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Inko scheduled a parent-teacher meeting with Nedzu. Both of them come away feeling pleased with the results.
Chapter 14: A Mother’s Worries
Inko strode down the path to UA, her head held high and heels clicking sharply against the pavement.
She had called especially to organize this meeting with the school’s principal, and she had no intention of letting the opportunity slip past her. She had seen the debates online. The questions asked about the school’s security. The people who were demanding that the school either continue as it always had, or that they prove that things were as safe and impenetrable as they claimed. She knew what the school was facing, but she also knew what her baby boy had faced. She knew about the fear he held for his friends that he was trying so hard to hide from her.
She stopped outside the gate, checking her watch.
Principal Nedzu told her that a teacher would escort her onto the school grounds, that way she would be able to get past the school’s security. He seemed relieved, from what little she had gathered, when she’d told him that she wasn’t calling to yell at him. She’d just wanted to meet with him to talk about some of the school safety plans, to ease her own mind if nothing else.
(The poor man, for all his blazé appearances on the news, he was probably much more stressed about the whole thing than he was letting on.)
A blonde man jogged up to her, dressed in leather with a speaker around his neck and his hair slicked up and back. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses he had on, but she could see the cheery smile he threw on when he saw her. She knew exactly who he was, of course, but probably not for the reasons everyone else would think of.
He was one of her daughter’s favorite radio hosts. Eri loved listening to him on nights when her nightmares kept her from being able to sleep. She’d told her that his happy voice and playful jokes made everything less scary after her bad dreams. Inko had woken several times to Eri and Nooroo sitting in the living room with the radio going, listening to the man’s cheerful banter with his late-night callers.
“Hey there, Listener! Midoriya-san, right?” Inko gave Present Mic a warm smile, clasping her hands together.
“Yes, that would be me. Thank you so much for taking the time to help let me in, Present Mic-san.” The man’s smile became a little more genuine.
Gracious, he must have been dealing with so many rude people because of all of this. It wasn’t his fault that this had happened. Not that very many people would care to tell the difference.
“It’s no problem, Midoriya-san,” he said. He dug into his pockets for a moment, then held out a small badge to her. “Here you are, this’ll let you pass through the gates safely for today. Right this way!”
He made a dramatic gesture that got a little giggle out of her, waving her inside. She clipped the badge to her cardigan, open and visible to any staff they may run into on the way, and followed after him.
UA high school was just as impressive as she’d always imagined it must have been, whenever she stopped to imagine what must be behind the tremendous gates of the most prestigious school in the city. Grand sprawling grounds with beautifully cared for lawns and gardens and clean, shining buildings that stood tall and proud in the bright sunshine. It was a nationally praised school for a reason and they made sure to show that effort in how they cared for the school. It almost looked more like a university campus than a high school. (She was still so proud of her baby boy for being able to get in.)
She followed the Voice Hero as he led her through the currently empty halls and to the office of the school’s principal. And, with a knock and a polite call, Inko was let inside.
It was a cozy room, not too dissimilar to any other principal’s office she’d been in. Wooden furniture, framed awards and certificates on the walls, a computer on the principal’s desk, a few small bookcases with small plants decorating them and adding a bit of natural life to the room. Off to one side, near the window, were two couches that faced each other with a coffee table placed between them. But some items had clearly been altered for use by the petite principal. Mini-staircases and small ladders were set up in strategic places to make things accessible for the animal.
Nedzu was seated at his desk, reading some papers, but greeted her pleasantly when he looked up.
“Ah, good morning Midoriya-san. Welcome to UA.”
“Good morning, Nedzu-sensei. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me.” She smiled warmly at the quirked animal.
“It’s no trouble, Midoriya-san,” Nedzu said, waving a hand to the tea set laid out on the coffee table. “Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea? I have chamomile, if you’re interested.”
“I would love a cup. It’s one of my favorite teas.” Inko carefully sat down on a couch, waiting for the principal to join her and taking a cup once he’d offered it. “I have a small collection of loose-leaf teas at home.”
Nedzu perked up.
“Oh? How wonderful! I quite enjoy the practice myself. Do you have any preferences?” She brightened, she didn’t have many people to chat with about her favorite tea blends. Too many either didn’t have a preference or would only drink coffee.
“I enjoy herbal and medicinal teas. I found a lovely blend that helps when I have stomach trouble. My son found one he likes that he calls his ‘Anxie-tea’. He always makes a thermos of it on days when he has a test that he’s worried about.” She couldn’t help a small giggle as she remembered the new habit her son had taken on. Nooroo loved fruity teas, and would happily ask for a cup whenever she made some.
Teas were a small route of magic that she just couldn’t help being drawn to. It was a small, simple way of caring for others and tending to her own help. The fact that it made things that she found tasted good was a wonderful bonus.
“I see! I have to be rather careful with my blends, as there are some things humans can drink that would end up making me rather ill. I always have to take the time to read labels if I’m to buy bagged tea.”
Inko nodded, she could understand how that would be something the principal had to watch out for. The two shared a few of their favorite blends, Inko listing a few that she found helped when she wasn’t feeling well or just wanted something to help her relax. Nedzu did the same, sharing his own home blends.
Eventually Nedzu set down his cup on the table.
“I believe we’ve chatted enough for now, Midoriya-san. You said there were some things you wanted to discuss with me?”
“Yes. I have some concerns about the Sports Festival’s security this year. I have to admit, I am making the assumption that it will still be held this year, despite the incident at the USJ.” The principal inclined his head at that, one of his ears twitching ever-so-slightly. Perhaps he was surprised at her calm statement on the matter? “I understand that the Sports Festival is an important part of the culture of UA and of Japan as a whole. So trying to cancel it outright isn’t as much of an option as other parents may think. It’s too important for both the school and the students to do such a thing.”
“My son is in the management course and he’s explained the opportunities the festival offers students from all courses to me. And the boost in both social morale of the city and connections it affords the school itself. It gives heroes the chance to look at future talent and it gives citizens a glimpse of the future heroes they’ll be able to turn to. It’s important.”
Inko knew it offered more than that. It fostered connections with agencies that weren’t graduates of UA and brought needed funds and publicity that their government grants couldn’t give them.
UA was, technically, a public school and not a private one. Since it didn’t require a tremendous tuition for students to attend, or more than a relatively standard high school application test. At least, not much more than other prestigious high schools in the country. But that also meant they didn’t have endless funds to spend on the school and its students every year. They needed other avenues for the funding that came from the education it offered its students, no matter their course. And the Sports Festival was one of those avenues.
Canceling it, in the wake of the chaos of the USJ attack and the hospital bills that had been undoubtedly sent to the school, wasn’t an option they could take lightly. And that wasn’t getting into the ripples it would send through the public if they learned that the school had canceled such a prestigious event that was valued by the entire country.
“Thank you for understanding the issues we’re facing, Midoriya-san. This event is incredibly important for the school and for the students.” Nedzu’s voice sounded sincere to her. She didn’t have Nooroo’s broach, though, so she could only trust her instinct on the matter. “We simply can’t allow such an event to cow us. Our students have faced adversity and overcame it, so must our school. We plan to vastly strengthen our security for the Festival to ensure it can be held safely.”
“I’m so glad to hear that, Nedzu-sensei. I work for an insurance company, so I can’t help being worried for the safety of children,” Inko said with a calm smile, straightening up in her seat. She leaned on the lessons she’d picked up from Nooroo as the kwami had helped coach her son on how to carry himself with confidence, even when he didn’t truly feel it. “I know most parents that have been contacting you have had nothing but complaints and demands and not many things that were actually constructive. I hope you won’t think me presumptuous for this, but I actually have some suggestions that may help.”
She reached into her bag, carefully pulling out a folded over sheet of paper and passing it to the principal. Nedzu took the sheet politely, flipping it open and reading the notes she’d offered.
“These are just some thoughts I’d had while talking to my son. I know that, as a parent, there isn’t much I can do to help protect the students from villains. All I can really do is make suggestions and hope they can be something the school can use to keep everyone safe.”
Inko had thought very hard about the things she would put on the list. She wanted to make sure they were reasonable, things that the teachers would actually consider implementing.
She knew the chances of closing the school to the public were too low to really bother. While it would most efficiently prevent villains from sneaking onto the school grounds, it would severely cut the funds usually earned during the festival. However, restricting it to just family of students and hero agencies that were part of the standard offered internships of the school or employed members of the school’s staff would be feasible. It would keep out the general public, but also allow the students to experience working under some kind of pressure.
Inko understood that some people were fine to work in a classroom or on their own, but most heroes worked in the public eye. The kids had never worked in public before, and this was a relatively safe way to expose them to that kind of pressure without actually putting them at risk.
Not having a live TV broadcast would make it harder for villains to observe students and their quirks, and it would keep the kids safer too. But, again, she wasn’t sure how well the school would be able to get away with that. Publicity was a large part of the purpose of the Festival, and it was something that the entire country tended to look forward too. There was a reason the Sports Festival garnered as much attention as the Olympics, after all.
Not broadcasting the students’ names over the radio would work well enough, she hoped. Using their class and seat number would be easiest to make sure it was harder for villains to make the connection. It might be hard for the public to remember who was who, but it would allow the kids to keep some of their anonymity.
“Anonymity was one of things that had protected the students during the USJ. Those villains hadn’t known what the class could do, and that gave them an advantage they could use to fight back. The attention the Sports Festival would garner would mean putting their powers on full display, taking away that veil of protection.” Her voice was quiet and solemn as she spoke. “They can’t lose that yet, not when there are such brazen villains on the loose. I hope there’s some way your school can find a balance to keep those kids safe. I really do.”
She had met her son’s friends. She knew they wouldn’t be heavy hitting heroes, they weren’t front-liners that could shrug off any assault thrown at them. That villains could, and would, do terrible things to them if they knew what their quirks were.
Inko knew the way her wonderful little daughter had been hurt for her quirk by someone who should have been protecting her. She knew the scars her son tried so hard to hide from her that came from how others treated him for being quirkless. There were horrible, evil people out there who would use that knowledge to hurt people simply because they could. And she refused to stand back and just let that happen.
“You are very kind, Midoriya-san. You have made some very good suggestions, several of which I’m sure we could implement into our security. I will bring up your concerns with the staff for the festival,” Nedzu said, resting both paws on his lap and giving her his full attention. “I genuinely appreciate your understanding of the situation our school has to face and the value of the festival.”
She smiled. This was going just as well as she’d hoped it would.
“Tell me, was there anything else that concerned you that you wanted to bring up while here?”
Nedzu led Midoriya-san to the door, saying a pleasant farewell as another teacher escorted her to the front gate.
That was, by far, the most pleasant meeting he’d had with a parent in ages. Midoriya-san was genuinely amiable and understood the issues the school was facing far more than any other parent that had contacted him after the USJ. Hero or civilian.
She hadn’t simply come to blame him for the incident or rage at him for not being infallible. She was amiable, made it clear she knew they were doing their best, and had actual constructive criticism to offer the school to help. Her experience with insurance claims obviously made it easier for her to understand that some things were just beyond control.
And it had given him food for thought.
Her suggestions were broadly reasonable, and allowed for concessions that he was sure the school board would argue for. He was sure some of them could be implemented. Giving a visible difference to the festival that would help them pacify the critics that had come out of the woodwork to take potshots at him.
The data added to his side project was an unexpected bonus to the meeting. He needed to start making notes before any details could slip from his mind.
He quickly hopped onto his desk chair, pulling up the files on his computer.
‘The unknown power may contain hereditary elements. Passing them through a family and not just appearing randomly. Midoriya-san seemed to tap into something during the meeting. A pressure appeared as she switched to a more serious mindset as we transitioned to the topic she had sought to speak with me about. It wasn’t threatening, but it was a feeling of More that most humans would not have consciously noticed.’
‘My suspicion is that Midoriya-kun may have inherited some of his unique power from his mother, but it is more prominent in him due to his lack of a quirk.’
‘During the conversation I was able to make subtle inquiries about Midoriya-san’s quirk. She possesses a psychic quirk, a form of levitation that could only affect small objects. A psychic quirk means there are dedicated sections of the brain for sensory processing; if Midoriya-kun received the adaptation but didn’t inherit a quirk, his power may have worked to fill the gaps left unused.’
He had scoured his limited resources to figure out patterns for his data. He could find places, old legends and traditions, that triggered the odd feeling he could sense. That invisible pressure and energy that no one seemed to acknowledge that he found so deeply fascinating. So far, it was something his human colleagues seemed mostly oblivious to, although a few seemed to notice that something was different from usual. He was hesitant to use the terms most of his sources used, due to their lack of scientific credibility. But he couldn’t deny that it seemed it wasn’t as much a work of fiction as the everyday people seemed to think.
(Perhaps he ought to look at creating a term for it himself? Just so he could have a name to label it with in his notes.)
His greatest drawback for this research was the pool of people he could observe. Because, currently, Midoriya-kun was the only person he could personally observe for his theories. And one person did not make for a proper sample to observe.
‘These powers may be more potent in someone who was born quirkless, as they would potentially lean on it during moments of duress since there is no quirk for them to muster in its place. Parents with some level of psychic powers, or some form of psychic element, may influence the specific form the powers take. I have observed that some items and locations also seem to radiate this energy. If presented with one, it may be possible for Midoriya-kun to actively use his power instead of just being subconsciously guided by it.’
‘However these theories cannot be confirmed at this point in time. Not until I can present a feasible reason to bring the topic up to Midoriya-kun, or even provide a viable reason to take him on as a personal student. I am looking into acquiring an item that could potentially be connected to such powers but it has yet to arrive. Perhaps, once I have them, I can convince the young man to assist me in learning more about these powers and providing him skills and tools he can use for himself.’
He leaned back, letting out a thoughtful hum.
A power separate from a quirk, enhanced by a tool of some kind… Humans had many stories like that. Some of them were more recent, as well.
There were stories of such things with heroes. He could swear he’d read one about some foreign heroes while he was applying to become the principal of UA. Maybe he ought to take another look through quirk history to refresh his memories on the topic and see if, perhaps, there was something to that idea.
Afterword: And this is what leads Nedzu to heroes from the pre-quirk and quirk-advent eras! He is making theories He is snooping It’s good enrichment for him.
I wanted to give Inko a more active role in dealing with Izuku’s teachers at the school. She’s more active at home, but there’s still more she’s capable of. Izuku isn’t the only one who’s been taking notes on how to carry themself with confidence. I originally wanted her to be angrier in this. But Inko went “No. I am Kind and I can do better than just being another angry mom for the teachers to deal with.” And I agreed with her, so we ended up with this.
Honestly, I like it better than just making her mad.
