I Won't Be a Loser

"Boys and girls, form your own teams and start with some warm-up exercises."

During PE class, when it was time to split into groups, Haruto slowly made his way to Nozaki Umetarou's side, looking up at the tall boy in front of him.

"Want to team up?"

"Yeah."

As everyone else paired off and began their exercises, Haruto and Nozaki also started warming up together, assisting each other with their stretches. When Haruto helped Nozaki with his movements, he truly felt what it meant to bear weight.

His originally relaxed body tensed the moment he hooked his arms around Nozaki's and attempted to lift him. His muscles instantly tightened, and his balance wavered slightly. Fortunately, he reacted in time and managed to steady himself.

Otherwise, he might have ended up taking an unwanted trip to the infirmary.

"You okay?"

Noticing Haruto's brief instability, Nozaki asked with concern.

"You don't have to push yourself too hard. Just going through the motions is enough."

"No, I'm fine. I just wasn't paying attention. I didn't expect you to be even sturdier than I imagined, Nozaki."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

After that initial stumble, the rest of the warm-up went smoothly. Following the teacher's instructions, the class began jogging laps around the gymnasium.

Even though he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it, Haruto, as a student, didn't want to stand out too much. So, he silently followed the others, lining up in formation and starting a slow jog indoors.

After three laps, some students grabbed basketballs and continued exercising, while a smaller group sat quietly on the sidelines, watching the more energetic ones play.

Haruto was definitely not part of the energetic group. He sat off to the side, leaning against the gym wall, watching the others as he got lost in thought about his future plans.

I need to finish my manuscript first... But will that publisher really accept this kind of story?

Since it was Mai's recommendation, he figured he'd at least reach out. If they were open to his work, he could try publishing with Kaiou Publishing as she suggested. If things went well, the royalties would help him figure out his next steps.

"So my priority right now is to complete my novel?"

"What novel?"

A light weight suddenly pressed against his shoulder. Unlike Nozaki Umetarou, this touch was soft and delicate, making Haruto sway slightly before turning to see Ichika beside him.

"Aren't you going to play basketball?"

"I was thinking about it, but I saw you sitting here all alone and got curious. So I came over to check on you—only to hear you mumbling about 'finishing a novel.' Wait... Are you actually an artist?!"

"..."

Though his profession was somewhat similar, it wasn't quite the same. Haruto had no idea how Ichika even reached that conclusion.

"Why would you think that?"

He decided to ask directly, wanting to understand her reasoning.

"Hmm? Well, you seem to have some kind of complicated relationship with Sawamura-san, right? And she joined the art club. I heard she was even an award-winning prodigy in the past. So obviously, if you're connected to her, you must be an artist too!"

There was absolutely no logical foundation to her reasoning—just intuition and wild speculation. Haruto was momentarily speechless. After a brief silence, he let out a quiet sigh.

"What's wrong? Why are you sighing? You're still young, Haruto. Sighing too much will make you age faster, you know."

Ichika lightly poked his cheek with her slender finger. To an outsider, their intimate interaction looked just like that of a couple.

Across the gym, Eriri sat with another girl, chatting idly—but her eyes were constantly tracking Haruto. When she saw Ichika being so close to him, she bit her lip in frustration.

Beside her, Hinami Aoi noticed Eriri's reaction and blinked in surprise. Following her line of sight, she caught sight of Haruto and Ichika's intimate moment.

Then, she turned back to Eriri, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

"Hey, Sawamura-san… don't tell me you have feelings for Miyamizu-kun?"

"Huh?"

Eriri snapped out of it, reluctantly tearing her gaze away. Her mood was clearly off as she turned to face Hinami. She pursed her lips before quickly denying it.

"N-no, it's not like that. It's just… he helped me before, so I'm a little concerned. Don't misunderstand. It's not… it's not like I like him or anything."

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, almost inaudible by the time she finished.

Hinami, however, had already seen right through her. Watching Eriri's reaction, she could practically hear the alarm bells of gossip ringing in her head.

"Really? You sure you're not interested in him?" she teased. "Because it sure looks like Nakano-san is. Since the beginning of the semester, they've been getting closer and closer. Honestly, they kind of look like a couple now."

"...He doesn't even like that type of girl."

"Hmm?"

Hinami's ears perked up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Oh? So Miyamizu-kun doesn't like girls like Nakano-san? Huh~ Sawamura-san, you seem to know him pretty well. How'd you figure that out? Wait a sec—did you two actually know each other before school started, and you've just been pretending to be strangers?!"

It sounded absurd, yet oddly plausible. Eriri simply remained silent. She had no intention of explaining anything.

Her relationship with Haruto was… complicated.

She didn't want to discuss it with anyone. Instead, she simply stared across the gym at Haruto and Ichika, watching their close interaction with an unreadable glint in her eyes.

Meanwhile, back on Haruto's side—

"So, you're not an artist, huh?"

After a bit of back-and-forth, Haruto had at least managed to convince Ichika that he wasn't a painter. He also reiterated that he hadn't known Eriri before school started.

Ichika nodded as if she believed him—but the casual way she did it made Haruto doubt she actually did.

Oh well. As long as she didn't press further, that was fine. Explaining things was a hassle, anyway.

"Hey, Haruto, which do you think would suit me better—becoming an idol or an actress?"

Still leaning against the wall, Ichika gazed at the basketball court, watching as the boys tried to show off their skills in front of the girls. Then, she casually threw the question at him.

Haruto tilted his head slightly and turned to look at her.

Haruto wasn't sure why Ichika suddenly brought up the topic, but as he considered what he knew about idols and actors, it seemed like acting might be the better choice.

"Being an idol must be exhausting. If you became one, you probably wouldn't have much time for school. Plus, there'd be all sorts of restrictions. Acting seems slightly better, but if you land a role, balancing it with high school would still be difficult."

His gaze fell on Ichika, watching her closely, a bit puzzled.

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Are you planning to become an idol? That wouldn't be a bad idea. If you and your four sisters formed a group, you'd probably be insanely popular."

"No, nothing like that. It's just that over the weekend, someone approached me on the street and invited me to join their agency."

"Hmm... an agency, huh."

Haruto glanced at Ichika, who was smiling as she spoke. He then shifted his focus back to the group of boys playing basketball, their sweat glistening under the gym lights.

"Be careful. A lot of agencies are tricky to deal with. Once you sign a contract, you might lose your freedom. And there are... some rather unpleasant aspects of the industry. Not many people make it to the top, but plenty end up wasting their youth struggling in the lower ranks."

Though he considered Ichika a friend, they weren't particularly close. Haruto didn't feel like he had the right to dictate her decisions. They had only known each other for about a week—it wasn't like he was the protagonist of a light novel who could just tell her what to do.

Since Haruto's response was calm and indifferent, with his eyes barely even resting on her, Ichika felt a slight pang of disappointment. Her body was already close to his, but seeing his detached attitude, she leaned in even more. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face near his ear and exhaled softly.

"You're so composed, Haruto. Don't you ever dream of becoming an actor or an idol? With your looks and presence, you could easily become famous. We could even be the perfect couple on screen."

"Not interested. I have no desire to live under constant scrutiny."

Haruto calmly removed her hands from his neck and placed a hand against her forehead, gently pushing her away. Even if they were on good terms, he didn't want to be caught in such an intimate situation in front of so many people.

Seeing that Haruto wasn't flustered in the slightest, Ichika felt an internal wave of emotion. She still wore her usual soft smile, but deep inside, she had already made up her mind.

"Alright then. If that's the case... I'll become the light that illuminates your future!"

"That makes no sense."

Haruto had no idea what she meant. He sighed and slowly stood up.

"That's enough for now. It's time to regroup. We still have classes after this."

He walked toward the crowd, and Ichika remained seated, watching his retreating figure. Then, she stood up, lightly patted the dust off her gym shorts, and followed him.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"Not interested."

The whistle blew, signaling everyone to gather. As the teacher checked attendance, they were about to head back when the PE instructor reminded Haruto that it was his turn to clean up the gym.

"Huh?"

Only after someone nudged him did Haruto remember. He glanced at Eriri, who was also staying behind.

As Haruto's friends, Yoshii Akihisa and Sakamoto Yuuji, passed by, they patted his shoulder with knowing expressions. Meanwhile, Ichika approached him again.

"Want me to stay and help?"

"...No, it's fine."

After hesitating for a moment, Haruto declined. Once the other students and teachers left, he turned toward Eriri, who had also remained behind.

"I'll put the basketballs away."

"Mm."

Eriri responded softly, keeping her head down. Haruto picked up two basketballs and walked toward the storage room, while Eriri stood still, her gaze locked on him.

Watching his retreating back, she bit her lip before slowly following him.

Inside the dimly lit storage room, Haruto placed the basketballs into a metal rack. Just as he turned to leave, he noticed Eriri standing at the entrance.

"Hmm? Looking for a broom?"

"..."

She remained silent, lowering her head. Then, without a word, she shut the door behind her, leaning against it and blocking the exit.

"..."

Even Haruto, usually slow on the uptake, immediately sensed that something was off. He stared at her, slightly baffled.

"Class is about to start soon. Is there something you need?"

"..."

Instead of answering, Eriri stayed quiet. She pressed her back firmly against the door, making no move to let him pass. Haruto sighed and stepped closer, reaching out to gently move her aside. But before he could, Eriri suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.

The unexpected gesture froze Haruto in place. Slowly, he lowered his gaze. Eriri had buried her face against his chest, leaving him at a complete loss for what to do.

"Um... Sawamura-san?"

"Marry me."

"...What?"

Haruto thought he heard her whisper something, but it was too faint to catch clearly. Confused and conflicted, he looked down at the girl in his arms, his hands awkwardly raised, unsure where to place them.

"Marry me!"

Eriri lifted her face, her expression a mix of embarrassment and frustration. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she practically shouted the words, loud enough to make his ears ring.

Her sudden proposal left Haruto in stunned silence, his mind going completely blank.

For a moment he wondered if he had heard it wrong.