"Rukia, what are you looking at?"
The red-haired boy with a striking hairstyle squeezed through the crowd to stand beside his companion, eyes lifting to the bulletin board.
"They mentioned it during the ceremony — the student council."
Standing next to him was a petite, sharp-featured girl with short black hair that curled at the ends. Her deep violet eyes studied the notice thoughtfully.
"Huh? Are you thinking of joining the student council?" the red-haired boy asked.
"Not really. Just looking."
"If you're joining, I'll join too!"
"It's not that simple. They said there's a selection process."
But the red-haired boy shrugged, unconcerned. "We'll pass for sure!"
As the two chatted, a tall figure suddenly stepped in front of them.
"Are you interested in joining the student council?"
The newcomer was tall, with an unusually long face and eyes so narrow they were nearly closed — a face that was hard to forget.
"I'm Aokawa, fifth-year. If you'd like to join, you need to register first. May I have your names?"
Without waiting for a reply, Aokawa had already pulled out a registry book and looked at them expectantly.
The red-haired boy responded cheerfully, "Oh! I'm Abarai Renji, and she's Rukia!"
"Renji, you…" Rukia frowned.
She hadn't made up her mind yet — she didn't even know what the student council really was. She'd only stopped to look because the crowd had caught her curiosity.
Aokawa jotted down their names and asked, "What classes?"
"I'm in Class A, she's in Class B."
Aokawa paused slightly in his writing. Without a word, he marked "High-tier" next to Renji's name, and "Lower-tier" next to Rukia's.
Each year, Class A was the advanced section — composed of students deemed "exceptional." For first-years, this was determined based on spiritual pressure level, since no academic grades yet existed.
But even a person's starting reiryoku could set the tone for their entire future.
The student council's recruitment guidelines had already been formalized — clearly written and officially approved. Academic excellence would be prioritized.
This wasn't Nobu's personal decision, but a consensus reached by the higher-ups who had set all the rules and regulations governing the council.
"The written exam will be held in three days. If you pass, you'll move on to the interview. Those who pass both will become official members."
"That's so much hassle," Renji muttered.
"Success must be earned," Aokawa replied with a smile.
After leaving the crowd, Rukia scolded Renji in a huff. "Idiot! I told you I hadn't decided yet — why'd you sign us up like that?!"
Renji scratched his head. "You're overthinking it. If you're interested, just sign up."
Rukia sighed. "I saw lots of first-years registering. The competition's going to be intense. I'll probably get cut."
But Renji just waved it off. "I sized up those guys. I think we've got a good shot."
Rukia didn't reply.
Being placed in Class B meant her innate spiritual pressure and aptitude lagged far behind Renji's. She still didn't even know what the evaluation criteria for the council were...
---
The Shin'ō Academy had set aside a spacious classroom exclusively for the student council office. Clearly, they took this initiative seriously — the council had been granted generous resources.
Like the plush chair Nobu was currently reclining in. And the finely crafted wooden desk in front of him.
When Kasakurōji Mitsugorō walked in, the first thing he saw was Nobu, the student council president, shamelessly propping his feet up on the desk.
His face immediately darkened.
"Yo, Kasakurōji-san!" Nobu greeted cheerfully.
Mitsugorō walked over without a word. Much of the equipment in this office had been sponsored by his family — this desk included. He'd personally selected the wood and design.
Suppressing his annoyance, he said coldly, "Tachikawa Nobu, this behavior is completely unbecoming of a president. You're far too uncouth."
Nobu tilted his head and grinned. "Well, what can I say? I am the president."
"You—!"
Mitsugorō's breath caught, his chest rising and falling.
Only then did Nobu slowly lower his legs and offer a lazy smile. "Kasakurōji-san, your family's really loaded, huh? Having you as vice president is a huge help. The council's lucky to have you."
Mitsugorō scoffed. Nobu's "loaded" comment clearly referred to the donated furnishings — which he had no interest in dignifying with a response. The Kasakurōji family was one of the upper noble houses of Seireitei, second only to ancient clans like Kuchiki, Shihōin, and Kōmiyadai. Their weapons-crafting techniques were core to the Soul Society. Nobu probably had no concept of the scale.
Without another word, he dropped a thick stack of files on the desk.
"These are the new student application files I pulled from the Academy's archive."
"That many?" Nobu whistled.
"Almost the entire freshman class signed up. Everyone wants in," Mitsugorō replied.
Nobu flipped through the files casually. They'd been sorted — one smaller bundle separated from the rest.
"These are the Class A students. For recruiting, we only need to select from this pile."
Nobu didn't respond. Instead, he removed the paperclip separating the bundles and shuffled everything back together.
"What are you doing?" Mitsugorō frowned.
Leaning back in his chair, Nobu asked, "You know what it'll look like if every first-year in the council comes from Class A?"
"...What are you getting at?"
"It'll look like the council is just a privileged club — above the rest of the students."
Mitsugorō didn't reply.
"There aren't that many in Class A to begin with. If most of them join, what does that make Class A?"
"You know what the recruitment criteria are," Mitsugorō reminded him.
"I do. But these freshmen — we don't really know who's outstanding yet, do we? You know how much Class A shifts in the second year."
"If you insist on doing this," Mitsugorō said gravely, "I'll report it to the Headmaster."
Nobu laughed. "The Headmaster's busy. No need to trouble him with small stuff. I've made my decision. If the Class A kids are good enough, they'll pass the exam on their own."
Mitsugorō didn't argue further. He left soon after, but not before throwing one last line over his shoulder:
"Stop putting your feet on the desk. It's vulgar."
...
Nobu resumed reviewing the files. He knew that if Mitsugorō truly held deep bias, he wouldn't have bothered to bring the non-Class-A student records at all.
Not a bad guy after all.
And rich!
Aside from Rukia and Abarai Renji, whom he'd seen at the plaza, he also spotted two familiar names among the applicants.
Hinamori Momo.
Kira Izuru.
Both were in Class A. The files noted their backgrounds — each from a relatively well-off district in Rukongai.
Nobu lingered on their profiles, fingers idly brushing the pages.
The office door opened, and in came Hisagi Shūhei and Kanisawa.
"You look awfully relaxed."
Shūhei eyed Nobu, still lounging with his feet up, and felt a pang of unfairness.
"Who says I'm not working?" Nobu gestured at the pile of files.
They stepped closer to take a look. Shūhei blinked at the size of the stack.
"All these kids applied?"
"Yep."
"This'll take forever to interview!"
Kanisawa, unfazed, remarked, "Most won't even make it past the written test. We'll cut at least ninety percent there."
Shūhei was stunned. "That competitive?"
"These are brand-new students," Nobu said. "Everything still excites them."
He set the file down, adjusted his posture, and stretched lazily.
Kanisawa noticed the topmost folder had a photo — a cute girl with a tidy bun hairstyle.
She glanced at Nobu, then commented, "She's kinda cute."
Nobu nodded instantly, rubbing his chin. "Right? I thought so too. And I just happen to need an assistant…"
Shūhei stared at him, speechless.
...
Three Days Later — The Written Exam.
Because of the overwhelming number of applicants, the test was held in a large lecture hall.
As first-years, the exam didn't cover technical or theoretical Shinigami knowledge. Instead, it posed tricky situational questions — the kind with no fixed answers.
One question, in particular, stood out:
Have you undergone spiritual pressure training prior to enrollment?
If yes, answer Question Set 2 on Page 2.
If not, skip it. No points will be deducted for leaving it blank. Incorrect answers will be penalized. Correct answers will not receive bonus points.
After grading, the student council cut ninety percent of applicants.
Among them — Abarai Renji from Class A — was eliminated.
His test had been graded by Shūhei.
Q: After graduation, you're assigned to a division you didn't choose. What do you do?
Abarai Renji: Apply to the captain for a transfer.
Q: You've been a rank-and-file squad member for ten years without promotion. Thoughts and response?
Renji: That wouldn't happen. No way I'd be stuck that long.
Q: A friend tells you your superior has been taking bribes and bending rules for others. What do you do?
Renji: Report him!