Chapter Text
Maki knew what hanahaki was. How could she not? It was one of those things that followed everyone during their childhood; stories told at sleepovers of what kind of flower their crush would probably be; horror tales at campfires of people murdering the objects of their unrequited love. The disease was never explicitly explained at school or anything. It was just common knowledge.
So on the morning that Maki felt a strange tingle in her throat during class, her stomach dropped. The sensation in her throat was unfamiliar and yet…she recognized it. Those stories always described it the same way. As she excused herself to go to the bathroom and ran down the hallway, she thought of those descriptions.
It all starts with a little tingle at the back of your throat. It’s something like a cough, though it feels more like you’ve swallowed toxic gas. You might feel the flutters of petals at the root of your tongue like something is trying to fly its way out of your body.
Of course, the best way to know if you have hanahaki is the flowers. Once you see those bloodied petals you’ve hacked up, it’s all over.
Maki grasped at her neck as she burst into the girl’s bathroom. Empty, thank god. She staggered slightly as she went to the furthest cubicle and slammed the door behind her. It was no issue getting her to her knees – they collapsed beneath her without effort. Then, she lay her hands on her thighs, straightened her back, and waited.
She knew that this would happen. She knew it. Her eyes squeezed shut as she willed her trembling body to calm down.
Breathe in…Breathe out… Ordering herself to breathe usually worked. Before she had numbed to the idea of assassinating others, she would do exactly this to steel her nerves. If breathing slowly worked to calm her down before killing someone, it would surely work for her now, wouldn’t it?
The flowers in her lungs begged to differ. With a fury, they squeezed her chest, forcing her to hack up the petals clogging her windpipe. The force of her coughs threw her head towards the toilet bowl. She couldn’t even see what petals she had coughed up at first; the pain was just too overwhelming for her to even open her eyes. It took coughing for what seemed an eternity before the vicious flowers made a temporary retreat.
Maki gasped for air. Then, wiping away the cold sweat that coated her forehead, she slowly leaned towards the toilet bowl to look at the petals.
…Of course. What else could they have been?
They were purple, just like his hair and his eyes.
Little white spots dotted them, like the stars he so admired.
Maki stared. And stared. Then, a throaty chuckle erupted from her raw, bloodied throat.
Of course she would cough up literal purple space flowers for Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars.
~~
“Yo, Maki Roll! We’re over here!”
Cleaning herself up after the coughing fit took more time than she imagined. By the time Maki was able to make herself look presentable, the bell had gone, and everyone had left for lunch. At the cafeteria, she spotted Kaito after he had called out for her.
Maki walked steadily towards his flower-purple eyes with the determination of an assassin. There was no way she would reveal that something was wrong with her. Doing so would mean Kaito would find out about her true feelings for him. The thought of that ever happening was enough to make Maki feel sick, to feel the tickling at the back of her throat once more.
If she really wanted to feel better, she would avoid Kaito entirely. The research Maki desperately read through last night showed that Hanahaki attacks tripled in frequency when you’re around the object of your unrequited affection.
In other words, it would be best for Maki’s health to stay away from Kaito. To break things off and never talk to him again.
But how could she? The thought of losing his friendship was enough to make her feel sick, even sicker than the hanahaki made her.
Fuck it, she thought. If I die, I die.
So, she sat down at the cafeteria table. Kaito grinned at her in welcome. With a start, Maki realized that Shuichi was there too, waving at her. She nodded silently to both.
“Hey, what’s with the cold shoulder? Something wrong?”
Five seconds in and already Kaito was suspicious. Maki flicked her eyes towards the floor.
“I’m fine.”
Knowing that this was likely all the information Maki would give, Kaito shrugged slightly and dug into his food. “If you say so! Just know that we’re here for you if something is wrong.” He looked back up at her, smiling with his teeth smeared with the sandwich he’d been eating. “You’re my sidekick, y’know! Your problems are my problems. And as a hero, it’s my duty to help others like you!”
Maki smirked a little. “Don’t talk with your mouth open, idiot.” He made a moan of protest, to which Maki rolled her eyes. Shuichi chuckled to himself. The three of them then relaxed into their usual friendly atmosphere. Maki felt herself grow calmer in the presence of her friends. Everything was back to normal.
Or so she hoped. As if to reject her wish for normalcy, petals began to swarm in her throat yet again. Maki’s eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth. She tightened her neck muscles in an attempt to hold back the damned flowers.
Not now…Not now…Maki gulped, then thrust her food tray away as she suddenly stood up. Kaito and Shuichi jumped a little in their seats.
“Eh? What gives, Maki Roll?” Kaito tilted his head, confusion and concern clouding his eyes. His as-purple-as-a-hanahaki-flower eyes. Gazing into them was just too much; Maki covered her mouth to smother her coughs as she wordlessly sprinted back to the bathroom. The burn in her throat was so overwhelming that she could barely hear Kaito’s shouts for her.
~~
Kaito stood up from his seat at the cafeteria table, eyes wide with worry.
“Wait up, lemme help you Ma—”
“Kaito.” The astronaut whirled around to see Shuichi grabbing onto his arm.
“What are you doing!? She needs my help!” Kaito shrugged off Shuichi’s grip, only for the detective to grab him again.
“Kaito, please, listen to me! I know what’s wrong with Maki!” Shuichi’s eyes were so filled with despair that Kaito felt all the urgency in him begin to simmer. Something was wrong, that he knew for sure, but Shuichi seemed to know more about it than he did. His sidekick was much more observant than he was, though he’d never admit that aloud. Kaito sighed, then flumped back onto the seat.
“Fine. But you got exactly a minute to tell me what’s goin’ on before I go after her.”
Shuichi sadly chuckled. “At least you’re listening. But…” The detective turned to face Kaito straight-on, his expression filled with grim determination. “You can’t help her. In fact, you’re the last person who should be around her right now.”
“Huh???” Kaito flushed with anger as his hands balled into fists. “Don’t be an idiot, Shuichi! Why can’t I help her? I always do!”
Shuichi’s face fell. His sigh was shaky. “I know you want to help her, but you can’t. She…” He gulped. “…She has hanahaki.”
Kaito stared at him. And stared.
“…Huh? Hanahaki? Maki Roll?”
“Unfortunately, that does seem to be the case. She exhibits all the symptoms.” Shuichi covered his mouth, deep in thought. “She walked a little strangely, for example. Hanahaki sufferers tend to wobble a little when they walk due to a weakened sense of balance. When she ran away just now, she seemed even more off-balance.”
“B-But that could be anything, not just Hanahaki!” Kaito couldn’t believe it. He adamantly refused to.
Shuichi went on. “Then there was her voice. It was far raspier than usual as if her throat was exceptionally sore. This is also a common symptom of hanahaki.”
“But—”
“And finally, there was her coughing. Did you see how she covered her mouth before she ran away? She tried to hide it, but she was definitely coughing in a way that’s undoubtedly symptomatic of this disease.” Shuichi’s eyes glazed with deep, fearful concern. “I’ve interviewed witnesses and suspects with this condition before, Kaito. I know hanahaki when I see it.”
A heavy silence fell between them. Kaito gripped his knees, blindly staring at the table.
How could this have happened? Shuichi was rarely ever wrong, and everything he said made sense. Kaito had noticed those symptoms too, even before lunch. In fact, he had noticed something was wrong for a few months now. He just didn’t – couldn’t - conclude it was hanahaki. Because how could it happen to Maki Roll of all people!? Maki Roll, the most loveable girl in the universe. Maki Roll, whose heart was so guarded that to be given any love at all from her would be unbelievably precious.
Maki Roll…what kind of idiot wouldn’t requite her love!?
Kaito slammed his palms on the table, startling Shuichi. He gritted his teeth in fury. “If she does have hanahaki…” He growled, “I’m gonna help her, Shuichi. I’m gonna find the fucking bastard who doesn’t love her. I’m gonna save her, no matter what.” And with that, Kaito sped out of the cafeteria, his tunnel-visioned focus leaving Shuichi calling after him in the dust.