I Won't Be a Loser

Sayuri Sawamura had been at home, enjoying her afternoon tea and deliberating over what outfit she should wear to the parent-teacher meeting at school the next day. However, her peaceful afternoon was disrupted by a sudden phone call from the school, informing her that Eriri had fainted.

Momentarily stunned, Sayuri immediately rushed to the school. When she arrived at the infirmary, she saw an unexpectedly modern-looking school nurse standing beside her daughter, seemingly engaged in conversation with her.

"Eriri! Are you alright? What happened to you?"

Sayuri approached the bedside anxiously, inspecting her daughter closely.

"Mom…"

Eriri, who had been chatting with the nurse—Takeshi Mio—about her condition and the boy who had carried her to the infirmary (mistaken by the nurse as her boyfriend), turned her attention to her mother.

As her eyes met her mother's, memories of the strange dream she had during her unconsciousness flashed through her mind. Her expression grew complicated, and guilt and nostalgia flickered in her gaze. Unable to say anything, she lowered her head in silence.

The atmosphere in the infirmary became tense and subtle. Nurse Mio, sensing the delicate mood between the mother and daughter, quietly excused herself and left.

Sayuri, affected by her daughter's sudden silence, sat down on the edge of the bed and observed Eriri. Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss, but the unusual quiet worried her.

"Are you sure you're alright, Eriri?"

"There's nothing wrong with my body," Eriri replied softly. "I was just a little tired. Nurse Mio checked me earlier and said everything is fine."

"Do you want to go home and rest? Or perhaps we should go to the hospital for a proper checkup. If something's wrong…"

Sayuri's concern made Eriri feel conflicted. She raised her head slowly, meeting her mother's worried gaze, as if wanting to ask something. However, after a brief hesitation, she looked down again.

"No, it's fine. Today's the first day of school. It wouldn't feel right to leave early. If we're going to do a checkup, let's wait until after school."

"Alright, we'll go to the hospital together after school," Sayuri agreed.

Placing her hand gently on Eriri's pale arm, Sayuri gave it a comforting rub.

"Take care of yourself, Eriri."

"Mm."

The images from Eriri's dream—of Haruto and the future—lingered vividly in her mind. But she dismissed them as mere coincidences, not something prophetic.

Dreaming about the future was something straight out of manga and light novels, not real life. In the real world, there was no place for such supernatural events.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Eriri returned to her classroom.

As she stepped inside, it happened to be during a break between classes. Immediately, her classmates swarmed around her with concern. Among them, Yotsuba Nakano, a cheerful girl with a green ribbon in her hair, was the first to approach.

"Hey, Sawamura-san, right? How are you feeling now?"

Eriri smiled faintly, appreciating the concern. "I'm fine now, thank you."

Her eyes, however, scanned the room, searching for a familiar figure—the one who had carried her to the infirmary.

"Oh, so you're okay now? That's a relief!" Yotsuba beamed. "You scared everyone when you fainted in class. No one knew what to do. Then, out of nowhere, Miyamizu-san stood up, looking super cool. Before anyone could react, he picked you up and carried you out of the classroom, saying, 'I'll take her to the infirmary.'"

Mimicking Haruto's decisive tone, Yotsuba straightened her posture, glanced dramatically at the door, then broke into a laugh.

"It was like something straight out of a manga!"

From the corner of the room, Umetarou Nozaki, who had been quietly drawing, perked up at the mention of keywords like "manga" and "cool." He glanced curiously in Yotsuba's direction before returning to his work, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Eriri's emotions grew complicated as she listened to Yotsuba's account. She glanced around the classroom again but couldn't spot Haruto.

"If you're looking for Miyamizu-san," Yotsuba said, noticing Eriri's wandering gaze, "he left the classroom after the last period. Maybe he went to check on you in the infirmary?"

"Are you really feeling okay?"

This time, another girl who bore a striking resemblance to Yotsuba joined the conversation.

"Nakano-san, right?" Eriri hesitated briefly, recognizing her as one of the Nakano sisters but unsure of her name.

"Nino. She's Yotsuba," the girl replied, pointing first at herself, then at her sister.

"Can't you tell just by looking at us?"

Eriri studied the two girls carefully. If she got to know them better, perhaps she could tell them apart. But for now, she could only manage a general sense of their different personalities.

"I'll remember. Nino and Yotsuba."

Nino nodded, her sharp gaze fixed on Eriri. Her serious expression left the latter feeling a little uneasy.

"So, what was it like being carried by a handsome guy like Miyamizu-san?"

Eriri froze, staring at Nino in disbelief. The question was so direct it left her speechless.

"I was unconscious."

"...Fair enough."

With a shrug, Nino turned and walked away. Yotsuba watched her sister leave, then glanced back at Eriri with an apologetic smile.

"Don't mind her. She's like that."