For the first time in many years, Goku felt the ground open up above his feet. He felt himself being swallowed by the earth. He felt his breathing fail and his heart tightens in his chest. His vision was a little blurred, there was a ringing in his ear that prevented him from hearing the rest of the conversation so clearly, but he had no doubts. Chichi had spent the night with the colored eyes guy.
His first impulse was to clench his fists tightly. He wanted to grab Granolah by the collar of his shirt and punch her porcelain face until he breaks off all the guy's perfect white teeth, until Granolah's eye took on a new coloration, a very large black eye, and the nose was adorned with a beautiful shade of blood red.
But he didn't do any of that. Instead, he turned around and left the clinic. He got into his car and took a deep breath, trying to get his head on straight.
Then he felt anger, a lot of anger, especially at Chichi. He had been worried sick about her all night while she was fucking with that little guy.
Goku pressed his jaw hard and took a deep breath leaning his forehead against the steering wheel of the car. One. Twice. Three times until the ringing in his ear passed completely and his eyes were no longer so cloudy. The feeling of betrayal that overwhelmed him at that moment was inevitable.
The last time he had felt this way was when he had seen his father leave his home, forever. It had been such a bad feeling that he swore to himself he would never feel anything like it again.
And yet, there he was, with that horrible feeling again.
He raised his head when he heard a noise outside and saw Granolah getting into his own car parked in front of him. Goku just watched him drive away while fantasizing about hundreds of different ways to assassinate the guy. A mixture of jealousy and possession overcame him, because that guy, that man, had been with Chichi, the night he should have been, the way he should have been. It was in his house that Chichi should have forgotten that necklace. No one else's.
Why he was feeling that way was not rational to Goku. It made no sense. Chichi was free to date whoever she wanted. There was nothing exclusive between them. There had never been.
Then why did it feel as if she was slipping through his fingers?
Goku shook his head and took another deep breath, throwing his head back in the car seat. That could only be his competitive side speaking louder. Because he felt that he had lost that fight. He felt that Granolah was one step ahead of him.
And all because of that damn curse.
Nervously, Goku drummed his fingers on the wooden table while his left leg swayed incessantly. He looked at the clock on his wrist again and then toward the door of the establishment.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Goku?" asked Krillin, who was standing right next to him and looked just as nervous.
"Of course, Krillin, there's no other way."
"But dude, she already cursed you once, aren't you... I dunno, afraid of what she might do? Maybe even cast a worse curse like turning you into a frog or something?!"
Goku stopped pounding the table and stared at Krillin, but then shook his head.
"No! I... I have to do it, Krillin, only she can release me from this curse!"
Krillin sighed, uncertain. He wasn't sure about his friend's idea, there was no way he could trust that woman. She hadn't seemed to want to help Goku since he had found her on social media, why would she help now? Goku believed with Helles' support, Ribrianne might give in, but he was still afraid of meeting the witch alone, so he found a way to drag Krillin along. The short man, of course, didn't want to go, but in the end, he saw no other alternative. He just hoped that it wouldn't spill over on him. Can you imagine if he was the one who ended up cursed?
They booked into Kame's Caffee, as they thought it would be a suitable location and with several people around, more difficult for the witch to do something against them, but still, they had no way of knowing what the extent of her powers was. Maybe she could even bewitch them with just her gaze, like Medusa!
"What if she doesn't show up?"
"She will show up!"
"How can you be so sure of that!"
"Helles assured me that she would come. She's coming along too."
"But what if she gives up?"
"No, she will come! She has to come! She MUST come!" whispered Goku who sounded desperate.
This was his chance, his only chance! She could not fail to show up and he had to convince her to free him from the curse.
Otherwise, Goku didn't know what he would do.
His next date with Chichi would be the following night. He couldn't back out again, he had done a complete wax just to get this one more chance with her! He couldn't pass up this opportunity, not after knowing that she was going out with Granolah, the colored eyes guy. Which posed a much greater threat to him than he had anticipated.
In Goku's mind, this was a matter of ego. He couldn't lose that battle after so long, but he knew that he couldn't have sex with Chichi without getting rid of the curse. Granolah was nearby and would attack again. He had no doubt about it, and it bothered him much more than he would have liked. He didn't want Chichi to have anything with that guy, he wanted her to be free, for him. She was supposed to be his backup, for future possibilities of no-strings-attached sex, so she couldn't be tied to anyone. Was it a selfish thought? Yes, but he didn't care. He wanted Chichi for himself.
He needed to get rid of the curse, or else Chichi would be out of his life forever.
"Do you know what you're going to say to her?"
Goku raised his head to stare into Krillin's worried eyes and replied, as something obvious: "I'm going to say I want my life back!"
"Will you say you want your life back? Your old life? Before the curse?" he asked, and Goku nodded. "The life of a bachelor who conquers innocent women? Are you crazy?"
"Why?"
Krillin slapped his own face, incredulous at his friend's cluelessness. "Goku, do you remember why she cursed you in the first place? Do you remember what she told you?"
"Ah, I can't remember exactly, it's been a long time!"
"Think, man! She said something about you not getting attached to the women you have sex with, didn't she? Or something like that?"
"Yeah, I think so..."
"So, you blockhead! If you tell her you want your life back, do you think she will help you? If she cursed you just because you kept fooling innocent women!"
"But the women I date have the right to choose whether or not they want to date me again, they can't be coerced because of some stupid curse." Goku frowned and crossed his arms. "She's taking away these women's right to choose! What kind of woman is this who takes away other women's rights? What kind of sorority is that? Huh?"
Krillin shook his head and sighed, now suddenly Goku was concerned about feminist agendas?! Unbelievable! Meanwhile, he still heard his friend grumbling about the witch.
"If you say that, she won't help you, Goku. That was a punishment, a punishment for you to learn not to throw women away like napkins! You must convince her that you have learned your lesson! By the way, have you learned any lessons from all this, at all?"
"Yes," Goku answered nonchalantly. "I've learned that it's actually not so bad to have a troop of women wanting to do you again..."
Krillin made an incredulous face. "Is this serious?"
"Okay, okay, just kidding!" Goku snorted. "I know what I did was wrong, I won't do those things again..."
The bald man looked at him suspiciously and then said: "Why don't you tell her at once that you're in love?"
Goku's expression was one of clear debauchery when he replied: "Because I'm not!"
"Aren't you?"
"No," he stared at him. "Where did you get that idea from?"
"Oh, you're not in love with Chichi, then?"
"Of course not!"
Krillin rolled his eyes and slapped his face once again. Goku knew how to be hard-headed when he wanted to be.
"You've been running away from having sex with her for weeks just because you want to get rid of this curse so she won't turn her back on you the next morning, and you're telling me you're not in love with her?"
"Yes! I told you it's not about that! I just... she's... she's..."
"She's... ..."
"You know! She'd make a good backup, that's all!" Goku crossed his arms and pouted.
"A backup..." Krillin grumbled. "Give me a break! Look, you're going to need a strong argument to convince the witch to free you from the curse, you'll have to convince her that you deserve to be freed from this bizarre condition she's put you in, otherwise she won't help you!"
Goku sighed. Krillin was right, if he didn't give Ribrianne a good reason to help him, maybe this whole meeting would be pointless, but before he could say anything else, his eyes widened when he saw his tormentor's image entering the café. His whole body tensed as blue eyes stared at him, accompanied by a crooked smile. Beside her was Helles, who said as she approached the table:
"Hi, Goku! Sorry for the delay!"
"Oh, hi, don't worry, it's okay!" he smiled at the woman and swallowed when he turned to Ribrianne, who was still staring at him, but tried to remain friendly and smiled extending his hand to greet her. "Hello!"
"Hi." she answered dryly and ignored the handshake.
Krillin and Goku glanced at each other and Helles just arched her eyebrows.
"Ah, this is my friend Krillin!" Goku pointed to the bald man who stood up to greet the two women who, unlike Goku, had received a handshake from both of them.
"Nice to meet you!" said Krillin.
"The pleasure is all mine!" Ribrianne answered and smiled sympathetically at Krillin, perhaps too sympathetically that it even made the poor bald man a little embarrassed. "Are you also after reversing some spell?" she asked a provocative but serious tone.
"Oh, no, no, no! It's not like that!" he shook his hands nervously. "I just came to accompany Goku!"
"Hummm!"
"Please don't curse me!" Krillin put his two hands together in prayer form and Ribrianne laughed graciously.
"I don't know if I'd curse a kitten like you..." she gave him a little wink and Krillin turned red.
Goku looked at that interaction a bit suspiciously and confused. Was Ribrianne flirting with his friend? Well, maybe that could be an advantage for him to get what he wanted... If only Krillin were single. Damn it!
"Unless you're a womanizer who tricks and takes advantage of helpless women!?" She said with a passive-aggressive tone as she rested her chin on both hands on the table. "Then I wouldn't have any other choice but to give you a punishment too!"
"No! Please! I'm married and my wife's pregnant! I'm not like that, I swear, I never was!" Krillin pleaded and Ribrianne's eyes widened, finally noticing the ring on his finger.
"Oh, married..." she sounded a little disappointed and Goku tensed, hoping that it wouldn't make her so upset that she wouldn't want to help him. "Well, in that case, you have nothing to fear... Unless you're a cheating bastard who cheats on your wife!"
"Not me, I'm not like that! I swear! I love my wife and the baby we are going to have!"
"Hm... Then it's fine!"
"Thank you... ?" Krillin sighed with relief.
"Well, Goku's here to ask for your help, Ribri!" said Helles. "Remember everything I told you?"
"I remember!" she made a disgusted face as she looked at the big guy with the spiky hair, who laughed nervously.
"Do you want something to drink? Something to eat?" offered Goku holding out the menu to them. "It's on me! You can choose whatever you want!"
Ribrianne slapped the menu, grumpily, she wouldn't fall for that gentle good guy talk. Goku cringed.
"No, let's get down to business! Helles has been pestering me all week about this issue. I had to skip my spinning class just to come here and talk to you. What do you want, anyway?"
Goku took a deep breath, looked at Krillin and then at Helles and then replied: "I need you to reverse the spell you put on me!"
Ribrianne crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at him.
"I'm not going to do anything! I already told you that and I wish you'd stop bothering me on my Instagram, both you and your friends!"
"Ribri, take it easy, come on!" Helles put a hand on her friend's arm and Ribrianne sighed.
"I know I've been annoying and pushy, but it's because you're the only person who can help me get rid of this curse!"
"And why should I help you? So you can go back to using women as if they were disposable?"
"Because I... look, I get it now, okay? I didn't get attached to anybody, I was just partying and enjoying life, but now... now I... now I'm... I'm... I'm seeing a woman and... I didn't want to have to lose her because of this spell."
"Really... Why not?" she leaned forward, suddenly interested in the topic.
"Be-because... because we get along well and... it'd really suck if she just lost all interest in me the next day. I mean, if it's on her own, that's fine, but because of the spell, it's kind of... kind of unfair, isn't it?!"
"Unfair? Why unfair? Don't you think it's also unfair to all the other women you fuck and just don't give a shit about the next day? Don't you also think it's unfair that you flirt with a woman, make her feel unique and special only to get her into bed and then want nothing more to do with her? Don't you think it's unfair that you do those things too? And what about them, huh?!"
Goku was silent. Ribrianne was right in everything she was saying and he felt ashamed of it, ashamed of his behavior. For a long time, he had thought it was harmless, but now he realized that it was not right.
"You'll only be tasting your own poison!" she added. "At least now those poor, innocent women will be free of suffering for having been deceived and misled. I'm not taking away their choice to get involved with you, and I'm not taking away your choice to get involved with them, but I'm freeing them from unnecessary suffering after getting involved with a jerk like you."
"I didn't... I didn't fool anyone!" Goku defended himself. He couldn't be blamed for women creating unrealistic expectations of him, he had never said he would have any relationship with any of them.
"Yes, you did. You used and abused their weaknesses for your own benefit! You weren't honest with any of them, so don't give me that crap that you didn't fool anyone! Have you ever heard of emotional responsibility? I bet you haven't!"
The man swallowed hard. Again, he was speechless. Distressed, he then ran his hand through his mane.
"I know what I did was wrong, but I don't do it anymore. Now I... I'm going out with this woman and... I didn't want things to end this way, this fast." Goku sighed. There was no way, he would have to lie, or so he thought. "The truth is... I'm… I'm in love with her."
Ribrianne arched her eyebrows at him and glanced at Helles who made a 'that's right' expression and then looked at Krillin, who smiled nervously and shook his head affirmatively.
"He's indeed, completely on all fours for her!"
"Okay..." she said, and Goku's gaze lit up with hope. "Tell me a little more about this woman!"
"About... about Chichi?"
"Yes, about this woman you say you're in love with. Tell me about her. Show me a picture of her, I want to see her!"
The man looked distressed at Krillin, but the short man just reciprocated by encouraging him to do what the woman was telling him. Then Goku pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and opened Chichi's Instagram, handing it to Ribrianne to see who it was about.
"Her name's Chichi Cutelo, she's 25 years old, she's an esthetician, works at the Bansho Fan clinic, where she does procedures like waxing, botox, and stuff like that. She's very good at what she does, her agenda is always very full, they say she has fairy hands because she has a waxing technique that isn't very painful, you know? But she studied a lot and..."
"I didn't ask for her curriculum vitae, Goku!" interrupted Ribrianne, impatient. "I asked you to tell me about her."
"I'm talking about her.
"That's not what I want to know. I'm not interested in hiring her services. Please don't pretend, you understand what I'm asking you!"
Goku took a deep breath and then started again:
"Okay... So... Chichi is... well, she's an amazing woman! The first time I saw her was in a bar, during a fight. She was the one who was fighting, and with a big strong guy. I thought it was amazing because she was so small and delicate, but she managed to knock him out with one punch and pin him to the ground!" he laughed at the memory. "But that night I didn't even get to talk to her because of all the confusion. Then I ran into her again by chance, in a park, and she was, again, fighting with a crazy guy who was harassing women there. She's very empowered, you know? She doesn't take it easy and defends people, especially her friends, tooth and nail. She doesn't let herself be intimidated, that's why it's funny when people say she has fairy hands because with these same hands, she can take down bigger guys very easily. She's fierce, she doesn't tolerate prejudice, she fights if she has to defend a little dog on the street, but especially her friends and her father." He sighed and smiled. "But at the same time that she's quarrelsome and even a little short-tempered, she's also sweet and kind, as well as intelligent! She's the type who takes care, who worries, who values the things she has, but also doesn't stop fighting to achieve better things. She's lovely, affectionate, fun, has excellent taste for movies, music, she cooks very well... Oh, and of course, she's beautiful too, very beautiful, she has the most beautiful smile in this world... and eyes, and everything!"
Ribrianne listened to him very carefully as she watched him. There was a gleam in his eye, a joy in his voice as he spoke of Chichi, an admiration. She could tell he was pure, he was honest and sincere. There was no malice or lies in his speech, it was all true. Every word that had come out of his mouth about the woman in question was the purest truth.
That man was undeniably in love.
Ribrianne smiled, looked again at the cell phone screen where Chichi's picture was open and then handed the device back to him, saying: "Got it!"
"Own..." Helles murmured. She looked like a vaulted teenager as she stared at him with both hands folded across her chest, and thought the whole speech was super cute and romantic.
Even Krillin was impressed with his friend's ability to lie, he had always known he was a good liar, but he had no idea how good.
He laughed internally. Lying, of course... that was no lie at all!
Goku smiled and asked: "So? Will you help me?"
A silence hung over the table for a few moments as Helles, Krillin, and Goku waited anxiously for an answer from her. She looked quickly at each of them and then said: "Okay, Goku, you've convinced me. You'll get your life back!"
"Really?"
"Yep!"
At that moment Goku grinned from ear to ear and so did Krillin, he couldn't believe that the witch would actually help him. But after that huge declaration his friend made, there was really no doubt about his feelings for Chichi. He just needed to realize it, but he was sure it wouldn't be long before he did.
"That's great! What... What do I need to do?"
"Nothing. Just stay right where you are!" she shrugged. "It's just a very simple spell reversal. It won't last a minute and you won't feel a thing. Or almost nothing!" she laughed and Goku's eyes widened.
The woman then adjusted herself in the chair she was in, put both hands up and closed her eyes. Helles, Goku and Krillin were watching her, curious but apprehensive. She then took a deep breath and began to mumble a few words, softly and incomprehensibly, until she threw her head all the way back and a strong wind hit them, shaking even Goku's unruly hair and throwing away the table's napkins. Helles and Krillin also had to close their eyes as the gale only increased. She then threw her hands forward and opened her eyes as she said:
"Unfortunate lover, fated to despair, punished by life, but now reapair. In this world of seductive illusion, justice shall prevail with no confusion! As today's sun descends with might, Thy long-awaited fate shall shine bright!"
"Ouch!" Goku yelped in pain as he felt a stab in the upper part of his left rib, but it passed in a blink of an eye.
All that gale had passed and Ribrianne was already back in her normal state, staring at him as if nothing had happened and she hadn't just invoked a spell in the middle of the caffe. The people at the other tables were staring at them with strange, odd, curious looks.
Krillin scratched behind his head and asked: "So, did it work?"
Goku looked at both hands as if expecting to see some actual physical change in him and then replied: "I don't know!" He stared at Ribrianne. "Did it work?"
She shrugged. "Only you can tell us!"
"Do you feel anything different?"
"Actually, no... Helles, how do you feel about going out with me again?" asked the man.
"Well... I don't wanna go out with you now, like, I'm cool with it, you know? But at least I don't feel that block anymore, like something was keeping me away from you!"
Goku smiled. "Is it really serious?"
"Yeah... I guess if I were in the mood, I wouldn't have a problem going out with you again!"
The man laughed with happiness. That was the best thing he could hear at that moment. Fuck if she didn't want to go out with him, he wasn't interested in her, he just wanted to know that the damn curse was over and she was no longer repulsed by being with him again, meaning that now her path to being with Chichi was free and clear!
"Oh my God, thank you so much! You don't know how much I have been waiting for this! Thank you very much, Helles and Ribrianne!" Goku thanked them cheerfully. "I can't thank you enough! If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, really, just let me know!"
"It's okay, Goku, I'm glad everything worked out!" Helles said.
"No need to worry, Goku." Ribrianne smiled. "Just enjoy it and don't fool women anymore."
"Thank you for your help!" Krillin also thanked me.
"It was nothing. How nice that Goku has such a good friend, like you, who cares about him!" she smiled friendly at him and sighed. "Good to know that there are good guys like you, which unfortunately are already in short supply in this world... But who knows, maybe one day, if you're no longer married, we'll see each other again, won't we?"
"Ah, hahaha, okay!" Krillin said nervously as he pulled Goku by the sleeve of his shirt. "Shall we go, Goku?! Let's go?!" he smiled gracelessly at the women and waved. "We're going now, bye!"
"Ouch, ouch, hold on Krillin, my phone's ringing!" Goku was elated and overjoyed, that he barely paid attention to the dialogue.
"Let's go!" Krillin forced a smile, he needed to get out of there before the witch cast a spell on him.
Ribrianne waved 'goodbye' to him and Goku also waved smiling as they walked away from the table. He was looking forward to his meeting with Chichi. Now more than ever.
End Notes:
All right! Guess whos back on business, babe? Hell yeah! He got it!
But now, will they finally have the night they've been waiting for? What about Chichi? Will she win her bet or lose? Will Goku realize he's in love with her and won't dump her after their night? Or Will Granolah win another fight?
Who knows...
Well, I do! But all I can say is that the next chapter will be 🔥🔥🔥
DBZWars, hell yeah! Chichi showed him who's boss! 💪 I didn't want to make her a sad girl after seeing him with Helles. She's a strong woman here, she wouldn't go home and cry. There are already too many stories with her like that!
About the bet, well, it should be enough, but if you recall when they made the bet, she said she wouldn't fall in love with Goku after having sex with him. At first, she only wanted to prove she could have sex with someone without falling in love with, it was just something she wanted to prove, but then, when the 'next guy' turned out to be Goku, they bet if she would or wouldn't fall in love with him after the sex. So, we don't know the answer yet!