Shibuya Hal was the leader of Neo-Porte and a man who kept protecting his friends. But his kindness was slowly shaving away his own life. One day, overwhelmed by a relentless streaming schedule and mental exhaustion, he collapsed. When he woke up, he found himself in a strange, pure-white space. There, a self-proclaimed 'Manager of Fate,' a girl named Chloe, appeared. She told him, 'You were supposed to die three months from now. But I want to give you a chance to do it over.' Hal laughed it off
Neo-Porte Regret: Shibuya Hal Dies Twice - Blood Tracks: The Man Who Crawls Up and the Bonds That Begin to Move
There was the taste of blood.
Iron. Rust. It clung to his tongue. He spat, but it wouldn't go away.
Shibuya Haru lay on the floor of the fifth-floor executive office.
The right half of his face burned and throbbed. The spot where he'd been punched had swollen up.
The nosebleed had stopped. Instead, the wound inside his mouth had opened. Blood mixed with saliva, trailing down his chin.
A dark stain spread across the floor.
His own blood.
(How long have I been like this)
He didn't know. His sense of time was a mess.
He'd been like this ever since Rei left.
He couldn't move a single finger.
The stun gun's shock still lingered deep in his bones.
And worse than that — the price of time-leaping clamped down on his entire body.
His ribs were broken. Two, maybe three. Every breath drove the broken bone into the inside of his lung.
The left side of his neck burned. An old wound. Three years ago, while loading equipment, he'd cut it on the corner of a steel frame. The pain from that moment came back with perfect freshness.
(So this is the price)
Chloe's voice echoed in his head.
'Your death will not be undone.'
'The wounds and exhaustion you suffered in life will assail you again and again.'
In that pure white space, the seventeen-year-old girl had said it quietly, silver hair swaying.
Now those words were carved into his flesh.
It hurt.
(But I can't end here)
Haru moved his right hand, still face-down on the floor.
His fingertips crawled along the floor.
As if scraping through a sea of blood.
(I'm going to protect everyone)
He told himself. Over and over.
(I'm already a dead man)
(So I'm not afraid)
Haru clenched his teeth.
A broken tooth grated in his mouth.
The pain almost sent his consciousness flying.
It didn't fly.
Like hell it would.
Haru pressed both hands against the floor.
His arms wouldn't muster any strength.
Still, he lifted his body.
His shoulders trembled.
His arms felt like they'd snap.
(Stand. Stand. Stand)
Haru dug his nails into the leg of the desk.
A wooden desk leg. His nails scraped the surface.
A grinding sound.
He supported his entire weight on just his fingertips.
His nails started to peel.
He didn't care.
Haru grabbed the edge of the desk and heaved his body up in one motion.
—He was standing.
His knees shook.
His ankles bent like they'd break.
Still, he stood.
He pressed a hand against the wall.
Cold wall.
The coldness kept his consciousness tethered.
"...Hah... hah..."
His breathing was shallow.
Every inhale — his ribs, his bones, cut into his flesh.
(I'm fine)
(I'll handle it)
His catchphrase surfaced in his mind.
Not for anyone else. For himself.
Haru took one step.
His right foot slipped.
The floor was slick with his own blood.
He fell.
His knee hit the ground.
Pain.
Still, he stood again.
Handprints remained on the wall.
Bloody handprints.
Red, red trails of crawling.
They continued from the executive office into the hallway.
——
Fourth floor. Talent lounge.
The silence of night filled the room.
Several talents sat on the sofas, heads hanging.
No one spoke.
The air was heavy.
"...What do you mean the exec and Rei-san are both gone?"
Editor-in-chief Suzuki Kenta forced the words out.
Thirty-two. Thin. The eyes behind his glasses were utterly exhausted.
"I don't know. I can't reach either of them."
Manager Yamada Hanako shook her head, still gripping her phone.
Thirty-five. She was always brisk and efficient — but today, she was clearly rattled.
"Haru-san should have been in the executive office until just a while ago..."
Equipment manager Tanaka Yoshiaki scratched at his graying head.
Forty-five. Still in his work clothes, standing at the lounge entrance.
"Rei-san said he had something to discuss with Haru-san and went up to the fifth floor. Neither of them came back after that."
Tanaka gripped the towel around his neck.
"Don't tell me they got into a fight?"
Suzuki's voice trembled slightly.
"Those two would never fight."
Yamada denied it firmly.
But there was no conviction in her voice.
Haru's behavior lately had been strange.
It was obvious to everyone.
"...Haru-san has been carrying something alone for a while now."
Tanaka muttered quietly.
"He started saying Rei-san was suspicious. Suddenly digging through old records."
"That was just the exec being tired."
Suzuki looked at Tanaka.
"Rei-san has done so much for us. Suspecting him is ridiculous."
"...But still."
Tanaka started to say something.
That's when it happened.
Bang!
The lounge door flew open.
Everyone looked at the entrance at once.
Tachibana Hinata stood there.
Her shoulder-length black hair was disheveled.
The braid on the right side was coming undone.
The yellow ribbon was about to fall off.
The hem of her white dress was dirty.
She'd run here.
At full speed.
"Where's Haru-kun... where's Haru-kun!?"
Hinata's voice was shaking.
Tears pooled in her eyes.
"Hinata-chan, calm down. What happened?"
Yamada rushed to her.
"He called... Haru-kun called me... his voice was so strange... he said 'protect everyone'..."
Hinata clung to Yamada's arm.
"That wasn't normal. Something happened to Haru-kun. Where is he!?"
Hinata's tears stained Yamada's clothes.
"A phone call? From Haru-san?"
Suzuki furrowed his brow.
"...Haru-san should have been on the fifth floor with Rei-san just now."
Tanaka's voice dropped.
"Fifth floor... the executive office."
Hinata raised her head.
Her vision blurred with tears.
"I'm going. I'm going to the fifth floor."
Hinata tried to run toward the door.
"Wait, Hinata-chan."
Yamada grabbed her arm.
"You can't just act on your own. We need to assess the situation first."
"Assess what!? Haru-kun is asking for help!"
Hinata shook off Yamada's hand.
"Did you hear it? Haru-kun's voice. He said 'protect everyone.' That was like a last will. His voice sounded like a last will!"
Hinata's scream echoed through the lounge.
Silence.
No one could say anything.
"...Hinata-chan, I understand how you feel, but the exec might just be tired."
Suzuki chose his words carefully.
"If we leave it to Rei-san, everything will be fine. That's how it's always been, right?"
"Leave it to Rei-san?"
Hinata's voice went cold.
"Is Rei-san going to save Haru-kun? Really?"
Hinata looked straight at Suzuki.
"Haru-kun has been carrying something alone this whole time. We never even tried to notice. 'He's just tired.' 'Leave it to Rei-san.' We pushed everything onto Haru-kun."
Hinata's voice trembled.
"Shouldn't we believe in him more? Haru-kun has been fighting alone this whole time — for us."
Hinata's words sank heavy into the room.
"...Believe in what?"
Suzuki sighed.
"The exec suspects Rei-san. That's absurd. Rei-san is Neo-Porte's co-founder. He's contributed more than anyone."
"That's right. Rei-san would never set up Haru-san."
Yamada agreed with Suzuki.
"...So everyone believes in Rei-san."
Hinata bit her lip.
Tears spilled again.
"But I believe in Haru-kun."
Hinata stepped forward.
"Haru-kun is the one who brought me here."
Her voice grew stronger.
"Two years ago, I'd just started streaming and had zero confidence. I failed an audition and was about to quit. That's when Haru-kun found my stream and reached out."
Hinata wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"He said, 'Your stream is interesting. Have confidence.' He said, 'I'll take responsibility, so try the audition again.' I'm here today because Haru-kun believed in my talent."
Hinata's words slowly changed the air in the lounge.
"And it's not just me. He's done it for everyone. He gave his own personal PC to a rookie who couldn't afford equipment and was about to give up streaming. He taught a girl editing until 3 AM when she broke down crying after her first stream."
Hinata looked at each talent, one by one.
"He quietly covered the agency's deficits with his own savings, in Rei-san's shadow. Without telling anyone. Without being thanked."
In the corner of the lounge, a rookie talent who'd been looking down raised his head.
"...Um, that PC. That was me."
His voice was shaking.
"When I first joined, I couldn't afford equipment. Haru-san said, 'Use this,' and gave me his own PC. I did my first stream on that machine."
Talent A's eyes were wet.
"...I got editing lessons too."
Another talent raised a hand quietly.
"My first stream, no comments came in at all. I was crying, about to quit. Haru-san taught me everything — how to cut, pacing, all of it — until late at night."
Talent B's voice went nasal.
"...Now that I think about it, Haru-san always checked all our streams."
Another talent muttered.
"Even when my stream had three viewers, Haru-san was the first to comment."
"Now that you mention it..."
"Haru-san always..."
"Me too..."
The air in the lounge changed.
The heavy atmosphere began to move.
"...Haru-san always put us first."
Talent A stood up.
"And yet we believed the rumors that he was losing it. None of us tried to hear him out."
Talent A's fists were shaking.
"...I want to apologize to Haru-san."
"Me too."
"Me too."
One after another, the talents stood.
"...Wait, everyone."
Suzuki's voice was bewildered.
"But Rei-san is..."
"Rei-san can wait."
Tanaka cut him off.
Tanaka's face was pale.
"I... I remembered something."
Tanaka gripped his towel tight.
"Rei-san borrowed the studio key late at night. Multiple times. He said it was for equipment checks. But nobody does equipment checks at that hour."
Tanaka's voice was trembling.
"And the days the data disappeared, the days equipment broke — every single one was a day Rei-san was in the studio."
Tanaka's words dropped heavy into the lounge.
"...What are you saying, Tanaka-san?"
Suzuki's face went pale.
"Are you saying Rei-san deleted the data? Broke the equipment?"
"I don't know. But Haru-san noticed. That's why he was investigating alone."
Tanaka was remembering.
Last week, in the studio, what Haru had said.
'Rei borrowed the studio IC card, right?'
Haru's eyes then.
Sad — but resolved.
"Let's find Haru-san."
Tanaka said.
"We find Haru-san. Right now."
"...Yeah. You're right."
Suzuki nodded quietly.
"I'll search too."
Yamada nodded.
"Me too! I'll search too!"
Hinata shouted, wiping her tears.
"We're going to find Haru-kun!"
Everyone nodded at Hinata's voice.
——
Fifth floor. Hallway.
Haru leaned against the wall.
He couldn't keep breathing.
His legs wouldn't move.
The blood trail continued all the way from the executive office door to here.
Haru grabbed the wall with his left hand.
His nails scraped the wallpaper.
(Just a little more to the elevator)
His vision blurred.
His consciousness faded.
(No. If I collapse here)
(I can't tell them anything)
Haru clenched his teeth.
The broken tooth grated again.
The pain pulled his consciousness back.
(Pain is proof I'm alive)
(I'm still alive)
Haru dragged one foot forward.
His right foot wouldn't obey.
His ankle was swollen.
Where Rei had kicked him.
(Even so, I move forward)
Haru reached for the elevator button.
His fingertip touched it.
Pressed.
No strength.
Again.
Pressed.
Beep.
A sound.
The elevator started moving.
(Come on. Come on. Come on)
Haru leaned against the elevator door.
Blood smeared thickly on the door.
The door opened.
Haru collapsed into the car.
The floor was cold.
(Second floor. The streaming studio)
With trembling hands, Haru pressed the button for the second floor.
The door closed.
The elevator descended.
——
Inside the car, his consciousness nearly flew away.
(Chloe)
A silver-haired girl surfaced in his mind.
Gold and silver. Odd eyes.
Small white wings on her back.
Hands clasped in front of her chest. Smiling.
'Fate can be changed. But never without a price.'
Chloe's voice echoed in his head.
'You will be treated as one who has already died. The wounds and exhaustion you suffered in life will assail you again and again.'
(I know)
(I know that)
(But I
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