Among the first-years, Hinamori Momo and Kira Izuru were both assigned to Shūhei's Operations Department.
Most of the new members didn't have a clear grasp of what each student council department actually did, so there were no real objections. Everyone simply resolved to do their best once the work began.
Rukia's name was the last to be read.
"Rukia—assigned as assistant to the Student Council President."
Assistant to the Student Council President?
There was a wave of surprise at those words. No one had even realized such a position existed.
But that quickly gave way to envy.
To these first-years, the student council president was practically a celebrity—someone on par with the instructors. Being able to work by his side could only be seen as a great honor.
Even Rukia herself was momentarily stunned. She couldn't understand what set her apart from the others—why she, of all people, had been given such a role.
Truthfully, she didn't like being singled out. The gazes from those around her—curious, envious, doubtful—filled her with pressure. Even fear.
Ever since Renji had failed to pass the first round of interviews, her enthusiasm for the student council had waned. It wasn't something she felt desperate to join—and if Renji hadn't encouraged her, she might have dropped out completely.
Still, beside her, Hinamori tugged gently on her sleeve, face full of excitement.
Rukia swallowed her unease and replied quietly, "Understood."
Once all the department assignments were announced, the new first-years were led off by their respective seniors or department heads for individual introductions.
Rukia alone remained in the office.
Nobu studied the girl in front of him, speaking mildly: "You don't seem all that happy with your assignment."
Rukia shook her head quickly. "No! It's not that… I just… I'm not sure I'm qualified for something so important."
Nobu smiled. "It's just a student council assistant. Hardly a major position. If you're uncomfortable, we can always switch you with someone else. I don't like forcing people into things they don't want to do."
Rukia's thoughts raced. If she rejected it outright, wouldn't that be rude?
She hesitated, then said, "I think you've misunderstood… I'll do my best!"
Nobu encouraged her gently: "Like I said, it's not some big, important title. You should be more confident in yourself. And even if it were important, how would you know you can't handle it unless you try? Take the next couple of days to get familiar. You'll find your rhythm soon enough."
At least the president seems like a kind person…
Rukia felt her nerves settle just a bit.
"Yes, President!"
"Alright then, you can head back. Don't you still have class this morning?"
To be honest, Nobu had slightly regretted binding Rukia with the Shinigami Covenant.
He hadn't expected the system to allow a second one to be activated—and since Rukia was the original heroine of Bleach, he'd assumed her associated rewards would be higher than average.
But she was… not the easiest person to bond with.
By contrast, Hinamori Momo was far simpler.
Still, what was done was done. No point in second-guessing it now. He'd just have to adapt as things unfolded.
With both Rukia and Hinamori in close contact now, Nobu expected another spike in his overall stats.
After leaving the student council headquarters, Rukia let out a small breath of relief—only to spot Hinamori waiting for her at the end of the hall.
"Rukia!"
Momo waved with a beaming smile.
"How'd it go?"
Rukia had barely walked over before Hinamori leaned in, eagerly asking the question.
"How did what go?"
"The president! You're going to be working as his assistant now—that means you'll get to be around him all the time!"
Rukia, still troubled by the thought, murmured, "I'm not even sure I'll be able to handle it…"
"You'll do great!" Hinamori encouraged.
"I'll try," Rukia said. Then she asked in return, "What about you? Your department head is Shūhei-senpai, right?"
Hinamori deflated slightly. "Yeah… Shūhei-senpai's really serious. Doesn't talk much. And the other two in our group are the same—especially that Kira Izuru guy. Always looks like he's brooding. Honestly, I'm kind of jealous of you, Rukia. President Nobu is so easy to get along with."
That's true, Rukia thought. But then she considered—someone like Momo, cheerful and warm, seemed much better suited for a job like hers.
The more she thought about it, the more uncertain she felt.
"Ah, whatever," Hinamori said with a forced smile. "I'm sure things will get better once we know each other better. We just have to hang in there, Rukia."
Rukia nodded. "Mm."
During the morning break, A-Class student Abarai Renji came by to see Rukia.
She updated him on the student council situation—including her role as the president's assistant.
"Assistant to the president, huh…"
Renji scratched his head. That sounded important—like being a vice-captain or something.
Of course, he didn't know the student council even had a vice president. He barely knew anything about the council at all.
Still, he grinned and said, "That's great, Rukia! Looks like your president has good taste!"
"You idiot! I'm not some kind of merchandise!" Rukia snapped.
Renji corrected himself quickly. "I mean, he's got a good eye! Hahaha!"
"…"
Seeing that he was genuinely happy for her, Rukia couldn't help but soften a little.
"Renji, since we've come to the Academy—and we're aiming to become Shinigami—we have to work hard. You're in A-Class. You really need to push yourself."
"I got it!" Renji pumped a fist, full of confidence. "Don't worry, Rukia! We're gonna be amazing Shinigami!"
---
With the student council established, Nobu could now skip class under the convenient excuse of official duties.
Nanada-sensei was helpless to stop him. But then again, there really wasn't much left he could teach Nobu anyway.
All he could do was remind him not to slack off—that even if he was top of the Academy now, the world beyond was vast. There would always be stronger Shinigami.
Of course, Nobu understood that. Even with the system accelerating his growth, he still dedicated time each day to personal training.
That said, the system interface made it painfully clear that solo training wasn't nearly as effective as… bonding with Rukia or Hinamori.
,,,
"The captain's coming to inspect Shin'ō Academy?"
The news reached Nobu from one of the Academy instructors.
"That's right. Happens every year. You should know this already. This time, we're putting the student council in charge of hosting—mainly guiding the captains around the first-year classes."
Nobu was well aware of this tradition. Every year, shortly after term began, one or more captains from the Gotei 13 would come to visit the Academy.
The goal was simple—to let new students witness the presence of a real captain, and inspire their desire to one day join the Gotei.
"May I ask which captain is visiting this year?"
"Oh, it's Captain Aizen… from the Fifth Division."