« high school au »
NO MATTER WHAT his doctor says, Saeyoung Choi wasn't having it. They ask the same, sickeningly annoying question over and over again, pestering him nonstop about his condition that was growing worse.
He sat on the same chair in the same doctor's office for the fifth time this month. His persistent doctor, Lisa Kang, eyed him like a parent scolding it's child.
"I'm telling you, Mr. Choi," she sighed, putting away her red pen that she'd been playing with for the last few minutes.
"If you don't undergo the surgery, you will die."
Saeyoung bore a tired sigh. He was about to respond when he coughed out the same flower petals he'd been coughing for a few months already.
"I'm telling you as well," he said, "that I am not going to undergo surgery for the fifth fucking time."
Lisa Kang picked on her eyebrows in frustration. She was trying her best to keep her composure, and not lose it in front of her suffering, insisting patient.
"Why don't you want to take the surgery, Mr. Choi?" She asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Why do you insist on suffering this curable disease?"
Saeyoung was silent. Not because he didn't know the reason why — in fact, it was quite the opposite of that. But he wasn't sure if he could muster to say it amidst the pain he felt in his lungs.
But if he wanted to keep his nosy doctor away from his business, he'd have to make things clear between the two of them.
He cleared his throat, coughing a few times in the process before he could take in enough air to talk.
"Because I want to be there if she changes her mind." He croaked, averting his teary gaze from the doctor's view.
Lisa's eyes widened at his answer. "You really love her that much, huh?" She asked in a quiet tone, unable to protest against the vermilion-haired lad in front of her anymore.
Saeyoung nodded. "I'm willing to suffer just for her."
His doctor could only bear a defeated sigh as a response. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled her phone number on it.
"Here," she mumbled, sliding the piece of paper towards Saeyoung. "That's my phone number in case you need anything."
"The telephones in this shitty hospital is rigged. Therefore, I can only contact you through your phone." She explained, noticing the lad's confused look.
Without another word, Saeyoung walked out of the doctor's office, and out of the hospital, finally away from the doctor's repetitive questions.
***
Saeyoung's condition worsened over time, up to the point that he was bedridden. It was a good thing he lived in a dorm with a few of his good friends, meaning that there was someone who could take care of him.
The pain of unrequited love pains Saeyoung even more than the pain of coughing out flower petals. He could feel his heart pang every time the thought of the girl he loved with all his heart fall into someone else's arms.
Everyday, it was hard for Saeyoung to breathe. The bed he slept in was covered in petals, and whenever a gust of wind rushes by, it goes all over the place, making cleaning for his mess tiresome for his roommates.
It wasn't long until he coughed up blood red petals. It was getting worse and a lot more painful. But he was not going to give in. He was willing to suffer waiting for her, and maybe even die if there really was no chance for him anymore. Either way, he'll pass away happy without any regrets.
***
His time was almost up. He was coughing entire cherry blossoms that were tainted with the color of his blood. He had entered the final stage of the disease.
He became a lot more weak and fragile than before. He couldn't speak, or make anything more than an inaudible groan.
His breathing was shallow, and the beating of his heart slowed down as he neared the end of his road.
All of his roommates stopped going to school for the rest of the week, knowing well enough that Saeyoung didn't want to die alone during the day.
They all circled around him with small, apologetic smiles, and sad teary eyes. They tried to smile and keep the atmosphere positive, even if their hearts were slowly breaking as their friend slowly died in his own bed.
"Everything will be fine, man," one of his friends mumbled reassuringly, wiping a stray tear away.
Everyone's attention quickly turned towards the door. It swung open violently, and in stepped (Y/N), with tears flowing down her cheeks.
She made a beeline towards Saeyoung, who was also surprised.
"Saeyoung..." she croaked, her soft sobs filling the empty silence of the room. "I'm so sorry!"
Saeyoung was ready to let the last bit of life left inside of him go, when the pain in his lungs suddenly stopped.
It stopped, Saeyoung thought, surprised. The pain stopped.
It could only mean one thing. The struggle to breathe stopped all at once, and at last, he took a huge gasp of air.
His eyes flew wide open, feeling the pumping of his heart turn back to normal. He slowly sat down on his bed and faced (Y/N) with a weak smile.
"Thank you, (Y/N)." He says, pulling her into a tight hug, followed after by tears.
"Thank you for returning your feelings to me."
Hanaki Disease - a disease wherein the victim of unrequited love coughs up flower petals until the feeling is returned.
