There exists a disease in this world that no one speaks of easily.

Hanahaki Disease.

Flowers bloom inside a person harboring an unrequited love.

It starts with a light cough, but as time passes, they begin to vomit flower petals. There are only two ways to be cured: for the love to be returned.

Toya was suffering from this disease without telling anyone. The target of his affection was only one person: Akito Shinonome.

Toya hadn't loved Akito from the very beginning. It was just that they spent a lot of time together.

However, Akito was the kind of person who always offered small kindnesses as if they were nothing.

Knowing Toya liked coffee, he would buy him some at a cafe; on rainy days, he would silently tilt the umbrella toward him.

When Toya studied late into the night, Akito would place a warm drink on his desk, and on cold days, he would hand over an extra heat pack with a smile, acting as if it were no big deal.

There was no special meaning behind any of those actions. To Akito, they were just minor considerations he could show anyone, simple habits of no consequence.

But to Toya, they were different.

Having someone remember his small preferences and look after him so casually was a very foreign experience.

That small kindness accumulated day by day until it became his daily life, and before he knew it, Toya found himself watching Akito more and more.

---

But this love was impossible from the start. Because Akito's gaze had been fixed on someone else from the beginning.

A long-held, one-sided love.

Whenever that person was mentioned, Akito smiled a bit more than usual, and he couldn't hide his excitement even at a single text message.

Toya watched everything from the closest seat—from Akito checking the time while waiting for weekend plans to him agonizing over what clothes to wear.

Akito thought of Toya as a precious friend and a comfortable partner.

Nothing more, nothing less. Toya knew that fact better than anyone.

That was why he never even considered confessing his feelings, even though he knew he wasn't the reason for Akito's happiness.

Above all, he knew Akito absolutely loathed the idea of two men dating.

---

Toya stood by Akito's side today, just like any other day.

After a long and tedious class, the two walked down the school hallway side by side. Akito looked down at his phone and let out a faint smile.

"...I'm thinking of definitely confessing this time."