Chapter 7: Who's More Upset?

"Hoo hoo hoo……"

The hair dryer blew hot air with a whoosh, and Broly could feel the warm wind blowing over his head, his hair gradually becoming fluffy and dry.

"A bit poofy, looks like it can't be blown too dry."

Fujimura Taiga, wrapped in a bath towel, said this while picking up a bottle of hair conditioner and spraying it onto Broly's head.

The fragrant scent made Broly unconsciously lift his head and sniff the conditioner she was holding.

"This isn't something to eat."

Fujimura Taiga quickly put the conditioner back, picked up a comb, and had Broly turn his head around, combing through the boy's long and fluffy hair.

"Your hair quality is really good!"

After washing his hair, Broly's hair felt very smooth to the touch, making Fujimura Taiga feel envious as she touched it.

"Let me give you a hairstyle."

Soon, a boy with twin tails appeared in the mirror.

"Haha, your hairstyle is so cute, you look just like a little girl."

Broly frowned, and after Fujimura Taiga's earlier introduction by example, he already knew the difference between himself and girls.

"I'm not a little girl, I have a little brother."

He argued while thrusting his crotch forward, as if showing the evidence to the girl behind him.

"Cut it out, you little brat, are you ashamed or not!"

Fujimura Taiga spat, her face slightly red; this little guy's development was still quite good.

No, it should be said to exceed what should be expected for his age.

"Ashamed?"

Broly looked confused, and before he could turn into a puzzled baby, Fujimura Taiga quickly untied his twin tails.

"Fine, fine, I'll give you a different hairstyle."

She was somewhat frightened by this child.

"Can I do a single ponytail? It's refreshing and capable."

Broly actually wasn't very clear about good or bad hairstyles, and seeing Fujimura Taiga's not-bad expression, he nodded in agreement: "Mm."

"Stretch your tail out, I'll blow it dry for you too, otherwise it's wet and will get your clothes wet."

Broly was very obedient; facing the girl's instruction without refusal, he obediently placed his tail into the girl's hand behind him.

The hair dryer sounded again, the warm wind bringing some coolness to Broly's tail; soon, his tail became as fluffy as his hair, and the furry feeling made Fujimura Taiga, who was holding it, unconsciously make a lewd stroking motion.

As Broly's body shook, she quickly let go: "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"It's fine."

Broly didn't mind either; just now, after being stroked on the tail, his body had unconsciously produced some instinctive reactions due to this strange way of stroking the tail.

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

Seeing Young Sakura beside him, dressed and staring at his tail, Broly thought for a moment and asked.

"Can I?"

Stroking the tail once wouldn't lose a single hair; Broly didn't speak, just approached and handed his tail to the girl's hand.

Young Sakura held the tail with both hands, touching it carefully, not daring to use too much force, which instead made Broly feel his tail was a bit itchy, so he shook his tail on the girl's hand.

"Did I hurt you?"

Young Sakura quickly stopped the tail-stroking motion and asked.

"No, it's just that you can use a bit more force; if it's too light, it's a bit itchy."

Under Broly's encouraging gaze, Young Sakura tried the correct way of stroking the tail.

"Is this amount of force okay for you?"

"Still a bit itchy."

"How about this?"

"A bit numb."

After several trials and errors, Broly's tail gradually became familiar with Young Sakura's small hand, no longer feeling strange about her small hand's grip, gradually entering a state of desensitization and adaptation.

To put it in anthropomorphic terms, it was originally a vigilant cat, but now it could show its chin to people.

"Hey hey hey, don't touch the tail there, come over quickly to put on clothes, otherwise you'll catch a cold."

Fujimura Taiga, already dressed, shouted; she was also somewhat envious of the little guy who could stroke tails.

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

Fujimura Taiga asked.

"No need, I always wrap my tail around my waist; my father said this can reduce the chance of my tail getting hurt."

Saiyan Warriors basically all place their tails this way; as for Saiyans who cut off their tails, they are a minority, because this concerns the trump card of Saiyans transforming into Great Apes.

Although under unnecessary circumstances, almost no Saiyan would like to turn themselves into an irrational Great Ape.

Broly spoke of his father teaching him to place his tail this way, but in Fujimura Taiga's ears, it became another story.

A child with a furry tail had always suffered discrimination and bullying from others; his father, so that he wouldn't be discriminated against or bullied, taught this child from a young age to hide his unique tail. Although that father was no longer in this world, his love for the child was reflected in the details.

【What great paternal love!】

"It's fine, Sister will protect you from now on."

Fujimura Taiga's maternal instincts suddenly flared, and she embraced Broly in her arms; her development was quite good, although not yet at the level of a broad bosom in the future, but now it was soft and fleshy, just enough to wrap around the boy's entire face, leaving Broly somewhat dazed, completely unaware of what had happened.

However, smelling the pleasant scent of soap, Broly didn't resist much, allowing Fujimura Taiga to hold him, his nose sniffing the fragrance on her body.

Fortunately, Broly didn't eat people and didn't try to bite the soft flesh wrapped in the fabric in front of him.

At night, Broly and Young Sakura were arranged by Fujimura Taiga to sleep in the guest room; originally Fujimura Taiga wanted to arrange the two little guys to sleep in her own room, but was vetoed by her grandfather Fujimura Raiga.

「A master's household should have a master's dignity; being too close does away with superior and inferior, and it will be hard to manage people later on. 」

「Grandpa, I already said I'm not cultivating confidants! 」

No matter how Fujimura Taiga explained, it was useless; this home was still run by Fujimura Raiga.

Living under another's roof, even a blood granddaughter must bow her head.

「Then, you two should rest properly. 」

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

「What do we do next? 」

Young Sakura was a bit nervous; after all, she and Broly had only known each other for one day.

「Didn't she say to let us sleep? 」

Broly found it strange; he went to the wall corner and leaned against the wall to close his eyes.

「You're going to sleep like that? 」

「How else can one sleep? 」

「Not spreading out the blanket, but lying inside the blanket? 」

Young Sakura pointed to the bedding and blankets Fujimura Taiga had moved beside them for their haphazard use and asked.

But seeing the look of confusion on Broly's face, she quickly realized the other might never have slept on a futon.

「This is how it's used. 」

Although Young Sakura herself had never slept on a futon either, having never seen a pig but having eaten pork, she quickly pushed aside the rolled-up bundle of bedding, spread out a sleeping futon on the tatami, crawled in, poked her head out, and said to Broly.

「So you all sleep like this? I used to sleep leaning against stones with my father. 」

「Eh, why? 」

「Because Nappa Star has many dangers; some dangers come from kaiju, and some dangers come from Nappa Star's own natural environment. Sleeping leaning against a stone allows more alertness than lying on a stone. This is what my father told me. 」

Mainly because Broly had morning grumpiness; Paragus had once been attacked by this biological son after waking him, and thus taught Broly this light-sleeping way of sleeping.

「Nappa Star? 」

Young Sakura couldn't quite understand Broly's words, but one thing was certain: the other had once lived in a very dangerous place, perhaps just like her in the Matou Family. 「It's okay; this place should be safe now. You don't need to sleep leaning against a stone. 」

Broly thought for a moment; the sights and sounds of this world seemed to be like this—everywhere were very weak lives—so he walked over and crawled into Young Sakura's quilt.

「Eh? 」

Young Sakura looked at the unfurled futon on the other side, then glanced at Broly lying in her futon, and for a moment didn't know what to say.

「You're not sleeping? 」

Broly lay in the quilt Young Sakura had made and asked her.

「I'm sleeping; this is a pillow. You can put your head on it. 」

Young Sakura ultimately said nothing, only pushed the pillow over, letting Broly sleep in a normal person's sleeping way.

The lamp was turned off, and Young Sakura crawled into the same quilt.

The room was very quiet, but soon, a sound of sobbing arose.

「What's wrong? 」

Broly turned his head, looked at the girl making the sound, and asked.

「I miss home. 」

Young Sakura said in a low voice.

【Home, what is it?】

【Home is a place with family, just like that mountain cave where you and your father lived.】

Crystal Palace gave an explanation, and Broly understood.

「Miss home, then go home. 」

He said this.

「But I no longer have a home; Daddy and Mommy don't want me anymore. 」

A dark, silent environment most easily brings out the fragility in one's heart.

Before, Young Sakura had not cried, but lying in an unfamiliar quilt, looking at an unfamiliar room, this low-spirited emotion was drawn out and directly crushed the little girl's heart's defenses.

【Host, please note: Matou Sakura's mood remains low, and Happiness Value is decreasing.】

Broly: 「……」

He also didn't know what to say to this girl beside him.

【Please note: excessively low Happiness Value will affect the Invitation Target and the Happiness Points conversion yield upon successfully becoming 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 items, etc.】

Broly scratched his head; this seemed to have no effect on him either. He had already learned the survival method in this strange world and could exchange for food by doing things for others.

【Reminder: the Host is not permanently transmigrated to this world and will return to his own world in five days. Return countdown: 5 days 6 hours 38 minutes 33 seconds. Now 32, 31…】

Broly: 「? ！」

【I have to return to Nappa Star, return to my own 'Home'?】

【Of course; when Time-Space Energy is exhausted, one must return.】

Although he had come to this world for less than half a day, Broly had already deeply fallen in love with this world, with those non-bitter, non-astringent, very delicious foods.

However, just as this happiness had not lasted long, Crystal Palace told him that soon he would have to go home.

Thinking of the days of eating bitter, astringent spider eggs on Nappa Star, Broly's mood plummeted to the bottom.

【How can I stay?】

Unlike Young Sakura, Broly did not want to go home at all, to return to Nappa Star.

【Please provide more Time-Space Energy.】

The Crystal Palace gave the answer.

【What is Time-Space Energy, and how can I provide it to you?】

Broly asked.

【Time-Space Energy is the energy of time and space. After the Host returns to their own world, they can accumulate Time-Space Energy by relying on the passage of their own time. Of course, they can also accelerate the space they have traversed to increase the collection speed of Time-Space Energy.】

【So, I cannot stay in this world?】

【If you wish to remain in a different spacetime world, please provide more Time-Space Energy.】

To collect Time-Space Energy you have to return to your own world to collect it; to stay in this world you have to provide more Time-Space Energy. Right, a dead cycle.

Hearing Young Sakura's crying beside his ear, inexplicably, Broly also, without a teacher, learned her crying sound and cried out as well.

"Wah wah wah……"

Hearing the movement sounding behind her, Young Sakura was a bit stunned.

Turning around, she discovered the boy in the same quilt was also shedding tears.

"No, why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because in a few more days, I have to return home."

"Uh, isn't this 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 we are, there are only Vampa Spiders and Vampa Spider eggs to eat.

Their taste is so bitter, so astringent, so difficult to eat. Compared to the cake, pudding, fruit, Happy Water, and Katsudon you gave me."

Broly listed a string of food names, then made a summary.

"They completely cannot compare. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here, but I have no way to stay here. Wah wah wah……"

Young Sakura: "……"

She has a home she cannot return to; the other party has a home but doesn't want to return. The starkly opposite contrast made her feel even worse.

Young Sakura originally wanted to cry along with Broly, but after crying two sentences, she discovered Broly was crying even more miserably, like the kind where one's parents died, so she stopped.

"Can you stop crying, please."

Young Sakura attempted to soothe Broly.

"Cake, pudding……"

But Broly cried even more powerfully. Thinking that those foods would leave him in a few days, he felt incomparably distressed.

"No, you just lost good food. Compared to me, you at least still have a home to return to!"

Young Sakura said.

"If I had never seen the light, I could endure the darkness. But after I have seen the light, how can you make me endure the darkness?"

This kind of information that surfaced in his mind was taken out by Broly to refute the girl.

Young Sakura: "……"

She deeply felt the same. In the original Tohsaka Family, she was so carefree and happy. But after being sent to the Matou Family as an adopted daughter and thrown into the Insect Warehouse to accept a Modification life, it was so dark and full of despair, fundamentally unbearable.

【Reminder to Host again: Matou Sakura's emotions remain depressed. Happiness Value is decreasing further. An excessively low Happiness Value will influence the Target. When successfully invited as a Crystal Palace member, the transformation yield of Happiness Points.

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

【Eh?!】

【After returning to Nappa Star, I can also exchange for this world's food?】

【Yes.】

Broly stopped crying.

"Wah……"

Young Sakura still wanted to continue crying.

"Stop crying."

She was interrupted by Broly casting.

Young Sakura: "???"

(Chapter End)