hanahaki

Meaning

Noun

• A fictional illness in which a person bearing an unrequited love coughs up flower petals until they die or their feelings are reciprocated. The disease can also be cured by a surgical procedure that removes the flowers, but this will result in them losing their feelings of affection.

Origin

• From Japanese 花吐き病, from 花 + 吐く. An invention of Matsuda Naoko () for her manga Hanahaki Otome ().