I Won't Be a Loser

Early in the morning, Haruto sat up in bed, a hint of fatigue in his eyes. He hadn't slept very well, tossing and turning throughout the night. Now that today had finally arrived—the day he would return to Itomori—dreams of his hometown had stirred restlessly in his sleep.

"Today's the day... I wonder how things are back home."

Reaching beneath his pillow, he found his phone and tapped in the familiar number.

"Haruto, are you on the road already?"

"Not yet."

His mother's warm and gentle voice greeted him, and as he sat there on the edge of his bed, he exhaled deeply, rose to his feet, and walked over to the window. Pulling the curtains back slightly, he was greeted by the piercing brightness of Tokyo's morning sun. Squinting, he let the fabric fall back into place.

"I've started getting ready. I should be heading out soon. If everything goes smoothly, I'll be back in Itomori by the afternoon. Are Mitsuha and Yotsuha at home?"

"I told them you'd be arriving today, so Mitsuha spent last night tidying up the guest room. She was up late, so I imagine they're both still asleep."

Sitting in the living room, Futaba glanced over at her own mother, Hitoha.

"Be careful on the road."

"I will. I'll hang up now and finish getting ready."

"Take care."

After ending the call, Haruto closed his eyes and took a long breath. Glancing around his apartment one last time, he noted that everything was already packed. The large suitcase near the door was filled with Tokyo souvenirs, gifts, and essential supplies.

"No loose ends... Laptop needs to come too—I'll just wrap it up and pack it. Food in the fridge? Already gave all of that to Mai. Appliances are turned off. Looks like I'm set."

After confirming everything, he called Setsuna.

"I'm ready."

He hadn't even opened his mouth yet when her voice rang out on the other end.

"I'm ready too."

He'd meant to ask if she was awake, but her quick response left him a little speechless.

"Uh… yeah. I was going to ask if you were up, but great—sounds like everything's good on your end. Have you reached out to Sekai?"

"Not yet. But I'm pretty sure she's up by now. You should contact her."

"Alright, I'll check in with her."

Satisfied with that brief exchange, he called Sekai next. She answered quickly.

"You're up?"

"Mm. I'm awake. You too?"

"Just recently. Everything's ready on my side. How about you?"

"I got everything packed last night. So… are we heading out now? Setsuna's up too?"

"Yep, I just spoke to her. If you're ready, we can meet up."

Sekai, who hadn't slept a wink due to a mix of nerves and excitement, dragged herself from bed. The shadows under her eyes betrayed her restless night. She stepped into the living room, her gaze landing on the suitcase she'd packed yesterday.

"I'm all set. So where are we meeting?"

"Let's meet at the Korakuen subway station. From there, we'll take the metro to Tokyo Station and catch the Shinkansen to Gifu."

"Got it. I'll head out now."

"Let me check in with Setsuna."

After hanging up with Sekai, he called Setsuna again to let her know everyone was ready. She responded with a simple acknowledgment and ended the call.

Stepping out onto his balcony, he peeked through the curtains just in time to see Setsuna leaving her house across the street. He turned back into his apartment, picked up his shoulder bag and suitcase, and stepped outside. With a final glance back, he locked the door.

It would be a while before he opened that door again.

Originally, they had planned to spend around two weeks in Itomori. But after some thought the night before, Haruto began to doubt whether Setsuna and Sekai would really last that long in the countryside. One week, maybe. Two seemed unlikely.

"We'll just see how it goes."

Gripping the handle of his large suitcase, he carefully walked down the stairs—there was no elevator in his building, and he didn't want to jostle the special local goods packed inside.

By the time he reached the sidewalk, sweat was already beading on his forehead. Setsuna, waiting nearby, looked surprised to see how much he was carrying.

"Haruto, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just heavier than I expected. I forgot there's no elevator here, and hauling this down the stairs was rough—but it's manageable."

"Do you want to rest for a bit?"

She stepped closer, the ends of her white scarf fluttering slightly as her pale blue dress moved with the summer breeze. As she leaned in, Haruto caught the soft, clean scent of her perfume.

"It's not that bad. I've had a moment to catch my breath. Let's go—Sekai should be on her way too. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

"Mm."

Seeing that he seemed alright, Setsuna let go of her concern, and the two of them began walking together toward the station, each pulling a suitcase behind them.

The Saionji home wasn't far from the subway station—only about ten minutes on foot. Haruto and Setsuna, however, needed nearly twenty. By the time they arrived, Sekai was already waiting.

"Since we're all here, let's head out—Itomori, here we come."

Sekai was wearing sunglasses and a light iris-colored dress that made her stand out in the morning crowd. Compared to Setsuna's soft and quiet presence, Sekai carried a more eye-catching air.

As Haruto and Setsuna arrived at the platform, Sekai's heart began to race. Today, she would be meeting Haruto's family. That thought alone was enough to make her nervous—but the sunglasses helped mask her unease.

"Mm," she responded softly.

Setsuna nodded as well, her expression calm.

Together, the three of them turned toward the train platform, and the summer sunlight poured down around them.

Once the subway reached its destination, they boarded the train, marking the beginning of their summer journey—

Departing from Tokyo, they were set to take the Hikari line on the Tokaido Shinkansen, bound for Hashima Station in Gifu. Once the fastest of the Tokaido line trains, the Hikari now only operated two departures per hour.

Arriving at Tokyo Station at 8:42 a.m., the trio had narrowly missed the 8:33 train, so they waited for the next one, departing at 8:57.

A wait of 24 minutes wasn't all that long. Before they knew it, their train arrived. After stowing their luggage, the three took their seats, with the girls sitting by the window. Haruto sat next to Setsuna, gazing out at the station platform as he let out a sigh.

"We're finally going back…"

Setsuna glanced at Haruto as he spoke softly, then looked across to Sekai.

Wearing sunglasses, Sekai looked visibly drained—clearly from a restless night. Now that she was seated, drowsiness hit her like a wave. Her heavy eyelids struggled to stay open as she stared out the window, barely processing the scenery flashing by.

At some point, her gaze met Setsuna's, who was silently watching her.

"…What is it?"

"Did you not sleep last night?"

Sekai didn't know how Setsuna saw through her so easily, even with sunglasses on. But she sighed, neither denying nor deflecting.

When one is that exhausted, there's little room for pretense. She didn't have the energy to put on a facade—not in front of these two.

"We'll be on the train for about two hours before we reach Gifu's Hashima Station. You can rest until then—we'll wake you up once we arrive."

"…Mm."

Gratefully murmuring her thanks, Sekai leaned back and closed her eyes.

The train hadn't departed yet, so it was still quiet. But unlike the latest high-speed models, the aging Hikari line would rattle with noticeable noise once in motion. It wouldn't be so easy to sleep then.

Watching Sekai slowly drift into slumber, Haruto and Setsuna remained quiet. A few minutes passed before her light, steady breathing reached their ears. They were surprised by how quickly she had fallen asleep.

Neither of them said much. Worried about waking Sekai, they waited quietly as the train prepared to depart.

As the Shinkansen finally pulled away, the scenery outside the window began to shift and retreat. Haruto closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting.

'I'm going home…'

The last time he'd visited Itomori, he'd seen Mitsuha and Futaba. But he hadn't seen Yotsuha or his grandmother since then. He wondered how they were doing now.

By the time they reached Hashima Station, it was already 11:58 a.m.—nearly noon.

He gently woke Sekai, who stirred from sleep with a dazed look beneath her sunglasses. Groggy and slow to react, she clutched her suitcase in one hand and held Setsuna's hand with the other.

"Since it's around lunchtime, let's find a place to rest and grab a bite to eat."

As soon as they stepped off the train, a wave of heat greeted them. The temperature here was clearly different from Tokyo. The two girls exchanged a glance—neither had eaten breakfast, and now their stomachs were starting to protest.

"Yeah…"

"Are there any restaurants around here?"

Sekai looked around. Though Hashima Station didn't feel especially remarkable, it had a definite urban vibe—just nowhere near as lively or bustling as Tokyo Station.

"Let's eat outside the station. After this, it's three transfers: from Hashima City Hall to Kasamatsu, then Kasamatsu to Meitetsu Gifu. From there, we take a bus to Takayama Nohi Bus Center. Finally, we transfer again to reach Hida."

"…Wait. That's four, isn't it?"

Sekai raised her hand, frowning after doing the math on his explanation.

"Technically, Meitetsu Gifu to Takayama is by bus."

"…Feels like this is going to take forever."

For Sekai, it wasn't just about the hassle of multiple transfers—it was how long the whole thing would take. Her expression turned strained.

"Yeah, probably around three to four hours. If we're unlucky, it might even take five."

At that, Sekai's face froze. Her expression went pale. Even Setsuna looked like she was struggling to stay composed.

"All that time? And even once we reach Hida, we'll still have to get to Itomori… by the time we arrive, it'll be pitch black out!"

"That's the difference between Gifu and Tokyo. Out here, you don't get the luxury of a sprawling subway network. It's just how it is."

"There's one other way—we could take a direct taxi to Hida. That'd take around two hours. But it'll cost… about fifty thousand yen."

Both Sekai and Setsuna froze at the number.

Fifty thousand yen. For a single ride.

They were just high school students. Even pooling their money together, they might barely have a hundred thousand. Spending half of that on a taxi would leave one of them completely broke.

Silence fell between them.

Haruto couldn't help but chuckle at their stiff expressions.

"Come on, let's just eat first. Consider it your first taste of Gifu's local flavor."

"…"

The sudden shift in tone caught both girls off guard. But they silently followed him.

Near Hashima Station, they found a restaurant that looked fairly unique. The lunch was hearty, with a subtly different flavor from what they were used to in Tokyo—earthier, homier. But the difference wasn't overwhelming.

"So this is local cuisine, huh…"

Seated around the table, the three of them stared at the spread before them. For three people, it was quite a lot. If they'd been three guys, maybe it would've been fine—but with two girls, the portions felt a bit excessive.

Sekai, now refreshed from her nap, found herself curious about the food. Her appetite returned, and she took a genuine interest in Gifu's culinary quirks.

"…Did we order too much?"

Setsuna looked a little uncertain as she glanced at Haruto.