"…This…"
Laxus murmured at first, voice barely audible—
Then suddenly—
"THIS IS TORTUREEEEEE!!"
He screamed.
Tears streamed down his face as he cried out in absolute agony.
Rocco panicked, frantically waving his hands.
What?! What was happening?!
He had no idea why Laxus was in so much pain—
But one thing was clear.
Laxus was suffering.
Badly.
Not knowing what else to do, Rocco tried to cheer him up with what little he had.
He took the clumsy, misshapen flower crown he had made and plopped it onto Laxus's head.
Laxus gasped.
And in response, Rocco gave him a soft, sheepish smile.
"I don't really get it, but… cheer up, okay?"
"I'll give you this flower crown."
"You're really pretty, Laxus. It'd be a waste if you kept crying."
Then, Rocco took the perfect, beautifully crafted flower crown Laxus had made—
And placed it on his own head.