"Rukia, what are you looking at?"
A red-haired boy with a striking hairstyle squeezed through the crowd and came to stand beside his companion, craning his neck to look at the notice board as well.
"Didn't they mention it during the ceremony? The Student Council."
Beside him stood a petite, delicate-looking girl with short black hair that flipped outward at the ends. Her deep violet eyes were fixed on the announcement board, thoughtful and reserved.
"Eh, are you thinking of joining?" the red-haired boy asked.
"I haven't thought about it. I'm just looking."
"If you join, I'll join too!"
"It's not that easy. It says right there there'll be an assessment."
The boy looked unconcerned. "We'll definitely pass!"
As they spoke in low voices, a tall figure stepped in front of them.
"Are you two underclassmen interested in joining the Student Council?"
The man was tall and immediately memorable—an unusually long face and a pair of narrow eyes that looked nearly closed even when open.
"I'm Aoshika, a fifth-year. If you'd like to join, you'll need to register first. May I have your names?"
Without waiting for permission, he pulled out a registry and looked expectantly at them.
The red-haired boy responded brightly, "Oh! I'm Abarai Renji. She's Rukia!"
"Renji, you—"
Rukia hadn't made up her mind yet. She barely understood what this Student Council even was. She'd only approached because so many people had gathered here.
Aoshika recorded their names and asked, "Your classes?"
"I'm in Class A. She's in Class B."
Aoshika's pen paused almost imperceptibly.
After Rukia's name, he quietly wrote "Second Tier."
After Renji's, he wrote "Excellent."
Each grade's Class A was the advanced class—where the "outstanding students" were concentrated. First-years had no academic records yet; placement was determined by Spiritual Pressure levels.
And initial Spiritual Pressure determined more than most realized.
The Student Council's recruitment standards had already been finalized. The charter clearly stated: academic excellence would be prioritized.
This wasn't President Shin's decision. It was determined by higher authorities after deliberation—both the recruitment threshold and the Council's regulations.
"In three days, there will be the first written examination," Aoshika explained. "If you pass, you'll proceed to the interview. Passing the interview will grant you membership."
"So troublesome," Abarai Renji muttered.
"Only through layers of selection can true excellence be proven," Aoshika replied with a polite smile.
After leaving the crowd, Rukia shot Renji an annoyed look.
"Idiot! I told you I hadn't decided yet. Why did you just sign up?"
Renji scratched his head. "No need to overthink it. If you want to try, just sign up."
Rukia sighed. "I… ah. I saw a lot of our cohort signed up just now. The competition will be intense. I might get eliminated."
Renji waved it off. "Those guys didn't look like much. We'll definitely pass."
Rukia fell silent.
She had been placed in Class B. That alone meant her Spiritual Pressure and natural aptitude lagged far behind Renji's.
She just didn't know what criteria the Student Council would use.
—
The Academy had allocated a spacious classroom exclusively for the Student Council headquarters.
It was clear how much importance the Academy placed on this organization—the facilities were exceptionally generous.
For instance, the chair Shin was currently reclining in.
And the high-grade wooden desk before him.
The moment Kasumiōji Kōgorō stepped inside and saw the President with both feet propped casually on the desk, his expression darkened instantly.
"Yo, Kasumiōji!"
Shin greeted him warmly.
Kasumiōji walked up to the desk without expression. Many of the furnishings in this office had been donated by his family. The desk itself had been personally selected by him—both design and wood.
Suppressing his irritation, he spoke in a low voice.
"Tachikawa Shin, you have absolutely no bearing of a President. That's crude."
Shin tilted his head and smiled. "What can I do? I just happen to be the President."
"You—!"
Kōgorō's breathing hitched, his chest rising and falling sharply.
Only then did Shin lazily lower his legs.
With a faint smile, he said, "Kasumiōji, your family is really wealthy. Having you as Vice President is wonderful. The Council will rely on you greatly in the future."
Kōgorō snorted.
When Shin said "wealthy," he was only referring to the office furnishings. The Kasumiōji family stood among Seireitei's upper nobility, masters of weapon-forging techniques within Soul Society—second only to ancient great houses like the Kuchiki, Shihōin, and Tsunayashiro.
The scale of their power was likely beyond Tachikawa Shin's comprehension.
Kōgorō placed a thick stack of documents onto the desk.
"These are the files of the freshmen who registered. I retrieved them from the Academy archives."
"So many?" Shin clicked his tongue.
"Most of the freshmen applied," Kōgorō said. "They want to join."
Shin flipped through the stack casually. He noticed the files were categorized—one portion clipped separately from the rest.
"These are Class A students," Kōgorō said. "Since the Council prioritizes excellence, we can select from this group."
Shin's expression remained calm.
He removed the clip and mixed the Class A files back in with the others.
Kōgorō frowned. "What are you doing?"
Leaning back, Shin asked, "Do you know what would happen if all first-year Council members came from Class A?"
"…What are you implying?"
"In that case, the Student Council would become a privileged organization—one that stands above the rest of the students."
Kōgorō remained silent.
"There aren't many students in Class A. If most join the Council, what does Class A become?"
"The recruitment threshold is clear," Kōgorō said.
"I'm aware," Shin replied. "But who the truly outstanding freshmen are isn't certain yet. You know as well as I do—the biggest changes in Class A happen in the second year."
Kōgorō's voice dropped. "If you insist on this, I'll report it to the Headmaster."
Shin laughed lightly. "The Headmaster is quite busy. There's no need to trouble him over something this small. I've decided. If Class A students are truly excellent, they'll pass the assessment."
Kōgorō did not argue further. After a short while, he left.
Before exiting, he turned back and added stiffly, "Stop putting your feet on the desk. It's crude."
Shin resumed reviewing the files.
He knew that if Kōgorō's bias ran deep, he wouldn't have bothered bringing the non–Class A files at all.
Not a bad guy.
And importantly—
Very rich.
Aside from Rukia and Abarai Renji, whom he had seen earlier at the plaza, Shin spotted two other familiar names among the freshmen files.
Hinamori Momo.
Kira Izuru.
Both were in Class A. Their files listed their origins—districts of Rukongai with relatively low numbers.
Shin's gaze lingered over their documents. His fingers gently rubbed the paper.
The office door opened.
Hisagi Shūhei and Kaniezawa entered.
"You look comfortable," Shūhei remarked, eyeing Shin's posture with faint resentment.
"Who says? I'm working," Shin replied, gesturing to the files.
The two stepped closer to the desk.
"So many?" Shūhei stared at the stack. "All applying?"
"Mm."
"When will we finish interviewing them?"
Kaniezawa spoke calmly, "There won't be that many. The written test will eliminate ninety percent."
Shūhei blinked. "That intense?"
Shin nodded. "Freshmen always approach everything with curiosity and enthusiasm."
He set the files down, straightened in his chair, and stretched lazily.
Kaniezawa's gaze fell on the topmost file—a girl with a cute face and a small bun hairstyle in her photograph.
She glanced at Shin. "She's pretty cute."
Shin immediately nodded, stroking his chin. "Right? I think so too. I just happen to be missing an assistant…"
Shūhei stared at him, speechless.
—
Three days later.
The written examination.
Due to the high number of applicants, the test was held in a large lecture hall.
Since they were newly enrolled students, the content did not focus on professional theory. Instead, the questions were sharp, situational—asking how one would respond to specific scenarios, with no fixed answers.
One question, however, stood out.
[Prior to enrollment, did you undergo Spiritual Pressure training? If yes, answer the question on Page 2. If no, you may leave it blank. No points will be deducted for leaving it blank. Incorrect answers will result in point deductions. Correct answers will not grant additional points.]
After grading by Student Council members, ninety percent were eliminated immediately.
Among them—
Class A's Abarai Renji.
His paper had been graded by Shūhei.
[After graduation, you are assigned to a Division different from your preferred choice. How do you handle it?]
Abarai Renji's answer: Submit a request to the Captain for reassignment.
[You become an ordinary Shinigami. After ten years, you have not attained a seated officer position. Discuss your thoughts and actions.]
Abarai Renji's answer: It's impossible for me to fail to become a seated officer after ten years.
[Your friend tells you your superior has accepted bribes and violated regulations. What do you do?]
Abarai Renji's answer: Report them!