I Won't Be a Loser

Eriri had thought that she and her mother were standing at the same starting line, both wearing roller skates. But she never expected that even after making an early start, her mother would still overtake her with a perfect cornering maneuver.

As she gazed at the blushing, slightly flustered Sayuri, Eriri fell into silence...

_ _ _ _

Lying on the bed, Haruto held Setsuna tightly in his arms, burying his face in her hair. The familiar, refreshing scent helped ease his unsettled heart just a little.

"Haruto," Setsuna murmured.

"Mm?"

"Did something happen?"

Sensing that something was off with him, she asked gently. Haruto leaned back slightly, meeting her gaze. For a moment, he hesitated, his eyes flickering toward the balcony before settling back on her.

Should he tell her?

If he told her about Sayuri, she probably wouldn't understand the situation. Even if he explained everything, it would only complicate things further.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Haruto lowered his head again, pressing his face against the crook of her neck as he spoke in a muffled voice.

"I had a nightmare last night. I haven't been feeling great all day. But… when I hold you like this, I feel at ease."

It wasn't a lie. The nightmare had indeed left him unsettled, lingering in his mind throughout the day. Running into Sayuri had only added to his unrest, but there was no need to bring that up with Setsuna.

Feeling his arms tighten around her, Setsuna's emotions grew complicated. Haruto had always seemed so mature, but seeing him like this—so vulnerable—gave her a new perspective on him. It made him feel more real, more tangible.

And yet… she had a gut feeling that he wasn't telling her everything.

As night fell, Mai returned home and made her way to Haruto's apartment. Seeing him lying in bed like that, she couldn't hide her surprise.

"What's wrong with Haruto?"

The scene before her—her daughter, wearing an apron, preparing dinner, while Haruto lay there like an injured child—somehow gave her the impression of a husband idling at home while his wife took care of the household chores.

Mai turned her gaze toward Setsuna, who was still focused on cooking, and asked, "Did something happen?"

"He said he had a nightmare last night and hasn't been feeling well since," Setsuna replied.

"A nightmare?"

Mai was taken aback. She recalled her conversation with Haruto the previous day, then turned to look at him. He was lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, a dejected expression on his face—completely different from his usual self.

Intrigued by this rare sight, Mai walked over to him and waved a hand in front of his face. Haruto slowly blinked, his half-lidded eyes shifting toward her.

"Mai-san, you're back."

"Mm, I'm back."

"Welcome home."

"Thanks. But… what's with you? A nightmare really got you this down?"

Haruto remained silent.

He wasn't surprised that Mai had taken an interest in this—he had expected as much. Meeting her gaze, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah."

Glancing briefly at her daughter, who was still busy cooking, Mai then turned back to Haruto and crouched down beside the bed. The way her tight skirt hugged her curves made her movements seem particularly graceful. Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear.

"Because of that woman?"

Haruto's body tensed. He inhaled sharply, his eyes snapping fully open as he turned to look at her, lips pressing into a thin line.

"As I thought," Mai murmured, her lips curving into a small smirk. "You have quite the history with her, don't you?"

Haruto didn't answer. Instead, he sat up and, under Mai's watchful gaze, got out of bed and walked over to the kitchen to help Setsuna with dinner.

Watching him, Mai's expression grew thoughtful. She studied him intently, her smirk deepening.

She had made up her mind. She would get him to tell her everything.

After dinner, Setsuna and Mai returned to their own apartment. As they walked together, Setsuna glanced at her mother.

"What did you and Haruto talk about?"

"Hmm?"

"You spoke with him when he was lying in bed, didn't you? Otherwise, he wouldn't have suddenly come over to help me with dinner."

"Oh, I just told him that you seemed busy and could use some help. That's all. Why?"

Setsuna turned her gaze away, muttering under her breath, "Liar."

Watching her daughter stride ahead and open the apartment door, Mai slowed her pace.

Had she been neglecting her daughter too much lately?

'Did she notice something?'

Mai shook her head slightly and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"Go take a bath first," she told Setsuna with a gentle smile before retreating to her room.

Inside, she opened her closet and took out a shopping bag.

Reaching inside, she pulled out a brand-new lace lingerie set—something she had casually picked up while passing by a shop on her way home from work.

A small, amused smile played on her lips.

"And this..."

Pushing the lingerie aside, she pulled out the outfit that had been tucked at the bottom of the bag. Just looking at it made her cheeks flush slightly.

Half an hour later, after Setsuna finished her bath, Mai quickly stowed away the shopping bag and stepped out of her room, casually reminding her daughter to rest early before heading into the bathroom herself.

Standing in the living room, Setsuna watched her mother disappear behind the bathroom door, her expression unreadable. After a brief pause, she turned and silently retreated to her own room.

At 1 AM, a soft ringing noise stirred Mai from her bed.

The alarm was faint, barely loud enough to be heard beyond her room. But since she hadn't truly fallen asleep, it was more than enough to wake her.

Lifting the covers, she tiptoed over to her closet and retrieved the shopping bag.

After slipping on a light robe, she carefully made her way to the front door. The apartment was shrouded in darkness, save for the dim moonlight filtering in through the windows.

Peering toward Setsuna's bedroom door, she confirmed that her daughter was still asleep.

'Good. She didn't wake up from the noise.'

Mai pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly. Then, with careful precision, she turned the lock.

Click.

Her heart nearly stopped.

She froze for a moment, glancing back toward Setsuna's room.

'No movement. She's still asleep.'

Relaxing slightly, Mai slowly pushed the door open and stepped outside. The moment the door shut behind her, she let out a breath of relief.

Standing in the dimly lit corridor, illuminated by the glow of streetlights, she clutched the shopping bag and quietly made her way down the stairs.

Stopping in front of Haruto's apartment, she reached out and pressed the doorbell.

Meanwhile, inside the dimly lit room, Haruto sat at his desk, having spent the past few hours writing. He had penned nearly five thousand words before exhaustion finally overtook him around ten o'clock.

Drifting into sleep, he found himself in a bright, spacious home, surrounded by familiar yet strangely distant figures.

Women he recognized, each carrying a child in their arms.

"A vision of the future...? No… this is just a dream, isn't it?"

Realizing the illogical nature of what he was seeing, Haruto didn't wake up immediately. Instead, he allowed the dream to continue, indulging in its peaceful, happy atmosphere.

A faint smile graced his lips as he relished the fleeting joy of the dream.

Then, just as the dream showed him sneaking away for a secret rendezvous with a lover, the sound of the doorbell shattered the illusion.

Ding-dong.

His eyes fluttered open.

Still groggy, he sat up and looked toward the door. The persistent ringing continued.

Dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled over and pulled the door open—only to find Mai standing there.

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Around one in the morning," she replied, smiling.

Mai stepped into the apartment, quietly closing the door behind her. Holding a shopping bag in one hand, she moved closer to Haruto, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Now fully awake, Haruto was still groggy and too tired to react much. He sighed as he took in the sight of Mai standing in his home at this hour.

"It's already past midnight," he muttered.

"But we barely have time during the day, don't we?" Mai replied with a small smile.

She placed the bag on the desk, reached inside, and pulled out a delicate set of lingerie. Then, without hesitation, she began unbuttoning her shirt.

Haruto froze. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he could only watch in stunned silence.

"That woman… and… you…" Mai hesitated, then bit her lip before continuing. "What exactly is your relationship with her?"

"She's just a classmate's mother," Haruto replied, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"I… don't believe you," Mai murmured.

For nearly an hour, Mai had pressed Haruto for answers, but he gave her nothing.

Still, as she finally left his apartment, she seemed satisfied.

Haruto, however, remained on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his face void of emotion.

Slowly, he closed his eyes again. Before he knew it, he had drifted back into sleep.

The morning rain drizzled outside, tapping softly against the window.

It was the kind of weather that made people reluctant to get out of bed—especially after being "interrogated" in the middle of the night.

Haruto sat up with a groan, his body still aching with exhaustion. Moving sluggishly, he made his way to the bathroom.

After freshening up, he returned to the kitchen and quietly prepared breakfast. Eating alone, he glanced at his unmade bed.

'It won't dry in this weather anyway,' he thought, deciding to leave it as it was. He then gathered up the trash and took it outside.

As he stepped out, dressed in his school uniform, he tossed the trash into the designated area and glanced toward the Kiyoura residence.

Then, without hesitation, he turned and headed toward school.

Upon entering the classroom, Haruto placed his umbrella in the back of the room and settled into his seat.

Not long after, Eriri arrived.

The blonde girl scanned the classroom the moment she walked in. As soon as her gaze landed on Haruto, she wasted no time.

Dropping her bag onto her desk, she walked straight over to him, rapped her knuckles against his desk, and then beckoned him with a finger.

Without another word, she turned and left the classroom.

"…"

Haruto sighed, rubbing his temples before reluctantly following her.

Once outside, they found a quiet corner away from prying eyes.

Eriri glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, before turning her sharp gaze onto him.

"You met my mom?"

"It was an accident," Haruto replied.

"What happened?"

Eriri frowned.

Just yesterday, he had been asking for advice on how to handle his situation with Sayuri. He had insisted that he wouldn't be seeing her again.

And now, less than a day later, he had literally run into her?

"I wasn't paying attention while walking home," Haruto admitted. "At a street corner, I just happened to bump into her. Honestly, I never would've thought something that coincidental could happen. Murphy's Law, I guess."

"Murphy's Law?" Eriri narrowed her eyes. "You don't look so good. Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

Haruto turned to the window, watching the raindrops trickle down the glass.

"Murphy's Law states that when you realize something bad might happen and want to avoid it, that's when it's most likely to happen. If something can go wrong, it will—no matter how small the chance."

He paused, then shifted his gaze back to Eriri, his exhaustion evident.

"Did Sayuri mention running into me?"

"Yeah," Eriri replied. "She told me about it last night, right after she got home."