Bandage it in Paper (Bleach OC-Centric Fanfic)

Chapter 11 | Living Tentatively

Crowds were gathering outside the zanjutsu hall, hakuda hall, kido courtyard, and hoho field – everyone eager to see the grades that had been publicly posted in order of the student's rankings. Lyn had joined the tight mass of students fighting to see their grades and wondered why it couldn't have just been sent to them privately, but public grades would only drive competitiveness in what was essentially a boot camp for the Gotei 13.

But what most students were more concerned about was whether or not they would be moving up into a higher-ranked class next semester.

There had been a thick air of desperation around the fourth class as they had crowded around their noticeboards. It made Lyn wonder if she should have fought and struggled harder – if she should have been more cutthroat in her approach like the blond woman in the exam who had almost been trying to kill Lyn.

'That soul... she must have a lot at stake to have fought so hard.' Lyn chewed on her lip. 'But don't I have a lot at stake as well? Do I need to be that vicious, or do I just need to keep hiding in the background?'

Thin, wispy clouds drifted over Lyn and her friends as they sat in a loose circle on the grass, finding one another after checking their respective noticeboards, and collecting their notices of class changes if they received any.

Shino looked down; shoulders hunched. "I was only moved up to class two for hoho..."

"That's okay, Shino-san," Ryunosuke reached out a hand for her shoulder. "There's still plenty of time before we graduate to move up!"

"And being in class two is impressive," Lyn smiled at Shino in support. "The gap between class two and one is much bigger than the other classes, so give yourself some time."

Shino let out a small sigh but nodded her head lightly at their words. Still frowning, Shino turned her still mildly displeased face to Ryunosuke. "And what about you?"

Ryunosuke avoided eye contact. "I will... strive to get into the third classes? I didn't fail any of my exams or anything!" He raised his hands placatingly.

Shino shook her head with her hands on her hips. "Well, at least that's something."

"Yamada-san?" Lyn prompted him with a grin, already knowing the good news.

"Oh, I've been moved into class two for kido with special consideration because of my... skills in kaido?" Hanataro exclaimed, still shocked by his results.

Ryunosuke nodded enthusiastically. "We told you! Your healing is really great, Yamada-san! All my healed injuries from the beast can attest to it."

"What beast, huh?" Shino asked, leaning forward with a hand reached out like a claw.

"Save me, Yamada-san!" he screeched, latching onto the said boy and sending them both flopping onto the grass.

"Pff," Shino let out from behind her covered mouth.

"Haha, good job, Yamada-san," Lyn added, and Shino chimed in congratulations as well. "It's a shame we won't be in the same class even though I managed to move up into class three for kido too, and hoho, but it's great that the sensei are noticing your skills."

Ryunosuke and Hanataro sat up from the grass, the latter with tears in his eyes.

"E-Everyone... you're all the best friends I've ever had!" Hanataro cried, launching himself at his friends for a group hug that Ryunosuke and Lyn welcomed. They forced a struggling Shino into their tangle of arms.

"Shit!" Shino cursed, even as they could feel her hug them back. "If we're going to start hugging each other and all that sappy crap, then you two idiots better start calling me by my first name like this one!"