I Won't Be a Loser

Yoshii Akihisa's home was in the western part of town, while Haruto's apartment was located in the south—two completely opposite directions from the school.

After stopping by a convenience store to grab some snacks, the three boys made their way to Yoshii Akihisa's place. Initially, the plan was to just survive the afternoon with instant ramen, but as soon as they stepped inside, Akihisa went straight to the fridge and started pulling out fresh ingredients.

Watching him move towards the kitchen counter, Haruto suddenly recalled—oh right, Akihisa was actually great at housework.

"Akihisa, you can cook?" Haruto asked, a little surprised.

Time had blurred a lot of his memories, but in his previous life, he had learned about Akihisa's cooking skills during the school festival. Their class had set up a "Maid and Butler Café," and it was only then that everyone realized Akihisa had some serious culinary talent.

Hearing Haruto's question, Akihisa lifted his head. Instead of looking proud, he just sighed with a resigned expression.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm particularly skilled. It's just... my mom and sister are both pretty bad at housework. They're kinda clumsy, and as for my dad—he's just plain lazy. So, all the chores ended up falling on me."

Recalling the years of suffering he had endured, Akihisa's lips twitched slightly, his eyes filled with a deep sense of melancholy. Without another word, he went back to cleaning the seafood, his movements steady and efficient.

Feeling a bit of sympathy, Sakamoto Yuuji silently patted Akihisa on the shoulder, as if to console him.

"Well, it's probably because of that that your family trusts you to live on your own, right?" Yuuji pointed out.

"Huh... yeah, you've got a point."

Akihisa, being the optimist he was, quickly bounced back after hearing Yuuji's words. His mood instantly lifted, and he sped up his food prep with newfound energy.

"Need me to help?" Haruto asked, stepping forward.

"No need, I don't need any help. Haruto, just take a seat and wait to taste my cooking."

"Oh, right, Haruto, this guy's fridge has some 'drinks' inside. Want to give them a try?"

"Drinks?"

Seeing Sakamoto Yuuji's mischievous grin, Haruto walked over to the fridge. He pulled the door open and was surprised to see several cans of beer sitting inside. Turning around, he looked at Akihisa and Yuuji.

"You guys drink?"

Akihisa, who had just finished prepping the ingredients, glanced over at the fridge and sighed.

"Nah, that's just some leftover beer my dad didn't finish before he left for an overseas business trip."

Haruto stared at the beer for a moment. It had been a long time since he last drank. But after a brief hesitation, he silently closed the fridge without taking any.

"Oh, by the way, I've got a bunch of manga in my room. If you get bored, feel free to check them out. There are tons of good ones."

"Yeah, just make yourself at home," Yuuji added casually.

With the two of them being so welcoming, Haruto settled onto the couch in the living room. A game controller sat on the table in front of him, so after asking Akihisa for permission, he turned on the console and started playing by himself.

About thirty minutes later, with Yuuji helping with some of the food prep, Akihisa took care of the rest on his own. Meanwhile, in the living room, Haruto and Yuuji were engaged in a PvP match. Unfamiliar with controller-based games, Haruto was swiftly taken down by Yuuji's fluid combos.

At that moment, Akihisa's voice came from the kitchen.

"Lunch is ready! Since there weren't too many ingredients, I just made some seafood rice. If it's not enough, there's more in the pot."

Yuuji put down his controller, gave Haruto a thumbs-up, then got up and headed to the dining table. Haruto, still staring at the game screen, let out a long sigh before following suit.

As they ate, Haruto glanced at a photo on a cabinet in the living room and casually asked, "Is that your family, Akihisa?"

Before Akihisa could answer, Yuuji spoke up first.

"That's Akihisa's sister. Honestly, the two of them are total opposites—a genius sister and a dumb little brother."

"What the hell, Yuuji?! You're the dumb one!" Akihisa immediately fired back.

Yuuji sighed dramatically. "Alright then, tell me, Akihisa, what was the highest score you ever got in middle school?"

"…History," Akihisa mumbled.

"And?"

"…95 points."

Yuuji raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. He clearly hadn't expected Akihisa to have ever scored that high.

"My bad, Akihisa. I might've gone too far—you're not a total idiot."

"Well, since you apologized, I guess I'll forgive you…"

Watching their exchange, Haruto wasn't sure whether to laugh or shake his head at their friendship. Meanwhile, Akihisa glanced over at the photo and began introducing his sister.

His sister, Akira Yoshii, was the complete opposite of him. While Akihisa struggled with grades and could only barely pass by memorizing everything, Akira was an academic genius. She had even been accepted into one of the world's top universities and was currently studying abroad.

"It's like she got all the good genes, and whatever was left over became Akihisa," Yuuji muttered with a sigh.

Akihisa silently glared at him, clearly calculating the best way to retaliate.

After lunch, the three of them moved back to the living room for another gaming session. At some point, Yuuji dug up a stack of gravure photo books and began flipping through them with Haruto.

"See? A slim waist like this really catches the eye," Yuuji commented, pointing at a model in the magazine.

"I still think legs are the best," Haruto countered. "Nice legs, paired with black stockings or white tights—way better than just looking at body shape."

"Anyone who prioritizes legs is a heretic. It's all about the chest," Yuuji declared.

Once the topic shifted to their personal tastes, neither Haruto nor Yuuji was willing to back down. Even Akihisa, who had been focused on the game, eventually joined the heated debate.

But before long, the discussion escalated into each of them passionately recommending their favorite photo books and videos, determined to convert the others to their preferences...