Chapter 31: The Assertive Hatsumori (Happy New Year)

This statement came as a sudden shock to everyone present.

Toshiro Hitsugaya could not help but retort, "What are you talking about!"

Shin’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes fixed steadily upon him. In the next instant, a surge of spiritual pressure erupted from within him, sweeping outward. This sudden, violent fluctuation of spiritual energy left Hitsugaya gasping for breath for several seconds.

Only when Shin retracted his spiritual pressure did Hitsugaya, his face flushed red, begin to breathe heavily.

"Do you feel it? That is what it feels like to be on the receiving end of someone’s spiritual pressure," Shin said slowly. "I want to ask you, growing up, have people around your age always seemed reluctant to interact with you?"

"..."

Hitsugaya looked up, bewildered, and glanced at Hinamori.

"Hinamori is an exception because she possesses spiritual power within her as well. But in the Rukongai, there are mostly ordinary people who have no spiritual power. They cannot withstand the spiritual pressure leaking from you; being near you makes them feel very unwell."

Hinamori then could not help but say, "But I have many friends in the Rukongai..."

"You are different from him. As I said just now, the spiritual pressure within him is very strong—even stronger than that of many students currently at the Academy—he simply does not know how to control it."

Hitsugaya let his hands hang limp on the tabletop, his mind beginning to replay events from his past.

Shin was right. From childhood, apart from Hinamori, no one had ever wanted to play with him. In his life, besides Hinamori, there was only his grandmother.

And Grandma...

Grandma’s health had always been poor...

Hitsugaya’s pupils widened. He realized something—could it all have been because of him?

"There is one more thing: spiritual powers are mutually attracted to one another. Today, you came to the Spiritual Arts Academy, a place where everyone possesses spiritual power; the spiritual pressure within you will become more restless than before, posing a greater danger to the ordinary people around you. If your grandmother does not have spiritual power, then leaving her temporarily is the choice that is best for both of you."

Hitsugaya sat there, looking completely lost.

Hinamori also wore an expression of concern; she had not expected the student body president to reveal such a grave matter.

But thinking about it carefully, it all seemed to add up. Toshiro’s grandmother’s health had indeed been poor, and it had been even worse when she visited last time.

Could it really be because of Toshiro?

If that were the case, how much pain must Toshiro be in...

Shin sighed softly and added, "You should give it serious consideration. Come to the Spiritual Arts Academy to learn how to become a Soul Reaper and how to control your spiritual pressure. When you do, you will be able to return to your grandmother’s side and stay with her day and night."

Beside them, Shuhei Hisagi looked at Hitsugaya with a hint of astonishment. To be honest, he had sensed the fluctuations of spiritual pressure in Hitsugaya, but not with the precision of Shin, who could see at a glance that it had already reached a level that threatened the lives of ordinary people.

"Toshiro..." Hinamori whispered.

Toshiro Hitsugaya slowly raised his head and looked at Shin.

"Thank you..."

Shin smiled faintly. "You are Hinamori’s childhood friend. Once you come to the Academy, you will also be my junior, my underclassman, and my friend. I was merely offering a reminder; it is nothing."

***

Toshiro Hitsugaya stood up very earnestly and bowed deeply to Shin.

"Hinamori... please walk me back."

Shin also said to Hinamori, "Go ahead. It won't be that busy this afternoon."

After lunch, Momo Hinamori left the Academy with Hitsugaya.

Hisagi could not help but ask Shin, "Shin, is that Hitsugaya really as talented as you say?"

Shin pondered for a moment. "At least the sixth rank of spiritual power."

Hisagi’s pupils shrank. Sixth-rank spiritual power—that was already the level of a seated officer, or even a high-ranking seated officer!

What was his own rank measured when he first enrolled...

After the shock, Hisagi felt a profound sense of frustration. He had been training hard at the Academy for so long, yet he was inferior to a kid who hadn't even started his training yet?!

Among his peers, his grades had always been at the top. Because of Shin’s existence, he had never considered himself an exceptional genius.

It was only natural that Shin was stronger than him, because he saw that Shin’s private efforts were no less than his own.

But that Hitsugaya—what right did he have...

Seeing Hisagi suddenly fall silent, Shin chuckled. "What’s wrong? Feeling discouraged?"

Seeing him still smiling, Hisagi couldn't help but retort, "Shin, don't you feel anything at all? That Hitsugaya is stronger than both you and me when we first enrolled! Much stronger! This is just..."

He wanted to say it was unfair.

Why should there be such an innate gap between people?

"Hisagi, in the future, when you get married and have children, your children will also be born with spiritual power. Yet there are many ordinary people in the Rukongai with none. This world is just like that; talking about fairness or lack thereof is meaningless. Strength also implies responsibility. When Hitsugaya becomes a Soul Reaper, he might shine brightly, but his power will be used to protect the Soul Society—just as we are currently enjoying the stable order left to us by our predecessors. Are you going to complain about why the Captain-Commander is so much stronger than you?"

Hearing this, Hisagi couldn't help but mutter, "The logic you use is a bit too grand..."

Sixth-rank spiritual power, high-ranking seated officer...

He would surely become a lieutenant or even a captain in the future.

Could he become a captain?

Hisagi didn't dare to dream that high; becoming a lieutenant was already his greatest goal.

But what about Shin? He would definitely be able to do it!

He believed firmly in his heart that the only reason Shin could instantly discern the level of spiritual pressure within Hitsugaya was that he had long since reached or even surpassed that level himself.

The 10th Division promising Shin a third-seat position couldn't have been based solely on his talent; it was because he already possessed the necessary ability.

How much harder did he have to work to reach that...

***

Evening.

The school festival concluded successfully, and the students who had spent the entire day in wild celebration finally returned home, satisfied.

There were only a few students left in the plaza, moving about as they cleaned up the remaining mess.

The student council had also finished their day's work, and everyone was exhausted.

Shin took all the members of the student council to a barbecue restaurant outside the Academy to treat them, using, of course, the remaining public funds.

Whenever he thought of this, Shin felt grateful to Kogoro Kasumioji, the "god of wealth."

He decided to toast classmate Kasumioji a few more times.

The student council had many members, and they had nearly booked the entire restaurant, occupying three private rooms with the partitions opened up.

Meat sizzled on the grills, sending up white steam. The students raised their glasses to one another. There was no need to worry about the age limit for drinking; everyone present was older than they appeared.

Strictly speaking, they were not human; their bodies were composed of reishi, and they could live for hundreds of years.

"Sorry I'm late."

Because of Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori was the last to arrive. She pushed open the door, saw the lively scene in the room, and a smile immediately blossomed on her face.

"Yo, Hinamori!"

Because of her cute appearance, Hinamori was very popular in the student council. Even though she was only a first-year student, many people greeted her as soon as she arrived.

Rukia waved at her, pointing to the seat she had specifically saved for her.

"Momo, over here!"

Hinamori just smiled at her and walked straight to the seat beside Shin.

"President, can I sit here?"

Seeing this, Rukia silently withdrew her hand.

Shin, who was currently slinging an arm around Kasumioji’s neck, replied casually, "Of course."

Hisagi consciously scooted over to make room.

Hinamori sat down beside Shin, beaming.

Sitting across from Shin was Kani-sawa, who was somewhat reticent amidst the lively crowd. After Hinamori entered, she kept rubbing the wine glass on the table, her eyes flickering uncertainly.