Chapter 44
166.
That morning, his phone suddenly rang, and Gojo Satoru fumbled to answer it. If it was Ijichi calling, he'd have to threaten him, since today was supposed to be his day off.
"Good morning, honey! We're already in Tokyo. Do you want to have lunch together?"
"baby?"
Gojo Satoru pulled himself up and glanced at his phone screen, only to discover the caller ID was "Mom." He glanced beside him. Shiori was still soundly asleep, buried in her covers. Perhaps she'd been so restless the previous day that she hadn't even woken up after the phone rang for so long.
After a brief silence, the voice on the other end of the phone became more excited: "Hey? That's a boy's voice! It really is a boy! Honey, listen quickly, there's a boy over there with Shiori!"
"Hello~ Are you still listening?"
Gojo Satoru gently pinched Shiori's soft face. Seeing that she frowned in dissatisfaction but did not wake up, he spoke into the phone: "Hello, I am Gojo Satoru, Shiori's boyfriend."
…
Shiori felt a hand rubbing restlessly against her face. She shook her head, trying to shake it off, but the hand not only didn't stop, but intensified, kneading her face like a soft ball.
She finally couldn't stand it anymore, reached out and grabbed that hand, half-closed her eyes and looked at the person who disturbed her sleep beside the bed: "Wu, let me sleep for a while."
She was really sleepy.
After all, I hadn't rested since early yesterday morning. First, I taught a class, then I was sent on a mission. After the mission, since I still had some time, I rushed to Romance Academy to join in the club activities. That evening, I had dinner with Ino Takuma to celebrate his successful promotion to a first-level magician.
When she dragged her tired body back to the dormitory, she wanted to wash up and fall asleep, but a big cat came back and insisted on pestering her until late at night.
"Something super big is about to happen!"
"Hmm?" Shiori responded drowsily, her eyes not yet fully open.
"Today is the day to meet the parents."
Shiori opened her eyes suddenly. "I traveled through time? What day is it today?"
What's going on? Is this one of those clichéd plots where you wake up one day and skip the dating and marriage stages, and go straight to married life?
Gojo Satoru looked at her flustered expression and explained with a smile, "I just accidentally answered a call from your mother. She warmly invited us to have lunch together at noon."
As he spoke, he pulled Shiori up from the bed. "It's your first time meeting your parents! You definitely need to prepare well, right? Shiori, get up quickly. Let's go to Ginza to buy a gift."
"You can go," Shiori said, glancing at the wall clock and suddenly pausing. "But it's only eight o'clock now. The store in Ginza isn't open yet, right?"
Gojo Satoru stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, "Well, let's go back to the Gojo family then."
167.
So, Shiori was pulled back to the Gojo family's mansion in Tokyo by Gojo Satoru.
As soon as the two of them stepped through the door, the servants inside were all stunned. Everyone knew that Gojo Satoru rarely returned to the Gojo family home once a year, and even NHK's salesmen came more often than him.
Everyone in the house was in an uproar because of Gojo Satoru's arrival. Shiori could feel the gazes coming from all directions, some curious, some inquiring. She subconsciously tightened her hand that was holding Gojo Satoru's.
Feeling the strength in his palm, Gojo Satoru moved his fingertips and turned to look at the servants who had gathered around him: "Everyone, go and do your own thing. I'm not a panda from Ueno Zoo."
The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only an older-looking butler and a well-dressed housekeeper.
Gojo Satoru said to the housekeeper, "Take Shiori to change her clothes. We have an important event to attend today."
The housekeeper bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes, Master. Miss, please follow me."
…
Shiori followed the housekeeper of the Gojo family and felt like she had walked into a maze. She passed through countless doors of the same style before they finally stopped in front of a bedroom.
"Then please change your clothes here first, Miss."
Shiori nodded in agreement and pushed the door open. Her eyes fell on the clothes that had been prepared in the room in advance. It was another furisode kimono.
Should I say it or not, it is indeed the Big Three?
Shiori hesitated and turned to the housekeeper, "Do I have to wear all these clothes myself?"
"You just need to change into your inner clothes, and we will help you with the rest of the steps."
Hearing this, Shiori finally breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the inner room. She remembered the furisode Gojo Satoru had given her last time. She had struggled for a long time to figure out how to put it on, and finally had to ask Zenin Maki for help.
Shiori changed into her inner garment and stood in the middle of the room. The housekeeper helped her wrap the auxiliary towel for wearing furisode. When her hand touched the short sword pinned on the outside of Shiori's thigh, her movements suddenly stopped.
"Do I need to take this off?" Shiori asked as she took off the short sword.
The housekeeper's gaze lingered on the dagger for a moment, then she returned to her gentle smile: "No need."
Shiori nodded and put the short sword back into its place.
After putting on the whole set of kimono, the housekeeper asked someone to come and help her with makeup and hairstyle, which took quite a while.
Shiori couldn't help but yawn, but she forced herself not to rub her eyes. She just raised her chin and asked, "Is it okay?"
The housekeeper was pinning the last hairpin into her bun: "That's all. Please stand up, young lady."
Shiori stood up with the help of the dressing table, and the servant next to her pushed a full-length floor-to-ceiling mirror over.
Her eyes fell on the person in the mirror.
So strange.
Is this really her?
"You are the first lady the master of the house has brought home."
The housekeeper standing nearby sighed softly, interrupting Shiori's thoughts.
Shiori's mouth twitched, and she got goosebumps when she heard this.
…
Shiori followed the housekeeper to find Gojo Satoru. The two of them walked around several corners in the corridor of the mansion. When they finally reached the main entrance, her eyes were immediately attracted by a bright white color. It was Gojo Satoru.
"Enlightenment."
At this moment, Gojo Satoru had already changed into a haori and was confirming the greeting with the butler. Hearing a familiar voice behind him, he turned around.
Looking at Shiori walking towards him, Gojo Satoru suddenly felt dazed. The scene before him overlapped with a vague imagination in his mind.
Without waiting for Shiori to get closer, Gojo Satoru quickly stepped forward, held her hand, and said repeatedly: "I do! I do!"
Shiori was stunned by his sudden reaction and looked up at him in confusion: "What do you want?"
The housekeeper standing nearby watched the interaction between the two and sighed softly, "It's been a long time since I've seen the head of the family smile so happily."
The butler looked at her helplessly: "Can you please read less romance novels from across the sea?"
168.
Shiori and Gojo Satoru were sitting in a private room in the restaurant. She lowered her head and touched her furisode, then looked up at Gojo Satoru beside her.
"Aren't we just going to have a simple meal? Wouldn't it be too much for us to dress like this?"
"Because you're meeting Shiori's parents, you have to take it very seriously."
Before Shiori could think any further, there was a knock on the door of the private room. Gojo Satoru said, "Come in," and just as the door opened, a voice floated in.
"Shiori!"
Tadano Shino was the first to rush in. What a joke! Her sister had quietly found a boyfriend, and she was even bringing him to meet her parents. How could she, as the elder sister, be absent from such an important occasion?
"Huh? Why is my sister here too?" Shiori stood up in surprise.
At this time, Shizhi's parents also came in. Her father smiled and explained, "Shizhi's sister has always cared about her. This time, she insisted on coming with her. I'm really sorry to bother you."
During this meeting, Gojo Satoru deliberately didn't wear sunglasses, revealing his clear blue eyes. He smiled at Shiori's family and said, "It's okay. I completely understand."
Shiori's mother's eyes fell on Gojo Satoru's face, and her eyes lit up instantly. She held Shiori's hand a little tighter: "Mom fully agrees with your relationship!"
Shiori explained a little embarrassedly: "My mother has always liked good-looking people."
After everyone sat down, Shino Tadano took out her cell phone from her bag and sent a message to Shiori in a bad mood.
Tadano Shino: "Boss?"
Tadono Shino: "Senior?"
Tadono Shino: "You're hiding it quite well!"
Tadano Shino: "The most important thing is that you kept it a secret from me!"
Shiori was about to reply when she heard her father cough twice. She quickly put her phone away, clasped her hands together at her sister, blinked, and whispered, "Sorry~," then turned to her mother.
"By the way, Mom, why did you come to Tokyo so suddenly?"
"Your father and I wanted to give you and your sister a surprise, but we didn't tell you in advance. In the end, you gave us an even bigger surprise first."
Shiori's father took a sip of tea and glanced at the two people's formal attire. When he put down the teacup, his expression gradually became serious.
He looked at Gojo Satoru and said, "Mr. Gojo, as Shiori's father, I would like to know more about your basic situation. Is that convenient?"
"Of course it's convenient." Gojo Satoru nodded. "I'm 28 years old, a teacher, and a colleague of Shiori. Also, please take a look at these things." As he said that, he took out a neatly bound document from his bag, held it in both hands, and handed it to Shiori's father.
Shiori's father took the document with a puzzled look. He lowered his head and flipped to the first page, then froze. The paper was filled with densely printed property addresses. "What's this?" He looked up at Gojo Satoru. "Are you guys looking to buy a house and want some advice?"
Gojo Satoru shook his head and said seriously, "No. This document summarizes all the assets under my name. I'd like you to review it. I also want you to feel at ease leaving Shiori in my care."
"Huh?" Shiori's father suddenly opened his eyes wide, and his fingers flipped through the documents in his hand quickly. The more he flipped, the more shocked he looked - these were all Gojo Satoru's property, the amount was really astonishing.
Shiori was also stunned. The scene before her looked like they were planning a marriage.
She tugged at Gojo Satoru's sleeve and said in a hurried yet soft voice, "Satoru, you haven't discussed this with me."
Gojo Satoru turned his head to look at her: "I just want Shiori's parents to be at ease. As for marriage, all decisions are made by Shiori. I won't force you."
Shiori looked at his serious eyes, pursed her lips, turned her face away quietly, her ears red, and said nothing more.
Shino Tadano was watching from the opposite side and complained silently in her heart: Thank you, although the food hasn’t been served yet, I’m already full.
Shiori's father took a deep breath, finally calming down. He looked at Gojo Satoru and slowly said, "Mr. Gojo must be the son of a wealthy family, right? In fact, I'm more worried about you than your wealth..."
Before he could finish, Gojo Satoru gently interrupted him, his tone firm: "You don't have to worry at all. I am the head of the Gojo family, and I will never let Shiori suffer any injustice."
…
After dinner, Gojo Satoru arranged for a driver to take Shiori's family back to the hotel, and specifically instructed the driver to deliver the gift prepared in advance to their room.
When they parted, Tadano Shino rolled down the car window, leaned out, held Shiori's hand, and said with an unwilling look on her face, "Damn it, are you really going to get married before me?"
Shiori's eyes wandered, and she laughed dryly to smooth things over: "I don't know either, hahaha..."
Only when the shadow of the car gradually became smaller and finally disappeared at the intersection did Shiori tug at the hem of Gojo Satoru's haori.
"What's wrong?" Gojo Satoru looked down at her.
"Thank you, and ah..." Shiori bit her lower lip.
"Anything else?" Gojo Satoru bent down slightly and moved closer.
"Can you change your clothes first so we can go eat?" Shiori added aggrievedly, "The belt of my kimono is too tight. I barely ate a bite."
Gojo Satoru was stunned at first, then he laughed out loud: "Of course, then what does Shiori want to eat?"
"To be honest, I want to eat McDonald's."
"No problem~"
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