I Won't Be a Loser

Mai wanted to ask her daughter why she was suddenly staring at her like that. Her lips parted slightly, but in the end, she said nothing. Instead, she silently shifted her gaze back to the TV screen.

The program lasted for about thirty minutes.

During that entire time, Mai felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She could feel her daughter's sharp gaze darting toward her now and then. She had no idea what Setsuna was thinking, or why she kept looking at her like that.

Mai, growing increasingly uneasy, finally stood up the moment the program ended. Forcing a smile, she turned toward Setsuna.

"I'm going to take a bath. If Haruto needs anything, you can help him. Since he's staying over tonight, you should make sure to take good care of him."

Setsuna nodded softly, giving a quiet response. Her gaze naturally shifted to Haruto beside her, eyes filled with warmth.

Haruto, seated next to her, noticed her affectionate gaze and smiled back at her.

Mai felt like she couldn't stand being in this living room for another second.

Watching the close interaction between her daughter and Haruto, Mai silently withdrew her gaze and walked toward the bathroom. She turned on the hot water, letting it fill the tub, then stepped out to gather her clothes. Holding them in her arms, she re-entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Back in the living room, as soon as her mother disappeared into the bathroom, Setsuna quietly shifted her body closer to Haruto. Without a word, she nestled onto his lap.

"Hmm?"

Noticing Setsuna's movement, Haruto glanced down at the girl in his arms, feeling a mix of emotions.

Originally, he had only come over for dinner, yet somehow, he had ended up staying the night. Given his current relationship with Setsuna, it was unlikely he'd be relegated to sleeping in the living room. Spending the night together…

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Mai sat in the steaming water, completely still. She tried to listen for any sounds from the living room, but after a long while, she heard nothing unusual.

She wasn't sure if the two of them were really just sitting quietly in the living room or if they had already moved to Setsuna's bedroom, with the walls blocking out any noise.

Lifting her hands, she scooped up warm water and splashed it onto her face. As a mother, she knew she shouldn't be thinking about these things concerning her own daughter, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop herself.

Looking down at her smooth, fair skin, she sighed. She wasn't old—barely past thirty. She was still far from being middle-aged, and in many ways, she didn't feel much different from the younger girls.

Thinking back to what had happened on Saturday night, she knew it was impossible to say she had no regrets. She had already known about Setsuna's relationship with Haruto, yet she had still let things go that far. She had become a woman without shame.

And yet, despite knowing it was wrong, as she recalled that night, her heart pounded. It had been so long since she had felt like a woman—so long since she had thought about herself, rather than just worrying about Setsuna.

It wasn't until that night that she realized she, too, was just an ordinary person with desires.

Sitting in the warm water, her cheeks gradually flushed a deep red.

In the living room, Haruto and Setsuna didn't linger for long. Not long after Mai entered the bathroom, they moved to Setsuna's bedroom. It had only been a day since Haruto had last stepped into her room, yet it already felt familiar.

Standing by the window, he gazed out into the night. The cityscape was shrouded in darkness, dotted with twinkling stars. A bright crescent moon hung low in the sky, casting a soft glow.

Due to the layout of the apartment, Setsuna's room didn't face Haruto's own apartment. In fact, it faced the opposite direction, meaning that from her window, he couldn't see his own home at all—only the surrounding residential buildings.

If we get married in the future… will Mai live with us?

If she does, we'll need a bigger place. But the property prices in Bunkyō are ridiculously high… No, even the land prices alone are absurd. Buying a house here would be nearly impossible. Most ordinary families settle in places like Adachi, Shinagawa, or Meguro instead…

"Haruto, what are you thinking about?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Haruto turned to look at Setsuna, who stood beside him. He smiled slightly before asking, "Which do you think is better—Adachi, Shinagawa, or Meguro? Or should we stay in Bunkyō?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Setsuna blinked in confusion. She thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't know… Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?"

"I was just thinking about the future—where we should live, and how big a house we'd need for our family."

"..."

Setsuna stared at Haruto in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be thinking that far ahead. Slowly, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. Pressing her face against his back, she whispered,

"As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where we are."

Haruto turned his head slightly, glancing at the girl clinging to him. His expression softened, yet there was still a trace of uncertainty in his eyes. He looked back out at the night sky.

All he wanted now was a peaceful life.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted their quiet moment.

"Setsuna, I'm done. You and Haruto can use the bathroom now."

Mai's voice carried through the door. The mention of her name brought Setsuna back to reality. She turned her head toward the door and responded,

"Okay, I got it."

Then, she looked back at Haruto, a smile playing on her lips. Taking his hand in hers, she tugged him gently.

"Come on, let's take a bath together."

The next morning, Haruto lay in bed, holding the warm body beside him. Even as the morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, he was reluctant to get up. But no matter how much he wanted to stay like this, he had school to attend.

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw Setsuna nestled in his arms. She had woken up before him but hadn't moved, not wanting to disturb his sleep.

He smiled.

"Good morning, Setsuna."

"Good morning, Haruto."

Their eyes met, and they exchanged soft smiles. Setsuna slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Haruto knew what she wanted. He leaned down, closing the small distance between them…

But as much as he wanted to stay, he had to get ready for school.

"I need to head back to my apartment to change and grab my school bag," Haruto murmured as he sat up.

"I'll get breakfast ready," Setsuna said, slipping out of bed. "Come back after you've changed, okay?"

Haruto chuckled at how much she already acted like a wife. He nodded and left the room.

In the living room, he ran into Mai just as she was stepping out of the bathroom. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Mai averted her gaze.

"Good morning, Mai-san," Haruto greeted politely.

For a moment, Mai hesitated, then smiled.

"At this point, don't you think 'Mai-san' sounds a bit distant? You could just call me 'Mom'—or are you not planning to marry Setsuna?"

Haruto was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he still couldn't bring himself to say the word "Mom." The atmosphere grew awkward until Mai let out a soft laugh, breaking the tension.

"I was just joking. Calling me Mai-san is fine," she said. "Setsuna is awake, right?"

"Yeah, she is."

"I'll leave her in your care from now on," Mai said, her voice carrying a hint of emotion. "Also, once you've changed, come back for breakfast."

"Got it."

Haruto glanced at Mai one last time before heading out.

As she watched him leave, Mai's smile slowly faded. She cast a glance at Setsuna's closed bedroom door, then sighed softly before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

After a quick stop at his apartment to change and grab his school bag, Haruto returned to the Kiyoura household for breakfast. Once they had eaten, he and Setsuna left for school together.

"Good morning, you two!"

The moment they stepped onto the street, a familiar voice greeted them.

It was Sekai Saionji, her usual bright smile in place. She gave them a knowing look.

"You're already together this early in the morning? I guess that's expected from a couple in love."

Haruto simply smiled.

"Good morning, Saionji-san. Setsuna, see you after school."

After exchanging quick goodbyes, Haruto walked toward his own school, while Setsuna and Sekai headed in the opposite direction.

Watching him walk away after just a quick greeting, Saionji's gaze shifted toward Setsuna.

"Miyamizu-kun looks like he's in a hurry. Does Toyosaki require students to be at school this early?"

"I don't know."

With a small sigh, Saionji reached out a fair, delicate fingertip and lightly poked Setsuna's soft cheek.

"You never know anything… Aren't you at all worried that your dear Haruto might get stolen away by the girls at Toyosaki?"

"I trust Haruto."

"Trust, huh…"

Sekai murmured softly, smiling as she and Setsuna continued walking toward school.

Meanwhile, Haruto walked alone on his way to class. Unlike Akihisa and Yuuji, whose homes were in different directions, he had no familiar faces to accompany him. Along the way, he passed many students from Toyosaki Academy, but compared to their lively groups, he stood out as a solitary figure.

He ignored the occasional glances from passing girls and continued straight to school. Entering the classroom, he noticed that it was still relatively empty—he must have arrived earlier than usual.

Taking his seat, Haruto placed his bag on the hook beside his desk and began pulling out his textbooks and pencil case.

"Today's classes are…"

After recalling his schedule, he casually took out the textbook for the first period, stuffing the rest back into his desk.

However, as he pushed the books inside, he noticed something off.

Something soft?

Haruto had a habit of shoving his books deep into the desk, pressing them against the back wall. But today, instead of feeling the solid surface, he felt an unexpected, uneven resistance.

He paused, momentarily confused. Pushing the books in again, he could distinctly feel a strange elasticity.

Trash?

Had someone stuffed garbage inside? Had he done something recently that upset his classmates, leading them to pull some kind of prank on him? Was this an attempt at bullying?

The thought almost made him laugh. As an adult, his perspective wasn't as narrow as a child's—he wasn't the type to feel shaken or fearful over mere schoolyard bullying. Still, curiosity got the better of him.

With a smirk, he reached into the desk and pulled out the unknown object, wanting to see exactly what had been shoved inside.

As he lowered his gaze, a flash of pink caught his eye.

He scoffed. Seriously? Something this girly? Who would even—

"…"

His thoughts abruptly halted.

His eyes focused on the soft fabric, the delicate lace trim. A realization struck him, and his expression froze.

A faint sweat began forming at his temple.

Slowly, he lifted his head, glancing around the room. More students were starting to trickle in. Haruto remained silent, his movements calm as he casually pushed his books back into the desk.

His fingers hesitated for a moment before tightening around the pink fabric.

A long silence followed.

What the hell am I supposed to do with this…?

If anyone saw him with this, his reputation would be obliterated in an instant. He wasn't afraid of bullying, but he absolutely did not want to be branded as a pervert.