamcha. Whadduya want?"
"Good day, sir. This is Tereda Megumi, Briefs-san's personal secretary," replied the voice on the other end of the line.
Yamcha thought for a moment. He knew that he recognized the voice. Then he remembered that this was the woman that he had usually called to cancel dates with Bulma. "Um…hello, Tereda-san. How can I help you?" he asked nervously.
"Please, call me Megumi. I was calling concerning your date for tonight…"
"Date?" interrupted Yamcha. He glanced over to where Pu'ar had been hovering nearby a moment ago only to find that she had disappeared. "What date?"
"You're date with Kinomoto Usagi…"
"With who?"
"Yamcha-san, if you would kindly stop interrupting me, I would explain everything," stated Megumi firmly, sounding more than a little miffed.
"Excuse me," grunted Yamcha.
"You're excused. As I was trying to say, I'm calling to arrange plans for your date with Kinomoto Usagi for tonight…"
"Who the heck is this Kino-whatever chick and how on earth do I have a date with her?"
"YAMCHA-SAN!"
"Gomen," he murmured.
"You should be much more appreciative of all the hard work that Goten and Trunks have done to make this possible…"
Yamcha's chest tightened with the beginnings of an anxiety attack. If the two children were involved, it wasn't a good sign. "Goten and Trunks?"
There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "Yes. They've been very concerned about your…marital status. So, they decided to help out by finding you a girlfriend. Think of this as a free dating service."
"I don't need help with my love life from two little kids," spat Yamcha. He looked around for Pu'ar. She was still no where to be found. Suddenly, he had the sinking feeling that she was involved in all of this.
"Are you sure about that?" retorted Megumi.
"Listen…" began Yamcha.
"No. I apologize. That was…harsh. But you should give the boy's idea a chance. They really care about you, Yamcha-san. It would break their hearts if you didn't at least play along. And who knows? Maybe you'll find 'the one'."
Yamcha sighed and pressed his forehead against the wood-paneling of the doorframe. "Okay, fine. What do I have to do?"
"I knew you would understand!" exclaimed Megumi happily. "The boys and I will be at your house at 7:15 tonight. You'll be picking Kinomoto-san up at 8:30 exactly. I have reservations for two at a local restuarant. We'll discuss matters in detail when I arrive. Ja ne!"
"Ja ne," replied Yamcha dully. But Megumi had already hung up the phone.
*****
"The least you could do was warn me," complained Yamcha as he ran a comb through his hair for the fortieth time. He glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. 7:12 PM. He growled and began to readjust his tie.
"If I had said anything you would have refused!" replied Pu'ar in her squeaky little voice.
"This entire idea is madness," continued the tall warrior. "I don't know anything about this Kinomata…"
"Kinomoto," interjected Pu'ar.
"Whatever. I don't know anything about this girl. She could be a serial killer…or something."
The blue feline rolled her eyes. "Like that's possible."
"It is possible, Pu'ar," retorted Yamcha. "I could be putting my life at risk."
"Should I even bother mentioning all those times you ran off to face some undefeatable villain?" asked the cat.
"This is different."
"Oh?"
"This is a woman. Women are devious, manipulating, malicious…"
"Excuse me. What is my gender again?"
"Sorry."
The conversation was interrupted by the soft chime of the door bell. Yamcha felt his stomach knot. There was no escaping now.
"Well, are you going to answer the door?" asked Pu'ar, staring at the frozen man in front of her.
Yamcha shot her a nasty look and then made his way to the front of the apartment. He stopped in front of the door and simply stared at the doorknob. Taking in a deep breath he opened the door.
"Koban wa," greeted the woman that was standing on the front stoop.
Yamcha gawked at her. Pink-hair fell down past her shoulders to her mid-back. Brilliant, emerald-green eyes shone behind black-rimmed glasses. She was dressed smartly in a deep amethyst pants suit.
"Please tell me you're my date," breathed Yamcha.
The woman blushed and ducked her head. Trunks and Goten, who had been standing on either side of her, totally unnoticed by Yamcha, glanced at each other.
"Um, no," spoke up the older boy. "This is Tereda Megumi. Mom's secretary. She's here to help you get ready."
Yamcha's face turned crimson. "Tereda-san! Of course, I remember you now. It's been awhile since I've seen you face to face."
"It was Briefs-san's baby shower. For Trunks-kun," murmured Megumi softly. She cleared her throat. "May we come in?"
"Yes, of course!" stated Yamcha as he stepped aside.
Megumi glanced at him as she stepped inside. "Is that what you're wearing tonight?"
Yamcha frowned and glanced down at the pair of khaki's and the white dress shirt he was wearing. The tie was yellow with small blue polka-dots. "Is there something wrong?" he asked defensively.
"Well, no…" began Megumi.
"The tie is tacky," stated Trunks.
The woman nudged the boy. "Don't be so rude, Tru..tru…" She broke off with a loud sneeze.
"Bless you," chirped Goten.
"Thanks," sniffled Megumi, rubbing her nose. She sneezed again. "Oh, dear."
"Are you okay?" asked Yamcha, a slight frown tugging at his lips.
"I'm fine…" she murmured. She glanced up at him and then past his shoulder, where Pu'ar was floating. "Oh. You have a cat."
"This is Pu'ar," stated Yamcha. "Pu'ar, this is Tereda Megumi."
"Pleased to meet you," squeaked the floating feline.
"Likewise," replied Megumi. She sneezed again. "I'm ever so sorry, but I'm allergic to cats."
"Oh," muttered Pu'ar, looking dejected. "If you would like, I could leave…"
"Heavens, no," replied Megumi. "I can handle a couple of sniffles for the next hour." She turned back to Yamcha. "Now about your clothes…"
"What's wrong with them?" he asked defensively.
"Nothing. It's just not the sort of thing you would wear to 'Henry's'…"
"'Henry's'?"
"Oh, that new ritzy restaurant that overlooks the park?" gasped Pu'ar.
"Yep," replied Trunks. "Mom says it's real nice. And romantic."
"Yeah, romantic," agreed Goten.
Both boys grinned up at Yamcha.
"But isn't it also expensive," muttered the tall warrior. He blushed slightly. "I don't have that sort of money. Not even for a special occasion."
Megumi nudged Trunks. The boy dug into his back pocket and pulled out a credit card. He held it up to Yamcha.
"Mom says to have fun tonight and good luck."
Yamcha glanced down at the card in Trunks's hand and then shook his head. "I can't take that…"
"Briefs-san insists," stated Megumi firmly, taking the card from Trunks and pressing it into Yamcha's hand. "She's really wishing for the best for you. It would be an insult not to take it."
Yamcha took in a deep breath and nodded. "Tell her thanks," he murmured softly.
"Of course," replied Megumi with a smile. She turned to the two boys. "Now how about we help Uncle Yamcha find a decent outfit?"
******
At exactly 8:00 Yamcha was heading out the door. For the first time in history he was going to be on time for a date. He was dressed in a light grey suit, a white dress shirt, and a black bow-tie. He had to admit, Megumi didn't do such a bad job.
"You're forgetting something!" called out the pink-haired woman from the doorway. She held up her car keys and jingled them. "Take my car."
Yamcha glanced towards her silver sports car. "Are you sure?"
"Yep. My way of saying good luck tonight," she replied, tossing him the keys. He caught them effortlessly. "You're gonna knock her dead."
"Thanks," he stated with a grin.
"Good luck, Uncle Yamcha!" called Goten.
"You'll do great!" added Pu'ar.
Trunks didn't say anything. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, looking exactly like his father. He smirked and then winked. Yamcha winked back.
Yamcha slipped inside the car. He paused for a moment to admire the leather interior and the top-of-the-line sound system. Then he cranked the car and pulled away from the curb.
Megumi and the others watched as the car disappeared around the corner. She glanced down at her wristwatch.
"Well, boys. We had better hurry. Our reservations for four are at 8:45. We don't want to be late."
"'Four'?" asked Pu'ar.
"You're coming too, right Pu'ar-san?" asked Trunks.
"Please?" whined Goten.
"Of course, she is," replied Megumi, smiling at the cat.
Pu'ar grinned back at her. Then the four of them headed back inside to get ready. They had some spying to do.