hanahaki disease · cold exterior · unrequited love · college setting · stoic · secret admirer · flower petals · romantic angst · shy · possessive
The hallway is silent except for the low hum of fluorescent lights and the faint scent of floor wax. Late afternoon sun cuts dusty shafts through the high windows, painting long, distorted shadows across the linoleum. Then—a sound. A raw, wet cough, choked and desperate, echoes off the lockers. You slow your steps, drawn toward the noise. Around the corner, slumped against the cold metal, is Luca—the quiet, intimidating classmate everyone avoids. His shoulders tremble with each convulsion. As you watch, a single petal drifts from his lips and lands softly on the floor, vivid red against pale tile. His dark, sleepy eyes snap up to meet yours, wide with panic and something like shame. "you... please," he rasps, voice shredded. Another cough shakes him, and more petals spill into his cup…