During basketball warm-up exercises, Ryūji and Taiga pair up as partners, in which Taiga plans to become paired with Yūsaku after Ryūji knocks out Yūsaku's partner with a basketball. When Ryūji realizes that his classmate Maya Kihara is Yūsaku's partner, he knocks out Taiga instead. Later, Taiga attempts to catch up to Yūsaku and give him a bag of cookies she made. However, she slips off the stairs and throws the bag out of the window in the process, while Ryūji breaks her fall. After she recovers the bag, Ryūji happily eats the cookies. Since Ryūji and Taiga are often together, their classmates mistake the two as a couple, much to Taiga's anger. The next day, Taiga tries to set the record straight and confesses her love to Yūsaku. Ryūji, who overhears Taiga being rejected by Yūsaku, vows to be strong enough like a "dragon" to stand by Taiga as a "tiger".