Please Friendzone Me!

Chapter 19

As the Sun Rose

When Gohan came out of the bathroom wearing his pajamas, Booker seemed to be getting ready to head out.

"Everyone's going out again tonight," Booker said. "You're not coming?"

"No, I'm pretty beat," Gohan replied, "so I'm just going to turn in."

"Okay. That's too bad though."

Gohan smiled. What a stark contrast to how Booker was to him at the beginning of the field trip. This was nice.

He went to his bed while his roommate finished getting everything he needed in his pockets.

"Where are you guys going tonight, by the way?" Gohan asked, relaxing on his bed on top of the covers, his pillow propping up his back.

"There's a band playing in a bar." Looking at his reflection in the mirror by the closet, Booker combed his hands through his short brown hair. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather come with us? It should be fun," he added, shooting him a sideways glance.

"I don't really feel like sneaking out again, to be honest. Besides, I need to get some sleep."

Booker shrugged, before checking himself over in the mirror one last time.

At that moment, there was a cheery knock on the door. The boys shared a look, then Gohan got up. "I'll get it."

He pulled the door open and was met with three familiar faces. His eyes lit up. "Hey, guys! What are you doing here?"

"Videl said you weren't gonna sneak out with everyone tonight, so we came to you!" Erasa chirped, clapping her hands.

Gohan chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I meant to turn in early though…"

"That's what I told her, but you know how Erasa is," Videl said with a roll of her eyes.

"It's fine, I don't mind. Come on in." Gohan stepped back to let the group of three inside the hotel room.

"Hey, Booker!" Erasa waved at him. The brown-haired boy gave an awkward smile, his cheeks tinting with pink.

"Hey, Erasa. Hey, guys," he added for Videl and Sharpner.

"Sup," the latter greeted, giving him a nod.

"You guys aren't going to see the band tonight?" Booker inquired.

Erasa sat on Gohan's bed, leaning back onto her hands. "Nope. The band sounds fun and all, but we'd rather hang out together."

"And Brains' room is the best place not to get caught by the teacher," Sharpner added. "She's never gonna be looking for us in the top student's room."

Gohan gave a small laugh. "Fair enough."

"You're welcome to join us, by the way," Erasa smiled at Booker.

He scratched his cheek. "S-Sure… Sounds fun."

"Sorry you got all dressed up for nothing," Erasa said with a giggle. He was wearing a nice black button-up shirt and dark gray jeans.

Booker blushed, shuffling his feet. "It's fine… I better get more comfortable though."

"Too bad, I kinda like the look." Erasa winked at him, causing the boy's face to turn even redder.

He cleared his throat. "Just… give me a moment."

He went to the closet and opened a drawer, yanking a couple items before rushing into the bathroom.

Erasa hopped to her feet and strolled over to the closet. "Do you mind if I take a look at your wardrobe? I'm a little curious."

Gohan quirked his eyebrows at her in amusement. "About what? You've seen my clothes – you've picked out a few of them too. But, well, sure – I don't mind. Go ahead."

Erasa winked at him, her hands on both of the doorknobs of the closet. "Thanks, sweetie."

She opened it wide and started browsing through the clothes hanging on the suspension bar. She perked up and pulled out a very special orange jacket with black sleeves and a black collar.

"Is this yours? It's too big to be Booker's. It's so nice! Why haven't you worn it yet?"

"Surprised you own something like this," Sharpner commented. "It's pretty cool. Totally different from your usual style."

Gohan's eyes shone with longing as he gazed at the jacket. "It's more of a… keepsake. I didn't bring it to wear – it's not really mine, either."

He caught Videl's gaze who seemed to observe him thoughtfully. Then, her attention returned to the jacket, squinting at the sleeve with the fifty-nine print.

"Was it… your dad's?" she said in a hushed voice.

Gohan cracked an amused smile. "How do you keep figuring out everything about me?"

"The fifty-nine," Videl explained. "The five and the nine stand for Goku. It was his, wasn't it?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. I like having it close to me. It reminds me of the good times we had together."

The door to the bathroom opened at that moment and out came Booker, now dressed in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants.

He paused, not sure what to make of the mood he had walked into. Erasa smiled at him, before turning to Gohan with kind eyes.

"Why don't you try it on?" she suggested. "It looks like it's your size too."

Booker kept quiet and went to sit at the desk so as not to disturb whatever was going on.

"I guess there's no harm in that…" Gohan said softly.

Erasa held the jacket up to make it easier for him to put it on. His back to her, Gohan slipped his arms in the sleeves and pulled at the hems. He looked at his reflection, and for a moment he thought he saw his father smiling back at him. His chest tightened.

Videl was right – the resemblance between his dad and him was striking. It was no wonder everyone in the class made the connection after seeing pictures and paintings of Son Goku in the exhibition yesterday.

His lips curved into a melancholic smile as he studied his image in the mirror. The jacket was a perfect fit. To think, he was already the same height and built as his father back then…

A gentle hand rubbed his back in a soothing motion. Gohan turned to Videl, his eyes brimming with emotions.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a whisper.

He nodded. "Yeah… I just… miss him a lot."

"Oh, Gohan…"

She pulled him into a tight hug, and Gohan closed his misty eyes as he held her close, letting her warmth soothe his aching heart. He buried his nose in her neck and breathed in deeply, sweet notes of flowers filling his nostrils.

Goodness, where had this girl been all his life?

Videl pulled back, a gentle smile on her lips. It was hard to remember they weren't alone. Sometimes, when he looked at Videl, Gohan just forgot there was a world outside of them; that anything existed outside of her.

"The jacket looks great on you," she complimented him. "You should start wearing it – I'm sure your dad would've liked that."

Gohan glanced at his reflection again and smiled. "Yeah, I think I will."

A wince scrunched up his face when the first sunrays of the day hit his closed eyelids. Gohan sighed softly and hugged his soft pillow closer as the fog of slumber slowly faded away.

He felt so warm and cozy; he wished he could just keep sleeping. Alas, his brain was waking up regardless. Gohan opened his eyes, head still hazy, and then a gentle smile formed on his lips as he was met with the most angelic vision.

He wasn't hugging a pillow – Videl was sleeping in his arms, all snuggled up to him.

They must have dozed off sometime during the movie last night. They had pushed the twin beds together for the five of them to get comfortable and watch some action flick. Behind Videl, Sharpner, Erasa, and Booker were also in deep sleep, and kinda snuggling too.

His gaze shifted back onto Videl's lovely face. He brushed a few strands of hair off her forehead, and his heart swelled. Waking up holding Videl in his arms… It just… It felt so right. Gohan didn't remember the last time he felt such pure joy. Maybe when Goten was born…

This was crazy. How could the birth of his little brother, the one person he loved more than anything in the world, compare with something as simple as waking up next to Videl?

His heartbeat picked up as his eyes lingered on her peaceful face. A lump rose in his throat.

Right. Of course…

He couldn't fool himself anymore, could he? Try as he might to deny it, to pretend he wasn't feeling this… It was too late. Gohan was in too deep already.

The way he felt about Videl… It ran so much deeper than friendship. The truth was… he was falling for her. He was falling for Videl… For the one person who was quickly becoming his best friend.

He grazed her cheek with the back of his fingers and let out a dejected sigh.

What did I get myself into…?

At least, everything made sense now. He finally had the answer to all the confusing things that had been going on with him: why he couldn't help staring at her at times, why she was always on his mind, why he had that cursed yet oh-so delectable dream about her, why he kept getting that overwhelming urge to kiss her and how he nearly went for it more than once in the past few days… It was never only physical attraction or his teenage hormones. These things didn't make it easier for him, for sure, but they were just the tip of the iceberg.

Yes, it all made sense now.

But that was all there was to it. He and Videl would never be that way. She only saw him as a friend; she said it herself more than once yesterday alone every time someone presumed there was more between them.

This explained why he would get a pang in his chest every time that happened, for that matter.

More… It could have been so nice if Videl felt the same way… If they could have been more… More than friends.

Gohan tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her intoxicating scent.

Goodness, he liked her so much… How could he have been so blind? It felt so obvious now, so evident. The way he couldn't help wanting to be close to her, to touch her, to hold her close… It wasn't like him to get so touchy-feely, especially with someone who wasn't family, but with Videl, he just couldn't help it. He craved for her presence, for her warmth, for her scent…

He craved for her. He wanted to be with her.

… Could Videl come to like him in that way in time? They had only known each other for a few weeks, yet they were so close already. Surely that meant something, right? Even if Videl liked someone else right now… Maybe he could help her move on? Maybe it wasn't completely hopeless and he just needed to be patient…

He sighed tiredly, before forcing himself to pull away from her and get up. He felt some resistance as a groan of protest grumbled from Videl's chest, and the boy cracked a fond smile at her instinctive reaction. Her grip on him was strong, and a part of him pondered whether he should just stay where he was and go back to sleep.

In the end, Gohan went against his heart and extricated himself from Videl's hold. Sitting on the side of his bed, he leaned over her and ran his fingers through her silky raven locks. Her hair was so beautiful…

Everything about her was beautiful: her eyes, her lips, her face, her skin, her curves, her muscles… but also her laugh, her strong will, her fighting spirits, her drive, her intelligence.

But the most beautiful thing about Videl, what he absolutely adored about her – was her heart.

Had it been inevitable? Was there any way he could have avoided feeling this way? Perhaps in an alternate universe, he was content just being friends with Videl.

His chest tightened as he recalled what Videl said about her crush. The pull she had talked about… The way she couldn't help feeling drawn to that guy, and how she couldn't stop herself from falling for him, no matter how hard she tried to resist.

He got it. All of it – it was exactly the way he felt about her.

Gohan turned away and got to his feet, heaving a sigh. He wished it could've been him, that Videl had been speaking so fondly about him.

He glanced her way once more, as she slept peacefully.

He wasn't losing hope. He didn't want to believe that his very first crush was doomed to never pan out. It couldn't be over already when it never got a chance to properly begin. Gohan refused to accept that possibility.

He wanted to be with Videl. Even if he ended up with a broken heart, he had to give it a shot. He had to try, at the very least.

He could sure use some advice, though…

Booker was still blushing while he got ready for the day. To think he would wake up cuddling with his crush… Erasa hadn't seemed to mind when she woke up either. She gave him an adorably sheepish smile and said he was a pretty comfy pillow.

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face just thinking about it.

He walked out of the bathroom and came upon a very pensive Gohan, sitting on his bed leaning forward with his forearms against his thighs. He seemed to be staring at an invisible spot on the carpet.

Gohan had already been up and ready by the time the rest of them woke up. Something seemed a bit off about him. His usual easy smile had felt somewhat toned down, perhaps a little melancholic too. Something was definitely on his mind, but Booker wasn't sure it was his place to ask him about it. They were friendly enough now, sure, but he and Gohan weren't very close.

"We should head down for breakfast," Booker said.

Gohan raised his head at the sound of his voice and his frown slowly melted away.

"Right."

He stood and went to the closet, pulling out his dad's fifty-nine jacket.

Last night, when she saw his confusion, Erasa had explained to Booker what was going on about the jacket and why it meant so much to Gohan. Booker thought it was pretty cool that the numbers five and nine stood for the name Goku. The jacket sure looked good on Gohan, too.

The boys walked out of the hotel room and crossed the hallway toward the elevator. Booker shot glances at Gohan now and then – he was frowning again, looking deep in thought.

They stood at the end of the corridor, waiting for the elevator. The silence dragged on.

"Hey, Booker," Gohan finally spoke.

The brown-haired boy perked up. "Yeah?"

"You know how I've been homeschooled before I started school with you guys, right?"

Booker nodded, making a sound of confirmation. "What about it?"

"Well… I just…" Gohan flushed brightly, scratching his hair. At that moment, the elevator stopped at their floor and the doors slid open.

Booker and Gohan got in, joining the few people already inside. The button for the ground floor was already lit.

"What did you want to ask me?" Booker whispered to Gohan. He was hoping Gohan wasn't going to shy away from the conversation because of their company.

Gohan glanced at him, his cheeks reddening some more. "Well, you see, I'm not very good at social cues because I've been homeschooled all my life."

"Fair. What are you struggling with?"

Gohan's blush deepened even more, his face almost glowing crimson. He adverted his gaze and scratched his cheek. "Um…" He cleared his throat. "Fl… Flirting…"

Booker raised his eyebrows, his head tilting slightly. Now that was unexpected.

Then again, Gohan was always completely oblivious whenever a girl hit on him. Maybe he finally got a clue. Or wanted to.

"You mean, you want to be able to recognize when a girl flirts with you?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I… I want to know how to… um… flirt."

Booker stared at him dumbly. Did Gohan really not know? Even with how sheltered he was, hadn't he ever read about fictional characters flirting at the very least? How could anyone remain so innocent at their age?

Gohan had his attention fully focused on his shoes, his shoulders tense.

"It's just, um… There's… There's a girl I like." His blush shone even brighter. "But I don't think she feels the same. So I thought maybe I could… I don't know, change the way she sees me somehow."

Huh. So that was what had been on his mind. Gohan must be talking about Videl. She was the girl he was closest to, by a mile, and even Sharpner and Erasa saw that there was something going on between them, if their conversation by the pool yesterday was anything to go by.

But why would Gohan think Videl didn't feel the same way? Who else if not him would be her mysterious crush? Her best friends seemed to think so too.

"So… um… You got any pointers?" Gohan mumbled.

Booker jolted out of it, remembering that Gohan was asking him for advice.

"Right. Sure, I know how it works." In theory, anyway, he added for himself. Gohan didn't need to know that he had been pining for the same girl for over two years without ever doing anything about it. Erasa was way out of his league anyway.

Or so he used to think. Well, he still did, but after hanging with her last night, Booker was starting to believe his chances with her weren't totally nonexistent after all.

"There's casual physical contact," he started listing. "Eye contact is important too, and give her your full attention. Banter with her, laugh at her jokes, and compliment the way she looks and the way she is too. Hmm…" He paused, holding his chin as he wondered whether he forgot anything.

The elevator stopped at the third floor, and more people ushered in. Booker and Gohan found themselves nearly backed up in a corner.

"Is that really flirting?" Gohan whispered in inquiry, a hand over the side of his mouth. "It sounds like normal interactions between friends."

"Well, sure, friends do most of those things too I guess, but usually you wouldn't, say, whisper something in a friend's ear, or stroke their cheek, or stare intently at their lips. That's definitely flirting."

Gohan's eyes widened slightly, unfocused, while his face flared up once more. "That's…? Seriously…?" he mumbled.

"What's the matter?"

"Have I been… flirting with Videl all along?" he whispered under his breath, disbelief lacing every word.

Booker raised an eyebrow. Had Gohan really done all these things with Videl? And he never realized they were flirting?

He cracked a grin. Gohan looked like he just saw his whole life flashing before his eyes. It was kind of hilarious, actually. Gohan asked him for advice about this, but it turned out he was already unknowingly flirting with his crush.

The elevator stopped at the ground floor, and the crowd cleared out. Gohan was still beet-red, staring at his shoes. What a funny dude. How could someone who could easily solve math equations at academic level be so utterly clueless?

"Does she flirt back?" Booker inquired.

Gohan blinked, then he raised his head and looked at him, eyes wide and lips parted.

"I… I think she does," he bumbled. "What does that mean?"

"That she likes you back, duh."

"But…" Gohan's eyebrows scrunched up.

"I'm not the only one who sees it, you know," Booker stated matter-of-factly. "You're most likely the guy she meant at the game of truth and dare – by far."

The class was to take the shuttle back to Satan City after lunch. Until then, the teens were free to spend their morning however they wanted. Most of them were either chilling by the hotel's pool, at the beach, or out in the shopping district for more souvenirs.

A small group, however, went to the Tenkaichi Budokai. Since Gohan and Videl had missed the visit the day before, Videl suggested they use their free time to see the tournament grounds before they were to fly back home.

Erasa and Sharpner wanted to visit the gift shop, but Gohan and Videl were more interested in seeing the arena. Thus, they decided to split their group and agreed to meet up later.

Gohan had invited Booker to come along with them to the Tenkaichi Budokai, but his roommate already had plans with his own group of friends. He had looked pretty bummed about it; maybe Booker had really enjoyed the visit yesterday.

Either way, Gohan was glad the two of them were getting along now. Booker's animosity toward him was all but a memory, and the Son boy hoped they could become closer friends down the line. He liked Booker; he was a good guy, and he was good at giving advice too.

As Gohan and Videl crossed the pathway toward the arena, the boy glanced over at his friend who walked beside him. His cheeks tingled with heat as he considered Booker's assumption.

Could he really be Videl's crush? The thought had never occurred to him, but what if Booker was right? The other boy was quite perceptive, after all: he had known right away why Videl got upset during the game of truth or dare.

What if it was true, what if Videl actually liked him as more than a friend?

Gohan lowered his head, a deep sigh slipping out of his lips. Getting his hopes up was a bad idea. Life wasn't that kind. Not to mention, Videl had made it quite clear, more than once, that she didn't see him that way, that they were just friends, and that nothing more was ever going to happen between them.

Whoever her mysterious crush was, it couldn't be him. It just didn't add up. Videl wouldn't have denied the possibility of them ever becoming more than friends so articulately otherwise.

Besides, she said that she didn't feel ready to be with someone, not even her crush despite how much she liked him.

The thought made his heart throb painfully – but at least now Gohan knew why he felt this way…

He dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. Maybe he shouldn't do anything about his feelings for Videl. If she didn't want to be with anyone, not even the guy she had fallen for, maybe he needed to respect that and take a step back.

… Should he? Could he really bottle down the way he felt and be content just being Videl's friend?

Maybe… Maybe he only needed to be patient. He had apparently already been flirting with Videl, and she definitely didn't mind and even seemed to be flirting back, so that had to be a good sign.

Gohan glanced at Videl once more. She was smiling at their surroundings, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil she was causing him.

He supposed it was best that he take this slow… If Videl didn't feel ready for something more, then he shouldn't rush her. In the meantime, he would keep on flirting with her, this time knowingly, and with any luck, Videl would come to like him back by the time she felt ready to be with someone.

The boy nodded to himself. Yes, this was the best course of action. As much as he liked Videl and wanted to be with her, he had to respect her pace and let her take the time she needed to be ready for more.

The two teens arrived at the arena, where a gigantic ring stood proudly at the center. Rows and rows of bleachers encircled the fighting area, and a stoned pathway from the ring led to a pagoda: the waiting area for the contestants.

Gohan let his worries slip away from his mind as he took it all in. He went ahead and hopped onto the ring, imagining what it would feel like to stand here while the hundreds of people on the bleachers cheered for his victory.

Tournaments may not be his thing, but the demi-Saiyan could certainly see the appeal.

He felt Videl's presence beside him and turned his head to beam at her.

She chuckled. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I'm glad we got to come here in the end," Gohan replied.

Videl took a step forward, taking in the coliseum. She breathed in deeply. "I can't wait for this year's tournament!" She glanced back at him with a wishful smile. "It's too bad you won't be competing though."

"If I did, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else," Gohan said quietly. "You know, with my unfair advantage and all…"

"I guess that's true. Still, you're the strongest fighter under the heavens – it only makes sense that the title of world champion goes to you."

Gohan shrugged. "What the point if I already know I'm going to win? It wouldn't be fun if there's no real competition."

"Ouch."

He gave an awkward smile, scratching his cheek. "I mean, you know what I'm talking about…"

She clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly. "Yeah, I know. Still, it hurts my pride that I'm just a speck of dust to you – if that."

A veil clouded the usual spark in her blue eyes; the resignation Gohan saw in them made his chest tighten painfully.

He planted himself in front of Videl and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her intently.

"You're a lot more than that, Videl." Seeing her open her mouth to voice her disagreement, Gohan beat her to it: "No, I mean it. You're incredible. You're among the most talented fighters I've ever encountered, and I grew up surrounded by the best martial arts experts in the world – no, in the universe. I've been to outer space, so I'm not just saying that."

She cracked a small smile. "You've been to outer space?"

He chuckled, tucking a few raven locks behind her ear. "It's a long story, but yeah…" He stroked her cheek, letting himself get lost in her deep blue eyes.

He liked her so much. His feelings for her were swelling in his heart, threatening to burst. How could he have been so blind?

"You could still be the best, you know," he murmured. "The best among the non-alien people, that is."

Notes of amusement played in her gaze. "I guess that's true. I'm still planning to win the next world tournament, that's for sure."

"I'm certain that you'll win. And, in time, you could also surpass the strongest Earthling fighters: Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu. Their level is extraordinary, and they're humans like you."

His hand moved to her left pigtail, twirling his fingers around her silky locks.

It felt so natural to show Videl these little marks of affection. Gohan never would've thought this was also considered as flirting.

"You really think I could become that strong?" she asked. "I sensed Krillin's ki, and I know it wasn't at its maximum, but I'm still way behind him."

"With the way you've been progressing, I have no doubt that you will. It might take a while – years, probably – but you'll get there. I know you will."

Her expression softened. "You really believe that, huh?"

"I do. You're incredibly talented, Videl. And I'm really not just saying that. Most martial art experts take years to master their ki, and you managed to float only a few hours after you learned about ki. That's more than impressive."

Her lips drew into a pleased smile, her cheeks blossoming with pink. "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Videl beamed at him. "If you tried, I would see right through it."

He laughed slightly. "So you know I mean it."

Then she smirked, the kind that told Gohan she was up to something.

"In that case, let's have our rematch, right here, in the ring of the Tenkaichi Budokai. If you're not going to enter next May, then at least let me fight you in this ring today."

Geez, he had walked right into that one, huh? Gohan gave a nervous chuckle, scratching his hair, but he saw no reason to decline the challenge.

"Alright…"

She grinned and clapped her hands. "Great! Here are the rules: I win if I manage to land a hit on you, you win if I don't. Also, you have to fight back and keep me on my toes. Let's give it, mm… thirty minutes? That work for you?"

He cracked a smile. So he wouldn't have to beat her, just make sure he didn't get struck, which should be simple enough. Still, Gohan knew he better keep his guard up: Videl could come up with a strategy to get him, and if he wasn't careful enough she might just win the match.

"Sounds good to me."

He didn't like the idea of having to fight back, but it made sense, and Gohan trusted his ability to control his power, so he wasn't worried.

"Then let's get into position," Videl said.

They moved apart, facing each other on the ring, and dropped into their fighting stances. There weren't a lot of visitors today, and the few who were looking around the arena didn't pay the fighters any mind.

Gohan smirked. This should be pretty fun, actually. He was curious as to what Videl was planning to try and get to him – because she had to have a plan. She knew just how strong he was, so she could only use her wits to try and close the gap between them.

With how clever and cunning she was, Gohan had no doubt that whatever Videl was planning, it was going to be a very entertaining match indeed.

What do you know, Gohan finally got a clue! xD I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please don't forget to review! :D

March 22, 2023