花吐き病

fin.

"hanahaki disease; an illness born from one-sided love, where the patient coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. the infection can be removed through surgery, but the feelings disappear along with the petals.

it had been noted that this disease is fatal as the flower petals can clog up the lungs."

----

It all started with a dull ache in Daehyun's chest.

The male didn't think too much of it. Perhaps he was just exhausted? Or maybe strained a muscle in his chest? The pollen had begun floating in the air as of recent, so the vocalist concluded it was most likely allergies. Nothing to fret over. Once reaching the dorms, the young man took an allergy pill and felt the effects take over within minutes.

Yet, the ache didn't seem to subside.

A few days later, it began to gradually increase. Slowly. It came to a point where Daehyun rubbed his chest in discomfort. While the ache was still there, it was bearable. Himchan seemed to take note of the vocalist's discomfort and approached him.

"Everything alright?" Himchan asked in concern.

"Fine, hyung, just allergies." Daehyun replied, even giving the visual a small smile.

However, the visual didn't seemed convinced. "Tell me if it worsens, alright?" He said and Daehyun gave his head a nod.

As the boys were heading home from a showcase, Daehyun couldn't keep his eyes on a certain male, watching in fascination as he spoke quietly to Jongup. His voice, his smile, his cheeks, the way his eyes crinkled when smiling... it made Daehyun's heart pound painfully in his chest and clutched it. He wasn't falling in love, was he?

No, he was way past "falling in love", he was crashing and crashing hard.

And ever since then, the pain in his chest was slightly unbearable and it didn't help that whenever he so much as laid eyes on Youngjae, the pain worsened. In fact, this was just the start of this lovesickness.

The six of them were watching a movie, yet Daehyun couldn't help but direct his attention to the lead vocalist.

I want to kiss him...

Eyes widening, the young man was absolutely shocked at himself, but was quickly overcome with nausea. Getting up, Daehyun made sure to look as normal as humanly possible as he made way to the bathroom.

Locking in the door, the male leaned over the sink, taking deep breaths and to calm his nausea. It wasn't enough. For a moment, he was afraid he may vomit, but instead, he felt his throat being clogged and broke into a dreadful coughing fit, still hunched over the sink. Something did come from his mouth, however, but it wasn't anything he expected. Looking down in the sink, his eyes widen in absolute horror and backed up, covering his mouth with his palm. This wasn't possible, was it? Something is wrong, this is wrong. Unhuman. Fictional...

He had just coughed up yellow tulip petals.

-

Daehyun didn't get out of bed that morning, still mortified at the tulip petals. He didn't want to believe that he coughed up tulip petals, it's fictitious, dammit! Yet... he witnessed it last night and experienced it. So, the impossible can become possible, huh?

It didn't help at all that Youngjae was in his dream when he slipped into unconsciousness. Holding him, touching him... It was enough for Daehyun to awaken with an aching chest and coughing fits filled with yellow tulip petals. And just from the thought of Youngjae's smiling face alone made him break out into another coughing fit, petals spewing from his lips.