2 Chapter 1

"Son, you know what a hanahaki means?"

"No daddy, what is it?"

"It is a disease caused by unrequited love. You coughed petals and your body grow weak."

"But daddy, why was it petals and not blood? Does blood turned into petals?"

"Not sure honey, maybe or maybe not."

"Well, petals are beautiful. I love petals! But it's kinda sad if a petal will be the cause of the illness. It's just a superstition right daddy?"

"Maybe. Luca promise me, you won't fall in love okay?"

"But why not daddy?"

"D-daddy don't want to lose his little baby. Stay by my side okay?"

"Hmm! Okay!"

Or not... He fell in love without realizing it.

_______________

Sturdy tall trees and illuminating green leaves and pink flowers greeted Luca as he walked to the uncrowded road to his first day in senior year. He never change. When he was young, he liked to be alone, he was alienated by everyone and he never really cared, or at least because that’s what his father said. He never understand why his father prevented him to stay with random people or to make friends, but maybe because his father was too overprotective.

He liked to be alone so he never really paid attention of what his father said, because at the first place no one wanted to be friends with him, not a single one. His old man also had this weird thoughts about hanahaki. There’s not a single day if he never mention that ‘word’. Luca wondered why his father was too obsessed with that disease and for him he thought it was not even true. Maybe because he never encountered one who died while coughing petals. It was too weird.

More or less, he just shrugged it off and continued to mind his own business.

The cause of the disease is unknown and it could only trigger if the person experiences unrequited love towards their loved ones. It may be hereditary or not, one could only know. Though Luca only find these disease in books and comics in which he have read out of curiosity. He have read numerous books because of this, such as the shoujo manga, “The Girl Who Spit Flowers” by Naoko Matsuda. He then thought to himself, there is no way a disease such as this would even exist. It was purely a fictional disease.

Still and then, he pondered if his Mom really died with this disease. Also, there’s no origin of what kind of flower petals that would came out of the person’s mouth. Some said that it could be the person’s favorite flower petals he would spit out. If his favorite flower was a daffodil or a rose then he will spit out this kind of flower petals.

After a few strides of steps and he arrived at the school gate. His school uniform was not that neat and his chestnut hair nudged his forehead, touching the round specs he wore.

Everyone looked at him like he was some kind of a new specimen. And that made him feel uncomfortable. Well, toxic people are everywhere.

His backpack was hanging from his back as he hold his poem book tight, his head looking down as he head right to a place where there’s no people around.

He was used to bullying. It’s not that he was not being bullied everyday, no of course not. He was being bullied every single time. Sometimes he will just locked himself in the cubicle so that no one could see his presence. He sometimes had his lunch there.

He was afraid that everyone would spill fish sauce in his head and throw him garbage while he eat in the canteen. It was hard, but he can’t even avoid it.

He found himself a spot where no students roaming around. It was a tall tree with red roses around it. He looked at the scenario with an awe, he then head his way to the tree and rested underneath it.

It’s still not the time. I can rest a bit.

He let go a deep sigh as he stared at the red roses. What a pleasant day to begin with, no one bothered him like before. He lifted his chin up and looked at the sakura tree he’s resting. It’s been a while since he moved in Japan, he’ll not lie that this place was much better than in America. It is early spring when they moved in and he awed the sakura tree blooming pink and the falling flowers that looked like candy rain. The sight was beautiful.

He closed his eyes, feeling the sweet scent of air swirling from his presence. Until, someone rushed in front of him and tend to bully him. The three young boys surrounded Luca as he still sitting under the sakura tree.

I moved in just recently and now I have an anti-fan. Great. Just great.

“Chotto otaku! Kono basho wa anata no monode wa arimasen!” (Hey nerd! This place is not yours to stain!)

Luca can understand them. In fact, he was an excellent Japanese speaker. However, he can’t find the way to speak with these three rogues because they seemed unwilling to listen to him anyway. He just looked at the three male who was just about his age and lowered his head again.

‘What did I even do to deserve this shit?’

“Nē! Anata wa mimi ga kikoemasen ka!?” (Hey! Are you deaf?!”)

Luca kept lowering his head as the latter kept yelling at him. He was about to cry. His emotions were about to explode from his chest. He thought to himself

“Why was it so unfair? Why can’t they leave me alone?”

“Oi! Kare ni chikayoranaide!”(Hey! Get away from him!)

Luca was stunned as he heard another boy yelling at the three. He looked back to witness the other boy’s presence and he was stunned as he stared at the young lad’s features. He was quite tall, his honey tanned skin looks beautiful as the sunlight rays shone directly at his body. His ebony hair reached his shoulder and his manly and handsome face scream beauty, not to mention his deep honey eyes that fit his features.

The three boys seemed to know him and immediately went their way, but the other was so stubborn that he still threatened Luca.

“Jikai o ai shimashou! Minikui otaku!” (I’ll get you next time! Ugly nerd!”)

The three troublemakers walked away at the quiet and confused young boy. No one had ever stand up for his sake. They always mocked him and spit trash in front of his face.

So, there’s still good people in this world, huh?

“U-um, y-you f-fine?” The lad tried to spoke to him in English, though he seems that he’s not good with it but he tried his best.

“Nihongo ga hanasemasu.” (I can speak Japanese.)

“Oh. Haha! I thought you don’t speak Japanese. Sorry about them. They were just assholes to begin with. If you need any company, you can come with me instead. My name’s Kisaki Tachibana (in Japanese: Tachibana Kisaki). You are?” Tachibana said with reassuring tone so that Luca wouldn’t be nervous. Luca took a deep breath and decided to respond.

“M-my n-name’s Luca Tanaka, half Dutch.” Luca nervously responded as he hugged his knees while sitting underneath the sakura tree. Kisaki found him cute, but he wanted to know why he was so shy and timid. And of course, he wanted to know him better. Kisaki sat beside him, his right leg laid on the ground as his left propped up with his left hand on the tip of his left knee and his right palm slammed to the ground, his back leaning at the sakura tree. Since the spring breeze actively blowing the area, the latter’s ebony hair swayed in harmony. Luca find him beautiful.

“So Luca, you’re a transferee right? You have any relative or someone you knew at this school?” Kisaki asked as he looked sideways at Luca, his head still not moving but his eyes does.

“N-no. No f-friends.” Luca retorted as he hugged his knees continuously.

“Hmm. That might change now. You got me, I am your friend and your protector! How’s that?!” Kisaki exclaimed making Luca surprised.

Why would he be friends with me? Not every part of me is likable. Is he going to bully me or not? Should I trust him? My father said not to make friends since they are bothersome. But, I want to have a friend, at least with him. He seems to be a nice person.

Luca’s debating his mind if he’s going to befriend him or not, unbeknownst to him that Kisaki was staring at him, confused, and still waiting for his answer. He doesn’t want the other to neglect him.

“You don’t want me to be your friend?” Tachibana pouted as he moved towards Luca and put his hands on his knees as he kept hugging it. Luca’s eyes widened at the sudden action of the young boy, he still kept debating whether he should befriend him or not. After all, he’s still wary of the other’s actions.

“W-why? E-everyone seems to dislike me. W-why would you suddenly show up and be f-friends with me?” Luca kept his head down, not wanting to meet the other’s honey eyes to his own. He pushed his specs with the use of his index finger and hugged his knees again.

This time, Tachibana managed the opportunity to speak.

“Hmm. You’re cute, adorable, and you seemed kind. Why would everyone disliked you? Tell me, does your previous school did something to you?” Tachibana asked, the other pursed his lips. Luca stayed quiet and doesn’t want to answer the question. He gets it. The world seemed so cruel to him. If the other wanted to be friends with him, should he tell him the truth?

“It’s okay, if you feel uncomfortable answering it then don’t bother to answer it. Come on cheer up!”

He decided to keep it to himself, the latter suggested it himself though.

“O-okay.”

“Yay! Then come! Let’s find your classroom!” Tachibana grabbed the shy boy’s wrist as they run to every classroom, searching for the shy boy’s class. The energetic boy was more than happy when he finds Luca’s name on the same classroom as his. He thought of keeping his company every time. Not because he like him, but the other seems so fragile and weak. He seems he can’t defend himself. At least he can keep him company.

He still grabbed the other’s wrist and looked for two vacant seats. Luca lowered his head down and try not to meet anyone’s gaze. He doesn’t want himself beaten up. Although Tachibana offered to be his protector, he still cannot trust the other fully and still wanted to be independent. Who knows? Maybe he’ll betray him someday.

He lets the other one dragged him to the vacant seat, seemingly didn’t mind.

“Don’t be tensed. I’m right here see?” Tachibana cupped Luca’s face making the other flustered. He placed both of his thumb on the corner of Luca’s lips, drawing a smile on his face. Then Tachibana feels satisfied.

As the teacher went inside, he suggested that Luca would introduce himself to the class.

The girls in the were saying that he's cute but majority on them had only focused their eyeballs on Kisaki. Not later on the new kid responded as the teacher called his name. His classmates started murmuring as he walked in front of his classmates to introduce himself.

“H-hi. I-I’m Luca T-Tanaka. N-nice to meet you.” Luca said shyly. He then walked in his seat as his classmates kept murmuring about him. They were not really saying bad things about him, but his mind crested an illusion that haunted his dreams for a long while.

“He’s weird.”

“Let’s stay away from him.”

“Yeah right. A freak."

His social anxiety attacked him as he faced his classmate. Although these were not the words that his classmates spoke, but his mind couldn't help but to overthink.

Sometimes, social anxiety made him hallucinate. One of the factors of his mental state is because of his influence on his previous school. He tend to calm down, not to meet each anyone's eyes and slumped back to his seat.

Luca saw Tachibana tensed up and he signaled ‘it was okay.’

Tachibana leaned himself closely to Luca.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Luca answered briefly and inwardly sighed.

'No, not really.'

Tachibana sighed, looking at the latter's timid and shy demeanor. He still wished that he will learn to open up for himself and he will learn that he will not hide inside his shell forever.

He spend his day with Tachibana's side. Tachibana even insisted that he will take the other home but he rejected his offer making the the energetic sunflower wilted. Luca chuckled on how cute Tachibana is.

"Tachibana, i-i'll be going now."

"Call me Kisaki. Since i called you by your first name." Tachibana said with his friendly tone, making Luca slightly lifted his lips.

"Okay, Kisaki."

"Bye now."

After he went home, he grabbed his poem book. He wrote his first poem convicting his feelings when he met his so called 'friend'...

His cascading hair, his blissful warmth

His honey-tanned skin, his jovial voice

Soothes my soul, keeps me warm

Never feel better as he hold my arm

His warm presence, his sweet fragrance

Swayed in the air, in the Sakura's rain

How beautiful, how graceful

Wish I could be like him too