Flowers of Remembrance - An Oumasai Fic

✿ ❀ Chapter 6 ❀ ✿

The days turned to weeks and weeks into months. It all went by in a blur, Kokichi seemed to lose all concept of time. He felt as if he was nothing and was just walking in the shell that is his body. As time went by and Kokichi remained withdrawn, Shuichis concern began to grow at an alarming rate.

When Kokichi had coughed up his first whole flower, a profound and unexplainable attraction towards it took hold of him. He found himself fixated on this delicate creation, almost intimately connected to it. He alone had endured the anguish of nurturing it within the depths of his lungs, the excruciating journey it took to bring it forth into the light so he could hold it in his trembling hands. That flower was his creation, borne out of his own suffering. The agony he experienced was unlike anything else he had experienced—vomiting up blood, the taste of metallic bitterness lingering on his lips as crimson petals mingled with his own life force. But that was only the beginning of his torment. Relentless chest pains, sharp and piercing, clawed at his insides, a constant reminder of the fragile bloom taking shape within him. Every breath was a struggle, as if his very existence hinged on the survival of this otherworldly creation.

Still, Kokichi persisted. Each cough, each convulsion that wracked his body, expelled not only blood, but an untold number of flower petals. They burst forth from his lips in a twisted dance, a macabre celebration of pain and sacrifice. The process was gruelling, his body wracked with spasms as he fought for his life for what felt like years (but in truth was barely 10 minutes) to give life to an extraordinary flower. Every petal that fell from his mouth was a testament of his love for Shuichi and his determination to survive yet another day.

So, he started a collection of all the flowers he hacked up to make a morbid yet beautiful bouquet of his own bloodied flowers. He was dying slowly from the inside to give life to flowers that represented his love for Shuichi.

All the while Shuichi became more worried for Kokichi with each passing day. Kokichi had been almost silent in the recent months, and it had gotten to the point his classmates had happily adjusted to his new behaviour, not bothering to question it at all. Even as he spent more time with Kokichi it felt like swimming against an endless tide just trying to get him to change his facial expression even a little. Kokichi was a ghost of what his prior self was, and it concerned Shuichi to no end. No matter how many times Shuichi asked Kokichi what was wrong he denied of anything being wrong, even a baby could see through this lie. Not to mention when they spent time together sometimes, he just spontaneously ran off at times. It became a regular occurrence, and every time Shuichi finally caught up, Kokichi would be shaking all over. He didn't have a clue as to why Kokichi was acting this way. To be honest, it was annoying. He was a detective in training, he should easily be able to figure this out. He became determined for results so he could then help Kokichi get better, because that's what friends do. So, he had left a note in Kokichi's locker to meet him after school in the gym. He didn't tell him in person because he didn't want to give Kokichi the chance to deny his request.

The time went by quickly for Kokichi and he soon found himself walking towards Shuichi in the empty gymnasium. He was tired and he wanted to go home, but he would do anything for his love. A shiver darted down his spine when he saw the grim look that haunted Shuichi's face. Their conversation clearly wasn't going to be merry. "You wanted to talk to me?" Kokichi starts the conversation.

"Yes. What's wrong?" Shuichi said with a stern and demanding voice, which startled Kokichi for a moment before he agitatedly sighed. "Nothing's wrong Shuichi, we've been over this a thousand times. I'm just tired,"

"You may be tired, but I know there's more to it than that. What's wrong?"

"Shuichi nothing is wrong,"

"You're lying, I know you are. Why won't you tell me?"

"Why are you so adamant something's wrong with me when there isn't?" Kokichi's voice lowered, anger slowly rose at how persistent Shuichi was being. "Because something is clearly wrong. You've been acting so quiet and distant these past few months. Usually, you're so full of life and nagging those around you but you've become silent!" Shuichi pushed on.