As I followed the girl back down from the rooftop, I had a chance to observe her even more.

Boing.

She really stood out, physically, from the NPCs. There was just something...

Boing.

I really couldn't put a word to it, something different,

Boing.

And yes, her ponytails were making those weird sounds as they bounced along, trailing behind her.

Boing.

It made for some slightly amusing viewing as I followed her. Oh, so maybe that was the only thing different about her.

Everything about her uniform and her attitude back on the rooftop screamed "NPC" to me.

This is the room? I was really surprised, don't disciplinary committees have something bigger?

And aren't they usually crowded with people? Why, then, was there just a solitary coffee table at the center with only one chair to match, and a bunch of other stuff piled on a shelf to the side, the only other furniture in here?

"Welcome to the disciplinary committee office," she said offhandedly as she strolled to the shelf.

"Thank...you," I mumbled uncertainly. "Where...where are the other members? Are they out?" I asked.

Without looking at me, as she continued to look for something in the shelf, she replied quizzically, "What do you mean? There are no other members besides me."

"Huh?"

Was this girl serious? I mean, shouldn't the world cover all features of what a school should be, as Yuri said? They had their own student council (with a strange president on top), yet they only had one solitary disciplinary committee member? I wonder how effective she is at her job.

If that was the case, then this world's God's probably some sadistic guy who thinks a one-man disciplinary committee is in any way effective.

...Then again, the president herself was a one-man army, stopping the delinquents of the Front left and right. I shivered at the painful memory of our first meeting.

"Oh, here it is! I found it!" the NPC girl cried out excitedly. She delicately pulled a manila folder from the pile, and after straightening the wrinkles, handed it to me. "That's the list of reports about the disappearances."

The folder was labeled in front with a strange picture of a wing, (did she draw it herself?) and after opening it, I was amazed to see that there was indeed a large number of sheafs stuck in there. Each paper was uniform, asking (handwritten) questions that had (still handwritten) answers.

"I went down to all the classes whose students had disappeared, and they all had the same accounts to say. I then wrote them down in that paper."

By yourself? It must be tough, having to run around and write these stuff alone and what's worse, you're "investigating" something that's shady from the very beginning.

But then again, she was an NPC, programmed to do whatever she was set to do, and I could do nothing to change it. If I were to lay out the various ways by which these suspicious reports contradicted each other, she wouldn't even bat an eyelash.

And I still had a mission to do. So thinking, I sneaked off some of the more interesting reports from the folder into my breast pocket.

When next I looked up to give the folder back, the girl was already seated and pouring tea for herself. "Would you like to drink some?"

"Ah no," I declined, "I suddenly remember I have somewhere to be."

"But you just suddenly decided to accompany me to help, isn't that what you said? Shouldn't you suddenly sit here so we can discuss it?" Her eyes flashed over the rim of the cup, and I was taken aback at that.

She put the cup down daintily, while I tried to decide what to do. "And don't think I've forgotten your transgression either. As a disciplinary squad member, it's my duty to punish lawbreakers." She picked up her umbrella from before.

Shnickt! Oh crap, why the heck did she have a blade concealed behind those things! She tested the blade by swinging it a few times, before resheathing it and taking another sip. "Note that I am very particular about these kinds of things."

"Er. . . about that punishment. I wasn't really aware of the school rules at the time, so. . . "

"Not aware? How could you not be aware? I thought all students here knew that." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. I must have swallowed a lot of spit at that moment, because I suddenly had a painful urge to cough it back out. "Is that . . . is that why you're not wearing the prescribed uniform?" She slowly unsheathed her weapon again.

I considered my options again. If I started running now, I could make enough of a head start, long enough to meet some other SSS member. I'd then flash Yuri's authorization at them, then we could deal with the girl, if she pursued.

But I didn't know her combat capabilities. What if, in her position as disciplinary head, she had the same powers as the student council president? Where one was a silent, petite juggernaut, this one was openly hostile, wielding a concealed weapon to boot. She might have concealed weapons in those weird ponytails!

It seems fate favored me that moment, because there was a sudden beeping sound. The girl frowned, then produced a cellphone from her pocket.

"Damn, another delinquent incident," said the girl. She stood up, bringing her weapon to bear at me. "You won't be getting off that easy. I'll be right back, mysterious student X!" She bolted for the door.

"Er. . . my name's Otonashi at the least. . . "

"Ah! I'll be locking this too! Don't think I'm stupid!" She slammed the door shut, and I could hear the sound of a lock being turned, and then her agitated footsteps receding in the distance. I sighed, looking towards my other exit.

Did I mention there was a window conveniently within reach? Conveniently unlocked at that. I let the warm breeze blow by me for a second before I jumped.

Damn it, this was the fourth floor.