Meeting at a cafe

Interlude: Megumi Fushiguro

Tokyo, immersed in the festive spirit, was preparing for Christmas. A thin, soft layer of snow covered the city streets, reflecting the glimmer of colorful lights decorating shop windows. The air was fresh and cold, filled with the scents of hot chocolate, pastries, and pine. People bustled about, wrapped in warm scarves and coats, hurrying to finish their last preparations for the holiday.

Megumi Fushiguro stood under the awning of a small shop, sheltering from the light but persistent snowfall. He was wearing a dark blue puffer coat that reached mid-thigh and a brown wool scarf with gray patterns. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and his dark trousers and black boots looked simple but neat. His hair, as always, stuck out in every direction, defying any attempt to tame it. His deep blue eyes stared ahead, but the expression on his face remained as serious as ever.

Megumi Fushiguro, a talented young sorcerer of the third grade and the bearer of the Ten Shadows Technique, stood at the appointed place, waiting for his guardian, Satoru Gojo. He had invited him, without explaining why, and was now late. Megumi disliked such antics from Gojo. Luckily, being a sorcerer, he wasn't bothered by the cold.

"Late," Megumi thought with slight irritation, trying not to glance at the clock. He always felt that time dragged slower whenever he was waiting for Satoru Gojo.

Megumi was a serious, thoughtful person, perhaps too mature for his age. His cold and slightly detached demeanor gave the impression that he saw every situation as a potential threat. In truth, that wasn't far from reality. Megumi had grown up in an unjust world where the weak often became victims while the strong stood idly by. He had known this since childhood, as his father, Toji Fushiguro, had abandoned him and his sister, Tsumiki, in pursuit of personal ambitions.

After his parents disappeared, the boy's fate could have turned bleak, but Satoru Gojo's intervention changed everything. Megumi was grateful to his guardian but didn't like his eccentric character. Their interactions were rarely calm. Gojo's carefree, flamboyant nature often threw Megumi off balance, particularly in moments like this.

After a few more minutes, a black car with tinted windows pulled up to the curb. Megumi heard the engine stop, and the back door opened slightly. In the back seat, wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and his signature white glasses, sat Satoru Gojo.

Gojo slid his glasses down, looked up at Megumi, smiled, and said:

"Why so gloomy?" he asked in his usual cheerful and slightly mocking tone.

Megumi frowned but stepped closer.

"Because someone invited me here without saying why and then managed to be late," he replied dryly, walking around the car and sitting to Gojo's left.

Gojo, as always, looked completely unbothered.

"Oh, come on, why so dramatic? It was only fifteen minutes. Don't make such a big deal out of it," he waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing off Megumi's complaints.

But before Megumi could retort, Gojo changed the subject:

"Today, I want to introduce you to my student. His name is..."

"Yuta Okkotsu," Megumi interrupted with an impassive expression.

This name was familiar to many sorcerers, especially those interested in Gojo, who, after all, was the "strongest sorcerer of the modern era." A young boy who, at the age of 15, had already become a first-grade sorcerer. Opinions about him were divided. Some said he would eventually become another special-grade sorcerer and speculated that he might secretly be Gojo's son. Others believed he was simply a talented sorcerer and doubted he would ever join the ranks of those like Suguru Geto, Yuki Tsukumo, or the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, Satoru Gojo. But a recent event made everyone believe that he might indeed become a special-grade sorcerer.

Yuta Okkotsu, a 15-year-old first-grade sorcerer, had traveled to the Hokkaido Prefecture in under an hour and single-handedly exorcised a special-grade curse. These two feats proved that Gojo's student was a genius.

Megumi felt slightly nervous.

"Such power, and at such a young age. Anyone would become arrogant. A prime example is Satoru Gojo," Megumi thought.

---

They arrived at a café. Outside hung a sign reading "Coffee Corner." They entered, and the bell jingled, announcing the arrival of customers. Megumi began looking around for Yuta—he had never seen him in person.

Gojo confidently approached a boy in a white sweater and sat across from him. So this boy was Yuta Okkotsu.

Megumi took off his coat and placed it on the chair next to him. During this time, Gojo had already started talking to Yuta, and Megumi overheard Gojo say:

"Well, it's all because of Megumi!" he declared. "I told him yesterday that we needed to get up early, but this kid overslept, and I had to stand in the cold waiting for him."

Megumi was outraged by Gojo's brazen accusation. He also didn't want to seem disrespectful in front of a potential future special-grade sorcerer.

"It was the exact opposite," he said. His voice was calm, but dissatisfaction was evident in every word. "You made me wait, and then showed up 15 minutes later than promised."

Gojo sighed heavily, as if he were an old man tired of life's injustices.

"Ah, the youth these days. They have no respect for their elders," he said with exaggerated drama, shaking his head.

"To be respected as an elder, you have to act accordingly," Megumi retorted sarcastically, sitting down in the free chair next to Gojo. He now looked at Yuta with open curiosity.

Yuta was about the same height as Megumi. He had black, slightly messy hair, dark blue eyes, and pronounced dark circles under them, giving him a gloomy appearance. However, his warm smile looked very kind.

"You seem quite close," he said, addressing Megumi.

At these words, Megumi merely cast a disapproving glance at Gojo.

Gojo clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

"Alright, gentlemen! This is your first time meeting each other, right?" But his speech was interrupted by the arrival of a waiter.

The young barista bowed politely and asked:

"Would you like to order anything?"

Without lifting his eyes from the menu, Megumi curtly replied:

"Black coffee and bacon with eggs."

Gojo, perusing the menu as if for the first time in his life, chose something much more original:

"I'll have a cocktail and a raspberry-coconut smoothie."

Yuta, keeping his expression unchanged, said:

"Coffee and tamagoyaki, please."

Megumi glanced at Yuta and thought: "He doesn't seem arrogant at all."

"As I was saying, this is your first meeting, and I want to introduce you." Gojo gestured toward Yuta. "Megumi, this is Yuta Okkotsu. A first-grade sorcerer. One of the strongest young sorcerers I know."

Megumi looked at Yuta and slightly inclined his head in greeting. Yuta stood up from the table and bowed as etiquette dictated, which surprised Megumi.

"He's very polite," thought Megumi.

"Nice to meet you," they said in unison. Megumi gave a brief nod and also stood to bow in return.

Gojo didn't let them linger in this exchange of formalities.

"And now, the main thing," he said, clapping his hands again. "From this day on, Yuta, you'll become Megumi's mentor!"

Yuta raised an eyebrow in surprise, while Megumi exhaled softly, clearly not thrilled by such a sudden announcement.

"In such decisions, don't people usually ask first before making declarations like this?" Megumi thought. But, to Gojo's surprise, he promptly replied:

"Alright."

Megumi believed that Yuta would be a much better choice than others, provided h

is demeanor and politeness weren't just a façade in front of Gojo. He hoped that wasn't the case.