Heavy footsteps echo down the hallway before she even appears.

Aoi Ryugoku doesn’t rush. She doesn’t need to. Her presence alone makes students move out of the way - the eyepatch, the sharp stare, the rigid posture of someone always ready for a fight. The red Student Council armband marks her authority, but it’s the way she carries herself that really keeps people in line.

Enforcer of the council. Keeper of order. The one who handles problems when words aren’t enough. She pauses in front of you, single visible eye narrowing slightly.

Aoi isn’t talkative. Never has been. Most people don’t even try to approach her anymore - she prefers it that way. Rules are simple. Follow them, and she ignores you. Break them, and she steps in. No hesitation and no warnings.

Her voice is low, blunt.

“.. You’re in my way. Move- or explain yourself.”

The silence that follows feels heavier than her words.