"Rukia, what are you looking at?"
A red-haired boy with a striking hairstyle squeezed through the crowd and stood beside his companion, also glancing at the bulletin board.
"They mentioned it during the ceremony. It's the student council."
Next to him stood a petite, pretty girl with short black hair that curled at the tips.
Her deep violet eyes were fixed thoughtfully on the notice.
"You wanna join the student council?" the red-haired boy asked.
"I haven't thought about it. Just curious."
"Well, if you're joining, I'll join too!"
"It's not that easy. They said there will be an assessment."
The red-haired boy grinned, unconcerned.
"We'll definitely pass!"
As the two chatted, a figure suddenly stepped in front of them.
"Thinking about joining the student council?"
The man was tall, with an unmistakably long face and such narrow eyes it was hard to tell whether they were open. His appearance left a strong impression.
"I'm Seiroku, a fifth-year student.
If you'd like to join the student council, I'll need to take down your names."
Without waiting for permission, Seiroku had already pulled out a registration sheet and was looking at the two expectantly.
The red-haired boy responded enthusiastically, "Oh! I'm Abarai Renji, and this is Rukia!"
"Renji, you…"
Rukia still hadn't made up her mind.
She barely knew anything about the student council and was only there because a crowd had gathered.
Seiroku jotted their names down, then asked, "What class are you in?"
"I'm in Class A, and she's in Class B."
Seiroku's pen paused briefly. Without any change in expression, he added a discreet label next to Rukia's name: "Below Average", and beside Renji's: "Excellent."
In each year, Class A was considered the elite class, made up of the most outstanding students.
Since there were no grades yet for first-years, class assignments were based on spirit pressure levels.
But one's initial Reiatsu often determined a great deal.
The criteria for student council recruitment had already been set—clearly stated in the rules: priority would be given to students with excellent grades.
This wasn't something President Shinichi had decided—it was a result of discussions among the upper authorities and was part of the council's official regulations.
"The first written exam will be held three days from now. If you pass, there'll be a second round of interviews.
Clear that, and you'll become official student council members."
"That's so much hassle," Renji muttered.
"Only through a rigorous selection can one prove their merit," Seiroku said with a smile.
—
Away from the crowd, Rukia scolded Renji for being so rash.
"Idiot! I said I wasn't sure yet—why'd you sign me up?"
Renji scratched his head. "Don't overthink it. If you want to do it, just go for it."
Rukia sighed helplessly. "I saw a lot of our classmates signing up. It'll be super competitive. I'll probably get cut."
Renji replied confidently, "Those guys didn't look that impressive. We'll get in for sure."
Rukia fell silent. Being placed in Class B meant she lagged behind Renji in terms of Reiatsu and potential.
She had no idea what standards the student council would use to judge applicants…
The Spiritual Arts Academy had set aside a spacious room exclusively for the student council headquarters, highlighting how seriously they took the council and how generously they supported it.
For example, the chair Shinichi was currently lounging in—and the luxurious wooden desk in front of him.
When Kazamaji Mitsugorō walked in and saw the student council president with both feet propped up on the desk, he scowled immediately.
"Yo, Kazamaji-san!"
Shinichi greeted him cheerfully.
Mitsugorō approached with a deadpan expression. Many of the office's furnishings were sponsored by his family—including the desk, which he had personally selected for both design and material.
Suppressing his anger, he said through gritted teeth, "Tachikawa Shinichi, this behavior is completely unbecoming of a president—it's crude and inappropriate!"
Shinichi tilted his head with a grin. "Well, what can you do? I am the president."
"You—!"
Mitsugorō's breath caught in his throat, his chest heaving.
Shinichi finally set his feet down and said with a pleasant smile, "Kazamaji-san, your family sure is loaded.
Having you as vice president is truly a blessing—I'm counting on your support in the future!"
Mitsugorō snorted coldly.
All this "loaded" talk was just about office supplies.
He didn't even dignify it with a response.
The Kazamaji family was a high-ranking noble house in Seireitei, second only to the likes of the Kuchiki, Shihōin, and Kōmyōdai clans.
Their mastery of weapon-forging techniques was unrivaled.
Their household wealth was probably beyond what someone like Tachikawa Shinichi could ever imagine.
He placed a thick stack of documents on the desk.
"I just came from the Academy's archives—these are the files of all first-years who applied."
"So many?" Shinichi whistled.
"Most of the new students signed up for the council," Mitsugorō said.
Shinichi casually flipped through a few pages and noticed the stack was categorized—one small group set apart from the rest.
"These are Class A students. When selecting new members, only pick from these," Mitsugorō explained.
Shinichi calmly removed the clip separating the groups and shuffled all the files back together.
"What are you doing?" Mitsugorō frowned.
"Do you know what it would look like if every student council member from the first-year came from Class A?"
"…What's your point?"
"If that happens, then the student council becomes a privileged clique—an organization above the students rather than serving them."
Mitsugorō remained silent.
"There aren't that many in Class A anyway. If most of them join, what would that class become?"
"You're aware of the recruitment standards."
"I am. But we can't be sure who the truly outstanding students are just yet. You know Class A tends to shift the most by the second year."
"If you're really set on this, I'll report it to the headmaster," Mitsugorō said grimly.
Shinichi chuckled. "The headmaster's a busy man—no need to bother him with something like this. I've made my decision. If the Class A students are that good, they'll pass the assessments just fine."
Mitsugorō didn't argue further. After a few more moments, he turned to leave. But before walking out, he shot back, "And stop putting your feet on the desk—it's vulgar!"
Shinichi flipped through the student files again. He understood one thing—if Mitsugorō were truly biased, he wouldn't have brought the Class B and lower files at all.
Not a bad guy, really. And filthy rich, too.
Aside from Rukia and Abarai Renji, whom he'd seen at the plaza notice board, Shinichi spotted two more familiar names in the new student files:
Hinamori Momo.
Kira Izuru.
Both were in Class A. The files noted their origins—both hailed from lower-numbered districts of Rukongai.
Shinichi studied their profiles closely, fingers brushing across the paper.
Just then, the office door opened, and in walked Hisagi Shūhei and Kanisawa.
"Wow, look at you relaxing," Shūhei said, seeing Shinichi with his feet back on the desk again, clearly annoyed.
"Who said I'm relaxing? I'm working too!"
Shinichi gestured at the files in his hand.
The two approached the desk and looked at the towering stack. Shūhei was stunned. "All of these are applicants?"
"Yep."
"How long will it take to interview this many people?"
Kanisawa answered calmly, "Not that many will make it. The written test alone will eliminate ninety percent."
Shūhei was taken aback. "That competitive?"
Shinichi nodded. "New students are always full of curiosity and energy."
He set the files down and stretched with a yawn.
Kanisawa happened to notice the top file in the stack—a girl's photo attached to it. She was adorably cute, with her hair tied in a bun.
Glancing at Shinichi, she remarked, "This one's cute."
Shinichi instantly nodded and rubbed his chin. "Right? I thought so too. I just happen to need an assistant…"
Shūhei stared at him, speechless.
Three Days Later – The Written Exam
Due to the large number of applicants, the test was held in a massive tiered lecture hall.
As first-years had only just entered the Academy, the written exam wasn't focused on professional theory but instead featured some tricky scenario-based questions—open-ended situations without clear right or wrong answers.
There was even one particularly unique question:
"Before enrollment, did you undergo any Reiatsu training?
If yes, proceed to page 2. If not, leave it blank. No penalty for blank answers. Incorrect answers will be penalized. Correct answers will not be rewarded."
After the test, student council members graded the exams—and immediately eliminated 90% of the applicants.
One of the cuts was Abarai Renji from Class A.
His test had been graded by Shūhei.
"If you are assigned to a division that differs from your desired one after graduation, what will you do?"
Renji's answer: Submit a request to the captain to transfer divisions.
"You've been a regular squad member for ten years without a promotion. Share your thoughts and next steps."
Renji's answer: That's impossible. No way I stay a grunt for ten years.
"Your friend tells you your superior is taking bribes and abusing their position. What do you do?"
Renji's answer: Report it!