Chapter 25: Guiding Bulma
After receiving the potion, Mrs. Brief didn't bother to check if it was real or fake — she immediately poured it down Dr. Brief's throat. As a faint green light enveloped him, his visible injuries completely healed in just over ten seconds.
Even Mrs. Brief, whose face usually didn't show much emotion, widened her half-closed eyes in shock, as if she couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.
"W–What's going on? Wasn't I about to die?"
Dr. Brief sat up and touched his body, then turned to look at the collapsed shelves behind him, still dazed and disoriented.
"Kolin, is this potion extremely rare? Since you were willing to use something so precious to save Brief, just tell us what you want.
You can pick anything you like from our company — anything at all. If it's money, name your price. Whatever you ask for, we'll make it happen."
Only now did Dr. Brief slowly come back to his senses. He'd heard everything his wife said, and at this moment, he turned to Franklin with curiosity.
"Kolin? That's your name? You're the one who saved me?"
Just as Franklin was about to introduce himself, Mrs. Brief spoke up first. "This is Franklin. He's the one who pulled you out from under those shelves — and he used a very rare potion to save your life. I've already promised him that as long as he brought you back, we'd give him whatever he wanted."
"Phew… so it wasn't a dream. I really thought I was done for. To save me even in that condition… that's a life-saving debt indeed.
And for a debt like that, your request wouldn't be excessive at all. Franklin… Kolin, I'll call you Kolin. Whatever you want, just say the word — I'll do my best to fulfill it."
Franklin hadn't expected things to go this smoothly. He exhaled deeply, then spoke frankly. "I don't really have anything specific in mind.
When I was saving you, I saw a strange-looking orb. As my reward, I'd like to have that orb. Also, I'd like to stay here for a few days.
I've just arrived in West City, and I don't have any money or a place to live, so I was hoping I could stay for a while. I won't stay longer than a month, you have my word."
As he spoke, Franklin walked over to the spot where he had rescued Dr. Brief, casually picked up the Two-Star Ball, and handed it to him.
Dr. Brief was clearly surprised that Franklin hadn't pocketed the orb immediately but instead passed it to him. After examining the Two-Star Ball for a couple of seconds, he returned it to Franklin.
"I picked this orb up by chance, and I don't know what it's for. If you want it, it's yours. From now on, Capsule Corp will always have a room reserved for you. You're welcome here anytime.
All this is just repayment for pulling me out of there. But as for saving my life with that miraculous healing potion — this still doesn't come close to repaying that debt.
While you're staying here, think about what else you might need. Once you've decided, just tell us. Capsule Corp will always welcome you, Kolin."
"Kolin, my husband's right — from now on, Capsule Corp will be like another home for you."
Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, Franklin — who knew the story of Dragon Ball — was certain they weren't just saying this to be polite. He took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
"You're being so generous — I'd feel rude to refuse. Repaying kindness with kindness is a traditional virtue where I come from. So let's leave it at that."
Franklin truly hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but this worked even better for him — it would help him carry out his mission more smoothly.
Led to his room by Mrs. Brief, Franklin told the couple not to worry about meals or checking up on him. Once they left, he immediately sat down to think through his plans for the coming days.
Getting his hands on the Two-Star Ball was an unexpected bonus. With it, he could guide Bulma into creating the Dragon Radar.
Afterward, he could use the prospect of having wishes granted to motivate Bulma to set out on a Dragon Ball quest — conveniently aligning with the main storyline.
While deep in thought, Franklin's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of soft, careful footsteps outside his door. Moments later, the door swung open and a blue-haired girl, about ten years old, slipped inside and quietly closed it behind her.
"Ugh, school is so boring. It's so much nicer staying at home."
As she spoke, the little blue-haired girl leapt onto the bed, rolled around a few times, and then finally sat up — only to notice a handsome, short-haired boy in black casual clothes sitting at the desk, watching her with curiosity.
Her curious and slightly puzzled eyes met Franklin's amused gaze. He smiled, tapped his finger, and summoned a wave of watery energy. A spherical water barrier enveloped them both, sealing off all sound from the outside.
Seeing this magical sight, Bulma gasped in shock. When she touched the barrier, a strong repulsive force pushed back against her fingers. Only then did she realize something was wrong.
"Who are you? And why are you in my house?"
Noticing the hint of fear hidden deep in Bulma's eyes, Franklin spoke leisurely.
"Hello, Bulma. You're the daughter of this family, right? My name is Franklin. I'm not a good person — I guess you could call me a wanted man. I happened to escape to West City today and was exhausted, so I came here to rest.
Unfortunately, you found me. So now you have two choices: either you pretend you saw nothing and leave, or I'll take care of you and your parents, and then I can stay here in peace."
Bulma was completely dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a simple day skipping school had turned into something out of a nightmare.
"Kolin… you're joking, right? You're actually a friend of my parents' kid, aren't you?"
Franklin smiled and nodded. "Smart girl. I was just kidding — I didn't expect you wouldn't be scared. From now on, this will be my room. If you're skipping school and want to come in, knock first, okay?"
As he spoke, Franklin waved his hand, and a small opening appeared in the water barrier, leading directly to the door. Bulma just stared at his smiling face, too stunned to move.
She didn't know who this stranger really was, whether anything he said was true, or if those two "choices" were real. But there was one thing she did understand — those two choices weren't really two choices at all.
Realizing that, Bulma found herself completely trapped between options. In the end, she simply gave up and flopped down on the bed, motionless.
Seeing that Bulma had thrown the decision back at him, Franklin shook his head with a smile. Smart people had this flaw — they doubted everything and still might not figure it out. But that was fine — it meant he could proceed with his plan and move on to the next step of guiding her.
Then Franklin took out the Two-Star Ball and tossed it toward Bulma.
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