withering bloom | TXT

4 | loneliness.

        [THE DISEASE(S) MENTIONED ARE
           FICTIONAL AND IT IS NOT REAL!!]

taehyun, with a secret hidden

TAEHYUN didn't think twice before telling the other three exactly what precautions they should take with beomgyu and what they had witnessed not too long ago.

taehyun had always been bright, even from his childhood. as a young child, he would know what to do if a family member or friend would have a reaction or a sickness.

but this time, taehyun was unsure what beomgyu had, but he couldn't waste time. after seeing what happened, he admitted beomgyu to the hospital with the three other boys.

they all crowded around beomgyu's hospital door, as taehyun paced around the empty hallway, his hands crossed around his chest, constantly rubbing his eyes to keep him awake. the other three boys were fast asleep, as the time had passed 2 in the morning.

the reason taehyun had been significantly more anxious about beomgyu's condition was for the situation that happened to himself when he was younger.

taehyun suffered from hanahaki disease when he was younger, the disease from an unrequited love, the lover would begin to cough up the petals and flowers of a flowering plant growing in his lungs, making it impossible to breathe if not treated. he had loved somebody, but she ended up only causing him pain with the disease. he would cough and vomit up flowers every once in a while, before doing a life or death surgery to get rid of the disease.

but taehyun was sure that what beomgyu had was not hanahaki disease. beomgyu didn't have the same situation or the same reaction that taehyun had.

taehyun refused to tell anybody about his hanahaki disease. even though it has gone away, he was still traumatized.

he spent most of his life in the hospital, leaving him to be lonelier than most people at his young age. he sulked everyday and was relieved to be released from the hospital after three consecutive years.

his hanahaki disease was painful to him, he was relieved it was over. but it didn't end the traumatizing hospital nights or the lonely moments he would spend by himself. in the last year that taehyun was still suffering, he had met those four friends, his home. these four were all he had.

flashback

"TAEHYUN!!" they all screamed, running to his hospital bed. they took chairs and sat next to him, talking nonstop.

"the teacher kept asking about you, we told her you were in the hospital though, don't worry." beomgyu smiled brightly at taehyun, who was only ten years old, but still struggling.

"I FORGOT TO TELL YOU!" soobin yelled out to taehyun "look, my tooth is wiggling! it's going to fall out super soon!" taehyun laughed, as soobin showed it off to the rest of them.

"soobin, we know, you showed us all day" hueningkai rolled his eyes, jokingly, stretching out his words and faking a yawn to pretend he's annoyed.

"by the way," yeonjun starts, pulling his chair closer to the rest of them "what do you have anyways? i mean, why have you been in the hospital for so long?"

"i-i told you already. my dog keeps coughing on me and i got sick from him" taehyun rolled his eyes at the fake dog he had made up. they were only ten at the time, it made sense to them.

in his defense, what was he supposed to tell them? it's not like he can just say he has hanahaki disease. they were so young and gullible.

"it's okay though! they're doing surgery on me today and i'll be out and better than ever in no time!" taehyun smiled at them all, as the nurse began to tell the rest of them to leave the hospital room.

"bye taehyun, see you soon!!" soobin yelled, as they all waved at him goodbye, leaving him alone.

end of flashback

taehyun returned back to reality as he heard the door open from behind him; beomgyu's hospital room. taehyun nudged the three sleeping boys as a doctor came out of the hospital room.

the three of the sleeping boys didn't hesitate to stand up, as the female nurse began to speak about beomgyu's condition.

"it's nothing like we've ever seen before. you said he coughed up flowers?"

the four of them nodded, as hueningkai pulled out the flowers that he saw beomgyu cough on the sidewalk, the nurse giving him a soft smile of gratitude.

"well one thing's for sure, it's a rare case." she handed the four of them beomgyu's x-rays of his lungs. "it's not hanahaki disease, there's a different type of flower growing inside of him."

the four of them give her a puzzled look, handing back the x-rays.

"what do you think it could be?" soobin said kindly, as he crossed his arms, showing that he's ready for whatever answer may be thrown at him.

there was a long and paused silence as they all stood, waiting for what the next step is. the woman continues, as if she were completely ignoring their question purposefully:

"the four of you are welcome to see him, he's discharged. we'll let him go, but if he ever has a reaction like that again, send him here." the woman gave a warm smile as she walks away, signaling she'll be back.

they twist the door knob as they step their feet inside, careful not to make any noise. it was only beomgyu in the room, but he was fast asleep. nobody knew when he would be awake again.

all of their eyes fall onto beomgyu's sleeping stature, as they all feel pity as a part of their hearts break. it wasn't their fault what happened. right?

that was what they thought of course.

with beomgyu's oxygen mask on, because of its clear figure, his mouth was still visible. there were petals that continued to come out of his mouth, along with the bright color of yellow that surrounded it.

his hand still clutched yellow petals in his hand as he laid peacefully, resting.

   if only you knew why i kept this secret so hidden
               why i kept this illness so hidden,
                why i would always keep quiet,
              was so that i could keep you four.