Convergence

Part 3 : Chapter 2

Late February 2017:

"Megumi is doing well—as always, I'd be tempted to say. Still as gloomy, still as sullen... The boy hasn't changed much. He keeps getting into fights with the delinquents at his middle school. He's not an easy kid, believe me. As for Tsumiki..." Atsuya Kusakabe paused briefly, as if weighing his words. "She's grown quieter these past few days. More troubled, too. Perhaps it has something to do with starting high school ?"

Utahime gave a slight nod, thoughtful.

"I see... Have you informed Satoru Gojo?"

"Not yet. It didn't seem particularly urgent."

The call ended there, yet Kusakabe's words lingered long after Utahime had hung up. She always tried to check in on Megumi and Tsumiki—whenever she could find the time, at least. Calling Satoru directly never crossed her mind. He was surely overwhelmed with other responsibilities; it felt easier to go through Kusakabe instead.

"She's grown more troubled..."

Utahime let out a quiet sigh. Tsumiki was sixteen now—a fragile age, full of uncertainties. Perhaps she was struggling to fit in at her new school... Utahime wished she could visit them, see for herself that everything was all right. But her schedule left her no room to breathe. Being a homeroom teacher was less a job than a consuming commitment. She cared deeply for her students—and yet, sometimes, she longed for a few days of rest.

When she thought of her childhood friend Aïko, who had just given birth to her second child... a faint smile touched her lips, tinged with something bittersweet. She was still far—very far—from that stage of life.

Her own students, however, had grown so much in just one year.

Noritoshi Kamo, Aoi Todo, and Momo Nishimiya had made remarkable progress in just one year. Utahime felt a sincere pride toward them—almost maternal. Of course, they had already found themselves in dangerous situations more than once, and she had been called out in the middle of the night to help them. But those trials had only strengthened the bonds between them.

Todo, despite his loud and imposing demeanor, had proven to be both disciplined and diligent. He had quickly risen to the top of his class. Though he came from no renowned exorcist lineage, his physical and cursed abilities were extraordinary. Utahime understood now why the infamous Yuki Tsukumo had recommended him.

And then there were his passionate outbursts—his fervent declarations about his idol, Takada from GirlStarsXX. He spoke of her with almost sacred devotion, swearing that one day he would marry her. Utahime had never seen Todo happier than the night she took the three of them to one of Takada's concerts. Tears streamed freely down his face as he sang every lyric flawlessly.

Noritoshi, on the other hand, embodied discipline and strategy. Reserved, composed, almost distant, he rarely showed his emotions. His early interactions with Todo had been turbulent. Their first clash—sparked by a trivial question about his taste in women—had escalated quickly. Offended by Noritoshi's silence, Todo had declared him the most boring person he had ever met. Utahime had to intervene more than once to keep the peace. It reminded her of her own high school days, when she had constantly mediated between clashing personalities.

Momo, for her part, made up for that silence with boundless chatter. She could talk for minutes on end without stopping, much to the exasperation of her classmates—and sometimes Utahime herself. Even the most trivial debates became serious matters to her: Sebastian Stan versus Robert Downey Jr., beef versus pork... Yet beneath that lightheartedness was a caring and attentive student. She often helped Todo and Noritoshi with their English—the one subject they struggled with, especially pronunciation.