Donghyuck is currently in panic mode. Mark just called him that he's on the way to his house for a sleepover. No, it wasn't planned, and that is why it makes him crazy. His room is messy, as always, but he needs to clean it as fast as he can because he knows that Mark won't like it and will scold him again for the nth time. The thing is, the mess that Donghyuck's priority to clean is not just the ordinary trash and dirty clothes; it is actually the petals he coughed in past few days, in case there are some petals in his room that he hasn’t noticed before. He can't let his bestfriend found it.

Donghyuck knows that the moment he heard his mom's loud voice and happy screams means that Mark is already downstairs. And he is still not yet ready.

You need to calm down... and deal with the pain... just for tonight. Donghyuck said to himself while clenching at his shirt.

"Hey!" Mark says as he opened the door, without even knocking. That's how comfortable they are to each other. They treated each other's house/room as their own.

"So... what's with a surprise sleepover?" Donghyuck said while Mark is making itself comfortable in his bed. Mark's face suddenly becomes gloomy as a response. It is not an obvious expression, it is just that Donghyuck can read the older's expressions so well after all those years of them being bestfriends.

Mark does not speak for like 15 minutes. And that is enough to make Donghyuck to worry and be bothered for what's does truly Mark is thinking. At the same time, he is starting to feel the pain in his chest and some itchy feeling in his throat. Since he can't distract himself anymore to forget the pain and don't know if he can hold his coughs anymore, Donghyuck decided to speak, "Hyung, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. Do you want to watch some movie? or play games?"

At that point, Mark finally noticed that he makes the atmosphere awkward and he felt sorry for it. He just doesn’t even know why he even decided to go to Donghyuck’s house and sleepover in the first place.

"You know what, I honestly don't like the idea of 3 months’ vacation away from here," Mark finally said, "my mom just said to me that we will be leaving on the day after tomorrow."

That sudden announcement from his friend is enough to confuse Donghyuck. Why would the older don't want a 3 months long vacation?

"If you don't want it then just say it to your parents. I think they might understand you." Donghyuck said.

"No, they won't," Mark answered, "I tried already. I just don't want to go with them because I know that they are just trying to cover up the reality that they will divorce soon. It's just like they want to create some pseudo perfect family bonding for me."

That explanation from Mark makes Donghyuck speechless. He does have an idea about Mark's family issues and it makes him feel guilty. How dare he called himself a bestfriend when he can't help nor comfort the older.

"I'm sorry, I know I should've not told you", Mark said when he notices the shocked and sad expression of his friend, "don't bother to think how you will comfort me Hyuck, I will be okay."

Their conversation and awkward silence are interrupted when Donghyuck's mom delivered some snacks and drinks. After that, as if it is one of the unspoken rules, Donghyuck decided to not talk about it again and just watch some random movies.

It is passed 12mn. Mark is peacefully sleeping in Donghyuck's bed. Meanwhile, the younger boy is inside the bathroom, kneeled over the toilet, and trying to vomit every last drop of petal that he swallowed a while ago. Thanks to the snacks that his mom served and the older didn't notice how Donghyuck was trying to not cough the petals and just swallowed it together with the food.

His eyes are watering in pain. Pain that not just coming from the blossoming flowers inside him but also from the realization that Mark will be away from him for 3 months. He doesn’t even know if it is actually a good idea. He doesn’t know if months without Mark means he will missed him so much and his body will keep on blossoming some petals as his heart keeps on longing for the older boy, or it means that his body will be peaceful for a moment with the absences of his love.

Just thinking about Mark and its words that he will leave are enough to make Donghyuck feel that another pile of petals is starting to form in his throat.

It’s okay... as long it is white petals… you’re still fine. Donghyuck said to himself.

It is just hours since Mark left together with his parents, but Donghyuck can’t even make himself calm. He hates himself for already missing the older… or maybe the idea of him being away consumes Donghyuck so much.

As promised by Mark, Donghyuck received a video call from his friend as soon as he was settled in their rented house.

“I will really try to enjoy this vacation and stop thinking for the possibility of me having a broken family at the end of summer,” Mark said.

“You really will! Or I will drag your back here Mark Lee and make sure you will enjoy the rest of summer with me.”

“Woah! I think I prefer that,” Mark answered playfully that makes Donghyuck flustered. Those words are enough to makes him feel that his lungs are filling up with bubbles or maybe as if his chest is now full of fluttering butterflies, he just doesn’t know. He can’t explain why his feelings for Mark are gradually getting deeper and his disease are getting worse.

*cough* *cough*

“Are you okay, Hyuck?” Mark asked as he noticed how Donghyuck was coughing a lot.

“Yes, sorry. I am having persistent cough nowadays. I’m okay, hyung.” Donghyuck answered while taking some deep breaths. He can feel it, there’s a petal currently stuck in his throat.

“I think you should rest, and I am too,” Mark said, “I promise I will call you again later, tonight.”

Right after the goodbyes, Donghyuck dropped the call and ran towards the bathroom. He felt another sharp pain in his chest.

“It can’t be! I take the medicine earlier today!” Donghyuck said to the thin air, as if it can answer why would he feel the pain.

The pain that he feels now is something new.  It is much more painful compare to what he felt before every time he will cough petals. Now, his chest is keeps on tighting as the petals are not flowing out of he's airway. It just keeps on piling up inside of his throat, it is harder to breath, and petals start to gag him.

These new symptoms are enough to build up some panic inside of him. He doesn’t know what to do with the petals that are currently stuck in his throat. He’s desperate enough to do anything for him to not get choke. So he stuck his fingers down his throat, hoping to pull some petals out. His vision gets blurry while looking at the yellow and white petals that he just grabs out of his throat.

It just now means that medication can’t help him anymore.

Renjun is angry, and worried at the same time, it is so visible with his tensed jaw and sharp stares toward Donghyuck. Still, after the explanation that Donghyuck gave, Renjun can’t believe everything.

Donghyuck and Renjun had known each other since they were fifteen. They are bestfriend even before Donghyuck meet Mark in the town’s plaza one summer break. Renjun is the only person, other than his mom, that knows about his disease. Because like him, Renjun once had Hanahaki disease too.

“Have you ever forgot to drink your medicines?” Renjun asked. He still can’t think of any reason why would Donghyuck’s case will turned out worse in just a week.

“Yes! I never forget to drink it. I don’t know, hyung, I don’t know why my body would betray me and started to blossom colored petals.” Donghyuck answered with his high-pitched voice. He is so tired for the physical toll that his disease is consuming, and he is so tired for stressing himself out with the possibility that things are indeed became worst.

“How about your mom? Does she knows about your colored petals now?”

“No, not yet. I can’t.” the younger mumbled as an answer that makes the older boy’s eyebrows be knitted together.

"I know it is too early to say this," Renjun said after their long silence, "but I would recommend for you to take the surgery. Nothing bad will happen to you after it."

After hearing those words from Renjun, Donghyuck finally allowed himself to break down into tears. He just now hit by the reality that he can't escape his disease anymore. The fact that he can't no longer abuse the drug that he's been holding on as a single hope for years now. And the things that he keeps on rejecting are now slapping him with the reality that he needs to endure much greater pain in the next days of his life.

Renjun couldn't bring himself to say anything. The words that he keeps on muttering while on the way to Donghyuck's house, the words of his rants, nags, and reminders for Donghyuck, are now all vanished.

Instead, he just sat beside Donghyuck, with his arms around the younger, holding and sweeezing his shoulder as if he was assuring his friend that everything will be okay. He hopes so, too.

Hanahaki disease is a hereditary disease, which in case of Donghyuck, he got it from his father's genes.

At the age of 5, he witnessed how his father crawls in their hallway, trying to reach the bathroom just to vomit the petals out of it's body. He saw how his mom will cry due to panic and how his father's eyes will be full of expressions such shame and pity for his family.

At the age of 7, he heard how his mother cried every night for the same reason that his father is still sick and refuse to take the surgery. He still remember all the moments of his father vomiting petals with blood and mucus as it is a daily common sight for him.

Donghyuck thought that everything are just normal. That vomiting petals are just a common disease that can solved by medicines and surgery. He avoided to eat any fruits or vegetables as he believes that it will be grow inside his body too, like how it grows inside the body of his father. No one tries to explain to him what is happening so he just watch every painful moment with a hope that his father will finally healed one day.

At the age of 8, a month after his birthday, Donghyuck saw how his father vomit thorns and vines for the first time. It finally scares Donghyuck. He finally realized that it is a serious illness.

How would thorns can grow inside of daddy's body? Thorns are sharp! It will cut his organs inside! Donghyuck keeps on repeating that question to his mom while they are inside the ambulance. No, he never understand anything at all. And that's why he hate his self so much because he thinks he never done anything to ease the pain of his father. At the same year, he witnessed he's own father passed away.

At the age of 15, he met Renjun. Donghyuck saw how Renjun run to the garden of their school, cough some petals, and how the boy will try to bury it or hide it behind the real flowers. Renjun triggers Donghyuck's memory of his father for the first time. The guilt feeling keeps on knocking inside him. And he's conscience makes on bothering him, saying that he must help the boy. He tried his best to befriend Renjun. But he don't want the older to notice that he have an idea about it's disease. It's been a year since the two teens become friends. And things get rough for Renjun because his white petals are started to get colors.

It's been a week since Mark left, which means that it is also been a week since Donghyuck's petals are now color yellow.

Donghyuck's mom now knows about her son's condition. And it makes her feel guilty, because things are like repeating itself the way it was before.

Today has been a long day for him. He's mom just dragged him to different hospital for consultation and testings. He wholeheartedly followed everything, because he knows that his mom is just worried and still feel guilty for what happened before.

He is too tired and all he can do is to lie in his bed. He hopes to fall asleep immediately so his body don't have time to feel any more pain from missing Mark.

Donghyuck is starting to get sleepy when his phone suddenly ring. It's Mark.

"Hyung!" Donghyu