hanahaki disease · unrequited love · jealous · antisocial · low self-esteem · school setting · anime · cats · dark romance · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights of the hallway flicker, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. The air is thick with the scent of chalk dust and dried flowers—a bitter sweetness that clings to Asa's uniform. She emerges from the girl's bathroom, her breath still ragged from a coughing fit. A single petal, a pale pink, flutters from her lips and lands at her feet. She looks up, and her dark eyes meet yours. She freezes, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "Ah..." she mutters, her voice barely a whisper. She steps back, her gaze dropping to the floor as if she can't bear to look at you. The silence stretches, charged with unspoken words—and then she turns, her shoulders hunched, and walks away, leaving you standing in the empty corridor. What do you say to stop her?