"Are you sure you do not want to try anything? We have yakitori, soba, and tempura...among others."
"Take your pick!"
"You can have it free of charge!" the hostess was adamant about giving you food for the past few minutes now. You would have taken it had she not requested it be on her dime. You felt so bad at the thought, looking at the girl behind the hostess stand, about to speak before someone beat you to it.
"Here is a sample!" an older woman (who had also been insisting) shoved the kabob into your hands, and you bowed with a broad smile.
"I insist on payment, Kurusu-san," you chuckled, "you must not do all this hard work for nothing."
"I do not mind at all!" she said, waving her hands around in denial. "I hope you are enjoying the town, however."
"It is very charming," you grinned as you turned your gaze to the bookstore you'd been eyeing for a while, "full of charming people as well." Your smile was genuine, and the woman called Kurusu could tell in an instant. Oh, how Satoru's people resented the Zen'in name.
You, however, were doing wonders already.
"I do not know if you shall enjoy the company of the man in that store." she shook her head at you.
"For what reason?"
"He is cold, Lady Gojo," she began, "cold and indifferent."
"There is no one so unpleasant that will keep me from enjoying a good read," you smiled again, "I thank you again for your generosity, Kurusu-san. I hope to see you soon."
"You must not thank me!" she shook her head and shooed you away towards the store. Smiling at you while following her direction and beginning to cross the street, Kurusu and her teenage daughter watched you with pleasure as your head dipped with every greeting bow by excited villagers.
The girl with short blonde hair smiled at your departure. "She will be a good Lady, do you not agree, mother?"
"She may be as great an angel as you, Hana."
The bookstore was small. Quiet is also a good way to describe it, and when the door shut behind you and you were seemingly alone, you took the opportunity to take a bite of the yakitori kabob that they had gifted you. There was a quiet and deep greeting of welcome, and you tried to follow the voice, eventually finding a man sitting on the ground around the corner of an aisle of thick, informational books.
He was a blonde man with sharp, strong features and what looked to be a strong build as well. Although Kurusu was correct, he looked rather indifferent to you. "May I help you find anything, miss?" he asked, and this seemed to be the first person who didn't know who you were.
"No sir. Thank you. I just came to browse." He nodded at you before you walked away, eyes turning back down to his book, and you smiled as you walked the small aisles.
Because you had been mobbed by people for the better part of two hours, you were glad to have a little quietness...but you were sure that you have been long strayed from the post house. For all your husband knew, you may have disappeared. For a few quiet minutes, you let your fingers turn pages to get small glimpses of book's contents, and you turned once with a little bit of fright, seeing the bookkeeper staring at you with a cocked brow.
"Are you Gojo-san's wife?" he asked without reaction, and you took a calming breath and pressed your hand over your heart.
"Indeed I am," you confirmed, "and you are?"
"Nanami Kento," he said, "Gojo-san considers me a friend although I do not respect him. I apologize for me not attending your wedding, Lady Gojo."
You smiled awkwardly as you took in this information and yes, Nanami seemed like someone who may not have cared for your husband's eccentric personality. "That is perfectly fine, Nanami-san," you chuckled, "I am not offended."
"Good. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," with that and a deep bow, Nanami walked off to the back of the store, and you merely shrugged before continuing on with your browsing. However after a moment, the door burst open and you tipped your head around to see a very worried Geto Suguru. The moment his eyes landed on you, he sighed with relief. "Do not break my door in again, Geto. I will have your head!" Nanami shouted from his office, and you shot the man at the entrance a curious look.
"Very sorry, Nanamin!" Suguru yelled back with a short laugh.
"Suguru-kun?"
"Your husband is about to send a search party to look for you," he smiled as he held his arm out, "he is very worried."
You scoffed and set the book in your hands back in its rightful spot. "Is he the only worried one?"
"No. He has made your disappearance everyone's problem," Suguru felt your arm slide under his own, guiding you out of the shop and back into the sunlight and crowds. "Satoru assumed you got lost."
"I do not deny it." you laughed, and Suguru looked at you with a small smile, while you kept your eyes peeled for a familiar head of white hair.
"Have you made any friends today?" he questioned, and you nodded up at him.
"I do not know about friends, but I have met many kind people," you recalled some of them, "I met a few miko priestesses at a shrine down that way-"
"Lady Gojo, the nearest shrine is a mile down the road!"
"I inclined to take a walk with the children leading me there," You were smiling when he gave you a knowing look. "Next time I shall have adult company, I promise."
"Nevermind that. Who else have you met?"
"Well, a woman called Kurusu-san offered the Gojo family free food whenever they please and...in that bookstore was apparently one of Satoru-sama's friends."
"Nanami?" He chuckled, "I do not know if friends are the best way to describe those two."
"Oh, are they not?"
"Nanami is pretty old fashioned. Freshly tailored kimonos every week kind of old fashioned. As you know, Satoru is not." He explained, and you smiled at the man. He was very kind to you, and although you could not read his thoughts, you believed that you would get along great with Geto Suguru.
"He is not," you affirmed, "I wonder why Nanami-kun decided against coming to the wedding."
"Well," he trailed before leaning down to your ear, "he would probably be upset to see such a beautiful woman be handed off to someone else." You nearly jumped at his close proximity, voice less than teasing. His voice was the opposite of your husband's, no playful lilt as he spoke to you, it was uncomfortable to you. Surely, your husband would feel threatened if he saw the two of you this way.
Even so, you looked over to see Suguru nearly eye level with you and smiled, almost flattered by the compliment. "I do appreciate your kindness, but I do not believe that to be the reason, Suguru-kun." You blinked at him as normal, making him click his tongue as he stood up straight again.
"You are far too...alluring for your own good, Lady Gojo." He commented, and you chose to ignore his words as you saw the back of your husband's tall stature in the crowd.
"Oh, did I not tell you?" You turned back one more time with a grin, "you can call me by my given name. I prefer it." Suguru's face was etched over with a little shock, frowning once his best friend stole you away by the arm with whiny cry.
"Wife!" He held you by your elbows, "we have been searching for you!" His bright blue eyes bore into yours and suddenly, that discomfort you felt around Geto Suguru had disappeared, in turn leaving you smiling fondly at your husband.
"I have been busy, Satoru!" you spilled, "I have met so many people."
"Next time I shall come with you." He said, drawing you close and wrapping his arm around your shoulders. You lay your head happily on his shoulder while simultaneously, he threw an unreadable expression to his best friend still standing in front of him.
"y/n!" Jun ran up and gave you a quick look of relief before stealing you from Satoru's arms and into her own.
"Wow." your husband complained, while you were still confused as to why everyone was so worried!
"Jun!" you pulled away from her with curiosity, "why have you all been so concerned for my safety?"
"We thought you got kidnapped." Nobara commented.
"Because you got lost and are the Lady of the fief..." Itadori strolled up with his own kabob in hand, "well, you will be when Master Gojo keels over."
"Cannot come soon enough," Satoru drawled, making you shake your head disapprovingly. He then turned to Suguru, who was looking bored with the conversation, "Suguru! Care to join us for dinner next weekend as a thanks for finding my beautiful wife?"
"Sure," he nodded, and it was clear that you were happy with your husband's invitation, even if you were oblivious to the fact that he was clearly trying to rub all this in his face. "Zaru soba?"
"Of course," Satoru rolled his eyes as he suddenly noticed you had run off again. "That woman is stealthy."
"She is over there! By the fountain!" Itadori called and pointed to you, who was happily knelt down into the dirt and engaging with shy children who sat on the marble edge of the fixture. From his vantage point, he could see Jun standing behind you and the bright smile from your side profile. Even more so, the rosy-cheeked children growing shy and bashful at your presence, as well as their mothers grinning softly as they spoke with Nobara.
"You have found a beautiful wife, Gojo-sama," a short old woman stepped in front of Satoru with her nose in the air, and he immediately noticed her as the premier food supplier, and a woman who he considered an old friend. Satoru scoffed, giving her a look that said I am aware, but she laughed in his face. "Beautiful, kind soul she has."
"I agree, Kurusu-san. Between you and me," he leaned down to speak with her lowly, knowing how much of a loudmouth she was, "I picked her out of a lineup from Kamo, Inumaki, and Zen'in daughters. And guess what?"
"What, my Lord?"
"No family had one as beautiful and poised as she." She cooed at his words and looked back at you, who was speaking happily with a group of women, you and Jun and Nobara looking rather interested in the latest gossip. At one statement, your jaw dropped and you had to stifle a laugh with a hand over your mouth, and the mothers laughed heartily at your reaction.
"Young love..." she trailed as she walked off, ignoring the bewildered expression that Satoru gave her. Love?! No, not even close. He felt a duty to you, and so far, you had not disappointed him...what with your beauty and kind words and tight little cunt, you could do no wrong. But he did not love you. Hell, Satoru did not even like you.
Right?
"Husband!" you waved him over by the group of moms, and he fixed his face before walking over with a curious look. "We have a question for you."
"What is that, ladies?" he gave them a bright and winning smile, one they could not help but fawn over. However, after he spoke, the women all shared a look and began laughing, and suddenly Satoru felt absolutely trapped.
"Do you, um..." you turned to them once more before speaking, "may you confirm that you do in fact have soldiers coming down in the coming months?" Laughs erupted around you both, including those from Nobara, and Satoru only sighed and nodded his head.
"I do, for the New Year's festival," he said, "soldiers: single, lonely, and manly."
"New Year's festival?" you asked in confusion.
"Do you not know? It is a tradition, my Lady." one woman named Shimada informed you, to which you shook your head.
"I've never heard of such a thing."
"Oh, you will be pleased," another lady said excitedly, "it is the best time of the year! Well...besides harvest season."