"Eh!"
Shuhei was like he had been struck by an electric current, first stunned, then his face flushed crimson.
Was it really appropriate to say such suggestive words in such a calm tone?
He knew Kanisawa's only purpose was for her family.
She was probably worried that her grandparents would have no one to care for them after she became a Shinigami.
Shuhei wasn't so narcissistic as to think someone liked him just from a few sentences of conversation...
But, moving into someone's home, no matter how you looked at it, was quite presumptuous.
He opened his mouth, his hand holding the water cup unconsciously tightened a few points, and stammering words came out of his throat:
"I... that, I'm very sorry, I don't know what you are thinking, Miss Kanisawa, but I want to gain a foothold through my own efforts."
"If I remember correctly, today is the first time I've met you, so why do you trust me so much?"
Kanisawa slightly raised the corner of her mouth and smiled sweetly:
"What trust or not, I just find you very interesting."
"I don't think a boy who blushes even when talking to me would do anything detrimental to my grandparents."
"Also, don't use honorifics with me. I'm an ordinary person just like you, just a bit luckier to be assigned to First district."
Kanisawa sighed softly at this point,
"First district is indeed blessed, occasionally seeing Shinigami, and there are many Rukongai with Reiatsu."
"But even so, those who can stand out from First district and become Shinigami are extremely rare."
"On average, only two to three per year."
"I'm not entirely sure if I can be one of them. If I succeed, Hisagi, I'll have to trouble you to help take care of my grandparents."
"And if both of us succeed... there have been such cases in the past, where the elderly at home have no one to care for, Shinigami will help out a little."
"In short, whether you succeed or not, Hisagi, your probability of becoming a Shinigami is always higher than mine, after all, you have participated in an assessment once before."
"It's like planning ahead, isn't it a very normal behavior to build a good relationship with a future Shinigami in advance?"
After Kanisawa's explanation, Shuhei finally understood her thoughts.
If she failed the assessment and he succeeded, when she became a Shinigami in the future, he might be able to look after her based on their encounter today.
It made sense and was a normal thing for a person to do. Shuhei took a slight breath, really wanting to say that he wasn't very confident.
But seeing Kanisawa's somewhat melancholic and worried expression, those words were swallowed back before they even reached his lips.
After a moment of hesitation, an instinctive urge surged in Shuhei's heart, wanting to comfort her.
However, just as he opened his mouth, Shuhei suddenly realized that he had never interacted with girls before.
Living in the outer districts, even survival was a luxury, and communication was solely for the sake of living.
Suddenly facing this situation, he had no idea how to speak.
As a result, the surrounding air fell into silence, as if cold seawater was surging in, and the atmosphere became quite heavy.
In this suffocating atmosphere.
Suddenly.
Kanisawa's smile broke the heaviness.
She looked at Shuhei and said softly:
"Alright, why the long face? It's just a possibility of failure, at worst, we'll wait a few more years."
"We have Reiatsu, a long lifespan, so it's never too late to become a Shinigami."
"But then again, Shuhei, if you really pass the assessment, don't forget us in the future."
"I won't." Shuhei took a deep breath forcefully,
"Although the time we've spent together is still very short, I will never forget the situation where those two elderly people were willing to take me in."
"You will definitely become a Shinigami too, I believe in you."
As the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way. It was precisely with such determination that he participated in the assessment year after year.
He believed Kanisawa also had this perseverance, after all, for ordinary people like them to succeed, it was built upon countless failures.
They didn't have the kind of instant talent that so-called geniuses possessed, so, belief became especially important.
If even they lost confidence in themselves, then how could they talk about success?
Kanisawa listened, but only slowly shook her head, not saying anything. Different districts shaped different worldviews.
The smooth sailing in First district made her occasionally doubt herself.
Compared to the indomitable and tenacious spirit of the people in the seventy-something districts...
She admired the latter more, but it was also difficult for her to emulate.
Perhaps only after becoming a Shinigami could things slowly change...
...
Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, it was a new school year.
When Shuhei and Crab-swamp Firefly registered, Shuhei suddenly found that this assessment was much more complex than last year.
More than half of the preparations he had made before were useless.
Fortunately, after a year of accumulation, he had made great progress compared to last year.
Only the process was complex, not the difficulty of the assessment, so he fortunately passed the assessment and barely became a Freshman about to enter the academy.
Shuhei was a little excited. He was just about to share this good news with Crab-swamp Firefly.
But when he was about to look for her, he suddenly thought...
What if Hotaru didn't pass the assessment? Wouldn't doing this be rubbing salt in her wound?
So, Shuhei had to suppress this thought, planning to see the situation first before deciding whether to share it.
Not long after, Shuhei saw Crab-swamp Firefly.
She was holding a piece of paper and standing thoughtfully in a secluded corner.
Her expression showed neither joy nor sorrow, making it impossible to tell whether she had passed the assessment or not...
Seeing this, Shuhei hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked towards her.
Whether successful or not, one must face reality.
Hearing footsteps, Crab-swamp Firefly slowly looked up.
Seeing Shuhei, and noticing that his face also showed no discernible emotion. She thought for a moment, put away the paper, and subconsciously asked:
"Did you pass?"
However, what Hotaru didn't expect was that Shuhei asked the same question at that moment.
So, both of them froze on the spot.
Immediately after.
"You didn't pass?" x2
"No..." x2
The two spoke two sentences in unison, and Crab-swamp Firefly keenly sensed something, interrupting directly:
"Wait, Shuhei, let me speak first. From your appearance, you must have passed, right? Unfortunately, I also passed."
She took out the crumpled paper she had tucked into her pocket.
It had been put away to avoid hurting Shuhei's self-confidence, which was why it became wrinkled.
"I'm a fifteenth-grade Reiatsu, what grade are you?"
Hearing the number "fifteen," Shuhei secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
"I'm fourteenth-grade. Congratulations, Kanisawa, it seems both our dreams can come true."
"Are you going to tell your grandparents this good news?"
"Of course! The two old folks raised me for so long, and they've finally waited until now, so they definitely need to be happy."
"Shuhei, you come too. From now on, we'll be colleagues, and who knows..."
Crab-swamp Firefly stopped herself mid-sentence, as if she suddenly remembered something, and gently shook her head.
"Who knows what?"
"Nothing."
Crab-swamp Firefly put away the paper recording her Reiatsu, turned and waved, her posture uninhibited, "Let's go. School starts in three days, let's go get our uniforms first."
"From now on, don't call me Kanisawa anymore, just call me Hotaru."
"We're living together now, isn't calling each other by our last names too formal?"
Living together?
As soon as these words came out, many of the academy students who had participated in the assessment turned their gaze over.
Seeing that it was a girl speaking, and a beautiful one at that.
Everyone was instantly astonished.
She didn't look old, so how could she say something like that?
Although for Shinigami, one couldn't judge age by appearance alone, it was still quite rare for people to be paired up before becoming Shinigami.
Not to mention that both of them had passed the assessment.
Damn it, is this guy a winner in life? Everyone was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Before school even started, they had lost a high-quality resource. Even with only fifteenth-grade Reiatsu, it still made many people envious.
Shuhei felt uncomfortable under everyone's undisguised gazes. He swallowed, wanting to explain, but didn't know how.
Seeing that the misunderstanding seemed to be deepening, he could only quickly catch up to Crab-swamp Firefly, and hurriedly said:
"Hey, hey, hey, can you please not say things that are so easy to misunderstand? I'm just temporarily staying at your house..."
"You're not trying to use me as your shield, are you?"
"Who knows?" Crab-swamp Firefly chuckled softly, her gaze sweeping around, and she slightly lowered her voice,
"If you want to think that, it's not impossible, but we are indeed living together, aren't we?"
Oh no, as soon as this sentence left her mouth, Shuhei felt that the gazes shooting at him from around became even more numerous and intense.
He swallowed again. Although it was the truth, coming from Hotaru's mouth, it felt like she was trying to cover something up.
Heaven knows, he really didn't do anything, nor did he have the guts. Even meeting Hotaru was due to luck.
One day later, one day earlier, he might not have met her...
It's better to leave quickly, it's impossible to explain.
Shuhei's heart beat slightly faster. He didn't dare to look at the surrounding people's gazes and hurried behind Crab-swamp Firefly.
Only when the two figures completely disappeared from everyone's sight did the atmosphere in the assessment area gradually return to calm.
However, the impact caused by the two did not disappear with this calmness.
A few days later, when the list of those who passed the assessment was sent to the principal's office, Yoriichi Tsugikuni simply browsed through it.
The number of people on the list was not large, and the overall comprehensive quality was relatively average.
He had originally thought this batch would be ordinary and unremarkable.
However, as he was looking, he suddenly saw a familiar name.
Memories related to it involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Hmm... Is it that crying child?
Fourteenth-grade Reiatsu...
...
Recalling Shuhei's face, Yoriichi Tsugikuni slowly closed his eyes, meditated for a while, and then slowly forgot about him.
Although they had met once, that was forty years ago.
Spiritual Arts Academy is an organization that trains Shinigami, or to be precise, trains strong individuals.
It is similar to schools in the Human World.
While ordinary students are not discriminated against, it's hard for teachers to take notice of them if they can't bring significant impact to the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Let's wait and see.
What if something outstanding happens?
Like Kira Iziru's Kido talent, or Abarai Renji's perseverance, it wouldn't be too late to pay attention then.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni lightly exhaled, stamped Hisagi Shuuhei's file, indicating continued observation.
Then, his gaze swept over the files of the others one by one.
Because the relationship between Crab-swamp Firefly and Hisagi Shuuhei hadn't attracted much attention, Yoriichi was currently unaware of it.
He merely glanced at the fifteen-grade spiritual power marked on Crab-swamp Firefly's file and quickly looked away, treating her like any ordinary student.
Immediately after, his gaze focused on the relevant information for this year's Elite Class.
…
The start of the school year arrived in a flash, and Kira Iziru stepped into the classroom with confident strides.
The moment his classmates saw him, they noticed that his demeanor seemed to have changed.
There was an indescribable sense of contrast.
Just as they were about to ask Kira Iziru about his summer vacation, Abarai Renji followed him in.
The moment Renji appeared, he instantly drew everyone's attention like a magnet.
If there was a change, he was the biggest one.
Because he enrolled early compared to the original story, his body hadn't fully developed last year.
He was one meter sixty tall, looking around fifteen years old.
However, after only two months apart, his height suddenly shot up to one meter eighty.
Twenty centimeters is a very significant change, similar to a sapling growing into a towering tree overnight.
There was no trace of his former self.
Not to mention, his appearance had also transformed completely, from fifteen to eighteen years old, becoming a handsome young man…
Even in loose uniform, it was hard to conceal his increasingly robust physique, with clearly visible muscle lines, as if he could knock down everyone present with one punch.
"…"
Everyone was stunned.
"Brother, who are you?!"
"Did you come to the wrong class?"
But Renji's laughter negated all their guesses:
"Hahaha, everyone, it seems you haven't changed much after two months."
He clapped Kira Iziru on the shoulder, making Kira stumble and almost lose his balance:
"You should look at me and Kira; you'd never guess what he and I went through this summer."
"…"
"You don't need to tell us, we know, you must have had plastic surgery!"
"Growing twenty centimeters in one summer vacation, even with insoles, it wouldn't be like this."
Not to mention the change in his demeanor.
They hadn't seen him for only two months.
Yet, he made them feel as if twenty years had passed…
Kira Iziru listened to the slightly arrogant and confident words coming from behind him and showed a faint bitter smile.
The Headmaster had told them they could appropriately show their edge, but he hadn't expected Renji to be so impatient.
He was dragged into it too.
Fortunately.
Renji didn't reveal the specific details, otherwise, it would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction among some students.
Although they knew they didn't have the ability or the talent, seeing others seize an opportunity to reach the pinnacle of life would inevitably make them feel jealous…
"That's enough, Renji."
Kira Iziru deliberately lowered his voice, speaking softly at a volume only the two of them could hear,
"While I know you really want to show off, now is clearly not a good time."
"You should remember what the Headmaster said."
"Be low-key in life, high-profile in action…"
"I know." Abarai Renji responded nonchalantly.
He curled his lips slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the classmates in the room, his tone casual,
"I'm already very low-key now; I can't just pretend nothing happened."
"You also know our changes can't be hidden. Instead of trying to conceal them, it's better to show them from the start."
"Only this way can we dispel their urge to ask questions, saving us from having them all come to us later."
"I don't want to bother the Headmaster again."
"You know those trainings aren't something ordinary people can endure."
"If they don't learn and instead injure themselves, they might even blame us… That would be a completely thankless task."
"That's true…"
Kira Iziru listened to this, lowered his head slightly, and fell silent.
Even if he was naive, he understood that human nature couldn't withstand testing.
Renji had lived in First district for a long time and understood this even more deeply.
"Let's go. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be able to transfer to the Elite Class next semester."
Renji patted Kira Iziru's shoulder again, giving him a meaningful look,
"I won't stop you from making friends, but don't forget, our goal is to become Shinigami, not to play house at the Spiritual Arts Academy."
Renji whispered, then lifted his foot and walked towards his seat.
Along the way, some people asked questions, but Renji brushed them off with an exaggerated tone.
Others asked Kira, but Kira, influenced by Renji's words, inadvertently concealed some information.
Soon, it was time for class, and the teacher walked into the classroom, starting roll call as usual.
When he saw Renji, even though he had taught at the Spiritual Arts Academy for decades and believed he had seen everything, he couldn't help but be stunned for a few seconds.
"Student, who are you?!"
…
Break time.
In the office.
"I really haven't seen it."
"You'll never guess what my student has become in just two months."
A teacher, holding a cup of water, was rambling on to other teachers about what had happened today.
Kuchiki Byakuya, having nothing to do, was also sitting in the office because the next class was Shunpo.
Hearing the complaints, he turned his head slightly, then chuckled wryly.
How is that possible? Growing twenty centimeters in two months, even with hormones, it wouldn't be that fast.
Moreover, it's a student from the ordinary class.
It's important to know that for a Shinigami, growth means a change in strength…
Twenty centimeters, his strength would more than triple.
Hearing the teacher utter the student's name—Abarai Renji…
Kuchiki Byakuya pondered for a moment.
He found it was a name he hadn't heard before, and simply assumed the teacher was exaggerating.
"If there truly is such a change in strength, I'm sure news about him will spread quickly."
"But, unfortunately…"
Byakuya shook his head lightly, "What if a student from the ordinary class triples his strength?"
"Unless a miracle happens, he will at most only become a Seat Officer in the future."
"It's better to focus on cultivating the Elite Class. Besides Hisana, there are many other promising talents; I absolutely cannot disappoint Father and Grandfather…"
As Byakuya thought this, class time quickly arrived.
He had expected today to be as uneventful as usual.
Unexpectedly.
Halfway through the class, a loud bang suddenly came from outside, followed by the sound of something collapsing.
Crash!
Then.
Someone shouted loudly:
"Oh no, the teacher's been knocked out! Call the ambulance… Oh, this is Soul Society, there's no ambulance, is there a doctor?!"
…
Headmaster's Office.
Abarai Renji stood before Yoriichi Tsugikuni, not daring to even breathe heavily. He had never expected that so-called teacher to be so weak…
A light punch, and he flew out.
What about the promised Hakuda guidance?
Thoughts surged like a tide. Renji, seeing the atmosphere was a bit heavy, slightly raised his eyes, intending to observe Yoriichi Tsugikuni's reaction.
But as soon as he looked up, he saw Yoriichi writing and drawing on a piece of paper.
After writing for a while, Yoriichi seemed to notice Renji's gaze and stopped his movements.
Just then, Renji, nervous, withdrew his gaze.
"Where were we?"
Yoriichi looked at Renji.
Renji's voice was slightly hesitant: "You said I shouldn't have hit so hard."
"But the key is, I didn't even use force."
"So you feel you've been wronged, is that it?"
"No." Renji gently shook his head, "I injured the teacher, that's a fact, it's my fault, I admit it."
"But I didn't do it on purpose; I just didn't expect the teacher to be so weak."
"…"
"You're really not polite." Yoriichi was speechless; a normal student would usually choose to remain silent at this point.
Because less said is better than more, and nothing said is better than less. He wondered who taught him this straightforward personality…
Yoriichi sighed: "Perhaps, but no matter what, he is still your teacher; you shouldn't speak of him that way."
"News from the Fourth Division says he needs at least three days of rest."
"Be glad, Renji, the injury isn't serious, and because this was a teaching accident, you don't have to compensate him."
"However, once you leave here, you'll probably become famous."
"Do you have anything to say?"
"I'm very sorry." Renji's attitude was sincere, his tone respectful, "Next time I will definitely be careful, and I will definitely not make you, Headmaster, worry again."
"You're already thinking about a next time?" Yoriichi Tsugikuni tapped the table lightly with his finger.
He stared intently at Renji, his brows slightly furrowed:
"But then again, this isn't entirely your fault."
"If you were from the Elite Class, perhaps he wouldn't have been so casual, wouldn't have disregarded you…"
At this point, Yoriichi Tsugikuni paused for a moment, then waved his hand,
"Forget it, you go out first and call Kira Iziru over."
"Regarding your class assignment, I need to think carefully."
"If only you were as worry-free as Rukia."
Yoriichi sighed.
Even though Rukia also practiced Breathing Technique and her strength was comparable to Abarai Renji's, Rukia behaved very low-key.
On the other hand, Renji…
Could it be because he's a boy?
He's also reached his rebellious phase…
Young and reckless…
Abarai Renji respectfully bowed to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, then carefully left the office.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's words were deeply etched in his mind.
Class assignment… Expulsion was definitely impossible, so there was only one possibility.
He was going to be transferred to the Elite Class.
—A blessing in disguise?