I Won't Be a Loser

Standing at the doorway, Setsuna's gaze briefly lingered on Eriri before shifting to Haruto.

Haruto, who had already anticipated this scene before opening the door, remained calm. Without a hint of panic, he even greeted Setsuna with a slight smile.

"You're here, Setsuna."

"Who is she?"

Setsuna's eyes studied the unfamiliar blonde girl in Haruto's apartment, her expression unreadable.

Eriri, who had been about to leave, narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw the girl. She turned back to Haruto, a smirk playing on her lips, and introduced herself with a deliberate air.

"Sawamura Eriri, Haruto's classmate. And you must be the 'girlfriend' he mentioned?"

"..."

Caught off guard, Setsuna turned to Haruto, only to find that he had no intention of explaining. She then shifted her attention back to Eriri.

"Yes, I'm Kiyoura Setsuna."

"So, this is the type of girl you're dating now?"

Eriri studied Setsuna for a moment, then turned her gaze back to Haruto. Letting out a soft chuckle, she casually slipped on her shoes, brushed past Setsuna, and left the apartment without another word.

Watching her disappear around the corner of the hallway, Setsuna's gaze lingered for a few moments before she turned to face Haruto.

"'The girl you're dating now'? What does she mean by that?"

Haruto, who had been looking at the retreating figure of Eriri, lowered his eyes to meet Setsuna's, then silently stepped aside, opening the door wider to let her in. Without answering her question, he turned and walked back into the apartment.

Seeing his reluctance to explain, a flicker of unease flashed through Setsuna's heart. She bit her lip, slipped off her shoes, and quietly followed him inside.

The moment she entered the living room, her eyes landed on a bouquet of flowers sitting on the table.

"Did she give you these?"

"Hm? The flowers? No, I picked them up while I was out earlier. I passed by a flower shop on my way home from school, thought of you, and decided to buy a bouquet. I wasn't sure if you'd already gone home, so I brought them back here first. I planned to give them to you when you arrived."

"Then… that girl just now..."

"She's someone I used to know. But she's not my girlfriend. Don't take her words too seriously—she was just trying to make you doubt me."

Setsuna frowned, glancing from the flowers to Haruto.

"Did you two had conflicts before?"

"Something like that. We used to get along well, but one day, she suddenly started hating me. And now, whenever we meet, she just wants to give me a hard time."

Explaining his history with Eriri to Setsuna was too complicated. Even if he tried, he doubted she'd fully understand—she might even think he was joking or making excuses. So, Haruto decided to leave it at that.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the receipt for the flowers and casually placed it on the table. Seeing the slip of paper, Setsuna finally felt reassured. She walked up to the table, gently picked up the bouquet, and, upon seeing the vibrant flowers, her face bloomed into a bright, genuine smile.

"Thank you, Haruto."

"As long as you like them, that's all that matters."

Since Mai hadn't returned home yet, Setsuna, touched by the gift, set the bouquet down and wrapped her arms around Haruto.

Meanwhile, outside the apartment, Eriri walked down the street alone, covering her lips with one hand.

She didn't understand. Every time she recalled the endpoint of her memories of the future, she felt a wave of intense nausea, an uncontrollable unease and fear that left her confused and lost.

"Miss, you don't look too well. Why don't you come have some fun with us? It'll cheer you up."

On her way home, she encountered a troublesome group of guys. Ignoring them completely, she walked straight ahead, leaving one of them looking awkwardly rejected.

His expression twisted with irritation before he muttered under his breath and turned to leave in the opposite direction.

When Eriri finally arrived home, she didn't even acknowledge her mother's greeting. Instead, she headed straight for her room, shut the door behind her, and walked to her bed.

She stopped at the edge, then collapsed onto it.

"Mmph—"

She buried her face into her pillow, her breathing growing shallow. Her golden hair spilled across her neck, tickling her skin. Feeling the itch, she reached up, loosened her twin tails, and continued pressing her face into the pillow.

She lay there like that, suffocating herself until the lack of air made her chest tighten and her body instinctively resist. Only then did she lift her head, gasping for fresh air as she stared at the fading sunlight outside her window.

"It's already this late…?"

Flipping onto her back, she stared blankly at the canopy above her bed, replaying the events of the day.

Had she gone too far?

Maybe.

But she didn't regret it.

Not even a little.

Even if Haruto had a girlfriend now, she knew him too well. At most, they'd been together for about a month. No matter how fast their relationship progressed, it couldn't possibly compare to the nearly ten years she had spent by his side.

She didn't take his earlier words to heart either. As far as she was concerned, they were just angry remarks—nothing more.

Once he calmed down, she'd get her chance.

Just then—

Knock, knock.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Eriri turned her head toward the door.

Creak—

The door opened slightly, and a familiar face peeked in. It was her mother, Sayuri.

"Eriri, are you okay? Did something happen? You don't look very happy."

Hearing her mother's concern, Eriri felt an inexplicable wave of frustration. She bit her lip, curled up, and pulled the blanket over her head, her muffled voice escaping from beneath.

"It's nothing. I'm just in a bad mood."

"Hmm... well, about dinner..."

"Whatever!"

"…Alright. But if anything's bothering you, remember, you can always talk to me."

"I know! I'm not a kid anymore!"

Sayuri sighed as she watched her daughter lying on the bed. Shaking her head, she withdrew her gaze, gently closed the door, and went to prepare dinner.

Left alone, Eriri remained buried under the covers. Once she heard the door click shut, she slowly peeked her head out, staring at the closed door with a mixture of guilt and sadness welling in her heart. With a heavy sigh, she pressed her face back into the pillow.

This time, however, she only covered her eyes. A dull ache filled her chest, and for some reason, her nose stung slightly, as if she were about to cry…

----

Somewhere along the way, it had become an unspoken rule that whenever Haruto was home, he would have dinner with the Kiyoura family.

After spending some time in the apartment with Setsuna, Haruto followed her back to the Kiyoura household, where Mai had already prepared dinner.

"Even young people should be a little more careful," Mai remarked casually as she glanced at her daughter. "You're not at the age where you should be thinking about having kids just yet."

At those words, Setsuna instinctively turned to look at Haruto.

"..."

Haruto had no idea what that look from Setsuna meant. He simply sat quietly at the dining table, lowered his head, and focused on his meal, pretending not to notice her gaze.

The atmosphere at the table remained silent as they ate. After dinner, cleaning up was left to the two younger ones—Haruto and Setsuna—while Mai, as usual, relaxed on the sofa.

Setsuna took charge of carrying the dishes, while Haruto handled washing them. With a clear division of labor, they quickly cleaned up the table and utensils.

As Mai sat in the living room, Setsuna suddenly grabbed Haruto's hand and pulled him into her room, leaving Mai alone on the sofa. Watching her daughter drag Haruto away, Mai's expression turned complicated, a mix of hesitation and unease.

After a moment, her gaze wavered, and she put down the remote control. Slowly, she got up and began to inch toward her daughter's room—

"What is it?"

Inside the room, Haruto looked at Setsuna in confusion. After pulling him inside and closing the door, she simply stood by the door in silence, not making a move. Haruto frowned slightly, puzzled by her actions.

Setsuna raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

Haruto raised an eyebrow but said nothing, opting to sit on the edge of her bed instead. He watched as Setsuna leaned against the door, waiting for something. Then, all of a sudden, she reached out and swiftly yanked the door open.

Creak—

Standing right outside, Mai froze, caught red-handed before she could even start eavesdropping. Her eyes widened as she stared at her daughter, who now stood before her.

"Did you need something?"

"N-No... I just wanted to ask if you wanted some fruit."

"No thanks."

"Oh... okay then."

A slightly embarrassed smile appeared on Mai's face. After a brief pause, she cleared her throat awkwardly and turned back toward the living room. Setsuna watched her mother sit back down before closing the door again.

Seeing how cautious Setsuna was—even toward her own mother—Haruto couldn't help but feel surprised. But what shocked him even more was the fact that Mai had actually tried to eavesdrop in the first place.

After shutting the door, Setsuna began rummaging through her things until she pulled out a thick photo album and placed it in front of Haruto.

"What's this?"

"Photos. From when I was little, and some old memories."

Haruto glanced at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to show him something so personal.

"Can I look?"

Most people were hesitant to share their past with others, even those they were close to. Many feared being laughed at over childhood photos. Personal keepsakes like a photo album were rarely shared.

For Setsuna to bring it out so naturally—it meant she saw Haruto as family.

Feeling a complex mix of emotions, Haruto slowly reached out and took the album from her hands.

Setsuna sat beside him, flipping through the pages as she explained the memories behind each picture.

"This one was taken when I was seven, at Ise Bay Beach. And this one is in front of the entrance to Ise Grand Shrine."

"This is from the summer when I was eight, at Aioiyama Green Space in Nagoya. And this one is in front of Nagoya Castle."

Almost every summer, Mai would take Setsuna on trips, capturing their memories in photos at famous landmarks or festival sites—Tokyo's Kanda Festival, Kyoto's Gion Festival, Osaka's Tenjin Festival…

In contrast, Haruto's childhood had been much quieter—mostly spent at home, either under an electric fan or by the the nearby stream with Mitsuha to soak their feet and have a picnic. He had rarely left Itomori, except for one trip to Nagoya.

As Setsuna recounted her travels, Haruto listened with a soft smile, immersing himself in her stories.

Before they knew it, they were only halfway through the album, yet time had already slipped by. A knock on the door brought them back to reality—Mai was reminding them that it was time to rest.

Haruto turned to Setsuna and stood up.

"It's getting late. We can finish looking at it tomorrow. You should get some rest, and I should head back to wash up and sleep."

"Mm..."

Setsuna hesitated, wanting to ask him to stay, but seeing him already walking toward the door, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

She got up and walked him to the entrance.

"See you tomorrow."

Standing at the doorway, Haruto looked back at her.

"Yeah… see you tomorrow."

He headed toward the stairs, his figure slowly disappearing from her sight. But Setsuna didn't close the door right away. She stood there, watching as he entered his apartment across the way, waiting until he was safely inside before finally shutting her own door.

Back in his own room, Haruto took a moment to consider how much electricity he had wasted by leaving the lights on for so long. He sighed, then made his way to the bathroom, undressed, and stepped into the shower.

After drying his hair, he turned off the lights and lay down on his bed. Staring into the darkness of his quiet room, his thoughts drifted.

"Better get some sleep."

Muttering to himself, Haruto closed his eyes and let himself relax—

The warm summer wind blew against his skin. Even doing nothing, sweat trickled down his body.

A much younger Haruto sat under the eaves of a house, gazing at the large tree in the garden. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed behind him.

"Here, watermelon."

"Oh, thanks! Is it chilled?"

"Of course it's chilled~"

A tall girl with long blue hair sat beside him, setting down a plate of watermelon slices. She looked at the young boy beside her.

"Where's Mitsuha?"

"At home, taking care of Yotsuha… No, actually, she's probably just bullying her."

"And instead of helping your little sister, you snuck out here to slack off? You're such an unreliable big brother~"

Haruto bit into a watermelon slice, then glanced at the woman beside him—her curvy figure, her youthful, adorable face, her lively personality. He wondered why she didn't have a boyfriend.

"Mitsuha and Yotsuha are both my little sisters. No matter which one I help, it wouldn't be fair to the other, right?"

"What an excuse~"