Chapter 9 Interview Hinamori
On the day the written exam results were posted, a large bulletin board was set up in the Spiritual Arts Academy's plaza, displaying only a few dozen names.
Countless people crowded close to check the results, some disappointed, some pleasantly surprised, and some beating their chests in frustration.
Due to her petite stature, Rukia couldn't squeeze to the front, so she had to ask Abarai Renji, who was at the front, in a loud voice, "Renji, how is it?"
"Rukia, your name is there, you passed!"
Renji turned his head and shouted with a happy expression.
Upon hearing this, Rukia's mood immediately lightened and relaxed considerably, and she then asked, "What about you?"
Renji didn't respond; he was also trying hard to find his name, but he searched the entire notice board twice from top to bottom and couldn't find it.
"No... no way..."
He realized something, his eyes wide as he murmured.
After walking out of the crowd, Rukia asked him, "Did you pass too?"
Abarai Renji scratched his head, "No... no, my name isn't there."
Rukia paused upon hearing this, her faint smile fading as she pursed her lips and said, "I see..."
She immediately comforted Renji, "Renji, there's no need to be discouraged. The questions for this exam were very strange. At the Spiritual Arts Academy, the main thing is to learn how to become a Shinigami, and you're already very impressive in Class A."
Renji had an indifferent expression, and he put his hands on her shoulders to encourage her, "It's alright, as long as your name is there, that's good. Rukia, you have to keep working hard for the interview later."
Rukia hesitated slightly and said, "Actually, I didn't think much about joining this Student Council..."
"What are you talking about!" Renji interrupted her, "So many people applied, and only a few dozen passed the first round. This Student Council must be a good place, which is why the recruitment is so strict. Rukia, you can't easily give up this opportunity!"
"..."
Rukia gazed intently into Renji's eyes, and seeing them filled with sincere blessings, she nodded gently.
The day after the written exam was the day of the interviews.
Since only a few dozen students remained, the interview work was not very heavy.
Tachikawa Shin, Kasumi Kōji Kogoro, and the heads of various departments were all present. They used two adjacent classrooms; one for interviews and the other for students to wait to be called.
"Hello."
Rukia, who was sitting there alone waiting, suddenly heard someone call her. She saw a girl who looked about her age, with a bun hairstyle and a delicate, cute face.
"Hello." Rukia quickly stood up and returned the greeting.
"Hello, my name is Hinamori Momo. We haven't met before, have we? We're not in the same class, are we?" The girl seemed very friendly, with a warm smile on her face.
"I'm Rukia from Class B."
However, Hinamori Momo's face showed no expression of disdain. Her enthusiasm remained, and she smiled, "Oh, I see. I'm in Class A. I wonder what the content of this interview will be. The written exam questions were already tricky enough. I thought I wouldn't pass."
She naturally started chatting with Rukia. The reason she approached Rukia was that there weren't many girls in the entire classroom, and Rukia was the one who looked the most pleasant.
"I didn't think I would pass either."
"Then how did you answer those questions, like the one about going to a Squad you didn't want to go to?"
Rukia thought for a moment and said, "I wrote that any Squad would be fine, it's the same no matter which Squad."
Hinamori Momo let out an "Oh?" and tilted her head, saying, "You can write it like that?"
"How did Hinamori write it?"
Hinamori Momo looked troubled, "I wrote a lot. In summary, it was about striving towards a certain Squad as a goal while at the Spiritual Arts Academy, but if I were assigned to another Squad, it must be because the higher-ups carefully considered that I am more suitable for that Squad. I would re-evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and work hard to do well in that Squad... Is that too wordy?"
Rukia quickly said, "No, I think you considered it very thoroughly, Hinamori. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to write an answer like that."
She couldn't help but think of Renji's brief answer when they discussed the questions after the written exam... It seemed Renji had no complaints about being eliminated.
"Hinamori Momo, Hinamori Momo from Class A!"
Just then, a senior Student Council member at the classroom door called out.
Hinamori Momo immediately stood up and responded, "Here!"
She looked at Rukia, "I'll go first."
"Good luck!"
As soon as Hinamori Momo walked out of the classroom, she saw a senior student talking to a blonde male at the door of another classroom.
"Congratulations on joining our Student Council, Kira. It's clear that the President thinks highly of you."
Did this person pass? He seems to be from Class A too...
Hinamori Momo found him somewhat familiar, but it had only been a short time since school started, and she hadn't recognized all her classmates yet.
The two brushed past each other. Hinamori Momo stood at the door of the other classroom for a few seconds, took a few deep breaths, and walked in.
This classroom appeared very spacious and quiet. At the podium, a row of desks was neatly arranged, likely for some of the Student Council's internal executives. Hinamori Momo recognized the person in the center: Tachikawa Shin, the Student Council President, who had given a speech at the entrance ceremony.
Opposite these individuals, there was only a single, solitary table.
Hinamori Momo walked over and found a piece of paper on it, very similar to the exam paper from the written test. There were also a few questions on this paper.
Before she could carefully read the questions, someone among the seated group spoke, "Hello, Hinamori. Please introduce yourself first. You can talk about your perceived strengths, hobbies, and which department you'd like to join if you enter the Student Council."
Since it was the first recruitment for the Student Council, there was no historical experience to draw upon. Hinamori Momo had spent the entire night thinking about what questions might be asked during the interview.
Suddenly being watched by so many people made her instantly nervous. She felt her breathing become somewhat uneven. After standing stiffly for a while, she bowed and began, "Greetings, seniors. I am Hinamori Momo, a first-year student from Class A..."
Her self-introduction was very ordinary, even a bit dry. She only said that she usually liked to read and study, hoped to make more friends at the Spiritual Arts Academy, and as for which department to join, she said any would be fine.
After speaking, Hinamori Momo also felt her performance was very average, and she became even more nervous internally.
"Don't be nervous."
Shin, sitting in the center of the group, spoke with a shallow smile, "Everyone here is also a student, just a few grades above you, so there's no need to be nervous. It's just a self-introduction, just so we can get to know you. Don't overthink it."
It's the President...
Hinamori Momo looked at Shin, who sat there smiling. He was unexpectedly approachable, which made her relax considerably.
Kanisawa glanced at Shin from the side.
Hisagi Shuuhei then said, "Now, there's a set of questions in front of you. You have three minutes to review and think. After three minutes, you will be asked questions. You can also state your answers directly if you're ready earlier."
Hinamori Momo then picked up the paper again. There were only three questions on it.
First:
"As a student of the Spiritual Arts Academy, you encounter a Menos Grande during your Soul Burial internship in the Human World. The senior leading the team chooses to stay behind to cover your escape. What is your choice in this situation?"
Second:
"You are a member of the Student Council. The Student Council has just been established, and many students at the Spiritual Arts Academy do not think highly of its existence, finding it useless. What would you do to change others' perceptions of the Student Council?"
Third:
"You are the head of the Student Council's finance department. A festival is approaching, and the Student Council's campus activity promotion department comes to you to request funding to organize a campus event within the Spiritual Arts Academy. At the same time, the Spiritual Arts Academy's leadership also approaches you, hoping you can fund gifts for every teacher. However, the budget can only cover one of these requests. What would you do in this situation?"
After reading these questions, Hinamori Momo felt a headache coming on; each one was trickier than the last.
She thought of the blonde boy she had just seen, wondering how he had answered.
These questions had no fixed answers; it all depended on one's eloquence and logic. Hinamori Momo stood there, thinking seriously, her brain working rapidly.
"I'm ready."
She chose not to wait until the three minutes were over, but spoke up midway to indicate she was prepared.
Hinamori Momo's gaze swept over the people sitting there. These individuals were also students, just like her, only a few grades above her, but she dared not show any hint of disrespect.
This President, who could speak on stage at the entrance ceremony, even after the Principal, was certainly no simple character.
And the person beside the President, with their extraordinary attire and noble demeanor, was clearly an aristocrat.
These questions were indeed tricky, but the trickier they were, the more she felt that coming to the Student Council was the right decision. This was not just a small organization for students to mess around in.
Hisagi Shuuhei then asked, "Please answer the first question."