Restricted Death

Chapter 9 Interview with Hinamori
On the day when the written test results were announced, a large notice board was put up in the square of Yu Lingshu Academy with only a few dozen names on it.

Countless people crowded forward to check the results, some were disappointed, some were surprised, and some even beat their chests and stamped their feet.

Rukia was petite and couldn't squeeze forward, so she could only ask Abarai Renji in the front row loudly: "Renji, how are you?"

"Rukia, your name is on it, you passed!"

Renci turned around and shouted happily.

Rukia felt much more relaxed upon hearing this, and then asked, "What about you?"

Renci didn't respond. He was also trying hard to find his name, but he couldn't find it after searching the entire notice board twice.

"No...it can't be..."

He realized something, opened his eyes wide and muttered.

After walking out of the crowd, Rukia asked him, "What about you? Did you pass too?"

Abarai Renji scratched his head: "No... no, my name is not on it."

Rukia was startled when she heard this, and the faint smile on her face faded. She pursed her lips and said, "Is that so..."

She immediately comforted Renji: "Renji, there's no need to be discouraged. The questions in this exam are very strange. The main purpose of the Spiritual Arts Academy is to learn how to become a Shinigami. You are already very good in Class A."

Renji looked nonchalant and put his hands on her shoulders to cheer her up: "It's okay, as long as your name is on the list, Rukia. You should keep working hard in the next interviews."

Rukia hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, I didn't really want to join the student union..."

"What are you talking about!" Renci interrupted her, "So many people signed up, but only a few dozen made it through the first round. This student union must be a good place, so they're so strict in recruiting talent. Rukia, you can't give up this opportunity so easily!"

"..."

Rukia looked closely into Renji's eyes, and seeing that they were filled with sincere blessings, she nodded slightly.

The day after the written test is the day for the interview.

Since there are only a few dozen students left, the interview work is not too heavy.

Nobuyuki, Kasumigaoji Kogoro, and the heads of various departments all arrived and borrowed two adjacent classrooms, one of which was used for interviews and the other for students to sit in and wait to be called.

"Hello."

Rukia, who was sitting there waiting alone, suddenly heard someone calling her. She found that it was a girl who looked about the same age as her, with a bun on her head and a cute face.

"Hello." Rukia quickly stood up and greeted him.

"Hello, my name is Hinamori Momo. I don't think we have met before. Are we in the same class?" The girl seemed very kind, with a warm smile on her face.

"I'm Rukia from Class B."

Hinamori Momo's face didn't show any disdain. Her enthusiasm disappeared and she smiled softly, "I see. I'm in Class A and I don't know what the interview will be about. The written test was tricky enough. I didn't think I would pass."

She naturally started chatting with Rukia. The reason she took the initiative to find Rukia was because there were not many girls in the entire classroom, and Rukia was the one who looked the most pleasing to the eye.

“I didn’t think I could pass.”

"Then how did you answer those questions? For example, the one about going to a squadron that wasn't your ideal one."

Rukia thought for a moment and said, "Whatever I write is fine. It's the same no matter which team I'm in."

Hinamori Momo said "Huh", tilted her head and said, "Is it okay to write like this?"

"How did Hinamori-san write it?"

Hinamori Momo looked troubled. "I've written a lot. Basically, while I'm at the Spiritual Arts Academy, I'll be working towards a certain division. But if I'm assigned to a different division, it must be because the higher-ups have carefully considered that I'm more suited to that division. I'll re-evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and work hard to do a good job there... Is that too long-winded?"

Rukia quickly said, "No, I think you've thought it through very carefully, Hinamori-san. If it were me, I would never be able to write such an answer."

She couldn't help but think of the brief answer that Renci gave her when they were discussing the questions after the written test... Renci didn't seem to blame anyone for being eliminated.

"Hinamori Momo, Hinamori Momo from Class A!"

Just then, a senior student union member at the classroom door shouted.

Hinamori Momo immediately stood up and replied, "Yes!" She looked at Rukia and said, "I'll go first."

"come on!"

As soon as Hinamori Momo walked out of the classroom, she saw a senior student talking to a blond man at the door of another classroom.

"Congratulations on joining our student council, Kirara-san. I can see that the president thinks highly of you."

Did this person pass? He seems to be in Class A as well...

Hinamori Momo felt that he looked familiar, but it was just a short time after the school started, and she had not yet recognized all the classmates.

The two passed each other like this. Hinamori Momo stood at the door of another classroom for a few seconds, took a few deep breaths and walked in.

This classroom seemed very spacious and quiet. There was a row of desks neatly arranged at the podium. They should be some cadres of the student union. Hinamori Momo recognized the person in the middle. He was Tachigawa Nobuyuki, the president of the student union who gave a speech at the entrance ceremony.

Opposite these people, there is only a lonely table.

Hinamori Momo walked over and found a piece of paper on it. It was very similar to the paper used in the written test, and there were also a few questions on it.

Before she could examine the question carefully, someone in the group spoke up, "Hello, Hinamori-san. Now, please introduce yourself. Tell us about your strengths, interests, and hobbies, and which department you would like to join if you were admitted to the student union."

Because it was the first time the student union was recruiting, there was no historical experience to draw on. Hinamori Momo spent the whole night thinking about what questions she would be asked during the interview.

Being stared at by so many people at once made her nervous. She felt like her breathing was a little difficult. She stood there for a long while before bowing and saying, "Dear seniors, I'm Momo Hinamori from Class A, the first-time student..."

Her self-introduction was very ordinary, even a little dry. She only said that she liked reading and studying, and hoped to make more friends in the Spiritual Arts Academy. As for which department to join, she said any one would be fine.

After saying this, Hinamori Momo felt that her performance was mediocre and she became even more nervous.

"do not worry."

Xin, who was sitting in the center of the group, smiled and said, "Everyone here is also a student, just a few years older than you, so there's no need to be nervous. It's just a self-introduction so that we can get to know you. Don't overthink it."

It's the president...

Hinamori Momo looked at Shin who was sitting there with a smile on his face. The other party was unexpectedly approachable, which made her relax a lot.

Kanizawa on the side glanced at Xin.

Hisagi Shuhei then added, "You now have a question in front of you. You have three minutes to review and reflect on it. After three minutes, you will be asked a question. If you have prepared in advance, you can explain it directly."

Upon hearing this, Hinamori Momo picked up the piece of paper again. There were only three questions on it.

First:
[As a student at the Spiritual Arts Academy, you encountered a Great Hollow while traveling to the human world for soul burial practice. The senior leading the team chose to stay behind, allowing you to escape. What would you choose at this time?]

the second:
[You are a member of the Student Union. The Student Union has just been established. Many students at the Spiritual Arts Academy are not optimistic about the existence of the Student Union and think it is useless. What will you do to change their views on the Student Union?]

The third:
[You are the head of the Student Union's Finance Department. The holiday season is approaching, and the Student Union is planning to host a campus event at the Academy of Spiritual Arts. The Publicity Department has come to you to apply for funding. At the same time, the Academy's leadership has also approached you, hoping you can buy a gift for each teacher. However, the funds can only cover one of these two items. What will you do?]

After reading these questions, Hinamori Momo suddenly felt a headache. Why were each one more tricky than the last?

She thought of the blond boy she had just met and wondered how he would answer.

There are no fixed answers to these questions. It all depends on your eloquence and logic. Hinamori Momo stood there thinking seriously, her brain working rapidly.

"I'm ready."

She did not choose to wait until the three minutes were up, but instead signaled in the middle.

Hinamori Momo glanced at the people sitting there. These people were students like her, just a few grades higher than her, but she didn't dare to look down on them at all.

This president was able to speak on stage at the entrance ceremony, and even sit behind the principal, so he must be no ordinary person.

The man next to the president was dressed in extraordinary clothes and had a noble temperament, obviously an aristocrat.

These questions were indeed tricky, but the trickier they were, the more she felt that she had made the right decision to join the Student Union. This was not just an organization for minor fights among students.

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

(End of this chapter)