Mythia: Nya...sorry about the late update. I haven't been feeling like writing for this fandom lately. This is what you get for prancing around different anime all the time. I watched SO MANY this year, like, more than 10 anime shows...

...P.S. WOW! So many reviews! Thanks to all of you, you guys are awesome. Though...ALL OF YOU VOTED FOR THE SAME THING. XD

Guess no one is stupid in the fanfiction world, huh? *wink wink*

Tokiya didn't have the time to choose. He didn't want to think anymore. Thus, he grasped for the heavy yellow shield and threw it up to cover his body.

The gun fired fast all of a sudden, as if his brain finally caught up to reality. The shield vibrated, and the STARISH member nearly collapsed at the pressure. He knew his body was trembling, and that he didn't have enough strength from fear to hold the shield up.

Nonetheless, choosing the heavy yellow shield did life-or-death use for Ichinose Tokiya. It granted him another chance to live in his world.

The bullet ricocheted off of the shield.

Tokiya dropped the shield, earning a clang to the golden ground. Saizo was roaring, crying out in pain from the ricocheted bullet lodged into his right leg. Haruka's eyes were wide, her mind registering what just happened.

A river of red spilled onto the shiny, polished gold floor.

Tokiya shook his head; this wasn't the time to stare at blood, he knew. It was his chance to run. It was his only chance to act and do what he could. He slid the shield over the side, for it was blocking his path (though he could've just jumped over it), and ran over to Haruka. "Nanami-san!"

He grabbed her pale arm, and ran. "I-I-Ichinose-san!?" Haruka then realized what did just happen. There Tokiya was, his hand hastily grasping tight over her forearm, leaving her master Saizo crying out in agony over a bleeding leg in a golden hideout, hidden in an abandoned warehouse.

Hot air blew into their faces, as Tokiya raced out of the mangy warehouse and darted towards the idle car. Haruka, her head looking back, was trying to catch her breath as Tokiya relentlessly dragged her over.

"I-Ichinose-san! W-What are you—"

"Get in," Tokiya snapped, but not intentionally. He had to act quickly, or else Haruka would die. He wouldn't want that. No one but maybe Saizo would want that.

Tokiya shoved Haruka into the passenger seat to the left, while he rushed over to the driver's seat to the right, nearer to the warehouse. Then, a limping figure was shown, despite the night darkness around.

It was Master Saizo, holding the gun up with hatred eyes through the golden mask. His finger met the trigger once more, aimed in Tokiya's direction. However...it wasn't fixated at him.

It was fixated at... "Nanami-san!"

Haruka's mind was too blank from the events that occurred to notice this. Smirking, Saizo's finger was about to press on the trigger.

She can't die! She can't die again! I've missed her so much! Without her, my life is incomplete! Tokiya's mind rambled on and on, indecisive and unsure of what to do anymore.

Time suddenly seemed to go slower. Tokiya's body instinctively moved on its own. Saizo pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying towards Haruka's head. However, Tokiya wasn't allowing Haruka's death. Not if he could help it.

Time moved normally again, but the pain couldn't have come more fiercely on Tokiya's right shoulder. Red was spilling out of his expensive shirt, but did he care about that? No; he turned to Haruka slowly and twitched a small smile in relief that she wasn't hurt at all.

The loud noise of a gun fired came late into his ears, replaying over and over again. Though Saizo didn't do a thing.

The blood kept flowing, soaking the right sleeve on Tokiya's shirt then. It'll heal, he thought absentmindedly. It hurts, and it's bleeding badly...but it'll heal. Nanami-san's alright, that's what matters.

The blood suddenly reminded Tokiya of Syo's right shoulder, stabbed by Saizo's blade. Now his own shoulder was stained red by Saizo's bullet.

Despite his thoughts, the blood endlessly bled, not even hesitating to stop for even a second. His head began to feel light. The world began to spin around him. His blood was dripping to the side of the car, to the car seat—everywhere, his blood stained.

His strength was painfully draining from Tokiya's body. Haruka, her mind finally intact, widened her eyes until it seemed like it'd pop out. "Ichinose-san!" she shrieked in shock.

His consciousness slowly was slipping away. Tokiya's eyesight began to see splotches of black. The sides of his vision was already dark. His eyes fluttered shut, but he was still conscious.

The pain was overbearing, but still Tokiya fought through it. At least, it wasn't in the heart, he thought.

Shouting blared into Tokiya's ears. Haruka loomed over him, her tears plopping onto his very pale face. "Ichinose-san! Stay awake, please! Master Saizo...stop! Enough! Please...let us go!" Haruka was sobbing now, unsure of what to do.

Tokiya's eyes tried opening a final time, and he saw her golden eyes. Her hypnotizing, golden eyes...

How could he every like that color again? His eyes shut, for there was no need to leave them open. Sight pained him.

"Ichinose-san! Ichinose-san! No!" Haruka screamed. More tears spilled onto Tokiya's navy hair and face.

The entire time, Tokiya didn't realize who she saw. But when he did, he coughed out, "Nan-am-i-sa-n?"

"Ichinose-san! Stay awake, please!" Haruka hugged Tokiya and didn't let go. Finally, she shouted, "Saizo! I'll do anything! Just...give it back to me!"

Saizo stared dryly at his gun in his hand. "Give you what?"

"My powers! Just...oh, give it please! I'll do whatever you want, just please!"

"...Whatever I want?"

"YES! I promise! Now please!" Haruka never broke her promises. Saizo knew that better than anyone.

"...Hmph. Fine," Saizo muttered, and unleashed a glowing light upon Haruka, who didn't hesitate any longer. She brought her lips to Tokiya's. It was warm on Tokiya's freezing lips. It was soft and gentle to him though.

He felt the bullet in his shoulder disappear, his deep wound closing, and his strength returning. The pain abated, leaving him with his eyes open a little to see Haruka...kissing him, with a bright light surrounding her.

Despite the silence, it was like Haruka was speaking through the kiss. Don't die, Ichinose-san! Stay by my side!

Soon enough, her lips left his, and she was smiling in overcoming relief. There was no more blood shed, or on his shirt. "...Thank goodness, Ichinose-san..." Tears began flowing out of her eyes again, but of happiness. "I-I don't know what I would've done if you were gone!" she cried.

Tokiya's expression softened, and his hand caressed her cheek. "Nanami-san...don't cry for me, but smile for me instead," he whispered.

Haruka nodded. "I'm so glad you're all right..." She sat up, her light weight leaving him. Tokiya's hand stroked her hair, his shirt wet from tears, but it was better than blood.

Then, it hit him. Haruka was alive! She was safe! Which meant...she'd be alive in the present! His operation was a success then!

Tokiya had successfully saved her life. Right?

Just then, a familiar bright light began to surround Tokiya. His three hours were over, it seemed. "Nanami-san..." He pushed her away lightly. Her beautiful golden eyes stared into his dark, blue eyes. He spoke to her, "Keep living for my sake..."

Tokiya leaned in and kissed her wet cheek. He smiled lovingly at her, having a great feeling that this wasn't goodbye. He'd see her when he came back, and the first thing he'd say would be, 'Welcome back, Nanami-san.'

"Promise me, Nanami-san. Keep living for STARISH. Keep living for obaa-chan. Keep living for others to enjoy your music. Keep living for me."

She nodded and smiled the most brightest smile, tears still falling softly onto her lap. She held out a pinky and declared, "I pinky promise!"

Tokiya, finding this childish but didn't care, hooked his pinky with hers. "Yubi kiri genman! Uso tsuitara...hari sen bon nomasu! Yubi kitta!" they vowed together.

(Let's make a pinky promise! And if you lie...you must swallow 1000 needles! It's a promise!)

"Remember...1000 needles," Tokiya teased her. She giggled lightly.

The light began to come closer and closer, slowly enveloping the bluehead. "Nanami-san, please make it home safely. I must be on my way now."

Haruka tilted her head. "...Where are you going? I thought we were going home together."

"I'm sorry...but we'll see each other again soon. You'll see, Haruka." It was at rare times when Tokiya addressed to Haruka by her first name, but it always seemed of fondness whenever it was said.

The bright light completely surrounded Tokiya, and took him away. The last thing he felt was the warmth of Nanami's hands.

Blue eyes opened; Tokiya was back in the Master Course. He found himself in his dorm room, sitting on his bed as if he was just thinking on it.

Ittoki was looking the other way, listening to music on his headphones on his bed wistfully. He was obviously trying to get distracted, but it wasn't working. When he casually glanced around, he jolted upward when he saw Tokiya, his brows raised.

Headphones flew up over red hair.

"EHHH? TOKIYA? When did you come back!?" Ittoki had a very confused expression. "You scared me to death!"

"I did just now..." Tokiya was about to deadpan, but he was in too much of a happy mood to do so.

"Hey, Tokiya, why are you in a good mood?" Ittoki asked.

Now it was Tokiya's turn to look befuddled. "Isn't Nanami-san alive? I prevented her death, after all."

He frowned when Ittoki looked down and shook his head slowly. "...Nanami still died on May 31st." It took a few moments for Tokiya to process what the red-head just said. And when it did come across his head, he stared in disbelief.

"Don't joke with me Otoya."

"I'm not! Nanami did die on the 31st of May. Ask everyone! Watch the news! Look it up! It's there, everywhere, in bold."

"But...how? I saved her. I saved Nanami-san!" Tokiya began to shout. He was mad. No, he was confused, and allowed his feelings to take over him. He walked backwards slowly, until he felt his bed and fell on it, his eyes locked onto the ceiling.

How? How did she die? How could she— Tokiya's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden memory.

"My powers! Just...oh, give it please! I'll do whatever you want, just please!"

"...Whatever I want?"

"YES! I promise! Now please!"

...She did what the guy had wanted. And so she died. Realizing this far too late, Tokiya's mood instantly soured and became gloomy. Saizo killed her. Saizo always did kill her, in every timeline.

But why? Why would he do that? What was his reason to it? Tokiya couldn't find any, which meant that his mission was a complete failure.

"She promised me...she promised me that she wouldn't die!" Tokiya shouted. "She broke her promise! She...she died. Because of Saizo. And there was nothing I could do about it."

Ittoki blinked. "H-Hah? You mean, you met Saizo too? Did he look like what Syo's seen?"

Tokiya didn't want to answer, and continued his rants. "That guy needs to die. He needs to burn in hell. Saizo, he better run."

"T-Tokiya?"

"I'm going to take shooting classes, and learn my own ways to kill that, that insolent, mangy bastard—"

"Tokiya! Stop that. You can't speak like that around here! If words could kill, I'd be dead!" Ittoki scolded.

Tokiya was too caught up in his rage to think clearly. It was like his feelings were controlling him, and it was on furious overdrive. However, in a weak attempt to calm him down, he tried thinking about the times Haruka and he spoke.

He remembered the first words he said to her. 'Please don't call me HAYATO.' Or something like that.

He remembered that his music was failing because he had no emotion in them.

He remembered how Haruka saved his music, made it have meaning and feeling. It felt like flying.

He remembered how Haruka somehow convinced him to be in the STARISH band.

Because of her, he was free from HAYATO. He had close friends. He was still successful, doing what he loved. And it was all due to the beloved Nanami Haruka.

And she was gone.

She broke her promise. But it wasn't her fault, Tokiya had to remind himself. It was Saizo's.

"For now," Tokiya mumbled, but loud enough so that Ittoki heard, "I'll promise Nanami-san—no, Haruka that I'll live for her. And until one of us saves her, I'll treat my life like it means more than anything to me. It's a promise for her. And no way will I abandon it."

PLEASE READ~!

Mythia: I know, this seems like a terrible ending. But really, it's not guys! It's the good ending. But blargh, Haruka still freaking dies.

Sorrynotsorry.

This is called, 'Futari no Yakusoku,' which can be translated to, 'Two People's Promise.' Haha, when I think about it, it sounds like 'Futari no Himitsu,' a TokiHaru fic written by the one and only delightful Threya Midnight. You know how much I love you.

But guys, if you hate me for the bitter ending to this chapter, just think about it if Tokiya chose the thin gold shield. *pain hurt dying dead*

So yeah. Thank you for your endless support guys! And eat some Chobani Greek yogurt or something, because I have a problem eating that for all eternity.

So I switched to Yoplait. I don't know which one tastes weirder. XD

...Just kidding. I don't do Greek yogurt man. I just...can't get over the smell...