Yakumo Beni died. On her way home from a stream, a traffic accident. A sudden end. But when she opens her eyes, she's back in a familiar streaming studio. The date is three months before her death. Beni is confused, but she sees this as a chance. She knows that her friends in VSPO! will soon face misfortune one after another. Because in her previous life, she saw it all. Her best friend, Kurumi Nozomi, falls ill and retires. Her senior, Tachibana Hinano, gets caught in a scandal and breaks down.
The Mint-Green Rewinder - The rooftop at rock bottom, the abyss of solitude
The rain had been falling for three days straight.
Fine droplets traced down the window of Beni's room. The outside world dissolved into gray, even the outlines of buildings blurring away.
Beni sat on her bed, hugging her knees.
(Hinano-senpai, hiatus from activities)
The news arrived yesterday evening. A phone call from Manager Todo. His voice was calm as always, but the weight of his words was different.
Decided at an emergency meeting by the management. No reversing it now.
In her previous life, Hinano-senpai kept streaming even after the backlash. Breaking her heart, she still didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
But in this life.
Beni changed it.
Beni gripped her left wrist with her right hand.
Thin. Thinner than before. Much thinner.
(Fading)
Her left hand was starting to turn transparent up to the elbow. When she rolled up her sleeve, the veins beneath her skin blended with the color of the wall.
Beni closed her eyes.
—That day, if I hadn't told Hinano-senpai "be careful around May" at the studio.
—If I hadn't taken Nozomi to the hospital.
—If I hadn't rewound time in the first place.
The same words spun around and around in her head.
Her phone buzzed.
She looked at the screen. From Manager Todo.
"Yakumo-san. Can you come to the studio today? We need to talk."
Beni stared at the screen for a while.
Her fingers wouldn't move.
"...I'll come."
Her voice was hoarse.
The Vspo! streaming studio was on the fifth floor of a mixed-use building, twelve minutes on foot from Shibuya Station.
The hallway that was usually bright felt strangely dark today.
The fluorescent lights bled into the rain-damp air.
Beni stopped in front of the meeting room.
Voices leaked from inside.
"...So as I was saying, continuing activities as-is is dangerous."
"Dangerous? What did Hinano-san even do?!"
"Even if she did nothing, the backlash won't stop. That's reality."
Beni pressed her back against the wall.
Cold.
(It's my fault)
(All of it, my fault)
Her fingertips trembled.
How long had it been?
The meeting room door opened.
Manager Todo stepped out. A man in his forties. His face was always gentle, but today it looked utterly exhausted.
"Yakumo-san. You came."
Beni raised her head.
"...Where's Hinano-senpai?"
"She's not here today. She's staying at home."
Manager Todo paused for a moment.
"Yakumo-san. For a while, could you refrain from contacting Tachibana-san?"
Those words pierced Beni's chest.
"...Why?"
"Tachibana-san's mental state is quite unstable. Right now, we want to keep anything stimulating away from her."
Stimulating.
I'm the stimulation.
"It's not your fault, Yakumo-san. Just—please leave her be for now."
Manager Todo tried to place a hand on Beni's shoulder.
Beni stepped back.
"...It is my fault."
Her voice shook.
"If I hadn't said those things. If I hadn't done all that extra stuff. Senpai wouldn't be on hiatus."
Tears spilled over.
Couldn't stop.
"It's all my fault. All of it, I'm to blame."
Beni crumpled to the floor.
She braced a hand against the hallway wall and sank down.
"Yakumo-san...!"
Manager Todo's voice sounded far away.
Beni hugged her own arms.
(In my previous life, this hadn't happened yet)
(There was no hiatus)
(I sped it up)
(I made everything worse)
The cold of the floor spread from her knees through her whole body.
The tears wouldn't stop.
She went up to the studio rooftop an hour later.
No one else there.
The rain had let up.
Beni gripped the fence.
Cold metal against her palms.
Shibuya sprawled beneath a gray sky.
The scramble crossing. People walking with umbrellas.
Everyone just living their lives.
(If I hadn't been born, wouldn't everyone be happier?)
Her grip on the fence tightened.
(Nozomi never said she didn't want to see me, even after getting sick)
(Hinano-senpai never went on hiatus, even after the backlash)
(I ruined everything)
"Why...why am I still alive..."
Her voice trembled.
"If I were dead, everyone would be happy...!"
Beni pressed her forehead against the fence.
Cold.
Painful.
But that pain was proof she was still here.
"If I weren't here...if only I didn't exist..."
She stifled her sobs and cried.
The wails crushed themselves in her throat.
She couldn't breathe.
Hyperventilating.
Her chest constricted.
Air wouldn't go in.
Beni crouched down on the spot.
She dug her nails into the concrete.
(It hurts)
(Worse than dying)
When she was hit by the truck in her previous life.
That instant of pain was nothing compared to this.
"Help me..."
A voiceless voice dissolved into the rain.
"Someone...help me..."
No one came.
Of course not.
I pushed everyone away.
I made everyone unhappy.
Beni collapsed onto the rooftop floor.
Her cheek pressed against the cold concrete.
Rain soaked her hair.
Mint-green strands spread across the gray floor.
(I want to disappear, just like this)
Her left hand was transparent up to the elbow.
(I want to melt into the rain and vanish, just like this)
The tears wouldn't stop.
How long had she been like that?
Her phone buzzed.
In her pocket. Again and again.
Beni slowly sat up.
She looked at the screen.
Aoba General Hospital. From Manager Todo.
Her fingers trembled.
Beni pressed the call button.
"...Hello."
"Yakumo-san. Are you okay right now?"
Manager Todo's voice was more careful than usual.
"...I'm fine."
"Actually, there's something I need to tell you about Nozomi-san."
Nozomi.
Beni's heart jumped.
"Did something happen to Nozomi? Is she sick...?"
"No, her condition is stable. It's just..."
Manager Todo paused.
"Nozomi-san says she doesn't want to see you, Beni-san."
—Her mind went blank.
Only the sound of rain filled her ears.
"...What."
"I think Nozomi-san has been thinking about a lot of things in her own way. Not wanting to worry you, or feeling like she's the one cornering you."
Manager Todo tried to relay Nozomi's words as gently as possible.
But they didn't reach Beni's ears.
Doesn't want to see me.
Only those words repeated in her head.
"So she wants to keep some distance for a while. I think it's for your sake too, Beni-san."
Beni said nothing.
The tears wouldn't come anymore.
(Nozomi doesn't want to see me either)
(Nozomi rejected me too)
(Hinano-senpai, Nozomi, everyone)
"...I see."
Her voice was so calm it surprised even herself.
"If that's what Nozomi says. Yeah. I understand."
"Yakumo-san. I'll contact you again once things settle down."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Beni hung up.
She clutched the phone to her chest.
The rain was still falling.
(Nozomi doesn't want to see me either, huh)
(Of course. Because I took her to the hospital)
(Because I messed up Nozomi's life)
Beni stood up.
Her legs shook.
She braced a hand on the fence and looked down at the city.
Shibuya.
The city where she died in her previous life.
(If I'd died back then)
(Everyone would be happy)
When she returned to the studio, several members were talking in front of the break room.
As Beni approached, the conversation stopped.
A moment of silence.
Then everyone looked away.
"...Good work today."
Beni spoke up.
"Oh, yeah. Good work."
Member A said that, then immediately turned back to another member.
"Hey, what are we doing about today's stream?"
"I've got some plans, so..."
Not looking at Beni.
No one spoke to Beni.
Beni opened the break room door.
The members inside all looked at her at once.
Then, again, looked away.
(Everyone's avoiding me)
(Of course)
(Because I'm here, everyone becomes unhappy)
Beni quietly closed the door.
She walked down the hallway.
Only her footsteps echoed, strangely loud.
(If I weren't here, everyone could smile more)
She looked at her left hand.
Beneath her sleeve, the arm transparent to the elbow let the fluorescent light through.
(I'm going to disappear)
(Just like this, I'll fade away)
Scary.
But somewhere inside, a part of her felt relieved.
(If I disappear, will everyone be happy?)
She got home past nine at night.
Beni took off her shoes at the entrance.
Didn't turn on the lights.
Only the sound of rain filled the dark room.
Beni collapsed onto the bed.
Stared at the ceiling.
In the darkness, she couldn't see anything.
(I haven't eaten anything today)
(I didn't eat yesterday either)
(I'm not hungry)
(I don't feel anything)
Beni pulled out her phone.
Opened the notes app.
The future schedule, recording her memories of the previous life.
'Hinano-senpai backlash → two weeks earlier than previous life'
'Hinano-senpai hiatus → didn't happen in previous life'
'Nozomi illness → early detection → full recovery'
'Nozomi vocal aftereffects → possible'
'Pregnant woman scream → Nozomi's price?'
'Left hand pinky → back of hand → wrist → transparent to elbow'
Beni scrolled through the screen.
In her previous life, Hinano-senpai's backlash came much later.
There was no hiatus.
Nozomi's illness had gotten much worse.
But in this life.
I changed it.
All of it, me.
(The more I move, the faster everyone's misfortune comes)
(As long as I exist, everyone gets hurt)
Beni opened a new note.
With trembling fingers, she typed.
'My existence makes everyone unhappy'
'If I disappear, everyone can be happy'
She stopped there.
(I wrote it)
(What was I about to write just now)
Beni clutched the phone to her chest.
Tears spilled over.
"...But Nozomi said thank you."
Her voice shook.
"That smile wasn't a lie. Maybe I still shouldn't give up."
Beni deleted the words she'd written.
One character at a time.
'My existence makes everyone unhappy'
Delete.
'If I disappear, everyone can be happy'
Delete.
The screen went blank.
Beni pressed her fading left hand to her chest.
She could still feel it.
Cold.
But it was definitely there.
(Still haven't disappeared)
(I'm still here)
Beni closed her eyes.
The sound of rain quietly filled the room.
That night, Beni went down to the apartment entrance.
She didn't know why.
She just couldn't stand being in her room.
She wanted to breathe outside air.
The elevator stopped on the first floor.
The doors opened.
Beni stepped into the lobby.
—The instant she did.
The air changed.
Sound vanished.
She couldn't hear the rain.
No cars outside, no wind, nothing.
It was as if time had stopped.
And then Beni noticed.
In the corner of the entrance.
In the shadows where the streetlight didn't reach.
A man in a black coat stood.
Kansokusha.
The outline of his face was blurred.
Black hair slicked back, streaked with white.
Only his deep gray eyes clearly fixed on Beni.
On his left wrist, an old watch with no visible face.
"Yakumo Beni."
His voice was low and quiet.
Beni stepped back.
"...You again."
Kansokusha didn't move.
"Your rewinding is a distortion of the world."
She'd heard those words before.
But now they struck deeper, heavier.
"Every time you save someone, someone else is hurt."
Beni bit her lip.
"I already know that!"
Her voice shook.
"Because I saved Nozomi, the pregnant woman got hurt. Because I tried to save Hinano-senpai, she went on hiatus. All of it, my fault!"
Kansokusha said nothing.
"What are you? Why do you keep coming to me? I just want to protect everyone!"
Tears spilled over.
"I just...I just wanted everyone to keep smiling..."
Kansokusha slowly stepped forward.
"I am Kansokusha."
His voice was as cold as ever.
"One who observes your choices. Nothing more."
"Just observe? So no matter how much I suffer, you won't do anything?"
"If I did anything, that would be intervention. Intervention only makes the distortion worse."
Kansokusha looked down at Beni with his gray eyes.
"Yakumo Beni. Do you understand what you've done?"
"...What I've done?"
"You were meant to die. You twisted that fate by your own will. The result is the distortion of this world."
Beni gasped.
"Every time you save someone, the world collects the price from somewhere else. Your body fading is merely a precursor to that."
Kansokusha's voice was fl
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