WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?! 100 CHAPTERS!! Wow!! I can't believe we've made it this far!! I have so much to thank you guys for that I can't even express it! This book has helped me so much!! With all the rough times I have faced during this journey, you guys have always supported me and I don't think I'll ever be able to pay you guys back!
But I can pay you back... WITH ANGST!! MWAHAHA!! THAT'S RIGHT, THIS IS THE ORIGINAL ENDING TO THIS BOOK, THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD I NOT SCRATCHED DOWN THIS IDEA!! Honestly, I still think this ending has so much potential but meh, I don't wanna make y'all cry because I literally cried when I imagined it... P.s! Play the music for dramatics!! Anyways, on with the story!!
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It was dark...
Absolute darkness.
Hanagaki Takemichi thought that maybe he had done it, maybe he had finished this timeleaping problem. But then, so much had happened in such little time that he didn't even know what to think about anymore...
The last thing he remembered was passing out, but seeing as how he entered this dark realm with the only light source being the distant array of lights, made him feel as if he had died.
Just when he was busy thinking about how he got here, he heard a very familiar voice ring at the side, "Takemichi-kun?"
He whipped his head so quickly he was afraid he might have broken his own neck.
There you were, standing and smiling at him so softly...
He felt his tears well up after he remembered how many bruises you had as you kept on fighting. Your body looked so battered and bruised that he was afraid you might end up dying.
With a grin, you tilted your head, looking at his teary form, "Jeez, what are you crying for?" He shook his head while trying to wipe his tears, "N-No, it's nothing!! I mean... it's just that," he stopped for a minute to look up and stare at you, "you were just so beaten up... I was scared I might lose you, [Name]-san..."
Your face remained monotonous, not giving out any emotion as you walked up to him and pat his head, "Takemichi-kun... Let's go for a walk!" You suggested, ignoring his previous statement and holding his hand to lead the way.
He nodded weakly and wiped his tears, now taking a proper look at the place. Darkness surrounded both of you, and the only way he knew that you both weren't going to fall down in the abyss of blackness, was the starry path that was being built with every step you took.
"Where are we going, [Name]-san?" He asked and your smiled softly, "Nowhere in particular... but it's better if we talk while walking, right?"
He couldn't disagree with that, but his cluelessness about this place still remained, "But... what is this place?" He asked once more and you answered him without looking at him this time, "We're at the place where it all began..."
"Huh?"
Finally turning to him, you smiled, "We're in the center of space and time, itself... A black hole, if that's what you wanna call it... But it's far too different from a mere black hole... It's the place of origin of our abilities..." You explained, but it went right over his head as he didn't understand anything.
"O-Oh..." Was all he could say to that. You smiled to yourself, knowing that he didn't get anything.
"Say, Takemichi-kun... You love Hina-san, don't you?" Your question made him raise an eyebrow, "Huh? Of course I do! She's why I continued to time leap!" He exclaimed and you smiled fondly at him.
"Is that so? Well, you better end up marrying her, or I'm gonna be real angry if you don't..." You uttered with a gentle smile that didn't sit right with Takemichi.
"Um, what about you, [Name]-san? Do you... like someone?" Your eyes widened upon his question, before they quickly returned to their normal size.
You both stopped walking and simply stood in front of the array of lights, watching them bloom and intertwine with each other.
"I do."
Takemichi snapped his neck over to you once more. Did he hear that right?! He thought you were the type of person who wouldn't want to get in a relationship since you were too busy with your gang and saving everyone!
"I love them... I love them so much that they're all I can see..." You whispered, holding onto your arm as you leaned on one leg.
"-but... I want them to be happy... even if I'm not with them, even if they don't remember me..." You smiled softly and gazed ahead at the lights.
"What are you... talking about?" His question made you smile once more, "Once you leave this place, Takemichi-kun... I will cease to exist... My body was so utterly destroyed that no one would have recognized it..." Tears began to well up in Takemichi's eyes at your words.
"-and as far their memories of me go... I have already erased their memories..." This time, he let his tears fall down as he clutched onto his arm to hold himself back.
"[Name]-san!! What are you trying to do?!" He cried out, but you only turned to him with a gentle smile.
"I'm setting you free, Takemichi-kun... After this, Manjirō won't remember about his dark impulses, and no one will get hurt..." He shook his head and held onto your shoulders.
"That's not what I meant!! You! I meant you!! What will happen to you?!" He continued to let his tears stream down his face.
"You're saying you'll cease to exist?! How is that setting me free?! You-You said I'm like a brother to you!! Would you put your brother through this?!" With every word he spoke, you felt your resolve weakening.
"I thought you said you'll always be with us!! You said you'd help me when I get married!! Y-You said you'll even ask Yuki-san to give me a discount with the wedding flowers!! Why?! Why are you going back on it?!"
"Didn't you say you loved someone?! What would that person feel when you won't exist?!" His cries became louder and louder, until...
"I KNOW THAT!!"
Your eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears, sobs racking your body.
"I know!! I know that and I don't want to do this!!" Takemichi watched in surprise as you broke down in front of him. Was this how scared you were of dying? Whenever he saw you in a life or death situation, you always seemed so fearless. Were you just putting on a brave face for everyone?
"I don't want to die!! I still want to live!! I don't want them to forget me!! I want them to remember me for the rest of their lives!!"
"But if I don't... then this will never end... This cycle of death and darkness, it will go on for years and years until we forget everything about our own selves..."
He walked back slightly, too shocked at what you were saying.
"Then... that time when you hurt the others..." Takemichi recalled. You cried upon those memories, "It was to save everyone... Manjirō's dark impulses are too dangerous... It's either I reset everything or I die..."
"Is there... no way to save you?" Takemichi asked, sniffling slightly but you shook your head, "I was the beginning of it all... I will be the end of it..."
"You... You've been suffering, huh... Nee-san?" You looked up in shock as he called you big sister. You always wanted a little brother or sister, one that would call you big sis and one you could take care of. When Takemichi came along, you felt like you finally had that little brother that you wanted.
To hear him say that, made more tears flood your eyes, "So, this is like a dream? This is where you'll say goodbye?" You kept your head low and nodded.
Slowly, Takemichi wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug.
"You did this for all of us. Thank you, [Name]-san..." Placing your head on his shoulder, you felt your tears dripping down your cheek.
"Toman, and the others may not remember you... but they will feel your absence... I'm sure of it..." You buried your face in his shoulders, letting his short soak up your tears.
"You're warm, Takemichi-kun... Just like Shinichirō-niisan..." You muttered and Takemichi just hugged you tighter.
As you pulled your face up from his shoulders, you looked up to see the light slowly fading away, "Time's up, Takemichi-kun..." His eyes widened upon your words.
You were wearing that same smile... That gentle, kind smile..
With the light slowly fading away, you began to walk in it's direction, making Takemichi stumble behind you, "Wait!! [Name]-san!!" He cried out, but you just turned to him and waved, "Sorry you'll have to remember me... I just wanted to be selfish for once and let someone remember me... at least one person..."
He cried and cried, but he couldn't bring himself to move. His body just wouldn't listen to him.
You kept on walking until you heard a voice call out to you... It was the last thing you wanted to hear right now...
"[Name]!! Wait!!"
(Play the music now)
Shinichirō screamed behind you, making you turn in surprise, tears welling up in your eyes.
No, no, no... not him...
You can't do this if he's here!! You know you're too weak to him, you won't be able to leave!!
Shinichirō was running over like his life depended on it, almost stumbling down the path once or twice. But suddenly, as soon as he came, the path widened and stretched all across the area.
Instead of darkness, the entire place was filled with light. It looked like a meadow, with the light blue sky stretching out towards the horizon. But even with this huge change, the array of fading lights was still there.
Waiting for you...
"[Name]... please don't..." Shinichirō cried out, tears dripping down his pale cheeks as he tried to walk over but you took a step back, towards the light.
"Don't, nii-san... We both know I won't make it..." He shook his head but no words came out. Sobs continued to rack his body until he finally bent down and let out a strangled cry.
He didn't want his cute, baby sister to go just yet... His precious, little Astrophile...
As you watched him break down in front of you and Takemichi, you failed to notice the several figures standing over behind Shinichirō.
It wasn't until they called out.
"[Name]..."
And you heard it...
There they were.
All of the Tokyo Manji Gang, all of the Black Dragons, all of Valhalla, all of Brahman, and all of Tenjiku, stood with their hands behind their back.
There were others too, like Emma, Yuzuha, Hinata, Naoto, Sora, Ai and Yuki...
"[Last Name][Name]." They uttered, their voices overlapping each other and creating a loud resonance.
Tears streamed down your cheeks as you smiled shakily at them. They were smiling at you too, their own tears being held back as they opted to let you cry.
You were the only one who had the right to cry.
Shinichirō and the founding members of the 1st Generation of Black Dragons were at the very front, followed by rows and rows filled with different gangs. They were all standing uniformly.
And then...
One by one, all of them began to bow, until every head you saw was right at the level of their waist. It was then that they all yelled in synchrony.
"THANK YOU, [LAST NAME][NAME], THE COORDINATE!!" Their voices boomed all across the area, echoing through each nook and cranny of this place.
One by one, one by one... You felt each of your tears hitting the ground and creating a small sound. You could feel your entire face wet with tears, breathing heavy as you cried yourself a river.
With a hazy vision, you saw... They were all crying too. Even if you couldn't see their faces since they were bowing down, but seeing their tears falling on the sky blue ground, made you realise.
You were loved.
You are loved.
And you will be loved, until the end of times.
Nothing left to say, you turned your body to the other side, wiping your tears and walking your final steps to the fading light.
And you heard a final cry erupt from among them,
"THANK YOU, OUR ASTROPHILE!!"
You grinned to yourself and closed your eyes, feeling your body dissipate into the light.
Guess it's time for you to go...
-----
Hanagaki Takemichi shot up from his sleep.
His head resting on the kotatsu as he heard a chattering of voices around him. Lifting up his head, he turned around to see a black haired, older looking Draken lying under the kotatsu and propping himself up on his elbows. Mitsuya with messy black hair was sitting on his left and Baji, Chifuyu and Kazutora were playing cards at the far end. Pah-chin was snoozing away comfortably under the kotatsu.
Wait...
A loud crash echoed in the room, and everyone stopped talking. Then, from the kitchen, Mikey with black hair and a middle part, came running out, stumbling over the sprawled out Pah-chin, "Damn it, move Pah-chin!!" Mikey screeched.
Ken let out a loud laugh as Emma ran out behind Mikey, frying pan in hand, "DON'T JUST SIT THERE AND LAUGH, KEN-CHIN!!" Mikey screamed and struggled to run away as he saw Emma aim a empty beer can at him.
"EMMA, CALM DOWN!!" Mikey screamed and ran to the front door, whose lock was being fumbled around by the outside. It opened to reveal Shinichirō and Izana, and the beer can that Emma was aiming at Mikey ended up hitting Shinichirō in the face.
"Haha!! Take that, Emma!! You can't even aim at me properly!!" Mikey teased even though he was using Izana as his meat shield.
"Oi, midget!! Get off me!!" Izana yelled which only prompted Mikey to yell back, "We're the same height, moron!!"
"No, we're not! I'm 3 cm taller than you!!" Their screaming was cut off by Shinichirō's groans of pain, "Weakling... can't even dodge a beer can..." Mikey sneered which made Izana nod in agreement, "I know, right? So much for the founder of the Black Dragons, huh? He's a disgrace to the Sano family..."
They both looked down on him as he cried out, "Why the fuck do you guys only get along when it's about insulting me?!" He sobbed but the two brothers ignored him and left.
Watching this all... made Takemichi realise... the only one missing in this perfect future... was you.
"Draken-kun... where's [Name]-san?" Takemichi asked as Draken turned his head to him in surprise, "Huh? Who's that? A new model or something?"
Mitsuya shook his head, "Nope, if she was, I would know! I don't think I've ever heard that name before..."
That answer... broke his heart...
He didn't notice Hina walking up to him, until she was right beside him with her eyes wide in worry, "Takemichi-kun? Are you okay?!" She asked, making everyone turn their attention to him.
He didn't even realize it... he was crying...
Mikey, who was with Izana, walked up to him and looked at him, "Did someone fight with you, Takemicchi? Just tell us, we'll take care of it!"
His sentence only prompted more tears.
Shinichirō placed a hand on his shoulder and Takemichi could only choke out a sob.
'I don't want them to forget me!! I want them to remember me for the rest of their lives!!'
Your words echoed in his ears as he wiped his tears with one hand, smiling so brokenly to convince himself more than anyone, "Takemichi-kun?" Hina called again and the poor man let out a strangled laugh.
"I-I'm fine! I'm fine... It's just..." He stopped for a minute to look up at everyone and give them a smile. A smile that looked just as kind and gentle as yours.
"I just feel like I had a really long dream..."