Kosuke knew Minako in passing, especially hearing about her through Chiemi and Shun. He never spoke with her personally, but he saw her during trials and knew that Minako was someone that he hoped was protected. He felt innocence radiating from her; he wanted her to survive.
In some ways, he was angry at Shun initially for murdering Minako; she was a light, like Saori, that keep spirits high in the rocky days to come. But she died so close to the discovery of the Mastermind!! It hurt Kosuke deeply, and frustrated him to no end.
Tamaki did not expect to get as attached to Minako as they did, they really didn't. Their first impression of her was literally "Ugh, god, so annoying, she's like a human Usami, I swear.", and I was pretty sure it was going to just stay there at first, and I think they were too (let's face it, they didn't see themselves bonding with anyone outside of the other jerkasses, and even then) and then, lo and behold, they interacted further, and their initial attitude towards her changed. A lot.
I'm really grateful for Tamaki and Minako's interactions throughout the game, because they brought out Tamaki's softer side and revealed that surprise, surprise, they weren't a heartless asshole, they were actually a gigantic tsundere who had a genuine soft side buried under all that snark. Something about Minako brought out their better qualities, even if Tamaki wasn't even willing to admit that to themselves at first and had to wrap up every nice thing they did as having some completely non-sentimental reason for it. Them, caring? Pffft. Pfffffft. Implying they're capable of such things!
But lo and behold, Tamaki did care about Minako, even if they found some parts of her personality to be annoying - but then, like they said, they saw her as a little sister figure, and don't all older siblings feel that way sometimes? They cared a lot, and by the time they admitted that to themselves, it was way too late. Her reaction to their impending execution hurt them deeply and helped make them actually regret becoming a murderer or at least not pushing to get someone else executed in their place, wow this kid is trash. They probably wouldn't have even considered getting in touch with the living either, were it not for her and Imogen because wow, why give a fuck about the living kids anymore, they're dead and all hate them anyway, right?
...and then of course, Minako and Imogen died in the same week, and Tamaki Manabe proceeded to flip the fuck out, give up on the living world, and proceed to be kind of an asshole, all while waxing on how much caring about people sucked. And when they found out why she died, they... were pretty upset, to put it lightly (both of the living people they still cared for essentially sacrificed themselves, and even if a good - and gross - part of them stubbornly blames Shun for the whole mess, they're still kind of... Tamaki is a bundle of feelings about the tenth case in geral), and I'm pretty sure they didn't snap at her for throwing her life away like they did with Imogen earlier was because they'd burned themselves out at that point.
Well, that, and when Tamaki Manabe gets so attached to someone, they find it difficult to be angry at them for long and will make exceptions towards them for so many things because that's how they roll. So there is that too.
Suffice it to say, Tamaki had Minako in mind when they mentioned "people who I think you living and I agree deserve to be brought back to life" during their endgame message thing, and they have no intention of losing contact with her post-despair. She is one of their most important people, after all, even if they didn't think she'd ever get to that point with them when they first met.
Lee never stopped thinking about Minako… at least until THAT happened. So for a while, she forgot who Minako was. But whoa!!! Minako’s hug brought back those memories!!!!
Wakana... really did care for Minako, and her feelings weren't faked. She really did worry about her, and she wanted her to live!
"I'm sorry. You were brave... from the beginning to the end, you were brave. You are indeed... a wonderful woman."
Wakana probably spent a lot of time dismissing Minako because she seemed?? Very delicate. She assumed that she'd fall either to one of their classmates or to her own despair in time, and then...
Instead she just kept GOING. Even when she was hurt or insulted, she wouldn't give up. She fought back, she struggled. Minako fought to survive, to save people, to be seen as something more, and that... is something that Wakana came to respect. When Wakana realized that she needed help... she stepped forward.
The moment she found Minako dead she walked down the stairs because she knew she had to confess to being Mastermind. If the otehrs hadn't set it up, she would've immediately come forward, because the realization was that if she had said something during the first vote Minako would still be alive.
"...I missed you... t-thank you so much, for being there."
Initially, Rune thought Minako was kind but. Very loud, which was part of why he was so reluctant to befriend her, as his ears are so sensitive that it made him a bit a wary around her.
He was finally able to call her something akin to a friend after she followed him to the theater after Koyomi's death. Even though he regrets giving her the cold shoulder at that time, he was truly thankful for the fact that she even followed him at that time, that she didn't just leave after hearing him crying in there alone.
And he was never able to really express how much it actually meant to him.
Rune never really registered how important Minako was until she was gone. She was always so kind and supportive of seemingly everyone that he never imagined the game would take her, and when she was gone, he realized that there were an incredible amount of things he never voiced that he really should have.
"You reminded me a lot of Kaoru-kun, and… a little bit of myself, too. I... I apologize I didn't find you earlier… perhaps then…!"
Sweet Minako, Saori liked you quiet a bit. I guess it helped that you looked a lot like Kaoru in the size department, but there was an undeniable light that came from you that Saori adored. You had such a strong sense of friendship and hope and justice that Saori prayed you would make it out.
….
. .. WELL. .. she hoped that everyone would make it out, but maybe she was just a little bias in how much you reminded her of Kaoru, hahaha„
But, yes, the little kitten! I honestly think if they ever had an interaction they would have gotten along really well!!
