4 ❀ 花吐き病

[konnosuke]

H A N A H A K I ✿

Hanahaki is a fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear.

Comments

[fushichou]

[For Kanesada, there isn't much that's worse than being assigned fieldwork.

Unless it's being assigned fieldwork with Mutsunokami.

It's not that Mutsunokami is a bad worker or anything and, if Kanesada were actually honest with himself, he's not the worst person to be stuck with when it comes to chores. Mutsunokami does work, which is more than he can say for, like, Akashi or someone. But it's just...it's Mutsunokami. He's never going to like that guy. What with his annoying laugh and his nearly incomprehensible accent and his stupid, ugly, punchable face -

Whatever. He's not about to start this chore on his own, though, so he's on a mission to find his unfortunate partner. Which he does soon enough.]

Oi, slacker!

[He sees Mutsunokami's back hunched over his hands and...wow, that cough sounds terrible. If he's hacked up anything he can't see it, luckily(?) for Mutsunokami, but he does soften his voice as he approaches.]

Hey. If you're sick you should get some rest.

[tosa]

( Where did those come from? He has no idea where they could have possibly come from. He's so confused and he has so many questions about what just happened but before he can get too lost in his thoughts, an all too familiar voice cuts through and he stands upright, wiping his hands on his leg and trying to hide the evidence behind him.

He laughs, )

Gahaha! ( It's a little forced but that's easily explained by the earlier coughing. It sounds natural enough, ) Don't worry, don't worry.

It's just a little cough. I'm not gonna slack off or anything. Let's go.

( No big deal. )

[fushichou]

[Kanesada doesn't shrug any of this off right away. That cough sounded so...deep. Could it really have been nothing other than a general tickle in Mutsunokami's throat or something? He's gotten that before and it's not pleasant, so he'd totally understand.

But he doesn't have anything to keep Mutsunokami from continuing on with the day so he does let it go, making his way to one of the storage sheds to lug out some baskets, holding one out to Mutsunokami.]

Shokudaikiri told me earlier that some of the vegetables should be ready for picking. Man, I hope the radishes are.

[So they can pickle some and he can treat himself to those when the day is right for it.]

[tosa]

( He's also experience his fair share of coughing because of a generic throat scratch or something so he hopes this is all it really is. Maybe those flower petals came from somewhere else-- were they already on his hand? But that doesn't make any sense. He hasn't been near any flowers like that today.

While Izuminokami is nagging, Mutsunokami jokes, )

Right, right, ( The same time Izuminokami mentions it, he also says, ) Let's go check the radishes then--

( Well, as silly as he acts, he's always been an observant guy so it's no surprise that he would know what Izuminokami's favorite might be. It's just strange that when he says that, he feels an irritation in his chest, something in his throat and... he coughs again. It's small this time, like he's just clearing up the fit he just had but... Surely, it's just a coincidence.

He'll take his basket and start heading out to the fields, leading the way so he can think without Izuminokami reading hsi face. Because like him, the other sword is also much more observant than he lets on. )

We had a lot of rain this week. If they're ready, it'll be easy to get 'em.

( The ground being softer and all. He coughs again. He's still not over his earlier fit. )

[fushichou]

[...Somehow it's not surprising that Mutsunokami knows he loves radishes. It is kind of odd they mention radishes at the same time, though. But what's worse is how there's a twinge in his chest when it happens.

He's probably getting sick if Mutsunokami is sick and they're out here doing this together -

Gross.

So the coughing doesn't alarm him, nor does Mutsunokami leading the way cause him any concern. That's just how the other sword is, all but blindly blazing some new trail while spouting off some outrageous plans for the future or something. It's all very obnoxious, of course. He's quieter today, though, most likely because of being under the weather, but Kanesada is still able to be civil and carry on a conversation.]

Thank God. Anything to make this easier.

[And to take up less time. Not that Kanesada has any other real plans, but time spent out of the fields means more time to himself. Able to relax. Maybe he can have a long soak in the hot spring after this. Or take a nap...

That coughing, though. As they reach the radish crop, he still says nothing, just readies himself to start gathering the vegetables, but it really doesn't sit well with him. It's probably nothing. And yet...

Other than some of the swords - himself included - getting sick from time to time, he's never really been around illness. He had only been newly forged when Okita had been ill, and he wasn't around the other man very much at all. If anyone would be able to tell him what that was like, it'd be Yasusada -

...He couldn't ask him, not in a million years.

So Kanesada gets to work and waits, occasionally stealing glances of the other sword, just so he won't miss another one of those coughs. And then he'll definitely say something.]

[tosa]

( He's glad that Izuminokami is able to keep the conversation going. It makes this easier for him because he can save his words without having to break the silence. He's also hopeful that their chores will be easier today. He isn't sure if he can keep up with any difficult labor today. It's getting harder to breathe these days and he wonders how much worse it's going to get.

He tries to keep his part of the conversation between coughs. He exclaims how easy their work is going and tease Izuminokami about getting dirty. But he's still quieter than he would usually be. He can feel Izuminokami watching him and it seems to make it worse, his chest aching the more aware he becomes.

He covers his mouth, coughing again and again into his hands. Something is coming up and he tries to hold it back. It's hard to breathe between the coughs and he gasps.

Not now. Not in front of Izuminokami of all people. )

[fushichou]

[Fieldwork is always dirty. That's just par for the course. But it sucks even if Kanesada knows it's always going to be that way. So, yeah, his clothes are going to get a little bit muddy, thanks to the rain, and soil has already found its way beneath his nails, even though he's only been out here for, what, five? Ten minutes?

Mutsunokami doesn't let it slide, either, and though he means to keep an eye out for another coughing fit, he can't help but kindly tell the other sword to fuck off anyway. A man has his pride! His honor! Just let him get these radishes in peace!

He's in the process of tugging a pretty sizable radish free when Mutsunokami finally coughs again. Only worse than he had at first. Kanesada abandons his toils and moves to Mutsunokami's side to lightly beat on his back. For all the snapping he does at Mutsunokami, it's clear he's struggling with something in his body. He can't just sit by and watch him suffer.]

[tosa]

( The coughing doesn't stop and his chest hurts. He can feel whatever it is spreading through out him and he tries to bow away from Izuminokami. He doesn't need his pity. It just makes it worse and finally, there's one, strong cough. Something's come up and through his fingers, a red petal falls. His hand shoots out to catch it, hopefully, before Izuminokami can see. )