Chapter 6: The First Student Council President

Holiday life was idle—so idle that it bordered on the tedious.

Aside from his daily cultivation, Shin had nothing else to do. Shubei often sought him out for sparring, and though he was defeated time and time again, and would loudly declare he had no intention of fighting Shin again, the frequency of their bouts never diminished.

[Reiatsu Level: Lv: 14]
[Zanpakuto Unlocking Progress: 7%]
[Reiryoku Reserves: 20%]

The efficiency of self-cultivation was not high; this time, it had taken him half a year to gain a single level. If he could maintain a steady progress of one level every six months, he wouldn't be in any hurry—he would reach the maximum level in a few decades. However, when he first started training, he could level up every few days. The further one progressed, the harder it became.

Just as this monotonous holiday was drawing to a close, Shin finally received a summons from the upper echelons of the Spiritual Arts Academy.

Hidezawa Minamida came to fetch him in person, leading him directly to the door of the Headmaster’s office. Minamida remained silent throughout the walk, though the look he cast at Shin was rather strange. Perhaps he didn't know what was happening either and had simply been suddenly notified to bring Shin over.

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

After a knock, a resonant voice from within commanded, "Enter."

Pushing the door open, Shin saw that he was not alone in the office. A quick sweep of the room revealed that he recognized most of them. He naturally knew the Headmaster of the Spiritual Arts Academy, who gave a public address every year at the start of the new term, but the other three were different.

Captain Isshin Shiba of the Tenth Division.
Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the Thirteenth Division, along with Lieutenant Kaien Shiba.
And one middle-aged man in luxurious attire. He wore neither the shihakusho nor a captain’s haori. His expression was impassive—or perhaps, severe—and it was clear he was a nobleman.

It was quite the assembly.

Shin remained composed. After stepping inside, he offered a respectful bow to everyone present.

"So, you are Shin Tachikawa?"

The first to speak was Isshin Shiba. His face was somewhat amiable, and he looked Shin up and down, seemingly quite interested in him.

"Student Tachikawa," the Headmaster of the Spiritual Arts Academy, Sasakibe Shusou, said.

"You should be aware of why you have been summoned here, shouldn't you?"

Shin pondered for a moment. "Is it about the Student Council?"

Sasakibe Shusou was a white-haired old man, though his features were not particularly benevolent; he wore a wide kimono and carried an air of authority. "When did you first have this idea?"

"A year ago."

"Why?"

"At that time, I noticed that the teachers in the school were handling many trivial and miscellaneous administrative tasks personally. While the class representatives could help share some of the burden, there is a limit to what one or two people can do, so this idea occurred to me."

"Is that all?" Sasakibe asked. "I find your proposal for the Student Council to be quite mature; one could say it is ready to be established and put into operation immediately."

Shin replied, "Since I had the idea, I naturally had to put it into action. I spent a year refining the concept. If you gentlemen find it feasible, wouldn't that save a great deal of trial-and-error costs? This aligns perfectly with the principle of sharing the burden for the teachers."

He knew this was not what Sasakibe really wanted to ask, but it was all he could answer. The establishment of a student council would undoubtedly bring more benefits than drawbacks. Regardless of how some might view it, the fact remained that its existence would significantly reduce the burden on the Academy’s faculty. Furthermore, students who served in the council would gain valuable management and practical experience before graduating.

For an organization so beneficial to both the Academy and its students, those present could find no reason to refuse. They had all reviewed Shin Tachikawa’s file: a commoner from the Rukongai’s Zaraki District. The mere fact that he had survived emerging from Zaraki was enough to attract attention. The Seireitei’s attitude toward that place was one of neglect, intervening only to send Shinigami to clean up when Hollows caused chaos.

"It seems you are very well prepared," Sasakibe said, though it was unclear if he meant the proposal or something else.

Shin Tachikawa’s grades were already high enough to graduate from the Academy, yet he had remained. He hadn't reported his idea for the Student Council to his teachers, but had instead gone directly to Lieutenant Kaien Shiba of the Thirteenth Division. Sasakibe had only learned of this through Captain Jushiro Ukitake. Shortly thereafter, he had been summoned to a meeting of the Central 46, where the matter was specifically debated and subsequently passed by a majority vote.

As the Headmaster of the Spiritual Arts Academy, the fact that he had been completely in the dark until that moment was unsettling. He had specifically spoken to Shin’s homeroom teacher, Hidezawa Minamida, who had been equally clueless. Sasakibe realized immediately that this Shin Tachikawa was no simple student; at the very least, he understood the rules of the upper echelons of Soul Society.

Among those present to see Shin today, Captain Isshin Shiba had volunteered to come, and the other was a current member of the Central 46, a man from the Kasumioji clan.

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

This was something not written in Shin’s proposal, along with the specific rules and regulations of the council.

Shin replied, "Selecting the best from each term of students, arranging interviews. Grades are secondary; the focus is on observing whether they possess management and administrative capabilities..."

"Absolutely not."

Shin was cut off before he could finish. It was the nobleman who had spoken. "Grades must be the primary standard of assessment. If a student cannot manage basic academics, they will not be much good as a Shinigami."

Shin chose not to argue.

Sasakibe said, "We will draft a complete plan regarding the threshold for recruiting into the Student Council, as well as the rules, regulations, and specific duties of the council."

"One last question."

"Shin Tachikawa, do you wish to be the first president of the Student Council?"

This must have been Shin’s goal all along. Sasakibe understood that the boy had gone through this elaborate process—leveraging the Lieutenant and Captain of the Thirteenth Division—precisely for this purpose. During the Central 46 meeting, both Captain Ukitake and Captain Shiba had fought hard to have this boy serve as the first president.

Had Shin followed the standard protocol and reported to his teachers first, there would have been no way for this position to fall to him. Fortunately, aside from a few records of skipping class, Shin Tachikawa’s grades were exemplary, and the talent he displayed was undeniable. Jushiro Ukitake held a high position in the Seireitei; while his family background was not prominent, he had been a captain for hundreds of years, and his mentor was the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. Isshin Shiba came from the Shiba clan, and Kaien Shiba’s talent was clear to everyone.

*This kid...*

Facing the varied gazes of the people in the room, Shin was not intimidated; instead, a confident smile appeared on his face.

"I have the confidence to excel in this position!"