Behind the preliminary-round arena was a secluded, shadowy bamboo grove.
The bamboo leaves glistened emerald-green after the rain, as if carved from jade.
Now and then, a crystal-clear drop slid from a leaf and fell onto a moss-covered stone with a crisp plink.
Far from the noise of the arena, the only sound here was the rustling of wind through the bamboo.
Bulma stood there with her hands behind her back, idly nudging a small stone with the tip of her shoe.
She had gone out of her way to dress up today, wearing a cropped red top that showed off her slender waist and stunning curves.
She wore a pair of hot denim shorts below, and her long, fair legs shimmered in the dappled sunlight, enough to make anyone dizzy.
Every so often, she glanced at the watch on her wrist, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Taking forever! That stupid bald idiot said he'd be here right away!"
Hearing footsteps behind her, she spun around.
Two blushes instantly bloomed on her cheeks, and the complaint she'd been about to make came out all wrong.
"Y-you finally made it! I've been waiting for you for a whole five minutes!"
Krillin walked up with a smile, unfazed by her bravado.
He was already taller than Bulma, and his broad shoulders and upright posture gave him an unmistakable air of security.
"Sorry. It took me a second to deal with that fat guy, but four minutes and fifty-nine seconds to squeeze through the crowd."
Krillin's voice carried a hint of teasing.
"Yeah, right. What a boast."
Bulma rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.
She took a delicate silver metal case from her backpack and handed it to Krillin.
"Here, the thing you wanted. I stayed up three nights in a row to get it done."
Krillin took the case and pressed the switch.
Click.
The case unfolded like a flower, revealing a dark blue Battle Suit.
It wasn't a clunky suit of armor like the Saiyans wore.
Instead, it was made of a high-tech material resembling a Tight Suit, its surface shimmering faintly with an eerie glow. It looked both mysterious and powerful.
"It's made from the latest Nano Memory Fiber developed by Capsule Corporation."
Bulma's voice brimmed with pride—the confidence of a genius scientist.
"It meets all your requirements. It can maintain ten times gravity at all times, automatically regulate temperature, and it's a hundred times more breathable than cotton."
"And... it's extremely stretchy. Even if your body expands tenfold, it won't tear."
She ran a slender finger lightly over the surface of the suit, her gaze focused and captivating.
"Most importantly, I added miniature gravity-buffering layers in key areas—like around the heart and spine—to absorb thirty percent of physical impacts."
"I know you're strong, but... a little extra protection never hurts."
Krillin looked at the suit, then at the blue-haired girl in front of him, who was chattering away.
She was only an ordinary person, with no Battle Power at all.
Yet she'd stayed up late poring over all these tedious figures, just to help him and make him a little safer.
An indescribable warmth welled up in his heart.
"Bulma."
Krillin suddenly interrupted her.
"W-what?"
Bulma stopped explaining, caught beneath Krillin's deep gaze.
She felt her heart beating faster and her breathing growing more hurried.
"Help me put it on."
"Huh? Don't you have hands?"
Bulma instantly bristled, her face as red as a ripe apple.
"And we're outside! Someone might see us!"
"Just try it on over what I'm wearing to check the fit. I'm not taking anything off."
As he spoke, Krillin stepped closer, backing Bulma up against several thick bamboo stalks.
He braced both hands on either side of her, pinning her in place.
"Or... do you want to see me naked?"
"W-who wants to see that? You narcissist!"
Bulma stammered in protest, but her body made no move to pull away.
Blushing, she picked up the Battle Suit, rose onto her tiptoes, and helped Krillin put it on.
Since the Battle Suit was designed to fit snugly, Bulma had to wrap her arms around Krillin's neck and adjust the concealed zipper on his back.
They were frighteningly close.
Bulma could smell Krillin's distinctive scent... not sweat.
It was a dry, warm smell, like rock warmed by the sun.
It was the heady scent of the vitality radiating from his powerful body, and it made her head spin.
Her fingers accidentally brushed the skin at the back of Krillin's neck. The scorching warmth made her fingertips tremble, as if she'd been shocked.
"Um... it seems to fit just right..."
Bulma's voice grew quieter and quieter. Her eyes darted around in a panic, anywhere but at Krillin.
"I adjusted the stretch ratio here, too..."
"Did you? It feels a little tight to me."
Krillin suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around Bulma's slender waist.
"Ah!"
Bulma cried out as she stumbled straight into Krillin's arms.
The Nano Memory Fiber Battle Suit felt smooth, but the muscles beneath it were hard as iron, pressing against her chest until it tingled.
"Y-you... let go..."
Bulma's voice came out soft and powerless, sounding more like a whimper than a protest.
"You were having a pretty good time watching from the stands earlier, weren't you?"
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