Chapter 7. Are you here to laugh

Magnum Capsule Company.

"It's Kahn. It seems like you haven't been around for a long time."

Dr. Brief greeted Kahn warmly as he arrived. Being somewhat familiar with Kahn, Dr. Brief couldn't help but smile—after all, this was his daughter's ex-boyfriend.

Kahn scratched his head with an awkward smile and asked, "Uncle, is Bulma at home?"

Dr. Brief nodded towards the direction of the laboratory and said, "Bulma's been in the lab for a while. You can go find her there."

"Alright, sorry for bothering you and Auntie," Kahn replied.

In the laboratory.

Bulma was deep into her research, looking like she hadn't slept in days. Her unkempt appearance betrayed her emotional state—ever since hearing about Kahn's upcoming marriage to another woman, she had thrown herself into work to escape the pain.

Kahn quietly approached her, his heart aching at the sight of her bloodshot eyes. He spoke gently, "Why don't you take a break?"

Hearing his voice, Bulma looked up. She stared at him for a few moments, then silently set her work aside and got up to leave.

Kahn sighed, understanding what had caused her to push herself so hard. She must have heard the news of his marriage and, judging by her self-imposed suffering, clearly hadn't moved on.

Bulma hadn't even shown up at his wedding.

"Hey," Kahn muttered softly, following her into the living room.

There, Bulma sat across from him, silent and stern. The tension between them was palpable.

"You don't seem too happy to see me," Kahn finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

Bulma turned away with a huff, her voice bitter. "You're already married. What do you want from me?"

"Do you not want me to be here?"

"I..." Bulma started, but quickly bit her tongue. Truthfully, she was glad Kahn had come, but knowing he had married someone else cut her deeply.

After a few moments of silence, she turned back to him. "So, what are you here for today? To gloat?"

Kahn was taken aback by her hostility. "Do you really think I'd do that?"

"Hmph!" Bulma crossed her arms. "Then why didn't you marry me? Why did you have to find someone else? Am I not good enough for you?"

Kahn knew she was angry, but her words hit hard. Was Bulma not good enough for him? That was absurd.

"Don't joke like that," Kahn replied. "You're Bulma, the richest woman on Earth and one of the world's top scientists. You're beautiful, intelligent, and could have anyone you wanted."

He sighed, unable to find the right words. "But I'm married now, Bulma. It's too late to talk about this."

He shifted the topic, sensing her frustration. "I actually came to ask if you could help me build a gravity training chamber."

"Training! That's all you ever care about!" Bulma snapped, her voice rising. "You spend all your time on training, but when it came to marriage, you didn't think of me at all!"

"Bulma, I—" Kahn started, but Bulma cut him off.

"I don't care! Go find someone else to help you!" she yelled, storming off and leaving Kahn dumbfounded in the living room.

"Ah, this..." Kahn muttered, realizing too late how much pain he had caused her.

If he had known Bulma still had feelings for him, he wouldn't have gone through with the blind date that led to his marriage. But it was too late now—his wife was at home, waiting for him.

"I'll come back when she's calmed down," he sighed, rubbing his temples before leaving.

---

Back home.

By the time Kahn returned, it was already noon. His wife, Vados, had prepared a lavish lunch.

"Husband, you're back! You must be exhausted from your training. Come, eat and rest," Vados greeted him warmly, linking her arm with his.

"Thanks," Kahn smiled, sitting down to eat with her.

After they finished, Vados looked at him expectantly. "How was it? This is the first time I've cooked for you, so I hope you liked it."

"The taste was good, but it's different from what I'm used to," Kahn admitted, though he still complimented her efforts.

"Actually, I know how to cook pretty well myself. How about I teach you a few things tonight?"

Vados' eyes lit up. "Really? I didn't know you could cook! I'd love to learn from you."

It turned out that Vados' cooking skills were more suited to the tastes of the Sixth Universe, where she used to cook for Champa. As a human from the Seventh Universe, Kahn wasn't as familiar with her style.

But the fact that Kahn could cook surprised her—it wasn't something she had foreseen, even in her prophetic dreams.

That night, Kahn showed her what real cooking was. Having taken over the kitchen duties after the death of his grandfather Son Gohan, Kahn had developed quite the skill set—cooking was something he excelled at.

Vados, who had lived for eons and tasted countless dishes, was blown away by Kahn's culinary prowess. She had never tasted anything so delicious, and she praised his abilities without reservation.

From that day on, Vados began seriously learning cooking from Kahn, eager to master the flavors he enjoyed.

---

A month quickly passed in this warm homely routine.

One morning, Kahn woke up and immediately checked in with his system.

"System, daily check-in."

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing your daily check-in. You've received a reward: +100 combat power.]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing a full month of check-ins! Your monthly reward is...]