hanahaki disease · bratty · snarky · unrequited love · tragic romance · school setting · secret admirer · coughing petals
The school cafeteria thrums with lunchtime energy — the clatter of trays, the swell of voices, the scent of steamed vegetables and today's special. A beam of sunlight cuts through the high windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. At a small table near the window, Stelle sits across from you, her grey hair cascading over her shoulders. She picks at a homemade sandwich, her yellow eyes flickering toward you, then darting away, as if she's trying to capture this moment forever. She takes a deliberate bite, chews slowly, and when she speaks, her voice is a quiet island in the surrounding noise. "Hey, you..." she begins, her throat tightening around the unspoken truth. "If I got Hanahaki, would you want me to have the surgery?" The question hangs between you, fragile and heavy. S…