Gojo Satoru

”No more waiting, Satoru. Too much time has passed, and you have run from your clan duties long enough. You will either find a woman to marry or we will do it for you. You have six months. It starts now.”

An angry, dark cloud loomed over his head as Satoru stomped through the streets of Tokyo. His fiery aura parted the sidewalk like the red sea, keeping everyone out of his line of sight. They could tell that something was wrong, and kept their distance. He ignored the strange looks and whispers thrown behind his back and continued to bulldoze his way through, thinking of all the ways he could obliterate the higher ups and be done with it.

Their influence caused majority of the issues he found himself faced with, this becoming his most pressing concern. His father, Tokoru, was a man that lived by the code of tradition. His wife was chosen for him, and so was his grandfather’s and so on. Arranged marriages dated back several generations. It wasn’t just a Gojo clan tradition. All of the clans practiced it, and Satoru never saw the point to them. It wasn’t like he wanted to be married in general, but they never interested in him. To be tied to someone he didn’t know and forced to play-pretend—he couldn’t stand the idea. If he was to marry someone, it would be because he fell in love and wanted to spend the rest of his life with them.

Being forced to find someone and get married within six months sounded like a nightmare.

He pinched himself. Nope. He wasn’t dreaming. Good to know.

Stuck in his head, Satoru found himself in front of a bakery that he never knew even existed. It was called Sugar & Spice, which piqued his interest. The outside of the establishment looked inviting with its splashes of orange, brown and black. There was a lot of greenery along the trim of the building, vines curling around the poles that held up a lengthy patio for those that wanted to eat outside rather than inside. He almost snorted. It would seem that his love for sweets brought him right to the doorstep of his most beloved form of a distraction. He decided to step in, and check it out.

The moment that Satoru stepped inside of the bakery, he was immediately hit with the aroma of freshly baked goods and the sweet yet bitter smell of brewing coffee. He took in his surroundings, pleasantly surprised by how modern and cozy it looked inside. Most of the furniture was black, but there were bits of green and white in a few places. There were a few overhanging plants spread out around the shop that combated the polluted air outside, providing some much needed fresh air. The shop was buzzing with people, but not enough to feel crowded. It was still fairly early in the day so he had no doubt more were on their way.

As he took some time to survey the menu for what he might want, he heard the sweetest voice call out to him.

”Hi there. Welcome to Sugar & Spice! See anything you like? We have an array of different things to choose from, and even a side menu for today’s specials. Anything catch your eye?”

He looked down, and his breath hitched. It was like he had suddenly forgotten how to speak. His brain glitched, and so did the rest of his body. He didn’t move or blink.

“I…” He mentally kicked himself. He was making an atrocious first impression right now. In a slight stupor, he tried to will himself to speak, but he couldn’t get a coherent word out. Embarrassing. “Uhh…” Great. He’d become one of those customers.

Just kill him now, and get it over with.