[Silver Spoon]

Sorry for the looooong wait. Here's chapter 9!

Chapter 9: Some girls like it hot

The place that Hana was talking about was the library. For some reason the school's library always seemed hot and steamy even in the winter. One reason for this supposed heat is because the librarians who run the place think better in a warm climate.

But where to hide while growing back to normal (or somewhat close to it)? Hana decided to guide Chisa to the section on autobiographies. It was an empty a section as you could get, considering that it was after school and no one hung around the library except when cramming for exams.

"I can feel myself growing!" Hana told her "giant" friend, slowly growing in size. "Quick! Hand me your warm soda I asked you to save from lunch!"

"But it's really gross", Chisa reminded her friend, sticking her toungue out in disgust as her friend drank it up. Soon enough she was growing some more, now almost 2 feet tall.

"I'm growing back to normal!" a happy Hana chirped, now almost 2'3". Chisa handed back her friend's clothes, which progressively started to fit her friend's small body.

"I have some hot sauce in my bag, too!" said Chisa as she pulled it out. Hana soon enough drank that down as well. Now her height was roughly 4'2".

"Hmm...I could still be bigger", Hana sighed, drinking a little more of the warm soda. Her height then ballooned to almost 5 feet.

"Okay, Hana-chan, that's enough! Let's get out of here!"

"Agreed!"

Hana and Chisa ran out the library and down the hall. By this point Hana was 5'2", her clothes fitting her somewhat comfortably now. She had to buy a new pair of clothes after her last growth spurt, and these were a little too big for her.

"Just need to adjust a little more", the growing girl told Chisa as she drank a little more hot sauce, growing to 5'7". "There we go!"

"Don't get carried away, Hana-chan", Chisa warned her friend. "I don't want to read the papers tomorrow and find out a 50 foot tall naked girl is living in our city."

"Don't worry, Chisa. I've got everything under control now", Hana assured her friend. "However, I can't go outside just yet..it's too warm still.."

"Then we'll just have to stay in the school until night time", Chisa said, contemplating how to do such a thing.

"I think I know how!" Hana chimed. "Quick! Let's get to the principal's office!"


One trip later


"'Shoe bandits'? That's the best story you could come up with, Hana-chan?" Chisa snickered.

"Oh like your idea was so much better. 'Animals come in at night and steal pencils'. I can't go outside now. It will be too warm, and I'll just bigger."

"Hey girls", went a familiar voice behind Hana and Chisa.

"Ryo-kun!!" Hana smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I was asked by your mother to take care of you tonight while you look for some crooks who have apparently been 'stealing shoes' around the school", he snickered. "Seriously, Hana? THAT'S the best you can come up with?"

"Stop making fun of me!" Hana whined. "You know I grow in the heat!"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Hana. So where are we doing our 'patrol'?"

"I was hoping we can do it in the coolest classroom in the school", Hana suggested. "Room 1-A."

"Oh yeah. That was the class we were in in 10th grade, wasn't it, Chisa?" Hana asked, smiling.

"Yep", she replied, hugging her friend. "My how things have changed since then! You're soooooo tall, yet still as adorable as a button. My 'growing flower' best friend!"

"Ch-Chisa!!" an exasperated Hana said.


A couple of hours later

Since Hana, Chisa, and Ryo were staying after school, they decided to make the best of it and clean up their individual classrooms in place of the other students, as well as Room 1-A's. This took them quite a while to do together, but eventually the job got done..and Hana hadn't changed so much as an inch in size during this time.

"Chisa, what time is it?" Hana asked as she put away the last of the chairs.

"About 5:20 P.M.", she replied, staring at the clock above them. "Guess it's still not late enough yet to leave."

It was at this time that all three friends' stomaches rumbled almost instantaneously.

"Growing and shrinking makes me hungry", Hana noted. "I can't wait for the sunset to turn into night."

"Well, we still have another hour or so left before that happens", Ryo said as he dusted the teacher's desk. "I could go get us something to eat."

"Cool! Why don't we eat early dinner, then?" Chisa asked as she pulled out her wallet. "I'll pay for you, Hana-chan!"

"Thank you!" Hana replied as she hugged her friend in a fairly tight grip. "You're the best friends a growing/shrinking girl could have!"

"Then I'll get us some fast food, if that's okay with you two girls.."

"Yep!" Hana and Chisa nodded at the same time. "Good luck, Ryo-kun!"

Countdown to height restoration: 5 days, 16 hours, 39 minutes