"Beautiful Carnival Night"
~Three Weeks Before Kale's Last Meeting With June
North City, Sucrose Lane
Kale's POV
I read a recommended romantic comedy novel called 'Shy Love'. It's about a timid young woman who finds love with a tall man. Five chapters in and the story compared to my love life. A week and a half ago, I visited the superstore to buy food for the hideout. While there, I bumped into an overweight saiyan man. His cheeks were the cutest I ever seen, yet he felt ashamed in meeting a petite girl like me.
We bought our belongings, exit the store, but ran into a sectorian male group. They came from SDF Headquarters and Terrance was the leader's name. Limo, the chubby saiyan's name, feared Terrance because of the constant bullying at headquarters. Things got heated, but I scarred them off after turning Super Saiyan. "T-Thank you, ma'am—I-I mean, Kale! I-Is that it?" Even his voice was adorably deep. When we left, my chest thumped like crazy.
My door banged, distracting my brief daydream sequence. I closed the novel, got off of bed, and opened the door. Caulifla stood before me, smiling awkwardly. Her arms shook, trying to contain excitement, but judging by her eyesight, it was something else. "Why are you doing here, Caulifla? Let me guess, you want me to scrub the toilet again? I know how you are with lunch, but try laying off the protein. Your colon needs air."
"N-No, Kale. The toilet's fine. Everything here is fine. You're fine!"
"Uh… T-Then why are you here?"
"Olive saw a carnival setting up near the headquarters. It's opening tonight, and she had an amazing idea for us to go there."
"... Okay, but what about the training tent? It's almost 4 pm, meaning-"
"Oh, that!? Pfft, I changed my mind. I'll t-take a break from it today." Morning was enough of a workout."
(I can see sweat pouring down Caulifla's forehead. Is she alright? Did she come down with a cold?)
"Well, the fair starts at 8pm, so prepare yourself, buddy!"
As she strolled into her bedroom, I shut the door with a bewildered expression. That was odd. The training tent was Caulifla's friend, kinda. I sat down, re-opened the novel, and continued reading. Something must have motivated Caulifla into enjoying leisure time. Four weeks ago, Olive promised me she'll push Caulifla into quitting the tent obsession. I guessed Olive did her part.
North City State Fair (8pm)
Limo's POV
Aw, man. I can't believe Janet agreed to let me off the hook. Terrance was that bully from high school, but he abused me 24/7. Being Janet's assistant meant Terrance and his pals would torment me in the worst ways. For instance, he dunked my head in toilet water several times. Ew, I still remembered how gross the water smelled. When Janet saw my wet hair and shiny face, she crossed her arms and tck'd. "My cousin went overboard again. Ah, I should have known."
Janet McGears is not only the best scientist at Sadala Defense Force Headquarters, but she's the nicest person I'd met. She never complained about my tardiness or teased my appearance. Apparently, she caused it through an experiment. She tested pills that could increase a soldier's muscle density. I became her first subject, and it ended well. Instead of muscles, the pill inflated my body fat. Add the height increase, and I turned into a walking target for bullies.
"It's tedious of my younger cousin to belittle you like a five-year-old. How about this, Limo? A state fair is opening near our building. After you've done the tasks, we can attend the fair together." My eyes widened from Janet's reply. Her grin showed more proof that the decision wasn't a joke. Sometimes she can be a genuine boss, but at that moment, she's friendly. I agreed, finished my tasks today, and met Janet near the headquarter entrance.
Outside the building, neon lights covered the midnight sky, as we stepped through. I've never been to a carnival before, so this will be my first time. As we walked through the area, Janet stopped near the ticket vender and presented 60 credits. "Two free-ride bracelets for us, please." The vender gave Janet two rubber bracelets and took the credits. She later gave one bright yellow bracelets to me. "These bracelets are for riding any attraction without payment." Afterward, she left me alone. To be honest, I don't have many friends. Because of the overweight transformation, soldiers or other assistants don't talk to me.
That's when I saw her again. Kale, the girl with the awesome transformation, entered the state fair with another saiyan girl. Oh, my tickles are back and they're stronger! My next excreted droplets of sweat, soaking my yellow outfit collar. Before I scurried away, Kale saw me and waved her arm. "Limo, is that you?!" Eee, I'm doomed! With no options, I walked towards Kale and her friend, who anxiously bought two bracelets. "N-Nice meeting you again, Kale. H-How are you doing!?" For a timid girl, Kale has a dash of confidence. I don't know how she has friends who support her, but I don't. Eventually, our conversation felt natural.
"Has Terrance or his friends been bothering you?"
"Unfortunately, yes. It's a daily habit."
"Oh, and you haven't solved the issue?"
"I rather not. Terrance is a junior elite soldier, while I'm an assistant."
"How come?"
"Even though Janet's Terrance's cousin, she can't stop our 'relationship.' He'll torment me, and I can't do anything."
"Not tonight. Can you… uh, can you hang out with me?"
"O-Of course! D-Do you have the bracelet?"
"Here you go, Kale! Two bracelets to any ride you want! Now, if you excuse me, I have to take a piss."
{Caulifla jolted right.}
"Uh, I know nothing of why Caulifla's so jittery. I almost feel bad for whatever she's dealing."
"A-Alright, let's being our… our, uh-"
"Leisure time."
{Kale hugged Limo's arm.}
We strolled around the carnival, finding rides we'd enjoyed. My favorite was the carousel, while Kale's was the egg scrambler. Our stomachs rumbled, so I bought us some snacks and ice cream. I got the large cup with soft serve vanilla; Kale got the extra large cup with chocolate. Her scooping sizeable amounts of ice cream puzzled my mind. Her figure and how she was eating felt questionable. After our snack break, we walked along the dirty path.
Maybe Janet was right. Perhaps I need to wait to find a friend. A friend who accepted me as who I am. We turned right, encountering Terrance and his two buddies. "Well, well, look what we have here. A tub of lard and a toothpick!" Those words stung me like a sword through the stomach. My pudgy stomach. "Why are you with a tiny girl, Pudge Boy? Got bored!?" His laughter echoed across the night, along with his friend's laughs. My face turned blue in the middle as I hunched forward. I knew Terrance would ruin my day and this special moment.
"Hey, get out of here, Terrance!"
It was Cabba, who strode to our direction. Terrance scoffed and told his pals to follow him. Once they were gone, Cabba stood near us and smirked. "Are you alright, Limo? Kale? I've never thought you two being together." From that statement, my chest thumped harder and faster. Kale and Cabba saw my tomato-shaded face and steam pouring out my ears. My back trembled, while straightened upward. "W-we're fine, Cabba. T-Thank you!" He left and Kale patted my back. "It's okay, Limo. Words can't hurt you. They make you better." Those quotes make little sense—for now—but I agreed with her.
The carnival ended, and Kale returned to her shaky friend. Janet arrived to check up on me and recapped what happened to Terrance. Cabba reported the incident to Damien, current captain of the SDF elites. "He'll be spending two days in the detention class, so you don't have to worry about him." Although the lustful surge from before was awkward, the newfound confidence wasn't. Sure, Terrance will return to his bullying, but for two days, I'm torture-free! We rest throughout the night and started our morning routine. I grabbed my communicator and almost left the room until it rang. "Hello, who is it?" Kale's soft-spoken voice blared through the communicator.
"I-If you're available this week, we can visit the park. I've heard they installed a new water fountain." My cheeks grew rosy again, but I accepted the awkwardness. "Yes, Kale. Meet me there at 6pm." I hung up, opened the door, and puffed up my chest. Being large does have its disadvantages, but it has some advantages. Mine was finding a soulmate.
