I Won't Be a Loser

"Miyamizu-kun, is it alright?"

"..."

After a moment of hesitation, Mai seemed to agree with Setsuna's suggestion. Her gaze shifted to Haruto, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, as if seeking his opinion.

Not only Mai but also Setsuna turned to look at haruto, both waiting for his response.

"I only have a single bed, and I haven't prepared any extra bedding. While it's fine for me, it would be difficult for either Setsuna or Mai-San to stay over tonight."

Realizing that agreeing would bring trouble, Haruto decisively used the excuse of his unpreparedness as someone who had just moved to Tokyo to express his inability to host them overnight.

Mai glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the single bed in the corner. It was clearly only big enough for one person. She and Setsuna had overlooked this very practical issue when making their suggestion.

"In that case, why don't Haruto stay over at our place tonight? You can share a room with me," Setsuna proposed, pivoting her approach.

Haruto was left speechless, not knowing how to respond, while Mai's expression became more serious. She stared at her daughter with a calm yet firm gaze, very different from her earlier demeanor.

"That's enough, Setsuna. Tonight, you're going to sleep at home like a good girl. Tomorrow is your school's opening ceremony, and you wouldn't want to leave a bad impression on your classmates on your very first day, would you?"

Setsuna, who had been on the verge of arguing further, fell silent under her mother's calm yet commanding gaze.

"If you can't make a good impression on the first day, the rest of your school life will be much harder. Mom doesn't want her daughter to face bullying at school. And Haruto isn't in the same school as you; he won't be able to help you if anything happens. Do you understand?"

In schools across this country, bullying wasn't uncommon. While it wasn't unique to this place, the issue often seemed more pronounced here, especially with the groups that could form among students.

"I... I understand," Setsuna finally relented, her reluctance evident. She turned her gaze toward Haruto.

"Then I'll go home tonight. Tomorrow, after school... I'll come see you again."

"Alright."

"Thank you for having us tonight, Miyamizu-kun. Setsuna and I will take our leave now," Mai said, standing up and bidding farewell with her daughter.

"You're welcome. Thanks to you both, I didn't feel lonely in Tokyo. Goodnight, Setsuna, Mai-san," Haruto replied, walking them to the door.

He watched them leave, his eyes following until they entered their apartment across the hall. Setsuna waved goodbye before closing the door, and Kazuto returned the gesture with a small wave before finally shutting his own door.

In her room, Sekai Saionji had been observing the scene with a pair of binoculars. When she saw Setsuna and Mai leaving Haruto's apartment together, her heart sank.

"They didn't stay over at his place?"

Watching Haruto and Setsuna exchange waves from their respective doors, Sekai's chest tightened with a pang of jealousy. She tossed the binoculars onto her bed in frustration and lay back on the mattress, staring blankly at the faint patterns of moonlight on her ceiling.

"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony. Setsuna and I are both students at Sakakino Academy, while Kazuto is at Toyosaki Academy. We won't see each other on the way to or from school... Maybe I'll still have a chance?"

A mix of resentment and longing filled Sekai's thoughts. She didn't understand why, after the same brief acquaintance, Haruto had chosen Setsuna over her.

But giving up so easily felt wrong. She couldn't shake the bitterness in her heart, as she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

After seeing Mai and Setsuna safely home, Haruto returned to his now-quiet apartment. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he let the silence wash over him. The room felt particularly empty after the earlier liveliness.

"Setsuna's opening ceremony is tomorrow, but mine isn't until the day after. I guess the schedules are different?"

It wasn't unusual for different schools to have varying start dates in late March and early April. Still, Haruto found himself thinking about Setsuna, who would be stepping into a new environment.

"Setsuna should be fine... right?"

He didn't know why he was worrying so much about her. Lying back on his bed, Haruto stared at the ceiling before shutting his eyes, his thoughts lingering on the young girl.

Just as he began to relax, the vibration of his phone interrupted him.

Buzz—buzz—

Pulling it out of his pocket, he flipped it open and answered. A soft, familiar voice greeted him.

"Sou—ve—nir..."

"Mitsuha. Didn't I already send something to Itomori?"

"Oh, but it hasn't arrived yet," his younger sister complained over the line, her tone both annoyed and playful.

"Blame the post office, not me," Haruto replied dryly.

"It's all your fault for sending it too slowly, so I haven't received it yet anyway, you need to send more. I've already decided what I want this time!"

"I'm hanging up."

"Wait!"

"What is it now?"

Settling back on the bed, Kazuto couldn't help but recall the younger days when he and Mitsuha had lived together in Itomori.

"Just one! Get me a souvenir from Tokyo Station—one of those special sweets..."

Click.

Listening to the disconnected tone, Mitsuha froze in disbelief.

"That jerk of a brother!"

"Mitsuha!"

"..."