Chapter Six

His Accidental Physical Prowess


Birds chirped outside the window. Their songs sounded close, and Videl's drowsy mind figured that they were perched on the balcony ledge again. It was a nicer way to wake up than to the shrill of her alarm clock, at least. She'd turned off said alarm clock before it could go off since she was already awake, for that matter.

She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes. Her head was still hazy from sleep, and she had already forgotten what she'd dreamed about. Wasn't about her life as the wife of Gohan, that was for sure.

As much as that was a relief, Videl still couldn't wrap her mind around what it could possibly mean. Was she even psychic at all, like Gohan had suggested? If so, why had the dreams stopped altogether for nearly a full week? Shouldn't she be dreaming about her changed destiny now? If she truly had the ability to foresee the future, why had her visions only been focused on her life as the mellow housewife she never thought she could become?

It felt as though she would never have the answers to those questions.

As she got up and started getting ready for the day, a scowl tightened her traits. She hated unsolved mysteries. It was bad enough that she had to repress her curiosity about Gohan, but it didn't look like she would ever know why or how she got those visions in the first place, either.

Could it have been a temporary thing? It didn't make any sense. Nothing seemed to make sense lately. Like at school, for instance. It was the end of Gohan's first week there, and as the days went by, Videl couldn't help but wonder how in the world nobody had the slightest clue that he wasn't what he appeared to be ━ well, tried to, anyway.

His superior intellect made him stand out for sure, but there was nothing abnormal about that. It may be a little off-putting at times, how effortlessly he aced all of the classes, but Gohan wasn't the first academic genius to walk the Earth, after all.

His accidental physical prowess, however, was another story. He would get weird looks when he ran tracks without breaking a sweat, or when he would throw a baseball too strong, or when he would effortlessly catch any soccer ball coming his way as the goalie. From time to time, he would try to look bad and purposely let a few in.

Yet, at the same time, Gohan managed to blend in, waving off the curious stares or inquiries with an awkward smile or a nervous laugh, both of which often involved him scratching the back of his head.

And nobody else thought much of it, giving a shrug and not looking to understand. Videl didn't get it. Keeping herself from asking Gohan a billion questions was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. It made her want to pull her hair and cry out in frustration. How could they not see that Gohan wasn't like everyone else? How could they not make the connection between Gohan asking to go to the bathroom almost every time she got a call from the police, and the Great Saiyaman showing up to fight crime at each of those instances?

As his superhero alter-ego, Videl had to admit that he helped out a lot. He was quick and efficient if anything else. But he was still making a fool of himself with his ridiculous routine, what with the corny speeches and the weird poses. He always looked so proud of himself, too, as though he thoroughly believed that he was the coolest. At least he seemed to have fun with his new role.

He did keep his promise to stay away from her. Even when they happened to fight crime together, they barely interacted. He was still friends with Erasa, Sharpner, and most of their classmates really, so it wasn't like he was missing anything in the socializing department.

Erasa had been quite upset after Gohan told her he didn't want to impose himself on Videl, who clearly didn't want him around. The usually bubbly blonde had stomped toward her in the hallways during lunchtime and showed a rare moment of animosity.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded to her best friend. "Gohan is, like, the sweetest guy ever! Why are you so mean to him? What has he done to you? Surely there must be something, because I honestly don't understand why you would act this way."

Videl had sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. For a brief moment, she considered telling her friend the truth. But the thought was quickly discarded: if Erasa ever found out what those damned visions had shown her, Videl was positive that she would try and play matchmaker and ruin everything.

"Look, Erasa, it's nothing against him, and I'm not stopping you from being his friend."

The blonde instantly calmed down, her shoulders relaxing. "Oh."

"Just, don't force me to hang out with him, alright?"

And the frown was back. "But why? Why are you so adamant to push him away?"

But what could she answer to that? The truth was out of the question, and she couldn't think of any plausible explanation for her decision to keep away from Gohan.

Videl came out of her musing when a plate was set on the table right before her. She didn't really remember how she got to the dining room, getting through her morning routine on autopilot.

"Thanks, uh… Penny?"

The maid smiled and nodded. She was a new addition to the staff and Videl was glad she got her name right.

"Wasn't my father supposed to come back today?" she asked, her gaze sweeping around the dining room. The chair at the other side of the extra-long table was empty once again.

"His trip has been extended. I'm sorry."

She acknowledged the young woman's sympathy with a nod of her head. Penny excused herself with a bow, and Videl sighed softly, picking up the silverware to start eating.

Her dad kept going on business trips lately. A part of her was relieved not to see him, because then, she would have to confront him about his lie to the world, which wasn't something she was looking forward to. Another part of her was furious at him. What he had done was simply despicable. He'd made the whole world worship him like a god over a lie. She couldn't believe he would do something like that. She felt betrayed; she'd always admired him and looked up to him, and she had honestly believed he had saved the world. She had been proud to be his daughter, even if stepping out of his shadow wasn't always easy. And now…

Videl set her fork and knife on the table. She'd lost her appetite.

Another part of her wished she didn't know the truth. At least then, she wouldn't know that she was the daughter of a fraud.


A breeze rustled his hair and Gohan raised his head, leaning back against the tree trunk. He closed his eyes for a moment, and a small, content smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He kept his hand flat on the open Physics book that rested over his crossed legs so as not to lose his page while he took the time to appreciate the moment. The air might not as pure as back home in the mountains, but Gohan had to admit that Orange Star High School had beautiful open spaces.

His smile never leaving his face, he dipped his nose right back into the heavy book on his lap. He had found it from the school library under the education section. Never had he been more thrilled to know that these houses of knowledge would have college-grade textbooks just waiting for him, for free, to browse at his leisure.

"Yo, Gohan!"

The studious boy looked up at the familiar voice and his lips dug further into his cheeks as his friend Sharpner jogged up to him. Upon reaching him, the long-haired blond rolled his eyes and made a face.

"C'mon, dude, lose the book and come play soccer with us. We're missing a player and I want you as my goalie."

Things had certainly changed since Gohan's first day of school. Sharpner, especially, had done a complete one-eighty. On that first day, he had been adamant that he did not want Gohan on his team, convinced that nerds couldn't play sports. Yet, over the week, and despite Gohan's best efforts to appear normal, his abilities made him stand out, and, as a result, he had now become Sharpner's first pick every time they played a team sport. At least, nobody seemed to suspect that he was much, much stronger than he let on.

Well, nobody else. Videl was another story. That girl was too sharp for her own good, and her hypothetical psychic powers definitely didn't work in his favor.

But it looked like he was in the clear with everyone else. And, as a bonus, the jocks came to like him and would often invite him to play with them or hang out after school.

Gohan usually declined. For one thing, he wasn't quite confident that he could control his strength enough and not hurt someone by accident during a game. PE class was strenuous enough.

"Is Videl playing too? You know she's been avoiding me…" he said with a grimace, head tilted to the side.

That was the other thing. Videl was an athlete and she often played with the boys, therefore, Gohan had no choice but to keep his distance with her.

Some part of him didn't honestly think that Videl would actually out him in the event that he broke his side of the deal. But a promise was a promise, and Gohan was the kind of person who believed that giving one's word meant something.

He still had no idea what that girl knew about him or how, although it did sound like some kind of magic was involved. She definitely knew things about him, and that was excluding that time she had only needed her deductive mind to figure out that he was the Great Saiyaman on his very first encounter with her as a superhero. The memory of her tricking him still made him feel like the biggest fool.

He wished she would tell him more about what she'd seen. Would his father really come back?

Sharpner rolled his eyes at his inquiry. "It's fine. I made sure to ask her and she's okay with you joining in."

Gohan raised his eyebrows. "She is?"

Now that was a surprise. Although he was always a little bit on the fence about playing any kind of sport at school, especially team sports, for fear of hurting someone by accident, so far nothing of the sort had happened. And, Gohan had to admit, it did sound like fun.

"Alright then." He put a bookmark in the borrowed book and stood, facing a grinning Sharpner. "Let me just put this in my locker. Besides, I need to get my running shoes too."

Sharpner laughed and gave him a strong pat on the back. "You're such a nerd, Gohan."

The spiky-haired boy smiled at the friendly teasing. He had learned over the past week that this was simply how Sharpner acted with his pals.


As far as Videl and Gohan were concerned, things seemed to go perfectly. They actually looked like they were purposely avoiding each other, which Paige couldn't be happier about. But she, herself, hadn't been able to make any progress with the boy over the week. She had introduced herself to him and even flirted with him, but her advances seemed to fly high, very high over his head. He was completely oblivious as to the interest she not-so-sublty showed towards him. Gohan was one dense boy, that was for sure.

She had meant to look for him during the break but Sharpner had gotten to him first and coersed him into joining in a game of soccer. Oh, well. There was no rush anyway. What mattered most was Videl's certain unhappiness, and seeing her actively avoid the potential love of her life was quite enjoyable, for sure.

Paige contented herself with watching the ongoing soccer game. Videl and Gohan were on opposite teams, but the psychic girl wasn't worried in the least. Even if Videl receeded and agreed to play soccer with Gohan, Paige figured it was probably because Sharpner pestered her until she relented. It didn't mean she was warming up to him or letting her guard down. She was just doing a friend a favor by accepting Gohan in their game.

There was definitely more to the new kid than he let on. He was an exceptional athlete despite not looking like one, easily rivaling someone as strong and skilled as Videl. It was no wonder that it took someone so smart and strong to catch Videl's attention. Too bad for them, Paige had no intention to let things go as fated. There would be no happily ever after for them, and especially for Videl. Paige would make sure of that. Gohan would probably be better off without that pain in the ass anyway.

The girl quickly got bored of the game and decided to occupy her time in another manner for the remeaning time of the break. There would be other opportunities to ask Gohan out. She wasn't in any rush, and there was always next week. She planned to practice her magic skills this weekend anyway.


They had about twenty minutes left out of the thirty-minute long midday break. For Gohan, the goalie position was the safest choice. Here, in front of the net, he needn't worry about running too fast, or kicking the ball too strong, or accidentally hurting another player who would be trying to tackle him and whatnot. Here, his one duty was to watch the game and be ready to catch the ball.

Videl was the only girl playing, and she was in the opposing team. Correction: she was captain of the opposing team. She and Sharpner usually led the games, whether in PE or just for fun.

The white and black ball skyrocketed straight for the side of the net once more. Videl's leg was still up in the air after the powerful kick, but Gohan was quick to dive to the ball and caught it between his gloved hands, doing a flip to land on his feet in a crouched position.

His team cheered for him while the opposing side groaned. Gohan gave an awkward smile. He wondered if any of them would have been able to catch the shot. Was it too much? Should he take it down a notch? Or maybe a few dozens of notches?

Not trusting his kicks, Gohan gently threw the ball to one of his teammates. He winced as the midfielder stopped it with his torso and had to take a step back from the hit. But the game resumed and the other boy seemed fine; Gohan sighed in relief.

The ball was passed around a few times, until Sharpner got the ball and ran straight for the goal. An opposing midfielder got in his way, but the team captain skillfully swiveled around to dodge the tackle ━ only to come face to face with Videl, who was far from finished yet. This time, Sharpner had trouble going past her, so he passed the ball to another forward player.

But Videl was able to get in the middle and rushed past them with the ball. The opposing team passed it around, and Gohan crouched slightly, getting ready to catch a possible new goal attempt.

Videl had the ball again. She sure was something, that girl. Gohan couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of his lips at the fiery tenacity in her eyes. She was determined to score a goal, he could tell as much. Even knowing about his abilities, Videl wasn't letting that fact bring her down, and Gohan had a feeling that she wouldn't like it if he let her win a point on purpose.

She was getting ready to shoot, and Gohan's eyes narrowed slightly. His instinct told him that she was going to try a feint ━ and he'd been right. Videl passed the ball at the last moment instead of attempting to score, and without missing a beat, Gohan dove as another forward kicked the shot. He stopped the ball with his fist ━ but the hit had been too strong and the ball went flying all across the other side of the field; it hurtled by so fast that everyone's reflex has been to get out of its way.

Gohan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head as everyone stared at him. Man, that had been too close. Anyone getting in the way of that ball could've gotten seriously hurt.

Videl was frowning at him, clearly having the same thought.

The bell rang at that moment, saving Gohan the trouble to explain himself. Neither team had managed to score a goal in the end.

"Man, Gohan, you sure pack a punch," Sharpner commented as they headed back to class. "You positive you don't want to join the boxing club?"

As usual, the demi-Saiyan responded with an awkward chuckle.


Gohan headed for the roof like every day after school so he could take off from there and head home. He opened the door of the enclosed area that housed the staircase and stepped outside, closing it behind him.

"You know you suck at hiding your powers, right?"

The voice made him jump. Dang, he really needed to keep his guard up at all times, didn't he? Going to school was going to be exhausting at this rate.

He made a face. "Yeah, I know…"

Then again, nobody was supposed to be on the roof. He certainly hadn't expected to see Videl, of all people, waiting for him there, let alone to talk to him. She had made herself clear that she didn't want to be friends, even though she wouldn't say why or what she had seen with her psychic powers that would make her want to stay away from him. Still, Gohan had been honoring his end of the deal and keeping his distance.

She was leaning against the wall by the door, her arms crossed as she observed him with squinted eyes.

"And yet, somehow, nobody suspects you." The girl shook her head. "I don't get it. You're so obvious, and nobody seems to care."

Gohan frowned and tilted his head in confusion. "Isn't that a good thing for me?"

"I guess. You could've hurt someone earlier, though. You're usually less… show-off-y when you play a team sport during PE."

He scratched his hair at the back of his head, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "I didn't mean to show off, but I guess I was having fun. And, well…"

He trailed off and Videl focused her deep blue eyes on him. Her undivided attention troubled him and he looked away.

"I had a feeling that you wouldn't have liked it if I'd let you score a goal on purpose."

"That's a good guess," she said. "I appreciate that."

He glanced at her, wondering if she somehow had a change of heart, or maybe if she "saw" something new that made her let her guard down around him.

He wanted to ask her, but his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. Gohan wasn't sure why. Maybe he was enjoying the atmosphere between them and didn't want to ruin it. Maybe he liked that she wasn't avoiding eye contact with him like she usually would, even though her clever gaze somewhat rattled him.

"You should still work on hiding your powers better, though," she said, her expression turning serious. "Even though nobody seems to have a clue, you kinda feel like a ticking time bomb to me, and I wouldn't want some poor sap to get hurt when you're not being careful enough."

His lips pursed in understanding. Gohan nodded his head. "You're right."

So that was the reason that caused Videl to talk to him. Perhaps she'd been testing him earlier during the soccer game, to see if he could be a danger to their peers. As much as the mere idea sickened him, Gohan had to admit that there was more than some truth to it ━ especially after what happened right before the bell rang.

His face hardened. "I'll work on it. You don't have to worry."

She nodded her head sharply and turned to the roof exit. "That's good to know."

She was about the close the door behind her when Gohan suddenly piped, "Have a nice weekend!"

Videl looked at him over her shoulder and gave a smirk. "You too."

After she was gone, Gohan stood there listening to the sound of her steps until she was too far down for his hearing to pick up.

Letting out a deep sigh, the boy turned his back to the staircase house and looked at the sky. An idea was forming in his head. Pushing the red button on his watch, he transformed in the Great Saiyaman and flew off, not taking his usual route home.

He needed to train. It was as simple as that. Vegeta was right: the years of peace had made him too soft. At home, Gohan only needed to watch out his strength enough not to break stuff, which didn't demand that much effort. But while playing a sport, that was a different story. PE class was strenuous enough, and if he wanted to partake in team games during class breaks as well, the demi-Saiyan knew he would need to have a better grasp of his ki.

And he knew the perfect candidate to help him with his predicament.

He'd been meaning to visit Piccolo anyway.

May 30, 2020