143 centimeters tall, with twin red tails and a love for games bigger than herself—Nekomiya Hinata is a VTuber on the rise, affiliated with the agency Stella Link and beloved by nearly a million subscribers. When Xenogram Games, the developer behind the hit tactical FPS *Waltsturm*, offers to host an official esports tournament bearing her very name—the "Hinata Cup"—it feels like a dream come true. A chance to prove that the girl once told she was "too small" and "too slow" could stand at the ce
Hinata's Little War - News of the championship tournament, and a premonition of unseen malice.
Shibuya at dusk. The sky was dyed a pale orange. In front of the station, the scramble crossing was as busy as ever, people coming and going. People walking while looking at their phones, people laughing with friends, people hurrying across the crosswalk. All of it blended together like a great wave of sound.
Eight minutes on foot from Shibuya Station. Just one street away from the noisy main road stood a seven-story building called the Kanade Building. On the seventh floor hung the sign of the VTuber agency "Stella Link." In its fifth year of operation, with thirty-two affiliated talents. Strong in FPS and action game streamers, it was the industry's third-largest agency.
Nekomiya Hinata opened the door to the conference room "Luce" on that seventh floor. From the glass-walled room, the streets of Shibuya were clearly visible. Inside stood a woman with her blue hair tied neatly into a single ponytail. Deep indigo, narrow eyes. Blue-black straight long hair. A calm expression that was hard to read. She was Aoba Mio, Hinata's dedicated manager.
"Good work today. Sorry for calling you in so suddenly."
Mio's voice was composed. Businesslike, with no more emotion than necessary. Hinata hurried over with small steps and looked up at Mio, who was much taller than her. Hinata stood at 143 centimeters. A delicate, small body that looked far younger than her age. Her red twin-tails swayed softly with every movement. Half-lidded, drooping eyes with amber-gold pupils. At the top of her head, a single cowlick bounced up like a cat ear.
"You surprised me, Mio-san. Being called to the conference room—I thought maybe I'd messed something up."
"No. It's not bad news. Please, have a seat."
Mio gestured to a seat on the other side of the long table. Hinata obediently sat down. Mio operated the tablet in her hands and turned the screen toward Hinata.
"A formal offer has arrived from Xenogram Games. It's been decided that an FPS tournament bearing your name, the 'Hinata Cup,' will be held."
For a moment, it felt like every sound in the room had vanished.
Hinata blinked rapidly. Xenogram Games. A game company with about six hundred employees, headquartered in Shinagawa. Their flagship title, the tactical FPS *Waltsturm*, had 4.2 million registered users in Japan. In the two and a half years since release, a domestic league had even been established in the esports scene. That company was going to hold a tournament bearing her name.
"R-really...!? Wait, the Hinata Cup... that's *my* 'Hinata'!?"
Hinata couldn't help but spring up from her chair, hopping slightly. Her 143-centimeter body bounced. Her twin-tails leapt toward the ceiling. She was so happy her mind went completely blank.
"Yes! Yes yes yes! A tournament with my own name! Isn't that amazing!? It's like a dream!"
Mio's expression didn't change. But the corners of her mouth seemed to soften, just the slightest bit. *Maybe I imagined it*, Hinata thought. Mio was someone who rarely showed emotion, no matter the situation.
"You can be happy. But please listen."
Mio began reading the contents of the contract displayed on the tablet in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.
"The organizer is Xenogram Games. The event is *Waltsturm*. Maximum of forty-eight participating teams, five members per team. Total prize pool of five million yen. It will be structured in two stages: online qualifiers and an offline final at a venue in Tokyo. You are scheduled to participate as a special commentator."
After saying that, Mio paused for just a moment. Her narrow eyes gazed directly at Hinata.
"If it succeeds, your career will become much more stable. The target is over 100,000 concurrent viewers. Corporate projects will increase as well. Estimated sponsorship revenue is around thirty million yen. Your own guarantee will be substantial, too."
"100,000...! That's insane, I can't even imagine...!"
"However. If it fails, it will leave a scar on your career as a streamer."
Hinata's movements stopped. Into her chest, so full of joy, something cold seeped in just a little.
"A namesake tournament means staking your very name. If the event fails even slightly, the impression that 'Nekomiya Hinata's tournament flopped' will remain. Online reactions can be cruel."
Mio's voice was as calm as ever. But that calmness now weighed heavily on Hinata's heart.
"Your FPS skills are already top-class. You've been selected as an official partner streamer for *Waltsturm*. Your channel has about 920,000 subscribers. You have pro-gamer-level ability."
Mio let out a small breath.
"That's exactly why there's pressure. If it succeeds, great results. If it fails, a deep wound. That's what this is."
Hinata slowly sat back down in her chair. She laced her small fingers together on her lap. Inside her chest, joy and anxiety swirled together, inseparable.
*(I don't want to fail.)*
That was a natural feeling. But it wasn't just fear.
Hinata raised her head and looked at Mio.
"...I've only ever done this because I love games. I'm just an ordinary girl who likes games, and honestly, I am worried about whether I can make the tournament exciting."
Mio listened in silence.
"But you know. I'm confident that no one loves this more than I do. Streaming, *Waltsturm*, all of it. It might not go well, but... I want to try. A chance like this might never come again."
Mio looked at Hinata for a while, then gave a small nod.
"I thought you'd say that."
Her voice felt just a little softer. Hinata tilted her head.
"Mio-san, were you actually a bit worried about me? I thought I was going to get scolded."
"I'm your manager. Managing a talent's risk is part of the job."
Mio stood up smoothly and hugged the tablet to her chest. Her 167-centimeter frame stretched tall against the evening sun streaming through the window.
"I'll explain the details again later. That's all for today. ...Congratulations, Hinata-san."
Only those last words came slowly.
Hinata felt something ticklish in her heart. Mio always said only the bare minimum. So that one word made her incredibly happy.
"Yeah! Thank you, Mio-san! I'll do my best!"
When she left the conference room, the fluorescent lights in the hallway glowed white. Hinata made a small victory pose in front of her chest.
*(The Hinata Cup, huh.)*
A tournament with her own name on it. It was incredible. But more than that, she felt excited. A place where she could say loudly that she loved games. Maybe she could make that place even bigger.
---
That night, Hinata returned to her apartment in Setagaya Ward. Five minutes on foot from the nearest station. An older three-story building, room 301. Rent was 95,000 yen a month. A 1LDK, about thirty-eight square meters.
When she opened the door, the faint smell of daily life greeted her. She'd been gaming since morning and then gone out. Inside the fridge were several energy drinks and convenience store bento boxes. Next to them, a single chocolate bar past its expiration date.
"...I need to clean up."
Her small voice fell into the empty room.
One corner of the living room was her streaming space. Two gaming PCs. A microphone, webcam, lighting. Soundproof panels on the walls. About forty plushies crammed into the background. Her favorite was a brown tabby cat plushie. A recent purchase.
Hinata opened social media on her phone. She checked her stream notifications. Then a post from an unfamiliar anonymous account caught her eye.
*"Nekomiya Hinata stole my oshi's popularity. If you disappeared, my oshi would finally get the spotlight."*
Her finger stopped.
She read that single sentence over and over. Her heart quietly quickened. Her stomach grew heavy.
*(What is this?)*
Hinata gripped her long twin-tails tightly. Since she was little, she'd had a habit of clutching her hair when something upset her. The red strands tangled around her fingers.
She remembered the past.
Elementary school. Just because she was short, she wasn't picked for teams during PE. *"You're small, so you're slow."* She couldn't say that wasn't true. After school, she'd sit alone on the swings, staring at the sky.
Further back. Around the time she'd debuted and some time had passed. The night her previous agency "ENTUM" disbanded. She and Koyori had sat in the corner of a family restaurant, stifling their sobs. The waitstaff kept coming by asking "Would you like more water?" and they'd desperately hidden their tear-and-snot-streaked faces.
Back then.
Still clutching her phone, Hinata collapsed face-down onto her bed. The ceiling looked dark.
"'If you disappeared,' huh."
It was just the words of one stranger. She knew that. But those words dragged out all the loneliness of the past.
*(Would it be better if I disappeared?)*
Her thoughts sank toward the darkness.
But.
Hinata slowly sat up. She gently swiped the phone screen. The next notification. A comment from a viewer.
*"I love your streams, Hinata-san. You gave me energy again today."*
*"I'm terrible at games, but thanks to you I started playing FPS!"*
*"Everyone knows you're self-conscious about your height. Don't worry about it."*
...Ah.
Deep in her chest, warmth spread slowly.
*(That's right. All I want is to make my streaming space a place where everyone feels comfortable.)*
A welcoming space. A place where anyone could feel "it's okay to be here." That was the reason she'd kept streaming. A place where the lonely girl she'd been back then—no, the lonely girl she still was—could still smile.
Hinata closed her phone and gently wrapped herself in her blanket.
"I won't lose. I absolutely won't lose."
That night, she couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
---
The next day. Hinata was in the Stella Link headquarters break room, the "Mofumofu Lounge." A favorite spot she'd named herself, lined with cat cushions. She bought a caramel latte from the vending machine in the corner. The can clunked.
"Hina-chan!"
A bouncy voice called out, and she turned around.
A fluffy pink-gold bob. Bright-colored hair with a small braid hanging at each side. Large drooping eyes with bright reddish-purple pupils. Height: 152 centimeters. Taller than Hinata, but still on the small side. Usada Koyori. Hinata's best friend, her contemporary, her rival.
"I heard about the Hinata Cup! That's amazing! Congratulations!"
Koyori waved her hands excitedly and sat down next to Hinata. A smile like a flower. The kind of atmosphere that made everyone like her—the honor student type.
"Wait, you already know!?"
"Of course I do—it's a namesake tournament for the agency's poster girl! The whole industry's talking about it. Besides, I'm your best friend."
Koyori said it proudly and leaned lightly against Hinata's shoulder. She smelled of sweet shampoo.
"I'm truly happy for you, Hina-chan. Watching you grow bigger and bigger—it makes me proud."
At that moment, Koyori's smile seemed to waver, just for an instant.
But it immediately returned. Hinata didn't notice.
"I'm your number one cheerleader, Hina-chan. I'll always, always be rooting for you."
Koyori wrapped both hands around Hinata's hand. Small, warm hands.
Hinata felt her heart gently unravel. Yesterday's frightening comment, her anxieties—with this hand and this voice, she felt like she'd be okay.
"Thank you, Koyori. I'll do my best. I'll definitely make the tournament a success."
Koyori smiled.
*(Stay by my side, always.)*
That was what Koyori thought in her heart. She was afraid of Hinata going far away. Growing bigger and bigger before her, until she couldn't reach her anymore. That terrified her.
But there was no way she could say that out loud.
"Yeah. I'll help with everything I can, too."
That was the best Koyori could do.
---
It was past eight at night when she parted from Koyori. The streets of Shibuya were completely dark. But the neon and streetlights glittered so brightly that night seemed brighter than day.
Hinata left the Kanade Building and walked toward the station. The usual route. The u
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