Nekomiya Hinata has always been troubled behind the scenes of her streams.
She is a popular VTuber, but her true self is just a small girl who loves games. One day, Hinata receives a big offer from a game company to hold an FPS tournament named after her. She is overjoyed, but behind the scenes, former colleagues and rivals are scheming to bring her down.
Supporting Hinata off-stream is her manager, Aoba Mio. Cool and composed, Mio is actually Hinata's biggest fan and has been silently protect
Hinata's Little War - The promised place, two who cannot return
It was raining.
The rain that had been falling since morning painted the streets of Shibuya in gray. Rocking on the train bound for Roppongi, Hinata gazed absently out the window. Water droplets clinging to the glass distorted the scenery outside into wobbly shapes.
*(Where is Mio-san...?)*
It felt like a cold stone was lodged deep in her chest.
How many days had passed since that night, when Mio had said she was "going to the culprit" and left the room? Even consulting the police, they were slow to act on what was just one adult man disappearing on his own. In the investigation notes Mio had left behind, the name "Novacrest" appeared again and again. Along with the name of a man called Kiryu Kai.
Hinata gripped her smartphone tightly.
*(Koyori is... at Novacrest.)*
*(Mio-san also headed to Novacrest.)*
*(Then I have no choice but to go too.)*
The train slid into Roppongi Station. Hinata rose to her feet with her small frame and stepped down onto the rain-soaked platform.
Crest Tower stood three minutes on foot from Roppongi Station—a twelve-story company-owned building. Novacrest—the largest VTuber agency in the industry, holding the number one market share. Eighty-five affiliated talents, annual revenue of approximately 5.2 billion yen. Strong in the music and idol route, with deep connections to major sponsors.
Hinata stood at the building's entrance.
The automatic doors opened, and a luxurious lobby spread out before her along with a rush of cold air. On the first floor was a showroom-café called "Crest Café," bustling with regular customers. A sign advertising character lattes with latte art for 580 yen caught her eye.
*(So this is Novacrest...)*
Hinata walked up to the reception desk.
"Um, I'd like to see someone named Aoba Mio."
The receptionist glanced at Hinata's face for just a moment. Then she smiled politely.
"I'm very sorry. We cannot accommodate visitors without an appointment."
"Then let me see Kiryu Kai-san... the president of Novacrest."
The receptionist's smile stiffened slightly.
"Kiryu is in meetings all day today and is not accepting visitors."
"Then Usada Koyori... I want to see Usada Koyori, one of your talents."
"Meetings with affiliated talents also require prior application. There is no application on file for today, so..."
Hinata refused to back down.
"Please. It's urgent. Just a few minutes is fine."
That was when it happened.
"Oh? If it isn't Nekomiya Hinata-san."
Looking toward the voice, a man in a black suit stood there. His hair was dyed brown with a center part, loosely waved. A small cross necklace hung at his neck. He was smiling, but his eyes weren't smiling at all—Kiryu Kai.
"Coming all the way into enemy territory—you've got some nerve."
Kiryu said lightly, looking down at Hinata.
"Kiryu-san... give Mio-san back."
Hinata's voice trembled as she spoke.
"Aoba Mio? Ah, your manager. I don't know anything about that."
Kiryu tilted his head, feigning ignorance.
"That's a lie. Mio-san headed to Novacrest. She should have come to you."
"Oh? Your manager came to us? And what business would she have here?"
"I... don't know. But Mio-san came here. I believe that."
Kiryu stared at Hinata's face for a long moment.
Then he smiled slowly.
"Do you understand your current position?"
Kiryu's voice suddenly turned cold.
"All accounts frozen. Cut off by your agency, betrayed by your best friend, your manager missing. You're the most dangerous existence in the industry right now. And someone like you comes here alone—"
Kiryu took a step closer to Hinata.
"Don't you think that's reckless?"
A chill ran down Hinata's spine.
But she couldn't back down.
"...Even so, I have to find Mio-san."
Hinata said, looking straight into Kiryu's eyes.
Kiryu let out a soft laugh.
"Not bad. This is getting fun."
Kiryu signaled to the receptionist with his eyes.
"Don't let her through. If she tries to enter, call security."
"Understood."
Kiryu turned his back to Hinata and walked toward the elevator.
"There's no place for you anymore. Nekomiya Hinata."
Those words echoed coldly through the lobby.
Hinata stood frozen in place.
*(My place...)*
*(There's nowhere left for me.)*
Tears welled up.
But this wasn't the time to cry.
*(I have to find Mio-san.)*
Hinata sat down on a sofa in the lobby.
*(I'll wait for Koyori to come out.)*
*(Koyori should know something.)*
The sound of rain reached even into the lobby.
Time passed slowly.
How long had she waited?
The elevator doors opened.
Out stepped a girl with a fluffy pink-gold bob. A petite girl with small braids hanging at the sides. Her large, drooping eyes were a bright reddish-purple.
It was Usada Koyori.
When Koyori spotted Hinata, she stopped in her tracks.
"Hina...chan...?"
Koyori's face grew paler by the second.
"Koyori...!"
Hinata stood up and ran over to her.
"Why are you here... You can't, Hina-chan, you can't be here...!"
Koyori grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her to a corner of the lobby.
"Koyori, do you know anything about Mio-san? She should have come to Novacrest."
Koyori's face grew even paler.
"...I don't know. I don't know anything."
Koyori averted her eyes from Hinata.
"That's a lie. You know something, don't you?"
Hinata grabbed Koyori by both shoulders.
"Tell me. Please. I'm worried about Mio-san..."
Koyori bit her lip.
"...Hina-chan, please, just go home. If you stay here, you'll be in danger."
"What do you mean, danger?"
"...Kiryu-san, about Hina-chan..."
Koyori started to speak, then closed her mouth.
"Kiryu, what about him?"
Koyori said in a trembling voice:
"Kiryu-san told me... to keep Hina-chan away from Novacrest. If Hina-chan came, I was supposed to turn you away."
Hinata's mind went blank.
"...What?"
"I'm sorry, Hina-chan. I wanted to protect you. I was scared that you'd be crushed because of me...!"
Tears spilled from Koyori's eyes.
"So I did what Kiryu-san said. I thought if I kept you away, you'd be safe...!"
Hinata was speechless.
*(Koyori... to protect me...)*
*(She was keeping me away... on Kiryu's orders...?)*
Anger, sadness, and helplessness churned together in a tangled mess.
"Why... why would you do that..."
Hinata's voice shook.
"I'll protect Hina-chan. So please, just go home...!"
Koyori tried to shake off Hinata's hand.
That was when it happened.
Koyori's sleeve slid up.
Hinata saw it.
Red lines running across Koyori's wrist. Many of them.
Old scars. New scars. Marks that looked like they'd been carved by a blade, over and over again.
Hinata's breath stopped.
"Koyori... that..."
Koyori hurriedly pulled her sleeve down.
"Don't look...! Please, don't look...!"
Koyori clutched her wrist to her chest, hiding it.
Hinata's vision swayed.
*(Koyori was hurting herself.)*
*(That Koyori who always laughed so brightly.)*
*(In a place I didn't know about, she was this...)*
The strength drained from Hinata's knees.
"Koyori... I'm sorry... I didn't notice..."
Hinata collapsed to the floor.
The tears wouldn't stop.
"It's not something Hina-chan should apologize for...! It's me... I'm the weak one...!"
Koyori crouched down too, breaking down in tears.
In the corner of the lobby, the two of them cried, stifling their voices.
Only the sound of rain echoed quietly.
—
The farthest seat in Crest Café.
Hinata and Koyori sat facing each other.
On the table sat a cold caramel latte and an untouched cheesecake. Hinata's usual order. But right now, nothing would go down her throat.
"I'm sorry, Hina-chan. I kept quiet all this time..."
Koyori said, her head hanging low.
"...Since when? The... your wrist..."
Hinata asked, choosing her words carefully.
"...Since the transfer was decided, I guess. After the Novacrest talks started, I couldn't sleep every night... and before I knew it, it had become like this."
Koyori laughed self-deprecatingly.
"You know, I can do music activities at Novacrest. Singing and dancing, like an idol. It was always my dream."
Koyori looked out the window. Rain streamed down the glass.
"But just as much, I want to be by Hina-chan's side. I want to be Hina-chan's number one. If Hina-chan doesn't look at me, I can't breathe."
Koyori's voice trembled.
"But if I'm by your side, I get in Hina-chan's way. Hina-chan is so much more amazing than me. If I'm with you, I'll only drag you down... so I had no choice but to leave."
"That's not true!"
Hinata reached across the table and grabbed Koyori's hands.
"Koyori is my best friend. You're not in my way. I've never once thought you were dragging me down."
"But... but Hina-chan is fine without me. Hina-chan is strong. Even without me, you'll keep growing bigger and bigger..."
Koyori tried to pull her hands away.
But Hinata wouldn't let go.
"I can't do it without you."
Hinata's voice shook.
"Without Koyori, I would've been crushed a long time ago. I could keep streaming because you smiled for me. I could work hard because you were there. And yet, I didn't even notice you were suffering..."
Tears overflowed from Hinata's eyes.
"I was depending on you too. Without you, I can't do anything...!"
Koyori's eyes widened.
"Hina...chan..."
The two of them held hands across the table and cried out loud.
They didn't care about the stares from other customers.
The sound of rain wrapped around their tears.
—
Night.
The rain was still falling.
Hinata was heading toward the Kanade Building, where StellaLink's headquarters was located. Eight minutes on foot from Shibuya Station. On the seventh floor of the office building was the agency Hinata had once belonged to.
*(Mio-san contacted me.)*
*(She said to wait on the rooftop.)*
Hinata climbed the stairs on trembling legs.
The seventh-floor office was already pitch dark. Hinata climbed the stairs leading further up.
She opened the door leading to the rooftop.
Rain poured down mercilessly.
"...You came."
A low voice.
Aoba Mio stood at the edge of the rooftop.
Her long, straight black hair with a bluish tint clung to her skin, soaked by the rain. Deep indigo, narrow eyes. Behind her black-rimmed glasses, those pupils glowed with an unnerving stillness.
"Mio-san...!"
Hinata ran to Mio.
"You're okay...! Thank goodness...!"
Hinata clung to Mio's arm.
But Mio didn't move a muscle.
"Hinata. Listen to me."
Mio's voice was so small it seemed about to be swallowed by the rain.
"Kiryu Kai is holding Koyori hostage. Koyori's transfer is a move to sabotage your tournament. Kiryu ordered Koyori to 'stay away from Hinata.' He's threatening to destroy Koyori's music career if she doesn't comply."
Mio took out her smartphone.
"This is the recorded evidence."
Mio played the audio.
*'—Keep Usada Koyori away from Nekomiya Hinata. If she makes contact, I'll crush her debut. Understood?'*
*'...Understood.'*
*'Good girl. As long as you do as I say, you can continue your music activities. Forget about Nekomiya Hinata.'*
The audio cut off there.
Kiryu Kai's voice. And Koyori's voice.
Hinata's body trembled.
"Mio-san... how did you..."
"I bugged them. I planted a small listening device in Novacrest's conference room."
Mio said flatly.
"Bugging... isn't that a crime...?"
"It's illegal. So this audio can't be used in court. But it can be used as a threat. I can warn Kiryu: 'If you lay another finger on her, I'll release this audio.'"
Mio's eyes glinted coldly.
"I don't mind breaking the law if it means protecting you."
There was a feverish, almost mad intensity in Mio's voice.
For the first time, Hinata felt afraid of Mio.
*(Mio-san is serious.)*
*(She's prepared to become a criminal for my sake.)*
*(She's willing to go that far to protect me.)*
Hinata's chest tightened.
"Mio-san... please. Don't hurt yourself to protect me..."
Hinata threw her arms around Mio.
"I doubted you. I wondered if you'd betrayed the company. But I was wrong. You've been fighting for me all along. And yet, I..."
Hinata's tears soaked into Mio's chest.
"Don't fight al
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