Class had started.

After speaking to the substitute teacher for that day, Chrome had been sat in the approximate center of the class...The teacher was a rather smallish man, with wireframed spectacles, prominent nose, and slightly balding head. He had said rather bluntly to Chrome that he didn't "Approve of her obsession with skulls", and had ended up sitting her apart from Gokudera, Ryohei, and Yamamoto.

Turning to the class, the teacher said without further ado, "You all will be doing a short narrative essay on your school year so far. I expect a full three pages." Everyone seemed to have some sort of problem with this...The teacher pointed to one of the students.

This boy said, "But the new girl hasn't even been here one whole day. What about her?"

The teacher responded huffily, "What about her?" Everyone grew hushed. Gokudera looked as if he was ready to clear the whole classroom, before Yamamoto put a hand on his arm from the desk beside him. The Rain Guardian shook his head, causing Gokudera to remain seated.

Meanwhile, everyone uneasily took out a piece of paper and readied their pencils...Face overcast with sorrow, Chrome began writing.

...

At the Disciplinary Committee's Office, Hibari was busy signing some kind of papers...Suddenly, he heard his door creak slightly. Tonfas immediately drawn, Hibari flipped over his desk and landed in a combat-ready stance. The intruder chuckled, hands raised appeasingly...

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's me," Dino said as he shut the door behind him quietly. Hibari still did not break his combat stance. With a sigh, Dino said, "I just came to see how you were doing...And to see about this new student I've heard about."

Hibari did not immediately respond...Eventually, though: "No unauthorized visitors on campus during school hours. Leave now." Dino sighed again, rubbing at the back of his neck...Hibari finally lowered his tonfas a fraction, glaring at Dino.

Dino said sheepishly, "Sorry. I meant it - No reason for me to be here. I just felt like checking up on you..." He leaned in, whispering although there was clearly no one listening in. "Hey...Is it true that the new transfer student's a girl?"

And then the tonfas were right back up to full combat position. "Leave."

Chuckling, Dino said, "I hope she really gets to love this school."

Hibari paused. "...As do I."

A calm smile - "That's great to hear."

...

"Is she really cute?"

"You have until the count of ten to leave. One, two, three..."

"I mean, it's not like you're gonna get together with her!"

"...Seven, eight..."

"Fine, fine, I'm going, don't go postal!" Dino quickly dashed out, surprisingly having the decency to close the door gently before he could be heard stamping down the hall.

Growling, Hibari sat back down behind his desk. He got back to paperwork once he had the tonfas put away. Hibird landed on his shoulder, watching him work. Eventually, though, Hibari stopped writing. He sat there for a minute, before getting up.

Watching as Hibari walked out of the room, Hibird cocked his head to the side.

...

Back at her Writing class, Chrome had finished her paper - A full three pages. Sitting there, she stared down at her folded hands in her lap...When the teacher came by to take the essays up, Chrome didn't even look up.

After grading all of the papers, the teacher spoke. "Chrome Dokuro," he said calmly. Chrome looked up...The teacher said in that same calm voice, "It's obvious you've cheated. Zero." This time, Yamamoto didn't even bother stopping Gokudera from leaping up.

...Partially because a certain someone had entered the room. "Excuse me, Mr. Omaeda," the voice said with barely contained rage. The teacher looked towards the doorway.

Hibari said quietly, "You have been a substitute here two times in the past two years, and have persistently harassed students like this. You have been warned about accusing students of cheating simply because you cannot keep your inconsequential opinions out of your teaching." He stepped aside - "You're fired. Good bye."

Mr. Omaeda said angrily, "You can't fire me! You're a student!" Everyone in the classroom - Save for Chrome - Flinched in unison. The aging teacher suddenly yelped and fell back, as he found Hibari less than a meter away.

In a voice filled with killing intent, Hibari asked quietly, "You have no idea whom you're meddling with, do you?" He continued on to say, "Namimori Middle School is my pride. I am the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, this school's hammer of order. I have stayed at this school past my graduation so as to watch over it. A teacher is supposed to be an example for the students - You are an example of nothing more than a bully who can't even use fists, only his position.

"An insect like you has no right to say whom I may or may not fire. Now..." He knelt down, looking the violently shaking teacher in the eye..."Take your briefcase and leave...Before I throw your broken body out the front gates myself." Shrieking, the teacher grabbed his briefcase and scrabbled to leave. Hibari sneered...

...Looking back over the students, his gaze stopped for the briefest of moments on Chrome. This was long enough for him to see her staring at him with something that looked like...Awe? Hibari said calmly, "Your papers will be graded whenever your regular teacher returns. I wouldn't leave you herbivores to your own devices...So I'll simply sit here with you."

Taking a seat at the desk, Hibari crossed his legs. Interweaving his fingers over his raised knee, Hibari looked over the class once again...

...Chrome still gazed at him, beginning to blush.