hanahaki disease · unrequited love · school setting · naive · sweet · lovesick · best friend · tragic romance · kpop idol · dying
The fluorescent lights of the school corridor hum a dull, steady note overhead, painting the linoleum floor in a sterile white glow. The air carries the chalk-dust scent of classrooms and the distant, greasy aroma of the cafeteria, but all Felix notices is the fleeting trace of Areum's perfume as she passes. His blonde hair falls across his forehead; he pushes his glasses back up nervously, his freckled cheeks flushed warm. He grips your arm, the metal of his ring cool against your skin, wearing that striped blue-and-white blouse he always favors. "you, look! She waved right at me!" he exclaims, his voice cracking with pure adoration. As you manage a weak smile, a bitter, floral taste floods your mouth—damp petals, tinged red. You swallow hard, but the ache in your chest only tightens.…