Who Was More Heartbroken?

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The hair dryer blew hot air with a whooshing sound. Broly could feel the warm wind passing over his head as his hair gradually became fluffy and dry.

"It's sticking up a little. Looks like I can't dry it completely."

Wrapped in a bath towel, Fujimura Taiga said this as she picked up a bottle of hair conditioner and sprayed some onto Broly's head.

The fragrant scent made Broly raise his head and sniff at the hair conditioner in her hand.

"This isn't something you eat either."

Fujimura Taiga hurriedly put the hair conditioner away, picked up a comb, and turned Broly's head forward before combing through the boy's long, fluffy hair.

"Your hair is really nice!"

After washing it, Broly's hair had an incredibly smooth texture. Even Fujimura Taiga felt envious while touching it.

"Let me style your hair."

Very soon, a boy with Twin Tails appeared in the mirror.

"Haha, this hairstyle is so cute. You look just like a Little Girl."

Broly frowned. After Fujimura Taiga's earlier hands-on explanation, he already knew the difference between himself and a girl.

"I'm not a Little Girl. I have a Little Brother."

As he argued, he thrust out his crotch as though displaying proof to the young girl behind him.

"You little brat, aren't you ashamed of swinging that elephant around?!"

Fujimura Taiga spat out the words, her face flushing slightly. This Little One was rather well-developed.

No, it was more accurate to say he had developed beyond what someone his age should have.

"Ashamed?"

Broly looked confused. Before he could turn into a little question machine, Fujimura Taiga hurriedly undid his Twin Tails.

"Alright, alright. I'll give you another hairstyle."

She was starting to get scared of this child's questions.

"How about a Ponytail? It's neat and capable."

Broly did not really understand whether a hairstyle was good or bad. Seeing Fujimura Taiga's approving expression, he nodded. "Mm."

"Bring your Tail over here. I'll dry it too, or it'll get your clothes wet."

Broly was very obedient. He did not refuse the young girl's instruction and dutifully placed his Tail in her hands behind him.

The hair dryer started up again. The warm wind made Broly's Tail feel slightly cool, and before long, it became as fluffy as his hair. The soft, furry sensation made Fujimura Taiga, who was holding it, instinctively start stroking it in a rather indecent manner.

Only when Broly's body trembled did she hurriedly let go. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"It's fine."

Broly did not mind. His body had merely reacted instinctively to that strange way of stroking his Tail.

"Mm, do you want to stroke it too?"

Noticing Young Sakura, now dressed, staring at his Tail, Broly thought for a moment and asked.

"Can I?"

Stroking his Tail would not make any fur fall out. Broly said nothing, only moved closer and placed his Tail in the girl's hands.

Young Sakura held the Tail in both hands and carefully stroked it, not daring to use too much force. Instead, it made Broly's Tail feel a little itchy, and it began swaying in her hands.

"Did I hurt you?"

Young Sakura hurriedly stopped stroking his Tail and asked.

"No. You can use a little more strength. It's itchy if you're too gentle."

Encouraged by Broly's gaze, Young Sakura tried stroking his Tail the proper way.

"Is this amount of force okay?"

"It's still a little itchy."

"Then how about this?"

"It's a little numb."

After several rounds of trial and error, Broly's Tail gradually became familiar with Young Sakura's little hands. It was no longer unfamiliar with her grip and slowly entered a state of desensitized adaptation.

To put it metaphorically, it was like a cat that had once been wary of people but could now show them its chin.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop playing with the Tail over there and come get dressed! It'll be bad if you catch a cold."

Already dressed, Fujimura Taiga called out. She was a little jealous of the Little One who got to stroke the Tail.

"Do you need me to cut a hole in your pants?"

Fujimura Taiga asked.

"No. I always wrap my Tail around my waist. My Father said that reduces the chance of my Tail getting hurt."

Saiyan warriors basically all kept their Tails that way. Saiyans who cut off their Tails were in the minority, since it concerned the trump card of transforming into a Great Ape.

Though when it was unnecessary, almost no Saiyan liked turning themselves into an irrational Great Ape.

Broly spoke of how his Father had taught him to keep his Tail that way, but in Fujimura Taiga's ears, it became an entirely different story.

A child with a Fluffy Tail had constantly suffered discrimination and bullying from others. To protect him from such treatment, his Father had taught him from a young age to hide his unique Tail. Though that Father was no longer in this world, his love for his child was evident in every little detail.

What great fatherly love!

"It's okay. Older Sister will protect you from now on."

Fujimura Taiga's maternal instincts suddenly surged, and she hugged Broly against her chest. She was quite well-developed. While she had not yet attained the broad bosom she would have in the future, she was already soft and full enough to wrap around the boy's entire face. Broly was left bewildered, having no idea what was happening.

Still, smelling the pleasant scent of soap, Broly did not resist much. He let Fujimura Taiga hold him while his nose took in her fragrance.

Fortunately, Broly did not eat people and did not try to bite the soft flesh beneath the cloth wrapped around him.

That night, Fujimura Taiga arranged for Broly and Young Sakura to sleep in the Guest Room. She had originally wanted the two Little Ones to sleep in her room, but her Grandfather, Fujimura Raiga, vetoed it.

"The master's family must maintain the master's family's dignity. If you get too close, there'll be no distinction between superior and inferior. It'll be difficult to manage people later."

"Grandfather, I told you, I'm not cultivating a Trusted Follower!"

No matter how Fujimura Taiga explained, it was useless. Fujimura Raiga was still the one in charge of this household.

Under someone else's roof, even a Biological Granddaughter had to lower her head.

"Then you two get some good rest."

After saying that, Fujimura Taiga left, leaving only Broly and Young Sakura in the room.

"What do we do now?"

Young Sakura was a little nervous. After All, she and Broly had only met that day.

"Didn't she say we should sleep?"

Broly found that strange. He went to the corner, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"You're sleeping like that?"

"How else am I supposed to sleep?"

"Shouldn't you spread out the bedding and sleep under the blanket?"

Young Sakura pointed at the bedding and blankets Fujimura Taiga had brought over for them to use.

But seeing the confused look on Broly's face, she quickly realized that he might never have slept on a Floor Bed before.

"This is how you use it."

Though Young Sakura had never slept on a Floor Bed herself, she had at least seen how it was done. She quickly unrolled the bundled bedding, spread out a Floor Bed on the Tatami, crawled inside, poked out her head, and spoke to Broly.

"So this is how you all sleep? My Father and I used to sleep leaning against rocks."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because there are many dangers on Vampa. Some come from monsters, while others come from Vampa's natural environment. Sleeping against a rock gives you more alertness than lying on one. My Father told me that."

The main reason was that Broly had a terrible temper upon waking. Paragus had once been attacked by his biological son after waking him up, so he taught Broly how to sleep lightly.

"Vampa?"

Young Sakura could not really understand what Broly was saying, but one thing was certain: he had once lived in a very dangerous place, perhaps just like she had in the Matou Family.

"It's okay. This place should be safe now. You don't need to sleep against a rock."

Broly thought about it. His experiences in this world seemed to support that—everywhere was full of very weak lifeforms. So he walked over and crawled into Young Sakura's blanket.

"Huh?"

Young Sakura looked at the other Floor Bed that had not been spread out, then at Broly lying in hers, and for a moment, she did not know what to say.

"Aren't you sleeping?"

Lying in the blanket his Wife had laid out, Broly asked Young Sakura.

"I am. This is a pillow. You can put your head on it."

In the end, Young Sakura said nothing else. She merely pushed the pillow over and let Broly sleep the way normal people did.

The light was turned off, and Young Sakura slipped under the same blanket.

The room was quiet, but before long, a soft sobbing sound rose.

"What's wrong?"

Broly turned his head and looked at the Girl making the sound.

"I miss home."

Young Sakura spoke quietly.

What was home?

Home was where your family was. Like the cave where you and your Father lived.

The Crystal Palace provided the explanation, and Broly understood.

"If you miss home, then go home."

That was what he said.

"But I don't have a home anymore. Father and Mother don't want me anymore."

A dark, silent environment was the most likely to draw out the weakness in one's heart.

Young Sakura had not cried before, but lying under an unfamiliar blanket and looking at an unfamiliar room brought out those depressed emotions, shattering the Little Girl's emotional defenses.

Host, please note: Matou Sakura's mood is continuously low. Happiness Value is decreasing.

Broly: "..."

He did not know what to say to the Girl beside him.

Please note: An excessively low Happiness Value will affect the conversion returns of Happiness Points when the invitation target successfully becomes a Crystal Palace Member.

Note: Happiness Points may be used to exchange for items the host has previously experienced, including but not limited to daily necessities and food items.

Broly scratched his head. This did not seem to affect him much. He had already learned how to survive in this unfamiliar world. He could exchange labor for Food.

Reminder: The host has not permanently traveled to this world and will return to his own world in five days. Return countdown: 5 days, 6 hours, 38 minutes, 33 seconds. Current count: 32, 31...

Broly: "?!"

I have to return to Vampa, to my "home"?

Of course. Once Space-Time Energy is exhausted, you must return.

Though he had been in this world for less than half a day, Broly had already fallen deeply in love with it—and with the delicious Food that was neither bitter nor astringent.

Yet before this happiness had lasted long, the Crystal Palace told him that he would have to go home soon.

Thinking of the days when he ate bitter, astringent spider eggs on Vampa, Broly's mood immediately hit rock bottom.

How can I stay here?

Unlike Young Sakura, Broly did not want to go home at all. He did not want to return to Vampa.

Please provide more Space-Time Energy.

The Crystal Palace gave its answer.

What is Space-Time Energy? How can I provide it to you?

Broly asked.

Space-Time Energy is the energy of time and space. After the host returns to his own world, he can accumulate Space-Time Energy through the passage of his own time. Of course, he may also increase the speed of Space-Time Energy collection by accelerating through the spaces he travels.

So I can't stay in this world?

If you wish to remain in another space-time world, please provide more Space-Time Energy.

To gather Space-Time Energy, he had to return to his own world. To stay in this world, he had to provide more Space-Time Energy. Great, it was a dead loop.

Listening to Young Sakura cry beside him, Broly somehow learned without being taught. Imitating her sobs, he began crying too.

"Waaah..."

Hearing the sound behind her, Young Sakura froze.

She turned around and found that the boy under the same blanket was crying too.

"No, why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because I have to go home in a few days."

"Uh, isn't that a good thing?"

"But I don't want to go back. Once I go back, I won't be able to eat such delicious Food from this world anymore. Where I live, there are only Vampa Spiders and Vampa Spider eggs to eat.

"They taste so bitter, so astringent, and so awful compared with the Cake, Pudding, fruit, soda, and Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl you gave me."

Broly listed off a string of food names before reaching his conclusion.

"They can't compare at all. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here, but I can't stay here. Waaah..."

Young Sakura: "..."

She had a home she could not return to, while he had a home he did not want to return to. The complete contrast made her feel even worse.

Young Sakura had wanted to cry along with Broly, but after sobbing twice, she found that Broly was crying even more miserably, like his parents had died. So she stopped.

"Could you stop crying?"

Young Sakura tried to comfort Broly.

"Cake, Pudding..."

But Broly cried even harder. Thinking that those foods would leave him in a few days made him incomparably sad.

"No, you're only losing delicious Food! At least you still have a home to return to, unlike me!"

Young Sakura said.

"If I had never seen the light, I could have endured the darkness. But after seeing the light, how am I supposed to endure the darkness?"

That information Appeared in Broly's mind, and he used it to question the Girl.

Young Sakura: "..."

She felt the same way. Back in the Tohsaka Family, she had been so carefree and happy. But after being sent to the Matou Family as an Adopted Daughter, the life of being thrown into the Bug Warehouse for modification had been so dark and hopeless, completely unbearable.

Reminder to host: Matou Sakura's mood remains low, and her Happiness Value is continuing to decrease. An excessively low Happiness Value will affect the conversion yield of Happiness Points when the target is successfully invited to become a Crystal Palace Member.

Note: Happiness Points can be used to exchange for items the host has previously experienced, including but not limited to daily necessities, Food, and other items.

Huh?!

After returning to Vampa, could he exchange for the Food from this world too?

Yes.

Broly stopped crying.

"Sniff..."

Young Sakura still wanted to keep crying.

"Stop crying."

Broly interrupted her mid-cast.

Young Sakura: "???"