First Student Council President

Holiday life was too idle, idle to the point of boredom.

Aside from training, Shin had nothing else to do each day. Shūbīng often sought him out for sparring, only to lose to him time and again. He'd grumble about not wanting to fight Shin anymore, but the frequency never dropped.

[Spiritual Pressure Level: Lv:14]

[Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 7%]

[Spirit Energy Reserve: 20%]

Relying solely on self-cultivation wasn't very efficient. This time, it took him half a year to advance just one level.

If he could steadily gain one level every half year, he wouldn't be in a hurry. In a few decades, he'd max out.

But when he first started training, he could level up in just a few days.

It would only get harder from here.

Just as this dull holiday neared its end, Shin finally received a summons from the Spirit Training Academy's higher-ups.

Nanda Hidezawa personally came to fetch him and led him directly to the door of the Principal's office.

Nanda Hidezawa didn't say much the whole way, but his gaze at Shin was a bit odd. He probably didn't know what was going on either, just that he'd been suddenly told to bring Shin.

"Go on in. The Principal is waiting for you."

After knocking, a vigorous "Enter" came from inside.

Pushing open the door, the Principal's office held more than one person. Shin swept his gaze across the room and recognized most of them. He'd naturally met the Principal of the Spirit Training Academy before—he gave public speeches every year at the start of the new term. As for the other three:

The Tenth Division Captain, Shiba Isshin.

The Thirteenth Division Captain, Ukitake Jūshirō, and the Lieutenant Captain, Shiba Kaien.

And one more—a middle-aged man in luxurious clothes, wearing neither a shihakushō nor a captain's haori. His expression was blank, or rather, somewhat stern. Clearly, he was a noble.

This was quite the scene.

Shin's mind was calm. He stepped inside and first offered a respectful bow to everyone.

"So you're Tachikawa Shin?"

The first to speak was Shiba Isshin. His face was rather kind, and his eyes roamed over Shin as if he were quite interested in him.

"Tachikawa-kun," said the Principal of the Spirit Training Academy, Suzumebachi Gyosho.

"You should be clear on why we've called you here today."

Shin pondered for a moment. "It's about the Student Council, isn't it?"

Suzumebachi Gyosho was an old man with white hair, but his face wasn't kindly. He wore a wide kimono and carried an air of authority.

"When did you first have this idea?"

"One year ago."

"Why?"

"At that time, I noticed the school's teachers were handling many trivial management tasks themselves. While each class's homeroom representative could share some of the burden, what one or two people could do was ultimately limited. So this idea came to me."

"Is that all?" Suzumebachi Gyosho asked. "I see your vision for the Student Council is quite mature. It could be established and put into operation immediately."

Shin said, "Since I had the idea, I naturally had to put it into action. So I spent a year refining this concept. If you esteemed ones find it feasible, wouldn't that save a lot of trial-and-error costs? This also aligns with the philosophy of sharing the teachers' burdens."

He knew that wasn't what Suzumebachi Gyosho really wanted to ask, but it was all he could answer.

The establishment of a Student Council would undoubtedly bring more benefits than drawbacks. No matter how some people might view it, they couldn't erase the fact that its existence would greatly reduce the burden on the Academy's faculty and staff.

Moreover, students who held positions in the Student Council would gain much more management and practical experience after graduation.

An organization that benefited both the Academy and its students—those present couldn't think of a reason to refuse.

They had all read Tachikawa Shin's file. A commoner from the Gokō District. The mere fact that he'd managed to survive and get out of Gokō was enough to draw attention.

The Seireitei's attitude toward that place could be described as hands-off. Unless Hollows caused trouble, they wouldn't send Shinigami to clean up.

"It seems you've prepared thoroughly," Suzumebachi Gyosho said, unclear whether he meant Shin's vision for the Student Council or something else.

Tachikawa Shin's grades were already sufficient to graduate from the Spirit Training Academy, yet he'd chosen to stay. He hadn't reported his Student Council idea directly to the Academy's teachers, but instead went to the Thirteenth Division's Lieutenant Captain, Shiba Kaien.

Suzumebachi Gyosho only learned of this through the Thirteenth Division Captain, Ukitake Jūshirō.

Shortly after, he was summoned to a meeting of the Central 46. The Central 46 held a special session on the matter, and after a vote, it passed by a wide margin.

He, the dignified Principal of the Spirit Training Academy, had been completely in the dark about this until then. He'd specifically called in Tachikawa Shin's homeroom teacher, Nanda Hidezawa, for a talk, and Nanda Hidezawa was just as clueless.

Suzumebachi Gyosho immediately realized that this Tachikawa Shin was no simple character. At the very least, he understood the rules of the upper echelons of Soul Society.

Among those who came to see Tachikawa Shin this time, the Tenth Division Captain, Shiba Isshin, had volunteered to come. The other was a current Central 46 councilor, a member of the Kǎxiá Dàlù Clan.

"Do you have any thoughts on the recruitment requirements for the Student Council?"

This was something Shin hadn't included in his document. Also missing were the Student Council's rules and regulations.

Shin said, "Select the best from each term's students at the Academy, arrange interviews. Grades are secondary; the main thing is to observe whether they possess management and administrative skills..."

"No."

Shin hadn't even finished speaking when he was shot down. The speaker was that noble.

"Grades are the primary criterion. If a student can't even manage basic academic performance, they won't amount to much as a Soul Reaper either."

Shin chose not to argue with that.

Suzumebachi Gyosho said, "Regarding the Student Council's recruitment threshold, we will draft a complete plan, along with the council's regulations and the specific duties each position must handle."

"One last question."

"Tachikawa Shin, do you want to become the first Student Council President?"

This should have been Tachikawa Shin's goal all along.

Suzumebachi Gyosho understood—this kid had gone through all this trouble, looping in the Lieutenant Captain and Captain of the Thirteenth Division to make this happen, precisely for this reason.

In the Central 46 meeting, both Captain Ukitake Jūshirō and Captain Shiba Isshin had been pushing hard for this kid to take the role of the first Student Council President.

If things had gone as originally said—Shin reporting to the teachers first—

Then this president's seat would never have fallen to him.

Fortunately, aside from a few truancy records, Tachikawa Shin's grades in every subject were outstanding, and the talent he displayed left nothing to criticize.

Ukitake Jūshirō held considerable status in the Seireitei. Though his family background wasn't prominent, he had served as a captain for centuries, and his teacher was the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.

Shiba Isshin, meanwhile, came from the Shiba clan, and everyone knew Shiba Kaien's talent.

This kid...

Facing the varied gazes of those present, Shin showed no fear. Instead, a confident smile spread across his face.

"I have the confidence to handle this position well!"