Hinamori Momo's home was located in Junrin'an, the 1st District of West Rukongai—a place considered a very good area compared to the backgrounds of most students in the Spiritual Arts Academy.
The environment here was second only to Seireitei. There were no worries about public safety or food.
Taking advantage of the Academy's day off, Hinamori went home for a visit and dropped by to check on the neighbor's boy as well.
"Anyway, the Spiritual Arts Academy is really a wonderful place. Our student council president already gets to interact with vice-captains and even captains! And he's such a nice person—he's never arrogant and treats everyone kindly, even underclassmen. If only I'd become his assistant instead… geez, are you even listening, Shiro-chan?"
On the wooden corridor, a silver-haired boy was busy demolishing a large slice of watermelon. Upon hearing the girl beside him call him by that nickname again, he nonchalantly spat watermelon seeds onto her shirt in retaliation.
"I told you, stop calling me Shiro-chan. Why do you come back every single time there's a break? Is the death god school really that laid-back?"
"I rarely get to see you, you know! The student council's got tons of work to deal with," Hinamori protested, visibly annoyed by his attitude.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō casually tossed the eaten watermelon rind aside and picked up another piece.
"You've already praised that president of yours more than enough times."
"Because he really is amazing!"
Hitsugaya frowned, clearly disinterested in all the praise being showered on someone he'd never met.
Then Hinamori sighed and added with a trace of regret, "Too bad I missed it when the captain of the 5th Division came for an inspection. I was out on assignment that day. People said he's really approachable too. Shiro-chan, Shinigami aren't anything like we imagined… There are so many kind-hearted people among them."
She turned to him again, persuading, "Shiro-chan, you should try applying to the Academy. I think you'd definitely pass the entrance exam. You'd make lots of new friends too."
Hitsugaya said nothing, continuing to focus on his watermelon.
Hinamori added, "And if you joined the student council, we'd get to spend a lot more time together."
"Spending more time with you—how is that a good thing?" Hitsugaya grumbled.
"Shiro-chan, that really hurts my feelings, you know."
"Stop calling me Shiro-chan, Bedwetter Momo!"
Hitsugaya's main reason for not applying to the Academy was because he had to take care of his grandmother. Her health had always been poor, and he believed he couldn't just leave her alone.
The summer heat pressed down gently, and the buzzing of cicadas filled the air.
Momo sat there swinging her legs as she slowly nibbled at her watermelon, gazing at the clear sky and murmuring dreamily, "I've really got to work hard—to become an outstanding Shinigami."
Meanwhile, Shinichi had once again been summoned by Namita Hidezawa due to skipping classes too many times.
"You little brat—have you forgotten what you promised me before? Being in the student council is not an excuse to do whatever you want! And since you're the student council president, you should set the example!"
"But there really is a lot of daily work in the student council! I'm doing this for the good of the Academy!" Shinichi defended himself with a face full of innocence. "Mr. Namita, even if I've missed some classes, I still train on my own time. It won't affect my grades!"
"Spare me the excuses!" Namita retorted gruffly. He knew this student far too well.
"Good grades don't give you free rein. Do you even realize how your repeated absences are being recorded? What do you think your future squad will think when they see that in your graduation file?"
Shinichi chuckled, "They'll naturally think I'm a once-in-a-generation talent and put extra effort into cultivating me."
Namita glared. "Be serious! I'm warning you—from today on, you're attending every single class properly. Skip one more time and I'll report you to the principal. I doubt the principal will tolerate your lack of discipline. What if they strip you of your student council president title?"
Shinichi sighed, "But what if there's really important student council business?"
"Come to me for permission. I'll decide whether to excuse you."
"…"
That afternoon, for once, Shinichi actually showed up in class, much to the surprise of many classmates—no one could remember the last time their "great president" had attended a lecture.
"Namita-sensei had a word with you, didn't he?" Hisagi Shūhei asked with a knowing smile, glancing at the tired-looking Shinichi beside him.
Shinichi responded with a lazy grunt.
It wasn't that he was lazy or unwilling to attend classes—it was just that as a fifth-year student, the Academy's curriculum offered him little in terms of new challenges. The instructors didn't go beyond the standard teachings, so in his opinion, it was more worthwhile to spend time in the library poring over advanced Kidō scrolls than sitting through repetitive lectures.
The fifth-year curriculum leaned more toward field practice anyway, including soul burial internships in the real world, often paired with underclassmen.
Naturally, Shinichi had gone on several such missions. Back when he was a first-year, his first visit to the real world had been quite exciting.
But this timeline was still decades away from Ichigo Kurosaki's era—the tech in the real world wasn't advanced at all. After two visits, Shinichi had already lost interest.
This afternoon's class was Kaidō.
Because Hisagi and Kiezawa had both joined the student council, they'd stepped down from class president duties. A new class leader—a vaguely familiar student—stepped onto the podium just before the bell rang.
"Today's class won't be taught by Professor Ōizumi. Instead, Vice-Captain Kotetsu Isane of the 4th Division will be substituting."
The 4th Division?
Shinichi raised an eyebrow. It was quite rare for a vice-captain from the Gotei 13 to teach a fifth-year class.
"The 4th Division—that's the one you'll be joining after graduation, right?" Hisagi asked in surprise.
Shinichi neither confirmed nor denied it, but he did sit up straighter, clearly more alert.
When the bell rang, the room fell silent as a tall figure walked in through the classroom's main door.
"Whoa… she's tall."
Murmurs rippled through the students as soon as they saw her. Some began whispering amongst themselves.
Kotetsu Isane's towering height—nearly 190 cm—was enough to stun most of the students, especially the boys. There probably wasn't another woman in the entire Academy with such stature.
Clad in her black Shihakushō and wearing the vice-captain badge of the 4th Division, she was also a very striking woman.
Hearing the murmurs below, Isane could easily guess what they were whispering about. It made her a bit self-conscious—this kind of attention only reminded her of her own insecurities about her height.
Still, she stepped calmly up to the podium and addressed the students.
"I am Kotetsu Isane, Vice-Captain of the 4th Division. I'll be your substitute instructor today. Nice to meet you all."
As she spoke, her gaze scanned across the room.
She easily picked out Shinichi's presence among the relatively small class. At the same time, Shinichi was also looking at her.
[Kotetsu Isane]
[Affection Level: 9]