"I have Hanahaki."

Deku swallowed, the words a bit easier to say now.

They still meant the same thing, though.

She had Hanahaki.

The disease of one-sided love, leading to the eventual suffocation through flowers overtaking your body.

She wiped numbly at her tear-stained face.

Nothing felt real.

What was she supposed to do now?

Go find the person she loved and get them to kiss her?

Get the surgery?

Die?

Deku bit her lip, shakily standing and using her desk chair to support herself. No, she couldn't think like that. She was not going to die. Her trembling hands made the chair hit the desk lightly and repetitively, her own mind scaring her body into these nervous signs.

She pulled her hands away from the chair, studying their trembling frames. She still had the petal in her palm, its small self seeming to glow ominously, her only source of light in this darkening world. She shut her eyes and took a few deep breaths, in and out, trying to remain calm.

Deku pulled back her desk chair, setting the petal softly on the face of her desk. She then turned off her room lights and turned on her desk lamp, shining it right over the petal. The greenette proceeded to sit in her chair, leaning forward and intently studying the petal.

It was the white petal of a rose, and a small drop of blood ruined its perfect image by the left-hand corner. The petal looked fresh, and not as if it had been choked out of her. In fact, little saliva coated its frame, appearing perfectly perfect and natural to the careless observer.

But this was not right.

This was not how things were.

Deku leaned back in her chair, her hands covering her face once more.

"This isn't right," Deku said, her voice muffled by her fingers. "This is just a dream."

The greenette stood, shutting off her desk lamp and walking to the door of her room. That's what this was. A really bad dream had just.......

She stopped short, turning back around as her hand lay on her handle.

Even without the light of her lamp, she could still see the small and almost-perfect rose petal.

Deku's knees gave out, and she slumped against the door. Her hand that was on the door handle gripped it tightly as she fell to the ground, her body leaning on the door. Her other hand went up to her face again, almost masking her tears and soft cries.

Her body trembled as she sobbed, unable to face the truth. This wasn't right. How could she have a disease she had just learned about?

She didn't even know that she was in love with anyone.

"Why.....me...." she choked out, gripping the door handle tighter and pressing her hand harder against her face. "I......didn't.....even....... I don't.........know........ who I.........."

She lay there for a while longer, her body shivering from the phantom pain in her chest and the emotional hurt her mental state was experiencing. None of this made sense. They learn about a rare disease in Health class, and all of a sudden she's got it? She's one of the 3% of the people in the entire world who suffers from it? She has feelings for someone who doesn't share her love?

Deku's hands fell softly from her face and the door handle. The door supported her numb and crying figure as she was slumped against it, trying to contain herself. She couldn't cry.

Heroes don't cry.

But she was never going to be a hero, if she was going to die.

Deku shut her eyes, biting her tongue and ignoring the fresh wave of tears that tried to break through. She couldn't think like that. Sure, she had Hanahaki, and sure the disease of one-sided love was fatal, but this couldn't stop her.

She had options.

Three options.

Three.....

Her head gently looked out to her room.

The Hanahaki book was on the floor still, and even without the light, she could see it as clearly as the petal.

Both things stuck out in an ominous fashion to her now.

She knew what they meant, as much as she didn't want to.

Attempting to stand, Deku struggled to her feet, trying to shakily regain composure. She stumbled a little as she walked towards the fallen book, and picked it up once she was in range. She slumped against her bed, missing falling on top of it and instead leaning against its side as she crumpled to the floor.

Everything felt numb, and nothing was real.

It didn't feel like she was the one in control.

If she had been in control over herself, she never would've picked up the book in the first place.

She was scared.

Afraid.

Fearful of what might happen if she lifted the cover and turned the pages.

But she did it anyway.

It seemed that her subconscious was helping her body function. Her brain recognized that she had finished the 6th chapter of the book, the last sentence actually ending where she had last left off. Her shaky fingers flipped to the next page, and her burning eyes began to read.

In this chapter, there had to be something.

There had to be.

Chapter 7: The First Cure

However misleading the title may seem, the first cure was originally the return of a patient's feelings. Our advancements in life brought us the safer surgery route, although the reciprocated love solution is still put into practice. However, this chapter will discuss all things related to the surgery, as that is the most popular way as of now to be forever rid of Hanahaki.

The surgery's purpose is simple: To remove the vines and flowers from within the patient's body, and freeze the wayward plant cells that linger in the blood stream. It's a delicate but extremely successful and accurate process. Hanahaki will forever disappear from their system, never to return or send the patient into relapse.

Most of the haywire plant cells, if any at all, will locate themselves near a patient's brain. There, they act like the growing flowers' nervous system, sending signals down to the plants in the lungs on how to behave or worsen a patient's condition. Once frozen and without a host, any cells that were not caught by the surgeons will die off. The flowers and vines are all treated like bio-hazard materials, although the disease is not contagious. Some studies have taken in removed flowers and vines, but the usual outcome of the plants is that they will normally shrivel up, leaving nothing but forgotten ash after about a week at the most.

The surgery does not come without a price, however. Not only can it be expensive in certain hospitals, but it can also affect the person's body. It may remove the essential basis of the disease, but in doing so, it will in turn remove the cause's memories. Thoughts and past recollections of the person the patient had their heart set on with disappear, somehow trapped within the DNA code of the plant cells once removed. These memories have not yet been recorded to be given back to the patient in a spurt of memory-triggers, so it is widely known that everything will be forgotten about the love.

A patient will be able to normally interact with their past love, but neither their Hanahaki nor their memories will resurface. Gaps in the mind may cause some headaches, and the person the patient loved will certainly be confused, but it is all for the better. The memory gaps will not be able to erase the person's existence from each memory, but rather, get rid of all appearances. For example, if a patient and the love went to an amusement park for an entire day, that entire day would never be remembered by the patient. Hazy bits and pieces where the love was not present during that time might shine through, but that is very rare. Even so, if caught quickly, the loss of memories can be prevented early on with less consequences. This treatment is the most commonly used out of the three cures that are currently in existence, as it is safe and easy, and without much consequence.

If a person is willing to give up a portion of their memories in exchange for relief, the process then is quite simple. It is easy to tell your physician what you need, and the surgery will be enacted immediately, or as soon as possible. Slight dizziness and the headaches will be the only side-effect from the surgery, and the patient will be rid of their Hanahaki forever.

In my own opinion, as a psychiatrist, I would recommend this particular surgery over all of the other options. I do not doubt that perhaps a patient has someone who loves them, but it's a matter of being the same person and how long a patient has to choose a route. While it may take time and a lot of support to help make new memories for the gap in the patient's life over the one they loved, it's always good to help them along their way, as they may not have been here to need that help.

There is not much more to say about the surgery, other than the fact that most medical officials will always recommend this surgery. It is not a common practice for surgeons, but at least one skilled professional will be on staff in any medical center. Relief is immediate, and safety is always guaranteed. This choice is the most clear-headed choice a Hanahaki patient can make for their condition.

Deku found herself closing the book. The chapter was over, and what she had read was enough to make her cry again. But she held in her tears, biting her lip and swallowing hard as she looked at the plain black cover.

This was it? Her safest option included memory loss, headaches, and dizziness? The other factors she didn't mind so much, but to forget someone just like that? As if they had never existed in her life?

Her throat felt dry, and she knew she was thirsty again.

But her hydration was not really the main thing on her mind right now.

To forget someone just like that, as if she had never.....loved......them....... it was cruel.

Not only to her, but to whoever she loved.

How close were they to her?

Was she just supposed to tell everyone she had this disease, get the surgery, and come see who it was afterwards?

A thoughtless process of elimination?

It would not only be embarrassing to get to know them again after she finds out who they once were to her, but how will it make them feel?

What would she put them through, if she went and did this.

"I.....have.....Hanahaki..." Deku whispered into her dark and empty room, her body not yet catching up to her fast-paced brain.

And will they believe me? Deku thought bitterly. We learn about Hanahaki two days ago, and suddenly I show up saying that I've contracted it? Not only do I only have a single petal that can be easily disproved, but I've already scared them enough.

Deku pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging herself and letting more silent tears fall from her open eyes.

Scared.......

She was scared.

I don't want to be scared, she thought in a whispering mental voice, but I am. Not only will they also be freaked or disbelieving, but what happens next? Do they treat me different? Will they try and pair me off with someone so it goes away? Will someone tell a teacher, and then my career at UA stops?

This new thought made her hands and legs dropped from their curled position. Her eyes were wide now, and her breathing was ragged. The phantom chest pain was throbbing inside of her again, but she ignored it, something scarier pushing the internal warning away.

That's right, she teared up again. Hanahaki is fatal. It's not good. If anyone finds out about it......I could stop going to UA. My dream would end, and I would never become a hero. Forget my license, I'm going to be treated like glass. People will see me as a porcelain doll, on the verge of breaking. They won't let me train, maybe won't let me learn, and will eventually send me out. The memory gaps won't help me from the surgery, because if it's someone in my class, then where would all that knowledge go? All memories of them and their presence erased, and what would happen then?

"If they're in my class?" Deku repeated softly, hugging her knees again. "No, they have to be in my class. They're the closest people to me, and I don't know anyone outside of it well enough for something this serious to pop up."

Then who is it? Deku wondered, almost tasting the salt of her tears. I act like I know who I love, or where they are, but I'm lost. I'm flying blind. I'm too scared to fully accept what's happening right now, and what it could mean for me.

Deku struggled to stand, distributing most of her weight unevenly as she leaned hard against her bed. Her whole body trembled slightly, and her numb face turned gently towards her window. It was dark now, as time had gone by.

It was all too soon.

Too fast.

The only thing that could describe this situation was it being a sign from God or something.

But even that didn't make sense to her.

Nothing made sense to her.

Not now.

She had been healthy.

She had a good life going for her.

She had many friends and few enemies.

She had progressed far on her journey to becoming a great hero, but she still had so much more to do.

She didn't even know about her own crush.

Was it all going to end here?

Everything?

Would it all come tumbling down?

If the person was truly in her class, she would forget everything.

Training, hero work, regular studies, all of those items would fade away, and not even muscle memory could return it to her.

What was she going to do?

"I.........I can't......get the surgery," Deku shut her eyes, balancing herself as she clenched her fists and whispered out in her room. "If I do that......I risk losing everything. Who is this person to me? Where are they in my life, and what will it cost the both of us if I choose to forget them?"

How can I call myself a hero......if I can't even try to find a better solution? Deku asked herself, breathing in and out. There has to be another way. If I forget everything, I forget everything. There's no going back. I risk losing this person and myself, if I take the easy way out. No, it's not even easy. To willingly forget everything? Just like that?

Deku bit her lip, opening her eyes and looking out of her window.

If I get something this serious, then who's to say that it wasn't justified? Deku thought sadly. Whoever they are, I must love them to get thrown into despair like this. Whoever they are, I must not think I'm good enough for them. Whoever they are, perhaps they think I'm not good enough for them, and they set me in a stationary spot in their heart.

Deku's fists clenched once more, and she fought the wave of tears.

All three of those things are true, she blinked her cries away. They're all true. Those are my only known causes for this disease. I have Hanahaki because one or all three of those things brought this upon me. But......

Deku looked behind her, the Hanahaki book filling her vision. Everything else seemed to fade away, and it was the only thing she saw. Swallowing hard in her dry throat, she slowly turned and went to pick up the publication. She made it onto the bed this time, sitting down and shakily opening it up again.

I need to know.

Chapter 8: The Second Cure

Again, it is not necessarily the second cure, but it is the next common option people will turn to if they refuse the surgery. However unlikely that occurs, there are situations where the patient gets their feelings reciprocated, leading to a much happier end. There are quite a few factors to play into how that works, so let us begin with them all.

The second cure acts as the fairy tale closing that everyone may want in their life. The patient will be loved by the person they love, and that heartfelt bond inevitably lasts forever for both. All it takes is a kiss, and the effects of Hanahaki are reduced to ash within the patient.

The ash does not affect the patient internally. It's a complete phenomenon, but the ash will eventually disappear, after a maximum of three days. There will be slight discomfort, but the chemical sadness the plants had been feeding off of will no longer become a reasonable power source. All plant cells and vines will die off, and the Hanahaki can never resurface. Why would it need to?

Of course, a few experts on the subject will ask why the disease will then occur in the first place, if both the love and the patient share their strong feelings. The answers include self-doubt, stress, subconscious panic, depression, and other factors that manipulate the brain to increase negative signals related to their emotions. While Hanahaki happens out of the blue a lot, it is usually justified by some factor in the patient's life. The patient had to feel a certain way for those mutated cells to appear and begin taking over the body from within.

All things have a reason for happening, however unfair or illogical the reasons may seem. It is very possible that a crush or an intimate bond of strong feelings may show up between a person and a patient. The psychological factors of this occurrence are very great, and must be approached with caution. The mental or emotional state of a person who does not know who they love will be extremely volatile and unpredictable. Negative thoughts, stress, and depression can send them further down the path of Hanahaki, worsening their symptoms and not helping their condition.

For an unknown feeling to suddenly make itself vaguely known through this disease is not rare. Many cases will allude to the fact that the cause was not known, but was usually discovered later. Whether these patients choose the first or second cure, it will usually be after they discover who they love, or if they already knew. The faster the disease is addressed, the less time a patient has to suffer under the influence of Hanahaki.

As to how one can tell who the mystery love is will also be a mystery. Our only advice to patients, who go to therapy to ease their stress or help sort out their decisions, is that if they truly want to find the cause of their illness, it must be done on their own. Not only can outside influences tamper with the accurate results of who it might be, added pressure may only stress the patient out more or come to an incorrect conclusion. It sounds silly to say lead with love almost, so a patient must also study the world around them, and look to the people closest in their life and their heart.

As professionals, we can only diagnose the case of heartsickness, and not truly help our patient by possibly showing them the wrong cause of the disease. Our own thoughts on the matter do not share the same perspective as the patient, as we ourselves are not experiencing their Hanahaki. We can only guide them along the path that they think is right, and also hope that they reach a conclusion they can feel satisfied with.

It is not always an extremely successful route, but we have not had enough research to where we can be sure with our answers when dealing with the disease by addressing the mental or emotional state. We can only attempt to compensate for the physical side of things with medical attention and the surgery. As we advance farther into the future, we can only hope and continue to try and help the people suffering over their broken heart.

Deku closed the book