Paula McCoy

Paula McCoy (ポーラ・マッコイ Pōra Makkoi) is a former colleague of Seishirō Tsugumi during her time as an operative for the Bee Hive Gang at the United States. Initially introducing herself as a self-proclaimed rival of Seishirō, she later enrolled in the same school as Seishirō and became part of a class alongside Suzu Ayakaji (aka Fuu) and Haru Onodera.

Paula goes by the alias "White Fang" during her service as a hit woman for the Bee Hive faction but has claimed to be called other numerous names.

Background
During her service for the Bee Hive Gang in the US, Paula was once a skilled hit woman with unmatched skills, until she was out-skilled by fellow Bee Hive hit-girl named Seishirō Tsugumi. When the two hit-girls were introduced, Seishirō - whom Paula first mistook for a boy - made a remark of Paula's premature breast size after mistaking her for a boy. This would then drive Paula to surpass Seishirō as the duo were constantly partnered for partaking in missions for the benefit of the Bee Hive faction.

Nonetheless, Paula continues to genuinely admire Seishirō for her work ethic and skills. After Seishirō's sudden relocation to Japan, a competent Paula soon pursued after Seishirō and appeared before her a year later after their last meeting.

Appearance
Paula's most distinguishing feature is her snow white bob-cut hair while wearing a pink headband with three ribbons attached on either side alongside a cardinal red scarf that is wrapped around her neck and yellow eyes.

When introduced, Paula wore a white, long-sleeved long coat with a white shirt underneath and long dark pants where multiple pockets with straps of munitions are attached. Underside her long coat is where she keeps numerous weapons.

By the time she enrolled in the same school as Seishirō Tsugumi, Paula started donning the school's uniform with the scarf still wrapped around her neck.

Personality
For her young age, Paula acts cool-minded and composed. However, when this facade breaks down, Paula is revealed to be childish in some aspects. A notable example is her being picky with the food she eats and acting spoiled or stubborn when told, or otherwise forced, to do something that opposes her character. Paula also dislikes studying, as she finds them a waste of her time. Hence, she usually receives low scores in tests, even having zero points. Paula is also easily irritable and tends to cry as shown from time to time.

Being raised as a hit-girl by the Bee Hive Gang, Paula is well-disciplined yet aggressive when provoked. Paula is not above acting arrogant towards others in showing off her skills as a hit woman but instead tries to improve in the area where she's lacking. Paula is also very considerate and helpful as she constantly tries to assist Seishirō Tsugumi in her pursuit of love with Raku Ichijō, despite the former's protest. This is further explained by her tendency to interfere with Seishirō's personal life, noticing that Seishirō has feelings for Raku, and trying to get her to admit it to him. Paula is also quite competitive and acts persistently in trying to achieve her goals, but this is only shown in the case of Seishirō due to having some sort of inferiority complex in regards to her skills and "womanly" figure.

Later on, Paula is shown to be quite unsociable and unfriendly as she prefers to be alone and rejects friendly invitations from her classmates, notably Haru Onodera. However, it is questionable whether she acts by nature or her tendency to solely focus on improving her skills as a hit woman and the accomplishment of her assigned tasks. But nonetheless, Paula continues to warm up toward others as the series progresses.

First Year Arc
Paula first appears overlooking a city in Japan, making a remark of its peacefulness while stating her intentions of meeting Seishirō Tsugumi, whom she addresses as "Black Tiger". She later heads to the school Raku Ichijō and the gang attends. As she intends to shoot Raku, he was then immediately saved by Seishirō in the nick of time. Paula and Seishirō then clash until they are abruptly interrupted by Raku.

At Seishirō's rented apartment, while the latter tends to Raku's wounds, Paula questions Seishirō's nonchalant treatment despite their clash from earlier. Paula then tells Raku a small background of Seishirō's time as a hit woman in America all the while introducing herself as "White Fang", until Seishirō reveals to Raku her true birth name and Paula expresses her discomfort towards it. Paula then voices out her intentions of returning Seishirō back to her prime as the "Black Tiger" she once knew - a work hectic, serious hitwoman for the Bee Hive Gang - after seeing her lax lifestyle with Seishirō's friends. Questioned by Seishirō, Paula recalls the time the duo were introduced when Seishirō makes a straight remark of Paula's flat chest and pledges to surpass Seishirō from then on, after which she wails after accidentally placing her hand at Seishirō's developed busts. Troubled by Seishirō's current personality, Raku learns from Paula that Seishirō greatly contrasts the Seishirō she once worked with while dining on the potato stew Seishirō had cooked for her. After seeing Seishirō arguing with Raku, Paula challenges Seishirō to a match. Paula explains that if Seishirō wins, she will have to return to America and mature. If otherwise, however, Seishirō will have to return to America alongside her; Seishirō accepts Paula's conditions for the match. Unbeknownst to the former, however, Paula's planned target for winning their match is by stealing a kiss from Raku, much to the latter and Seishirō's shock. Seishirō then informs Paula that Raku is the lover of their mistress, Chitoge, in the hopes to call off their competition. But under the code of not refusing a match once agreed upon, their match still stands.

The match begins and Paula makes the first move on Raku which was quickly deflected by Seishirō, much to Paula's amusement. Raku flees and Paula pursues after him. After Seishirō droves Raku away in her unwillingness to kiss him, Paula took the chance to take Raku after bombarding Seishirō with a smoke grenade and takes him to an abandoned warehouse. There, Paula ties Raku by a concrete pillar and tells him to just let her kiss him, despite being it being their firsts. While Paula expresses her ignorance on the importance of a first kiss, Raku tells her to think about the people who consider their first kiss important, which includes him. Just as Raku deduces to Paula that her true intention of the doing the challenge was just for her to be acknowledged by Seishirō, their location was destructively breached by Seishirō who was in her "true self" as stated by Paula. Just as Paula points her guns at Seishirō, the latter disappears from Paula's sight as the latter swoops from behind her and destroys the pillar holding Raku with a single kick, much to Paula's awe. As a staggered Paula remarks on Seishirō's destructive skills, Seishirō spooks Paula by telling her to not disturb as she wins their match of stealing Raku's lips by making an indirect kiss through her fingers. While unsatisfied by the results at first, Seishirō's intimidates Paula to affirm her victory in their match. Then, Seishirō embraces Paula for her exceptional skills of extorting Raku as she states her joy of Paula becoming strong, sending Paula to tears as a result. Paula wails of Seishirō's sudden relocation as the latter explains she hasn't had a chance to say goodbye due to Paula being on a mission at the time

By following the conditions set by their match, Paula prepares to return to America as she asks Seishirō if she is okay of Raku being their mistress' lover. As a reply, Seishirō gives a vague answer.

Abilities

 * Skills with guns: In Chapter 54, Paula is able to shoot very accurately with her gun when Seishirō Tsugumi and Paula had a gun battle.

Trivia

 * Paula has an obvious case of Trypanophobia/Vaccinophobia, which is a fear of needles, injections and vaccinations.
 * Paula doesn't know how to swim or ride a bike.
 * Paula doesn't like to be addressed by her given name.
 * Paula usually calls Seishirō Tsugumi "Black Tiger" (Seishirō's alias name).
 * Like Seishirō, Paula is easily scared by ghost stories.
 * During the ending credits starting from Episode 18, Paula made a cameo appearance in a form of a caricature, alongside Mikage Shinohara, Haru Onodera, Yui Kanakura, Migisuke Aiba, Honda and Suzu Ayakaji (aka Fuu).
 * Paula can also be spotted as a poster during the ending credits from episode 15-17 in her chibi form.
 * In a chapter, Seishirō kisses Paula leaving Paula petrified and Seishirō with no recollection.