ENHYPEN

花吐き病 | NI-KI

ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈

The wind rustled through the trees as Y/N clutched your handkerchief, the delicate fabric stained with specks of red and tiny, wilting petals you had hidden for weeks. You had barely come to terms with what was happening to you. Hanahaki. You could hardly believe it. Yet, every time you thought of Ni-ki—his laugh, his absent-minded fiddling with his hoodie sleeves, the way his eyes sparkled with mischief—the flower petals would return, as relentless as the longing in your chest.

Y/N's breaths came in shallow puffs as you sat on the edge of the school rooftop, trying to hide the faint pink tint of a new petal in your mouth. Your crush had festered in silence for so long that your feelings, once sweet and straightforward, had transformed into something desperate that strangled you with each petal she expelled.

Unbeknownst to you, Ni-ki watched from a distance, his heart in knots as he saw the pain clouding your eyes. He felt as though he were drowning himself. Every stolen glance, every shared joke, and every laugh painted the truth in starker, unforgiving lines. Ni-ki knew he was in love with you. Deeply, achingly, hopelessly in love with you. But a voice was always whispering in his head, reminding him that someone like you could do much better than him. That someone like you deserved someone more put-together, someone less clumsy with words and emotions, someone not... him.

He clenched his fists at his sides, torn between his love for you and his belief that you were better off without him. But then, one afternoon, he saw it—the faint trail of red on the handkerchief peeking from your bag, the crushed petal clinging to its fibres. A chill ran down his spine, and he felt his stomach drop.

"Y/N," he said hesitantly, catching up to you in the school hallway. You turned, visibly startled, trying to smile but faltering under his intense gaze. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to ask, "Is something... are you okay?"

Your smile fell, and you bit your lip, avoiding his eyes. "It's nothing, Ni-ki. I'm fine." You forced yourself to look away, afraid he might notice the tremble in your hands.

But Ni-ki couldn't pretend any longer. His own heart screamed at him to do something, to bridge the gap he had convinced himself was insurmountable. "I saw the petal," he whispered, his voice tight. "I know about... the Hanahaki."

Y/N's face turned pale, the air thick with unsaid words. You felt exposed and vulnerable, the carefully constructed wall of denial you'd built around your heart crashing down around you. "Please, Ni-ki, don't..." you choked, bringing your hand to your mouth as you felt another petal scratching your throat.

She turned to run, her chest tight and lungs stinging, but Ni-ki reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "No, Y/N, wait," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. His eyes softened, the words tumbling from his lips faster than he could stop them. "You don't need to hide this from me. I... I know how it feels."

You blinked, your eyes widening. "What... what do you mean?"

Ni-ki swallowed, his heart thudding wildly. "I know how it feels to... love someone without being able to tell them. To be so close yet feel like I'll never be good enough. But Y/N, you—" His voice faltered, his fears catching up. "You deserve someone better than me. Someone who... who deserves to love you."

"Ni-ki, you—" you began, your voice thick, but he shook his head, looking away.

"You could have anyone, Y/N. Someone who doesn't get tongue-tied, someone who doesn't always mess things up," he whispered, his gaze fixed on the ground as if he couldn't bear to look at you. "But I'm here, and I can't ignore it anymore. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me."

Silence stretched between them as Y/N felt your chest tighten, another petal slipping from your lips. You looked at him, your eyes shimmering. "Ni-ki, do you... do you think I'd want anyone else?"

His eyes met yours, vast and vulnerable, almost boyish in intensity. You took his hand, your fingers gentle as they intertwined with his. "Ni-ki, I've only ever wanted you. That's why the flowers started in the first place. Because I thought you'd never look at me that way."

The weight of your words sank into him slowly, as if he were afraid to believe them, afraid to reach for something so precious only for it to slip through his fingers. But then he felt it—your fingers squeezing his hand, grounding him in the reality of your confession.

And in that moment, something in him broke. The fear, the doubt, the self-imposed distance all crumbled away, leaving only the raw, undeniable truth: he loved you—more than he had allowed himself to admit.

"Y/N," he murmured, voice breaking, his hand rising to cup your cheek. His thumb brushed away a stray tear, lingering there as he looked at you with all the tenderness he'd kept hidden for so long. "I love you. I've loved you for so long that I forgot what it felt like not to."

At his words, the ache in Y/N's chest began to subside, the tightening in your lungs loosening until you could breathe again. You let out a soft, tearful laugh, relief flooding through you as you felt the flowers recede, the petals no longer clawing at your throat. It was as if his love had gently washed them away, leaving you whole again.

You leaned into his touch, closing your eyes. "Then stay with me. Don't hold back anymore."

He nodded, his forehead pressed against yours, their breaths mingling as the world around them faded. It was a promise, unspoken yet understood in how his fingers laced with yours, grounding you in his embrace.

At that moment, the pain of unrequited love became a memory, replaced by a love that had been there all along, waiting patiently to bloom. 

ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈

Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings.

ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈ ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ᴖ̈

If you liked my story, clicking the little below star, adding comments, and to your library/reading lists are greatly appreciated! Thank u!

©lufaviself, all work is written by me, do not copy or repost.

Check out my Tumblr account @hazelira!!