I Won't Be a Loser

"Yo, Haruto."

When Haruto opened the door, he had expected to see Setsuna returning home. But upon finding Ryuuji Takasu standing at his doorstep instead, he let out a quiet sigh of relief and stepped aside to let him in.

"No plans today?" Haruto asked.

"Not just today. Most days, honestly. I just stay home, review my coursework, and then end up feeling bored out of my mind. So I figured I'd drop by. Unless... am I interrupting something?"

Noticing the slight nervousness in Ryuuji's tone, Haruto let out a small chuckle.

"Not at all. Just a little surprised, that's all. So, your school hasn't started yet?"

"Not until next week. Actually, tomorrow is the official first day. After that, I probably won't have as much free time as I do now."

Haruto gestured for Ryuuji to sit down and poured him a cup of tea, placing it in front of him.

"Thanks," Ryuuji said.

"No need to be so formal," Haruto replied, taking a seat across from him. "But I have to say, I'm surprised your school starts this late."

"Honestly, most schools don't start until April. If anything, your school's early start is what's unusual."

"Huh? My girlfriend's school started even earlier than mine," Haruto said.

"Which school?"

"Sakakino Academy."

At the mention of the name, Ryuuji let out an awkward chuckle before sighing.

"Well, a high-ranking school like Sakakino starting early makes perfect sense. It's nothing like an ordinary school. Their academic standards are crazy high, and they're laser-focused on university admissions. It's only natural they'd start classes earlier."

Unlike Haruto, who had never really looked into the details of Setsuna's school, Ryuuji was well aware of Sakakino Academy's reputation. After all, it was one of the most prestigious schools in the area.

"High academic standards?" Haruto repeated, caught off guard.

"You didn't know?" Ryuuji raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all." Haruto shook his head, taking a small sip of tea as he looked at Ryuuji.

"Is it that famous?"

"Well, not on a national level, but for this area, it's definitely one of the top schools. They send a ton of students to prestigious universities every year. I had no idea your girlfriend went to Sakakino."

"I never mentioned it before?" Haruto asked.

"Not even once!" Ryuuji said, looking genuinely surprised.

Looking at the person sitting across from him—someone so different from himself, someone who naturally attracted people—Ryuuji couldn't help but feel a little down. When would he finally meet a cute girl who didn't mind his intimidating eyes?

As his thoughts drifted toward relationships, Ryuuji suddenly realized it was the weekend. He turned his gaze toward Haruto.

"It's the weekend. Aren't you going out with your girlfriend?"

"She's busy today, not home. So, I don't have any plans for now. Besides…"

Haruto glanced out the window at the clear sky.

"…there's nothing particularly interesting outside."

"So, you're the type who doesn't like going out? That's completely different from how you seem."

"You didn't think I was the kind of guy who enjoys wandering around town and hitting on girls, did you?"

"No, not at all."

Ryuuji quickly denied it.

"Well, then, look me in the eyes and say that." Haruto smirked before changing the subject. "What about Yasuko-san? She's probably resting at home today too, right?"

"She's still sleeping. She probably won't wake up until noon. I figured I'd stay out of the house so I wouldn't bother her. Why do you ask?"

Ryuuji's gaze lingered on Haruto for a moment. He recalled something his mother had told him before—she seemed to have a rather favorable impression of Haruto. But, unfortunately, Haruto already had a girlfriend, so any chances his mom might have had were nonexistent.

Not to mention, there was a considerable age gap between them. Ryuuji never thought his mom had much of an advantage to begin with. If she really did make a move on Haruto, he wondered if it would only make Haruto feel uneasy.

After all, being pursued by an older woman wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, was it?

Even though Yasuko was only 33 years old, to a 15-year-old like Ryuuji, any woman over 30 automatically fell into the "auntie" category. In fact, even women over 25 weren't the kind he would ever consider hitting on.

"It's been a while since I last saw Yasuko-san," Haruto said thoughtfully. "She's still working nights, right?"

"Yeah. She heads out every night, then comes home in the morning, drunk as usual. Sleeps all day until evening. Sometimes she wakes up during the day, but that's rare."

"She hasn't passed out drunk outside again, has she?"

"No, after last time, she's been more careful. She's drinking less now. Honestly, with her health, if she keeps going like this, she won't last long. I've been thinking… maybe I should help her find a more suitable job."

Ryuuji knew full well that his mom's upside-down lifestyle—drinking herself into oblivion every night—was taking a serious toll on her health. But what could he do? She had dropped out of high school after getting pregnant, and she didn't have any other skills.

She was so used to her current way of life that even if he tried to persuade her, he doubted he could really change her mind.

"A suitable job, huh…"

Seeing Ryuuji's furrowed brow, Haruto also began to think about what kind of job would suit Yasuko.

But the truth was, he didn't know much about different jobs. Having been "protected" by Sayuri his whole life, he had never seriously thought about these kinds of real-life issues.

"Maybe check the newspaper? If we find something suitable, we can see if she's willing to try it out."

"Yeah."

That was all Ryuuji could do for now. He sighed, lifted his cup of tea, and took a small sip.

The two of them sat and talked for hours, their conversation drifting from their plans for the next three years of high school to university, whether or not they should get a girlfriend, how to save money, and which streets had the best sales going on.

By noon, Ryuuji wasn't sure if his mom had woken up yet. He stood, ready to head home to check on things—and to grab some lunch for himself.

"Wanna come over?" he asked Haruto.

Haruto shook his head. "I'll pass today. I don't know when my girlfriend will be back, and if she looks for me and I'm not home, that wouldn't be great."

"I see. What a considerate boyfriend. Well, I'm heading home then. If I have time in the afternoon, I'll drop by again."

"Alright."

Haruto watched Ryuuji leave before standing up to prepare his own lunch.

By the time Setsuna arrived at Haruto's place, it was already afternoon.

Haruto was seated at his desk, working on the opening lines of a new novel when the doorbell rang. He glanced toward the door, set down his pen, and got up to answer it.

When he opened the door, he saw Setsuna standing there, dressed in casual home clothes, holding a small plastic bag in her hands. She looked up at him as soon as the door opened.

"You're back?"

"Yeah."

"Come in."

Haruto stepped aside to let her in. For a moment, he considered whether he should give Setsuna a spare key. But the thought was quickly dismissed.

Not safe.

"Were you home all morning?" she asked.

"I went out to buy some extra underwear. Other than that, I stayed in. A friend dropped by for a bit, though. Why?"

"No reason. I was just wondering if you had any plans to go out. When I got home around noon and saw you were in, I decided to stop by."

"Going out? No, I don't really feel like it."

Back when he was with Sayuri, they had already visited every famous place in Tokyo. Most places felt dull and repetitive to him now—he had no desire to go again.

Haruto moved toward his desk, planning to tidy up his scattered manuscript pages before properly welcoming Setsuna. But just as he reached for them, she noticed the pen and papers on his desk.

"Are you writing something for a submission?"

"No, just something for fun."

Haruto gathered up his manuscript and discreetly tucked it into a drawer, making sure not to mention that he was working on an erotic novel. Setsuna, however, couldn't help but be a little curious.

"I bought some melon bread on my way here."

"Hm?"

Haruto looked at the bag Setsuna placed on the table. She took one out and handed it to him. The golden crust resembled the pineapple buns he had tried before. He accepted it, feeling the warmth lingering on his fingertips.

He took a small bite—why was it so hard?

The crisp outer layer crumbled as he bit into it, sending crumbs scattering everywhere. Haruto had to quickly catch them with his hand. Eating this thing was more troublesome than he expected.

Setsuna, on the other hand, ate gracefully, barely dropping any crumbs. Watching her, Haruto finally sat down as well, and the two of them quietly munched on their bread.

"Did Saionji go home?"

Setsuna licked her lips and looked up at Haruto.

"Yeah, she left with me from Kotonoha's place. She's probably home now. Why?"

"No reason. Last week, you stayed over at Saionji's place, and this week, you stayed at Katsura's. Maybe next week, it's their turn to sleep over at yours."

Setsuna seemed to seriously consider it, which took Haruto by surprise. He chuckled.

"What's your plan for the afternoon?"

"Nothing."

"Homework?"

"I finished it at Kotonoha's. We studied together in her room last night. You haven't done yours yet?"

"Nope."

Haruto never had the motivation to study before evening. But now that he thought about it, wasn't Setsuna the class rep? She was probably a lot better at studying than him.

"Wanna tutor me?"

Smiling at her, Haruto made the suggestion.

"Sure."

Setsuna nodded slightly, not refusing.

"By the way, where's Mai-san?"

Standing up, Haruto picked up his textbook from the desk, walked over to the table, and wiped the surface with a tissue before sweeping the breadcrumbs into the trash. As he did so, he glanced at Setsuna and asked about Mai.

It was the weekend. Haruto didn't know what everyone else was up to, but he was certain that Mai didn't have work today.

"She's still asleep at home. It seems like she didn't get much rest last night... maybe she had a bit to drink. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I see. Nothing, just curious."

Haruto lowered his head and opened his textbook, not pressing further about Mai. Meanwhile, Setsuna slowly got up and leaned closer to Haruto, settling in beside him to help with his studies…

—

At home, Sayuri sat in the same room as her daughter. Ever since she had asked about Eriri's recent manga the previous day, Eriri's attitude had been somewhat off. That made Sayuri wonder—was her daughter dealing with something?

'Does it have anything to do with me?'

Sayuri thought back and forth but could only try to piece things together from the stories Eriri had been drawing. Could it be that her daughter had fallen for someone?

But there wasn't anyone she seemed to like… and it's not like they would ever end up competing for the same man.

'What exactly is going on…?'

Feeling lost in thought, Sayuri gazed at Eriri, who was fully focused on her drawing. The atmosphere in the room felt somewhat heavy. Deciding to shake it off, Sayuri stood up and left.

"I'm going out for a bit, Eriri. Want me to bring you anything?"

"A drink. Coffee."

"Got it. I'll be back soon~"

"Mm."

Eriri glanced briefly at the doorway, watching as Sayuri left. Once the door closed, she slowly set down her stylus, her hands falling limply onto the desk. Leaning back in her chair, her arms dangled at her sides.

Tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling, a complicated expression crossed her face.

"...Mom doesn't remember anything at all?"