It was soon time for dinner.
Son Goku began eating with astonishing speed and appetite, devouring everything in sight.
Watching him eat as if every bite were a rare delicacy, Bulma couldn't help but smile.
Propping her chin on one hand, she stared at him in a daze.
This life—so rich in supplies and comfort—reminded her of her previous one.
Before today, she had still been living in the depths of a doomed world.
In that other life, after Black Goku appeared, the world had fallen into ruin.
Resources dwindled, food became scarce,
and humanity lived like rats in the shadows—barely clinging to survival.
At least she had sent Trunks away in time.
Thinking of her son from that other world, Bulma murmured softly,
"I wonder how Trunks is doing now…
I just hope he stays in that past timeline, living happily with everyone.
He must never return to that world again…"
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Bulma, aren't you gonna eat?"
She blinked and looked up.
Goku was staring at her, the entire table of food already nearly wiped clean—
except for a single plate of stew and a bowl of rice sitting untouched before her.
Heh!
That fast? Almost everything was gone already!
But the fact that little Goku, with his bottomless appetite,
still remembered to leave her a share…
Bulma couldn't help feeling strangely touched.
She wasn't used to such thoughtfulness.
Usually, she only ate something light at night—some bread and lettuce was enough.
All that meat had been cooked for Goku anyway.
"I'm not hungry," she said gently. "You go ahead and eat."
Goku froze.
"You're not hungry? Why not? You haven't eaten anything!"
Bulma smiled sweetly. "You go ahead. I don't eat oily food at night—it's bad for my diet."
She then took out a piece of bread, spread some sauce on it, added lettuce,
and began eating daintily.
That seemed to jog Goku's memory.
In the original story, when he hunted for food, Bulma would just eat simple bread.
Feeling relieved, he picked up the last portion and devoured it happily,
not forgetting to thank her between bites.
Night fell. Rain began to patter outside the window.
Goku had spent the whole day running around; he was exhausted.
After a bath and a full stomach, he quickly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Bulma sat on the bed, gazing at the sleeping boy.
He looked like a well-behaved child, breathing softly and calm.
Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Goku stirred, rubbed his face, turned over, and continued sleeping.
Bulma smiled like a fond aunt, then turned her eyes to the rain outside.
Her mind began to wander again.
In her previous life, once Goku was gone, the Earth had suffered endlessly.
Those twenty years of apocalypse were worse than death itself.
If it hadn't been for Trunks—if she hadn't needed to raise him—
she might not have endured it at all.
She didn't know how long she sat lost in thought before her mind returned to the present.
Tomorrow's schedule came to mind.
So far, she hadn't changed much in this life.
If everything went the same, Goku would meet the giant sea turtle tomorrow during his training.
Out of kindness, he'd help the turtle return to the sea.
By coincidence, he would then receive the Flying Nimbus from Master Roshi—
and she, in turn, would get the Dragon Ball in Roshi's possession.
Right now, she had no other desires.
The Dragon Balls didn't mean much to her anymore.
Their power was limited; they couldn't grant something as silly as a "perfect boyfriend."
Besides, this Bulma was no longer a naïve girl.
Her childhood dreams were long forgotten,
and her teenage fantasies had faded like smoke.
In this peaceful world, she had no grand wishes.
She just wanted to wait for Goku to grow up—then marry him.
She'd let him do what he loved most: train, protect Earth, protect his family.
And she would work hard to support him, to make enough money for his life of training.
If they could be together,
both would find the happiness they'd long sought—
and perhaps grow old side by side.
Then, a sudden thought struck her like lightning.
How could she forget? In the future, Goku died from a sudden viral heart disease.
Back then, there had been no cure—
even Senzu Beans were useless.
Before the Dragon Balls could be gathered, he had already died.
(The Pilaf gang had used them to turn themselves into babies,
making them unusable for a year.
Later, when Piccolo died, the Dragon Balls vanished entirely.)
And Shenron couldn't revive those who died from illness.
But this time… this time, things could be different.
They could prepare in advance.
She could have her parents invest in medical research—
develop a cure for viral heart disease.
For this world's level of science, it wouldn't be impossible.
Before they ever traveled to Planet Namek, a cure could exist.
Yet another thought crossed her mind.
Even though Goku was strong, even though he loved to fight…
he was terrified of injections.
Even Saiyans weren't immune to colds, headaches, or fevers.
A better idea bloomed.
"What if… this time, when we gather the Dragon Balls,
I make a wish for Goku never to get sick again?"
Bulma's face lit up. What a perfect idea!
She already had three Dragon Balls. Four more, and she'd have them all.
One wish to solve everything—much easier than developing a cure.
She still remembered where to find the rest.
Master Roshi had one.
Another was in Oolong's village.
Another at Ox-King's castle…
At that thought, Bulma's eyes widened.
Ox-King… Chi-Chi…
She remembered that bride-to-be promise—
and how, in the original timeline, grown-up Goku got "snatched" by Chi-Chi.
But really, that hadn't been Chi-Chi's fault.
It was Goku's cluelessness.
That silly boy had just learned the difference between men and women
and tried to tell them apart by patting girls in… private places.
That's how Chi-Chi ended up making him promise to marry her.
But this Goku was different.
He had Gohan's guidance. He'd grow up normally.
Surely he wouldn't do something that stupid again.
So, no need to interfere too much.
"Tomorrow, we'll bring that sea turtle back to Master Roshi.
And if that old man tries anything funny—
I'll make sure he regrets it!"
With that, Bulma tucked Goku in,
turned off the light, and lay down beside him.
Even sleeping out in the wild,
she felt completely safe next to him.
That night, Bulma slept more soundly than she had in years…