Thinking of You

Part 24

Goku stood before the door to Chi-Chi's quaint and colorfully decorated house. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, or if Chi-Chi was angry at him for entering a fighting Tournament without telling her. Women had always been difficult for him to understand. He never knew what they were thinking or feeling. And Chi-Chi was different from the women he knew. Launch shared everything she was feeling, primarily in her cheerful and kind personality form. Bulma was practically an open book, aside from when she was mad. She tended to give everyone the silent treatment when she was mad.

All I have to do is make sure Chi-Chi knows I like someone else. That shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean, I've never had anyone as pretty and kind as Chi-Chi like me, so this might actually be more difficult than my brain is telling me. I'll just knock, tell her I'm entering a new Tournament, then tell her I like someone else other than her, then leave. Great plan, Goku.

He had no intention of hurting Chi-Chi's feelings. He wasn't the type of guy to string a girl along just for the fun of it. He was better than that. Or, at the very least, he hoped he was better than that. Chi-Chi was a kind woman, and deserved a great life, with someone other than him. As complicated as the whole ordeal seemed, he knew that all he had to do was come clean. She'd understand. If she didn't, Goku was prepared to dodge some swings. He wasn't sure how strong she was, but given his fear of women, it was hard to tell.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up the stone path and quickly knocked on the door, trying to keep himself calm. Chi-Chi, despite her kind and overwhelmingly sweet nature, had a tendency to make Goku nervous. Was it because he...liked her? No, he liked Vegeta, not Chi-Chi. But he couldn't deny the part of him that got excited whenever they were together, laughing and talking about their friends and past adventures. She had such a light in her eyes whenever she told her life story to Goku, one that he'd never seen before in anyone. He wanted to be her friend deeply, just not anything more than that.

Saving him from his rampaging thoughts, the door opened to reveal a worry-stricken Chi-Chi, concerned eyes looking Goku up and down like a mother checking her child for wounds. "Goku! I'm so glad you came! Bulma told me you were entering a Tournament of Power?"

Goku nodded, finding it hard to locate where his voice was hiding from him. As always, Chi-Chi was beautiful. Long black hair, big dark eyes, and a flawless face. He cleared his throat loudly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Yeah. Uh...Bulma said you were worried?"

"Well, of course! I mean, aren't you worried you'll get yourself killed or something?" Chi-Chi asked, stepping aside to allow Goku to enter the house. "Honestly, I'd be terrified to enter a fighting Tournament."

Goku looked around, the sweet smell of caramel and maple filling his nose. While the house seemed notably small, it was decorated beautifully with candles and paintings of flowers. A green couch sat in the living area in front of a square television, and a glass dining table sat in the center of the kitchen, a bowl of various fruits sitting in the middle. The kitchen was a colorful mixture of pasley green and a light tan, with pots hanging from the ceiling on a little rack. A hallway past the kitchen led to where the bathrooms and bedrooms were, but he didn't go that far. He stood awkwardly in the living room, too tall for the ceiling. He had to bend forward slightly while Chi-Chi walked around him freely.

"Goku, when is this whole thing happening?" Chi-Chi asked, sitting down at the dining table, motioning for him to join her. "This sounds serious. Why are you entering, anyway?"

"Remember when I told you about Zeno at the fair?" Goku said, sitting down beside her. She nodded. "Well, he misses me, so he wants to start a new Tournament to watch me fight again. Whis says it'll be in five days. Well, now it's four, but still."