I Won't Be a Loser

As if to declare her territory, the moment they entered the room, Haruto poured the tea and sat down. Without hesitation, Setsuna climbed directly into Haruto's lap, right in front of Sekai.

"Um..."

Sekai's gaze lingered on Setsuna, who was seated snugly in Haruto'slap. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it again.

"What is it, Sekai?"

With a calm, natural expression, Setsuna turned her attention to her friend, addressing her question.

"Well… even if you two are dating now, isn't this level of affection in front of me a little… um…"

"A little what?"

"...Nothing."

Faced with Setsuna's utter lack of reaction, Sekai could only swallow her words. She silently picked up the teacup in front of her, using it to hide her awkwardness while drinking.

As the host of the room, Haruto glanced at Setsuna sitting comfortably on his lap. He no longer felt the initial awkwardness. With a small sigh, he looked down at the girl nestled against him, picked up his tea, and took a sip.

"About last time, things might have gone too far. Setsuna has already explained everything, but I think it's best to formally introduce myself again."

Sekai's gaze lingered on Setsuna for a moment. Feeling suffocated, she quickly shifted her attention upward to Haruto's face. She gave a slightly different introduction than last time, her tone sincere.

"My name is Saionji Sekai. I'm the same age as Setsuna , and we'll both be starting as first-year students at Sakakino Academy this spring. Setsuna and I have been close friends since childhood. Last time, I was just curious because Setsuna seemed to have someone she liked, so I came to check things out—and to test the waters a little."

Clasping her hands together in front of her, Sekai bowed slightly, her voice filled with apology.

"I'm truly sorry for the trouble!"

"It's all in the past now. I didn't take it to heart, so you don't need to worry about it."

Haruto's response was calm. The day Sekai confessed to him had left him genuinely surprised. After all, it was their first meeting, and receiving a confession was something he had never experienced before.

However, once Setsuna explained the situation, everything made sense. After all, what kind of person confesses at first sight? And considering the weight of the name "Saionji Sekai," it was clear the incident was more a playful test than a genuine confession.

Sekai studied Haruto's composed expression and realized he truly hadn't taken her confession seriously. Her lips curved into a stiff smile, a pang of disappointment hitting her heart. She hadn't expected her confession to leave zero impact on him, causing her to doubt herself briefly.

But self-doubt lasted only a moment. Her curiosity about their relationship quickly overtook her feelings of loss.

"So… back then, you rejected me by saying you didn't plan to date until after university. But now you're willing to date Setsuna? Was that just an excuse to turn me down?"

Sekai's expression turned sly as she asked her question, subtly poking fun at the reason for his rejection.

Hearing this, even Setsuna—sitting in Haruto's lap—tilted her head slightly, her curiosity piqued. She raised her pale neck and looked up at Haruto's face, wanting to know what had changed his mind.

Under the gazes of the two girls, Haruto quickly understood Sekai's intentions. Guessing her playful probing, he responded honestly without hesitation.

"Back then, it was our first time meeting. We barely knew each other, so when you expressed your 'feelings' for me, I was taken by surprise. After careful consideration, I used that reason to turn you down."

"So you really said, 'I don't plan to date before university,' just to reject me?"

"No, I genuinely believed that at the time. But later, when Setsuna approached me to explain your prank confession and shared her feelings for me, I also used that reason to turn her down."

Sekai blinked in surprise. She hadn't known Setsuna was rejected as well. She glanced at her friend, still sitting in Haruto's lap, a bit stunned.

"And then?"

"But Setsuna's feelings… were incredibly sincere. After thinking it through, I told her that if her family agreed, I would give our relationship a try."

"Setsuna's family knows about this?"

Sekai was dumbfounded, her gaze snapping to her childhood friend.

Setsuna nodded calmly and then, as if emphasizing her claim, shifted slightly to snuggle closer to Haruto's chest.

"Your mother didn't object to this?"

"She's very supportive."

Setsuna's single statement sank Sekai into silence.

"I see… even your mom supports this, ha… Hahaha…"

Sekai's forced laughter hung in the air. The room grew heavy with an awkward silence, making even Setsuna wonder if her overt possessiveness was going too far.

Fortunately, Sekai quickly regained her composure. She shifted the conversation toward the upcoming school term, working to lighten the atmosphere.

Since they were attending different schools, Sekai couldn't resist teasing them about their separation.

"You won't be able to have lunch together at school. Setsuna won't get to feed Haruto with her homemade bento every day. Isn't that a shame?"

"Or walking to and from school together like in manga? Such a missed opportunity."

"If only you were attending the same school."

Her mischievous grin aimed at Setsuna was Sekai's small attempt to salvage her pride.

But Setsuna delivered a final, decisive blow.

"Tonight, I'm staying over and sleeping with Haruto."

"…!"

Sekai's smile froze.

Saionji Sekai—utterly defeated.