Bryan's POV

I bolted into my room, slammed and locked the door. I was panting like a dehydrated dog. I stared at the small, pink, blood-stained object in my hand. It was a petal.

A Hanahaki petal.

I felt like crying. I had Hanahaki. Every man, woman, and child knew about this disease. It was caused by an infatuation that the infatuated believed wasn't returned. There were four stages of Hanahaki: petal, petals, blossoms, and flowers. Eventually, in stage four, the flowers would grow so massive and become hard to cough up, the person with Hanahaki would die of suffocation.

There was a cure for Hanahaki, but it required the infected to lose all their memories of the one they love. And once you were in stage four, you were a goner. 

I knew who had caused the Hanahaki. But there was no way I was giving up my memories of Jakey. So...I was gonna die, huh?

I should've felt sad. Instead, I felt kinda...happy. I didn't have to suffer anymore. My friends wouldn't have my burden on their shoulders any longer. I would be...free.

I smiled. I sat down at my desk, grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper, and started writing.

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Lo'Pho's POV

"No, no, no! Relena, you're doing all wrong!" I yelled.

"Then what am I supposed to be doing?!" She screamed at me.

I sighed. Sometimes, Relena was my most exasperating student. Most of the time, actually.

"Relena, I think's that enough for one day. We both need a little break. Then we will return to this."

Without waiting for my student's answer, I started for the guild hall. I needed some milk after that shouting match.

I found Jakey sitting on the steps by the fire. The time mage was petting little Oliver, yet he wasn't taking as much joy in it as he usually did. His face was rather glum, especially for Jakey.

"Hello, Jakey!" I called out. "How is your day?"

"Oh, hi L-Lo'Pho. Have you seen Bryan?"

"Uh, no. He still has not come to the guild yet. Why?"

"I'm just wondering if he's ok. We were having some dinner last night together and he had to leave cause he was getting really sick."

"Oh. Well, I'll check on him later. But I'm rather curious."

"About?" asked Jakey.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "This dinner you two were having."

Jakey blushed even more than usual. "L-Lo'Pho! I-It wasn't a date! Bryan said himself n-not to think of it like that! It was just two friends having fun, that's all!"

I shook my head. Jakey was so oblivious to Bryan's true feelings. He still didn't know that Bryan liked him in a romantic sense.

"Whatever you say, Jakey. Whatever you say."

"Oh, quiet you stupid kitty!"

Jakey only called me a kitty when he got defensive. It was rather cute, even if I didn't like the nickname.  

Now, to check on my favorite student/dragon slayer. After all, if Bryan was sick, he couldn't everything I wanted him to. One of which was annoy Relena to high heaven.