A dinosaur-filled island was not a good place to fall in love. But as Yasmina tries to navigate the life she and the others now live, vines and leaves choke her for the air she needs to breathe.
Yasmina felt her chest tighten as the tart flavor of hibiscus hit her tongue. She coughed up petals as they fell out of her mouth. She caught some in her palm. As she studied the petals, she saw that some were as crimson as blood, and some were a soft pink color like the sunset. The girl knew she had Hanahaki, the disease of unrequited or one-sided love, but she never told anyone, especially the one she loved.
The others looked at her as she started to have a coughing fit. It wasn't like her to brush them off when she was hurting or sick, especially Sammy, who the athlete had connected with the most. It hurt to distance herself from the Texan, but that was what she felt necessary to protect herself from a fake relationship. They form when the object of the person affected with Hanahaki's affection is not in love with them but says they are to save them from a horrible death that would take the person; otherwise, it is how the seeds of Hanahaki spread.
Yasmina kept herself calm as the coughing fit settled down into a few short gasps for air. As she rubbed her sore chest, Sammy's hazel brown eyes looked at her in silent worry, the look she gave the athlete hurt her to the core. The glint of care that made the athlete fall in love with her was almost gone from the farmer's eyes, and it was replaced bit by bit by hurt and sadness.
(A few days later)
Yasmina felt the roots of the hibiscus plant growing in her chest burrow deeper into her lungs, causing pain to flood her as she collapsed onto her knees, groaning in pain.
Gasps turned into coughs as a whole hibiscus flower came tumbling out her mouth when she thought she was alone. But she didn't notice a particular pink-haired blogger looking into the girl's bunk who had her hand over her mouth as she watched the athlete cough up more flower petals.
Brooklynn knew Yasmina was acting weird, but she didn't know what caused the behavior to switch as she was heading on a scavenging expedition with Ben and Kenji. She heard groans and coughing come from the girl's bunk. Brooklynn entered the room and saw the blood-soaked pink hibiscus flower on the floor.
"Yaz, are you okay?" The pinkette asked as the athlete started to calm the pain in her chest. "No. I'm coughing up fucking flowers again! All because I let myself fall in love again. Now I can't get the surgery to remove them." The brunette replied as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Brooklynn dropped her head in pity for the athlete going through hell with no one to help her.
Yasmina felt as if she was alone for years, having to suffer from Hanahaki once before, but now she is suffering more than she did two years ago. Alexis was her first love, and she coughed up cherry blossoms for it. And she had to get the surgery due to the pain it caused her.
