The thunderous roar of the Honnouji Academy Disciplinary Committee Chair Gamagoori Ira echoed off the walls in the crowded hallway.

"Matoi! Just what do you think you're doing?!"

The crowd of students that had formed around Ryuuko parted aside and made way for Gamagoori. Ryuuko jerked her neck sideways, glancing at the approaching giant of a man, still holding an unfortunate victim up in the air by his throat. Yeah, it was exactly what it looked like. Ryuuko coughed.

"I'm just... taking care of a little problem, here. Nothing to worry about!" Ryuuko grinned nervously. Averting her eyes from Gamagoori's disapproving stare, she saw the face of the guy she had death-gripped was slowly beginning to turn purple. Whoops. She quickly released her hold on him and unceremoniously dropped him to the floor. Ryuuko paid no attention as her victim spluttered blood and spit down on the floor, frantically trying to crawl his way as far away from her reach as possible. She wiped her hands down her skirt and properly turned to face Gamagoori.

"Well, that's about it", she smirked.

Ryuuko looked around at the various students still spectating the scene. "Oi, everyone!" she yelled. "Scatter! Go to your classrooms!"

As the ocean of bystanders started to recede, students hurrying back along the corridor, Ryuuko put her hands on her hips and smiled up at Gamagoori.

"See? There's no problem any more."

Gamagoori frowned, not saying a word. He took one giant step forward. Towering over Ryuuko, he craned his neck down to peer menacingly into Ryuuko's eyes. She stared right back, unflinching.

A second or two passed. Gamagoori's eyebrow twitched. Then he burst into an earth-shaking tirade, huge clumps of spittle flying into Ryuuko's face with every syllable.

Ryuuko held her ears with both hands and tried to keep her balance. It was all she could do to withstand the pressure surging forth from Gamagoori's enormous lungs. She could vaguely make out his words, something about her repeated disrespect towards the school disciplinary body.

"I, Gamagoori Ira, should hold you in school trial for disrupting order and disrespecting the disciplinary committee! Matoi, do you understand?"

School trial. No way.

Ryuuko weakly tried to lift her hand up, tried to request a chance to say something in her defense. But just then, all of a sudden, she could see something push past her, lightning fast, jumping forward and landing straight into Gamagoori's lap. The shouting ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Ryuuko fell over backwards, looking up at the scene unfolding before her.

Now it was Gamagoori's turn to stand in place, dumbstruck, as the tiny little Mankanshoku Mako clung to his shirt with her left hand, aggressively pounding on his chest with her right.

"Leave Ryuuko-chan alone, Gamagoori-senpai!" she shrieked.

"Mankanshoku!" Gamagoori managed to gasp.

Hearing that, Mako stopped her beating, fist frozen in mid-motion, and looked up to him with the expression of a hurt puppy on her face. "Please don't charge Ryuuko-chan with anything, Gamagoori-senpai", she sobbed, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "She was only protecting me from some jerks who tried to steal my mom's bento!"

"Waah! They were only no-stars like me, but I think they thought they were going to get superpowers from eating my mom's food, just like Ryuuko-chan does!" Mako was crying waterfalls now, with Gamagoori trying to soothe her by awkwardly patting her head. It looked almost painful with the size difference, but Mako didn't seem to notice.

Ryuuko scratched her neck, ears still ringing. "Yeah. I would've told you the same thing, if you'd waited long enough to listen."

Gamagoori could feel his pulse quickening again as his anger started to rise. Ryuuko had that effect on him sometimes. On top of the attitude, she could still be considered to have broken school rules by taking matters into her own hands, even if she hadn't been just looking for a fight. Seeing as how Mako was still hanging onto him, though, Gamagoori restrained himself and suppressed the urge to burst out yelling. "I didn't see you offering an explanation of any kind", he stated doubtfully, instead.

"Caught me. Actually I was only looking for a fight, and happened to find it", Ryuuko smirked. "Well, nevermind. You can take my lunch for compensation. Wasn't hungry, anyway."

Ryuuko threw her box of bento at Gamagoori, who caught it with his left hand, his right arm cradling the now sleeping Mako. "It's handmade by Mako's mom! Good stuff", Ryuuko said, turning to leave. "Well, see ya!" She dashed off in a hurry.

"Wait, Matoi!" Gamagoori put his hand up, but Ryuuko was already gone. "...No running in the hallways."

Gamagoori sighed deeply. These girls gave him no end of trouble. He glanced down at Mako, who was snoring as peacefully as a baby. Better take her to the nurse's office, where she could rest for a while.