The doctor's prediction was right. As the first month rolled around, Yoongi found himself overcome. He constantly had to go to the bathroom to cough now, now with no excuses to even help him out. It had gotten to the point where Namjoon had to pull him aside.

"Are you okay? You're going to drag behind," Namjoon said, and then he noticed Yoongi's face. "Are you sick?"

"No," Yoongi said, but his voice was raspy enough to make Namjoon frown.

"That's a lie," Namjoon said. "Your forehead is burning up-- is that a fever? I think maybe a few days of rest would do you some good."

"Thank you, Namjoon," Yoongi said, grateful. Namjoon got Taehyung to help lead him back to his room, as Yoongi looked a little too weak to safely get back there himself. Yoongi ended up heavily leaning on Taehyung and let out a sigh of relief when he got to his room.

"Do you need any more help?" Taehyung asked as he adjusted his headband. Yoongi shook his head. Taehyung looked concerned, but he nodded. "Alright. Call us if you need anything, hyung." He turned and walked away. Yoongi let out a ragged breath as he made a beeline for his bed.

He fell on the bed, covering his face with his hands. Slowly, he sat up and unscrewed the cap of the bottle of pills, taking one. If only Jimin was here-- maybe he'd feel--

Just as he thought this, he coughed up another handful of flowers. The flowers had seemingly lessened, but the pain didn't change at all. If anything, it hurt even more. His throat felt scratchy and raw and he knew what would fix that, and yet-- and yet--

He coughed, this time blood joining the petals. The self-loathing that had built up from not being able to even do anything about these flowers-- god, he hated it! Why couldn't-- why couldn't he even tell Jimin how he felt? He wanted to tell Jimin how much he needed him, how much--

Yoongi wiped his mouth again, looking at the bloody flowers. As much as he kept coughing and coughing and coughing, the flowers would never dwindle until-- until-- Yoongi shook his head, shaking the thoughts out of his head. He laid down on the bed, trying to get some rest. How was he was supposed to go out when he was in such a horrid state?

He changed the shirt that had gotten blood all over it, exchanging it for some warmer, comfortable clothes that couldn't fix the fact that he was still shivering intensely. These clothes had fit him so snugly before, and now it just felt too saggy, even for his own style. He pulled the covers over him, trying to fall asleep.

---

Yoongi didn't know how long he'd spent trying to sleep. Every time he dozed off he phased between nightmares and would wake up, terrified of his own dreams. When he woke, he often pondered about what he was going to do, how he was supposed to tell the group that he was dying. Then, it would always flicker back to Jimin, and then he would throw up those flowers again. He didn't even know how long it had been since he had eaten, since he was too weak.

He heard the pounding on his door-- Hoseok's voice rang.

"Yoongi hyung," Hoseok said. "You've been in there for three days, now... you haven't eaten anything-- are you okay? Do you want to talk?"

Yoongi didn't want to get up. He didn't want to say anything. He didn't want to even talk to Hoseok-- he didn't want to talk to anyone.

And yet, he said, "No... I'm fine. I'm not in the mood to talk." He heard Hoseok's frustration as he paced for a little bit, then he heard his voice again.

"I'm going to get Seokjin hyung to get you some food. It's not healthy to not eat, even if we are idols." He left and Yoongi's heart ached. Was Jimin worried? The rest of the group members worried, right? How was he supposed to leave now--

Without his knowing, he'd coughed again. These flowers fell out of his mouth, and he was too weak to even wipe them away. When he heard Seokjin arrive at the door a little over an hour later, he was prepped to at least try and eat, even if he wasn't-- he wasn't hungry at all.

"Yoongi?" Seokjin said. He heard the sound of a plate being set down. "I've brought you some soup-- Namjoon told me that your voice was raspy, so I hope this will help you. Put the bowl back when you're done."

Yoongi said, "Thank you, Seokjin hyung. Don't worry, I'm fine..." Once he knew that Seokjin was safely gone, he opened the door and took the soup into his room. He looked at the food, trying to eat. Because he hadn't eaten in awhile, he couldn't even eat half of it. As he finished, he'd barely made a dent in the bowl.

He slid the bowl back, and he tried to go back to sleep, but then he just saw Jimin again with his worried face--

Yoongi looked at the tulips and primroses.

And he genuinely laughed.

---

Namjoon was worried. Yoongi had not left his room in a little over five days now, and he refused to even tell anyone what was going on. He had asked for a meeting with the other five members to talk about it.

"Okay, everyone," Namjoon said as the other five members settled down on couches. "Do you think we need to talk about Yoongi hyung?"

"He hasn't left his room in five days, correct?" Taehyung said. "Seokjin hyung, is he eating anything?"

"If he is, then it's barely noticeable. I gave him food the last three days but it looked hardly any different, you see," Seokjin explained. "I don't know if it's some sort of diet regimen..."

"I don't think it is," Jimin said quietly. "It might be something worse..." he paused, fiddling with his hair. The rest of the members agreed to that statement, but they didn't know what else they could do about it.

And then Yoongi walked into the room. His hair seemed more ragged, and he seemed even thinner, if that was possible. His eyes had dark circles underneath, and he let out a breath of... was that exasperation or otherwise? Jimin didn't know.

He sat down, but he brushed off anyone's attempts to talk to him. Namjoon cleared his throat, seemingly a little shaken by Yoongi's noticeable deteriorating state.

"Yoongi hyung," Jimin started to say. However, the next thing that happened startled everyone in the group--

Everyone except Jimin, who somehow had felt that something of the sort would happen.

Yoongi had coughed up tulips and primroses, seemingly overflowing from his lips and-- was that blood--

he looked up in the midst of it, and he whispered--

"Jimin--" before he collapsed, seemingly out cold. Seokjin immediately got up from where he was sitting and checked to make sure Yoongi was still breathing.

"He's breathing and he's got his pulse still, but it's faint..." Seokjin reported. "To think he's been suffering this entire time with hanahaki..." he shook his head. Jimin at once flickered back to the conversation he'd had with Jungkook--

"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."

The cold irony of it all was almost amusing.

Namjoon got up as well. "I'm going to investigate. Let's split into two groups and do some searching. Taehyung, you can go with Jungkook. I'll go with Hoseok." Hoseok nodded, getting up and following Namjoon out of the room.

That left Jimin watching Seokjin start up a steamer in the room, and Seokjin began muttering things about what essential oil he should use, how was he supposed to help Yoongi's fever-- he could only watch before Seokjin finally decided what he was going to use and set a damp towel on Yoongi's forehead.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Seokjin said as he dried his hands. Jimin nodded.

"Of course I am! He's important to the group, he's important to us as colleagues and friends," Jimin said. Seokjin smiled.

"Are you sure it isn't more than that?" He teased lightly. "Your expression was like one a lover would make if the person they cared the most for was in trouble."

"Seokjin hyung, that's just creepy. Why would you stare at me like that and gauge my expression?" Jimin asked.

"I'm intuitive is all," Seokjin said. "I don't just stare at people for fun." When Jimin looked skeptical, Seokjin changed the subject. "Do you like Yoongi?"

"Wh-where did you get that idea from?" Jimin stammered. "I don't. I just think he's-- he's important. That's it."

"Well," Seokjin started to say as he stood up straight. "Maybe you ought to think it over just a little more-- after all, there's a chance that by the time your feelings are sorted out, Yoongi will no longer be here to hear them." He brushed his hair back. "But anyways, I'm going to prepare some more towels in case something happens. If you want to, then go ahead and leave. Yoongi is in safe hands with me."

But Jimin didn't leave. He decided to wait.

---

Namjoon didn't exactly know what to expect when he unlocked the door to Yoongi's room. Flower petals and blood were strewn about, the sickly metallic smell still fresh in the air. Bottles of water were left uncapped, about ten if Namjoon counted right and even more bottles were still full to the brim, untouched.

"He... hid all this from us?" Namjoon asked, his voice shaky. "This... this is hellish."

Hoseok swallowed. "He must have tried to hide all this because he thought we wouldn't be able to help him." He entered the room, avoiding the piles of wilted flowers and blood.

Namjoon did some searching before he noticed a notebook that Yoongi had always carried. At the top, journal was written in neat handwriting. He picked it up, mentally apologizing to Yoongi for violating his privacy. Meanwhile, Hoseok managed to find the bottle of pills that Chun-Hwa had prescribed to Yoongi and both discussed their findings.

"Do you think this journal might help us find the source of Yoongi's... what did they call it? Hanahaki, that's it. Do you think this journal will help?" Namjoon said, holding it out for Hoseok's inspection. Hoseok shrugged.

"I'm not sure if Yoongi would write about his love in it. He doesn't seem like the type to do that. Then again, he didn't seem like the type to contract hanahaki either," Hoseok noted.

Namjoon agreed, but he decided to wait before he read Yoongi's journal.

---

Jungkook had managed to locate the doctor who was rumored to have been able to cure hanahaki, Chun-Hwa Myeong. As he knocked on the door to the building, Taehyung stood next to him, arms crossed.

"Is this the place? It's so nondescript," was all Taehyung said as the door opened. Jungkook grabbed Taehyung by the arm and dragged him into the building with a 'Now's not the time.' The secretary looked up, startled by the fact that there were two people.

"Do you have an appointment?" The secretary asked. Jungkook replied with,

"No, but I have evidence that shows that my hyung, Min Yoongi, was here. I'm not here for an appointment. I'm here to talk to that doctor."

"Um..." the secretary looked so confused, and Jungkook almost felt sorry for the man.

"It's alright," said Chun-Hwa as she came out. "You're friends-- no, not friends. He considers his group family, right? What are you doing here?"

"He collapsed," Taehyung said. "Downed from a fatal attack of hanahaki. What are we supposed to do about it?"

Chun-Hwa's eyes were pitying. "Well, try and delay his pain for as long as possible. The last moments are the most painful, you see. If you managed to find his love, then the hanahaki will stop altogether. If his love returns his feelings, then he will recover. But such a thing is unlikely, you know?"

Jungkook frowned. "So we ran here on a wild goose chase just to have you tell us that he's going to die no matter what?"

Chun-Hwa shrugged. "Do you expect me to genuinely have a cure? This is a disease built on unrequited love, for god's sake. I'm not going to be able to cure that. Unless he wishes to do the surgery, which he's already told me he won't, he will die."

"..." Jungkook balled a fist, almost ready to punch the wall in frustration. Taehyung patted Jungkook on the back.

"Thank you for at least answering a little bit," Taehyung said politely.

Chun-Hwa smiled half-heartedly. "It's not that big a deal. I'm sorry I can't do much more to help."

"No, it's fine. Let's get going, Jungkook. You're clenching your hands too hard-- it's going to leave a bruise."

---

When the four had returned, Namjoon set down the journal and Hoseok set down the pills. Both Jungkook and Taehyung were empty-handed.

"You went to the doctor and found nothing?" Namjoon asked.

"She told us if we can't find out Yoongi hyung's love, then he's going to die painfully and there's nothing we can do about it!" Jungkook replied, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Can you calm down, Jungkook? We're already stressed-- so calm down," Namjoon said as he opened up the journal. He flipped through it for a few, examining it before he handed it over to Jimin. "Here, this might be of interest to you."

Jimin read it as well, but since he was so distracted he didn't pay attention to some of the more noticeable content.

"It's just a record of all the things Hyung's been doing, right?" Jimin asked, setting it down. Namjoon frowned.

"Is your head in the clouds?" Namjoon retorted. "Read this journal entry here." Namjoon tapped on the paper at one specific entry, reading it aloud.

"Today, I burnt my hand when I was trying to cook. My love helped me wrap it up and his hands felt so, so warm. The fleeting touches made me happy-- so, so happy. That might be the only time our hands ever touch before I die. I wanted to hold his hand even tighter, but I ended up chickening out and giving him a hug instead."

Jimin froze.

"I remember you telling me that happened," Namjoon explained. "He hasn't tried cooking at any other point in time."

"It can't be me," Jimin mumbled. "There's so many other people that he could pick, so it can't be--"

"He's dying," Namjoon said, his voice agitated. "If he's gone, we lose an important member of our group. Please, Jimin, I'm begging you-- consider the possibility that it's you who he's talking about!"

Jimin remembered that experience clearly.

"Yoongi hyung, you have to take better care of yourself," Jimin said as he helped wrap a bandage around Yoongi's burn. "You could get seriously hurt!"

"It's not that big a deal," Yoongi said, though at the time he seemed pointedly fixated in the fact that it was Jimin who was helping him. "I'm happy that you extended a hand to help me."

"Well, anyone could have helped you," Jimin said. "We all would." Jimin let go of Yoongi's hand.

Yoongi nodded, but he didn't seem to be paying attention and instead hugged Jimin.

"Thank you for taking notice of me," he said as he walked away. Jimin blinked in confusion, because he didn't know what had happened! That wasn't like Yoongi at all.

He realized that if he didn't have Yoongi in his life, it'd be like something had disappeared. Is that what love was like? To need someone so desperately that without them, you feel like something is missing?

Then, the sound of Yoongi coughing snapped Jimin out of his daze. Everyone seemed agitated, but Seokjin raised a hand.

"Okay, everyone-- calm down," he said. His voice was calming enough that everyone listened. "I think we should let Jimin and Yoongi be, and if we need to intervene we do so, okay?" He smiled, but the smile seemed to almost quiver.

They listened, thankfully, and they walked off. Now, Jimin was left with Yoongi who was struggling to wake up.

"Yoongi hyung?" Jimin asked, his voice trembling slightly. Yoongi's eyes were clouded, almost hazy as he reached out his hand.

"You're here," was all that Yoongi said as he sat up. "You're here, right?"

"I am," Jimin said, sitting closer to clasp Yoongi's cold hands. "I'm here."

"Get out of my sight," was all that Yoongi said next, his eyes hazy and cloudy. "I don't want you here. I hate you, you know that?" He coughed up another mouthful of flowers. Jimin knew that what Yoongi was saying had to be a lie. Yoongi wouldn't say such things. He couldn't.

"That's not what you really mean, right?" Jimin said shakily. Yoongi shook his head and laughed.

"It is. Go away already-- just go away!" Yoongi laughed quietly. "I'm a terrible person, you know-- I've lied to you so, so, so many times! Why are you staying here? Why?"

Jimin swallowed. "Don't say that, hyung. How can you say that...

"When I love you?"

Jimin almost thought it would work. But he was foolish for thinking it, that much he knew, because Yoongi's smile turned darker.

"Stop lying to me," Yoongi said, his voice almost breaking. "That's a lie, that's a lie that's a lie that's a lie-- no one has supported me-- no one. My parents didn't even support me-- so why? Why are you lying to me? I hate you too, you know-- I hate you."

"That's not true, is it? You wouldn't have this hanahaki if you did!" Jimin protested. "I want to be with you, you know! I'm staying here by your side even now!"

"So what? Who cares?" Yoongi said, his voice ripping. "Stop looking at me like that-- stop looking at me with so much pity--"

Yoongi laughed, starting to cough again. This man-- this man who had built up such a wall around him was dying. Jimin knew that much.

But even so-- even as the blood darkened and Yoongi almost choked on the flowers spilling out of his mouth

Jimin gently cupped Yoongi's cheek, despite Yoongi's protests of how much he hated him

This dying man, who had become so beautiful to him in a matter of minutes

Who had shown him such kindness-- it was almost too much

To bear.

And Jimin wiped away his own tears and brought his lips to Yoongi's, realizing how foolish he'd been

He should have never let go of Yoongi's hand. And the flowers

Stopped.

A/n: and here's where I break the illusion that I can churn out a chapter every day because productivity is not in my vernacular