Chapter 6: Bath Time
After Bulma turned around, Goku quickly stripped off his dirty clothes,
Tossed them into the washing machine, and hurried into the bathroom.
Only when Bulma heard Goku's footsteps fading away did she turn back.
She simply pressed the water level button on the washing machine and let it run automatically.
Then, she began rummaging through the wardrobe.
"Hmm..."
"He's so small right now,"
"Seems like there aren't any spare clothes that would fit him. What should I do?"
Suddenly, Bulma spotted one of her T-shirts in the corner that looked fairly gender-neutral.
"This should work for now."
"He's just a kid anyway, does he really need pants..."
"I'll buy him some proper clothes when we get to the city."
Saying this, Bulma took the T-shirt and entered the bathroom.
"Your clothes will dry overnight,"
"Anyway, we'll be going to sleep right after dinner."
"You can wear my T-shirt as pajamas after your bath, just for tonight."
When Goku saw Bulma enter, a faint daze flashed in his eyes.
For some reason, it reminded him of his mother.
But looking at Bulma who still appeared to be only 16 years old, Goku felt there was something incongruous about her demeanor.
At the beginning of Dragon Ball, Bulma had given plenty of fanservice, but she was actually a good girl.
If he could marry her when he grew up,
That would actually be quite nice.
However, thinking about how in the story Bulma went back to West City to enjoy life after meeting Yamcha, Goku felt somewhat uneasy.
If he went with her to West City and enjoyed a comfortable life, he might become spoiled.
He might not even be able to defeat King Piccolo in the future.
Goku immediately shook his head.
No.
Adversity leads to prosperity, while comfort brings ruin.
Besides, as a Dragon Ball fan, he understood Bulma too well.
In the original story, when she bathed young Goku,
She didn't have any ulterior motives—
She just saw little Goku as a child.
At this point in time, the 16-year-old Bulma was a huge fangirl.
She only liked handsome guys her own age, or more mature older men.
She didn't have any romantic feelings whatsoever for the not-yet-grown Goku.
Coincidentally, he felt the same way about her now.
Goku was completely submerged in the water, not worried about being seen naked, he just looked at her.
But when Bulma put down the clothes and remained standing by the bathtub without leaving,
Goku finally asked: "What's wrong? You've already brought the clothes, why aren't you leaving?"
Bulma picked up a scrub brush.
"I'll help scrub your back. Come on, stand up!"
Goku was startled and immediately turned around.
"No, that shouldn't be necessary..."
As he spoke, a sudden wave of weakness washed over his entire body.
Bulma pinched his tail and then released it.
"Stop fooling around, stand properly!"
Goku immediately stood up and turned to look at Bulma.
"Why did you grab my tail~!"
Goku wanted to tell her not to grab his tail—it was still his weakness, not yet overcome.
But after a second thought, he decided not to reveal this vulnerability.
What if someone was eavesdropping?
He would overcome this weakness sooner or later anyway.
Actually, to prevent accidentally killing Gohan, he had once cut off his own tail, but less than a year later, it unexpectedly grew back.
He couldn't just keep cutting it off for no reason—it hurt quite a bit.
So he hadn't cut it off since then, but for safety's sake, he always went to bed early during the days leading up to the full moon.
Unable to figure out what little Goku was thinking, he remained motionless.
Bulma suddenly put her hands on her hips and turned fierce.
"Dinner will be ready soon, stop dawdling!"
"After I finish scrubbing you, I still need to take a bath myself."
"Don't hog the bathtub forever, hurry up and stand~!"
Her tone was domineering and left no room for refusal.
Goku couldn't help but tense up.
There was no joking atmosphere—Bulma was genuinely fierce!
But this finally felt like the real Bulma.
She was somewhat like the woman who'd later dare to slap Beerus!
As soon as Goku steadied himself, Bulma placed one foot on the edge of the bathtub, grabbed a bath brush, and began scrubbing vigorously behind him.
Goku had initially been somewhat resistant, but now he let out a soft sigh of relief.
Surprisingly, Bulma's scrubbing felt quite pleasant...
A moment later.
Just as Goku was peacefully enjoying the back scrub, Bulma handed the brush to him.
"Alright, I'm done with your back. Do the front yourself. I need to check on dinner!"
Goku nodded.
"Got it!"
It wasn't like he'd never used a city shower or bathtub before.
After scrubbing himself, Goku went straight under the shower to rinse off, then slipped into Bulma's T-shirt.
Not wearing pants felt a bit chilly, but it was tolerable.
Having used body wash and shampoo, he now felt thoroughly refreshed.
Wearing her T-shirt meant he didn't need pants—the shirt reached down to his knees, turning into a dress on him.
Goku could only resign himself to it.
As a Saiyan who hadn't reached adulthood, he was shorter than the average child.
He remembered that some tall elementary school kids, around ten years old, could be 1.6 to 1.7 meters tall.
His own height was more suited for kindergarten.
Not dwelling on it, Goku stepped out of the bathroom.
Instantly, the aroma of food hit him.
"Wow, that smells amazing!"
Little Goku couldn't help but swallow saliva, his stomach rumbling once again.
Bulma had already washed his clothes in the washing machine
and was now hanging them on the balcony.
Seeing Goku come out rubbing his stomach, a smile reappeared on her face.
"Tsk tsk, you look much fresher after your bath!"
"But the food isn't ready yet, wait a little longer!"
"We'll eat together after I finish my shower!"
"Okay."
Bulma entered the bathroom.
Goku glanced around and spotted the remote control on the sofa.
"Smelling all this deliciousness while starving is really tough!"
"Maybe I should watch some TV while waiting for her?"
Just then, Bulma's head popped out from the bathroom.
"Hey Goku, I just helped you, now it's your turn to come scrub my back!"
Goku: "Huh???"