hiraeth - part twenty-one
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Goku walked down the long halls, peeking into each classroom as he searched for Y/n. Many of the graduates were spread about, talking and planning as they waited for the ceremony to begin. As he walked, he passed by the girls' restroom, bumping into a girl who was exiting the bathroom. Goku let out a small "oof" as he caught the girl, holding them in his arms.
"Oh, sorry about that!" Goku apologized. The girl jolted in surprise, looking up at Goku, her hat revealing her e/c eyes. His eyes widened as he grinned, squeezing her. "Y/n! There you are, I've been looking for you!"
"You have? Why?" Y/n asked in confusion, wondering if Gohan had sent Goku for her. Goku frowned as he remembered the situation, furrowing his brows.
"Did Videl really try to beat you up?" Goku asked. Y/n bit her lip, wondering if this was the best place to speak about the matter. Grabbing Goku's hand, Y/n led the larger man to a more private area, which ended up being an empty changing room. As she closed and locked the door, Y/n sighed as she looked back to Goku.
"She just showed up while I was getting ready. She freaked out, and when I shut the door, she started beating it down. I didn't know what to do, but she was acting scary... So I jumped out of the window. It was on the fourth floor, it was really scary, and I think I fainted, but..." Y/n gave Goku a bright grin, giggling. "I flew for the first time, Goku!"
"That's great, Y/n!" Goku chuckled, before turning serious again. "But you're okay, right? Nothing's hurt?"
"I'm okay, Goku. But actually, I needed to talk to you about something now that we're alone." Y/n said. Goku raised an eyebrow, smiling as she piqued his interest. "I need your help in gathering the Dragon Balls."
"What? Why? What kind of wish are you trying to make?" Goku questioned as he tilted his head in confusion. Y/n sighed, looking down.
"I want to get my memories back. That's why I'm not asking Gohan. I just don't like the idea that there's a whole chunk of my life missing. I want it back, even if it's bad memories." Y/n said. Goku frowned sadly, feeling bad for her. He couldn't imagine what it was like knowing your own memories had been locked away deep inside you. Goku had never been fazed by his bad memories, and couldn't understand why Gohan had taken them. Gohan had just stated that it's too much for normal people. Goku wasn't normal. Y/n was though, so he should help her.
"Sure, we'll just need to borrow the Dragon Radar from Bulma. When should we do it? After today?" Goku asked. Y/n nodded, giving him a thankful smile.
"Yeah, tomorrow. I'm staying at Capsule Corp. with Bulma, so just stop by tomorrow." Y/n said. Goku looked at her in surprise, having been unaware of her moving in with Bulma. Y/n hadn't seen the point in keeping everything a secret from Goku, seeing as how he didn't understand school anyway. "Just don't tell Gohan about any of this, okay? I'll talk to him on my own terms once we've made the wish."
Goku nodded his head in agreement, Y/n breathing a sigh of relief. With her plans cemented, all she needed to do now was get through the day, which had already been a struggle. As long as Y/n didn't speak to Chi-Chi or Mr. Satan, things should go along smoothly.
It wasn't long after Y/n and Goku's talk that things finally began. Guests sat outside as a spokesperson stood on the stage, calling graduates to the stage to be conferred on their degrees. It thankfully hadn't been long before Y/n's name was called, the girl shaking nervously as she stepped onto the stage.
As the spokesperson spoke while shaking Y/n's hand, Y/n looked around in the crowd, searching for Gohan. Her eyes landed on him, giving him a big grin, to which Gohan returned. Y/n's eyes then drifted over to Goku, who stared up at the sky in boredom. At his side was Chi-Chi, with Goten in her lap as she spoke on the phone, appearing as though she was annoyed. Y/n almost wanted to feel bad for Chi-Chi, understanding that it could be boring sitting at a graduation for someone you don't care about.
It wasn't until Chi-Chi made eye contact with Y/n, glaring at her, that Y/n remembered how awful Chi-Chi was, and stopped feeling bad for her. Y/n wondered what Chi-Chi could've been talking about, as she saw Gohan make an annoyed face at Chi-Chi. More than likely, she was complaining about Y/n to someone. That made Y/n shift uncomfortably, her stomach swirling like she was going to be sick. But Y/n forced a smile, trying to tolerate it until she could make it to a bathroom. Y/n found it slightly odd that she'd never suffered from anxiety and vomiting until after she met Gohan and his family.
As Y/n tried to turn her attention elsewhere, her eyes landed on a familiar teenager, standing beside her father behind the crowd. Videl crossed her arms, glaring at Y/n, causing Y/n to look away nervously.
It'll be fine, Y/n thought to herself. But the feeling in her stomach only escalated, and she began to worry that she'd get sick on stage. She looked back up to Gohan, giving him a small smile. Gohan smiled back, though it immediately faltered as he gave her a serious look, surprising Y/n. Had she done something wrong? Gohan almost looked worried as he leaned forward, trying to get a closer look at Y/n.
From Gohan's perspective, something was definitely off. Maybe it was just him, but Y/n's eyes seemed to have gotten darker. Squinting his eyes, Gohan huffed as he leaned back, whispering to his father just quiet enough that his mother didn't hear.
"Hey, dad? Does Y/n's eyes look different to you?" Gohan asked, making Goku look down toward Y/n. Goku hummed, trying to look closely, before his eyes widened. It was just like before, just like the night of the prom, when her eyes grew dark. She looked nervous and scared, as if she were internally panicking. It always happened when she panicked.
Y/n glanced down at the floor, not wanting to watch Goku and Gohan give her odd looks and whisper to each other anymore. She obviously must've done something to upset them. The spokesperson at her side finally finished, letting Y/n leave. She rushed off the stage, going up to a teacher who stood off to the side, quickly letting them know that she felt unwell and needed to go to the restroom.
That was where Y/n spent the rest of her graduation, vomiting her breakfast. Y/n choked on a sob, confused as to what was wrong with her, and why she kept panicking and getting sick. Sometimes, she didn't even have to be upset, just like the night she had "met" Goku. Y/n was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her.
"Y/n? Are you in here?" A voice called out, surprising Y/n as she sniffed. Getting up off the bathroom floor, Y/n opened the stall door, peeking out into the main restroom area. Erasa stared at Y/n in confusion, her eyes widening seeing Y/n's ruined makeup. "Y/n! What happened!?"
"I-I don't know. I just freaked out and got sick out of nowhere." Y/n tried to wipe her teary face, only smearing her makeup on her hand and face. Erasa sighed, digging in her pocket for a makeup wipe.
"You poor thing, you should've told me. I would've helped you." Erasa said as she led Y/n over to a mirror, wiping Y/n's face clean before putting Y/n's hair up in a ponytail. Erasa wrapped her arms around Y/n, giving her a comforting hug. "We were worried about you. Come on, everyone's waiting for us."
Y/n wanted to question who everyone was, but Erasa led Y/n out of the bathroom, into the hallway. Outside stood Y/n's friends, Goku, Gohan, and Sharpner. Gohan immediately rushed up to Y/n, grabbing her by her cheeks and examining her face.
"Y/n! Are you okay!? What happened, I was so worried when you didn't join us!" Gohan exclaimed. Her eyes were back to their original e/c, though that didn't sway Gohan's worry, not after what his father had said. Apparently, Goku had seen Y/n's irises turn completely black, which was not natural for any human. He said Y/n was panicking, just like she was internally on stage. Gohan had been worried sick after that, especially when he felt her energy grow weak and little, and she didn't show up.
"Give her some space, Gohan, she got sick." Erasa said, gently pushing Gohan back. Gohan sighed deeply through his nose, taking a step back, but he didn't break eye contact with Y/n. Y/n was the one to break it as she looked down, rubbing her arm nervously.
"Sorry, Gohan. I've just been getting sick a lot lately. I was so stressed, you guys kept giving me weird looks, I just... Freaked out..." Y/n muttered, feeling embarrassed. She felt pathetic talking about herself, how weak she was. Gohan was so strong, and Y/n was so weak, she got sick just being stressed. Why would he even sympathize with her?
Gohan suddenly wrapped his arms around Y/n, surprising her as she tried to step back. He squeezed her tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder. Y/n felt herself almost immediately calm down under his warm touch, sighing as she leaned into him.
"I'm sorry, Y/n. You just looked so scared, I was worried. I promise I didn't mean anything bad by it, I just..." Gohan contemplated telling Y/n what he and his father had seen, but seeing Y/n get physically sick from stress, Gohan decided against it. She was already having a long, rough day. "I just wasn't sure what to do. But now that you're here, I can take care of you."
Gohan pulled back, though he didn't release Y/n, his hands going to her own. He intertwined their fingers, giving her hand an assuring squeeze. Y/n smiled softly, wondering why she was even worried in the first place. Gohan was her best friend, he would never hurt her.
Giving Y/n a small tug, Gohan led Y/n away, stating that she was probably hungry now. As they walked away, Goku watched with an uncertain feeling swirling within his chest. Goku tried to be as supportive of Gohan as possible, even if he didn't agree with Gohan's goals. But something about him being with Y/n like that made Goku upset. As he clenched his fists, both Erasa and Sharpner gave Goku a look, before Erasa rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"Come on, you're married, don't act like that. Let's just go, I'm starving." Erasa said, giving Goku a pat on his back before following after Gohan and Y/n. Sharpner gave Goku a silent shrug, joining Erasa and leaving Goku to himself. Goku sighed in annoyance, trudging down the hall. He wasn't sure he appreciated being told he was married anymore.
After that, Y/n had made good on her promise, forcing her father to take all of her friends out to eat. Which meant that there was now a car full, with her father, the entire Son family, and Y/n's two friends Erasa and Sharpner. Chi-Chi and Goten rode up front, Goten bouncing around happily as he spoke with everyone, trying to get to know everyone and make more friends.
Y/n rode squeezed between Erasa and Sharpner, with Goku and Gohan in the third row. Y/n was very lucky her father owned a three row vehicle, otherwise people would've been riding in laps. And Y/n was too prideful to do that.
Y/n rode silently, closing her eyes and trying to relax. Though as she leaned her head back, she felt something lean against her, confusing her as she was unable to look back. Behind her, Goku smiled, leaning his head against the back of Y/n's. Gohan huffed, crossing his arms, but he didn't say anything, else he might attract attention. And he did not want his mother climbing across the rows of seats to beat her husband.
"Y/n!" Goku called, startling Y/n. Before she could speak aloud, Goku continued. "You said you wanted this to be private, so I'm using telepathy! Pretty cool, huh?"
Y/n remembered the last time Goku had used telepathy and mind reading, invading her personal thoughts. She frowned, unsure if she trusted Goku to not go through her private thoughts. She wasn't sure she wanted him aware of her physical attraction to him.
"Anyway..." Goku tried to gloss over Y/n's thoughts, ignoring how she'd unintentionally revealed her feelings. "Are you sure you want to reverse Gohan's wish? He went through a lot of trouble to make it. He said it could traumatize you to remember your own death. You could relive the pain."
That was one of Y/n's fears. That she'd feel everything, hitting her like a train. That she'd remember the cold grip of death, and the feeling of losing everything dear to you. Y/n had a horrible fear of death, but she didn't want to let that get in her way. It drove her nuts knowing vital memories of her friendships were gone. She had no idea how she even met Goku, for instance. To her, they met on the night of Bulma's party. To Goku, they had met nearly a year ago at the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament.
"How long was I even dead?" Y/n asked. Goku hummed, trying to remember the events.
"Not long, I don't even think more than a day. But you didn't have your memories erased till about six months later. Gohan had even spoken to you about having your memories erased, but he said you were against it and trying to bottle up the pain," Goku said. Y/n furrowed her brows, confused. It felt strange talking about herself and her feelings, when she had no recollection of these things.
"Whatever the case, I'm still going to get my memories back. I'm sure I won't be as sad as I was, it's been nearly a year." Y/n said. Goku didn't say anything, leaning back as he thought to himself. While he wasn't sure Y/n would be okay, he was happy to help her. And if her memories troubled her at all, there was always an extra wish to help. But Goku wasn't sure she'd be willing to erase her own memories. The whole thing was quite confusing, but Goku didn't say anything. He'd just go along with Y/n, after all, he was happy to spend time with her.
After their conversation, they soon arrived at the restaurant, with Goku nearly climbing over Y/n in excitement. Gohan sighed in annoyance and embarrassment, wishing he could pretend he didn't know the man. It also made Gohan jealous knowing how comfortable Y/n was with Goku being that close and physical. That led Gohan to holding Y/n's hand as they walked into the restaurant, with Chi-Chi and Y/n's father fuming angrily at the sight.
Chi-Chi was especially angry when both Goku and Gohan rushed to sit at either side of Y/n, practically squeezing her between each other. Y/n's father forced himself to calm down, though he felt awkward watching a grown, married man be that friendly with his daughter. Especially when Goku started watching Y/n eat.
Y/n stared at the food on Goku's plate, somewhat regretting what she had ordered. Goku noticed her staring, giving her a bright grin. "Do you want to try it?"
That had caught not just Y/n's attention, but Gohan and Chi-Chi's as well. The three stared at him with wide eyes, Goku looking between each of them in confusion, furrowing his brows.
"What? Why are you all staring at me?" Goku questioned. Gohan huffed, giving his father a glare.
"You never share your food! Why are you being so nice to Y/n!?" Gohan asked. Y/n nodded in agreement, just as confused as Gohan. She was well aware of a Saiyan's appetite and food aggression, she'd witnessed Goku's family eating before. So why was he now being so nice and friendly to someone he hadn't even known for long?
"Y/n got sick earlier, remember? She needs to make up for what she lost." Goku said. Gohan's eyes widened in surprise at Goku's perception. He'd never cared that much before, not even about Gohan, not even about his own wife, Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi didn't question that part though. What confused her was why Y/n had gotten sick.
"Sick?" She raised a brow, her brain connecting all the wrong pieces. "Wait... Are you pregnant!?"
Y/n inhaled her food, surprised, choking on it. Goku patted her on the back, unfazed by the question as he helped her. Goku's lack of reaction made Gohan internally panic, wondering if something he was unaware of happen. Y/n forced out a chuckle, shaking her head.
"No, of course not, ma'am!" Y/n denied, although the looks everyone but Goku gave her made her nervous. "Ma'am, I-I'm still a virgin..."
"You'd better be, if I found out you seduced my son, I'd never forgive you!" Chi-Chi said, and now it was Gohan's turn to be surprised.
"M-Me!? I thought you were talking about dad!" Gohan said. Chi-Chi's eyes went wide with a fiery anger, glaring at Goku.
"What!? What have you been doing with her!?" Both Chi-Chi and Y/n's father yelled. Goku tried to defend himself, but now everyone was arguing. In between the arguing, Y/n stared at her friends in embarrassment, apologizing for ruining lunch.
After that, Chi-Chi had dragged her family off in a huff, stating that Goku was grounded and needed to go home. Y/n felt bad for how Chi-Chi babied Goku, but ignored it, saying her goodbyes, as if she wasn't going to see Goku tomorrow.
Y/n also said farewell to her friends, as it'd now be a while before she saw them again. And with that, Y/n's father was the last one to say goodbye to. Y/n had moved out, and all of her things were now at Capsule Corporation.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? It's a big change." Her father asked as they stood just beyond the gates to the capsule factory. Y/n sighed, nodding her head as she stared up at the deep orange sky.
"Bulma is my idol. It's thanks to her that I can do all of this. I can't go back now." Y/n said. Her father sighed, giving her a smile.
"I know, but it was worth a try. Good luck with your new life, Y/n. I'm proud of you, and I know your mom would be too." He said. Y/n returned the smile, wrapping her arms around her father as she exhaled deeply. Her father pulled away, stepping back. "Be sure to write often. I should go, or else I might never be able to leave."
"I will. Bye, dad. I love you." Y/n said. Although she was sad to say goodbye, it didn't change just how excited and nervous she was.
"Bye, Y/n, I love you too..." Her father spoke with a low voice. He stepped back, getting into his car and driving away, waving with a smile. Y/n stared at the spot he stood in before her.
This was it. Things were finally going to change for the better. Her life was truly beginning to take a turn for the best, and it was all thanks to Goku and his friends. All Y/n had to do now was survive university, and she'd get her dream job.
She had no idea that fate had different ideas for her. She had no idea of the entity that had just woken up far, far away, with the goals of realizing his dreams, intertwining their fates. For now, Y/n's next goal was to make her wish, and get her memories back...
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// word count - 3285 //
So, I can't remember how exactly the Buu saga ended, so my apologies if things seem confusing. I'm also struggling to remember this story's timeline, so things may seem a little fast, I'm sorry.
I hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading.