Chapter 5: Sickening Desire
Nobara tosses and turns on her futon. Her nightgown and bed are super comfortable but not her body. The whole day was intense; so many things happened that her thoughts kept her busy from shutting her eyes. Nobara pushed her blanket off and sat up in her dark room. There was barely any light. She stands up to walk towards the back of the room where a set of sliding doors leads to the small pond. Her room is simple but not her style. The pond is the only beauty she appreciates. Nobara places herself down on the pavement separating her room from the body of water. She stares at the coy fish and thinks back to lunch.
"Ah! Welcome Maki and young Miss Kugisaki" Naobito puts a bright smile on his face as he rests on one of the only two grand chairs of the long dining table. Fushigoro takes the other on the opposite side. Tons of chairs are placed in the middle on opposite sides; however, the amount of chairs doesn't compare to the many dishes that are presented on the table. Nobara has never seen such a feast in her life.
"Lord Naobito and Master Fushigoro" Maki bowes and Nobara follows.
"She is definitely hot. Do you mind if I have her Fushigoro?" Naoya smirks at Nobara as he studies her body, "after all, you don't seem interested". Nobara is instantly uncomfortable but decides to keep herself from responding harshly to him. Naobito is present so she can't lose her cool.
"It's a crime to keep your eyes on the leader's wife. I thought you were smarter than that Naoya" Fushigoro was annoyed. He hates talking to Naoya; everybody hates talking to this weasel. Fushigoro takes a glance towards Maki and Nobara. Maki instructs Nobara to sit on Fushigoro's left side and sits herself on his right. Fushigoro looks at Nobara from the corner of his eyes. He hates how beautiful she is; it disrupts Fushigoro's focus. He finds using the proper utensils difficult from the pressure of Nobara being there. He feels this sudden rush to impress her with his skills and mannerism. This disgusts Fushigoro since he wants nothing to do with his future wife, who only exists to serve him one purpose: an heir.
"Please children. We don't want this behavior the first ever time Miss Nobara joins us to eat" Naobito seems disappointed and a little embarrassed to which Nobara is surprised. He looks a little scary. Never want to disappoint him. Nobara thinks to herself before taking a sneak peak at her future husband-to-be. She hasn't noticed this before but Fushigoro is very handsome. He is resting in a comfortable kimono that only reveals a little bit of skin: his neck and hands. Both of which look soft and pretty. The way he looks, Megumi is definitely the right name for him. Nobara thinks to herself. She takes the first delicious bite of her food and instantly curses at herself for fantasizing about Fushigoro. This man only exists to fulfill her goals; nothing more. Nobara makes sure to not look at Fushigoro again and enjoys her food. She was so glad the maids made sure to teach her proper table manners.
"Lord Naobito is right. Please be respectful" Maki glares at Naoya who stares at Nobara with a smirk. The rest of the lords and ladies of the Zenin clan join the table to taste the countless amounts of amazing dishes. Soon, everyone is involved in conversations. Maki and Fushigoro, on the other hand, enjoy their meal quietly. Most people at the table introduce themselves to Nobara. She tries to memorize their names but instantly forgets them. She has barely any time to take notice of Fushigoro or her food. Nobara loses herself in different conversations. Overall, the day goes by quickly.
Dinner was pretty lonely, however. Nobara ate by herself with the accompaniment of her maids. Everyone was busy with work and wasn't enjoying a meal at the dining hall. Nobara enjoyed the food but she felt homesick. She used to eat with her mother and father every night. Sometimes, her grandmother would join them. Nobara missed sewing, Sumi, her mother, and her father. Sure she hated the village but the people made it worth it.
Nobara was brought back to the present when someone screamed. The screaming was muffled but she could still hear it. Nobody was outside enjoying the breeze like she was in this late at night so she instantly ran towards the sound. Nobara ran into the mini forest that stretched beyond the back of the Zenin mansion. It was dark and dingy but if somebody needed help, she didn't care. Nobara thought it might be a cursed spirit so she assembled her hammer and nails that she always keeps hidden in her clothes.
"Don't make a fuss peasant" Sukuna enjoyed watching the life leave out of the man's body. He was hanging in the air while Sukuna had his hand on his throat. He squeezed it further and further while the man flailed in pain. The man's hands were grabbing Sukuna's, which was squeezing his throat. Nobara watched in horror; her whole body was shaking but this wasn't the time to worry about herself. Someone was in trouble and she had to do something.
Nobara rushed towards the two and kicked Sukuna's hand. Sukuna was shocked that he didn't detect her. In a rush, his hand let go of the victim and Nobara grabbed the man away. She ran and hid behind a large tree. Nobara looked down at the body; he looked like one of the bodyguards. Tears almost formed in her eyes. Fuck! It's too late. She was angry now. Nobara closed the victim's eyes and swore to avenge him. She knew that the best thing to do is call for help but her emotions clouded her judgement.
"Found you" Sukuna looked down at Nobara from the tree with a big smirk on his face. Nobara felt terror. Usually, cursed spirits looked like ugly monsters but this thing-no-this man, looked human. She has seen his face before. But the tattoos on his face and shirtless body were new.
"Yuji Itadori!" Nobara was shocked by the sudden betrayal of Fushigoro's best friend and the head of the Kamo clan. He seemed so sweet and innocent the first time she met him that she felt hurt.
"Ugh. Don't compare me to that thing" Sukuna jumped down to take Nobara by her neck and threw her at one of the trees. She broke several trees behind her as her body was travelling at a fast speed. She dropped after hitting the last one and blood poured out of her mouth. Nobara's face showed complete hatred towards this phony Yuji.
"Who are you?" Sukuna asked the beaten woman who tried desperately to stand up and kill him.
"Why should I tell you monster?" Nobara lunged at him with her hammer. They exchange punches and kicks with Nobara getting hit from all sides.
"You seem like a good punching bag, woman. I like that" Sukuna smirks as he dances away from her attacks. "Now" he grabs her by the throat again, stopping her movements. "Tell me who you are or I will break your pretty neck".
Nobara didn't want to die; not when she came this far for her dream. This man was too powerful for her. She cursed at herself for not calling for help. "No-Nobara Kugi-s-saki. Mas-ster Fushigo-ro's wife-to-be" Nobara didn't understand why Yuji didn't recognize her and why he seemed disgusted when she called him by his name. Is this man not Yuji?
"Fushigoro's future wife?" Sukuna's face formed a wide grin and lit up. He let go of Nobara who fell on the ground, coughing. Sukuna knelt down beside her and grabbed her by the hair. He forced Nobara's face to look at him.
"You are mine now" Sukuna told her before knocking her out.
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Yuji enjoys the warm water from the shower as it cascades down his muscular body. One of his hands rests against the wall while the other is occupied by something that provides him with pleasure.
"No-bara" his voice is a whisper as he bites his lips. Yuji's hand strokes his penis. Slowly at first but picks up his pace as he says Nobara's name. Ashamed of himself, he tried so hard to keep her out of his mind all day. Ever since that encounter at the banquet, Yuji couldn't stop thinking about her. It's the worst thing he ever experienced. Not only was Yuji engaged to Momo, his best friend, Fushigoro, was going to marry Nobara. There is no way Yuji should feel anything towards Nobara. But no matter how much he pushed her away from his thoughts, she kept coming back stronger.
"Nobara!" Yuji comes in his hand as he says her name one more time. His face is still red with embarrassment. It's okay. The feelings will go away. I am sure of it. Yuji thinks to himself and smiles. The water stops as he steps out to dry. Yuji grabs a bathrobe to tie himself into and leaves the bathroom.
"You called brother?" Choso is standing in Yuji's bedroom with tired eyes. Poor guy was working on Yuji's abandoned paperwork all day. Choso never gets a break. His whole day and night consists of attending to his brothers.
"Choso! Yes, yes. I did" Yuji felt guilty instantly. He knew the paperwork was his responsibility as the head of the Kamo clan but Choso never minded. "It's actually for some exciting news for you".
"For me? What do you mean?" Choso felt nervous. Yuji was a tad excessive and goofy. Who knows what he might be up to?
"It's about the woman you are going to marry!" Choso was fully awake now by Yuji's exclamation. His eyes went wide and he tried to say something before Yuji added, "we are invited by the Tsukumo family to meet your bride: Yuki Tsukomo" Yuji finished with a grin.
"Yuji…" Choso sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. "I thought I told you to say no to them. I am not interested in marrying that woman" Choso thought back to Yuki's intense and flirty behavior. They fought alongside each other to protect Lord Tengen, who was one of the crucial beings in saving humanity. Yuki was a super strong lady indeed but Choso found her to be weird. Too weird. She constantly asked him what type of girls he liked and read motorcycle books to pass the time. In truth, she made Choso distance himself more from women than he already was.
"Come ooooon Choso! You can't be a virgin forever" Yuji dismissed Choso's words. "We are going over to their residence tomorrow" Yuji laid down under his covers, turning his body sideways to avoid Choso's glare.
"Fine. I am only doing this for you brother" with that, Choso stomped out of the room, making sure Yuji heard his discomfort.
Yuji ignored him because Nobara was the only thing in his mind now. He started fantasizing about her despite feeling guilty. Soon though, Yuji fell asleep, snoring away.
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Shoko studies the cursed objects' bodies one by one. Two of them lay on the medical tables next to each other. Shoko walks back and forth between the spaces separating the tables.
"Hmm" she thinks for a second. "Something is definitely strange with these corpses" she turns around to look at the door. "Satoru".
"Ah, you noticed me Shoko" Satoru opens the sliding door and ducks to let himself in. "Are you ever fixing these doors? You know I am a regular visitor here right?" He hated how low the doors were. So many times he ended up with a bruise on his forehead. It was his fault though for not watching himself and turning his infinity power off when visiting the medical center.
"You should be used to it by now" Shoko slid off her gloves. "Besides, it's enjoyable watching you stupidly hurt yourself, Mr. former greatest sorcerer" she smirked as she threw the used gloves in the trash can.
"That hurts ya know. I am still strong as fuck" Satoru went over to Shoko's desk in the back corner of the room. It sat at the right side while the left was full of shelves filled with medical books. The rest of the shelves that occupied the whole room consisted of different medical supplies. The center of the room held two long tables that displayed the corpses of the cursed spirits Shoko was studying earlier. Satoru fished through her drawers and grabbed a bag of Shoko's chips. He instantly opened it and put a chip in his mouth.
"How can you eat right now?" Shoko was disgusted at her best friend. She already knew how ridiculous he was but eating in front of these creatures' corpses was something else. "This is why nobody likes your personality".
"You act like you don't eat these right after dissecting some spirit" Satoru continued eating by putting some more chips in his mouth. "Besides, what are you on about? Everyone loves me" he smirked at her.
"Uh-huh" Shoko stepped out of the room followed by Satoru trailing behind her. They both exited the long hallway that led to the veranda. Shoko placed her hands on the veranda's wooden rails as rain poured down on the school's ground. Satoru stood next to her; both watching the rain calmly.
"It fills empty and abandoned" Shoko stated as she pulled out a cigarette to light.
"It can't be helped. Ever since the war with the Kenjaku, the world seemed to be in peace again" Satoru grabbed her cigarette away and threw it on the ground. Shoko glared at him as he smiled stupidly.
"Peace? Those two cursed objects in my office proves that wrong" she felt a cold shiver. Shoko and Satoru both knew something was coming. Something big. Afterall, remnants of negative cursed energy was still present after the battle. There is still a huge possibility that curses will return.
"The job of sorcerers is never ending" Satoru sighs as he says, "I am excited" he tosses the empty bag in the trash can. A smirk forms on his face as he imagines slamming cursed spirits down again.
"So why are you here again Satoru?" Shoko questioned him as he walked back to stand next to her again. The rain was falling harder now. "You never come to see me unless you have something you want".
"What?! Shoko please. I just want to see my dear best friend. The one and only Shoko" Satoru giggles playfully, catching raindrops on his hand.
"Come on now. Spill it" Shoko rolls her eyes as she watches him goof off as usual. Sure they were best friends but Satoru always comes to her regarding business. She never minds this though because when they have a heart to heart, Nanamin, Suguru, Haibara, Yaga, and many more former fallen comrades become the center of their conversation. They both leave feeling empty and depressed. So, talking about work and using each other for business purposes was a better choice for the both of them.
"Fine. You got me" Satoru's smile falls as he continues, "Yuta ordered me to take a wife".
"What?!" Shoko laughs out loud. She continues to laugh for a few minutes as Satoru glares through his mask.
"Ha ha I know. Are you done laughing now?" Satoru annoyingly throws rain water at her.
"Okay. Okay. I think I am good now" Shoko blocks Satoru's attacks and pulls herself together. "What do you mean exactly? Because there is no way you are marrying" Shoko was still holding in some laughs.
"I know. But I have no choice. He threatened me with his authority. Yuta wants me to populate the clan so I have to find a wife as soon as possible" Satoru sighed in discomfort.
"No offense but you are the last person I expect to marry" Shoko was staring at the rain again.
"Why not? I am the perfect bachelor. Super strong and handsome too" Satoru grinned.
"Because I am sure people either see you as a playboy or the unserious type who wouldn't be able to handle a wife and kids responsibly" Shoko was brutally honest. She knew Satoru could handle the truth.
"Yeah yeah. That's true but I have no choice. I can't go against Yuta so just help me" He rested his face on his right hand, which was resting on top of the wooden rails.
"Everyone I know is married, which means that you have to find someone on your own. I am busy with work so I don't have time to find you a wife" Shoko was nearing her break. She had to get back to work.
"It's not like anyone is going to reprimand you" Satoru stated. After Yaga died, the whole school kind of disbanded. It was a ghost town now but Satoru still frequently visited while Shoko still operated in the health center. Both couldn't let go of the place. "Besides, I was hoping to marry you" Shoko almost missed the last part.
"What?" Her eyes went in shock as she questioned her best friend.
"You heard me Shoko. Be my wife" Satoru was serious now. He looked straight at her and took his mask off to keep their eyes fixed on one another.
"Satoru, you know I can't marry" Shoko was still deeply hurt from the incident. "My last engagement involved a guy from a big clan. You know how I feel about marrying into clans" Shoko's eyes turned watery, remembering her ex-fiance and his family. Both betrayed her.
"But my clan only has two people. It barely counts as a big family" Satoru knew what she meant. Shoko used to love a man who came from a big clan. They weren't any sorcerers but from a normal tokyo family. Her ex-fiance cheated on Shoko for years with someone from his clan. His whole family supported the cheating and accepted the woman from the clan over Shoko since Shoko was an outsider. She felt alienated. That whole experience traumatized her.
"Satoru please. I don't have time for this. My break is over" Shoko walked away, leaving Satoru with the engagement ring in his pocket…
Satoru Gojo has no wife. The Gojo family is already short with two members; so, Yuta orders him to marry someone and populate the family. With no choice, he forms a marriage pact with Shoko Ieri, his childhood best friend. It's a loveless marriage where Gojo will have a wife and kids while Shoko gets to have a husband and secure her future.