I Won't Be a Loser

"I'm back, Setsuna~"

Saionji Sekai stepped into the apartment, gently closing the door behind her, and had a somewhat lost expression on her face.

She had failed.

The atmosphere had been good—just the two of them alone. The possibility of winning him over seemed high. Yet, he had remained completely unfazed, showing no surprise or embarrassment at her attempts. Instead, he had smiled lightly and told her he wouldn't consider dating anyone before graduating from university.

Sekai found it hard to believe that any guy could seriously stick to a decision like that. It felt more like an excuse to reject her.

"You're back? What did you find out?"

As she entered the living room, she spotted Kiyoura Setsuna standing by the kitchen counter, busy with something.

Sekai slumped onto the couch, leaning against the armrest. She gazed at her childhood friend's back and began to recount her findings.

"When I got to his apartment door, I ran into him just as he was heading out to mail something. I introduced myself as his neighbor, gained his trust, and then used the excuse of showing him around the neighborhood to spend more time with him."

Setsuna, still facing the counter, didn't turn around. Her reaction seemed too calm, making Sekai feel slightly uneasy.

"Do you know who the letter was addressed to?"

"To whom?"

Setsuna paused briefly before resuming her task. Feeling unsettled, Sekai got up and walked over to her side, only to notice what her friend was doing.

"You're sharpening a knife?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Why?"

Sekai's unease deepened. She felt a strange chill run down her back, her guilt surfacing as she recalled her actions earlier that day.

"It's nothing. My mom's planning to cook some meat tonight, so I thought I'd get the knife ready."

"I see..." Sekai trailed off, still unconvinced. Her gaze flitted nervously between the knife and Setsuna. "Oh, right, about the letter. It was addressed to a magazine publisher. Apparently, he makes a living in Tokyo by submitting articles to them. Pretty impressive, don't you think?"

Setsuna's movements slowed momentarily. She glanced at Sekai before turning back to finish sharpening the blade.

"Um, Setsuna..."

"Yes?"

"Could you maybe... stop sharpening that knife for a moment? The sound is making me nervous."

The sharp, grating sound of the blade against the whetstone was unnerving. Sekai rubbed her neck uneasily and inched back a step.

"Don't worry, I'm almost done. It won't hurt much."

"That's even weirder!" Sekai blurted out. Desperate to change the subject, she added hastily, "Oh, by the way, he doesn't have a girlfriend! I even tried hinting about myself as a potential candidate, but he rejected me outright. He's definitely not someone who takes relationships lightly."

The sound of sharpening abruptly ceased.

"He turned you down?"

"You were following me, weren't you?" Sekai accused, her eyes narrowing.

Setsuna didn't answer. She simply rinsed the knife under running water, dried it carefully, and placed it back in the knife rack. Then, turning to Sekai, she gave her a calm, unreadable look.

Feeling the weight of her friend's gaze, Sekai could only lower her head in guilt.

Both of them returned to the living room in silence. Sekai sat back on the couch while Setsuna poured her a cup of tea. They sat across from each other.

"Let's continue where we left off," Setsuna said at last.

"Which part? The fact that he doesn't have a girlfriend?"

"No. The part where you confessed to him."

Sekai's face flushed with embarrassment. Folding her hands together, she bowed her head slightly and apologized.

"I'm sorry!"

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Well... I really did start out just trying to test the waters for you. But as I got to know him, I couldn't help being drawn to him. I thought that if I didn't make a move soon, someone else would steal him away..."

"So, you confessed?"

Sekai's expression became even more awkward. She glanced at her friend's calm demeanor and felt her guilt intensify.

"Yes... but he rejected me outright. He said he wouldn't consider dating until after graduating from university. Can you believe that? A guy as handsome as him, staying single until university?"

Setsuna didn't respond immediately, her expression remaining neutral.

"Sekai, you betrayed me," she said softly after a pause.

"I'm sorry!"

"You're treating me tomorrow."

"Eh?! Are you serious?"

Faced with Setsuna's impassive stare, Sekai could only sigh in defeat.

"Fine. I'll cover everything tomorrow. Shopping, food, whatever you want."

"Good. Then, you are still my best friend."

"You're so realistic..." Sekai muttered under her breath, unable to hold back a wry smile.

The two are good friends who grew up together. It can be said that they have almost the same interests and hobbies, so it is not surprising that they fall in love with the same person.

For Setsuna, sending Sekai to meet him had been a miscalculation. She should have known better.

She had been there when Sekai hinted at confessing to him, and when he rejected her.

As angry as she might have felt, the truth was she wasn't overly furious. Instead, a sense of pity grew for Sekai, who had been rejected.

Sekai, just like herself, had never been in a relationship or had someone she liked. Yet, unlike her own internal struggles, Sekai had boldly confessed her feelings and was decisively turned down.

Just imagining it made Setsuna feel an overwhelming sadness...

But to say there was no frustration in her heart at all... that wouldn't be true.

The act of sharpening the knife earlier wasn't to harm anyone; it was merely to scare her friend a little. She wanted Sekai, who had run off to confess, to feel guilty and realize she had made a mistake.

However, following Sekai without her knowing had been a bit much too.

But seeing her friend, completely unaffected, already planning their outing for tomorrow, Setsuna's gaze wavered for a brief moment.

"By the way, why did you come back so soon? Did the rejection make you feel embarrassed?" Setsuna asked.

Sekai's expression shifted slightly, looking somewhat awkward but also filled with a tinge of fear.

"Not really... Well, yes, that was part of it. But there was something else too— I ran into someone a little... intimidating."

"Intimidating?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

_ _ _

T/N: well that's it for today from now onwards I will probably post 1-2 chapters per day.