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Gohan was at his desk again today in the Lookout’s guest room—a place that was scarcely ever used. Until recently, he had been clinging to Piccolo almost annoyingly, but for the past few days, he would simply offer a brief, polite bow before immediately shutting himself away in this room.
To live normally in human society, one couldn't simply dedicate oneself to martial arts alone. The fact that Gohan, who had spent his life amidst battle, was now trying to grow into a proper adult should have been a source of joy for Piccolo.
The sun was beginning to set, leaving the room in a dim twilight. A teacup sat in the exact same position it had been when Piccolo came to check on him earlier, its contents entirely undiminished.
“You’re pushing yourself quite hard.”
“Well, a little...”
“Hasn't your body grown stiff from sitting around?”
Offering careless, half-hearted mutters of agreement, Gohan didn't even lift his gaze. Feeling strangely irritated, Piccolo snatched the book away. For the first time, Gohan snapped his eyes toward him, his face masked in surprise.
“What is with that attitude when someone is speaking to you?”
Looking thoroughly displeased, Gohan stood up and snatched the book back from Piccolo’s grip.
“Piccolo-san, interrupting someone's studies like this is incredibly bad manners.”
“What did you say...? You bother to come all the way up here, yet every single time, you shut yourself away the moment you arrive. If that’s how it's going to be, do it at your own house.”
“But I can't take the Lookout’s books outside, can I?”
—The Lookout’s books?
At the unexpected response, Piccolo found himself at a loss for words. He had taken it entirely for granted that Gohan was bringing his own materials from home.
It was true that the Lookout housed many books left behind by the previous Guardian. Historical texts, biology, botany, oceanography, geology, astronomy, art, religion... Wondering what on earth Gohan could be reading, Piccolo tried to peer over his shoulder. Instantly, Gohan pulled a nearby notebook toward himself, hiding the book beneath it.
“...What book is that?”
“It doesn't matter, does it? It's nothing special.”
Gohan averted his eyes, tossing the words out in a hurried cadence. This was exactly how he sounded whenever he had a guilty conscience.
“I see. Turn on the lights if you're going to continue.”
Faking indifference, Piccolo turned back toward the door, causing an obvious wave of relief to wash through the air. Seizing the opening, Piccolo extended his arm in a surprise strike and snatched the book away once more. Gohan raised his voice in protest, but it was already too late.
It was a medical text, written entirely in the Namekian language.
“What is this...? Is it Dende’s book? Why are you able to read this?”
“...Dende has been translating the parts I need into my notebook... and I use the book... to look at the diagrams...”
Watching Gohan confess in a thoroughly halting, awkward manner, Piccolo was utterly dumbfounded. To think he was using Dende—who was, after all, the Guardian of Earth—like a common servant... Ordinarily, he should have scolded the boy, but before anger could take root, a wave of profound exhaustion washed over him.
“Don't boss the Guardian around...”
“I hid it precisely because I knew you'd get mad.”
“Of course I would. If you're going to make Dende do that sort of work, tell me instead.”
“I couldn't possibly ask you! I'm studying this for your sake, Piccolo-san!”
Seeming half-desperate, Gohan flipped the book open to a specific page and thrust it directly toward Piccolo. Although it was a medical book, it wasn't overly specialized; it was a simplified text that anyone could understand. It detailed the highly flexible Namekian anatomy, the composition of bone and muscle, the roles of the internal organs, and methods for addressing minor ailments.
“Why would that be for my... I have never suffered from an ailment in my life.”
“No, that's not it! I was worried about whether there were any adverse physical effects from us using *this place*, since you don't have a gender, Piccolo-san... I wondered what kind of organs might be affected by its location... Even if it's a bit late to be asking... When I consulted Dende, he said he would translate the relevant sections for me...”
Once again, Piccolo was struck utterly speechless.
Which meant... Gohan had explained everything—absolutely everything—to Dende about what they did when they used "that place"? Exactly when had this conversation taken place? The fact that Dende had been overly insisting that Gohan "take his time and relax" on the days he visited, even suggesting, "Why don't you stay overnight somewhere for a change?" meant that, in reality...
“...Do not read such things. If you wish to learn, look at me.”
“Huh?”
“Learn through practical experience.”
The moment Piccolo quietly delivered the command, Gohan’s face flushed slightly. In truth, Piccolo was the one who wanted to blush; he couldn't begin to imagine what kind of face he was supposed to make the next time he ran into Dende...
“Understood? Do not harbor unnecessary worries. If you have any anxieties, I will teach you and show you anything.”
Piccolo remained entirely oblivious to the sudden, burning heat that rushed into Gohan’s gaze—and just how dangerously precarious his own words truly were.
“...In that case, is it okay if I come to stay over tonight?”
“Yes. It is vastly better than me going out to stay somewhere else and making Dende and the others suspicious. Just don't let anyone see you.”
The setting sun creeping through the window brilliantly illuminated the surface of the completely cooled teacup. *“Of course. I look forward to studying,”* Gohan replied with a smile, and by then, not a single trace of his previous blush remained.