Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Kurotsuki Renya had already spent eleven months at the Shin'ō Academy. From the start of spring in March to the end of January of the following year, one full semester had come to a close.
The weather at the end of January was starting to warm, but there was still a lingering chill in the air.
Renya sat in his dorm room, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window, looking uncharacteristically troubled.
The Academy had just finished the annual end-of-term examinations. Renya had taken first place in the cultural studies class for the year, and his scores in both hakuda (unarmed combat) and kendō were excellent.
In the reiatsu (spiritual pressure) assessment, Renya had been officially measured at fifth-class spiritual pressure — the result of a year's worth of hard training, eating high-quality spiritual food, and applying his natural talent day and night.
This level far exceeded the normal expectations for a second-year student. Because of that, Renya had been summoned by a teacher earlier that morning and asked if he wanted to skip ahead directly to the fourth year.
Fourth-year students are taught the basics of kidō (spells) and shunpo (flash step), and both require at least fourth-class spiritual pressure to perform properly. In addition, fourth-years receive an asauchi (unawakened zanpakutō) and participate in internships in the Rukongai to perform patrols and deal with Hollow threats.
Renya's friend, Asanjing Love, also met the spiritual pressure requirement, but his academic results in cultural studies weren't high enough for a skip promotion.
Renya could advance, but doing so would separate him from Asanjing Love, Kuchiki Rukia, Jirōta Kido, and Mori Hiroshi. That thought made him hesitate.
While Renya was deep in thought, Asanjing Love returned to the dorm. Seeing Renya's expression, he walked over.
"Renya, what's wrong? Someone giving you trouble? I'll go have a word with them," he said half-jokingly.
Renya quickly shook his head. "No, Love-bro, no one's bullying me."
Love grinned. "Yeah, that makes sense. With your kendō and hakuda scores, even if I go all out, I'm not your match anymore. Who would dare bully you?"
He sat down beside Renya. "So, what's eating you?"
Renya hesitated before answering. "The teacher called me in this morning. They… asked if I wanted to skip a year."
"Skip?" Love's eyebrows went up. "That's great news! Why are you even hesitating?"
Renya looked away. "Because I don't want to be separated from you guys."
Love studied him for a moment, then said firmly, "Renya, you should go. Training with us won't help you grow much at this point — you'd just be wasting time. Even if we're not in the same classes, you'll still be in the same dorm. We can meet up in the cafeteria after school like always. So go tell the teacher yes."
Renya was silent for a moment, then nodded. "…Alright. I'll agree."
"That's more like it," Love said with a satisfied smile.
Renya went to the teacher's office and confirmed his decision to move up to the fourth year. The paperwork was completed on the spot.
When Rukia, Kido, and Hiroshi heard the news, they congratulated him — and with a touch of envy. Entering the fourth year almost guaranteed he would soon become an intern shinigami.
The fourth year was a turning point in a student's career. By then, the minimum requirement was fourth-class reiatsu, enough to use shunpo and basic kidō, which greatly multiplied a shinigami's combat potential. A skilled fourth-year could easily handle a third-year opponent.
With an asauchi, even without shikai, they could patrol the Rukongai, slay Hollows, and perform konsō (soul burial). This was the baseline for becoming an official shinigami.
Still, the coursework was much tougher — kidō theory, Hollow anatomy, konsō rituals, and applied combat exercises. It was the most critical stage before graduation.
Soon after Renya's decision, the Academy's spring break began — from January 15 to early March, a total of forty-five days.
Renya decided to spend the holiday working. For the past nine months, Love had been giving him pocket money every month, and during the summer break, Rukia had worked part-time and handed her earnings to him.
Feeling guilty for relying on them, Renya decided it was time to earn something himself.
He went to the shopping district, looking for work, but most shops turned him down because he was small and obviously still young. After several rejections, he sat down by the roadside, frustrated.
That's when he heard a voice.
"Hey, I remember you. What are you doing here?"
Looking up, Renya saw a small figure in a standard shihakushō, her pink hair instantly recognizable.
"Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi," Renya greeted quickly.
It was indeed Kusajishi Yachiru, Vice-Captain of the 11th Division, with a piece of candy in her hand.
"What's wrong? You look all gloomy," she asked.
Renya scratched his head. "I'm looking for a job, but nobody wants to hire someone my age."
"Ohhh," Yachiru nodded in understanding. "I get it."
Renya tilted his head. "What about you, Lieutenant? What brings you here?"
"I came to buy candy!" she said cheerfully, holding up her prize.
Renya noticed it was konpeitō, her favorite treat. Yachiru dug into her pocket, pulled one out, and offered it to him. "Here, have one."
"Thanks." Renya unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth. The sweet, crunchy sugar crystals melted slowly on his tongue.
After a moment, Yachiru pointed down the street. "Hey, there's a candy shop on the corner looking for help. I'll take you there."
"Really?" Renya jumped up immediately.
She led him to the shop and introduced him to the owner. Thanks to her recommendation, Renya got the job despite his age.
When he turned to thank her, Yachiru was already gone.
Renya made a silent promise: with his first month's pay, he'd buy her the biggest bag of konpeitō he could find.