Chapter 9: Interview with Hatsumori

On the day the written exam results were announced, a large notice board was set up in the square of the Spiritual Arts Academy, displaying a mere few dozen names.

Countless students crowded forward to check the results—some disheartened, some elated, and others pounding their chests in frustration.

Lucia, being petite, couldn’t push her way to the front and had to raise her voice to ask Renji Abarai, who stood near the front, “Renji, how did it go?”

“Lucia, your name’s here—you passed!” Renji called back happily, turning to her with a bright smile.

Hearing this, Lucia’s mood instantly lightened and relaxed. Then she asked, “What about you?”

Renji didn’t respond immediately. He was searching the entire board twice but couldn’t find his name anywhere.

“No… it can’t be…” he murmured, eyes wide with realization.

Once out of the crowd, Lucia asked him, “Did you pass too?”

Renji scratched his head awkwardly. “No… my name’s not on the list.”

Lucia’s smile faded slightly as she pursed her lips. “I see…”

She quickly tried to reassure him. “Renji, don’t be discouraged. The exam questions were all quite strange. At the Spiritual Arts Academy, the main focus is learning how to become a Soul Reaper. You’re already strong in Class A.”

Renji shrugged and placed his hands on her shoulders, encouraging her. “It’s okay. At least you passed, Lucia. Keep it up for the interview.”

Lucia hesitated a moment before saying, “To be honest, I hadn’t really thought much about joining the student council…”

“What are you saying!” Renji interrupted. “So many people applied, and only a few passed the first round. This student council must be a great place, which is why the selection is so strict. You can’t give up this chance easily!”

Lucia gazed earnestly into Renji’s eyes, seeing the sincere blessings there, and nodded gently.

The day after the written exam was the interview.

With only a few dozen candidates left, the interview process wasn’t too demanding.

Shin, Kyoraku Ginjiro, and the heads of various departments all arrived, borrowing two adjacent classrooms—one for the interviews and the other for candidates to wait.

“Hello.”

While sitting alone waiting, Lucia suddenly heard someone call her. She saw a girl about her age, with a cute face and a bun hairstyle.

“Hello,” Lucia quickly stood and greeted back.

“I’m Momo Hinamori. I don’t think we’ve met before; we’re not in the same class, are we?” The girl smiled warmly.

“I’m Lucia from Class B.”

Despite the difference, Momo didn’t show any disdain; her friendly smile remained. “Oh, I’m in Class A. I have no idea what the interview will cover. The written exam questions were already tricky—I thought I wouldn’t pass.”

Momo started chatting naturally. She approached Lucia because there were very few girls in the room, and Lucia seemed the most approachable.

“I didn’t expect to pass either.”

“How did you answer the questions? Like the one about being assigned to a squad you didn’t want?”

Lucia thought for a moment. “I wrote that it didn’t matter where I was assigned. Any squad would be the same.”

Momo tilted her head, surprised. “You can write that?”

“How did you answer, Momo?”

Momo looked troubled. “I wrote a lot. Basically, I said I’d aim for a certain squad while at the academy, but if assigned elsewhere, it must mean they think I fit better there. I’d reassess my strengths and weaknesses and work hard in that squad… Is that too wordy?”

Lucia quickly replied, “Not at all. I think you covered it thoroughly. I definitely couldn’t write something like that.”

She couldn’t help but recall the brief answer Renji gave when they discussed the exam—he didn’t seem upset about being rejected at all.

“Momo Hinamori, Class A!” a senior student council member called from the door.

Momo stood immediately. “Here!”

She looked back at Lucia. “I’m going first.”

“Good luck!”

As Momo left, she noticed a blond male student talking with a senior at the other classroom’s door.

“Congratulations on joining the student council, Kira. It’s clear the president really values you.”

Had he passed too? He seemed to be from Class A as well…

Momo thought he looked familiar but hadn’t memorized everyone yet since the semester just started.

They brushed past each other. Momo lingered at the other classroom’s door for a few seconds, took several deep breaths, then stepped inside.

The room was spacious and quiet. A neat row of desks stood at the front—likely for the student council officers. Momo recognized the person in the center: Shin Tachikawa, the student council president who spoke at the entrance ceremony.

Opposite them was a single solitary desk.

Momo approached and saw a sheet of paper on it, resembling the written exam paper, with several questions printed on it.

Before she could study the questions carefully, someone among those seated spoke, “Hello, Hinamori-san. Please introduce yourself first. You may talk about your strengths, interests, and which department you wish to join if accepted.”

Being the first student council recruitment, there was no precedent to follow, and Momo had spent the whole night thinking about possible questions.

Now, surrounded by so many eyes, she suddenly felt nervous, her breathing uneven. After standing stiffly for a moment, she bowed and began, “Seniors, I’m Momo Hinamori from Class A, a first-year…”

Her introduction was plain, even a bit dry. She said she liked reading and studying, hoped to make more friends at the academy, and was open to joining any department.

After finishing, she felt her performance was mediocre and grew even more anxious inside.

“Don’t be nervous,” Shin said with a gentle smile from the center. “We’re all students here, just a few years ahead of you. It’s just a self-introduction to get to know you—don’t overthink it.”

That was the president…

Momo looked at Shin’s smiling face, surprised by his approachable manner, and felt much more relaxed.

Nearby, Kaniyama glanced toward Shin.

Shuhei Hisagi then added, “You have the paper in front of you. Take three minutes to read and think about the questions. After three minutes, we’ll ask you. If you’re ready earlier, just let us know.”

Hearing this, Momo picked up the paper again. There were only three questions.

First:

“As a student of the Spiritual Arts Academy, during your soul burial internship in the human world, you encounter a Hollow. The senior leading the group chooses to stay behind to cover your escape. What would you do?”

Second:

“You’re a member of the newly established student council. Many students doubt its usefulness. How would you change their perception?”

Third:

“You’re the finance department head of the student council. As a festival approaches, the publicity department requests funds for a campus event, while the academy leadership asks for money to buy gifts for each teacher. The budget only covers one. What would you do?”

After reading them, Momo’s head spun—each question was more challenging than the last.

She thought of the blond boy she had seen earlier, wondering how he answered.

These questions had no fixed answers; the key was rhetoric and logic. Momo stood quietly, thinking hard as her mind raced.

“I’m ready.”

She didn’t wait for the full three minutes, signaling midway that she was prepared.

Her eyes scanned the group. They were all students, just a few years senior, but she dared not underestimate them.

The president, who had spoken at the entrance ceremony behind the principal, was clearly no ordinary figure.

The person beside the president wore distinguished attire and carried a noble air.

Though the questions were tough, the difficulty only made Momo feel she had made the right choice in coming to the student council—it was no mere student club squabble.

Hisagi then asked, “Please answer the first question.”