The day soon drew to a close.

After the little debacle in the Writing Class, Hibari had sniffed out a few teachers who had breaks at the right time to step in for the ousted Mr. Omaeda. Finally returning to his office, Hibari mulled over what he had said at the end of class...

...

"Mist Puppet."

Chrome jumped, turning around...She looked up at Hibari, shrinking beneath his gaze, clutching her binder against her chest. Scowling even more than previously, Hibari spoke coldly.

"You will report to my office at the end of the day."

Saying nothing more, he stalked off.

Chrome stared after him.

...

Sitting in the Disciplinary Committee's office, Hibari felt strangely...Restless. He had reorganized his papers four times in the past ten minutes. For a time, he had become obsessed with a perception that his lamp was growing dim, until he finally replaced the bulb. Hibari sorted, then re-sorted his pens. He adjusted his armband...

Finally, he gave a heavy, shakey sigh..."What is wrong with me?" Suddenly, he felt a gentle movement in his hair...At first confused, a smile started to grow on his face, before a brief chuckle. Hibird, atop his master's head, had started preening Hibari's hair. Simply sitting there, letting the tiny canary run its beak through his hair, Hibari started to feel...Calm.

Until he heard a knock at his door - And even then, the brief calm wasn't...Completely shattered. Slight smile morphing into the same dark frown as usual, Hibari said, "You may enter." Cautiously, the door was opened, and a certain someone shuffled in...

Hibari scowled - "Well, I suppose I should be expecting you. It's the end of the day, after all..." Pointing to the chair across his desk, Hibari said a bit more venomously than was perhaps necessary, "Sit." As he watched, Chrome sat down, holding her bag on her lap. Hibari gazed at her...She was sitting perfectly straight, which normally earned his approval, but her face was completely downturned.

Come to think of it, Chrome had kept her face down ever since she entered the room...As well, her shoulders were completely slumped. Looking at the piteous creature before him, Hibari said harshly, "What's wrong with you? Has your day really been this tiring on you? I suppose you're weaker than I...Expected..." He trailed away...It was barely there, but...Was she shivering?

Abruptly, Hibari heard her gave a choked, hiccupping noise. He didn't know much about the emotions of others, but he knew a girl crying and making a failed attempt at holding it in when he saw it. He said in a cold voice, "What on Earth are you crying about? Raise your face up." His eyes narrowed when she began shaking like a leaf on a tree - And did not comply. Hibari said dangerously, "I will say it one more time. Raise your face." Sniffling, Chrome lifted her face for Hibari to see.

Eyes widening a fraction, Hibari fell silent at what he saw...Chrome had a sizeable, dark bruise on her left cheek. Biting down on her lower lip, Chrome tried to force down a sob...She raised a hand and tried in vain to wipe her existing tears off on the sleeve of her uniform. Hibari didn't even bother admonishing her for this - Noting that she only wiped at her left eye, and that her covered right eye was unsoaked. For a brief instant, it registered: ...Dammit...The eyepatch really isn't just for show.

Snarling at the dull ache he was feeling in the center of his torso - Below his chest, above his gut - Hibari said resignedly, "Go ahead and cry, you feeble creature. I won't stop you." He watched as Chrome tried to hold out a bit longer, before she finally lost the battle. Holding her hands over her face - Part of which Hibari felt was to hide the bruise - Chrome broke down into sobs. Yet, it wasn't the loud, obnoxious sobs that Hibari was accustomed to hearing from girls on campus...

...Somehow, it was by leaps and bounds worse for him to hear. Chrome would simply take a deep, shakey breath, and then let out a weak moan. He'd heard girls start bawling simply because they heard a cute boy that they were infatuated with already had a girlfriend; so loud he couldn't even see where they were, but could definitely hear them. This girl had taken a damned punch to the face, and to Hibari's great discomfort, he could hear his own breathing above her sobs. He wasn't uncomfortable on the grounds of Chrome's pain, how much it had to sting, what this must feel like on her first day at -

...No, of course not.

No...Hibari was uncomfortable at the thought of exactly what he was dealing with. Rather, the thought that he had no idea of what to do. First of all, he hadn't the foggiest clue as to how one was supposed to comfort a girl who had just been punched on her first day at school, and then, still came to the office of a young man who had treated her like an ant whom he hadn't decided whether or not to step on yet - Instead of running to the safety of home. Then again, considering that her home was Kokuyo Land, perhaps neither option was too appealing at the moment...

Secondly, Hibari's usual reaction to tears would not fly here. Normally, he'd growl a command for the crying to cease, and if the person knew what was good for them, they would build a bridge and get the hell over it. However, despite the rage he had been bottling up at the Mist Guardian, he could feel no anger towards her right now. He couldn't growl at her, call her weak, call her pathetic...Even the thought of him crossing Hibari's mind couldn't spark his ire.

All that the Head of the Disciplinary Committee could do was watch...Chrome had entered his office at 3:12. She'd started crying at 3:16. It wasn't until 3:38 that her crying subsided completely...Leaving just total silence. Hibari had questions...But for some reason, he couldn't force his mouth to open. He could only stare at Chrome...She had long since slumped forward, motionless. Silently, Hibari raised his hand, index finger slightly higher than the rest. Taking the hint, Hibird did a sort of wing-assisted hop to the offered perch.

Lowering his face, Hibari whispered to the fuzzy yellow canary...Hibird cocked his head and did nothing for a moment. Soon, though, he took flight to land on Chrome's head. The bluehaired girl flinched, but did nothing at first...Until she felt a pleasant sensation on her scalp. Raising her face slightly, Chrome tried to hold still as Hibird preened her hair. It was...Nice.

Eventually, Hibird fluttered away to land on Hibari's shoulder...Chrome raised her head, looking at Hibari silently. His scowl remained fixed, hiding the fact that his mind was in turmoil. Why did I have Hibird do that...? More importantly, he thought, What's with those eyes? Chrome's eyes were not happy, or even relieved...They were ashamed and apologetic. Hibari asked quietly, "What happened?"

Chrome bowed her head, but it took only a moment before she was recounting the story. "I was getting my bag from the locker...When this really big guy walked up. He, he asked me...To go out with him...But...But I told him...I had t-to come see you..." She took a deep breath; "He got really mad when I said your name...I th-think he was mad th-that I w-w-was going to you...And then he...And then he...He..." Suddenly, Hibari spoke softly.

"Don't say anything else." If Chrome was startled by this, Hibari was horrified...He swiftly changed gears, saying, "You're a Vongola Guardian. It's your own fault for not standing up for yourself." Immediately as he said these words, deep, deep down, Hibari regretted it. Chrome seemed to shrink even further...

After a brief pause, Chrome said quietly, "...I'm so sorry, Cloud Person..." Hibari simply listened in ever growing discomfort as she continued speaking to him in that utterly defeated voice. "...I've been so much trouble...To this school...You love this school so much, and...And I just barge in...I'll just...Not come back anym - " She stopped as Hibari abruptly stood. Quaking, Chrome watched as Hibari stalked around his desk. Unaware of what she had said wrong this time, Chrome was ready for the thrashing she had feared ever since being enrolled to Namimori Middle School...Soon, Hibari was right beside her...

...He's not...Hitting me...Or yelling at me...Or insulting me...Chrome sat in her seat, as Hibari simply stood next to her. She flinched out of reflex as he placed a hand on her shoulder...To her further confusion, he did not pull her out of her seat, or shove her down further, or squeeze uncomfortably...No. Hibari simply rested his hand gently on her shoulder. Periodically, he would squeeze her shoulder with great care - She realized, the same kind of care as when he had put up the records book...

They just stayed like that for a while...Chrome sat in her chair, and Hibari would, every minute or so, give a light squeeze to her shoulder. She didn't know when it started, but Chrome suddenly realized that she was no longer upset at all. She only felt...Calm. Eventually, Hibari spoke in the same quiet, calm voice that had arose accidentally before.

He said to her, "...Mist Guardian, listen to me, as I feel that I shall not be giving you such kind words in the foreseeable future. I will not allow you to blame yourself for this. You did nothing to deserve this treatment...Anyone who would hit you, a gentle girl trying to fit in, is a cowardly scum who disgraces my school. You have shown excellent behavior today - You have shown a finer example of this school's desired attitude in a single day than many older students have shown the entire time they've attended." Chrome's cheeks began to grow hot...

Unaware of where he was drawing these words from, or the effect that they were having on Chrome, Hibari continued. "...You are not permitted to do such a thing as apologize when you have been mistreated by a substitute teacher and assaulted by some lowlife in your first day of attendance. On behalf of the entirety of Namimori Middle School, I apologize for this kind of treatment." Hibari thought to himself, Dear God in Heaven, where is all of this coming from? Meanwhile, Chrome's cheeks were absolutely ablaze, blushing bright red.

Hibari finally said, "If you don't come back, it would be as good as telegraphing to them that they've had a victory over you. Giving into bullies will not make it stop - They'll only keep coming after you. Once you make a stand, and show them you're not afraid, a bully has lost his one true weapon: Fear." His mind was a swirling vortex of mortification as he finished. "A bully only has power over you if you're afraid of them. Once they know you're not scared, they've lost."

All was silent. Hibari said nothing else, terrified of what would spout from him next...However, he could not have predicted what happened next. Chrome leapt to her feet, hugging the Head of the Disciplinary Committee from the side - Before he could stop himself, Hibari had placed his hand atop Chrome's head. Deciding that his reputation was beyond dead by now, Hibari went ahead and stroked Chrome's hair gently...

Softly, Chrome said, "Thank you so, so much, Cloud Person...You have no idea...No idea...How much better I feel. I promise...I won't tell anyone what happened hear..." - Maybe I should pray in thanks a bit after I get home, Hibari thought. - "I...I'll stay. And...I'll try to learn...How to not give up." Seeming to only then realize her position, Chrome swiftly released Hibari - Blush burning hot. "Oh, oh no! I'm so sorry Cloud Person, I know you don't like that, I don't know why I - I just - I'm sorry, I'm sorry Cloud Person, I'll - "

"...Disciplinary Head."

Chrome stopped. "...Wh...What...?" She gazed at Hibari, confused, her face still alight with a blush. Her mind couldn't grasp what he meant. The Cloud Guardian was staring away, towards the wall. Finally, Hibari turned fully away from her.

He said with the same cold voice as usual, "It's grown quite annoying to be called 'Cloud Person'. From now on, you are to refer to me as 'Disciplinary Head', especially on school campus. Any time you do not do so, you will be given a personal lecture, and lunch detention for two days. The detentions will stack if failure to refer to me by my correct title persists. Now..." Walking over to his desk, Hibari took out a plain white card.

Taking out a pen next, Hibari wrote a perfect signature in red ink. Handing the signed card to Chrome, Hibari said, "The school nurse won't be leaving for a while. This pass will get you in with no argument. Have her check that bruise of yours." Sitting down, he began to shuffle the papers on his desk...

Nodding, Chrome gave a slight smile..."Thank you...Disciplinary Head-san." Hibari's eyes widened as the girl rushed out. When she called him that, something...

...Hibari's chest...Had given a little flutter. Almost like when Hibird had first sung the Namimori Middle School Anthem...This feeling, it was so...

"No. I will not permit this for myself. Not towards...Her."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

Hibird chirped.