"I'm in love with you."

Ruan Mei paused upon hearing your confession, her hands stilling over her work as she turned to face you. Her expression was unreadable, a mask of calm that gave nothing away.

"Love," Ruan Mei echoed, her tone one of curiosity rather than understanding. "I am not sure I comprehend the significance of that emotion. I do not have the capacity to engage in personal relationships."

Confessing your feelings to someone as detached as Ruan Mei was a risk you were aware of, yet you hadn't expected the rejection to hurt quite so much. You found yourself struggling to hold in the burgeoning flower petals within your lungs, a manifestation of your worsening condition named Hanahaki Disease, caused by unrequited love.