The days of vacation drifted by in a haze of idleness—so quiet, so empty, it became almost suffocating.
Every day, Mizuhara Shin had nothing to do but train. His routine was brutally simple: cultivation, refinement, repetition. Hisagi Shūhei came often, dragging him into sparring matches again and again. Each time, Shūhei lost. Each time, he swore it would be the last. And yet, the frequency of his visits never decreased in the slightest.
Shin only smiled at that.
[Spiritual Pressure Level: Lv.14][Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 7%][Spiritual Power Reserves: 20%]
Relying solely on solitary cultivation was inefficient.
This time, it had taken him half a year just to rise a single level.
If he could steadily gain one level every six months, he wouldn't mind. In a few decades, he'd eventually reach the peak.
But when he had first begun training, he had advanced an entire level in mere days.
The further one climbed, the steeper the ascent became.
And just as this tedious vacation neared its end, Shin finally received the summons he had been waiting for—from the upper echelons of the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Nanada Hidezawa personally came to fetch him and escorted him directly to the door of the Headmaster's office.
The instructor spoke little along the way. The look in his eyes was peculiar—uncertain, perhaps even puzzled. It was likely he had no idea what this was about either, merely acting on orders to bring Shin here.
"Go in. The Headmaster is waiting."
After a knock, a firm and resonant "Enter" sounded from inside.
Shin pushed the door open.
There was more than one person inside.
With a single glance, he recognized most of them.
The Academy's Headmaster—of course he knew him. The man gave a public address every year to incoming students.
Then—
Captain Shiba Isshin of the Tenth Division.Captain Ukitake Jūshirō of the Thirteenth Division.Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien.
And one more man.
He wore luxurious attire—not a Shinigami uniform, not a captain's haori. Middle-aged. Expression stern, almost severe. The bearing of a noble was unmistakable.
Quite the gathering.
Shin's heartbeat remained steady. He stepped forward and offered a respectful bow to everyone present.
"You are Tachikawa Shin?"
The first to speak was Shiba Isshin. His expression was amicable, his gaze sweeping over Shin repeatedly with undisguised interest.
"Student Tachikawa," said the Academy Headmaster, Sparking-eyed and white-haired, Sparrowbe Sakonji—no, the stern-faced Headmaster Chōjirō Sasakibe.
"You should know why you've been summoned here."
Shin paused thoughtfully. "It's about the Student Council, isn't it?"
Sasakibe's aged face bore no gentleness. Draped in wide traditional robes, he carried natural authority.
"When did you first conceive this idea?"
"A year ago."
"Why?"
"At that time, I noticed that many of the teachers handled even minor administrative tasks personally. Each class monitor could share part of the burden, but one or two individuals can only accomplish so much. That's when the idea took shape."
"Is that all?" Sasakibe pressed. "Your proposal is remarkably complete. It could be implemented and operational almost immediately."
Shin replied calmly, "Once an idea forms, it should be put into action. I spent a year refining the framework so that, if the esteemed seniors deemed it feasible, the cost of trial and error would be minimized. That aligns perfectly with the original intent—to ease the teachers' burden."
He knew full well that Sasakibe wasn't asking about logistics.
But this was the only answer he could give.
The establishment of a Student Council would undoubtedly bring more benefits than drawbacks. No matter how some might interpret its existence, the undeniable fact remained: it would significantly reduce the workload of the Academy's staff.
And students who served within it would graduate with invaluable experience in leadership and practical governance.
An organization beneficial both to the Academy and its students—those present struggled to find legitimate grounds for refusal.
They had reviewed Tachikawa Shin's file.
A commoner from Zaraki District.
Simply surviving long enough to leave Zaraki made him noteworthy.
The Seireitei's attitude toward that place could only be described as indifferent neglect. Unless Hollows ran rampant, Shinigami were rarely dispatched.
"You have prepared thoroughly," Sasakibe said. Whether he meant the Student Council or something else entirely was unclear.
Shin's grades already qualified him for graduation. Yet he had chosen to remain.
And instead of submitting his proposal directly to Academy faculty, he had approached Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien of the Thirteenth Division.
Sasakibe had learned of the matter through Captain Ukitake Jūshirō.
Soon after, he himself had been summoned to a meeting of the Central 46. A special session had been convened specifically to discuss this proposal.
It had passed by majority vote.
The Headmaster of the Academy—completely unaware of the matter until after deliberations had begun.
He had even called in Shin's homeroom instructor, Nanada Hidezawa, for questioning. The man had been equally bewildered.
Sasakibe immediately understood.
Tachikawa Shin was not simple.
At the very least, he understood how the upper leadership of Soul Society operated.
Among those present today, Captain Shiba Isshin had come of his own accord.
And the stern noble seated nearby was a current member of Central 46—a representative of the Kasumiōji family.
"Regarding recruitment standards for the Student Council," Sasakibe asked, "what are your thoughts?"
That detail had not been included in Shin's proposal. Nor had the formal code of regulations.
Shin answered smoothly, "From each graduating class, we would select outstanding candidates. An interview process would be arranged. Academic scores would be secondary—what matters more is whether they possess organizational and administrative ability—"
"Unacceptable."
The interruption came before he could finish.
It was the noble.
"Academic performance must be the primary criterion. If a student's foundational results are inadequate, they will not make a capable Shinigami."
Shin did not argue.
Sasakibe spoke again. "The recruitment threshold, along with the Student Council's regulations and assigned duties, will be formalized in a complete plan by us."
He paused.
"One final question."
"Tachikawa Shin—do you intend to serve as the first Student Council President?"
That, naturally, had always been Shin's objective.
Sasakibe understood.
This entire detour—approaching the Thirteenth Division's Vice-Captain and Captain instead of reporting directly—had been to secure this position.
At the Central 46 meeting, both Ukitake Jūshirō and Shiba Isshin had strongly advocated for him to assume the inaugural presidency.
Had Shin reported through ordinary channels, that seat would never have been his.
Fortunately, aside from a few records of skipped classes, his academic performance was exceptional. His displayed talent left little room for objection.
Ukitake held considerable prestige within the Seireitei. Though not of noble birth, he had served as Captain for centuries—and his own teacher was the Captain-Commander of the Gotei Thirteen.
Isshin came from the Shiba clan.
And Shiba Kaien's genius was known to all.
This boy…
Under the varied gazes of those assembled, Shin showed no trace of fear.
Instead, a confident smile spread across his face.
"I am confident that I can fulfill the role."