Jimin had never exactly noticed the odd behaviors that Yoongi seemed to have in the past few months. However, it had gotten to a point where Yoongi asked to leave, and sometimes he would leave for five minutes and return, or he would stay there for some ten, twenty minutes before returning. He'd always return more pale and shivering, his purposefully oversized clothes seeming even more so.

What could it have been? Jimin always wondered if it could've been that he was terminally ill, but Yoongi almost pushing him away yesterday seemed to confirm that he was hiding something far worse. As he fiddled with the hem of his shirt, Jungkook walked over.

"Hyung, you're going to ruin your shirt if you continue doing that," Jungkook noted. Jimin snapped out of his daze and let go of the shirt hem. "You do that when you're distracted, right? What's up?"

"I was thinking about Yoongi hyung. He's been looking really bad lately, right? Like he's sick," Jimin said, tucking his hands into his pants pockets.

"You're right," Jungkook said, acknowledgement in his voice. "But I'm sure he's okay. After all, he hasn't said anything..." He looked at Jimin's expression. "Your face tells me otherwise."

"Well, Yoongi hyung never really tells anyone how he feels, right?" Jimin asked. "I mean, he's always so emotionless. He might be suffering alone."

"I'm sure... I'm sure he'll open up soon," Jungkook said, almost to convince himself of this fact. It was a matter of wanting to help, but not knowing how exactly to extend it. Yoongi was the type of person who was just downright intimidating at some points in time. Would he even accept help if they extended it?

"I don't know... if he will," said Jimin nervously. "What if he doesn't?"

"Hyung, you're the one who said that we should extend help to him!" Jungkook exclaimed. "Don't just chicken out here!"

"I'm not chickening out!" Jimin protested. "I just... I'm worried. I'm worried for him but I don't want to be rejected, I guess." Jungkook's eyes almost sparkled.

"The way you're phrasing it is like some sort of romance, Jimin hyung," said Jungkook. "Is it, really?"

"No, you've got it wrong, Jungkook. Sheesh, are all maknaes this rude?" Jimin asked, flipping his hands nervously. Jungkook crossed his arms, looking incredibly proud of himself for figuring it out. "No, seriously! You're wrong!"

"Oh, well..." Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly. "I can only offer my side of the situation, you know. I've never really understood what love's like so maybe I got it wrong." He looked apologetic enough.

"It's not that big of a deal, Jungkook," said Jimin. "I wanted to confide my findings with someone and since you listened to me, I feel a lot better." He brushed his hair to the side. "I'm sure Yoongi hyung will have to share what's wrong eventually, right?"

Jungkook pondered. "Well... that's something you'd have to ask him, right? It could be way too late before he finally reveals it... and then something bad could happen."

"Jungkook, that's so foreboding. Don't just say that," Jimin said as Jungkook left the room. He stared at the vase of flowers that had been placed on the table. Primroses and tulips, he noted. He felt a sense of dread when he stared at those flowers, but he couldn't quite place it. Upon further inspection, one of the tulips seemed to be wilting, but Jimin decided to leave the flowers be.

He turned and left the room, running to catch up with Jungkook.

---

Yoongi was heading for a doctor. He knew that most doctors wouldn't even bat an eye at some fictitious disease that was incredibly rare, but he'd found someone reliable enough. Once he entered the nondescript building, he removed his face mask and spoke to the secretary.

"I'm here to see Doctor Myeong," he said, his voice already quite raspy. He hated the way his voice had deteriorated, hated the way he felt so weak.

"Oh, yes. Wait right here and I'll let her know you've arrived." The secretary got up and headed for a room where he said a brief word before he returned. "First room on the right." Yoongi nodded, entering the room to find a woman sitting on a swivel chair. Chun-Hwa Myeong was a doctor who had gained enough knowledge about hanahaki to actively treat it-- not that it was prominent enough to require massive treatments.

"You must be Min Yoongi, right?" Chun-Hwa asked. Upon Yoongi's nod, she smiled. "Alright, sit down on the cot and let's chat for a bit, shall we?" Yoongi set down his bag and sat on the cot, surprised by how comfortable it was. The two chatted for a bit about the weather, Yoongi actively avoiding the main question.

After the niceties, Chun-Hwa became a little more serious. "Alright, alright. Enough with that. I don't get many patients, obviously, and the only time when they come in is for reasons like the one you scheduled your appointment with me for."

Yoongi swallowed. Busted.

Chun-Hwa set down her clipboard. "Alright. Take off your jacket and shirt for me, please." Yoongi did as told, removing both and setting them off to the side. "Lie down on the cot." As Yoongi did so, Chun-Hwa gently flexed her fingers and then pressed her hand onto his chest.

"Alright, inhale for me." Chun-Hwa's face looked grim as Yoongi did so. "Good. Now exhale." After that brief moment, Chun-Hwa stepped back.

"Bad news for you," she said as she turned to her desk to write a note. Yoongi sat up. "Your hanahaki is more severe than I would have anticipated. You said that you've only had this for two months, correct?"

Yoongi nodded.

"Well, the roots have already wrapped around your lungs. Any more, and they will crush your lungs like this." Chun-Hwa got a piece of paper and crumpled it incredibly quickly. "If you are lucky, then you might get two more months. Your love is strong, sir, but that might not be a good thing. The best thing to do at this point is get the surgery--"

"I won't do that," Yoongi said firmly, or at least tried to. He winced at the way his voice audibly cracked. "I've read enough about what the surgery will do. I'm not going to let go of my feelings." He covered his mouth the moment his voice cracked, afraid he was going to cough. Was this doctor-- this absolute stranger going to force him to let go of his feelings for Jimin? What would happen if he-- no. He couldn't--

"Most patients say that," Chun-Hwa said, sighing. "But if you say so. I will prescribe for you some medication. It will not stop the hanahaki, but it may delay the roots from wrapping any further around your lungs and will lessen the flowers. I know you are a rapper-- you need your lungs in order to effectively do your job."

"Thank you," Yoongi said as he pulled on his shirt and jacket. "What do I need to pay you?"

"Well, my services are free of charge," Chun-Hwa said. "It would be very cruel to take from someone so heavily in love, you see. Most patients that I have seen throw away everything because they do not want the surgery that would save their lives. Will you do the same?" She handed him a bottle of gunmetal colored pills.

Yoongi took them, rolling the bottle in his hands. "I haven't decided," he said honestly.

"Then decide soon. You don't have long to live, like I've said. Treasure the few months you have left. Keep watch of your diet too, because you're unhealthily underweight." With a barely noticeable flick of her hand, Chun-Hwa dismissed Yoongi and he said his thanks and left the room.

He went to the bathroom of the building, coughing up flowers into the sink. These feelings were killing him. Everything about Jimin-- his eyes, his hair, his smile-- everything was on his mind. He almost cried from the longing he was experiencing.

-- journal entry #x --
My love is a beautiful ray of sunshine that lights up my world. It's too bad that this same ray is depriving me of my life and I will die, scorched by this same beautiful light.

A/n: One chapter a day? Magical. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Chun-Hwa won't be very important to the story so I'm sorry if you dislike OCs.