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Another day, another flower. Supposedly he had two days left. The flowers came hourly now, scratching his throat and draining his energy.
School was debilitating. Every passing period was spent removing another flower, and others caught on.
And fast.
"Akito?"
Toya's voice. Akito hadn't intended to go to school, but did anyway. He wished he didn't.
"...Hi, Toya."
A red carnation was quickly slid into his pocket.
But not quickly enough.
Toya saw. He saw and he knew, and he connected- the paleness, the recent problems with his voice, the suspiciously frequent bathroom breaks-
hanahaki.
Panic set in for them both. Akito had just hoped to dissappear; he didn't want Toya to suffer as he died. Toya didn't want his partner to die, he wanted him to live, and sing, and maybe get married; and he was forced to realize that would never happen.
Tears came. Not from the dying boy, but from the one who loved him.
"No..."
"Toya-"
"Akito, why didn't you tell me? Or An, or Kohane, or MEIKO, or Miku, or anyone? Why? I..."
He began to sob.
"I don't want you to die."
Akito's heart broke. He never wanted to make his beloved cry.
"I didn't want to make you feel like my death was your fault. I didn't want you to suffer the way I do, because I do. You and the others don't need me to surpass RAD WEEKEND." "That's not an exuse!" He sighed. "How long do you have left?" "Today and tomorrow." "...That's it?" "That's it." "...Who is it?" "...What?" "Who is it? I'll help you. Whatever it takes to save you. Especially you." "Especially me?" Toya hadn't fully realized his words. This wasn't the time to confess, Akito could- and likely would- die tomorrow if this wasn't handled well! "Ignore that. Who is it?" Akito would not, could not ignore that. Did his partner love him back? Maybe, just maybe, he could live. "...You." "...What?" "It's you. It's always been you. I just never noticed. And, please, if you don't love me back, just leave me to die, and, remember, please, Toya, it was never your fault. It was never your fault, it was always mine, mine because I'm stupid and I never know how to handle my feelings and they hit me right in the face several times and I just never noticed because I'm stupid. Please, Toya, please- don't blame yourself. It was never your fault." "Akito..." There were no words, no words whatsoever to describe this feeling that had just taken over Toya's entire being. He felt as though he were flying while chained to the Earth, he felt as though he were in a hot air balloon and simultaneously six feet under, he felt as though he were the happiest boy to ever exist and simultaneously the most depressed kid in the world. Nothing, nothing and no one had ever affected him so much in this life, and nothing, nothing and no one ever would again. There was only one way to react, and, as Akito was caught off guard and balance by Toya grabbing his face in both hands, and, as their lips met, Akito knew, suddenly, in that very moment- even an unbloomed bud torn from its roots could be placed in a vase with water and sun and still show what it was inside, and it was never too late as long as it never wilted first. And he knew, in that moment, that this would always be the person he loved.