Mafuyu Hinasaki (Zero Novel)

This article is about the main character of Zero Novel. For the character in Fatal Frame, see Mafuyu Hinasaki.

Mafuyu Hinasaki (Zero Novel)
"I can't do it. I can't let Miku get caught up in this..."
Japanese	雛咲 真冬 ひなさき まふゆ
Age	21
Family	Hinasaki Family
Marital status	Single
Residence	Tokyo
Occupation	Writer
Status	Alive at the end of the novel
Games	None
Other Appearances	Zero Novel

Mafuyu Hinasaki is the main character and author of Zero Novel. Like his counterpart in Fatal Frame, he is an aspiring witer, and a protégé of famous mystery novelist Junsei Takamine. In his student days he was a member of the literary club and wrote fiction, even publishing some of his stories in zines. Since the death of his mother, his only living relative is his younger sister Miku, and the two are very close. His author profile at the back of the novel says, "After graduating from journalism training school, he studied under mystery writer Junsei Takamine. As a journalist he writes reports and articles. It is said that this is his first attempt at a novelisation, but there are rumours that he is only the penname of a more famous author."

Zero Novel

Mafuyu Hinasaki, a young journalist at the start of his career, is offered the chance to write a video game novelisation. Although both he and his sister have a bad feeling about the job, the opportunity is too good to pass up, so Mafuyu attends a meeting with the game producer and director. When he arrives, he is astonished to learn that the protagonist shares his name and looks exactly like him. Not only that, but his sister, Miku, and his mentor, Junsei Takamine, are also identical to characters in the game. At first Mafuyu is angry and incredulous, especially when the developers insist they have never heard of the famous Junsei Takamine; however, his anger turns to unease when he is unable to find any reference to Takamine online, and discovers that Miku and Takamine's numbers have both disappeared from his phone.

The game's scenario writer, Shibaguchi, reveals that the mansion in the game is based on a real place, a reputedly haunted house near his childhood home. The producer, Kitaike, says that when they visited the house to do research for the game, Shibaguchi spontaneously stopped to write down the character names, and likewise the artist sketched their designs on the spot. Ioka, Mafuyu's friend who told him about the job in the first place, suggests a visit to the mansion to understand what happened.

Mafuyu rushes home, eager to see Miku, but when he gets back he finds her gone, with no evidence she ever existed. With nothing else to do, he starts playing the game he is supposed to be novelising. As he plays, he gets the strong feeling that the girl on the screen is the real Miku - that she has somehow become trapped in the mansion and the game. He decides he has no choice but to visit the real haunted house.

Mafuyu, Shibaguchi and Ioka travel to the Tohoku region, where the mansion is located. When they arrive, reality begins to blur into the world of the game. Rooms change appearance, Ioka disappears, Shibaguchi's form is replaced with that of Junsei Takamine, and Mafuyu finds his own consciousness merging with Miku's. A helpless witness in her mind, he watches as she is pursued by the ghost of a blind woman, then rescued by the spirit of a little girl. He notices that while the Miku in the game could defend herself with a Camera Obscura, this Miku doesn't seem to have one.

Mafuyu decides that in order to progress he should try following the story of the game, although he only played it partway through. As he makes this decision, he merges with Miku again, and the Camera Obscura appears in her hands. Reality blends confusingly with the world of the video game, and at one point Shibaguchi tells Mafuyu that he and Miku are only fictional characters he created. Mafuyu still believes more is going on, and refuses to give up searching for Miku. After an argument, he runs from Shibaguchi, and is beginning to doubt his own existence, until he finds a scarf left behind by Miku, which strengthens his resolve. Analysing the situation, he decides Ioka and even Shibaguchi are possibly being manipulated by someone else. He realises he can use the game summary to anticipate where Miku will be, and hurries off in search of her.

He finds her in the Doll Room, but Miku is still oblivious to his presence. Mafuyu's attention is briefly caught by a photo on the wall showing a man he recognises as Kitaike, but he dismisses it as a distraction and hurries down to the caves where the game summary says he will be reunited with Miku.

Just as the summary says, he finds her at the Hell Gate, but their reunion is interrupted when Kitaike appears, along with Shibaguchi and Tsukihara.

Kitaike explains that only he, Mafuyu, Miku and Tsukihara (another Tecmo employee) are real. Everything else is a virtual projection combined with false memories implanted by hypnotism. The entire virtual construct exists to protect a real Hell Gate, the last in Japan, and draw in young women with psychic power to be unwitting sacrifices. However, one of the virtual characters, Kirie, began to display a will of her own, and as a result of her interference, even the sacrifices couldn't close the Hell Gate completely. Therefore Kitaike plotted to bring Mafuyu into the story as well as Miku, to pacify Kirie. He tells Mafuyu that the sacrifice will not be painful - he merely has to remain inside the game with Kirie forever. With the image of her lover by her side, Kirie's will should be completely suppressed.

But as he is speaking, two of Kirie's ropes ensnare Kitaike and Tsukihara, strangling them. Kirie tells them they will feel her pain, before throwing them both into the Hell Gate. Afterwards, stricken with remorse at all the sacrifices she has been used to enable, Kirie walks inside the Hell Gate as well, closing it behind her.

Mafuyu and Miku return to their ordinary lives in Tokyo, until one day, Mafuyu receives a request to novelise a horror video game. Feeling uneasy, he goes to the meeting at Ichigaya Station, where the producer introduces himself as Keisuke Himuro. He says that while his distant relative Kitaike failed to complete the ritual, he, a member of the main family, will be sure to succeed. The novel ends there, with Mafuyu's fate uncertain.

Misc. Info

• He once took a part-time hospitality job, but got fired after three days.