Chapter Text
(1)
Kuya started coughing flower petals.
He doesn’t know how it happened when it started to happen, but he knows why. It’s kinda ironic to think a powerful fox yokai like him would get this type of disease, but here he is.
Hanahaki is a type of disease that makes one vomit flower petals due to unrequited love. Out of anyone, out of any type of sickness, Kuya is experiencing hanahaki. There’s only one way to “cure” hanahaki, which is for the one you fell in love with to return your feelings wholeheartedly.
Now that Kuya thinks about it, it doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal if he’s done for. Not that it matters anyway, he has lived such a long, dull life, maybe this disease is what he needs to be free finally. Would be such a shame to not be able to witness the young master’s face when he saw the news though. “Would he be sad? Would he cry? Would he feel shameful that this annoying fox eventually disappeared from his life?” Kuya thought to himself. If that day were to come, which Kuya bet would come pretty soon, it would be a shame to not tease the young master about it.
Fox yokai knew from his early days that he shouldn’t have fallen for the young master. The naive, foolish, short-lived young master who always does stupid things to entertain him. Knowing that young master could never give his heart to Kuya wholeheartedly because of other clan members’ existence, Kuya wished multiple times that he could just move on and treat young master like an essence provider, nothing more, nothing less. Ironically, feelings are never in one’s control, not even for fox yokai. Kuya felt like a moth flying to flames, knowing the flame could end it but the warmth was too nice to look away, and eventually, it had to pay the price.
Young master, dearest young master, walked into Kuya’s life unexpectedly and changed his whole life. Even when called a fraud, he didn’t back down and even tried to save the same yokai who tried to kill him earlier. Sometimes Kuya doesn’t know if Eiden is just stupid or naive. Either way, that’s how Eiden slowly walked into Kuya’s life. Kuya doesn’t like talking about his past, cause everything seems to be dull and every day is the same, but Eiden finds the excitement in Kuya’s boring life. Without a doubt, young master indeed knows how to please and entertain the fox yokai. Even when at his most vulnerable, Eiden knows how to take care of the fox yokai. Kuya falls deeper and deeper, he knew he shouldn’t, but if he could control “love” is it even “love” anymore?
Kuya cannot seem to catch a break with all these feelings tightening his chest. Kuya stood in his foxtail garden, trying to force a bunch of daffodils admix with blood to leave his throat. The redness of blood is as galling as Kuya’s situation at the moment. Daffodils, the flower of spring, the flower that marks the end of winter are now marking the end of fox yokai’s long life. If anything, foxtail without any proper meaning, seems to be more suitable for Kuya. Would it be selfish for Kuya to hope after he’s gone, younger would remember him every time he sees foxtail? Maybe yes, maybe not, only Eiden would have the answer to that. Eiden is the answer to the majority of things in Kuya’s life, even now, he’s the one holding the key that determines Kuya’s life and death; not that he needs to burden such responsibility. As much as he loves terrorizing Eiden, he wants to be selfish and ignore the fact that these flower petals can take his life anytime.
(2)
“Kuya? What are you doing? You haven’t been visiting us at Aster’s mansion at all!” Eiden stopped by so early in the morning.
Kuya smiled and greeted his beloved young master. Eiden looks as bright as he normally is, with a dazzling smile on his face. Funny how young master is always full of energy and is capable of bringing joy everywhere he goes. Sometimes the fox yokai questions if that’s just Eiden’s charm or if he has a special ability to make everyone around him fall for him. The way Eiden’s eyes sparkle when he calls “Kuya” too, normally would make Kuya’s heart soften but now all he feels is his tightening chest and the petals lumping in his throat, asking to be pushed out to show his “love.”
Despite loving to get Eiden’s attention, using sickness and stupid flower petals isn’t a good option to grasp the young master’s attention. Kuya wonders how long he could keep this secret from his beloved young master. How much time does he have before the daffodil roots grow fully in his chest, around his heart, and eventually take his life?
“I’m planning to leave for a while.” - leave you, leave our relationship behind, leave the life that I longed for my entire life with you.
Eiden is curious, he doesn’t understand why fox yokai is leaving so suddenly. There hasn’t been any occurring issue around Klein, though he knows if he tries to pressure Kuya into answering, Kuya would be angry. It took Eiden so long for fox yokai to open up to him, ever since the fox yokai let Eiden into his life, they have been inseparable. The duo moon hasn’t returned since last time, so it’s extremely strange for the fox yokai to leave like this. Eiden knows Kuya loves exploring and getting new excitement the most, and he’s been one of Kuya’s “favourite toys” but now the fox yokai is planning to leave?! What happened to spend nights together? What happened to their plans?! Eiden thought he had gotten to know Kuya more through the past few years, but looking at Kuya at this moment gave him an illusion as if they went back to mystical banquet. The time when they haven’t bonded all that well, and seeing Kuya’s past expression through the kaleidoscope. He looks as upset and disappointed as he is at this moment.
Eiden tries to get an answer about Kuya’s plans, but the fox yokai is best at hiding his intentions and plans. If he doesn’t wish to speak, barely anyone could get any information out of Kuya.
Kuya put a snow globe in Eiden’s palm.
“You have my kaleidoscope young master; might as well take this snow globe. I put a spell on it, you could see my illusion through this snow globe. I won’t be back for a while - don’t cry to old friend for missing me too much heh.”
Oh young master, would you believe it if this fox yokai tells you that after all those jokes of leaving, he is truly leaving this time around. Kuya has too high of an ego to admit that he’s trying to hide and distance himself from Eiden. Perhaps, distancing oneself will do both of us good. Kuya won’t be vomiting daffodils and Eiden wouldn’t know his beloved fox yokai is reaching the end of his days for the same foolish thing he always seems to despise called “affection.”