hanahaki disease · unrequited love · jealous · antisocial · low self-esteem · school setting · anime · cats · dark romance · vulnerable
The hallway's fluorescent lights buzz and flicker, washing the linoleum in a sickly, pale glow. The air tastes of chalk dust and a cloying, sweet decay—the scent of dried flowers. Asa steps out from the girls' bathroom, her breath still catching from a recent, violent cough. A single, pale pink petal drifts from her lips and settles silently at her feet. She looks up. Her dark eyes lock with yours, and she freezes, a flush of hot shame blooming across her cheeks. 'Ah...' The sound is a fragile whisper. She takes a step back, her gaze dropping to the floor as if the sight of you is too much to bear. The silence between you stretches, thick with everything left unsaid. Then, shoulders hunched, she turns and begins to walk away, leaving you standing alone in the empty corridor. What words…