All 5: Thank you for having us.
After having a talk with Natsuki, the rest of the Higanbana girls were thanking the Mizutani family before heading home.
Katsuki: No need to thank us, we're just happy you girls are getting along with our daughter again.
Satsuki: That's right, so please continue to get along with her okay?
Natsuki: But you'll have to work hard to regain my full trust again.
Shino, Yuuka & Miku: We will...
Sachi & Chikao: Again... We're sorry for lying to you for so long Natsuki.
Natsuki: Yeah, yeah... I'll be going back to school tomorrow, and after school I'll be visiting Kaneki. You guys are free to join me if you want.
Hearing Natsuki's invitation to visit Kaneki made her friends a little bit happier.
Shino: Sure!
Yuuka: We'll have to talk to Uncle first tho since he and Aunti is still there... But other than that sure!
Miku: Thank you Natsuki!
Natsuki: Whatever... Just stay safe on your way home okay? Well I'm going to take a bath now.
After saying what she wanted to tell her friends, Natsuki went back into her home wanting to take a bath.
Katsuki: Hehe~ Sorry about that.
Chikao: No... It's alright.
A few minutes later~
After a few more minutes of small talk, the rest of the Higanbana girls began walking home.
Shino: Haa~! That was so intense!
Sachi: Yeah! I really thought she wouldn't listen to us.
Chikao: Well at least things went smoothly, geez. Although we still have to talk to Atsuo-san, Aiya-san and our friends the Beast Knights.
Yuuka: And don't forget our classmates, they are probably aware of what happened at this point.
Sachi: Not just our classmates, but our entire school!
Realizing the sheer amount of people they have to talk to regarding everything that happened and the possibility of not everyone believing them weighed so much on them.
Miku: Aughh... This is going to be so much trouble for us!
Sachi: Yeah. And I wonder if Ku-kun and the others are mad at us as well.
Shino: Now, now let's not come to conclusions yet we still need to talk to them.
As they were worrying about Ku-kun and the other Beast Knights.
Slither~
Hegon: There isss~ nothing to talk about.
All 5: Eh? EEEEEEK!
Hegon suddenly came slithering out of nowhere and showed himself in front of them.
Hegon: I apologize for my sudden arrival, but there's no need for you young ladies to talk to us regarding that matter.
Miracle: That's right!
On the Hegon's scaley back was the rest of the Beast Knights in their Chibi forms including the former insect familiars.
Yuuka: What?!
Ku-kun: We were aware of what happened, and we've been listening as well.
All 5: Eh?
Batta: It's a long story, but be rest assured we believe you all.
Hearing that their friends believe them out of nowhere was shocking to the girls.
Miku: Y-You guys do?
Mo-chan: Of course!
Ku-kun: Besides, Kaneki seems to be aware that you three weren't responsible as well.
But the moment Ku-kun mentioned Kaneki being aware, the five girls started questioning them.
Shino: What?! What do you mean aware?!
Sachi, Chikao & Yuuka: Is Kaneki conscious again?!
Miku: Is Onii-chan awake?!
Heikei: Calm down girls, we can't answer all your answers at the same time.
All 5: S-Sorry.
After they calmed down, the Beast Knights began telling them what they know.
Kamakura: We had been secretly monitoring Kaneki ever since we heard he got hospitalized.
Sachi: You guys did?
Dagon: That's right, we monitored him for the most part but around lunchtime when Atsuo-san and Aiya-san went out of his room to eat lunch-
Takoyaki: Kaneki suddenly started speaking, although we couldn't understand most of what he was saying.
All 5: He talked?!
Hearing that Kaneki had talked even just a little gave them hope of him recovering.
Batta: That's right, but the last thing he said concerned us a lot.
All 5: What? What did Kaneki/Onii-chan say?
Ku-kun: Well... He said "Guys... Please stay safe..." And he went back to shaking uncontrollably and to being unconscious.
The Higanbana girls were grew more concern upon hear this.
Chikao: Wait... So Kaneki does know something?
Yuuka: It's safe to assume he does.
Kaigon: We assume it has something to do with you girls since you're the ones the young lord cares about the most.
Ryugon: We've asked Kagemi to report our findings to lord Kotori just a few minutes ago.
Hegon: After receiving our report, she gave us a mission to monitor you girls and keep you safe.
Ku-kun: So we'll be with you guys for the time being!
All 12: So be rest assured! We'll keep you safe!
Seeing their friends ready to help them made Shino, Yuuka and Miku a bit guilty.
Bow~
The three bowed and apologized to the Beast Knights.
Shino, Yuuka & Miku: We're sorry for troubling you guys.
All 12: It's alright, no need to apologize.
Ku-kun: Well then, let's go Batta-senpai.
Batta: Okay! Stay safe everyone!
Buzz~
Hop! Hop!
Both Ku-kun and Batta got off Hegon's back and started flying and hopping towards Natsuki's home.
Sachi: Wait where are those two going?
Hegon: I did say that lord Kotori gave us a mission to watch over you girls.
Kamakura: That's right! Since there's twelve of us, Kotori decided that we'll monitor you girls in pairs of two.
Chikao: I see, so Ku-kun and Batta are going to monitor Natsuki?
Mo-chan: That's right.
Kaigon: We've already decided who we'd monitor, but are you all fine with us monitoring you girls?
Yuuka: Well... I'm fine with it.
Shino: Same here, if someone else is involved then better be safe.
Sachi, Miku & Chikao: Nod~
After seeing that the girls agreed, Kaigon began listing pairs of Beast Knights that would monitor the girls.
Kaigon: Lady Shino, Yanma and Kamakura will go with you.
Yanma: Looks like I'm going home after so long!
Kamakura: You better talk to your parents when we arrive at your home, Shino.
Shino: Y-Yes I will, please take good care of me.
Kaigon: Next. Mo-chan and Hegon will watch over Lady Miku.
Mo-chan: Guess we'll be sleeping together again, Miku.
Hegon: It's an honor to protect the young lords younger sibling.
Miku: Could... Could you please drop the formalities?
Kaigon: Heikei and Takoyaki will watch over Lady Yuuka.
Yuuka: Thank you, Heikei.
Heikei: Don't worry I'll protect you.
Takoyaki: Thank you for having me.
Kaigon: Miracle and Dagon will be with Lady Sachi.
Dagon: Heh! Looks like we're together again kid.
Miracle: Hehe~ It's been a while since I was last home.
Sachi: Yeah, I'm glad to have you back Miracle.
Miracle: You better tell your parents about everything.
Sachi: Hehe~ I will.
Chikao: So that means.
Kaigon: Correct. Me and Ryugon will be going with you, Lady Chikao.
Chikao: Just call me Chi-chan please.
Kaigon: Of course, Lady Chi-chan.
Chikao: Eh... Oh well I guess.
Chikao was rather uncomfortable hearing the two Ancient Beast Knights being very formal towards her but thankful as well.
Chikao: Ahem! Sorry if that sounded rude, I'm thankful that you're willing to protect me.
Ryugon: No offense taken.
Kaigon: We're working on our formalities, so that's on us.
Swoosh!
Sachi: Woah!
Dagon: Well then it's getting late, it's time go head home.
With their pairing assignments now done, the Beast Knights went with the girls they are assigned to and went home with them.
Yuuka & Chikao: Bye everyone!
Sachi, Shino, & Sachi: See you tomorrow.
And so with that the long and exhausting day for the Higanbana girls came to an end as they all returned to their homes.
A while later~
But they still had unfinished business, and had ultimately decided to deal with it the next day.
In the Tanaka household*
Shino: Mom... Dad... There's something I have to tell you tomorrow, will you... Listen to me tomorrow?
Shiro: Sigh~ We are a disappointed in you for hiding something from us, Shino.
Genta: But we'll listen to everything you'll say tomorrow.
In the Mirai household*
Jin: You have a lot of explaining to do, Yuuka.
Yuuki: Kotori-chan told us everything, but we want to hear it from you.
Yuuka: Y-Yes, I understand.
Yuuka: Sigh~ But it seems like you girls were very busy all day. Go rest up and tell us in the morning.
Yuuka: I will...
In the Saki household*
Sachi: Um Mom... I have something to tell you.
Hachi: Sachi?
Sachi, Shino and Yuuka had to tell their parents everything.
In the Higanbana household*
As for Miku and Kotori, they were planning on what to do when they and the rest of the Higanbana girls goes to visit Kaneki.
Miku: Tomorrow, after school we're going to visit Onii-chan.
Kotori: That would be a problem, Papa is very mad and talking to him would be hard.
Miku: Yeah... What can we do?
They were a bit at a loss as they couldn't think of anything to help them with their situation with Atsuo.
But just then, Kotori thought of something.
Kotori: Well... There is one person who could convince Papa.
Miku: Really? Who?
Point~
Kotori pointed at Tohru.
Miku: Tohru-Mama? Well she hasn't tried to talk to Dad yet for some reason... But are you sure?
Kotori: Yes, but that's up to her since Mama is a bit stubborn. I don't really understand why she doesn't want to talk to Papa until she gets fully revived.
Miku: Sigh~ Well let's ask her then.
Kotori: Agreed.
The two approached the sword containing Tohru
Grip!
And as they touched it, Tohru spoke.
Tohru: [Kotori-chan? Miku-chan? Do you two need something?]
Sensing that her daughters needed something from her, Tohru was curious.
Kotori: Yes Mama, we need help.
Miku: Um... We're going to visit Onii-chan tomorrow after school but because Dad is really mad at us-
Tohru: [So you want em to talk to him? Yeah sure I can do that.]
Miku & Kotori: What? You will?
Both Miku and Kotori were surprised with how easily Tohru was cooperating despite her not wanting to talk to her husband for some reason.
Tohru: [Yup I thought it would be more wholesome that we get to talk and hughed after I get fully revived, but now is not the time to be stubborn over something like that. So let me deal with my husband tomorrow.]
Miku & Kotori: O-Okay...
Both girls then let go of the sword after they easily convinced Tohru to talk to Atsuo.
Miku: That was so easy.
Kotori: Yeah.
Miku: I'll go prepare the bath, wanna join me later?
Kotori: Sure.
With their talk with Tohru over, Miku started going upstairs to prepare the bath.
Kotori's thoughts*
(Alright tomorrow I'll show them everything I found.)
With the things she had found, Kotori hoped that it would be enough to convince her father.