Context: Your best friend has been suffering from a disease he refuses to tell you about for months now, and it only seems to be getting worse. Even stranger, he often hides himself away during these coughing fits. What could be the cause of his disease?

Words: 1091

Monetization: It’s perfectly ok to monetize and record any of my scripts, you can change pronouns and stuff around too! Just please remember to credit me!

Warnings: speaker is suffering, coughing, blood, HIGH DIFFICULTY SCRIPT!

Notes: “You seem to be a little too gleeful about causing pain to characters…” – a friend
“Flower petals, blood, needless suffering, and a f*ck ton of angst” — ColeyDoesThings

A/N: Artists and writers do awful things to characters and I am no exception :P (I mean I wrote When It Rains It Pours for goodness’s sake). To be honest this script could probably work as A4A…

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[the two of you are walking home from school]

“Today was really rough, huh? Our teachers seem more demanding than ever these days.”

[pause]

“Yeah. Mr. Thane seemed especially angry today… he looked furious when I ran out of class without asking…”

[pause]

“Hm? Am I okay now? Yeah, I’m fine. Th-Thanks for checking on me… and taking me to the nurse. Y-You didn’t get in trouble with Mr. Thane, right?”

[pause]

“Thank goodness… I’d hate it if you got told off because of my problems…”

[pause]

“... What? What are you saying?”

[pause]

“No! Th-There wasn’t– you must have been seeing things! I– I didn’t cough up any blood! I–I mean– that bathroom always has graffiti in it so– maybe you were seeing some– some red marker!”

[pause]

“Yes, I’m fine, I promise. I just… *cough* I need some rest.”

[pause]

“I– you want to do homework together? I-In my apartment?”

“But– I mean–!”

[pause]

“... I would like that, but… I just… I prefer to work alone– no, that’s not right–”

[pause]

“I’m not making excuses! I’m just– you’ve never really been in my place before, we’ve always gone to yours! A-And it’s– I haven’t had time to clean up, so–!”

“... I don’t… want you to think I’m a slob…”

[pause]

“... Haha… I know you don’t think badly about me, but… I can’t help but worry.”

[pause]

“Wha– i-it’s okay! You can– you can come over if you want to! You didn’t make me uncomfortable by asking, really!”

“You just caught me off guard, that’s all.”

[pause]

“... Yeah. I’d like it if you could come over.”

[timeskip]

[the sound of keys turning in the lock]

“A-Alright, here we are.”

“I’m sorry about the mess again…”

[pause]

“It doesn’t look very messy to you?”

“Oh… thank goodness.”

[pause]

“Ah, right. I should go grab us some snacks.”

“You can set up here in the living room. I’ll be right back!”

[you can add various rustling noises to fill in the log pause]

“Hey! I’m back!”

“I got us some juice and chips! I went shopping the other day, so I have snacks to spare.”

[pause]

“Of course I remembered your favorite kind of chips! Y-You’re my best friend, after all.”

[pause]

“Yeah… I’m… glad that we’re friends too.”

“Um– how about we start on our work? We have a lot of stuff to get through.”

[fill in the long pauses with pencil noises]

“Hm? Yeah, Ms. Curie gave us a huge assignment… it’s not too bad. I-I can work through it.”

[long pause]

“... Uh… do you know how this would work?”

[pause]

“Thanks.”

[he coughs slightly]

“... I’m fine. We should focus on homework.”

“Is this too boring for you? We– we can play videogames after we’re done…?”

[pause]

“... You just enjoy being around me?”

“Ah… *cough* thank you.”

[long pause]

“Hm? Oh, that variable goes over there.”

“There you are, you’ve got it!”

[long pause]

[pencil scratches stop]

“Um… I just– I’m curious… are you doing anything this weekend?”

[pause]

“... Huh?”

[pause]

“Really…? That– that transfer student asked you to go somewhere with him?”

“Oh… where?”

[pause]

“Ah, you got paired together for a class project? I… I see.”

[pause]

“... What do you think of him?”

[pause]

“Yeah, I– I think he’s nice too.”

[pause]

“I just– well I– I want to be friends with him! B-Because he looks pretty cool… doesn’t he…?”

[he coughs]

“No, I– I’m okay. I–!”

[violent coughing]

“Don’t–! *cough* Don’t c-come close– ugh!”

[he stands up]

“I’ll–! I’ll be *cough* I’ll be back–!”

[he runs into the bathroom and slams the door]

[you can still hear him coughing painfully]

[you bang on the door]

(muffled) “Please–! Stay back–! *violent coughing* I– I can’t–!”

[more coughing]

[you break the door open]

“Wait–! *coughing* Please–! *choke* Don’t–!”

[pause, while he continues to choke on flowers]

“... H– Hold me… please– *sob* J-Just hold… me–!”

[he continues a cough for a while until it slowly subsides]

“*cough*... I… didn’t want you to see me… *shuddering breath* like this…”

[labored breathing]

“... Y-you’re seeing all this right… they’re… rose petals…”

“It was… *cough*, j-just petals at first… but… l-last week it became a full flower… and then… *cough* t-today… today it was a stem…”

“I guess you can see… s-since the bathroom is covered– *cough* covered in petals… this– this has been happening… for a while.”

[pause]

“I went to a doctor!”

“But… but they… I–”

[sigh]

“... It’s… called h-hanahaki disease.”

[pause]

“... Mhm. Yeah. I– I thought it was legend too. But… I guess it’s true.”

[long pause]

“... Who is it…?”

“I– I can’t– *cough* I can’t tell you.”

[pause]

“Because she– she would never love me back! And I– I’ve known her for so long– it wouldn’t be right!”

“She’s beautiful and funny and– and so, so kind…”

[he starts crying]

“But I don’t– I don’t want to get it removed either–! Because– because this feeling… it’s so painful but so warm… I don’t want it to go away…”

[pause]

“... I don’t know what to do…!”

“I just… I don’t want to ruin what we have! I don’t want to lose you–!”

[he stops short]

“I– I mean–!!”

“*cough* I didn’t–! I just misspoke! I–I don’t–! I actually–!”

[he takes a shuddering breath]

“... Okay… Okay, I’ll take deep breaths.”

[he takes a few deep breaths]

“... Yes… I– It’s you. You’re… the one that I like.”

“... I’m sorry…”

“This… all this is why I didn’t tell you… I didn’t– want you… to see me in such a pathetic state.”

[pause]

“... You’re right. It– it started when that transfer student entered our school.”

“... You… you like him, don’t you…? … I should just… give up… and have the surgery… so that these feelings don’t get in the way…”

[pause]

“... Huh?”

[pause]

“H-How could I not think that? I saw… I saw you two in the hallway…”

[pause]

“I… I see. I…”

[he covers his face]

“... I’m such an idiot…”

[pause]

“... You just… said that, right? I-I’m not dreaming…?”

[pause]

“Ah… hahaha…”

“So it can develop psychologically too…”

[pause]

“You… really like me back…? You– you promise…?”

[pause]

“... *sniff*... No take backs?”

[pause]

“Haha… I…”

“... I’m so happy…”

[pause]

“... I’ll be fine. My throat… feels okay now. I’ll be fine after I rest.”

[pause]

“... You want to take care of me?”

“... I would love that.”

[pause]

“Okay. I’ll go see the doctor again tomorrow.”

[pause]

“Alright, I– I’m sorry for worrying you so much…”

“... And thank you… for always being here for me. As long as I can stay right by your side… I’m happy.”

~END~

Thanks for reading!