I Won't Be a Loser

As Haruto left the classroom with Eriri, they happened to run into the Nakano sisters returning from the cafeteria. Ichika, seeing Haruto just as she was about to step into the classroom, was momentarily surprised.

"Are you heading somewhere, Haruto ?"

"I have something to take care of."

Flashing Ichika a smile, Haruto continued walking, leading the blonde girl behind him down the stairs. As they passed each other, Ichika's gaze naturally drifted toward the girl accompanying Haruto.

She was taken aback by the presence of the blonde girl, who exuded a faint fragrance with each step. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment as they passed, and in that instant, Ichika caught a glimpse of a wary glint in the girl's gaze—though it vanished just as quickly. Watching the two disappear down the stairs, Ichika stood in place, momentarily lost in thought.

"See? Guys always seem to prefer blonde beauties," Nino remarked, standing beside Ichika, her eyes following the two figures.

"Isn't it interesting, though?"

Glancing back at Nino, Ichika let out a carefree chuckle, her demeanor as relaxed as ever.

It was just like Ichika to take things lightly. Nino, observing her, couldn't quite understand what she saw in Haruto. Choosing not to dwell on it, she turned back toward the classroom.

"Well, good luck. I'm heading back to class."

As Nino walked away, Ichika remained at the stairwell, her expression unreadable.

She was curious about where Haruto and Eriri were going, but if he found out she had been eavesdropping, he probably wouldn't be too pleased.

"Well, whatever. I'll win him over fair and square."

Muttering to herself, Ichika turned and walked back to the classroom.

Haruto had initially planned to take Eriri to the rooftop, but upon arriving, he found that it wasn't as empty as he had hoped. He turned to her for her opinion.

"Should we find another place?"

"Mm..."

The girl nodded softly, not objecting, following Haruto quietly like a small, obedient wife. Her unusual silence made Haruto feel somewhat uneasy.

After walking across the schoolyard, they finally arrived at a secluded bench. Haruto stopped and looked at Eriri.

"This place should be fine, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, have a seat."

Taking the lead, Haruto sat down on one end of the bench. Eriri, standing beside him, hesitated for a moment before carefully sitting down on the other end, smoothing out her skirt as she did. She then glanced at him, her voice soft yet direct.

"So, what did you need me for? Just so you know, I have a lot of things to take care of. If it's nothing important, I'm going back to class."

Her tone was a mix of annoyance and curiosity. To Eriri, Haruto was someone she had no prior connection with before high school. Yet, for reasons beyond her understanding, she felt inexplicably drawn to him.

She had tried to keep her distance, hoping that if she ignored these strange "memories" she had of him, they would fade with time.

But ever since they started school together, she couldn't stop herself from paying attention to him—watching his every move, listening to his words.

And now, when he had personally asked her to talk, a giddy excitement filled her chest—something she refused to admit, even to herself.

"Sorry for taking up your time," Haruto said sincerely. "There was just something bothering me, so I wanted to ask you about it, Sawamura-san."

"You can just call me Eriri," she interrupted, frowning at his formal tone.

"..."

Haruto's heart sank slightly. This wasn't normal. They weren't that close yet—at least, not enough for her to offer him such familiarity so soon.

"Something wrong?"

Eriri eyed him suspiciously, as if she couldn't understand why he was hesitating. Most guys would be thrilled if she allowed them to call her by name, but Haruto's reaction was oddly reluctant.

"It's nothing," he finally said. "I just have a question. We only met after starting high school, right? Then why does it feel like I've known you for a long time?"

"..."

At his words, Eriri's expression darkened.

The memories—those painful, dreamlike fragments of another reality—flashed through her mind. They were nothing but a tragedy where she ended up as the "loser." To her, those recollections were not something to cherish, but rather something to despise.

She bit her lip, glaring at Haruto with barely restrained frustration.

"No, it's just your imagination!"

She caught herself before she could let her emotions slip further. Crossing her arms, she turned her face away.

"Don't get the wrong idea! Just because I appreciate what you did for me doesn't mean I like you or anything!"

Her classic tsundere response made Haruto stare at her with an unreadable expression.

"...What's with that look?!"

Noticing his strange gaze, Eriri's face flushed red. She bit her lip in embarrassment and shot him a glare.

"So... you really don't know anything about it?" Haruto asked again, more serious this time.

"Huh? About what?"

Her confusion seemed genuine. If Eriri had been involved, she would have reacted differently.

Haruto fell into deep thought for a moment.

No—Eriri wasn't the culprit.

Letting out a small sigh, he stood up.

"It's nothing. I just made a wrong assumption. Anyway, I won't take up more of your time."

"I don't mind, but... did something happen?"

She looked at him with concern.

Haruto didn't answer. Since he was now sure Eriri had nothing to do with it, there was no need to drag her into it.

After thanking her for her time, he turned and walked away.

Left sitting alone, Eriri watched his retreating figure, her expression growing increasingly complex.

A strange smile curved her lips as she slowly lay back on the bench, pressing her face against the spot where Haruto had just been sitting.

"Haruto ..."

At a vending machine, Haruto inserted a coin and pressed the button for a canned coffee. The machine whirred, and with a soft clunk, the drink dropped into the tray. As he bent down to pick it up, he noticed a pair of slender, fair legs standing beside him.

Small, polished shoes and pristine white socks—far too dainty for someone his age.

His eyes trailed upward, meeting the sight of a familiar yellow jacket, a school uniform, and long, silver-white hair. The petite girl beside him was looking directly at him.

As long as I don't feel awkward, it's the other person who will.

Haruto hadn't meant to stare, but curiosity got the better of him. Their eyes met, and after a brief pause, he straightened up, gave her a polite nod, and prepared to leave.

However, just as he turned, the girl raised a hand.

"Hmm?"

Haruto halted. He had assumed she was about to call someone, but instead, she simply pointed at the vending machine.

Following her gaze, he saw what she was pointing at—a bottle of curry soda on the top shelf.

"This one?"

Looking at her small stature, then at the drink she wanted, Haruto took a step forward and pressed the button for her, waiting for her confirmation.

As the petite, silver-haired girl nodded, Haruto pressed the button below the drink. With a clunk, the vending machine dispensed the curry soda. The small, adorable girl stepped forward, picked up the bottle, and gave Haruto a polite bow in gratitude. Without saying a word, she turned and ran off into the distance.

Haruto watched her retreating figure until she disappeared completely. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly sniffed the air.

"This scent... seems familiar?"

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall where he had smelled it before. Frowning deeply, he turned back toward the direction the girl had run off in.

"Who was that?"

Back in the classroom, Haruto and Eriri had returned separately, avoiding any significant attention. Some had noticed them leave together earlier, but seeing them come back individually, they quickly lost interest.

If anything, the boys in the class felt relieved—if Haruto and Eriri had returned together, it might have meant something was going on between them. Since they hadn't, it meant they still had a chance.

As the afternoon classes started, Haruto found himself struggling to stay awake. Perhaps it was the warmth of spring or the drowsiness from lunch, but he felt lethargic. His head drooped slightly as he stared at his notebook, barely managing to take any meaningful notes by the time class ended.

"Umetarou, let me borrow your notes."

Turning to his classmate Nozaki Umetarou, Haruto made the request. Over time, borrowing notes had naturally strengthened their friendship, and they were now on a first-name basis.

Umetarou glanced at Haruto before silently handing over his notes.

"Make sure to return them."

"Of course."

Taking the notebook, Haruto quickly copied down the parts he had missed before handing it back.

Looking at his own notebook, he sighed.

"I'm really starting to slack off... I need to find a good private tutor soon. But tuition fees are ridiculously expensive."

Asking his father—the city mayor—for financial help was an option. If it was for something as legitimate as private lessons, Miyamizu Toshiki wouldn't refuse.

But Haruto wasn't comfortable with that.

His unresolved issues with his father, stemming from what had happened with Sayuri, created an emotional distance between them. If not for that, he might have visited Itomori again at some point.

If he could avoid relying on his father, that would be ideal. His body was still young, but his soul was that of an adult. Asking family for money didn't sit right with him.

"I should just start a new book. That would solve everything."

He sighed again.

Behind him, Umetarou's ears perked up. He glanced at Haruto in mild surprise before quietly looking away.

After school, most of the students left. Ichika invited Haruto to go shopping with her, but he declined.

"This is the first time I've invited a guy to go shopping with me. Are you really going to turn me down?"

"I've got things to do. Next time, maybe."

Ichika didn't push further. Accepting his answer, she left with her sisters.

In the now-empty classroom, only Akihisa Yoshii and Yuuji Sakamoto remained.

The three of them exchanged glances before silently leaving the room.

Haruto walked straight out of the school, while Akihisa and Yuuji discreetly carried out their own plans. Akihisa slipped into an empty classroom, while Yuuji re-entered their classroom and hid beneath the teacher's podium.

Haruto had concealed part of the truth, roping his two closest friends into helping him catch the culprit. This was the plan he had come up with.

Wandering around the school's perimeter, Haruto waited.

Meanwhile, Akihisa, hidden in the empty classroom, quietly texted updates to Haruto. Yuuji, stationed under the podium, remained still, listening for any movement outside.

Akihisa:"It's already been thirty minutes. Are you sure there's really a culprit, Haruto? You wouldn't have just gone home and left us here, would you?"

Kenjin:"It's only been thirty minutes. Yesterday, I waited just as long and didn't see anyone either."

Yuuji:"How much longer do we have to wait? My mom's expecting me home."

Haruto:"Let's give it one hour. If nothing happens, we'll call it a night."

Akihisa, reading Haruto's reply, found the time frame reasonable. The sun was setting later these days, and his parents wouldn't be home anyway, so waiting another hour wasn't a big deal. Just as he was about to confirm—

Click.

The sound of the classroom door opening made Akihisa freeze.

He quickly pressed "1" and sent it.

No internal spies—operation begins!