Carnation (Hanahaki AU)

7

'I'm so sorry but it's-'

.

The walk back home for Todoroki was anything but pleasant. His mind was like a whirlpool of emotion, occupying his thoughts as he made his way home. When he arrived, he almost didn't registered his sister telling him that dinner was ready. The boy was going to decline until his stomach let out a noise in protest, seeing this he decided to put his bag in his room before making his way down for dinner where his sister, Fuyumi, was waiting for him.

Dinner was quiet with Fuyumi being the one who initiated most of the conversation. Shoto kept quiet throughout dinner which wasn't unsual between the two siblings, and with their father having to come home late due to his work, the air was occupied with silence but calm atmosphere.

Shoto finished his dinner, it was delicious as always. He sipped his green tea, he was so deep in thought that he didn't heard his sister calling him until a hand came into view, snapping him out of his thought and startled him.

"Shoto, did something happened?" Fuyumi asked, her voice full of concern. She could feel that something was wrong. "You can tell me everything, you know that right?"

The boy looked away from Fuyumi's gaze.

Fuyumi bit her lower lip. She wanted to know what happened to Shoto to make him so out of it but at the same time she also wasn't willing to push the subject further if it made her brother uncomfortable. Fuyumi was about to give up and not push the subject until Shoto glanced at her, his eyes swirled with confusion. He swallowed his saliva.

"What would you do if someone tells you that they have a Hanahaki disease because of you?"

Fuyumi sucked in her breath: she wasn't expecting that, not one bit. She frowned.

"Well, it depends if I like that person or not," Fuyumi observed her little brother's reaction, Shoto looked down at his palm, deep in thought. "If I like this person, then I will return the same feelings. But if I don't, then I will tell them honestly."

Shoto looked up, his eyes slightly widen, "even if it will hurt them?"

"Yes, it will hurt them-" Fuyumi took a deep breath before starring straight at her sibling "-but it would hurt more to stay with them and lie to them about your feelings. It's unfair to both sides. Besides, I think the Hanahaki disease would still tell them whether the feelings are real or not."

Fuyumi's eyes soften as she watched her brother nodded, indicating that he understood what she said. Fuyumi smiled, "the disease is just a strange phenomenon for us after all. Some view them as nuisance but on the other hand, the disease also let you realise your feelings that you have for the person you love. Although, it can be heartbreaking if the person you love doesn't return your feelings, but it also let you finally have the courage to confess instead of continuing to secretly love the person without telling them."  Fuyumi bit her lower lip and took a deep breath.

"Shoto, do you have Hanahaki disease?"

Shoto shook his head. "No... but someone told me that they had the disease because of me..."

Fuyumi fought down the urge to gasp, now everything made more sense. "Do you like this person back?"

The boy paused. 

"I... No, I don't think I like her. Besides-" Shoto looked down at the tea in his hands, his reflection staring back "-she already got the flowers removed anyway. I just don't know what to do after she told me that she had the disease because of me."

"Then you do nothing."

Shoto lifted up his head and finally looked at his sister in surprise.

"You do nothing," Fuyumi repeated again in a firm voice. "If you are friends with her, then continued to be her friends. If you are not then just leave her be. There's nothing that you can do and she already got the flowers removed, so just continue as if nothing happened." Fuyumi sighed, "I understand that it can be awkward at first but, Shoto-" she looked directly at her brother "-this person, if she's your friend, then she will still be your friend. And she already got the flowers removed so she no longer has feelings for you, not to mention you also can't return the same feelings anyway."