Chapter Text
Cough
Whenever Jin Mori looks at the older raven-haired male, he would cough and feel a little spark of pain from it or something slithering out of his throat.
He doesn’t know why he starts coughing suddenly. He doesn’t have any clue about it at all.
Completely clueless.
The spiky-haired male tells himself that everything is going to be fine but it isn’t.
It is his gateway to the neverending hell.
“ Hey, Mori. “
The spiky-haired stopped drinking his orange smoothie and looked at Mira who’s sipping her coffee while scrolling on her phone.
“ What? “
Mira looked up from her phone and placed her coffee cup on the table, almost violently. Well, he isn’t surprised about it since Mira is the strongest woman he has encountered in his life.
“ Ilpyo texts me that he wants us to hang out together sometime “
Mori found it rare because Ilpyo rarely hangs out with them after the Ragnarok.
“ Cool! I don’t mind it at all “
The brunette answered immediately without thinking, beaming as if he's the sun itself. Mira covered her eyes dramatically and groaned out annoyingly before texting back to Ilpyo.
Mori wondered why Ilpyo asked Mira instead of him...
The itchy feeling in his throat started occurring again as the spiky-haired male coughed against his fist violently as if his lungs are going to come out of his body through his mouth. His body's shaking back and forth.
" Mori? Are you okay? "
Mira asked concerningly since it's pretty weird for Mori to be sick like this. The said man waved his hand as the answer instead of talking, still coughing violently. Some people in the cafe started looking at both of them after Mori hasn't stopped coughing yet.
After a little while, Mori stopped coughing as the pain in his throat disappeared without any trace. Like wind.
" Mori, I think you should go home and take some rest, or else I am going to haul your ass back to your home right fucking now. "
Mori nodded obediently after he had heard Mira's words. He still remembers the searing pain on his back from the last time Mira carried him to his home. He doesn't want to taste it again in his life for sure.
" Okay okay... Well then, See you later and text me about when we are going to hang out again. Okay? "
Mira didn't say anything and took a sip of her coffee, glancing at Mori with a murdering look in her eyes. The spiky-haired could feel a chill running on his spine from Mira's threatening aura. After that, he excused himself and left the cafe immediately.
While he was on his way to his home, he wondered what had happened to him in the past few days... Everything is like a blur when he tries to think about his coughing symptom... He's sure that he hadn't eaten or taken anything weird except for his usual orange smoothie and banana.
Mori stopped thinking about it and changed the topic in his mind to something else.
He tried not to think that the abnormalities in his body come from the specific person that he's going to meet in his next hangout with Mira and Daewi...
After he has taken some rest, Mori noticed that he couldn't feel the itchy yet painful feeling in his throat any more. As if his body becomes normal once again.
The spiky-haired tried to find the cause of his coughing but ended as nothing came up in his mind. He couldn't find the source of the unknown symptom at all as if it is a delusion that his mind had created on its own.
Mira texted to him that they would meet up at Mori's house the next Saturday and the host doesn't mind it at all, instead, he feels so happy that they are going to either play or do something with each other again. Especially with the older raven-haired male, Mori couldn't wait for the next Saturday to come.
Mori coughed softly against his fist but it isn't that much violent and painful than how he was with Mira... The spiky-haired male told himself that he must be allergic to something or maybe he caught a cold.
Little did he know that it had nothing to do with allergies... it is something with a warm feeling in his heart.
Their hangout seems to be so well if Mori didn't go unconscious and coughed until his throat bled.
At first, everything was normal. Mira and Daewi came to the spiky-haired male's house first and three of them started doing something either horrible and fascinating ( In Mira's view ) at the same time, Such as Mira's satanic creation or her cooking.
Mori barely tasted her food and acted as if he's fine with the taste of her food. He tried to seek help from Daewi but the black-haired male only looked away from him and mumbled apologies under his breath. The spiky-haired male swore to himself that one day he will take his revenge on his friends, he is so fucking sure about it.
" Guys, I gotta take a dump "
Mori excused himself and rushed to the bathroom immediately, ignoring Mira's question about how her food tastes. He threw up with a loud sound coming from his throat.
Maybe Mira heard him throw up and he didn't even think if Mira is going to be angry with him or not since her food is so goddamn bad to the point that he would rather eat a spoiled banana instead of her food.
He doesn't know how much time he had been exhausted and stayed in the bathroom, he heard Mira and Daewi's conversation faintly from the living room.
" What do you mean that Ilpyo couldn't come? "
" I don't know! He just texted me that he couldn't come and I don't fucking know it! "
Ilpyo couldn't come... ? Although I have been waiting to hang out with him for so long...?
Itchy.
Itchy feelings in his throat started occurring again and he could feel something slithering and screeching his throat, trying to come out of his lungs. This time's more painful than usual to the point that he could feel the colorless tears started forming at the corner of his eyes.
Mori started coughing violently as he's holding onto the toilet sink as if it is his lifeline. The red-colored liquid splattered on the white sink and its scent is like an iron scent.
His consciousness was turning into white color and his vision became blurred... He didn't even notice that there're something came out of his body and it's coated in blood, but its bright yellow color caught his attention even his consciousness is fading.
Flower...?
Then he blacked out and couldn't feel anything anymore.
Both Mira and Daewi heard something from the bathroom and they know that it must come from their friend or Mori who's occupying the bathroom for almost 5 minutes now.
After the brown-haired girl told the black-haired male that Ilpyo couldn't come for some unknown reasons, they noticed Mori's coughing sound from the bathroom and both of them thought that the spiky-haired male is going to be fine since he's so goddamn tough even Daewi couldn't defeat him with his newfound power.
" Hey Mori! Are you okay? "
Mira shouted from the living room while her hands still holding PlayStation's controller, in the middle of the game between her and Daewi.
She expected some replies from the spiky-haired male but there's none.
" Mori! Answer me if you're okay or not! "
Still, No answer from the said man.
This time, Mira placed her controller and headed to the bathroom. Hoping that Mori's setting a prank on her since he always shouting or doing something as a sign to tell them he's fine.
" Mori? "
Mira knocked on the bathroom door gently, trying not to break it with her force.
But still, No reply from Mori.
" Mori? Answer me, This isn't funny anymore "
Daewi took a peek and paused his game, walking to where Mira was. The brown-haired girl's face went pale and almost broke the doorknob when she tried to bust it.
" MORI! JUST FUCKING ANSWER ME! "
Now Mira couldn't be calm anymore when Mori didn't reply to her. Something must have happened to the spiky-haired male behind that door and there's only one solution for this situation.
Break the fucking door and find out what happened.
Mira knows that Mori won’t appreciate what she is going to do but she doesn’t have any way left for her to find out what happened. The crash sound startled Daewi slightly. The door crumbled into pieces and he knows that the spiky-haired male is going to snap with the mess they have made.
What Mira sees right now is a surprise as well as a shock to herself. Mori was there, curled himself into a ball, a stain of blood could be seen on his clothes as well as blood-covered petals scattering on the bathroom floor messily.
" Daewi, Call the fucking emergency right fucking now "
The black-haired doesn't even know what happened but he did what Mira asked him already right after Mira broke Mori's bathroom door. Meanwhile, the brown-haired girl was shaking Mori's body, trying to wake the spiky-haired male up but it's completely useless.
Mori has no sign showing that he is going to wake up soon. After Mira realized that the spiky-haired male isn’t going to wake up, she carried him to the living room immediately and rushed past the black-haired male.
The black-haired male could only watch Mira stormed past him with his friend in her arms, he doesn’t have any clue about what had happened in the bathroom… He took a peek at the bathroom, the sink almost covered in blood as the trail of red liquid could be seen.
Daewi's eyes caught something strange... or the blood-coated yellow flower petals that come out of nowhere. He's sure that Mori doesn't have any flowers in his house so why is it here?
Maybe he needs to ask Mori when he wakes up...
‘ Oh… Jaechoendaesong… ‘
He doesn’t know where he is right now… he doesn’t have any clue about what had happened. There’s a woman whom he doesn’t know sitting next to him.
“ Huh? Where am I? “
He got no answer from the woman. She doesn’t lay a glance at him and only mumbling something under her breath.
‘ You have no clue of what happening to you… but you’ll know it sooner or later… soon… and you’ll know how painful love is… ‘
Then she disappeared and left him behind.
“ What? “
‘ Now… It’s time for you to wake up… time for you to face the reality… Jaechoendaesong ‘
The beeping sound could be heard and it’s so annoying for the spiky-haired male. Mori couldn’t focus on where he is. All he knows right now are only bright white light which’s hurting his eyes and that annoying beeping sound in his ears.
His body’s heavy as a lead and the numbing headache could feel… he feels like he’s high on drugs or something… maybe medicine?
“ Where… am I? “
After he had said those words with a raspy voice, the sudden pain in his throat attacked him suddenly. Something warm is seeping out of his body and fulfilling his throat torturously slowly. Somehow… It feels like all of his energy is drained away from his body.
He didn’t even notice that Mira and Daewi were there because his vision is way too blurry…
“ Mori? You finally wake up! “
Mira jumped from her seat and rushed to where Mori is. Daewi slowly got up from his seat and went to where both his girlfriend and his friend are.
“ ...Mira? What happened to me? And where am I? “
That’s the very first question Mori asked Mira, he doesn’t even know what had happened to himself before he ended up here. The brown-haired girl sighed out heavily and answered his question.
“ You collapsed in your bathroom. We’re at the hospital right now “
Mira explained to Mori clearly while Daewi was still staring at him with a doubtful look on his face. Mori isn’t surprised about it at all when Mira said it. He’s surprised that his head didn’t hit the sink because he’s sure that he was holding onto the sink and he went unconscious right there.
“ Oh I see… Haha… Sorry for making you guys worry “
Mori chuckled softly, ignoring the jabbing pain in his throat as if it isn’t big deal at all. After that, the sudden pain attacked him in the guts as he coughed heavily and the droplet of blood escaped his lips.
“ Oh… “
The spiky-haired male felt like something is out of its place when he stared at his palm which is covered in blood slightly. Mira sighed heavily and almost threw a tissue pack at Mori. Luckily that Mori caught it or else the hospital’s window is going to be broken by Mira’s uncontrollable force.
After he wiped his blood from his palm, Daewi still giving him that skeptical look as if he had done something terribly wrong…
“ Daewi? What’s the matter? “
Mori asked the black-haired male casually and threw the blood-stained tissue paper into the bin precisely, expecting for Daewi’s answer. But it seems like Daewi isn’t in a mood to answer him right now.
“ Nothing. “
Daewi avoided answering Mori’s question since he couldn’t clear the thought in his mind about those yellow petals that he found in Mori’s bathroom… It must be something important to his friend’s sickness. Daewi thought to himself and looked away from the spiky-haired male.
Mori wondered what’s on Daewi’s mind… he seems to be… doubtful? Mori couldn’t describe it in words but he knows that something is on the black-haired male.
Luckily that Mira brought some bananas for him since he’s so starving to the point that he thought his stomach is bleeding inside.
While he’s eating his food, the doctor came and asked both Mira and Daewi to go out first. Of course, Mira and Daewi walked out of the room and informed Mori that both of them are going to find something to eat.
“ So… Sir Jin Mori? “
Mori nodded as the answer since he’s busying eating his food and he couldn’t talk to his doctor right now.
“ It seems like you went unconscious because of the injuries in your throat. For some unknown reasons, there are a lot of cuts in there as if something had screeched your inside… “
“ We had examined your injuries while you were unconscious, it seems like some parts of your lungs are severely injured too. Have you done something weird or started doing something that affected your breathing systems? Such as taking cigarettes? “
Mori shook his head and threw a banana peel into the bin next to his bed. He’s certain that he hadn’t done something like taking cigarettes… or doing some drugs. There’s no way he would do such things.
“ So I shall take that as a no… Well, perhaps… do you remember anything that had happened before you went unconscious? “
The spiky-haired male touched his chin as he tried to recalled what had happened back then… He remembers that he was coughing heavily and violently until his throat bled, and there’s something escaped from his lips too…
“ I coughed heavily… and there’s something came out of my mouth along with blood… “
Something with a bright yellow color that coated in his blood…
“ Ah, it seems like petals came out of my body “
“ Mori, This is bullshit “
Mira came back with a cup of latte in her hands as well as a box of donuts which Mori is truly appreciated. Now, his mouth is fully stuffed with it.
“ Mm Mm “
A muffled voice could be heard by the brown-haired girl and it pissed Mira off so much that she sent a murdering glare to her friend.
“ Mori, This is fucking serious! Why are you so goddamn carefree?! The doctor doesn’t even know what illness you having right fucking now and you might die from it! “
Mira slammed a table furiously. Mori thought that it might be broken and he knows that couldn’t pay for it since he doesn’t have enough money to afford it. Luckily that it seems to be strong enough to handle Mira’s strength.
“ It’s fine haha.. as if I’m going to die soon or anything “
The spiky-haired male shrugged and kept eating his strawberry donuts deliciously, ignoring Mira’s cursing and scolding about him. Meanwhile, Daewi was lost in thought with something on the phone screen.
“ At least the doctor told me that I could go home today! So can you calm down for a bit? Mira? “
Mori could see hot steaming fog coming out of Mira with how angry she is right now. The looks on her face could make a little kid cry pitifully since it is so frightening to the point that it sent a shiver running down his spine.
“ AS IF!! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!! “
Mira grabbed the donut box that placed on the table ( Luckily that she and Daewi finished eating it ) and threw it at the spiky-haired male’s face violently and precisely. Then she stormed out of the room furiously. Mori wondered if a little kid who’s going to walk past her is going to cry or not with that scary look on her face.
“ She’s worried about you, so don’t mind her Mori “
Daewi said, taking a sip of his black coffee and scrolling his phone screen casually as if something he is currently doing right now isn’t serious at all.
“ Yeah… I know haha “
He knows that Mira cares for both him and Daewi truly after what they had been through. Fighting tournament… Saving the world as high school students. She’s probably the first woman in this life who’s honest with him.
Mori drank a cup of orange smoothie that Mira had bought for him before she rushed out of the room. After that, Daewi looked up from his phone and said to the spiky-haired male normally.
“ Anyway, Ilpyo is going to visit you soon “
“ Huh? “
Mori stopped drinking his smoothie and looking at the black-haired male with a surprised look on his face.
“ Yep, Ilpyo is going to visit you soon “
Daewi deadpanned and played his phone once again, ignoring the dumb look that Mori’s currently giving him right now.
“ I see “
After that, Mori focused on eating his donuts once again. Ignoring the aching pain in his heart that comes from nowhere. He doesn’t know why he feels like this when somebody mentions Ilpyo… He could feel his chest become tighten when the raven-haired male’s face popped in his mind…
He kept telling himself that it has nothing to do with Ilpyo, even though it is a lie to himself and he doesn’t realize it yet.
To be honest, Ilpyo was shocked by the news that Mori is in the hospital right now. The raven-haired male didn’t even expect that the mighty monkey king could be sick to the point that he needs to stay in the hospital for a while…
He wondered what kind of sickness could harm Mori? After he has known Mori for almost 3 years, he didn’t even see the spiky-haired male become sick for once until now.
“ Seungah, I’ll be back soon “
Ilpyo said and grabbed his black coat, putting it on and ignoring the noise from the living room that probably comes from the television which Seungah currently watching by now.
“ Okay, See you later then “
After that, he left his house and headed to the hospital where Mori’s currently admitting in. While on his way, he visited the flower shop and bought a yellow flower bouquet without knowing its meaning.
A beautiful marigold bouquet means despair.
To who?
Probably the one’s suffering from the sickness right now.
“ Hey! Ilpyo! “
Mori waved his hand when Ilpyo walked into the room where he has been staying for quite a while now. The raven-haired male gave the spiky-haired male a warm smile as always before putting a bouquet in his hold on the table next to Daewi.
“ I told you to call big brother Ilpyo… Mori “
The spiky-haired male’s lips curled into a frown when he heard it, making Ilpyo chuckle softly and ruffling his spiky hair messily and playfully.
“ I don’t want to do it and stop playing with my hair! “
Ilpyo grinned and didn’t stop playing with Mori’s hair although Mori doesn’t like it pretty much. Meanwhile, both of them didn’t know that Daewi was observing both of them.
If Mori has the sickness I guess… Maybe it is going to show its symptoms by now…
Daewi thought to himself while glancing between his phone and the duo over there. The happy and lively atmosphere in the room made the black-haired male feel slightly uncomfortable since his mind is worried about Mori’s sickness for a while now.
The spiky-haired male didn’t notice Daewi’s stare as if he’s blind to the attention he gets right now. When he realized something that he wants to ask the older male for quite a while now, he stopped his protesting and looked into Ilpyo’s dark blue eyes innocently.
“ Ilpyo! Why didn’t you come to hang out with us? Mira told me that you could come… “
Ilpyo stopped playing with Mori’s hair and looked at the spiky-haired male blankly as if he has nothing in his mind at all. Well… He told Mira that he could hang out with them but he didn’t expect that his special someone might take him somewhere at that time…
“ Ah… I suddenly had a date at that time… sorry “
After he heard those words, Mori felt like his world crumbling down slowly and something inside him broke into million pieces.
Date? Huh?
Mori could feel the disappointment and something bitter in his guts… He hasn’t had this feeling for once in this life… Luckily, that he could stop himself from showing the disappointment on his face and pretending as if he’s fine.
“ Oh, I see… Well… I don’t mind it at all haha- “
Before he could finish his words, the sudden pain in his throat started occurring once again, making him cough violently against his fist. His body’s shaking back and forth while the tears forming at the corner of his eyes. He felt something’s screeching his insides once again and trying to make its way out of his body.
His inside is burning as if somebody had put a fire inside it. It hurts so badly, more than the fight between himself and Satan or the aftereffect of the Limiter Removal.
Something is slithering and trying to leave his body. It’s aching and hurting so much… His body curled into a ball and he’s currently hugging himself. Wishing that it could soothe the pain slightly even though it does not affect or help him at all
Fortunately that the nurses and doctors rushed to his side immediately, something left his mouth and stained the bedsheet messily as Mori could feel his consciousness slipping away suddenly. Much to Daewi and Ilpyo's calm personality at that moment.
Then he blacked out and couldn't feel anything.
Both Ilpyo and Daewi saw what happened even in the blink of an eye, like how the flashlight from the camera does. Mori started coughing heavily without any sign beforehand and something left Mori's body swiftly.
Before the nurses and doctors rushed to Mori's side and almost blocked the sight completely, Daewi saw something on the bedsheet along with the red crimson blood.
Beautiful flower petals which are coated in blood were there along with the shock of the doctors.
" What on earth...? "
One of the doctors picked it up from the bedsheet gently, it still coated in both blood and saliva but he didn't feel disgusted about it at all. But instead, he is...curious and excited about it? Daewi opened his phone and went back to his browsing history, opening the topic that he had seen and re-reading it once again.
Hanahaki Disease is a disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love.
It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies.
It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear.
" What the fuck... You gotta be kidding me... "
Daewi shook his head and re-read it again for the third time. He couldn't believe it and he must be hallucinated or something... Yeah... He must be if he didn't smell that iron scent from where Mori was and the petals were still there.
" What the...? "
Meanwhile, Ilpyo froze in the place where he has been standing and shocked by the scene in front of him. He couldn't believe what he had seen.
" What the fuck is this? Did patience cough up petals? What in the actual fuck? "
One of the doctors cursed out loudly. Daewi understands that if he had seen it for the first time, he would have been surprised by it and reacted like how the doctor did.
" Hanahaki Disease... "
Daewi said under his breath but it couldn't escape Ilpyo's sense. The raven-haired male turned his attention from Mori to the black-haired male who's currently standing and leaning on the wall behind him. Ilpyo had heard it before and he couldn't believe it.
" What? Don't tell me that... Mori has that disease? "
Ilpyo shakily asked Daewi... He knows the end of the victim who has it.
Either death or couldn't feel love anymore.
" Maybe... But the symptoms are... "
The black-haired male couldn't say it anymore as he bit his lips in frustration. Ilpyo who already knew it sighed heavily and put his palm over his forehead, could feel the stress started creeping up in his guts.
" Yeah... Normally, I wouldn't believe it if borrowed power and the gods didn't exist but now... I couldn't do anything and believe it... huh? "
Ilpyo sighed heavily again and tried to reduce the heavy tension between him and Daewi, ignoring the doctor's question that almost stormed over them.
Even if they know what kind of Disease the spiky-haired male has, they couldn't find a way to save Mori safely... until they know who Mori loves... But when?
Even Mori doesn't know who he loves...
Maybe the way to save the spiky-haired male doesn't exist...
Luckily, Mori woke up early after the doctors had treated him and tried to find out what is going on with his body. But in the end, they accept Daewi's guessing about the spiky-haired male's disease as ' Hanahaki Disease ' and Mori is probably the first victim of this disease.
" Those flowers came out of me because of my unrequited love? "
Mori asked the doctor who's responsible for his case. She nodded slowly and kept staring at him with a skeptical look in her eyes, observing him thoroughly. The spiky-haired male felt weird when those gazes were focused on him as if he's some kind of lab rat even though he's in his personal room by now.
" Sir Jin Mori, Can I ask you some questions? "
There's nobody in the room except for Mori and his personal doctor right now. The spiky-haired male nodded and took a sip of water to soothe the pain in his throat.
" Do you know who you fell in love with? "
Fortunately that there's only him and the doctor or else everyone would have seen him choked on his water and coughed heavily. Mori's brown eyes widened like an owl's with an expression that could be described as ' What? '
" Excuse me? "
" Who do you love? "
This time, the doctor shortened her words but it couldn't stop the spiky-haired male from being shocked over this question. He doesn't know why it has something to do with his love interest... to be honest, he doesn't have anyone in his mind. He isn't interested in any kind of romantic relationship at all.
" Uh... No? If you ask about a romantic one "
Mori sheepishly said it and took a sip of his water again, trying to hide his embarrassment after his previous action is kinda rude in his view. The doctor sighed heavily and placed her papers on the table. This time, she stared into the spiky-haired male's eyes as if she's currently trying to find the answer from her patience.
" Sir Jin Mori. We couldn't help you if you don't realize your own feelings. In other words, you're going to either die or get the surgery if it keeps on like this. "
The chill came after it and ran on his spines slowly, made his body shivered slightly. When the idea of death came up into his mind, the picture of his beloved in the previous life popped in his mind as her body dying slowly in his embrace.
But this time, it wouldn't be her and it would be him instead.
Filling up with the flowers along with the blood that overflowed out of his stone-cold dead body.
Mori didn't say anything. He kept looking at the glass in his palm as he tightened his grip on it, sighed heavily and answered her with lies filling up in his guts.
" I will try to realize it "
Even though I don't know what love is...