End of 10 years cont.
A week has passed since I last hung out and saw Gojo. He hasn't visited or texted me often because of his job. My loneliness in the house was eating me up. "Focus, Ena." I was out doing archery to pass the time. Just when I released the arrow, the door aggressively opened.
Slam!
My whole body jolted, making me turn to the open door of the archery room. "What is it?!" I shouted in fright. Everyone in the household, including servants have the common decency to announce themselves before me. However, in this case, there must be a reason why they forgot it.
"My lady!" A few maids popped behind the door frame as their face was pale as a ghost. "T-The elders and your parents are waiting for you..." Their eyes looked so dull and afraid. What happened to them?
"What's going on? Why are they summoning me right now?" There was no reason for me to go since I haven't done anything to 'disrespect' them. Or maybe they're just sadists who love to hurt people.
"W-we don't know. We were told to bring you."
For some reason I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what's going to happen, but this treatment might be the worst in my book. "If this situation is bad... I want you to contact— never mind." I didn't want to bring Gojo into this yet. I don't know how long I'll be able to paint a good picture of my clan. It'll crumble down once he sees the torture chamber. "I'm heading out."
I felt uneasy walking to the audience room. What kind of crime are they going to pull up so they can punish me? I don't deserve any of this. I hate this life.
Entering inside the room, I sat in a seiza-style in front of my elders as my head was down. One of the elders began speaking, "Ena, I have heard you are keeping non-traditional clothings in your closet. You know that's prohibited. It doesn't matter if it's from Gojo Satoru. As long as you live in this house, you obey our rules."
My heart twinged in pain. Everything was about rules. Nobody cared to love me like a normal child, not even my own parents. My parents are ass-kissers. They never cared for me. They never stopped any punishment given to me as a child because they thought it'll shape me to be a porcelain, mindless doll. Little did they know I was mentally dying in this house. I'm nothing more but a last survivor of the Kita clan. They forced knowledge into me and even used extreme discipline to conform a growing child. I'm miserable in this house. I will die if I don't leave this house.
"Good thing for you," I lifted my head up and stared at them with deep venom, as my voice was filled with aggression. "I'm no longer a part of this household anymore. I am a Gojo! And I will leave this place and never turn back because I hate it here!"
"Ena!!" The elders yelled in unison.
My suppressed emotions took over me. "All these years of hell, all these years of fear, I am done! I listened to everyone! I respected everyone! I put my own feelings aside for everyone!" My vision blurred for a few seconds until it released hot tears down my face. "What have you all shown me?! The pain of a Kita? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's that!"
"Ena, stop it! Why are you acting like this?! You're not my daughter!" My mom hissed out like I'm a stranger. How could she know who I am? She was never involved in my life. I had no parents. They had me and threw me into training after I turned five.
"It's because I'm not your daughter." My hands balled into tight fists, turning white as I controlled myself from throwing hands. "I've never been your daughter since the day I was born! You abandoned your duties as my parents—"
Slap!
A stinging pain buzzed on my left cheek as I touched my cheek. My head was processing what just happened. How did I not see her raise her hand? I'm blinded by my own emotions that I didn't see at all.
"You can't tell me that I didn't love you!" My mom screamed after hitting me. Why was she in pain? I've been suffering for my whole life. Their heads were messed up from the core. Whatever the elders did to brainwash them, it worked very well. Their thinking was wrong to the point where they have to be right about everything. They silenced my voice and this was their karma.
Slam!
We all turned heads to the front door opening and feet heavily stomping. "Satoru?" When did he get here? Who brought him here?
"Gojo,"
Gojo wore an all black attire with his signature black sunglasses. By his twisted facial expression, he must've seen and overheard everything. This was the first time seeing him mad other than joking or being care free. "I will not let you disrespect Ena!" He pulled me behind him, and he quickly apologized to me. "I'm sorry that I didn't rescue you from this hell any sooner, but luckily I came in time before things escalated. You were calling for help that one night, and I didn't do anything to prevent your suffering. I'll make it up to you by taking you with me." Gojo managed to pull through a smile despite his turning anger.
"Gojo, you have no business in this conversation. I'm asking you to leave." The elders commanded in a threatening tone.
Gojo took my hand in his and firmly squeezed it. "Then I will leave with Ena and that's final. She is a Gojo now and she is practically my wife already. I love and care for her more than you will ever know." My heart skipped a beat from the fast confession. He sounded serious but was it a lie to fool them? Nonetheless, I'm touched by his words and action to save me. "She no longer lives under your rules. Let's go!"
We walked out together until we reached my room. Before he said anything, his hand gently touched my left cheek. His warmth against my irritated cheek felt comforting now. Gojo showed a gentle side that's not usually seen. It made my stomach have butterflies. "I know you have your reasons for not telling me and it's okay. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me. Take what you really need in your room." Gojo pulled back and guarded my room so no one else would come in.
I grabbed a large bag in my room and stuffed the clothes he got for me, some books, and other small entertainments. I chose to leave my kimonos behind because that's not me anymore. I'm a new person once I step foot out of this premise. "This is all I'm taking."
"Let's go, princess. Your new castle awaits." Gojo opened his hand out for me to take, and I took it in a heartbeat.
Later taking a taxi to where he lives, we stood in front of an apartment. "This is your new home with me! Let me tour you around even though it's not big."
Gojo led me inside after unlocking the front door. His living space was cozy for one or two people to live in. Although I'm not used to the smallness of the apartment it's okay. This was much better than living at my old home. "You're lucky that this place has another room available. If they didn't, they we'd be happily sleeping—"
I cranked my arm back to feel the energy and momentum in my arm, and I slapped his back lightly. I can't be too mean because he's letting me live with him. "Are you a secret pervert??" I blurted in curiosity and in seriousness.
He looked at me with a straight face before breaking into a big laugher as he held his stomach. "Of course I'm not! I'm very respectful, princess. I wouldn't invade your space at all. Make yourself at home. I'll be in the kitchen making food since I'm hungry, and I'm going to assume you're hungry too!" Gojo skipped away, leaving me in the guest room which was now my room.
I unpacked what I had with me and it didn't take me long to finish. I also changed out of my clothes into the ones Gojo got me. He literally bought me a lot of dresses from short to long, different necklines and sleeve length.
Stepping out of my room, I lightly walked to the kitchen where chopping noises were heard. I peaked my head through the entrance, and Gojo looked up at me as he sensed my presence. Since this was his home, Gojo wasn't wearing his sunglasses to which I looked away. "You can't be shy forever, princess. One day you'll get used to looking at me without any eye coverings." He chuckled in amusement.
I bit my cheek and mentally prepared myself to look at him. He's right, I have to get used to this sight. Pulling myself together, I floated around him like a tiny ghost on his shoulder. "I'm surprised you can cook. Your chopping skills look amazing." His knife work resembled the chefs at my old house. For a person who's too laidback, he does have skills in other subjects.
"I'm a great cook if I do say so myself. It's chef's kiss."
My head tilted to the side. "Chef's kiss? What does that mean? You're just a regular cook, not a chef." I hoped he remembered that I lived under a rock for most of my life, so I wouldn't know as much slang or expressional phrases as I should.
Gojo stopped what he was doing and turned around as he pinched my right cheek lightly. "You're so cute, princess." It sounded like he was talking to me like a dog or child. "You can kiss me, the chef." He closed his eyes, waiting for my answer.
"No,"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes,"
"Are you for sure, for sure?"
"My answer isn't changing. I'm not kissing a person that I don't have feelings for."
Then he released my cheek and he stepped back. "Bummer... It's going to happen now that we're living under one roof." He clasped his hand in glee and explained the meaning. "Chef's kiss is just an expression to show something is perfect. I'll teach you new things that help you catch up to my knowledge and level."
I observed him cook as I leaned over a counter right next to him.
Chop chop chop
"I can't cook nor do I know how to clean," Gojo gasped loudly, dropping his knife again. "What do you expect? I've been babied my whole life. Throw me on a deserted island and I'll die within 24 hours." I joked, twisting my black hair into a low bun.
"You have a lot to learn if you're going to live in my house."
A frown immediately dropped my whole happy vibe. I knew he didn't mean any harm from what he said, but it reminded me of my living situation at my old home. "Call me when it's ready." I left without any explanation.
I sat up right on the comfy couch, reading a romance novel that I brought with me. It's a cliche story about forbidden love between waging kingdoms. The prince and princess go out at the dead of night to visit each other at a cave. Nobody knows about their secret relationship until later on in the book. I'm in the middle of it, where the princess cries because she's forced into an arranged marriage for the sake of her kingdom. "Poor girl..." I mumbled, continuing scanning the pages. She can't confess that she loves another person or else she'll get locked up until her marriage.
"Whatcha reading?" Gojo popped himself over my right shoulder.
"A romance novel," then I shut it aggressively, causing a gust of wind to hit our faces. "Food's ready?"
"Yes, princess!"
At the small table, there were a few dishes across the surface. I began sniffing the food, inhaling the rich aroma. Out of nowhere, a memory came into mind. "Did you know when I was younger I was poisoned?"
"What?" Gojo said in surprise as his eyes widened across from me.
"It happened when I was ten or so. They poisoned my meal, and I got sick for a whole week. The elders and my parents hunted down the person who did it, and it turned out to be a third person involved... Honestly, it's a big mess. In short, the chef, maid who brought me my meal, and the third person got executed. Luckily I was still sick, so I didn't have to watch it."
There was a weird look on his face. It looked so stiff yet shocked from how the ending turned out. "Oh...? Yeah, it's good you didn't watch. Their behavior there reflects so differently from earlier." Gojo distributed food on my plate, making me try everything he cooked. He really wanted to show me what a true chef's kiss was.
A daunting feeling fogged over my heart. I have to tell Gojo since he already figured it out. "I'll tell you later. I won't make you wait. For now let's eat!" I forced a half smile on my face.
After some time of eating his cooking, he was a good cook. Gojo wasn't lying. "Wow, Satoru. You can cook. Maybe you should do all the housework while I sit back and chill." I joked around, pushing myself out of my seat.
"No, no, no!" Gojo also got up, wiggling his finger in the air. "You're going to learn how to cook and clean, princess. I'm not going to let you off the hook because you don't know how to. Come help me wash dishes."
I helped him bring the dirty dishes to the sink. "You'll wash and I'll dry. It's easy and simple!"
Gojo patiently instructed me on how to wash dishes. I slipped on the rubber gloves and soaked the sponge in dish soap. "It's easier to water down everything. I'll be back! I'm going to get the mail."
"Okay,"
Gojo zoomed off.
"This shouldn't be too hard." I felt confident about this task.
5 minutes later,
I was totally wrong about this, I jinxed myself. I aggressively tried to scrub this discoloration on the plate. "Why isn't it coming off?" The more I scrubbed, the less anything was happening.
"I'm back!" Gojo sang out, opening the door and then closing it behind him. "Are you finished— Oh," that 'oh' sounded so sad and disappointing. "You're still on your first one?"
I quietly responded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeahhh... this discoloration isn't coming off." My eyes shifted on and off of him.
Gojo bursted in a fit of laughter. "AHAHA! The plate is stained, so it wouldn't come off! I didn't know you were this gullible!" Heat rushed up to my face as he made fun of me. "I'll watch you clean as you watched me cook."
He stood by my side, making small comments here and there until he was able to dry the wet dishes.
Finally we were done with the dishes. "You take your time, princess. Thirty minutes just to finish six items, that's a world record!" Gojo made it seem like it's something to be proud of. Why would I be proud of being slow? "Can you relax? You sit so prim and proper. This is your new home. Throw the old you away!" Gojo slouched on the couch with his legs wide open.
"So you want me to act like you?" I disliked how wide his legs were. He was taking too much space, and it was an eyesore to see.
"I never said act like me. You need to relax and get comfortable. You're so uptight, stiff, and mean. It's rare to see you loosened up."
I felt a bit offended that I fell into his trap without realizing it. "Okay! I'll relax!" Since I was wearing a dress, I decided to throw my legs over his lap and lay down. "This is very relaxing! I'm on cloud nine just laying down on the couch... I see no fun in this. I can't be sarcastic anymore." I gave up trying to play around with him. His energy was way too much for me to handle.
"So are you going to tell me?" Gojo slapped his hand on my knee cap, turning his head in my direction.
"First off, who told you? You can't suspect unless you heard it from someone in the house." There's no way he could get any answers from people outside the house, only inside since they're threatened to keep their mouths shut.
"Remember the day you got kidnapped and I got beaten up?" I nodded. "After I got my body tended, the head maid came to me, begging me to save you from this house. I didn't know why, but I listened to what she had to say. To sum it up, she hated how you were being treated and now that you have me, I can take you away from it."
It surprised me to know that the head maid did that for me. She's so sweet and caring.
Gojo slightly turned his torso as he leaned against the back cushion of the couch. "I've never been more enraged in my life. It sparked a feeling in my heart that I wanted to protect you from your family. Everything you've been through, it makes sense why you wanted to bargain a deal with me in the first place. I was your only hope in escaping the brutish hell you live in. Your hesitation after your torment and your deep questions in the ryokan inn confirmed my suspicion." His voice was soothing and understanding while his eyes were tender. It looked like he would fight against anything for my happiness. This was a touching moment between us that I loved to see from him. All his words were coming from his pure heart and feelings. Non-family members care for me more than my own blood relatives will ever. "Today, the maids called me and informed me what happened. That's when," Gojo swiftly pulled me into his arms in a blink of an eye.
"S-Satoru?!" I had no idea what he was going to do.
"I became your knight and shining armor to save my princess! I get the picture of what you've been through, so I won't make you speak on it. You're going to make new memories with me." Gojo gently smiled at me as his eyes softened. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach from his sweet words and actions.
I broke into a thankful smile, relaxing my facial muscles. "Of course, I will. You've shown me more to life than anyone else. You have a heart of gold."
"Well, Mrs. Gojo—"
"I'm not Mrs. Gojo until we exchanged vows," I corrected him.
"But didn't I overhear you call yourself a Gojo when you argued with your family?" There was a little sass in his voice as he knew he was right, so he shoved it in my face to make me admit it.
"Yeah..." I mumbled out.
He started walking with me in his arms, somewhere in the apartment room. "Then Mrs. Gojo, why don't we share a bed?" Gojo suggested in a risqué tone.
"No. Didn't you say you're a respectful man? You liar! You sit on a throne of lies!"
"Yes, I am respectful and no, I don't lie."
I clicked my tongue. "Sureeee,"