Sickness For Nothing

What a pitiful fate he was condemned to.

It started out as a rumor around the school. The lunch table was a vast sea of information— information all the writers and researchers of all the books and encyclopedias in the world couldn't even fathom.

Useless, sad, information.

The minds of teenagers.

"Isn't it so sad? Like, what if you just start hacking up flowers because you have a little crush?" Aiura poked at her food, looking down rather dejectedly. "Unbelievable. And totally unfair!"

At this time, Akechi had been going on about certain flowers; those that were edible and those that weren't, their uses in medicine, how to candy them— and like every teenage girl in the world ever, Aiura twisted the conversation around for her own selfish desires. Nobody minded though; not even him. Akechi, who wasn't brushed up on school rumors and things of that sort, appreciated... alternate sources of information.

"I believe I've caught wind of a few details here and there," Akechi said, taking a bite of his food and lying too skillfully for him to be 100% comfortable with. "But I'm not entirely sure how it works. Do you think you could give me the gist of it?"

"So basically, once you realize you like someone, you wait a couple weeks and then boom! Outta nowhere, you hack up stupid little petals. I mean, at least it doesn't kill you like they thought it did, but still..."

Aiura practically stabbed her potatoes, sighing lethargically. It would've been impolite to press further on the subject, especially because he already had a basic idea of it, piecing the little slips in passing together to create a very basic image of something he was sure he could read about. It was more fun to hear it from her, bouts of life being spouted from every word she spoke, but it clearly upset her to some extent.

So of course, he pressed on.

"Have you had a personal experience with this before? I know you as quite the romantic, but most of your endeavors seem to fare well, one way or another. Perhaps a fling or something that dwindled off in the past? Was it as painful as it sounds?"

"Naw, not me. An old girlfriend of mine, she couldn't get over this guy..."

She took a long sip from her straw poked in some strawberry milk, pausing for dramatic effect.

"And then she finally did, right? And then guess what?"

Amused, he leaned closer: "What happened?"

"He–" Interrupted by more milk, than continuing. "He fucking transfers back to her school, never knowing about the damn thing, and she starts hacking up daffodils. And it looked like it hurt like hell, God..."

"Oh dear. How unfortunate." He was sure he sounded insincere, but there was little he could do to console her, and anyway, it's not as if he was lying. This time. "I never knew your friend was plagued with such a condition. I mean, I have limited knowledge of your past friendships, but the little that I do know about... It hurts me, truly, to think of you or your friend having to endure that."

"Oh, cut it out." Toritsuka slammed his utensil down on his plate. "Why do you guys both insist on going on about this sappy love stuff? I mean, I get Tits over there—"

"Hey!"

"But you, Akechi? I thought you woulda had my back, man..." He shoved in an angry mouthful of curry.

"Oh, you did?" His expression grew sharp. Aiura was immediately clued into it and snickered. "However so? How in the world did you happen to find yourself reaching the conclusion that I, of all people, would join you in conversation, bearing in mind the fact that you can hardly tolerate me and we're both aware of this?"