I Won't Be a Loser

"Next, we will have the speech by the representative of the new students."

After spending some time in the classroom, Eriri—perhaps distracted by the many unique personalities around her—had failed to notice Haruto's presence entirely.

The noisy classroom quieted down when their homeroom teacher, Shun Fukuhara, walked in.

After a brief self-introduction, he led the students to the school auditorium. The first- and second-year students were already there, welcoming the newcomers with applause. The first-years entered and took their designated seats.

Due to his height, Haruto stood at the back of the line, while Eriri, in the middle, was separated by a considerable distance. Once seated, they were far apart, something Haruto quietly found himself relieved by. He looked ahead toward the stage, where a girl slowly stepped up to the podium, standing under the collective gaze of the audience.

"Hey, Yuji," whispered Akihisa Yoshii, "that girl is really cute, don't you think?"

"Is she?" Yuji Sakamoto replied nonchalantly.

Haruto glanced briefly at his two classmates. Akihisa seemed overly enthusiastic, while Yuji appeared indifferent. Shaking his head slightly, Haruto refocused his attention on the girl at the microphone.

"Please welcome our freshman representative, Rio Futaba, for the opening speech."

Haruto watched the gray-haired, glasses-wearing girl at the podium before closing his eyes. Her voice resonated clearly throughout the hall, but Haruto's mind drifted elsewhere. Meanwhile, the whispers between Akihisa and Yuji continued, but Haruto paid them no mind.

The opening ceremony dragged on for nearly two hours. By the time Fukuhara led them back to their classroom, most of the students were fighting off sleep. Even the excitement of starting high school couldn't compete with the drowsy effect of a long speech.

Back in the classroom, Fukuhara introduced himself once again before writing his name on the blackboard. Haruto's eyes drifted to Fukuhara's head, noticing his full head of hair. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, knowing that in a month, Fukuhara would be visibly balding due to the stress of managing their class.

As the introductions began, Haruto observed his classmates one by one.

"I'm Ichika Nakano, the eldest sister. Pleased to meet you."

"Futaro Uesugi. My goal is to get into a top-tier university. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Aoi Hinami. High school is a fresh start for me, so I hope we all get along. Please take care of me."

"Nino Nakano."

"Yotsuba Nakano here! Please don't mix me up with Ichika or the others, okay? Let's get along!"

"Hideyoshi Kinoshita. I'm a guy, so don't get it wrong, okay?"

"M-Minami Shimada... P-please take care of me..."

The self-introductions continued, with each person revealing a bit about themselves. The atmosphere became lively when Akihisa Yoshii stood up.

"This is Akihisa Yoshii! Now that I've made it to high school, I'm hoping to have a sweet, sweet romance... Oh, and Yuji, do me a favor and drop dead!"

The class erupted into laughter, while Akihisa shot a glare at Yuji, who raised an eyebrow and stood up.

"Oh? Is that a challenge, Akihisa? Looks like I went too easy on you last time."

The banter continued until Fukuhara had to step in and restore order, though the lighthearted exchange had noticeably eased the tension in the room.

"Eriri Sawamura. Pleased to meet you," the blonde-haired girl introduced herself, drawing the attention of nearly everyone. The boys were captivated by her looks, and even the girls seemed curious about her.

Haruto sat quietly, waiting for his turn. When it finally came, he stood up with a faint smile.

"I'm Miyamizu Haruto, from Itomori, Gifu. I'm looking forward to these three years in Tokyo and hope to build good friendships with all of you. Please take care of me."

His clear voice and polite demeanor left a strong impression. His delicate features and deep, story-filled eyes caught the attention of many of the girls in the room.

Until now, Haruto had been sitting quietly by the window, unnoticed by most. His sudden introduction revealed the presence of a strikingly handsome boy in their class. The girls exchanged glances, while the boys sized him up, but no one seemed to harbor ill will—except Eriri.

Her gaze lingered on Haruto, her expression distant and confused. For reasons she couldn't explain, her mind conjured an image of a dark room, one that had been appearing in her dreams lately.

That fleeting image shattered, replaced by a cascade of fragmented memories and unfamiliar feelings. She stared at him with wide eyes, her lips trembling as she softly whispered his name:

"Haruto...?"

She didn't know why, but the name felt natural, as if it had always been etched into her heart.

She stared at the boy blankly, whispering his name softly, as if she remembered something.