Back then, she had wanted to return to the past and see Sun-kun, too.
But she was already old,
and that world had a younger version of herself, as well as Chi-Chi.
She didn't know how she would fit in if she went there.
She was afraid she wouldn't want to come back.
So she never went.
She simply lived on in that broken world.
Late at night, when all was quiet, she couldn't help feeling lonely and letting her thoughts run wild.
She had wondered so many times...
If she could live her life over, how wonderful would it be if she could choose Goku...
Unfortunately, life had no "ifs."
As Bulma's memories replayed over and over, energy flashed in Goku Black's hand.
In an instant...
Bulma's body was blasted to dust.
A familiar song drifted through Bulma's consciousness.
Romance Dedicated to You...
As the song's lilting melody echoed through her mind,
she seemed to see Little Goku again,
and the days they'd spent adventuring together.
With a sense of contentment,
she lost consciousness for good...
When she woke up, she found that she had returned to the age of sixteen.
She was back at the beginning of her journey, just after setting out to search for the Dragon Balls.
Bulma touched her cheek in disbelief.
"I've been reborn!"
Suddenly, a screech startled Bulma.
She turned to look. High above Mount Paozu, in the distance, a flash of light seemed to streak across the sky.
A dinosaur seemed to have been hit by something and came tumbling down from above.
Bulma stared at the mountain, her face full of confusion.
In an instant, she recognized the place.
"That's Mount Paozu! Son Goku's home."
Her tragic life was over,
and she had a chance to start again. It felt wonderful.
Overjoyed, Bulma's gaze grew more determined.
"Son Goku, I'm coming to find you!"
"This time, I'm definitely keeping you by my side.
I won't let Chi-Chi trick you away from me!"
With that, Bulma floored the accelerator and sped toward Mount Paozu...
As the saying went, even a horse could die of exhaustion before reaching a mountain that seemed close.
She had clearly seen the mountain just moments ago,
but it still took her a full hour to drive to its foot.
Now she was winding her way up the mountain road,
and after another hour of driving, she still hadn't reached the top.
Bulma couldn't help lamenting that even an experienced driver like her wasn't going fast enough!
As she drove, a small stream in the mountains came into view.
Distant memories surfaced in her mind once more.
She remembered that stream from the first time she'd come here in her previous life.
That day, Son Goku had caught a big fish in the stream and eaten it for a meal.
Little Goku hadn't known any better and had nearly thought she was there to steal his food.
Seeing the stream, Bulma knew that Goku's home wasn't far away.
Through the trees, Bulma finally spotted smoke rising from the mountaintop,
and a smile spread across her face.
If all went as expected,
that smoke had to be Goku grilling meat.
Bulma's lips curved into a slight smile as she abruptly hit the accelerator,
racing up the winding mountain road toward the summit.
Suddenly, a small figure appeared right in front of the car.
The person had a turtle shell on his back and seemed to be walking on his hands. Bulma couldn't see his face.
Bulma was startled. She slammed on the brakes, but it was too late to stop the car.
The tires skidded, and the car rushed toward the figure ahead.
In a panic, Bulma gripped the steering wheel and shut her eyes.
She thought she was about to hit him and wreck the car.
But to her surprise, after she closed her eyes, she heard no impact,
and she could feel that the car had stopped.
Bulma immediately opened her eyes.
A little boy with a tail was standing right in front of her.
Bulma's heart trembled, and her breathing quickened.
Wasn't this the Little Goku she'd missed so desperately?
His clear, innocent gaze made Bulma feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
Bulma hurried toward Little Goku,
her hands trembling with nervous excitement.
In this life, it was Son Goku's first time meeting her.
But in that despairing timeline,
for more than twenty years, she'd hardly gone a single day without missing that face.
Without a word of explanation, Bulma pulled Son Goku into a tight embrace.
Son Goku was suddenly enveloped in Bulma's arms, and he was completely dumbfounded.
Doubts flooded his mind.
"What's going on?"
"Isn't this Bulma?"
"Why didn't she shoot me?"
"Why is she hugging me as soon as we meet?"
Feeling Bulma's body trembling in her arms,
Son Goku stood stock-still.
She's so soft. This feels so nice.
And she smells so good!
Chapter 4: Reunion Across Time and Space
After a while, Bulma's excitement began to settle, and she slowly let go of Goku.
Son Goku looked at Bulma's face curiously.
Her smooth blue hair fell loosely over her shoulders.
Her eyes were large and bright, brimming with curiosity and longing for the unknown.
Her delicate face still held a touch of youthful innocence,
but the space between her brows revealed a cleverness and resolve beyond her years.
This Bulma seemed a little different from the lovestruck girl he remembered.
Bulma covered her chest and said, still shaken, "That dinosaur just now scared me half to death.
I'm so relieved to have found someone here, even if it's just a little kid."
She went on, "Hello, my name is Bulma, and I'm a girl!"
As she spoke, Bulma held out her fair hand to Goku.
Hearing Bulma's introduction, Son Goku stared at her for a moment.
A dinosaur?
Could she have just escaped from one?
Was that why she was so excited to see him?
Son Goku looked her over. She seemed completely unharmed, and even her clothes were clean.
He felt a little relieved.
At least she wasn't hurt. It didn't matter what she'd run into...
With Bulma here, it was time for him to go down the mountain.
There was no need to go after the dinosaur she'd encountered. He'd leave it for Grandpa to eat later.
Son Goku held out his hand to Bulma.
"Hello, my name is Son Goku!
Welcome to Mount Paozu.
My grandpa is very hospitable, especially to girls.
If you don't mind, why don't you come over to my house?"
Hearing Son Goku's words,
Bulma's eyes widened in shock.
Why was this different from what she remembered from her previous life?
How could a little kid like Son Goku be so polite?
He was supposed to be a wild boy!
But when she heard Goku mention his grandpa,
Bulma pondered for a moment and seemed to understand.
After a few breaths, the shock in her eyes finally began to fade.