Chapter Two

His Incomprehension


Pushing her locker door shut, Videl heaved a deep sigh, her back hunching in fatigue.

Today had been exhausting – and it didn't look like the coming days would get any better.Days? More like, the whole year! she corrected herself with a dark scowl.

Why did Erasa just have to include Gohan in everything? It was bad enough that she'd made her sit through lunch with the guy right across from her, but the blonde also insisted that Videl choose Gohan on their baseball team in PE because Sharpner refused to take the "nerd" on his. Not only that, but they were in the same class, and because of Erasa, Gohan was only two seats away from her!

Videl had made a point not to look at him all through the day, not even once, not even when he was sitting right in front of her at lunch. Her scowl hadn't left her face for a second and she had openly glared at Erasa, who had ignored her royally and focused on talking to Gohan and asking about him – which forced her to listen. As if sharing her lunch table wasn't bad enough!

So, against her will, Videl learned that Gohan lived in Mount Paozu, which happened to be over five thousand kilometers from Satan City. Erasa had jumped to her feet when she realized how long it must take Gohan to go to school every day. He had laughed nervously in response and brushed it off as "his dedication to his studies."

Yeah, right. With his superpowers, the "Gold Fighter" probably didn't have any trouble getting to and from school.

Videl was also forced to listen as Erasa asked him about his family. His father had died almost seven years ago, and his mother was raising him and his little brother on her own, though she often got help from her father and family friends.

Despite herself, Videl had felt her chest tighten at his story. His voice was gentle and melancholic as he spoke of his family, assuring everyone that there was no need to feel sorry for him, that he wasn't sad when he thought of his father anymore, that the good memories prevailed – and he cherished those deeply.

Even Sharpner had joined in the conversation by that point, patting Gohan on the shoulder and offering some sympathy. Videl had remained quiet, keeping her stare on her lunch box – forbidding herself to look up at him and blurt out that she knew what he was going through, that she'd lost a parent too, and that she missed her mom every day.

But she hadn't uttered a word. She just couldn't. She couldn't allow herself to bond with Gohan. She had to prevent them from becoming friends and eventually something more.

Yet Videl couldn't help but wonder how this conversation would've gone if she never had those dreams – how this discussion had gone in another universe, one where she didn't know what her future held, and had nothing to worry about as she befriended the "new kid".

She had felt his gaze on her more than once throughout the day, during lunch as he spoke as well as in class. Still, Videl wouldn't look at him. She had to pretend he didn't exist, she had to ignore his very presence.

She just couldn't let him get close to her. She had to prevent the future she saw in her visions from becoming a reality – she had to change her destiny, someway, somehow, at any costs. No matter what.

Then, came the last class of the day, also known as Physical Education; they were playing baseball today, and she and Sharpner were appointed as team captains. Since Gohan had apparently gotten perfect scores on his entrance exams, Sharpner was convinced that he would suck at sports and didn't want him on his team. Videl had rolled her eyes at the blond's flawed logic. She was the best athlete in the school and she also happened to get good grades. Being smart didn't mean you couldn't be good at physical activities as well.

Besides, Gohan was the Gold Fighter, so Sharpner was completely wrong about him. Not that anyone but her was aware of that fact.

And then, stupid Erasa insisted that Gohan should join their team, saying how he could come up with new strategies for winning the game since he was so smart. Videl had scowled so hard at her, throwing deadly daggers at Erasa with her eyes, but her friend had, once again, ignored her and told Gohan he could be on their team.

"Um… But, uh… Is that okay with you too, Videl?" he'd asked, his words slow and unsure.

She had grumbled unhappily, but she knew she couldn't say no. Gohan had to participate in the game either way, and if he couldn't be on Sharpner's team, then that didn't leave her with much of a choice.

"Pfft, whatever."

Gohan had been pretty terrible at hiding his superpowers during the game. Videl had been pitching, Sharpner at the bat, and the other team captain had managed to hit her fastball and make a homerun. He'd had a smug look on his face as he started running – and then he froze, and so did everyone else.

High up, about thirty feet in the air, the ball in his glove, Gohan was casually hovering as he looked over the field and seemed to ponder on his next move. Then he threw the ball, looking extra careful, as though he was throwing the ball as softly as possible, yet the catcher ended up falling on his ass from the force of the throw while the ball was still swirling and even smoking into his glove. And then Gohan gently landed on his feet, all smiles that he earned a point for his team – until he noticed that everyone was staring at him in disbelief, and tried to hide under his baseball hat.

If she didn't already know that Gohan was the Gold Fighter, Videl would've been gawking at him like everyone else after the stunt he had pulled. And while that jump and his throw had been quite the impressive sight, there was nothing surprising about these feats given who he was.

He had glanced her way then, and Videl had been quick to avert her gaze before he could make eye contact, even though she could sense him watching her. But his inspection had been cut short when he had been called to bat.

Apparently, Sharpner had been sore that Gohan ruined his home run, because he aimed his pitch right at Gohan's head. Videl couldn't stop herself from yelling, "Lookout!" even though in hindsight, Gohan had nothing to fear from the ball hitting him.

And it did, straight to his temple, the strike so strong it made him lose his hat. And Gohan just looked at the ball rolling on the ground, unscathed, and then asked the coach if that was a dead ball. Upon getting the coach's stuttered confirmation, Gohan grinned, seeming quite happy with himself, dropped his bat and started running to first base.

He truly was awful at hiding his strength. Surely she would have eventually figured him out even without the help of her dreams, right?

Videl shook her head, shouldering her backpack as she started toward the school's exit. That didn't matter anymore. As much as a part of her was dying to know who Son Gohan really was and what made him so strong, she couldn't let herself be distracted; she had to stay focused on her goal.

She had to stay away from him.

"Um… Videl?"

But that apparently was too much to ask. Guess who was standing in her way of getting out of here?

Videl sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hand. Understandably, Gohan was confused by her behavior toward him today. She had hoped he would just leave it at that and not try to talk to her again, but that didn't take, obviously.

She crossed her arms, making a point not to meet his gaze, her head averted. Tapping her foot, she waited for him to speak, figuring she might as well get it over with.

"Can we… um… Could we maybe talk?" he asked, his voice hesitant. She didn't answer, but didn't walk away either, so Gohan must have figured it was okay to keep going. "I get that you don't like me but, um… I mean, I know that sometimes people don't need a reason to dislike somebody and you have every right to like or dislike whomever you want. It's just… I've got a feeling that's not what this is about."

His rambling made her look at him – for the first time since this morning when she'd spotted him in her class.

His eyes troubled her. He was studying her, as though trying to solve a math equation.

"Then what would this be about?" she asked, tightening her arms around herself.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. His brow furrowed further and he pinched his lips together, deep in thought. "But this morning by the bank, you completely froze when you first saw me, and you froze again when you saw that I was in your class, and from then on you started avoiding me." He scratched his hair roughly. "It just doesn't make any sense. What's more, you're the only one who didn't react in PE when I…"

He trailed off, probably realizing that it wasn't in his best interest to bring up his physical prowess.

This wasn't going well. Obviously, her avoiding Gohan was only making him curious about her, and Videl couldn't have that. It was bad enough that Erasa was making a point to include Gohan in their group of friends, not taking her into account at all. Not that Erasa could know about her predicament, but still, she wasn't making things easier.

But now Gohan was trying to understand her, which Videl couldn't hold against him. Even so, she couldn't let him worm his way into her life and ruin everything. Her only option was to keep him away from her.

She averted her gaze and grabbed on the straps of her backpack. Her forehead scrunched up and her mouth pursed tightly, forming a kind of wrinkled dry plum.

"You mean when you caught Sharpner's homerun and just floated there for a few moments?" she finished for him, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Or when you didn't even flinch after getting hit right in the face with his pitch?"

She couldn't help sneaking a peek at him to see how he'd react to that, and a smirk of satisfaction started forming on her lips as Gohan blanched completely. His jaw slackened, his breath hitched in his throat, and his eyes grew wide open as he stared at her.

"Or maybe you meant when you threw the baseball so hard the catcher fell on his ass even though you looked like you weren't even trying?" she added, enjoying the way he blubbered in complete disbelief, his face turning even paler.

Even if she hadn't had those cursed visions, Videl knew – she was positive – that she would've noticed that Gohan was hiding something right off the bat – no pun intended. He was just so ridiculously awful at playing a role, at pretending to be something he wasn't – the poor kid didn't even notice he had done anything out of the ordinary when he got hit by Sharpner's fastball. His cluelessness was almost laughable.

Videl felt a slight pinch in her chest – but she discarded the ludicrous thought, rejecting any relevance it may have; she did not find Gohan's lack of acting skill "cute". Her traits darkened in annoyance, her earlier amusement fizzling out like a flame that had consumed all of the oxygen around it.

Gohan was still gawking at her from her acute observations, looking infuriatingly adorable as he seemed unable to form a single coherent word, let alone any kind of intelligible thought. Her lips pursing tighter, she then huffed and turned away from him, well-intent to finally put an end to this freakish school day.

But the current bane of her existence suddenly came out of it and jogged after her. "W-Wait!"

Videl didn't look back and sped up, her fingers tightening on the straps of her backpack. Gohan didn't seem ready to let it go, however, and he easily caught up to her.

"What does that mean?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty and anxiety. "How come you…?"

But Videl suddenly picked up her pace and sprinted off, unwilling to pay attention to his legitimate interrogations. She wanted to be done with this whole mess already!

"Wait, Videl! Please!"

Still, Gohan wouldn't let it go. He ran after her, quite easily keeping up with her, for that matter. They were starting to attract unwanted attention, curious eyes following the odd chase.

Videl growled and made a point to ignore him. They got out of the school property but even so, Gohan was still trying to make her explain what was going on.

"Please, Videl, I just want to understand!"

"Just leave me alone already!" she gritted out.

"Why won't you tell me? Why do you keep running away?"

They were sprinting through the streets now, evading anyone in their way. After some time, her breathing became more shallow – yet, one look behind her confirmed her that Gohan wasn't even breaking a sweat. His brow was deeply creased with confusion and worry, but also with an unwavering determination that Videl should've been surprised to find in him, given how he appeared to be from the outside. But she wasn't – she knew him, deep down.

She knew of his courage, of his gentleness, of his patience, of his stubbornness, and even, of his temper, and how it would take a whole lot to make Gohan lose it. She knew he had the purest heart and the kindest soul.

And she knew that – if she ever allowed it – in a not-so-distant future, he would love her with every fiber of his being, that he would do absolutely anything to make her smile. She was already familiar with how it would feel to be wrapped in his arms and bathe in his warmth, to listen to his heart as it beat as one with her own. To feel his unconditional love wash over her, to have the unadulterated certitude that she was his whole world, that she was his life. That he would give it up in a heartbeat for her. And to just, let herself drown completely in this feeling of utter bliss.

And yet, no matter how incredible and grand their story would have been, Videl was simply not willing to pay the price for it. She couldn't bear the idea of what her potential love story with that boy would turn her into. It was unacceptable. She could not, and would not, let herself mellow to the point of losing the vibrant, rebellious fire that defined her as a person – her essence, her individuality.

She had to stop that future from happening, to turn her back to her destiny. She had to get away from Gohan – before it was too late and she, irrevocably, fell helplessly in love with him.

"UGH!" Gohan groaned, the frustration heavy in his interjection. "Just, stop running already, Videl! Why can't we just talk? You know, like normal people!"

He was losing patience. It started making her smile – that the ever so calm and collected Son Gohan was actually losing his temper.

And then she scowled. "No! Just leave me alone already! I don't want anything to do with you!"

She made a sharp turn and crossed the street on a red light. Cars honked and braked with the ear-splitting screeching of their tires, but that didn't stop Videl, who just kept running until she reached the other side. She turned around; Gohan had halted at the red light, his eyes wide, gaping at her recklessness, and Videl threw him a pointed glare.

But Gohan glowered right back at her, his fists clenched at his sides, clearly very upset that she wouldn't give him any answers.

The cars had resumed their race, not without some colorful words and hand gestures directed at the hindrance that seemingly didn't care whether she caused a traffic accident. Videl paid them no mind, because now with the rushing vehicles acting as a barrier between the two sides of the road, she could finally lose the pest that wouldn't leave her alone.

She took off again, still running, figuring she might as well go home by foot instead of taking out her jet copter now – if she kept up the pace, she should get there in ten minutes tops.

Her breathing was labored but she felt a thousand times lighter. Finally! A relieved smile curved her lips as she no longer felt the oppressive presence of the potential love of her life behind her. She was finally getting some peace, at least until tomorrow – but, for now, Videl wanted to revel in this newfound albeit temporary consolation. She had hours before she had to worry about how to avoid Gohan, which wasn't going to be easy given Erasa's adamance in making sure the new student wasn't feeling left out.

But, for today, she was free. There was no need to dwell on her cursed visions – she was simply never going to let them come true.

Her pace slowed; Videl decided to walk the now short distance she had left before getting home. Inhaling deeply, she felt her heartbeat slowly come down to a more serene rhythm.


She held a small crystal ball, the size of baseball, into the palm of her hand, a satisfied grin etched across her lips. She had witnessed the whole scene earlier, how Gohan tried to talk to Videl and how she just up and ran away from him. But Paige had to know what happened next after they left the school grounds, and she was elated to behold that her plan working so perfectly.

Videl had actually fled the boy who was basically her soulmate! She was running away from the perfect life she was destined to lead: a loving and devoted husband, beautiful children, and a fulfilling professional career. Paige had been able to foresee the fated meeting between Videl and the boy who would end up bringing her the kind of joy that only a selected few had ever experienced.

She felt that premonition like an insult. How was that fair? She had to suffer the loss of her father, and yet the brat who had him locked up in the first place was out there living her happily ever after?

No way. No way in hell. Unacceptable. That so-called crime fighter didn't deserve to find love. She should suffer in loneliness. She didn't deserve the perfect life that should've been her destiny.

Did Videl even realize what she had done? Not only had she put an innocent man behind bars, but he was killed shortly after getting in prison. How would a mild-mannered man like her father ever hold out in such a horrible place filled with horrible people? He hadn't deserved to die like that – he'd just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. But why would Videl care about the truth? She saw someone looking suspicious in a crime scene and made up her mind about him, beat him into a pulp before handing him to the police. And why would they doubt her word? Everything she or her father said was like the word of God for the people of this damned planet.

Some justice that was! To think that girl actually thought of herself as a hero!

Her indignation and resentment had gotten so strong and vivid that her latent psychic powers suddenly amplified to unexpected levels. Paige had used that opportunity to practice her magic and plot her revenge on the teenage crime fighter.

It had worked better than she would've ever dreamed. Paige cackled, feeling a wicked pleasure at her nemesis' misfortune, still observing the crystal orb with elation.

And then she blanched, her jaw slackening.

"Wh… What?" Paige blubbered. She couldn't believe her own eyes, and yet…!

Was fate going against her? Why was this happening when those two had gone their separate ways already?

Paige scowled. Well, no matter. Even if that foolish boy tried to get close to Videl, she was never going to let that happen, not with the visions of her distorted future that the magic-wielder had put into her head.


Gohan had turned away, grumbling to himself about this stubborn girl who seemed determined to keep him in the dark about what was going on and how it tied to the two of them.

But he couldn't get her out of his head. The boy raked a hand through his spiky hair and let out a dissatisfied sigh. Why wouldn't she just talk to him about what was obviously bothering her? And why on earth was she not the slightest bit astounded at his physical prowess in PE? Not that Gohan wanted to stand out, but it would've at least made some kind of sense!

And what was up with her, running away from him like he was diseased or something? Gohan didn't believe he was asking for too much. Videl's attitude toward him had been more than confusing ever since their first meeting by the bank, and she just expected him tolet it go?

He let out a long breath. He was overreacting. He couldn't let her get to him. Only bad things came out of him losing his temper.

Gohan decided to take a walk around the city to cool off. That Videl really did a number on him. It usually took a lot to make him upset, but that girl knew just which buttons to push to make him lose his temper.

He came out of an alleyway and turned his head to the left – and there she was.

He wasn't expecting to run into her again, but somehow fate wasn't finished with them yet. He blinked, trying to figure out how on earth he ended up crossing paths with Videl again without even trying.

Should he attempt to get answers from her again...?

She was strolling on the sidewalk, a little distance away; her arms swayed gently to and fro with each leisure step she took, eyes raised to the afternoon sky; she even had a slight smile curving her lips. For the first time today, her features weren't taut in a scowl, and the serene and peaceful atmosphere surrounding her brought out her smooth and harmonious traits.

And Gohan found himself staring, his breath itching ever so slightly.

Videl lowered her head to watch where she was going – and she froze, gaping at him; she obviously didn't expect to see him again after ditching him earlier at the stop sign. Neither did he, for that matter.

And then her expression soured, and Gohan couldn't help thinking to himself just how different she looked depending on her mood.

"Are you serious?" she groaned, hiding her eyes with her hand.

"Hey, I wasn't looking for you or anything. I was just taking a stroll and there you were," Gohan defended himself.

"Well, go away. Can't you take a hint already?"

"What hint? I have absolutely no clue as to what's going on!" he exclaimed with a wide movement of his arms, his exasperation resurfacing.

She rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. Her traits were now taut in antipathy, her harsh expression making his brow furrow deeply.

She looked a million times better when she smiled, Gohan found himself remarking to himself.

"Then let me make myself one-hundred percent clear, Gohan," she growled, coming up to him. She poked his chest with her forefinger, having to crane her neck now because of their height difference. Yet, even as tiny as she was, Gohan had to admit that there was something quite intimidating about her. She stretched out her words as she continued, "I do not want anything to do with you. Got it?"

His eyebrows dipped lower, trying to reach the bridge of his nose. "But why?"

Videl moved away from him and threw her arms in the air. "GAH! Why can't you just let it go already? I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"I think you do," Gohan countered, keeping his voice calm as he crossed his arms. "And I don't think I'm asking for that much. I just want to understand, Videl, and then I'll leave you alone."

His reasonable request and pacifying tone did nothing to tame the fire in the girl, though.

"Ugh! I've had it!" She swiftly turned to the side and ran to the other side of the street, but on this part of the city, where suburban neighborhoods replaced the more bustling areas of the city downtown, traffic was calm and scarce.

Gohan sighed deeply as he watched her go, and he scratched his hair, wondering if the answer to his interrogations were really worth the trouble.

Still, he wasn't one to give up, even when his adversary seemed adamant to put up a good fight.

More importantly, he had to find out what Videl knew about him. He'd just met her today, and even putting aside her obvious animosity toward him, he couldn't risk having his secrets exposed to the world; he had to protect his family.

His dress shoes crunched on the grass beneath him; Videl had run to a nearby town park, maybe hoping to lose him among the trees. His arm reached out and Gohan caught her forearm, finally putting a stop to the chase. He made sure to put just enough pressure to prevent another escape without harming her.

It left him with an odd sensation; her slim yet shrewd arm that felt so small in his large and rough hand.

He didn't let go even as she tried to shrug him off – he wasn't letting her run off again this time!

"Ugh!" she growled in frustration, yet she wouldn't stop struggling even though it was painfully obvious that she wasn't going to free herself from his grip. "What the hell! Why can't I…? Gah! Just let me go already!"

"Not until you explain," Gohan didn't let up. His gaze swept around them, for he worried that bystanders might think he was attacking a girl. Luckily, however, they weren't in the more crowded area of the park; tall trees surrounded them, the leaves casting their shadow over the teens, leaving just a few cracks for the sun rays.

"I don't owe you anything!" Videl retorted heatedly. Her blue eyes were throwing flames at him; so vibrant and stubborn. "And you know what? You can keep asking for an explanation all you want because I'm never telling you what's going on! You won't win against me in a battle of will!"

Her defiance stirred something in him. Gohan's frown kept digging lower as he let himself take on her challenge.

"I can be just as stubborn, if not more if I want to," he claimed, his voice rising ever so slightly. "Don't underestimate me just because I don't seem strong!"

She kept struggling against his grip, but Gohan wouldn't let go. Now it had become a matter of pride rather than a quest for an explanation. He had well-understood that he wasn't going to get through to that hot-headed girl, at least not today, and certainly not like this. But it was too late to give up now: he had answered her challenge, and Gohan would be damned if he was going to lose against her.

He had faced Freeza; he had defeated Cell. He wasn't going to let this girl get the better of him!

"UGH!" Videl groaned again, her frustration growing at the obvious gap of strength between them.

"Just tell me already," Gohan tried again, his tone getting weary. "There's obviously something going on, and as you can see, I'm not going to back down until I've had my answers."

"No!"

"Seriously?" Gohan shook his head and sighed. "I swear, we're going to stay here until tomorrow at this rate."

"I'm not telling you anything!" she shot back once more, her eyes narrowed to murder him with more precision with the dagger they were throwing at him.

"Well, I'm not letting you go until you tell me," Gohan countered in a bout of childishness. "So I guess we're just gonna stay here all night!"

She gritted her teeth, pure contempt emanating from her aura. "Why are you so damn annoying! I can't believe I would ever bake brownies for you!"

The statement was so confusing and out of the blue – and what kind of context was he missing here? Why would she ever bake brownies for him? Not that he knew her that well or anything, but Gohan could hardly fathom this girl ever busying herself in a kitchen, let alone to cook or bake for him. What the heck did that even mean?

Caught off guard and thoroughly befuddled by what Videl had blurted out, Gohan's grip on her arm loosened – just enough for the teenage crime fighter to jerk him off her and, once again, start running away from him.

But this time she threw something on the ground and the characteristic poof of a capsule being opened soon followed. A yellow jet copter appeared among the smoke and Videl didn't even wait for it to dissipate; she hurried in and took off, finally escaping the dumbfounded teenage boy.

He blinked at the leaves-cloaked sky, still trying to process Videl's weird statement and her swift evasion. Brownies? Why would she even…? Where did that even come from? And why brownies, for that matter? What a weird girl!

And now he was getting hungry from thinking so much about brownies! And he still had not the slightest idea why Videl was acting so strange with him!

Seriously, what was up with that girl?


Hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^^ Thank you for reading, and special thanks to Rockstone and Kakarot Son for beta reading, as well as to Mr. Me and for their help during the writing process, and again Rockstone who gets credit for the idea of the brownie line lol. XD March 24, 2020