I Won't Be a Loser

Setsuna stared at Haruto, her eyes unwavering, saying nothing. Yet, the silent gaze alone exerted an immense pressure on him. He averted his eyes briefly, finally understanding the depth of her determination.

"Alright, I get it. But it's still morning—there's no rush. Let me prepare first… Besides, I just washed my bedsheets and covers. They won't be ready until the afternoon at the earliest."

Glancing at the washing machine, Haruto's expression turned slightly complicated. He had simply wanted to clean his bedding, never expecting that it would turn out to be an obstacle—or, perhaps, a convenience in this situation. His gaze shifted back to Setsuna.

Her brows knitted together slightly. She hadn't anticipated this inconvenience, and it felt like everything was working against her today. She looked at Haruto, wondering why he had suddenly decided to wash his sheets today of all days.

Though puzzled, she didn't ask. Instead, her gaze fell on the plain white mattress, the duvet, and the pillows resting on top. A sudden sense of restlessness crept into her heart.

"My place," she said.

"Hm?"

Meeting his eyes, Setsuna gently bit her lip before offering a solution.

"Let's go to my house."

"..."

Haruto studied the girl before him and could feel her urgency. He didn't quite understand why she was in such a rush, but the look in her eyes made him pause for a moment.

"Your mother is still at home, isn't she? Wouldn't that be… inappropriate?"

"Then I'll bring my own bedsheets over."

That… could work.

Looking at the petite yet surprisingly stubborn girl before him, Haruto closed his eyes for a brief moment. After some thought, he looked at her again.

"Are you really ready for this?"

His gaze held a quiet weight, searching her expression.

Setsuna nodded firmly, her eyes unwavering.

Haruto, who had been sitting in his room, slowly stood up and walked toward the window, drawing back the sheer curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room, casting a warm glow over everything.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and blue, and the gentle rays of sunlight felt pleasantly warm.

He cracked the window open slightly, letting the fresh air flow in before returning to the bed and sitting beside Setsuna.

She turned her head to look at him, her heartbeat quickening. For a moment, she thought he might do something, but he simply sat there beside her, making no moves.

Reaching for the teacup in front of him, Haruto took a small sip before glancing at Setsuna.

"Are you afraid of pain?"

"I am," she admitted. "But with you here, I'm not scared."

Under the warm sunlight, Setsuna's face broke into a radiant smile. In that moment, the last sliver of distance between them melted away.

....

Lying alone in bed, Kiyoura Mai shut her eyes, feeling her body grow restless, as if youth itself had begun stirring within her again. The thoughts swirling in her mind made her uneasy, unable to settle.

She opened her eyes and glanced toward the door before slowly sitting up and stepping out of her room.

The living room was empty—no sign of Setsuna. Though her daughter had only just returned home, it seemed she had already gone out again.

As for where she had gone…

"..."

Mai didn't need to think too hard to figure that out. Her gaze wavered slightly as she walked to the fridge, took out a bottle of milk, and unscrewed the cap. Taking a few small sips, she shut the fridge door and sank onto the couch.

She picked up the remote from the coffee table and switched on the TV, hoping to distract herself.

"Shimizu was found to have engaged in an illicit relationship with Akizuki's mother while dating Akizuki herself. This led to Akizuki taking revenge on Shimizu, resulting in..."

As the news played, Mai's expression grew unnatural. She reached for the remote and switched the channel—

"Didn't we agree to be together? We even planned our future after marriage—"

"I'm sorry. I know this is wrong, but the person I love is your mother."

"My mom...? You—!"

This time, she didn't even bother setting the remote down. Instead, she turned off the TV altogether, falling into silence.

"Something about today feels... off."

It wasn't that she had never heard stories like this before, but normally, they only popped up once in a while. Yet today, they seemed to be everywhere.

Sitting quietly in the living room, Mai bit her lip and glanced toward Setsuna's room, an uneasy feeling creeping over her. After a moment, she stood up and walked to her daughter's bedroom door, gently knocking.

"Setsuna? Are you in there?"

No response.

Mai let out a quiet sigh of relief. She glanced down at the doorknob and hesitated before slowly pushing the door open.

The room was empty.

Closing the door again, she stood in the living room, suddenly unsure of what to do. She lifted her head to glance at the clock on the wall—it was almost ten o'clock.

It was nearing lunchtime. Either Setsuna would be home soon, or she would end up eating at Haruto's place. Right now, Mai didn't particularly want to face her daughter.

That was why, earlier this morning, she had pretended to be asleep, despite already being awake.

"Maybe I should go out for a while… Spend some time at Yoko's place and avoid Setsuna for a bit... No, Yoko is too perceptive. She'd see right through me immediately."

But if she didn't go to Yoko's and stayed home instead, she wasn't sure she was mentally prepared to face Setsuna just yet. Her emotions were still unsettled. And if she were to see Setsuna and—

Click.

The sound of the door unlocking made Mai freeze in place. Her mind went blank as she listened to the sound of footsteps entering the apartment.

Then, she heard the voices.

"Mom was still asleep when we left this morning, but she should be awake by now. Either way, it doesn't matter—let's just head straight to my room."

"Mm."

Setsuna and Haruto's voices rang out clearly from the entrance.

Turning her head slowly, Mai saw her daughter stepping inside, and beside her, Haruto stood, his expression calm.