What is hanahaki?

Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease where the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from unrequited love.

• Cause: It is caused by one-sided or unrequited love. The unreturned feelings manifest as flowers growing in the victim's lungs.
• Symptoms: The main symptom is coughing up flower petals. Other symptoms can include difficulty breathing, chest pains, coughing up entire flowers, and general weakness. The type of flowers coughed up can sometimes be symbolic of the person the victim loves.
• Progression: The disease progresses as the love remains unrequited. The flowers grow more abundantly, leading to more severe symptoms. The roots can eventually block the airways, leading to suffocation.
• Treatment: There are two main treatments:
  • Romantic Resolution: The most straightforward cure is for the victim's love to be reciprocated. Once the person they love returns their feelings, the flowers disappear, and the symptoms subside.
  • Surgical Removal: The flowers can be surgically removed, but this comes with a significant consequence: the victim loses all feelings of love for the person who caused the Hanahaki Disease and may even lose the ability to feel love in general.
• Origin: The concept originated in East Asian media, specifically in manga and anime. It's now a popular trope in fanfiction and other creative works.

Key Concepts:

• Unrequited Love
• Flower Petals
• Symptoms
• Treatment