I Won't Be a Loser

"When you have money, you can come back and keep me."

With a teasing smile, Haruto gave his answer to Ichika before striding toward the school building. Ichika was momentarily stunned but quickly chuckled and followed him inside.

As he opened his shoe locker, Haruto found it empty—no love letters. It had been three or four days since the new semester started, so this wasn't unusual. However, after Mai's comment the other day, he couldn't help but feel a little conscious about it, even questioning his own charm.

Thinking back, hadn't he usually started receiving confessions about two weeks into the semester?

In today's society, even elementary school kids, influenced by adults, had a basic understanding of love and desire. Though most of it was naive curiosity, awkwardly mimicking what they saw on TV or in the adults around them, by middle school, they had already become familiar with the concepts.

Some college students with poor morals even targeted middle school girls—girls who still idolized adulthood and romance, unaware of the true nature of the world.

A city as bustling as Tokyo was brimming with all kinds of desires. Some boys and girls were inevitably drawn into worlds they wouldn't have encountered otherwise, slowly sinking into those temptations…

Even back in the countryside of Itomori, Haruto had heard rumors of girls from neighboring towns—or even his own—dating adults, only to be abandoned. If that happened in a rural town, it was undoubtedly even more common in Tokyo.

Whether those rumors were true or not, he didn't particularly care. It wasn't his business. But if such rumors existed, chances were at least some of them had real stories behind them.

Middle school was no less complicated than the adult world—perhaps even more extreme and intense. And high school, being such a pivotal stage, only made things more complex. Even the more reserved girls from middle school would inevitably start considering relationships due to the influence of their peers.

Haruto never understood why being a virgin was seen as embarrassing for girls at this stage, nor why losing one's virginity was equated with becoming an adult.

Casually taking out his indoor shoes, he placed them on the ground, took off his outdoor shoes, and slipped into the school slippers. Then, after placing his shoes into the locker, he prepared to enter the school building.

At that moment, his gaze briefly landed on a girl bending over, catching a glimpse of what was underneath her skirt. He averted his eyes immediately and silently walked toward the staircase.

As a teenager, he would have felt a mix of discomfort and excitement about this kind of atmosphere.

But now, with the mentality of a full-fledged adult, all he wanted to do was criticize how problematic this whole situation was.

And why?

Because he couldn't stand the thought of his future daughter becoming one of those girls.

Stepping into the classroom, Haruto glanced at his classmates who had already arrived. He walked to his seat, sat down, and casually hung his bag on the side of the desk. Just as he took out his textbooks, the memory of yesterday's incident suddenly resurfaced.

Scanning the room with his eyes, Haruto slowly shifted in his seat, moving back slightly before subtly tilting his head to peek into his desk drawer.

Inside—where there should have been nothing—lay a neatly folded pair of white lace underwear.

"..."

A repeat offender.

He hadn't expected this. Once was already surprising, but he had assumed it was just a mistake—that the person had entered the wrong classroom and placed it in the wrong desk.

But a second time?

Pressing his lips together, Haruto calmly straightened up, picked up his school bag, and, just like yesterday, swiftly stuffed the underwear inside before placing his textbooks into the drawer.

At noon, as he remained distracted throughout the morning classes, Ichika approached him with an invitation.

"Hey, Haruto, want to go to the cafeteria together?"

Seeing how close the two were, many classmates had already assumed Haruto and Ichika were dating. Some of the girls thought Ichika had made her move too fast, while some of the boys looked between Ichika and her sisters with complicated expressions.

"The cafeteria? Sure."

Since Haruto hadn't prepared a lunchbox today, his choices were either cafeteria food or convenience store bread. Thinking about his health, he figured a proper meal would be better.

Seeing his friend Yoshii Akihisa eyeing him with an envious look, Haruto waved his hand dismissively and agreed to Ichika's offer.

"What about your sisters?" he asked.

"They'll be fine~ Come on, let's go!"

With a carefree laugh, Ichika threw an arm around Haruto's shoulder and led him toward the cafeteria.

Back in the classroom, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki watched the two leave with expressions of resignation.

It wasn't directed at Haruto —it was directed at their eldest sister, Ichika.

At first, Nino had thought Ichika was just mildly interested in that Miyamizu guy. But from the way things were progressing, it didn't seem like just simple curiosity anymore.

Glancing toward Sawamura's empty seat, Nino suddenly realized—when had she left?

"She's not here anymore?" she muttered.

"Hm? What was that?"

Yotsuba leaned in, hearing Nino mumbling something, and looked at her curiously.

"It's nothing," Nino replied before adding, "Since Ichika went off with Miyamizu, let's head to the cafeteria together."

"Can't all six of us go together?"

"….."

If Ichika had wanted to walk with them, she wouldn't have left with Haruto alone.

Either Yotsuba genuinely didn't understand the situation, or she was just too pure-hearted to read between the lines.

Sighing, Nino grabbed Yotsuba's shoulder and dragged her toward Miku and Itsuki.

"Don't interfere with Ichika's plans."

They often teased each other as sisters, but seeing how Ichika had reacted earlier, Nino figured she was at least somewhat serious about Haruto. She wasn't about to let Yotsuba get in the way.

At the cafeteria, Haruto ordered a pork cutlet rice bowl, while Ichika went for the grilled meat set. They picked a quieter corner and sat down.

Haruto glanced at Ichika.

"Aren't you going to eat with your sisters?"

From where they sat, he could see the other four sisters had also chosen a nearby table, occasionally sneaking glances in their direction.

Ichika placed her tray down and smiled.

"If I left now, wouldn't that leave you eating alone? Keeping you company like this… maybe I can get a discount when I finally decide to 'keep' you?"

Haruto looked down at his golden, crispy cutlet and nodded.

"If you share some of your grilled meat, I might consider it."

"Really?"

With a playful grin, Ichika picked up a piece of grilled meat, holding it up with her chopsticks and gesturing as if she was going to feed him directly.

Haruto hesitated for a moment before responding flatly, "No, not really."

"Ah, what a shame."

Ichika wasn't offended and simply popped the piece of meat into her mouth, savoring it happily.

Despite the rumors flying around, Haruto wasn't too concerned. He and Ichika weren't actually involved. But if he had taken a bite from her chopsticks just now, that would have been a different story.

With that thought, he focused back on his meal, savoring his beloved " special pork cutlet bowl".

Meanwhile, at a nearby table, the four sisters watched their interaction in silence.

"They're not really talking much… but Ichika just tried to feed him, right?"

Itsuki blinked, stuffing a meat bun into her mouth as she turned to Miku.

Miku quietly continued eating, saying nothing.

Yotsuba, on the other hand, looked surprised.

"This morning, I thought Ichika was just joking, but now it really seems like she meant it…"

Nino bit her chopsticks in frustration, glancing between Haruto and Ichika before letting out a small "tsk" and begrudgingly returning to her own meal.

Lunch was quiet.

Ichika was beginning to wonder if Haruto would finish his meal without saying a word when he suddenly set down his miso soup. His gaze lifted, settling on her.

"I have a question for you."

She had been debating whether to start a conversation, searching for a topic. But now, seeing his serious expression, her interest was piqued. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"What kind of question?"

Haruto hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering slightly under Ichika's sharp gaze. After a brief pause, he spoke.

"A neighbor of mine has been having some trouble lately."

"A neighbor?"

"For the past two days, he's been receiving gifts. They seem to be from a girl—or at least, they're the kind of things a girl would use. Do you think that's normal?"

After hearing Haruto's explanation, Ichika immediately understood what he was getting at.

"So your neighbor hasn't actually seen the person giving him these gifts?"

"No."

"And these gifts… what exactly are they?"

"Not something I can say."

Haruto shook his head.

"I see."

Ichika nodded knowingly. If he was reluctant to say it outright, it had to be something… troublesome. And if it was something meant for girls, then the possibilities were quite limited.

Regardless of which possibility it was, it was definitely a problem—especially for a guy.

Ichika's gaze lingered on Haruto, her expression turning slightly odd. She hadn't expected him—or rather, his neighbor—to be receiving such gifts. Even more surprising was that Haruto had chosen to bring this up with her.

"Can I see them?"

"My friend—uh, I mean, my neighbor goes to a different school. Not really convenient."

Haruto knew Ichika was perceptive, and using the "neighbor" excuse was just a thinly veiled attempt to distance himself from the situation. But as long as he didn't admit it, then it had nothing to do with him.

"So what are you planning to do about it?" Ichika asked.

"I suggested that my neighbor just throw them away, but after getting them two days in a row, it's starting to feel like a real problem. That's why I wanted to ask for a girl's perspective."

Ichika's reaction seemed normal—she didn't look particularly guilty or suspicious. But Haruto wasn't entirely convinced. He lowered his head slightly, returning to his meal.

"I'm not exactly a detective, so I can't say for sure," Ichika replied, tapping her chopsticks against her tray. "But if someone is going that far, it's probably because they like your… 'neighbor.'"

"But school just started. No way someone would develop feelings that quickly, right?"

"You never know."

Haruto fell silent.

His mind flashed back to the conversation between Ichika and Nino that morning. A certain blonde-haired girl's face surfaced in his thoughts. His grip on his chopsticks tightened.

Without another word, he shoveled the rest of his rice into his mouth, washed it down with a gulp of miso soup, and stood up abruptly.

"I'm done. Take your time—I'm heading back to class."

Without waiting for a response, Haruto took his tray to the return counter and left the cafeteria.

Ichika blinked, watching his retreating figure. Slowly, she picked up a piece of grilled meat with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth—only to find that it suddenly didn't taste as good anymore.

If the person behind this was really her, then this was going to be very troublesome.

The Classroom After School

On his way back to the classroom, Haruto felt like things were getting more and more confusing.

The Eriri he knew wouldn't do something like this. Sure, she had her quirks, but in day-to-day life, she always acted normal. At least, before he ever met Sayuri or stepped into the Sawamura household, he had no idea she had such… peculiar interests.

Returning to class, Haruto slid into his seat. His eyes drifted to Eriri's empty desk. She wasn't back yet.

Not that it mattered.

Even if she was here, he had no idea how to bring this up.

Of all the people in class, the last person he wanted to interact with was Eriri.

"Could it really be her?"

Haruto propped his elbows on his desk, interlocking his fingers as he stared down, deep in thought.

The entire afternoon passed, and he still couldn't bring himself to confront her. Every time his gaze drifted toward her seat, he quickly looked away. He endured the awkward tension all the way until the final bell rang.

Unlike the past two days, he didn't head straight home after school.

As the classroom emptied, Haruto remained at his desk, quietly flipping through the pages of a book he had recently bought—My Man.

The novel told the story of a lifeguard who rescued a young girl, Kohana, after she lost her entire family in a disaster. He took her in, raising her as his own. But when the lifeguard later got a girlfriend, she discovered a disturbing truth—that the relationship between him and the girl had long since crossed ethical boundaries.

A controversial, award-winning novel with a provocative premise.

Haruto had to admit, he was drawn in by the premise. He had bought it with a mindset of study—not that he'd ever say that out loud.

"Not heading home yet, Miyamizu-kun?"

A voice echoed through the quiet classroom.

Haruto looked up from his book and turned toward the doorway.

Standing there was a woman he hadn't expected.

"Kiryu-sensei?"

The young teacher, clad in a professional blouse and skirt, her long brown hair cascading down her back, stepped into the classroom. Black stockings hugged her legs, adding to her mature air.

"It's been quite a while since dismissal. I don't remember you joining any clubs, so what are you still doing here?"

The golden sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows as Kiryu Yuzuki approached his desk.

In the empty classroom, their eyes met.