I Won't Be a Loser

"Here."

As footsteps approached, Rio Futaba kept her head down, sulking in silence. But when the presence beside her drew closer, she heard his voice. A rice ball was handed to her, the offering placed gently on her lap before she could even react.

"I'm not sure if it's to your taste, but this is all I have right now. If you don't mind, you can use it to fill your stomach."

"..."

The gray-haired girl slowly lifted her head, her brown eyes reflecting the figure of the boy in front of her. She opened her mouth slightly, unsure of what to say. She had expected ridicule, not kindness.

Her gaze drifted to the rice ball resting on her lap, and for a moment, she was lost in thought.

"Well, since you don't seem to mind, I'll be heading back to class."

With a small wave, the boy turned away. He popped the last bite of his own rice ball into his mouth, washed it down with juice, then tossed the empty packaging into the trash before making his way back to the classroom.

Rio cupped the rice ball in both hands, watching as his figure disappeared into the distance. After a brief hesitation, she lowered her head, pressing her lips together.

He's… really kind, isn't he?

On his way back to the classroom, in the stairwell window, Eriri leaned against the railing, gazing toward the courtyard. Without even turning around, she spoke as he ascended the steps.

"You really are kind, aren't you, Miyamizu-kun?"

"Are you sure you got the right person? Or did you just wait here for a while, keeping an eye on the stairs until I showed up, then quickly leaned against the railing to make it look casual?"

"..."

Eriri fell silent for a moment. Whether she was annoyed or embarrassed by how accurately he had read her, it was hard to tell.

She stole a glance at him as he arrived at her side, then shifted her gaze back toward the courtyard. There, sitting alone on the bench, was the same girl from earlier—delicately nibbling at the rice ball he had given her.

Eriri smirked. "You have a pretty unique hobby, don't you, Miyamizu-kun? Watching girls eat like that."

Miyamizu let out a small sigh. Eriri is still Eriri—no matter how much time rewinds, her troublesome personality never changes.

"Think what you want."

Not bothering to entertain her any further, he continued walking toward the classroom. Watching his back as he left, Eriri bit her lip in frustration. Huffing softly, she turned on her heel and followed him inside.

By the time they both returned to class, the rumors had already begun to spread.

'So, does Miyamizu-kun like Nakano-san, or is he into Sawamura-san?'

Whispers circulated among the girls, especially those who weren't particularly close to Haruto. Some even took the opportunity to ask Ichika, who had a friendly relationship with him.

Despite being one of the subjects of the gossip, Ichika simply responded with a casual smile. "We're just friends."

Meanwhile, Eriri's deskmate, Aoi Hinami, leaned in curiously.

"You and Miyamizu-kun seem pretty close, huh?"

Eriri, resting her chin in her hand, scoffed. "Close? No way. Our relationship is terrible."

Aoi blinked in surprise. The way Eriri had said it was so casual, so natural—it completely threw her off.

Realizing what she had just blurted out, Eriri quickly forced a smile and added, "We just have a bit of a misunderstanding between us. It's really not as good as it looks."

Aoi studied her for a moment. So, she's the type who hides her true personality too, huh?

She wasn't sure what kind of person Eriri really was, but the tone of her earlier remark had given her a glimpse of something different from the sweet, refined image she usually presented.

"Well then," Aoi said with a teasing smile, "shouldn't you clear up that misunderstanding? Want me to set something up for you?"

"..."

Eriri hesitated. Normally, she would have refused immediately. This was between her and Haruto—no one else should interfere.

But…

Memories of their conversation yesterday resurfaced in her mind, making her furrow her brows slightly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Aoi gestured for her to lean in, whispering playfully into her ear.

"Well, here's the plan… When school ends…"

As the two girls murmured conspiratorially, many classmates watched on with curiosity.

However, Haruto himself was not one of them.

After returning to his seat, he simply took out a book from his desk and began reading, waiting for the afternoon classes to start.

Since it was still spring, the afternoon warmth wasn't overwhelming, but by the time school was over, exhaustion had started to creep in.

Packing up his things, Haruto stood up, intending to head straight home. He had things to take care of and wanted to get an early night's rest.

Is my body still adjusting? Maybe I should restraint myself a bit.

Just as he was about to leave, a gentle voice called out from behind.

"Hey, Miyamizu-kun, are you heading home now?"

He paused, turning to find Aoi Hinami standing there.

Though slightly surprised, he nodded. "Yeah, I was about to head back. Something up, Hinami-san?"

"Well, I just happened to be free today, so I thought I'd organize a little gathering after school with some people I know. Just something small outside of school. Would you be interested?"

"A gathering?"

Haruto fell into thought, his eyes shifting subtly toward Eriri.

She was sitting at her desk, unmoving, as if waiting for something.

His sharp instincts told him something was off.