Josuke had heard about it hundreds of times on the news. Reports from all over the world about people of all ages contracting the rare "love sickness" that was seemingly incurable. Its fatality was reported to be 70% of all who are affected by it. It was no big deal to Jouske though, it was so rare that he would probably never even see a case of it in real life. It was also known to only affect those who are suffering from an unrequited love, luckily Josuke had never been in love before. He didn't plan on falling for anyone anytime soon. At least that's what he thought...
Okuyasu Nijimura... The fellow stand user that just happened to find his way to the small town of Morio. Who had once been an enemy but soon became a dear friend to Josuke. A friend. That's all he was supposed to be, but things don't always work out the way you think they will. Over the course of only a few weeks, Jouske could feel something between them change. He found himself looking at his best friend's lips longer than he knew he should have been and want to spend more and more of his time with him. It wasn't right, and Josuke knew it so he did his best to convince himself it was just his imagination. Pretending these feelings never really existed.
It worked quite well. Denying his feelings for his best friend and living life as normal. At least, he thought it had worked, till the morning he woke up in a coughing fit. His pillow covered in blood and small clumps of something. He sat in bed coughing into the disgusting pillow trying not to wake his mother while he waited for the coughing to subside. When he finally was able to catch his breath he got up and quickly ran to the bathroom. He could barely recognize himself in the mirror. Half his face was caked with blood and small bits of something, dark circles lined his tired eyes against his pale face. There was suddenly a sharp pain in his chest as he started another coughing fit he could feel something large blocking up his windpipe as he desperately tried to cough it up. It burned so badly as his lungs screamed for air. He was only a few seconds away from passing out when he was finally able to cough up the obstruction into the sink. Hot tears stained his cheeks and blurred his vision as he tried to hold himself up against the sink. In his mind he already knew what was happening, he didn't want to accept it. He finally gathered up the courage to look down into the sink hoping to dispell his worst fears. What he saw only caused him more pain, sitting in the sink was a single bloodied purple aster flower. Okuyasu's flower... Josuke's body shook with gut-wrenching sobs as he fell to the bathroom floor and curled himself into a ball, allowing himself to have this last moment of vulnerability. He lay there on the cold bathroom tile till dawn sobbing, coughing and crying. Once the first few rays of light shone through the window he started to compose himself. Getting up slowly and washing his face clean, he picked up the small purple flower and placed it in his pocket for safekeeping.
In his room, he got dressed for the day and quickly cleaned the blood from his pillows and sheets using his stand. Leaving no trace of the events that transpired that night. Josuke had made up his mind. No one would know about this. He finished up his room and headed for the door. A quick stop on his way out the door to kiss his mom before leaving for the day. The day went by as usual aside from Jouskes frequent trips to the bathroom to cough in private, keeping every flower he coughed up in a small pocket on his coat. His skin grew paler and his eyes looked more and more tired as the day went on. Had it been anyone else they probably would have noticed. Not Okuyasu, the loveable idiot who Jouske was glad to see so oblivious to his worsening condition.
It went on like this for days. Each day Josuke got weaker and weaker as he denied anything was wrong. The coughing fits getting worse every time. His collection of aster flowers growing rapidly. There was always more blood to come up. It was at Tonio's during lunch with Okuyasu that it finally happened. Josuke had stood up for only a second before collapsing to the floor too weak to even catch himself, a loud crack resonated through the restaurant when he hit the floor as several of his ribs broke. He was suddenly surrounded by people asking him questions and trying to help him as his body shuddered and spasmed while he choked. It was too late there was no hope for him. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was a sobbing Okuyasu cradling him in his arms with something pink falling from the corner of his mouth.
Josuke Higashikata is pronounced dead at 2:05 pm in Tonio's Italian restaurant. Cause of death: Lovesick (Hanahaki Disease)
The town of Morio has never been so silent. The news of Josukes passing has spread quickly and there isn't a single person who hasn't been affected. Preparations for a funeral are quickly made and everyone helps out. Tomoko is a wreck and Joseph was on the first plane to Japan when he heard the news, he had to be there to support her. Koichi and Yukako spent their days together trying to hold each other together. There were no smiles or happiness in the town anymore. Its as if it died with Jouske and didn't seem to look like it'd be back anytime soon. There was only one thing missing, no one had seen Okuyasu since the day in Tonio's. Everyone seemed to agree that he probably needed his space.
Only a week later it was finally the day everyone had been dreading. The funeral made it feel so much more real. As expected practically the entire town showed up, only Okuyasu was missing as the funeral began. The pain and grief were thick in the air. strangers held each other for comfort not caring who was who. By the time Okuyasu finally showed up everyone was already seated, he didn't care though. His face was swollen from crying and ever so pale. He made his way down the aisle to the front of the church and stopped at the casket staring down inside. Josuke was as beautiful as ever dressed in a suit that fit him perfectly. Okuyasu couldn't help himself as he caressed the strong jawline tears pouring down his face as his fingers touched the cold skin. No one dared to try and stop him. Okuyasu let out a sudden scream, so raw and filled with agony and despair it physically shook the building. "Why? Why would you leave me?" he yelled and sobbed. Koichi stepped up and tried to pull Okuyasu back to no avail. "You idiot. You big dumb idiot, All I had was you!" He was shaking Josuke now screaming at him. His words suddenly caught in his throat as he began coughing, pink carnations spewing from his throat and lungs as he cried out. People rushed to his side to try to help but he was to far gone.
The carnations filled his airway and he was unable to breathe, it was over in seconds... His pulse was lost. There was nothing anyone could do. They buried them together, their graves covered with hundreds of purple aster and pink carnations. They were the light of Morio and it was only natural that they went out together.
