Author's Note: A special thank you to my first reviewers, Alewar Warinot, V2, and Yuu3, as well as to everyone who thought this worth favoriting/following after only five hundred words. Now here's something you can actually spend some time reading. Again, any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Disclaimer: Medaka Box is the property of Nisio Isin and Akira Akatsuki. The author is making no profit by this work.
Chapter One: Welcome To The Student Council
The Hakoniwa Academy Broadcast Club had always been one of the school's smaller organizations, a situation not improved by the actions of a certain overenthusiastic freshman member two years prior. But that could not be helped. The Broadcast Club worked behind the scenes, its sphere of influence extending only as far as the academy walls. Compared to the clubs that operated on the national level, it was no surprise the Broadcast Club was often forgotten. Even the clubroom, necessarily of the larger sort to accommodate the club's equipment, was relatively unknown to students outside the club. In fact, there were only four nonmembers who knew where the clubroom was located. Two of those were the Student Council's president and vice-president. The other two were in the clubroom, seated at a table with the club's most senior members.
"She's completely unorthodox in everything she does! I thought she might have mellowed out a bit once she got to high school, but she's just as take charge as ever. I can't believe she's already taken over the Student Council." A young man, with messy, strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in the men's uniform of the academy.
Zenkichi Hitoyoshi
Freshman: Class 1
Blood Type: AB
Star Sign: Leo
"I take it Kurokami-san was just as extreme when she was a middle school student, Hitoyoshi-san?" A young woman of small stature and indeterminable age, with short, light blue hair angled away from her face, dressed in the women's uniform.
Hanhaba Shiranui
Freshman: Class 1
Blood Type: [REDACTED]
Star Sign: [REDACTED]
Zenkichi snorted. "That's putting it lightly, Shiranui. Back me up here will ya, Kumagawa?"
「Now, now, Zenkichi-chan. Medaka-chan and I were only together for a short while before I graduated, remember? You were in the same year, for three years. You should know much more about her exploits than me.」 Another boy, slightly shorter than the first, dressed in the same uniform, with black hair and blue eyes.
Misogi Kumagawa
Senior: Class 4
Blood Type: AB
Broadcast Club Captain
「Still, she hasn't wasted any time in making a name for herself. I'm sure even you've heard about her by now, Tanzaku-chan?」
"Captain … who are these two?" The last student present, another girl of small stature, with blue eyes behind a pair of red-rimmed glasses, and purple hair done up in two buns with a large red ribbon.
Tanzaku Aso
Senior: Class 3
Blood Type: AB
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Aso gestured at the two freshmen and turned to her captain in confusion. "Captain, only members are allowed in the clubroom, remember? We can't have anyone damaging the equipment accidentally."
「Don't worry about it, Tanzaku-chan,」 said Kumagawa. 「Zenkichi is my trusted childhood friend, and Hanhaba-chan is my trusted childhood friend's new best friend!」
"Please put your worries at ease, Aso-sempai," said Shiranui. "As Kumagawa-sempai has said, he and Hitoyoshi-san have known each other for years, while Hitoyoshi-san and I are close friends with a deep history ourselves."
"Oh? How did you two meet?" asked Aso.
"In April. I dropped my eraser, and this fine gentleman picked it up for me."
Aso stared at the other girl. Is … is that it? Where is their deep relationship?
"Don't let her good manners fool you, Aso-sempai," said Zenkichi. He shrugged his shoulders. "Shiranui is even more devious than Kumagawa."
"My, my, I suppose we best take that as a sideways compliment, well, Kumagawa-sempai?" said Shiranui.
「What a smile! If only you were in your forties, Hanhaba-chan, you'd be right in my strike zone!」
This observation was followed by total silence.
"Yeah," said Zenkichi, as the atmosphere grew awkward. "Back to the original topic. As I was saying, Medaka Kurokami has been standing over people for as long as I've known about her. She was Student Council president the last two years of middle school, and she basically ran the school her first year anyway. Remember how that happened, Kumagawa?"
「How could I forget? It was after that incident that people began referring to her as the Heyday.」
"The Heyday? How'd she earn a nickname like that, Captain?" asked Aso.
「Well, there was a delinquent in the year below me who no one dared oppose. The Destroyer, everyone called him. He got it into his head to attack Medaka-chan, but she just knocked him down on her first day. He kept coming back to try again, and Medaka-chan just kept knocking him down again. They would probably still be at it, but after seeing the Destroyer get smacked around by a freshman girl, all his enemies banded together and ran him out of the school. You know, I don't think Medaka-chan even noticed.」
"No surprise there," added Zenkichi. "For her, it was probably like swatting a fly. She spared enough attention to brush him away, then forgot about him right after."
"Swatting a fly?" repeated Aso, aghast. "I thought you said everyone was scared of this delinquent?"
"Everyone was," answered Zenkichi. "Maybe not of his strength, but he was the type you didn't want as an enemy. He would just keep hammering on anyone who pissed him off, breaking everything like a blunt weapon. He never bothered me, and he never bothered Kumagawa, so we never had any reason to get involved with him."
"And Kurokami-san defeated such a person with only minimal attention?" Shiranui chuckled. "Well, that about matches what I have heard about her. Exceptional athletic performance and exceptional academic performance, backed by the wealth of the Kurokami Group. Standing above others is a good way to put it, Hitoyoshi-san."
"You two seem very well-informed," said Aso. She looked at both Zenkichi and Kumagawa. "Are you two her friends or something?"
Zenkichi and Kumagawa exchanged glances.
"Well, not really friends," said Zenkichi carefully. "I don't think anyone's really friends with Kurokami-san. It's just, there was an … incident with Kurokami-san and another student that Kumagawa and I got caught up in, but that's about it."
「I actually met her when I was four,」 said Kumagawa. 「But that meeting shouldn't count. She probably doesn't remember it, and the me back then didn't have much in common with the me of middle school.」 Kumagawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 「Actually, the Zenkichi-chan of middle school was very different from the Zenkichi-chan of right now. Where is my phone…?」
With this cryptic statement, Kumagawa stuck a hand in his pocket.
Zenkichi eyed him warily. "Kumagawa," he said slowly. "You wouldn't be talking about a certain photo of a certain student with dyed hair would you? Because I remember you promising that certain student that you had deleted that certain photo of his dyed hair before leaving middle school."
Kumagawa pulled out his cell phone. 「I lied.」
"Give me that phone!" Zenkichi snarled. He leapt across the table and tackled his friend.
"Watch the equipment!" Aso wailed. "Captain, please stop horsing around!"
"Do not give into peer pressure, Kumagawa-sempai, and do show us this photo," Shiranui called to the boys, seated serenely in her chair.
"Don't encourage him/them!" Zenkichi and Aso cried, as the one struggled with his friend for the phone, and the other circled them nervously, trying to direct them away from the more delicate machinery.
「Don't try and hide it, Zenkichi-chan!」 said Kumagawa. 「I'm sure you would look quite ferocious with your hair dyed, if the novelty ever wore off.」
"You traitor! It was your suggestion that I get it dyed in the first place!"
「How many times does Hitomi-sensei need to warn you of my bad influence before you get a clue?」
"How many times does she have to reject you before you take the hint?"
「She's just playing hard to get!」
This argument, incomprehensible to the onlookers, probably would have continued until the phone was destroyed or the photo was revealed, but a timely interruption ended the struggle, saving both Kumagawa's phone and Zenkichi's dignity.
The door to the clubroom burst open and two girls tumbled in. The one on the left had light brown eyes and dark pink hair in two small ponytails, and was wearing round glasses and a variant of the standard academy uniform. The girl on the right had brown eyes and short red hair done in two buns at the back, and was wearing a light yellow cap. Her uniform was black as opposed to the usual white.
As the girl in white rose, the girl in black jumped to her feet and hauled the smaller girl away from the door, slapping one hand across her mouth when she started to protest. She stared wildly at the room's four occupants, then raised her free hand to her mouth and drew it across her lips in a zipping motion.
Outside the door, several feet came to a stop.
"Wait, what about this? Could they have hidden in here?"
"Nah, that's just a storage closet, not enough room. Come on, they gotta be somewhere around here."
The owners of the voices took off again, leaving the clubroom behind.
The girl in black sagged with relief. She let go of the other girl and leaned back against the wall with a deep sigh. The girl in white, now freed, stepped away from the girl in black and shot her a glare as she wiped her mouth and straightened her glasses.
「Does the clubroom really look like a storage closet from the outside?」 Kumagawa asked the room.
"This is a clubroom?" the girl in white sneered. Her eyes scanned the room and its occupants and narrowed in distaste. "It certainly looks like a storage room, if not a closet."
"Onigase-san!" cried the other girl in dismay. "Don't say that! We would have been found if they had made a noise!"
"And so what, Koga-sempai!" The girl in white spun round on her in a fury. "I had everything under control! You're the one who lost her nerve and turned tail! I can take care of those delinquents by myself, and I don't need the Student Council to do my job for me!" With this declaration the girl in white stormed out. The door slammed behind her.
"Are you all right?" asked Zenkichi. He got to his feet and walked over to the girl in black.
"Yeah … yeah, I'm, I'm…" the girl in black trailed off, and then threw herself at him. She grabbed onto his uniform and burst into tears. "No, I'm not all right!" she wailed. "This-was-my-trial-run-and-I-messed-everything-up! I'm-going-to-fail! Kurokami-san-is-going-to-fire-me! And-it's-still-my-first-week! If-she-thinks-I-can't-even-handle-this-much … she'll-never-do-something-crazy-with-me!" The stream of words quickly degenerated into muddled sobs.
Zenkichi glanced around for help, only to find that the others had become fascinated with the walls opposite his direction. Hesitantly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and patted mechanically. "There, there," he consoled, trying desperately to remember how his mother treated her patients. "Everything will work out, you'll see."
The girl in black must have recognized his discomfort, because she detached herself from his chest and turned away to rub at her eyes. Shiranui materialized at her side to offer a handkerchief, which the other girl accepted gratefully.
"There we go, nothing like a good cry to calm us down," crooned Shiranui. She led the taller girl over to the table. "Now, let us get you sat down. It is Koga-sempai, correct?"
"That, that's right, yes. I'm Itami Koga, junior, Class 3."
Itami Koga
Junior: Class 3
Blood Type: AB
Student Council Candidate
"Is that so? Tanzaku Aso-sempai here is in Class 3 herself. She is a senior though. I am Hanhaba Shiranui, a freshman of Class 1. Sorry about Zenkichi Hitoyoshi-san there, he is an idiot, so feel free to ignore him."
"Hey!" said Zenkichi, but was waved away by Shiranui as she sat Koga down.
"Hitoyoshi-san is in the same class and year as myself, and this last boy is Misogi Kumagawa-sempai, a senior of Class 4. Now, deep breaths, deep breaths."
Koga followed Shiranui's advice and took a deep breath in, followed by a deep breath out. "Yes, um, yes, thank you for your help. I'm, I'm sorry about that outburst, I'm usually much more upbeat than this, I promise." As if to prove herself, Koga smiled, though the redness around her eyes undermined her efforts.
"Koga-sempai, if you do not mind, could you please explain what that was all about?" asked Shiranui.
Koga took another deep breath and nodded. Shiranui beckoned Zenkichi to sit down. He shot her a dirty look, but complied.
"Yes, um, where to start … oh! Shiranui-san, you and Hitoyoshi-kun are freshmen, so you probably aren't aware, but last year, the Student Council was empty. The president … um, well, the president … anyway, the president was the only member, but they took care of the school and kept the rule breakers in check, so no one ever really discussed it. But then, Kurokami-san joined this year, and I … I wanted to join the Student Council as well! I've never met anyone like Kurokami-san before! Even if it was only for a little bit, I wanted to spend time with an amazing person like that!" Koga, who had been growing more energetic as she spoke, deflated. "Well, I asked if I could join, and she offered me a trial period to show what I could do." Koga gestured glumly at her uniform. "I was thrilled at the time, but now…" Koga trailed off.
"Harder than you expected?" asked Shiranui.
Koga nodded. "Kurokami-san put me in charge of handling the suggestion box."
Zenkichi whistled. "The suggestion box? She really went through with that? I thought that was just an empty campaign promise."
"Geez, Hitoyoshi-kun," said Aso. "How could you not have heard about it? The virtual suggestion box is Kurokami-san's big hit! E-mail, voice mail, text; whatever the message, the Student Council will reply. And if you really have a problem, a member will even come help you out in person."
"Eh, I guess it's just too modern for me," said Zenkichi. "I say a good old physical box that you drop a note in would have been better."
"Speak for yourself," said Koga. "The suggestion box is super-efficient! Kurokami-san even set up a program that sorts the messages based on content. It weeds out spam and joke messages, then puts the rest into categories and prioritizes them. Doing all that by myself would be a nightmare! All I have to do is read through them and reply!"
"I bet I could handle it…" Zenkichi muttered.
He was ignored.
"So if all Kurokami-san has had you do during your trial period is answer student messages, Koga-san, what was all that business with the other girl about?" asked Aso.
"Well … recently there have been a lot of complaints about a group of troublemakers being led by a student named Kanoya—"
「Kanoya-chan?」 asked Kumagawa. 「He was one of the candidates running for Student Council president, wasn't he?」
Koga nodded. "That's right. Kurokami-san put him in his place after he started trying to get votes through violent means though. Since then, he's been stirring up trouble with some other boys. I thought if I could handle this on my own, Kurokami-san would be satisfied … but I messed up…"
Shiranui patted her on the shoulder. "Take your time, Koga-sempai."
"Thank you. Anyway, I meant to sort things out on my own, when I ran into Onigase-san. She wanted to take care of Kanoya herself, so I thought we should help each other, but she got really angry with me. She seemed to think I wanted to do her job for her."
"Her job?" asked Zenkichi.
"She's an enforcer," explained Koga.
She was met with blank looks from the others.
"She's with the School Police," Koga tried again.
No faces lit up with understanding.
"She's a member of the Public Morals Committee?" Koga hazarded.
「The Public Morals Committee?」 Kumagawa turned to Aso. 「Did our school have one of those, Tanzaku-chan?」
"Don't ask me, Captain."
"The Public Morals Committee," recited Shiranui, "also known as the Enforcers and the School Police. They are the committee tasked with handling rule breakers. However, for the past two years the Student Council president has taken care of the school in their stead."
「Whoa. You're so knowledgeable, Hanhaba-chan!」
Shiranui shrugged. "I like to stay informed. Anyway, as I mentioned, the Student Council president has looked after the school for the past two years, so membership has been on the decline. Most of the committee now are only a step away from joining the Going Home Early Club instead." Shiranui turned her attention back to Koga. "That said, it sounds like this Onigase-san is a fan of the original Enforcers. I assume she blames the Student Council for their current state of affairs."
"I had no idea!" Koga moaned. "I swear, I didn't even know what the Public Morals Committee was!"
「Yeah, that probably didn't help,」 said Kumagawa.
"All right!" Koga jumped to her feet. "Everyone, thank you for listening." Koga bowed from the waist. "I'm going back."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," said Zenkichi. "Kanoya-sempai and his bunch are bad news. You should let that Enforcer girl handle them, or ask—"
"Thank you, Hitoyoshi-kun, but no," said Koga. She rose from her bow and turned towards the door. "Even if it's only temporary, I am a member of the Student Council. This is my job. Even if I can't do anything, if I don't try, I might as well hand in my uniform right now." Over her shoulder, Koga smiled brightly. "Itami Koga's extra ordinary life becomes extraordinary today." Koga opened the door and stepped out. The door closed softly behind her.
「Well, that's my cue to leave,」 said Kumagawa. He rose from his seat.
"Captain?" asked Aso.
"Kumagawa…" Zenkichi warned.
「Sorry, Tanzaku-can, Zenkichi-chan. As an ally of the weak, it's my duty to help this (cute) girl in her time of need.」
"Gah, you're always like this," grumbled Zenkichi. "You always try to act cool in front of girls, and it always ends with you getting beaten up."
「Not all the time—」
"All the time, Kumagawa." Zenkichi sighed and rose as well. "Fine, fine, let's go."
「What? What is this? Zenkichi-chan, could it be you've been charmed by Itami-chan as well? After thirteen years of friendship, are we going to become love rivals now?」
"Idiot! Of course not. Who's been looking after you for the past decade? If I don't keep you in line no one else will."
「…So you're not denying that you've been charmed by Itami-chan?」
"No! I mean … yes … no! No, I was right the first time! Don't lump me in with you! Falls in love with a new girl every week—"
「Today actually. Yesterday I saw this really hot blonde cosplaying as a witch…」
"—and still has the audacity to proposition my mother whenever he sees her!"
「How dare you, Zenkichi-chan! Don't pervert the pure expressions of my first love into something so crude!」
"Aso-sempai, could you possibly translate for me?"
"No, Shiranui-san, no I cannot. It's still ten years too soon for me to try and make sense of the captain."
"Don't talk about the two of us like we're not here," Zenkichi snapped.
"We are not talking about the two of you like you are not here," answered Shiranui. "Just Kumagawa-sempai."
「Yeah, Zenkichi-chan. You're so mean, bullying Hanhaba-chan like that.」
"Don't defend her! Ugh, let's just go, all right?"
「Okay! Kumagawa and Zenkichi's excellent adventure starts right now!」
"…Don't you mean Kumagawa and Zenkichi's bizarre adventure?"
「Easy there, Zenkichi-chan! We can't start busting out the Shōnen Jump references this early on in the story!」
"Whatever. Come on."
After the boys left, Shiranui and Aso sat in silence for about five minutes.
"Shiranui-san?" said Aso.
"Yes, Aso-sempai?" said Shiranui.
"How are those two going to find Koga-san?"
"They are a clever pair of boys, Aso-sempai. I am sure they will figure something out."
-ooo-
Koga stood completely still, stunned by the scene before her. The troop of delinquents that had been following Kanoya were strewn about in a bloody heap, their bats, boards, and other improvised weapons smashed to pieces. In the center of the carnage, Onigase stood over a fallen Kanoya, her white uniform stained with splotches of brown.
Koga squeaked.
Onigase spun around and lunged, fists raised. Koga yelped and threw up her hands for whatever meager defense they could offer and shut her eyes. When no impact came, she cracked her eyelids, to find a bloodied ring of metal a scant few centimeters in front of her face.
"Oh. It's … it's you." Onigase stepped back.
Koga lowered her arms.
"Did … did you do all this?" she asked.
"You … bet I did." Though clearly winded, Onigase swelled with pride. She pulled out a cloth and began to clean the tools she held in each hand. Now that she had unclenched her fists, Koga could see that the shorter girl had been using a pair of handcuffs as weapons. "I … I told you the Enforcers didn't need the Student Council to do our job for us." Onigase noticed the object of Koga's gaze. "Hey, the Enforcers are allowed to carry weapons in school you know! This is how we dispense justice!"
"But, but isn't this a bit much?" asked Koga. She gestured at the bodies on the floor.
"Please," Onigase sneered. "They got what they deserved." Onigase glared at Koga. "And if you're going to say I went too far, isn't this the fault of that Kurokami in the first place?"
"What?" cried Koga. "How is any of this Kurokami-san's fault? She was the one who stopped Kanoya the first time!"
Onigase snorted. "So what? If she had taken care of him properly, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this level. That's why I had to go this far to discipline these creeps. If you don't come down hard on rule breakers, they'll just break the rules again as soon as you look away."
Crunch.
Onigase crumpled. Koga screamed. Kanoya towered over the girls, his bat dripping from where it had hit Onigase's skull. He was a tall boy, with spiky, dark colored hair. His was a frightening visage, with pointed teeth and a small scar beneath his right eye.
"You got that right, bitch. But you're inexperienced. Don't turn your back till you're sure the other guy is down for the count." Kanoya turned his attention to the trembling Koga. "And who're you supposed to be?"
Koga swallowed. "It-Itami Koga. I'm wi-with the Student Council…"
"You're from the Student Council?" Kanoya threw back his head and roared with laughter. "That beast woman sent you?" Kanoya's laughter came to an abrupt stop. "What, she thinks I'm not worth her time?"
"Kan-Kanoya-kun," Koga pushed forward. "The Student Council has received several complaints about your behavior. Y-You need to stop—"
"Huh? What's that? You trying to give me orders?" Kanoya growled. "Just who do you think you are?"
"I-I—" Koga stopped and took a deep breath. "I am a member of the Student Council. I am here to tell you and your friends to stop." Koga gestured at the bodies spread out around them. "Give up, Kanoya-kun. You're the only one left."
"Ha, you think these punks are all of my guys?" Kanoya sneered. "I heard that beast woman had sent some shlub from the Student Council after me, so I thought they would make a good test for the new recruits. I wasn't expecting Kurokami to send some throwaway though."
"Don't you insult Kurokami-san!" said Koga. "She was well within rights to put a stop to your antics!"
"Oh? It was 'within rights' for her to steal the Student Council from me, was it? Well in that case, it's 'within rights' for me to take it back." Kanoya leered down at her. "I think I'll start with you. Boys, get in here!"
No one came.
Kanoya raised his head, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Boys?" he called again. When there was still no answer, his lips curled down in a snarl. "Oy, what are you bastards playing at? You come when I call for you!"
"Yeah, sorry, I don't think anyone will be coming any time soon."
"Huh? Who the hell are you?"
"Hitoyoshi-kun!"
Zenkichi stepped through the doorway, took a look around the room, and whistled. "Damn, did that Enforcer girl do this? Did I even need to come?"
"Oy!" Kanoya thundered. "Who the hell are you, punk? What do you mean no one's coming?"
"Hmm? Oh, you're Kanoya-sempai right? You're a hard man to find. I ran into your posse. They weren't very forthcoming with where you were at though, so I had to … well, you can probably guess."
"Hitoyoshi-kun!" Koga cried. "You came to help me?"
"Ah, well," Zenkichi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Actually, it was Kumagawa who wanted to follow after you."
Koga blinked. "Kumagawa-sempai?"
"Yeah, he's right … behind … wait, seriously? Did he leave me alone? I don't believe this!"
"You … you…"
Koga and Zenkichi turned back to Kanoya. He trembled with rage. "The hell? The hell is this? All these freshmen looking down on me … is this a damn joke?" With a roar, Kanoya leapt forward, bat raised. "Who the hell do you think I am! I'm Kanoya, you fu—"
Zenkichi's foot drove into the upperclassman's face. The kick sent Kanoya flying in the opposite direction and into a window. And through it. The sound of breaking glass rang throughout the school, followed by a crash as he hit the ground.
Koga gaped at the broken window. "Hit-Hitoyoshi-kun, that was amaz— Hitoyoshi-kun?"
Zenkichi grabbed Onigase and slung her over his shoulder. With his free hand, he took Koga by the arm and pulled her along.
"Hitoyoshi-kun? Why are we running?"
Zenkichi stared at her as if she were mad. "Are you kidding? I just broke a window! I didn't mean to kick him that hard! I mean, we're on the ground floor, so I'm sure Kanoya-sempai is all right, but that's not the point! Do you know how much trouble I'll get in if a teacher finds out I smashed a window!"
"Oh, um, I guess. So, where are we going now?"
"Nurse's office. If anyone asks, we were looking after Onigase all afternoon. Once she wakes up, we'll get an alibi together."
"Ah … right." And even though she was running through the halls and away from trouble for the second time that day, Koga smiled.
-ooo-
Beaten and bruised, an irate Kanoya staggered away from his headquarters, leaning against the wall for support.
"Kurokami, Koga, and … Hitoyoshi," he growled. "I'll get 'em. I'll get all of 'em. Think they can humiliate me like this and get away with it? I'll get 'em. I'll get 'em."
「Whoa there, Kanoya-chan. Is that any way to talk about your cute underclassmen?」
Kanoya's head snapped up, to find his way blocked by a short boy with black hair and a wide smile, toying with a small screw in his hands.
"Who the hell are you?" Kanoya growled at him. "Another one of that monster's lapdogs?"
「Ha! Is that a joke, Kanoya-chan? Does my uniform look black to you? I haven't worn that color since middle school! To answer your question though, I'm the captain of the Broadcast Club, and one of the six knights.」
"…The hell? Are you Hiromichi Gō?"
「Oh, you got the reference! Good for you, Kanoya-chan! Still, while I'm always delighted to meet another fan of Shōnen Jump, I'm afraid that won't be enough to save you.」
"Save me? What, you think you can handle me, small fry?" Kanoya pushed himself away from the wall and rose to his full height, easily dwarfing the other boy. "You think you got what it takes to finish me off?"
「No, I wouldn't dream of it. I'm an ally of the weak, so I'm pretty weak myself. I've got a friend who's been good enough to watch my back for the past thirteen years though, so in return, I do what I can to watch his.」 The boy stopped playing with the screw in his hands, taking it in his right and pointing it at Kanoya. 「You know, Kanoya-chan, I fully understand your philosophy. It only makes sense that the strong should stand over the weak. But what you need, in my opinion, is a slight change in perspective.」
"You're crazy," Kanoya growled. He advanced on the smaller boy. "I think I'm gonna vent my frustrations on you, punk."
「Oh, I think your present frustrations are soon going to be the least of your worries, Kanoya-chan. However, I'm just here to teach you a lesson, so after a week, I'll remove the seal myself.」
"I already told ya, ya freak, I'm gonna—" Kanoya stopped and looked downward. Embedded in his chest was the screw the boy had just been toying with, now enlarged to several times its original size. Staggered, Kanoya clawed at the screw in his chest as his hair began to turn white. "What … what the hell is this?"
「Don't fret, Kanoya-chan. I'm a happy, content, well-balanced young man, so my Book Maker isn't nearly as disgusting as it used to be. Just be glad I'm not the old me. Then the next week would really be unpleasant.」
-ooo-
"In conclusion, the nurse's office is filled to maximum capacity, a window has to be replaced, and until the blood stains are cleaned off, the classroom is virtually unusable. Do you understand me, Koga-san?"
"Yes, Kurokami-san," Koga squeaked.
As she fidgeted, the girl seated on the opposite side of the large desk drummed her fingers against the wood. Koga had the distinct feeling she was being appraised. Had she done it? She had done all she could, but was that enough? Even after she had gotten Hitoyoshi-kun and Onigase-san caught up in her problems, would she still—
"Koga-san."
"Yes!" Koga yelped.
Medaka Kurokami rose from her seat and made her way around the desk. "In future, please don't feel as if you need to handle these types of situations on your own. There was nothing you could have done had Second Year Kanoya-san gotten violent with you."
Koga nodded, then bowed low. So that was it then. But…
In future … does that mean…?
"That being said, you handled yourself admirably, and based on the most recent messages in the suggestion box, I'd say the problem has been resolved. I'm glad you decided to get help from some of the other students, but your fellow Student Council are here to help as well you know."
Koga's head snapped up. "Fellow Student Council? Kurokami-san … do you mean…?"
Medaka smiled, removing a green armband from her left sleeve and pinning it on Koga's. "Good work, General Affairs Manager Koga-san. Welcome to the Student Council."
"Yes!" Deliriously happy, Koga wrapped her arms around Medaka in a hug. The other girl tensed for a moment, then returned the gesture. Sensing her hesitation though, Koga drew back, face red with embarrassment. "Ah, excuse me, Kurokami-san, I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize, Koga-san," said Medaka. She returned to her seat. "Being able to laugh when you're happy, or cry when you're sad. Being able to express yourself so honestly is a wonderful thing. Now, you had some help handling Second Year Kanoya-san, correct? Why don't you go tell them the good news?"
"Right-o!" said Koga. "I'm just going to run to the Broadcast Club then. But after that, you can expect me to be ready whenever you need me, Kurokami-san!"
Medaka smiled as the other girl ran out of the office, and returned to her paperwork as the rapid footsteps grew fainter. Within moments however, the footsteps returned, and Koga ran past in the opposite direction. Medaka paused and furrowed her eyebrows.
"She does know where the Broadcast Club room is, doesn't she?"
-ooo-
The next day, in the Broadcast Club.
"Well, all's well that ends well, as the saying goes."
「Says the guy who broke a window and mauled a group of upperclassmen.」
"That first part was an accident! And Onigase did way worse than I did! How has that rumor even spread?" Zenkichi huffed.
"What does it matter how people found out, Hitoyoshi-san?" said Shiranui. "What matters is that you have quite firmly established yourself as a … 'badass'. Yes, that is the term. Besides, it is just a rumor, so even if the students take it as fact, the teachers are not coming after you. Or Onigase-san, for that matter." Shiranui tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps the Student Council president pulled some strings."
"Speaking of which, I wonder how Koga-san is faring?" said Aso. "Has anyone spoken to her since then?"
「Sorry, Tanzaku-chan. Nothing yet. Still, I'm sure everything is fine. No news is good news, I always say!」
"You've never said that," Zenkichi deadpanned. "And where were you yesterday? Helping out Koga-sempai was your idea, Kumagawa. You missed out on your chance to look cool in front of a cute girl."
「Oh, Zenkichi-chan,」 said Kumagawa. 「You're still too naive. There will be other chances to look cool in front of Itami-chan. Besides, you know I don't like other people to see me when I get serious.」
"By the way, Hitoyoshi-kun, whatever happened to Kanoya?" asked Aso. "He's disappeared after you kicked him out of a window and off the school roof."
"See!" Zenkichi roared. He leapt to his feet. "That's why I don't like rumors! How would that even work?" Zenkichi deflated and fell back into his seat. "I don't know. I just wanted to get the hell out of there before someone showed up. If he's crawled under some rock to lick his wounds, more power to him I say. Just so long as he behaves himself from now on."
「I'm sure he's repenting his actions even as we speak, Zenkichi-chan,」 said Kumagawa. 「The next time we see Kanoya-chan, he'll be a brand new man.」
Zenkichi glanced at Kumagawa suspiciously.
Kumagawa smiled innocently back.
"Well, regardless of what has become of Kanoya-sempai, I do not think you will need to worry about bullies ever again, Hitoyoshi-san," said Shiranui. "After all, I doubt anyone is going to make trouble for the Freshman Typhoon."
Zenkichi's head snapped around at a speed that promised severe neck pain later on. "The Freshman Typhoon? What is that?"
"Why, Hitoyoshi-san, that is what people are calling you now, because you are the freshman who destroys everything in his path, be it students or school property, like a typhoon."
"What? What sort of nickname is that? Couldn't they have come up with something better, like the Devil Storm, or something?"
The other three stared back at him with pitying eyes.
"…Devil Storm?" said Aso.
Zenkichi turned red. "Well, that's just one option. Still, the Freshman Typhoon? Is that really the best anyone could come up with?"
"Maybe Onigase-san is responsible," Shiranui posited. "After all, I am sure she is none too pleased with you either, Hitoyoshi-san."
"Huh? Why would Onigase be mad at me? I saved her from Kanoya-sempai and carried her to the nurse's office."
"Yes, and now the student body are attributing all of her efforts to you. While you may have had the best of intentions, I am afraid your actions have not done much to bolster the Public Morals Committee's reputation."
"…But, but, that's not my fault! I didn't want any of this to happen!"
"Just let it go, Hitoyoshi-kun," Aso consoled. "Captain, would you say something?"
「…Pfft … Devil Storm.」
"Shut up! It's still better than the Freshman Typhoon!"
-ooo-
"The Freshman Typhoon, eh? What's up with the lame title?"
"Who cares what he's called? If the rumors are even halfway true, he's still worth scouting."
"Well, I suppose you know best. Still, in every version I've heard, he beat Kanoya with a kick. Sure someone like that is going to be interested in judo?"
"Nya~ don't be like that, Jounan-kun. Just leave everything to me. Before the week is out, we'll have a brand new member practicing on the mats with us."
"If you say so, Captain."