I Won't Be a Loser

Although Eriri had claimed she was busy, the moment they left the school, she completely changed her attitude. Instead of discussing things in the classroom, she dragged Haruto along for a day out. The two wandered through the bustling shopping district in Shinjuku before finally settling down in a café in Shibuya.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Holding her coffee, Eriri's mood had noticeably improved despite Haruto's reluctance.

For her, the fact that Haruto had sought her out was already a good sign. Even if it was only because of Sayuri, it meant that when he needed someone to talk to, she was the one he turned to. And if that was the case, it was an opportunity for them to grow closer.

At this point, Eriri no longer cared about what Haruto truly thought. She just wanted him to stay by her side. Whether it was painful or sweet no longer mattered.

"Has Sayuri remembered something, just like you?"

Haruto stared at his cup of coffee. It was expensive—he wouldn't have stepped into such a café if the matter wasn't important. But since he was already here, there was no point dwelling on that.

His gaze shifted to Eriri, studying the girl sitting across from him. He remained silent for a moment before cutting straight to the point, not wanting to waste time on unnecessary small talk.

Eriri's expression flickered slightly, and she pressed her lips together.

She had anticipated that whatever Haruto wanted to discuss wouldn't be a simple topic—otherwise, he wouldn't have come to her directly.

Thinking about what her mother had once told her regarding Haruto, Eriri's mood turned a bit complicated. However, after a glance at the boy before her, she decided to ask why he was so concerned about this.

"You saw her?"

"Someone spotted her near my apartment."

"Just because she was near your apartment doesn't mean anything unusual, does it? It's not that far away. Even if she was in the area, it's not exactly strange."

"So, she has remembered something, hasn't she?"

Haruto caught onto the unnatural tone in Eriri's voice immediately. A brief moment of thought was all he needed to piece together the answer. His mood sank slightly.

"No."

Eriri frowned under Haruto's scrutiny, feeling irritated at his distrust. But since he already suspected that Sayuri had started recalling things about him, she figured it would be best not to complicate matters further.

She decided to reveal part of the truth.

"She only had a few vague dreams about you and mentioned you once or twice, but she doesn't know your name. She doesn't remember anything concrete about you."

"Then why is it that both you and Sayuri are starting to recall things from back then?"

Eriri fell silent.

Haruto, too, stopped speaking. Instead, he listened to the soft jazz playing in the café for a moment before turning his attention back to Eriri.

"You don't want Sayuri to remember me, do you?"

"What do you plan to do?"

Haruto thought back to last night's dream. He had no desire to experience something like that again.

"I won't seek her out. So if Sayuri ever brings me up in conversation, you know what to do, don't you?"

"...That's all?"

"That's all. What else could I do? Move back to Itomori?"

"..."

That would indeed ensure he never met Sayuri again. But then Eriri wouldn't be able to see him either. And besides, Sayuri had already been to his apartment before—if she really did recall everything, she could still find him even if he left.

Staring at Haruto with a slightly gloomy expression, Eriri eventually nodded.

"I understand."

"Then, let's leave it at that for now."

With an agreement in place, Haruto saw no reason to prolong the conversation. He took a small sip of his coffee before standing up.

"I'm heading back."

Leaving the café, he walked directly toward his apartment. Meanwhile, Eriri remained seated, staring at the chandelier above her with a faint sense of disappointment.

"Is there really nothing else we can talk about besides my mother?"

Sighing, she reached for her coffee, but just before taking a sip, her gaze drifted to the cup Haruto had left behind.

For a moment, she was tempted.

But in the end, she refrained from doing anything embarrassing.

She wasn't that desperate yet.

Even if the future still seemed bleak, as long as she kept trying, she believed she would eventually see hope for victory.

Walking home alone, Haruto had managed to get some of the answers he wanted, but his mood hadn't improved—if anything, it had worsened.

He sighed as he looked at his apartment building in the distance.

Everything had suddenly become much more complicated.

Shaking his head, he continued forward. But just as he turned a street corner—

He collided head-on with someone.

Stumbling back a couple of steps, Haruto barely managed to steady himself. The other person let out a soft "Ah" but didn't fall either.

"Sorry—wasn't looking where I was—"

He lifted his head, about to apologize properly. But the moment he saw who it was, his entire expression froze.

Eriri hadn't gone home.

Meanwhile, Sayuri, having been alone all day, had been feeling restless. She decided to go out for a walk, but somehow, she found herself wandering near his apartment again.

The realization made her pause.

Was she turning into some kind of stalker?

Why did she keep ending up here?

And why did merely standing near that apartment fill her with a strange sense of peace?

Sayuri couldn't find an answer.

Lost in thought, she slowly walked forward—

Then, suddenly, she collided with someone.

Neither of them had been walking particularly fast, so thankfully, neither fell. But Sayuri still felt a slight ache in her chest from the impact.

Just as she was about to look up and scold the careless person—

She heard his voice.

And her mind went blank.

It was a voice she couldn't quite place, yet it felt inexplicably familiar.

She looked up at the boy before her.

The moment she saw his face, her breath hitched.

She had only ever caught a glimpse of his side profile before, but now, seeing him up close—

It was strange.

He looked so familiar.

So nostalgic.

Almost as if she had known him for a long, long time.

Without even thinking, her lips moved on their own.

"Haruto."

The name left her mouth naturally, as if it had always been there, waiting to be spoken.

And the moment she said it, she saw the expression on his face shift—

Shock.

Surprise.

Unease.

Pain.

And… nostalgia?

Haruto stood frozen, staring at her.

He couldn't believe it.

Just earlier, he and Eriri had agreed on how to handle this situation. He had promised not to approach Sayuri.

Yet in the very next moment—

Here she was, standing right before him.

And the worst part?

She had just called out his name.

Haruto clenched his jaw.

The emotions welling up inside him were unbearable.

Lowering his head, he fell into silence.

He couldn't answer her.

He didn't know how.

"Um..."

Sayuri hesitated. Seeing the reaction on the boy's face—the way he lowered his head—only deepened her confusion.

Why did he look so shaken?

"We should be meeting for the first time, right? You're Miyamizu Haruto, correct? I'm Sawamura Sayuri, Eriri's mother. Nice to meet you."

"..."

It was a perfectly normal introduction, yet hearing it made Haruto feel indescribably uncomfortable. A dull ache spread through his chest, as if something inside him was about to shatter.

But he forced himself to adjust his emotions, slowly lifting his head with a gentle smile.

"Eriri has mentioned you before. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sawamura. I apologize for earlier—I was lost in thought and wasn't paying attention."

He wore an apologetic smile, but his mind was a complete blank. He had no idea how to process what he was feeling, so he simply chose to stop thinking altogether.

"No, it's nothing serious. But you really should be more careful when walking—daydreaming can be dangerous, you know."

"I'll be more mindful."

Sayuri studied the young man in front of her. Beneath that calm and smiling exterior, there seemed to be layers of emotions she couldn't quite understand. And yet, for some reason, looking at him filled her with an odd sense of nostalgia.

The atmosphere between them grew quiet.

"Back when school first started, I wanted to thank you for helping Eriri," Sayuri eventually said, breaking the silence. She hesitated before asking, "Have we... met before?"

She wasn't sure why, but the question had been nagging at her.

Haruto's lips parted slightly, but in the end, he simply replied:

"No, we haven't. I'm from Itomori, and I only moved to Tokyo before the school year started. This is our first meeting, Mrs. Sawamura."

"I see..."

For some reason, she felt disappointed.

A strange urge came over her—a deep, inexplicable desire to pull this boy into her arms. The feeling was so intense that it frustrated her. Why did he feel so familiar?

"I have something to take care of, so I'll be going now," Haruto said, his voice steady.

"Ah, okay..."

Sayuri wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come.

She could only watch as he turned and walked away.

His figure slowly disappeared into the distance, reappearing moments later at the entrance of a nearby apartment building. She saw him open the door, step inside, and vanish from sight.

Placing a hand over her chest, Sayuri felt her heartbeat quicken.

This encounter had left her with nothing but confusion and unanswered questions.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around and made her way home.

When Eriri got back, her mother was nowhere to be seen.

Not thinking much of it, she changed out of her school uniform and, as usual, retreated to her room. She put on her thick glasses, sat at her desk, and quietly began drawing.

"Eriri."

About half an hour later, Sayuri's voice came from outside the door, followed by a knock.

Sayuri stepped into Eriri's room and approached her daughter, sitting beside her with a conflicted expression.

Eriri, sensing something was off, saved her work and turned toward her mother.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, it's nothing serious," Sayuri murmured, hesitating for a moment. Then, as if unable to hold it in any longer, she asked, "Have you ever met someone who felt strangely familiar, even though you were sure you'd never seen them before?"

Someone who felt familiar?

The first person who came to Eriri's mind was Haruto.

She bit her lip and stared at her mother.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I met someone today. I know I've never seen him before, but for some reason, he felt incredibly familiar. I even had this strange urge to hug him..."

"He?"

"You know him too—Miyamizu Haruto, that boy."

Sayuri had no idea what her daughter was thinking, so she spoke frankly, recounting the strange encounter. Propping her cheek up with one hand, she let out a troubled sigh.

Eriri, on the other hand, fell completely silent.

She took a deep breath, trying to process what she had just heard.

"You ran into Haruto?"

"Mm? 'Haruto'? That's quite an affectionate way to call him... Does that mean..."

Sayuri's gaze shifted to her daughter, her curiosity piqued.

Something about Eriri had been off lately, and now, she couldn't help but feel even more intrigued.

"Did you see him too?"

Ignoring her mother's teasing tone, Eriri frowned. Her expression turned serious.

"You really saw him?" she asked again, her tone intense.

Sayuri, sensing how serious her daughter was, nodded.

"I did. I bumped into him while I was out for a walk. He apologized quite sincerely."

"Did you feel anything unusual?"

Eriri's expression hardened, her gaze locked onto her mother's.

Would her mother be like her?

Would seeing Haruto bring back lost memories?

Would she suddenly remember everything?

"Unusual?"

Sayuri thought for a moment before nodding.

"There was definitely something. It felt like I've known him for a long time... Almost like..."

Her voice trailed off.

"...Like I've always been waiting for him."