Dragon Ball Human

In the South City, inside Tonpo's House Wagon:

"Slurp, gulp, munch…" Yamiru devoured the food in front of him with unmatched enthusiasm, alternating between chopsticks, spoons, and forks as if he wished for extra arms to aid his feast. Across from him, Elizabeth and her boyfriend, Tonpo, watched in stunned silence. Elizabeth murmured, "Wasn't he already eating when we saw him at the hotel?"

Tonpo, equally dumbfounded, added, "Yeah, how is he still this hungry?"

Suddenly, as Yamiru gulped down a bowl of soup, he froze mid-action, causing both Tonpo and Elizabeth to tense up. His face paled, and his golden eyes flickered with an unclear mix of dread and heaviness as he quickly surveyed his surroundings, seemingly using his Golden gaze to scout for any imminent danger.

"You're really afraid of them, aren't you…" Tonpo remarked, catching on. "Even though you've already escaped from those two, you still seem on edge."

Yamiru frowned. Just moments ago, his heart had inexplicably clenched. It felt as though now that the immediate threat of Shen and Tao Pai Pai was gone, his body was instinctively reacting to the residual stress. It reminded him of the anxiety before an important exam—pretending to relax but subconsciously panicking.

He smiled faintly and resumed eating as if nothing had happened, mumbling, "Guess I'm just used to it… I'll probably adjust in time."

Elizabeth clutched her chest sympathetically. "Oh, poor thing…"

After Yamiru finished his meal, patting his stomach with satisfaction, he exclaimed, "It's been so long since I've eaten this well! Haha!"

Tonpo, unimpressed, muttered, "What on earth happened to you? You look like you've had it rough."

"Yeah, a lot has happened…"

Yamiru reminisced about the past year since leaving South City. Most of it involved his journey in search of an elusive destination. Along the way, he adhered to his principles, experienced moments of fury that drove him to kill, and had no regrets about either. For the most part, he considered himself lucky, though there were times when luck betrayed him — like nearly being dissected by a mad scientist. Still, he encountered some wonderful people, including a kind-hearted girl and a friendly minotaur uncle. But above all, his favorite memory was riding the Flying Nimbus — it was unforgettable, and he longed to experience it again.

"…Huh?" Tonpo waited patiently for more of the story, only to realize Yamiru had stopped reminiscing. "Don't just leave us hanging! Aren't you supposed to share your epic adventures with us at this point?"

"Judging by what you've been through, it must've been pretty miserable, right? Painful experiences are better shared than bottled up inside," Elizabeth encouraged. "It's a way to release your emotions."

"Exactly!" Tonpo nodded in agreement. "We won't judge you!"

"This past year has been… eventful, I suppose. I've met many people and experienced many things. Most of the time, it was enjoyable, though there were frustrating moments too. I feel like I've grown a lot, but I still have room for improvement. There are things I want to accomplish, and I haven't succeeded yet, so I'm far from satisfied." Yamiru took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Looking at the concerned face of the woman in front of him and the bewildered expression on the pig-headed man, he smiled. "But honestly, I'm fine. The past is the past."

"You were just on edge while eating earlier…" Tonpo started, but Elizabeth stopped him with a slight shake of her head.

"Probably because I got too engrossed in the food and startled myself," Yamiru laughed. Then, with a sudden bang, he slammed his forehead onto the table, startling the couple. With his head buried, Yamiru shouted, "Thanks for the meal!"

"What's with the loud gratitude?" Tonpo asked, clearly unaccustomed to Yamiru's repeated earnest thanks.

"So, what are you planning next?"

Elizabeth, tidying up dishes with Tonpo, casually asked Yamiru, who was busy washing dishes nearby.

"Though his earlier ramblings were mostly nonsense, didn't he mention something about 'unfinished business and dissatisfaction'?" Tonpo said, wiping down the foldable table and glancing at Yamiru. "Probably planning to disappear again without a trace, huh?"

"Yeah, there's a place… I just can't give up on it," Yamiru replied, scrubbing a plate intently.

---

Late at night, the House Wagon slowly came to a stop in the outskirts.

When Yamiru stepped out of the vehicle, the sky was dark. The bright headlights illuminated swarms of insects darting through the empty surroundings. Yamiru pushed open the door to his shabby little house from a year ago, only to be met with a choking cloud of dust. A faint earthy smell, like damp grass, lingered in the air. He tugged at the lamp's switch, but there was no light. Brushing the dust off his fingers, he heard a sudden click behind him. Tonpo had followed with a flashlight in hand.

"Electricity's been out for ages!" Tonpo's flashlight beam swept around the room.

Yamiru, with his Golden vision, could make out the room's contents despite the dim light. His eyes fell on a notebook left on the table. Memories resurfaced of those early days, just after he'd crossed into this strange yet familiar world, when writing in a journal helped him cope with his anxiety.

---

The next morning.

Tonpo and Elizabeth had left the previous night, and Yamiru spent the night alone in his "old home". Awakened by nightmares, he calmed himself and stepped out of the house.

As he used to do, he stretched in front of the house, gazing at the sunrise slowly creeping over the horizon. A faint smile appeared on his face. He planned to jog to South City like before. But as soon as he stepped forward, cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and an uncontrollable sense of dread gripped him.

Instinctively activating his Golden Gaze, Yamiru, slightly out of breath, scanned the deserted road stretching into the distance. It looked no different from a year ago, yet he felt utterly lost.

The sun continued its ascent.

Standing still for a long time, Yamiru suddenly shouted to the sky, "Flying! Nimbus!"

No response came.

Letting out a bitter laugh, Yamiru finally began running. Along the way, he constantly scanned his surroundings, unable to fully relax, always on edge. The same distance that once took him much less time now dragged on for over two hours. By the time he reached South City, he felt far slower, far more exhausted. Standing at a street corner, bent over with hands on his knees, sweat dripped like rain onto the pavement. Bitterly, he thought, "Is it really all over?"

That day, Yamiru didn't leave South City, even after nightfall.

---

Later that evening, Tonpo returned alone in the House Wagon and parked it outside Yamiru's house. When he entered, he was surprised to see a clown hat, a red nose, and a bushy mustache mask lying on the table.

When Yamiru finally came back, Tonpo teased, "I thought you'd already vanished again."

Yamiru smiled faintly. "No need to rush off just yet."

But deep down, a voice seemed to question, Why stay?

"Who cares…" Tonpo muttered.

---

For several consecutive days, Tonpo drove to Yamiru's house in the outskirts. Each time, he was disappointed to find that Yamiru was still there.

One evening, as the sun set, Tonpo brought Elizabeth along and invited Yamiru for a feast in the van.

"Hahaha, you wouldn't believe how ridiculous they were…" Tonpo drank and ate, recounting tales with animated gestures. Elizabeth often burst into laughter, unable to stop. Yamiru occasionally joined in with a small chuckle, but mostly focused on eating.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a newspaper buried among the clutter on a nearby chair. Wiping his hands, Yamiru picked it up and spread it open. His eyes fell on a news article — a notice of the unexpected death of South City's current mayor.

"Yamiru, what are you staring at?" Tonpo slurred, wrapping an arm around Yamiru's neck while glancing at the newspaper he was fixated on. "You said you had unfinished goals, didn't you? So why are you still hanging around here?"

Was it Tao Pai Pai who did it... Yamiru put the paper down and replied, "What? You've had too much to drink."

Tonpo let out a burp, exhaling the scent of alcohol. "Did you know… last year, during the Martial Arts Tournament, there was a report about a mysterious 'golden-eyed boy' who narrowly lost to King Chappa and didn't make it past the preliminaries…"

Elizabeth grabbed Tonpo's glass, scolding, "Drink less; you're already rambling."

"It was so cool! You don't understand how amazing that was!" Tonpo suddenly shouted, flailing his arms and startling Elizabeth. "You've always collected World Martial Arts Tournament posters, right? Disappearing suddenly, only to show up at the tournament — how cool is that? And you know what? Every day I've come here, I've hoped I wouldn't see your face again!"

Yamiru stayed silent.

"If you're dissatisfied, then go and make it happen!" Tonpo yelled, stomping his feet. "You're the coolest person I know. Can't you keep being awesome?"

Yamiru didn't know how to respond.

Elizabeth gave him an apologetic look before dragging the now-snoring Tonpo away like a sack of potatoes.

---

"Before, it was uncertainty about the future that held me back. Now, what's trapping me…" Yamiru hesitated, then admitted the feeling gnawing at him, one he hadn't anticipated. "…is fear."

What if I run into Shen and the others again?

That morning, as the sun rose and Yamiru was about to begin his run, a sudden, inexplicable dread overwhelmed him. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if it wouldn't be better to stay forever in this desolate house. The thought filled him with shame. He berated himself — hadn't he been fearless in the snowy battleground of the Red Ribbon Army base? Was that all just empty bravado?

"One moment I can face death with courage, and the next I'm cowering before the unknown. Yamiru... Yamiru, what's wrong with you?"

Frustrated, he tried calling for the Flying Nimbus, but predictably, nothing happened. At that moment, he envied Son Goku — not for his Saiyan heritage, but for his untainted, pure heart.

So Yamiru started running. Just like a year ago, he ran to escape the troubles chasing him. But this time, his steps were much heavier.

---

Looking at Tonpo sprawled across Elizabeth's lap, Yamiru suddenly spoke. "Elizabeth."

"Hmm?" Elizabeth, whose ordinary looks were apparent even through Yamiru's Golden Veil, glanced up curiously.

He smiled and said something cryptic: "Make sure to keep the van keys safe. Otherwise, I might just show up dragging along a lustful little pig!" With that, he stepped out of the van and disappeared into the night.

"Keys? Lustful pig?" Elizabeth was utterly confused.

---

Dawn broke.

The park's trees, flowers, and grass glistened with cold dew.

Yamiru wandered into a park in South City. He didn't find the mysterious old man at the usual spot but wasn't surprised. After standing there for a while, he turned to leave. Passing a bench, he sat down, swinging his legs and staring at the sky. He fished a coin out of his pocket and toyed with it, flipping it between his fingers.

Clink.

The coin spun high into the air, eventually landing on the wet grass. By then, Yamiru had already left.

Walking toward the sea, the golden sunlight reflected in his Golden eyes. Soon, he reached the coastline.

"I admit it!" he said, speaking to the crashing waves. "I'm afraid. Dying doesn't scare me. But being trapped — living a fate worse than death—that terrifies me. If it happens again, I can't guarantee I'll make it through…" His voice softened. "So yeah, I'm scared, too scared to even set out."

Even with his Golden Veil, Yamiru was only human. He had his limits, moments of weakness.

"Admitting fear isn't shameful..." he murmured.

Just then, he noticed a shark fin cutting through the waves toward him. The creature circled him, close to shore. Yamiru broke into a grin, took a deep breath, and shouted to the vast ocean, "But who cares? I'm doing this anyway!"

With a wild cry, he laughed and jumped off the shore. Nearby beachgoers gasped and rushed over to see what happened. To their shock, the boy soon resurfaced, perched on the shark's back, riding it through the waves. His laughter echoed, growing fainter as he disappeared into the horizon.