I Won't Be a Loser

Hoping to make it in time for the end of the opening ceremony, Haruto had been standing at the gates of Sakakino Academy for nearly an hour, waiting for the announcement signaling the end of the school day. Finally, the bell rang, followed by the chatter of students leaving the school.

"Sorry, I'm waiting for someone," he said repeatedly.

This was the phrase Haruto had uttered the most that day to the female students who stopped to ask why he was standing there. Most would leave after hearing his explanation, but one girl didn't take the hint.

"Waiting for someone from our school? I might know them. Want me to help you check inside?"

"No, that won't be necessary," he replied politely with a small smile.

Haruto maintained his polite demeanor as the girl moved closer, but just as he was trying to figure out how to create some distance, he caught sight of the person he'd been waiting for leaving the school building.

"The person I'm waiting for is here. Excuse me."

With that, Haruto excused himself and walked toward the gate.

The girl, Otome Katou, watched him leave with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. Her curiosity only grew when she saw him walking away with three girls from her school.

"A little sister? Doesn't seem like it… Could it be a girlfriend?"

Her gaze lingered on Haruto and the three girls, their faces now etched into her memory. Tomorrow, she resolved, she'd ask around to find out who they were.

Oblivious to the attention he'd drawn, Haruto approached the person he'd been waiting for: Setsuna. She had just stepped out of the school gates, chatting with Sekai and an unfamiliar girl.

"Setsuna," he called.

The sound of his voice startled Setsuna, who was standing beside Sekai, listening as Sekai and the other girl—Katsura—talked about their interests. When she turned to see him, her surprise turned to happiness.

"Haruto? Why are you here?"

"It's your first day of school. I was curious and wanted to see how you were doing. Looks like you've already made some friends," he said, glancing at her companions.

Overcome with happiness, Setsuna stepped forward and opened her arms wide.

"Setsuna? Miyamizu-kun, you're not seriously going to… here, in front of everyone…"

Sekai, taken aback by Haruto's sudden appearance, couldn't hide her envy. She was impressed by the thoughtfulness of someone who'd come all this way just to pick up Setsuna. Seeing Setsuna's open-armed gesture only deepened her feelings of jealousy.

Katsura, meanwhile, observed the scene silently, her eyes flickering between Setsuna and Haruto. Though she didn't know him, their closeness was evident. Recalling the earlier conversation with Sekai, Katsura began to piece things together.

"Is he… Kiyoura-san's boyfriend?" she asked hesitantly.

Sekai wanted to deny it but couldn't bring herself to. Before she could respond, Haruto wrapped his arms around Setsuna in a brief hug. After letting her go, Setsuna regained her composure and turned to Katsura with a calm smile.

"Yes," she said simply.

Satisfied with indulging Setsuna's small act of affection, Haruto turned to Katsura.

"Miyamizu Haruto. May I ask your name?"

"Kotonoha Katsura," she said, bowing slightly. "I'm in the same class as Saionji-san and Kiyoura-san. Nice to meet you."

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Haruto, though he couldn't immediately place it. As he studied Katsura's delicate, angelic face, she began to fidget under his gaze, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. Before he could dwell on it, his attention shifted to Sekai, who was watching him closely.

"What is it?" Setsuna asked, noticing his unusual reaction.

"Nothing," Haruto replied, shaking his head. He was surprised to see Katsura and Sekai together, but it wasn't something that concerned him.

The four of them began walking home together. Katsura, who seemed uneasy around men, stayed close to Sekai, while Haruto walked alongside Setsuna, keeping a respectful distance from Katsura.

Sekai, ever the conversationalist, kept the mood lively, chatting with Katsura about various topics. Setsuna occasionally chimed in, while Haruto only spoke when directly addressed.

"By the way, Miyamizu-kun, did you hear about what happened today?" Sekai asked suddenly, turning her attention to him.

"What happened?"

"There was an accident at the train station. Two of our students fell onto the tracks."

Haruto nodded, recalling the snippets of conversation he'd overheard earlier.

"I heard about it. Two students passed away, right? Were they from your school?"

"Yes, they were new students. Their names were Makoto Itou and Taiichi Taisuke, I think," Sekai said.

Haruto's steps faltered for a moment before he quickly recovered. He remembered overhearing the name "Makoto" earlier but hadn't thought much of it. Now, hearing the full name, he realized it was that Makoto—"Makoto-kun."

His gaze drifted to Katsura, only to find her looking at him. Their eyes met, and Katsura quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing red.

Haruto couldn't help but glance at Sekai, who was walking beside Katsura. For some reason, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine.

It wasn't just his imagination. His neck and stomach felt strangely cold… almost as if a blade's edge was pressing lightly against his skin.