Chapter Text
“Welcome to Wada Flower Shop. May I help you?” Mayuko looked up and greeted her first customer of the day.
Wow.
Today must be her lucky day because this customer was super handsome. A young man, probably in his mid-twenties. His hair and eyes were red, he wore a gray shirt that fit his figure just right, and the vibe he gave off was just so.. cool. He was perfect.
Oh no, Mayuko might be crushing a bit. She was just a high schooler but she was already eighteen! So if this gentleman didn’t mind-
Mayuko blushed. What the hell is she thinking?
“Sorry, is Wada-san around?” The man asked politely.
“I’m Wada,” Mayuko answered, still a little starstruck.
The man blinked, “Er..”
Mayuko gasped, flustered, “Oh you must mean my uncle! I’m so sorry, Sir! No, he is sick. Since yesterday. So, I’ve been covering for him.”
It was silent for a moment before the man chuckled, “I see. Okay then, the other Wada-san. Can I have a bouquet, please?”
The man was even more handsome when he smiled, Mayuko was in trouble, “Right away, Sir! Any special request?”
“No, just make it beautiful.”
Mayuko smiled, rolling up her sleeves, she was so going to impress him alright, “Leave it to me!”
Mayuko got to work immediately. As a part of a florist family, she had been handling flowers since she was a little girl. She was very confident in her ability. It was like, the number one thing she was proud of.
When it was all done, she gave the man the bouquet, smiling wide.
“Thanks,” The man nodded.
“Is this to your liking?”
The man just hummed, looking a little sad.
Oh no. The man didn’t like it, did he? Mayuko started to panic. This wouldn’t do. She just brought shame to the Wada family. What would her father say?
Before Mayuko could spiral any further, the man spoke again, “Yes, how much is it?”
Mayuko gulped, that was a lie, “You don’t like it, do you? I- I can try again, if you want.” She offered.
The man’s eyes widened slightly, seemingly not expecting the observation, “Sorry, I don’t mean to offend you but,” the man paused, hesitating, before he let out another chuckle, “I actually really hate flowers.”
Mayuko’s heart felt like it was getting stabbed.
“I despise them, in general. I can’t see past my hatred so I never find them beautiful. It got nothing to do with this particular bouquet.” The man smiled, clearly trying to be reassuring, “My boyfriend adores them though. Even though he probably shouldn’t,” he mumbled that last part to himself, before continuing, “So I’m sure he will love this.”
Mayuko found the whole statement heartbreaking but also kind of confusing? First of all, the man was taken, something that Mayuko didn’t even consider (it was dumb, in retrospect, the way she didn’t think about that, of course such a fine man was not single). Her heart shattered, as predicted, but hey, it was still a pretty good 15 minutes, delusional as it was.
And the last one, he apparently hated flowers and thought his boyfriend should too. What does that even mean?
“Why do you hate flowers?” Mayuko couldn’t help but ask. She hoped she wasn’t being too rude.
“Because they almost killed my boyfriend.” The man answered, smiling sadly.
10 years ago, summer
It was a fine Friday evening when the text that would change his life came in. He just finished with his practice of the day and was on his way to his dorm when his phone pinged.
Kuroko : Akashi-kun, for the meeting tomorrow, can you arrive 30 minutes early? I want to talk to you privately
Akashi looked at the text, frowning. Tomorrow was their scheduled monthly Teikou get-together and this was the first time Kuroko ever requested such a thing. He was very much intrigued, so he easily agreed.
When Kuroko finally arrived at Maji Burger, their usual meeting place, he immediately sat down opposite Akashi. Instead of exchanging their usual greetings, he asked, “Akashi-kun, can I ask you for a favor?”
Akashi observed Kuroko carefully, trying to figure out what was happening, and was surprised to find the usually expressionless Kuroko looked openly troubled.
“What kind of favor?”
Kuroko took a deep breath before answering, “Can you go on a date with Furihata-kun?”
Akashi blinked, not expecting that response at all, “Furihata-kun?”
“Yes, Furihata Kouki, Seirin point guard, number 12. You know him, right?”
Of course Akashi knew him. They talked on and off the court a few times. In fact, it was Akashi who usually initiated the conversation. Mainly because he wanted to change the impression. He knew Furihata was kind of scared of him.
Now that they were in their third year, Akashi could only say that he was partly successful. Furihata still blushed and stuttered around him, but it was definitely not that bad compared to, say, a year and a half ago.
“I know him, yes. Why do you want me to go on a date with him?”
“Because he likes you.”
Akashi’s eyes widened. What? That was unexpected. And kind of a big deal, right? Akashi needed a few seconds to process it.
In the end, he could only ask, “How come?”
Surprisingly, Kuroko scoffed, “I wish I knew.”
Akashi just stared at Kuroko for a long minute. For some reason, he looked bitter.
“Did he ask you to ask me?”
Kuroko shook his head, “No, never.”
Akashi squinted his eyes at Kuroko. He wondered what kind of state Furihata must be in for Kuroko to actually take the matter into his own hands.
Truth be told, Akashi never thought much about Furihata. He was just some acquaintance in basketball, and Akashi was definitely not interested in him in that way.
The image of Furihata pining over him to the point Kuroko couldn’t take it anymore suddenly came to mind, so he joked to lighten the mood,
“He is that desperate, huh?”
“Worse. He is dying.” Kuroko answered, deadpan and serious. He clearly didn’t appreciate the humorous tone Akashi was aiming for, “He got hanahaki and will die in 6 months if you don’t return his feelings.”
Akashi needed to grip the table to ground himself. He was shocked beyond words. All the words he was about to say died in his throat. He was rendered absolutely speechless.
“Ha- hanahaki?” He managed to stutter after a few minutes of silence.
“Yes,” Kuroko nodded, expression slowly changed to grief, “for some reason, in Furihata-kun’s case, the hanahaki spread so quickly to the point it was instantly on the last stage. It was too late to operate at this point. The chance of him dying on the operating table is close to 80 percent.”
Akashi gulped. Furihata got one of the rarest conditions imaginable. If he remembered correctly, the chance of someone getting hanahaki is one in fifty thousand. And it spread so quickly to the point of a small chance of survival? How unlucky he must be to be the one who experienced all of this.
Kuroko continued, “Even if by some miracle the operation was successful, he will lose most of his emotions. He will no longer feel anything. Just-” he choked up, “Just living. You know, like a robot. Because the hanahaki not only attacked his lungs but also his brain and heart.”
Suddenly, he felt like the worst person in the world to even attempt to joke in this situation. Granted, he didn’t know anything when he did that, but he still felt horrible. He should’ve never attempted to do it, when he knew he was never good at it in the first place.
“I’m sorry..” It was all Akashi could manage at the moment.
“Furihata-kun requested us not to tell anyone, especially you,” Kuroko said, dismissing his apology, “because he didn’t want to bother you with his feelings. Because he knew you don’t feel the same,” he paused, lips trembling, “he wanted to go quietly, and wished you never noticed. Even as far as preparing a lie for us to tell you, in the small chance you asked. He said, ‘Tell Akashi-kun or anyone who asked about me that I died suddenly in my sleep. Don’t make a big deal out of it.’”
Akashi bowed his head. That was the saddest string of words he’d ever heard in recent memory.
“He quit basketball because of this. Some days, he couldn’t even go to school.. I can’t-” Kuroko sniffled, “I can’t let him go without a fight. Even if it means breaking our promise. He is my dear friend. There’s just no way-” he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, clearly preventing the tears from spilling over, “Please help him, Akashi-kun.”
Akashi nodded without really thinking. For some reason, the thought of Furihata dying upset him greatly. He didn’t know how he could help, but he’d figure it out, “I’ll try. Give me his number.”
-
Akashi closed his book and sighed heavily. This was the first time in a long while that he had a hard time concentrating on his studies. His mind was full of the whole ‘Furihata got hanahaki’ thing.
He grabbed his phone and tapped on his contacts, looking at the newest addition in hesitation. To be able to help Furihata was to fall in love with him. Could he do it?
The thing was, Akashi didn’t know how it felt to be in love with someone. Romantic love was not something he was interested in. Sure he knew about the concept, in theory. Some of the books he read include this specific theme. He also saw how his non-single friends interacted with their partners. But since he never experienced it himself, it still felt.. abstract. He just couldn’t imagine it. Him being in love with someone.
Him being in love with someone he barely knew.
Regardless, he was willing to try. He was basically a blank canvas when it came to this sort of thing. If something actually came out of this, he didn’t mind. Furihata was likable enough, he supposed. It was going to be fine.
He tapped on the message icon and began composing a text.
Me : Hello Furihata-kun. This is Akashi. It’s been a while, isn’t it? Hope you’re doing well. Sorry if it seems sudden but I’m going to Tokyo next Sunday and wondering if you’re free on that day? There’s something I want to discuss with you. Is it possible for us to meet? Please let me know
Akashi sent the text and put his phone down. He felt a little anxious all of a sudden. In the end, he decided to do some research to kill the time while waiting for Furihata’s reply.
He opened his laptop and clicked on his browser. Then, he typed a question on the search engine.
How to fall in love quickly
The number one result was a love consultation website called ‘Love Doctor’. Akashi scoffed. He couldn’t believe such a thing actually existed. He was intrigued though and about to click on it before he heard a knock on his door.
“Seijuurou-sama,” It was Komuro, one of the maids.
Akashi closed his laptop and opened the door, “Yes?”
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Komuro bowed, “Your father is looking for you.”
Akashi sighed, what did his father want from him now?
“Where is he?”
“In his office.”
“Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”
Komuro bowed again and left.
Akashi went back to his desk to check on his phone. Still no reply. He rubbed his face with his hand, his anxiety returned. He then put his phone in his pocket, and left the room to meet his father.
-
As it turned out, his father just wanted to lecture him about the importance of staying on top since he noticed a slight dip in scores on his latest report card. Honestly though, talking about staying on top when he was still number one in the entire school? What kind of top was he even talking about? The old man just became more insufferable as he got older. Thankfully, Akashi learned not to take everything his father said to heart anymore. Life has been more peaceful since then.
When he arrived back at his room, he immediately lay on his bed and checked on his phone. This time there was a new message. From Furihata.
Furihata-kun : Hello, Akashi-kun. I’ve been well, thanks. I hope you are too. May I know what it is that you want to discuss?
Akashi hummed. Based on Kuroko’s story, Furihata actually seemed reluctant to have business with him. If he told Furihata what he wanted to discuss with him, he might not want to meet at all.
Also, he’s been well, huh? What a statement.
Me : I’ll tell you when we meet
Another fifteen minutes passed before Akashi got a reply.
Furihata-kun : Okay
Akashi sighed in relief. Thank god Furihata agreed to meet.
Me : I’ll be waiting at Maji Burger near Seirin around lunchtime
Furihata-kun : Okay
Me : Thanks. Have a good evening, Furihata-kun
Furihata-kun : You too
Ah, Akashi probably shouldn’t have ended the conversation so fast. Oh well, it was too late now. He was sure they would talk more when they met.
-
Akashi’s heart sank when he finally saw Furihata again. He wore a black shirt and a gray light jacket. He got a messenger bag with him. He looked so pale and thin, his cheeks slightly hollowed, his eyes dull. He almost looked like a different person. It was such a devastating sight.
Furihata nodded at him in greeting, his smile tight, “Did you uh.. wait long?”
Akashi shook his head, “Not at all. Please sit, Furihata-kun.”
Furihata then sat down opposite Akashi, not looking at him at all.
“Do you want something? Let me buy it for you,” Akashi offered.
“No- no, thanks. What is it that you uh.. want to discuss?” Furihata asked, still not looking at Akashi.
Akashi cleared his throat, “Right. So I was thinking. We’ve known each other for more than a year but I realized I don’t know much about you. And I’d like to know more.” He quickly said all the words he already rehearsed before.
“Oh..” Furihata mumbled before he blushed. It was honestly such a good feeling to see color on an otherwise pale face.
So Furihata still blushed and stuttered around him not because he was scared of Akashi but because of something else. Akashi wondered when it all changed.
“Um.. why do you want to know more about me.. suddenly?” Furihata asked shyly, “Are you maybe in- interested in me?”
Say yes, Akashi told himself. But somehow, he couldn’t. He stayed quiet, thinking hard of what to say which didn’t involve him lying. Also something that wouldn’t hurt Furihata’s feelings.
Akashi could literally see the gears turning in Furihata’s head in regard to Akashi’s silence. His shy expression vanished, his face now completely closed off, “.. Oh.”
That was definitely a different ‘oh’ than before. A bad kind of ‘oh’.
Furihata chuckled bitterly, “Right, how could I even entertain the idea-” he mumbled, “Who told you? Was it Kuroko?”
Akashi was conflicted but in the end, he nodded, “Yes. But-”
“Don’t listen to him, I’m fine,” Furihata waved his hand in dismissal, interrupting Akashi. He looked so troubled to the point he actually lost his stutter. A few seconds passed, then his expression changed again. He now gave Akashi the fakest smile Akashi had ever seen in a person, “It’s not that bad, so don’t worry about me- about the whole thing really.” Furihata started to stand up and once he did, he bowed and turned around.
Akashi caught Furihata’s wrist just when he was about to leave, “Wait, Furihata-kun,” Furihata stopped, but he didn’t turn back around, “I still have things I want to say. Questions I want to ask. Offers I want to make,” Akashi tightened his hold, “Can you please stay and listen to all of those before you leave?”
“No,” Furihata answered curtly, trying to break free.
Akashi let him go, and decided to execute another strategy, “I spent fifteen thousand yen on shinkansen just to meet you, you know,” he guilt-tripped Furihata. It was dirty but he really had no other choice.
It worked. Furihata instantly turned around, looking guilty.
“Sit,” Akashi doubled down, now giving Furihata an order, injecting a little bit of authority into his voice.
Furihata sat back down without question, his shoulders hunched, “I’m so- sorry,” he muttered.
“It’s okay,” Akashi sighed, “Okay so. I’m going to be honest with you. Yes, I know about your condition, and as of right now, I don’t return your feelings,” Furihata flinched, bowing his head in disappointment. Akashi gulped, “The most obvious reason as to why, is because I barely know you. I can’t have feelings for you if I don’t know you, Furihata-kun,” he paused, “which leads me to my question. You barely know me too, how come you have feelings for me?”
Furihata glanced at Akashi, before ducking his head again, “I- it’s supposed to be-” he stammered, “Because you’re kind to me.”
Akashi’s eyes widened.
Furihata continued, “Someone as amazing as you shouldn’t have bothered and yet.. you always try to talk to me whenever you see me like- like we are equal. Like we are actually.. friends.”
“We are equal, Furihata-kun..” Akashi commented, a little sadly.
Furihata chuckled, “Not- not in basketball..” he paused, “I kept thinking about it, you know. I was scared of you, I kept stuttering in front of you- still do- I even- I even passed out when I saw you that one time. If I were you, those things would probably irritate me and yet.. And yet somehow, those things didn’t seem to bother you? You still greeted me, you still smiled at me, you were still kind to me- even now.”
Furihata took a deep breath, he glanced at Akashi again, giving him a small smile, “Next thing I knew, I developed a- a crush on you. I think you’re really, really awesome. On and off the court. Even if I don’t know much about you, I’m a fan.”
Akashi bowed his head, processing all the words. He was so incredibly touched. He was no stranger to praise. But as far as he remembered, Furihata was the first one who complimented his kindness.
“It was supposed to be a quiet crush that I would get over eventually. I never planned to act on it or anything, be- because let’s be real here..” Furihata chuckled again, “but the universe apparently had other plans, and decided to turn it into my cause of death.”
Akashi felt like he was being punched.
Furihata swallowed thickly, “Apologies for the uh.. use of extreme words. I assure you that nothing is your fault.”
They were both silent following Furihata’s explanation but then..
Then Furihata started coughing.. flowers. Flowers and blood.
Furihata tried to catch everything with his hands but some still slipped and dropped to the table in front of him.
Akashi finally saw the extent of the disease. Furihata not only coughed petals but the whole flowers. Roses mostly. Red roses..
Wait.
It was white roses actually, the red color that was covering them was from Furihata’s blood.
The sight was harrowing. And Akashi’s heart ached seeing it.
Furihata reached for his bag and took out a pack of wet wipes and a paper bag, and began cleaning up the mess, “Sorry you had to see that. The uh.. the paper bag is usually already in my hand so I’m always ready to catch them all, but I was distracted a moment ago.” He then looked Akashi over, “Did my blood get to you, somehow? So far I haven’t seen-”
“No,” Akashi cut him off, even though he hadn’t checked it himself, “Don’t worry about that. Are you okay though? Do you want me to buy you a drink maybe?”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
“Furihata-kun,” Akashi began, “I’m serious about getting to know you better, let me help-”
“Are you really okay with that?” Furihata interrupted him again, tone surprisingly stern, “Are you certain you want to- to start something this way? It doesn’t feel wrong to you? Doesn’t feel weird, or- or shady?” He bit his lip, looking a little frustrated, “Surely.. surely even you know you deserve better than this?”
Akashi stayed quiet, partly because he didn’t quite know how to respond to that, and the other part because he knew Furihata had more things to say.
And he did, “Give it a rest already, Akashi-kun. I assure you that I’m fine. I already accepted it- everything. It’s unfair but so what? That’s life. We’re all gonna die anyway. It’s just a matter of how and when. I’m just-” Furihata choked up, “It just so happens that I’m leaving early. That’s all.”
Akashi blinked. He was surprised by how much he resonated with Furihata’s words. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t challenge it though, “How about the people you left behind? What do they think about this kind of mindset?”
“I told them that I’m tired,” Furihata answered, looking genuinely, well, tired, “It hurts to breathe, it’s hard to function, and it’s a struggle to.. to live. I don’t have the energy left to deal with anything else.”
But you said ‘it’s not that bad’, Akashi couldn’t help but think mournfully.
“The only thing I can do is to be as happy as I can be. To create as many happy memories as I’m able to. Hoping that- that those actions could help ease the pain whenever the grief becomes too much for them.” Furihata finished, tone resigned.
Akashi’s breath stuttered trying to take everything in. It was just.. so much. But strangely, he actually got it. He completely understood now, why Furihata did what he did.
It all came down to that one word, which was tired. Furihata was too tired to deal with anything else. And if Akashi had to guess, including the activity of pursuing Akashi and making Akashi fall in love with him. Which was actually the key to his survival.
Akashi tried to imagine being in Furihata’s shoes. Trying to flirt, trying to be charming, trying to gain Akashi’s attention. And since they were barely friends, the possibility of success was, well, small.
And what would happen if Akashi ended up rejecting him? Furihata needed to deal with a heartbreak when he was already coughing flowers. The worst possible situation.
Just thinking about it made Akashi sick to his stomach.
All in all, Furihata’s decision actually made sense. Instead of spending his already little energy doing such demanding things filled with uncertainty, he chose to do something else that he knew would bring him happiness.
It was surprisingly mature of him. And Akashi was impressed.
Now..
Now he was officially interested.
In the end, Akashi decided to change course, “Okay then, let’s create happy memories together, since I might need them too.” He gave Furihata a genuine smile.
Furihata blinked, clearly not expecting that response, “.. What?”
“I want happy memories with you, you’re okay with that right?” Akashi repeated, “I’ll take care of everything, let me carry the burden of being tired. Your job is to enjoy everything and be happy.”
“That’s- are you sure you want to do that?” Furihata asked, unsure. But Akashi could see that he was intrigued by the offer.
A good sign.
“Yes, I’m sure. Also, if everything goes well, who knows.. right?” Akashi added with a wink.
Furihata blushed.
Akashi chuckled, “Of course the main objective is to create happy memories for me!” He emphasized once more. Honestly, the whole thing wasn’t all that different from his original plan, but Furihata seemed to prefer doing it with this mindset. So he would go with that, “In fact, let’s hang out now- definitely not a date! Would you like that?”
Furihata still looked troubled but there was a shift in his.. vibe. A positive shift.
Another good sign.
Akashi smiled to himself, because he was now fairly certain that Furihata would say yes.