Mari Tomari is a VTuber who uses a voice changer to play a cute girl, but inside, she's a nearly thirty-year-old man named Mario. Tonight, she's streaming, throwing poison at her audience while raking in superchats. But the moment the stream ends, his smile vanishes.
"Ah... I'm exhausted."
In the corner, fiddling with her phone, is Yuki—his childhood friend and manager. She's the only one who knows Mario's true face. She's watched over his "real self" since they were kids.
"Good work. Your cl
Behind the Bunny - I remember the sins you have forgotten
Midnight.
The moment the numbers on his smartphone clock flipped over, Mario opened the door to his room.
The fluorescent light in the hallway was flickering with a buzzing sound, like it was about to burn out. The damp air clung to his skin. The muggy heat of the day hadn't dissipated even now that night had fallen.
The street in front of the apartment building. Beneath a streetlight, a man stood alone.
He wore a black hood pulled deep over his head, the upper half of his face sunk in shadow. All that was visible were thinly pressed lips and cold gray eyes. He was slightly taller than Mario. A black long-sleeved shirt, black pants. A black glove on his left hand. The same on his right.
The man waited without moving a muscle as Mario approached.
"You're on time."
His voice was low, utterly devoid of emotion. Flat and dry, like a machine speaking.
"...So you're the Bunny Hunter."
Mario bit down on his back teeth to suppress the voice that threatened to tremble. His heart pounded hard and fast against the inside of his chest. His fingertips were cold.
(If I show fear here, I lose.)
He told himself that. But his knees were shaking.
"That's right. I'm the one who's come to teach you about your 'sin.'"
The man took a step closer to Mario.
The streetlight illuminated his face. The gray eyes reflected the light, looking almost like glass beads. They were eyes without warmth, without temperature.
"I remember the sin you've forgotten."
Those words—he'd heard them many times before.
But hearing them directly, face to face, the weight was different.
Something rose up from the pit of his stomach. A heavy, bitter sensation, close to nausea.
"...I haven't done anything."
He forced the words out.
The man's expression didn't change. He simply looked down at Mario.
"You did nothing. That itself is your sin."
The man's words echoed coldly through the night air.
"Three years ago. The night of Noctaria. You were there. And you abandoned her."
"...Abandoned?"
"My younger sister. Mizuki."
Something burst inside Mario's head.
Mizuki.
Noctaria's leader. The girl who had gone missing three years ago.
"Mizuki was Noctaria's leader. You know that too, don't you."
"...You're Mizuki's... brother."
"That's right. I've come to tell you what you did to my sister."
The man removed the glove from his right hand.
On the back of his left hand was a small scar. An old wound. It remained white, like a thin line.
"That night, Mizuki reached out to you for help. You ignored it. Because you did nothing, Mizuki broke."
"Don't give me that! I never received any contact from Mizuki!"
Mario's voice cracked.
"You did. You received it. And yet you ignored it. You let Mizuki die."
The man's voice remained utterly calm. He showed no emotion whatsoever. And precisely because of that, his words pierced Mario's chest like a blade.
"That night, Mizuki attempted suicide. Because of you."
"What..."
No voice came out.
"And after that, she vanished. Even now, no one knows if she's alive or dead. All of it is your fault."
The man took something from an inside pocket of his jacket.
It was an old, worn notebook.
"This is Mizuki's diary. Read it."
The man held the notebook out to Mario.
Mario took it with trembling hands.
He opened it.
A girl's round handwriting filled the pages.
'Mario-kun didn't help me.'
That single sentence leaped into his eyes.
'Why did you ignore me? Why didn't you help me? I believed in you, Mario-kun.'
He turned the page.
'But really, I wanted someone to help me. Anyone. I wanted Mario-kun to help me.'
The characters were blurred. Traces of ink smeared by tears.
'Help me. Please. Mario-kun. Look at me. Don't abandon me.'
Mario's fingers trembled.
His hand couldn't muster the strength to hold the notebook.
(Is this... Mizuki's true feelings?)
(I... was making Mizuki suffer this much?)
Deep in his chest, something crumbled with a sound.
"Mizuki reached out to you for salvation. You brushed her hand away."
"No! I didn't know! I didn't know Mizuki was in that state!"
"'I didn't know' isn't good enough. You did nothing. That is the fact."
The man snatched the notebook back from Mario.
"You disguise your voice, hide your true identity, and live comfortably. Meanwhile, Mizuki is still suffering somewhere, even now."
"...So what. What do you want me to do?"
"Expose your real voice on tomorrow's stream."
Mario's breathing stopped.
"The man's voice you've been hiding—reveal it in front of all your viewers. That is the least you can do to atone to Mizuki."
"...There's no way I can do that."
"You can. Exposing the secret of your voice is a simple matter. I've recorded every one of your streams. I've already analyzed your voice changer's settings."
The man took another step toward Mario.
"Do you want to know the truth from three years ago?"
The man's gray eyes pierced through Mario.
"I know everything. What you did. What was done to Mizuki. And what really happened that night."
"...Then tell me. If you know, tell me!"
"I will. On tomorrow's stream, once you've exposed your voice, I'll tell you everything after that."
"Huh? Why would you—"
"This is a trade. Exchange your 'voice' for the 'truth' of three years ago."
Having said only that, the man turned his back.
"I don't need an answer. Show me on tomorrow's stream."
The man disappeared into the darkness.
Mario stood frozen in place for a while.
His legs wouldn't move.
His head was a mess.
(Mizuki attempted suicide.)
(Because of me.)
(I abandoned Mizuki.)
(But I didn't know anything.)
(Is "I didn't know" enough?)
(Did I commit a sin?)
He didn't know.
What was truth and what was lie.
Whether he was the perpetrator or the victim.
He couldn't even tell anymore.
---
The moment Mario returned home and opened the front door, he noticed something was wrong.
Wind was blowing in.
The window in his room had been smashed.
Shards of glass were scattered across the floor.
"...What the hell is this."
Mario stepped cautiously into the room.
And then he was speechless.
On the streaming desk.
His PC had been smashed to pieces.
The monitor was cracked, the screen shattered into black fragments.
The keyboard was bent, keycaps scattered all over the room.
The microphone had been snapped off its stand and lay on the floor.
The voice changer was the same.
Its casing was cracked, the internal circuit board exposed.
"...A, ah..."
His voice trembled.
His legs trembled.
He collapsed from the knees.
(Everything I had.)
(Everything for streaming.)
(My voice.)
(Taken from me.)
He picked up the shattered voice changer with trembling hands.
He would never be able to produce that voice again.
He couldn't produce Usa-chan's voice.
(I never had anything at all.)
(Usa-chan's voice was everything I had, and now—)
Tears spilled.
Silently, endlessly, the tears overflowed.
---
Mario took out his smartphone.
He tried to call Rapu-chan.
But his fingers trembled and he couldn't operate it properly.
He tapped the screen over and over.
Finally, the contacts list opened.
He searched for Rapu-chan's name.
That's when his smartphone vibrated.
A message from Yuki arrived.
'Mario, where are you right now? Are you okay?'
Mario tried to type a reply.
But his fingers wouldn't move.
Instead, he called Yuki.
The ring tone played.
One ring, two rings, three rings.
"Mario? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
The moment he heard Yuki's voice, all the strength drained from Mario's body.
"...Yuki. Everything's been destroyed."
"What? What do you mean? Mario, where are you right now?"
"My room. My room. All my equipment's been smashed."
"...I'm coming right now! Don't move, just wait!"
The call ended.
Mario sat on the floor, still gripping his smartphone.
A shard of broken glass dug into his palm.
The pain made reality sink in.
(I'm finished.)
(It's all over.)
(Just what the Bunny Hunter wanted.)
(I can't do anything.)
---
He fled to Yuki's house.
In front of her apartment door.
Mario stood frozen before the door.
A white piece of paper was stuck to it.
'Get out, accomplice.'
Written in thick black letters.
Mario's heart pounded painfully.
(Even Yuki's room.)
(Because of me.)
(Even Yuki's life has been destroyed.)
The door opened.
"Mario. You came."
Yuki stood there.
Her shoulder-length black hair was disheveled, and her gentle brown eyes were slightly red and swollen.
Even so, Yuki was smiling.
It was a forced smile.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it. This is just a piece of paper."
Yuki said that and peeled off the notice on the door.
But her hands were trembling.
"...Yuki."
Mario grasped Yuki's trembling hand.
Her hand was cold as ice.
"I'm sorry. Because of me."
"No. You haven't done anything wrong, Mario."
Yuki shook her head.
"I'm fine. What about you, Mario? Have you eaten? Are you hungry?"
Yuki pulled Mario's hand and led him inside.
But her eyes were crying.
Behind the smile, tears were on the verge of spilling over.
"...Why are you making a face like that?"
"I'm not. I'm the same as always."
Yuki smiled.
But that smile tightened around Mario's chest.
(I'm destroying even Yuki's life.)
(I'm stealing Yuki's smile.)
(As long as I'm near her, Yuki will always be targeted.)
(To protect Yuki, I have no choice but to leave.)
That's what he thought.
"...Yuki. I'm leaving."
"What? Where to?"
"Anywhere. I can't stay by your side."
"...Mario. What are you saying?"
Yuki's voice trembled.
"You'll be destroyed too. If I stay, it's no good."
"I don't want that. Don't go."
Yuki grabbed Mario's arm.
"I want to be with you, Mario. That's my happiness."
Yuki's tears spilled over.
"...But I can't protect you."
"You don't have to protect me. I'll protect you, Mario."
Yuki threw herself against Mario's chest.
Her warm body touched Mario's chilled body.
"Please. Don't leave me alone."
Yuki's voice was soaked with tears.
Mario held Yuki back.
He held her small body tightly.
(What should I do?)
(I want to protect Yuki.)
(But if I stay near her, Yuki is in danger.)
(What should I do?)
No answer came.
---
Mario left Yuki's room.
"...Sorry. I'm leaving after all."
Yuki said nothing.
She just stared at Mario with a face swollen and messy from tears.
"Thank you. For everything."
Having said only that, Mario closed the door.
Outside, it was raining.
It had been clear just moments ago.
Tokyo's sky was fickle.
The rain grew heavier.
Mario began walking into the rain without even an umbrella.
The cold rain struck Mario's body.
His clothes grew heavy.
His hair stuck to his skin.
His shoes got soaked.
But Mario didn't stop walking.
Where was he going?
Even he didn't know.
He just had to get away from Yuki's side.
That was all he could think about.
(I destroyed Yuki's life.)
(I destroyed Mizuki's life too.)
(Everything I touch falls apart.)
(I'm a plague.)
(It would be better if someone like me just disappeared.)
The rain blurred his vision.
He couldn't tell anymore whether it was tears or rain.
(But Yuki said it.)
(That I'm not to blame.)
(She told me, over and over.)
(Those words alone remain in my heart.)
(But that kindness hurts now.)
(I can't believe I'm not to blame.)
(I am to blame.)
(Because I did nothing.)
(Everyone broke.)
In the rain, Mario stopped.
The traffic light changed from red to green.
But Mario didn't cross.
(The case files from three years ago.)
(They were written in those files.)
(A record of unauthorized external access between 2 and 4 AM.)
(What was that?)
(Something was happening without my knowledge.)
(Someone erased Noctaria's archive from the outside.)
(If that's true, then I'm not the perpetrator.)
(But the Bunny Hunter says I abandoned Mizuki.)
(What's true and what's a lie?)
(I don't know.)
(But there's one thing I do know.)
(If I do nothing
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