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When Hana darted from their lunch table as soon as Fuyumi sat down, she couldn’t help but feel hurt. She stared after her friend, sadness welling in her heart. It seemed as though Hana had been avoiding her for the past week. She would make excuses to leave the conversations or go to the bathroom, or something, just to get away whenever Fuyumi was near.
It broke her heart, They’d been friends since childhood, but now Hana was never around. Had she done something to make her friend angry?
Fuyumi hadn’t realized she’d furrowed her eyebrows until Touya reached over and poked her forehead, bringing her out of her thoughts.
Touya nodded in the direction Hana had fled. “Go check on her. I can hear you overthinking over Keigo’s squawking.”
“Hey!” Keigo shouted, but Fuyumi just nodded to her brother and stood up, heading in the direction Hana had left.
Fuyumi found Hana in a bathroom stall. For a moment, she thought that she really was just overthinking, and she should turn back. Then, she heard a choked sob.
She rushed to the only occupied stall and placed a hand on the door gently, wishing she could reach out and comfort Hana.
:”Hana? Are you alright? I was worried when y-” She was cut off by Hana speaking.
:Just- Go away. I’m fine. Stop acting like you care!” Her voice was tense, and hoarse. Her words tore at Fuyumi’s heart. Did she really think Fuyumi didn’t care?
“What? What do you mean? Of course I care, Hana. You’re my best friend.” She sounded desperate. And maybe she was. Desperate to comfort Hana, desperate to tell her that she does care, desperate to have her best friend back.
“Just leave-” A cough interrupted Hana. It was guttural and sounded painful, as if there was something caught in her throat.
Worry took hold over Fuyumi. “Hana, no. I’m not leaving you like this. Please, let me help.”
Another cough echoed through the empty bathrooms. Fuyumi rested her head against the door. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.”
Hana stayed silent, until another cough tore out of her lungs. Fear spiker through Fuyumi, maybe she really had done something to upset Hana.
She listened as the cough turned into another, and watched as a single, blood-speckled flower rolled from under the door. It left a small, sticky, red trail in its wake.
A snowdrop.
She stared at the flower in horror, flowers and sickness. Of course, everyone knew about Hanahaki, but it was rare. And it had the possibility of being deadly. A million emotions clashed through her bloodstream. Did Hana have Hanahaki? Who did she have it for? How bad was it? Was Fuyumi going to lose her best friend over some stupid crush?
“Hana-” Fuyumi started, the word quiet, and the rest of them got stuck in her throat.
“You. You’re the problem.” Hana said, her voice sounding wrecked. Fuyumi’s heart sped up. “Fuyumi, I love. And that’s the problem. That’s why these stupid flowers are trying to kill me, and it’s fine, because I know you’ll never feel the same way. I’m reminded every time that a boy comes up to you with stupid presents and pretty words.” Her words were rushed and they struck something in Fuyumi’s chest.
Staring down at the tiny, delicate flower on the floor she thought that the specks of blood made it look like her hair. A snowdrop. A winter flower. Fuyu and Hana. Of course.
Her voice was quiet and soft when she spoke, “Hana, let me in.”
Fuyumi heard Hana sniff and move to unlock the door. She pushed it open to see Hana sitting on the floor, cheeks streaked with tears, and bloodied flowers scattered around her. Scattered, like the flowers left on graves, as if they were already inviting Hana to an early grave.
She pushed the flowers aside with her foot as she sat across from Hana. She picked up a single flower and inspected it. Hana watched her.
Fuyumi smiled sadly and looked up, meeting her friend’s gaze. She set the flower down and leaned closer to Hana, their faces now a few inches apart.
Their breath paused before Fuyumi closed the rest of the gap that separated them.
Fuyumi felt Hana rest her fingertips lightly on her cheek, smearing a drop of blood there. Hana’s lips tasted like blood, tears, and something so Hana that Fuyumi couldn’t put a name on it. It made her heart soar, and filled her chest with something warm and comfortable.
They broke away, but Fuyumi pressed her head to Hana’s.
“But those boys- and the- the-” Hana stopped herself, tears welling in her eyes.
“There’s a reason I never said anything but. ‘Thanks’ to them.” Fuyumi let a small smile slip, almost amused at how Hana was trying to push away something she wanted.
“But- why?”
Fuyumi let her eyelid drop as her smile grew slightly. “Because the only person I hoped to hear the pretty words from was my best friend.” She opened her eyes and pulled back, leaving a few inches of space between them. She searches Hana’s eyes for something- she wasn’t sure exactly what.
Hana smiled and- oh, there it is, her favorite look from Hana. “Which words?” She asked. Fuyumi didn’t need the look in her eyes to know that she knew exactly what Fuyumi meant.
“I love you.”
Hana laughed softly, wiping at her eyes. She dropped her hand into her lap, where Fuyumi’s own hand found it.
Fuyumi stood up, pulling Hana with her. “Come on, we should clean these flowers up and go back to lunch, We have history together next.” She nudged a tiny snowdrop with her foot while Hana looked up at her, an expression on her face that told Fuyumi that she wouldn’t have to worry about Hana avoiding her anymore.