unrequited {blasnique hanahaki au}

day iv

Here's a brief run down of my day so far: Whole body in pain, stuffy nose of trickling mucus, and sore throat wringing my esophagus. I won't be surprised if my lungs probably have a humongous balled up mucus in it that makes coughing a pain-in-the-ass task.

My refusal to be babied by my parents stomped my health, triumphing my untouchable pride. As the family's eldest sibling, I shall take the title of the coolest Kuya to the grave and decide to lock myself up in my room.

I coughed hard and loud, inhaling so much. But no god-awful mucus expelled from my throat, instead it was soft, like silk. Weird. It landed on my palms. Looking at it, my eyes meet its bloodshot color, encapsulated in such a delicate shape. My eyes widened and my whole body froze. I shook my head and stared at my hands again, blinking. That thing is still there, pear shaped and red. Did this really come from my-?

Clutching my chest, more coughs grabbed me by the throat. The soft silk caressed my tongue and flew out from my mouth like blowing dust, then my gazed fell on my bare toes, red everywhere.

—

"Is this some kind of prank you're scheming with Unique?"

"I'm telling you the truth, Zild!"

"I mean Hanahaki disease? Are you for real? That only exists on the internet."

"I KNOW THAT, and I'm just as confused as you do!"

"If you're really not scheming with Unique, you tell him first!"

I scratched my head like a mad dog. Apparently, my brief search on the internet with my unusual cough symptoms pointed to every fanfiction writer's wet dream, and of course, it clearly freaked me out, autopiloting myself to call my close friend Zild.

Biting hard on my lips, my thumb rammed the small camera button, and a few rings later, my phone presented Zild's fair face. I saw my disgustingly pale face and bagged eyes on the corner and before Zild could open his mouth, I coughed, petals slid out from my mouth and flew towards the camera.

"Oh my god." Zild brought his hand on his mouth. "You guys are really stepping up on another level for this prank, huh?"

"ZILD!" My face dropped and I wanted to strangle him, wishing my arms could come out from his phone and just choke him. "JUST GET YOUR ASS IN HERE PLEASE."

My throat tightened more than before, more coughs, and more petals came out, pouring on my phone. I clutched my throat and my burning chest, letting my phone fall from my grasp and bounce on the floor. My OWN lungs are trying to choke me with these damn petals.

"Oh SHIT!" cursed Zild as he heard my painful coughs. "Shane had told me about this stuff but damn—and wait!—does this mean that you got some unrequited love shit on someone?"

Another reason to ignite my strangling urges to Zild. Like seriously, I'm obviously coughing my lungs out here and can't talk right now, dumbass!

"OKAY, FINE, BLASTER, I'M COMING OVER."

Relief rushed in me as the phone call ended. My coughing settled and I wiped the tears that welled in my eyes.

On the floor, the petals crowded, staring back at me of its redness and mocking me as I had to clean up these little fuckers. Before starting its cleaning, I sent a quick text to Zild to walk through my window with detailed explanation.

My mom eventually came knocking on my door after hearing that one helluva coughing session, and no way in hell I'd tell her about this. She insisted on helping, but I kept turning her down and assured her I'm alright. I did try to ask her to occasionally bring me water, food, and medicine.

—

The whole time either Zild stared at me with widened eyes as I cough or scrolled through his phone when I caught him staring.

"Geez, I still can't believe it." Zild massaged his palms on his closed eyes.

Zild threw ideas to me of who I possibly like, and

out of desperation, we stalked my facebook account friends just to hunt for my "unrequited love."

"This is bullshit. How embarrassing that even ME could have this CRAP!" I tossed on my bed after moving away from the overheating laptop off my lap.

Hanahaki disease? I can't believe it! I got jackshit ideas on who I even "like," and it would cost my life

"How about we call Unique? He could have some ideas."

"Nope, not him!"

"Oh yeah, he called me sometime ago, complaining about you."

"About that, I never let him in 'cause of that chickenpox before."

"Dude, this is not some typical 'spreadable' disease you have here."

"You are still not calling him," I deadpanned, "And isn't there, like, an alternative way to cure this?"

"Hmm..Surgery? Fat chance. Prolly nonexistent hanahaki doctors, and even if we POSSIBLY had one, consider the price, your parents' conse-"

"Stop, Stop, Stop," I shook my head, cringing upon hearing 'parents.'

"If you really wanna get help, we have to ask others." Zild looked me into the eye and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I'll be calling Badj, and UNIQUE."

"Ok, I'm good with you calling Badj since he's one of my best buds, but again-"

"He's like your best friend, right? But why do you care so much of him com-"Halfway on his sentence, Zild closed his mouth. His eyes lit up as if a light bulb dinged in his head.

"Zild?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That's it.." he murmured, his grip tightening on my shoulders. "Blaster." He pulled me closer to his face, and my head naturally pulls away. "Have you ever considered yourself to be, y'know, gay?"

I bolted up from my bed, stung by that headache but managed to endure it. The blankets around me unraveled to the floor. I let out a laugh, a nervous one. "You mean Like liking dudes?"

"I thought about it." Zild smiled and nodded his head. "Maybe...it could be Unique."