Unfortunately, hours later, Minoru still had no more control over her body than what she did previously. Even worse was how Kyoko had taken the news, making the purple-haired girl feel terrible about causing such worry. Still, there was nothing that could really be done about it and there was still the issue of just how they were going to sneak her into Namimori Middle. They didn't have much time left before they would need to leave in order to still be on time, and Hana left the room for the moment, muttering something about monkeys that Minoru wasn't completely sure that she heard correctly.

When they were alone, Minoru bashfully glanced over at Kyoko, taking in the girl's appearance again and hesitating about what she wanted to say next. It was the kindness in the other girl's eyes that made the decision for her, "Kyoko, why are you so nice to me? We don't really know each other, do we?"

"Oh, I… I don't really know; I just like you, I suppose, Min-chan. We're friends, now, though, so it's just something friends do?"

Normally half-lidded blue eyes widened in genuine surprise, "F-Friends?"

"Yes!" Kyoko beamed, eyes squinting in happiness and it almost seemed like sunflowers were blooming to life behind her. Minoru's heart fluttered in her chest and she had to look away, her face growing hot. "And once we find Hibari-san, we can properly exchange contact information and meet up once you're better. This time he can help make sure you get the rest you need," she added somewhat firmly at the end before tacking on as an afterthought, "Because he cares too, I bet. Maybe soon the four of us will all become friends…"

Minoru wasn't quite sure about that, given how wary of Hicchan that Hana seemed to be last night. Maybe Hana also thought he was creepy, the woman-turned-girl could understand that, even though it wasn't entirely true, exactly. Hicchan was strange, granted, but he was also a bit misunderstood because he didn't know how to express himself. If normally timid animals, such as those songbirds, liked him, he really couldn't be all that bad.

The door opened and the boy from before, Ryohei Sasagawa, entered the room with Hana trailing exasperatedly behind him. He looked well, just as loud and friendly as ever. Minoru couldn't really get over how lively he seemed, the epitome of health and radiating sheer boundless energy. No regrets; living life to the fullest capacity at full steam ahead. She could see how he and Kyoko were related, both reminded her of the sun, just different facets of it. Both also made her feel warm and safe.

Minoru liked the Sasagawas.

"So why can't we just take her to school?" Ryohei asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "If she borrowed Kyoko's uniform, she'd look the same as everyone else…"

Hana snorted, "If only it could be that easy. She looks like she's still in primary school, no one would be stupid enough to believe she was a student."

"What if I carry her? Everyone looks extremely tiny then!" He tried, expression serious with his hand on his chin and gazing intently at the ceiling, as if it held all the answers he needed. "And if I go fast enough, no one will get a good look!"

"That's-" Hana began, only to be interrupted before the idea could shot down.

"Oh! Nii-san, if you can go straight to the reception room, no one would be mad either, because they would have taken her to the Disciplinary Committee anyway!" Kyoko added excitedly.

"Hah? Really? I thought we had to avoid them so we wouldn't get in trouble!" He laughed somewhat boisterously, before slapping the noirette firmly on the back a few times, almost bowling her over in his enthusiasm. "What were you so worried about, Hana-san? This will be almost too easy!"

Her face was pinched in irritation and annoyance, looking as if she dearly wanted to argue and protest against the whole idea, but neither had anything better or valid objections to it, considering that they were right. In Namimori Middle, disciplinary was left to the Committee for obvious reasons, both for students and anyone on the school grounds in general (unofficially, they also helped the Tettsui-Ikka protect Namimori proper, considering that they were also technically a faction of the yakuza family).

Even if a teacher caught them, they wouldn't really do anything beyond give them a detention to be served at the Committee's discretion, which Hibari would likely nullify, considering that Minoru was concerned… whoever she was to the prefect. Most likely scenario would be that they were caught by a Committee member who would be on the lookout for someone with Minoru's appearance, which would actually make their job infinitely easier to be honest… With everyone looking at her expectantly, Hana Kurokawa sighed in a long-suffering manner.

"Fine, let's do this."

A/N: Yes, yes, I know, a random chapter after such a long time between updates; it's practically criminal. But it's just a show of good faith that I'm not, in fact, dead and have no intentions to abandon the story... I have just had many (critically important) life-changing events happen at the tail-end of 2016, big enough that I had neither the time or motivation to write.

But I'm not dead, and neither is the story.

I can't promise an exact time frame (you saw what happened last time I tried that;;;) but more stuff will be coming your way... Eventually;;;

So, please, bare with me a little longer. Your patience and understanding mean more than you could ever believe!

Happy New Year,

Stars.