Hinamori Momo stood at the doorway of the office, her expression stiff as she looked at the two figures inside the room.
Truthfully, it wouldn't have felt so bad if Rukia had said nothing. But she had to look that flustered and guilty, and that made something twist deeply in Hinamori's chest.
Rukia wanted to explain, desperately. But she knew all too well that any explanation now would only make things worse—would only make it seem like she had something to hide. Like she was exposing Hinamori's feelings right in front of the President, risking not just rejection, but his disdain.
She'd never thought much of it before. But looking back now… the way the President had patted her head—it really was kind of ambiguous.
Had she really not noticed before? Or had she always noticed, just never minded?
Did the President not notice it either?
Her throat tightened. She felt like crying.
But Hinamori collected herself swiftly, masking everything with a bright smile. "President. Rukia."
Rukia, caught in the swirl of tension, quickly decided it was best to leave. She said hastily, "President, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Then she left in a rush, almost fleeing from the room.
The second she stepped outside, she leaned hard against the wall, her chest heaving.
Why did things change so suddenly…?
Hinamori, seeing Rukia take the initiative to give them space, felt a little relieved. Maybe she had misunderstood after all.
The President… he's just kind to everyone...
Tachikawa Shin had returned to his seat by then, casually remarking, "Someone from the Kuchiki Clan was here earlier. Said they wanted to speak with Rukia."
Hinamori blinked. That caught her attention immediately.
"They were looking for Rukia? Why?"
"No idea. They left before she got here."
"Eh?"
Then Shin asked, "How's your friend doing? Is he going to enroll at the Spiritual Arts Academy?"
Hinamori hesitated, then gave a small nod. "But it'll have to wait until next year. Tōshirō's really blaming himself—he thinks his grandmother's health declining is his fault."
"Good thing you caught it in time. There's still a chance to fix everything."
"And for that… we owe you, President."
Shin chuckled softly. "You've already thanked me."
Hinamori bit her lip, eyes fixed on Shin where he sat. So many words clawed at her throat—but nothing she could say felt right.
Anything she said now would sound awkward, presumptuous.
She hadn't slept all night. But at least she'd figured some things out. What Senpai Kani did—that was her own business. What mattered was how the President felt.
A man like him—of course people admired him.
She was just one of them. Senpai Kani was just one of them. And in the future, there would be many, many more.
What she had to do was find a way to become the most special one among them all. Worrying about others' feelings was pointless. She couldn't change them. What she could change was how Shin saw her.
Summoning her courage, she asked, "President… there's something I've always wanted to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"Why did you choose Rukia to be your assistant?"
Outside, Rukia hadn't actually left yet. She lingered just beyond the door, wanting—needing—to hear what was being said. She was terrified they might argue, though deep down, she knew Hinamori had neither the right nor the reason to question the President about something like this.
Still… that question. It froze her in place.
Because she wanted to know the answer too.
But why would Momo ask that now? Was it because of what just happened?
Shin let out a soft laugh, answering with a question, "Why ask that all of a sudden?"
Hinamori replied, "I just feel like… Rukia doesn't particularly stand out. She has her strengths, of course. But did you really see all of that right from the beginning? Rukia told me about the student council evaluations. I don't think I performed worse than she did. In fact, I…"
She wanted to say she was better suited for the role. That her personality was more outgoing, her work ethic more passionate.
She wanted to ask if Shin had special feelings for Rukia. If he liked her.
As for Senpai Kani, after months of being around Shin, Hinamori could tell—he didn't feel anything special toward her.
Because when you truly liked someone, it was almost impossible to hide it. And the way Shin treated Senpai Kani was no different than anyone else. Which meant she wasn't a threat. She was just taking advantage of Shin's kindness—and of that one damn promise—to ask for things she had no right to.
But with Rukia? The difference was obvious.
Shin glanced at the system interface. Hinamori's affection score was flickering—rising and falling like a candle in the wind.
He leaned back in his chair. Honestly, he hated being interrogated like this. Tilting his head slightly, he spoke slowly, "I really did see Rukia's strengths from the start. And I also saw her weaknesses. That's exactly why I thought putting her in this role would help her grow. If she were just an ordinary member of the student council, her flaws wouldn't be addressed anytime soon. Hinamori, right now, you may be stronger than her. More beloved, too. But Rukia needed this chance more than you. And since you're her friend, you should understand that first and foremost."
Hinamori couldn't help but speak up. "But, President, I… I…"
Her fists clenched at her sides. In the end, she said nothing more. Shame and fear tangled together inside her.
She was afraid—afraid that once said, she couldn't take the words back. Afraid of what his answer would be.
Then Shin chuckled again. "Hinamori, I still owe you a promise, don't I? Have you decided what to ask for?"
"…"
She stayed silent. Her thoughts were chaos.
She'd been turning it over in her mind ever since they made that promise—what kind of request to make.
Too bold? Too soft? Something ambiguous? Something appropriate?
She thought the best request would be asking the President to tutor her in Kaidō during his free time. That way, she'd get more one-on-one time with him, grow closer to him—and it would be a perfectly reasonable excuse.
He was going to the Fourth Division after all, and she did want to strengthen her healing skills. There were enough hints she could drop…
But why the hell was Senpai Kani allowed to ask for something so outrageous?
If she could, then couldn't Hinamori too?
But would she be just as shameless as Senpai Kani? What would the President think of her then?
Hinamori bit down on her lip. Her wide eyes gleamed with flickering light as she stared intently at Shin. There was only a desk between them. Just a few steps.
But she had no idea how far the distance between them really was.
Was it only a few steps? Was it just waiting for her to make the move?
"…President." Her voice trembled.
"…Could you… touch me too? Like you did Rukia, just now?"
Outside the office, Rukia was gone.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !