I Won't Be a Loser

Haruto didn't stay at the Takasu family for long. Their meeting was a mere coincidence on the road. He had only helped Ryuuji carry some groceries back home, and he had his own errands to run, including purchasing some discounted vegetables. After a brief chat, he said his goodbyes to Takasu Ryuuji and left to buy the vegetables.

When Takasu Ryuuji returned to the living room after seeing the wise man off, he found Yasuko sitting at the low table, holding a cup of water and sipping it. She glanced up at him.

"That cup... it's the one the Haruto used. If you want to drink, at least get a new one, okay?"

Ryuuji, who had entered the room by then, didn't seem too surprised to see Yasuko. He simply asked, "You haven't gone to work yet?"

"The bar work only starts in the evening," Yasuko replied, setting the cup down and sitting up straighter. "I go early to clean up and prepare for the night shift. It's the same whether I go now or later."

"If you're home, why didn't you speak up earlier? It's not every day we have guests, especially someone who helped you out. Not thanking them is a bit rude, don't you think?"

Yasuko sat up properly, her gaze now serious as she looked at her son, Ryuuji. The change in her expression made him a little uncomfortable.

"What's with the sudden seriousness?" he asked.

"Ryuuji, what do you think of the Haruto?"

"Where's this coming from... He's a good guy. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think you'd support me if I dated him?"

Ryuuji's expression shifted as he squatted down and sat in front of Takasu Yasuko. He observed Yasuko in front of him seriously, confirming Takasu Yasuko's expression.

"Are you serious?"

"I've always been serious!" Yasuko replied with determination.

"I don't think you are, anyway Haruto is a good guy. Today, when I ran into him, I saw a girl confessing to him. He's only been here for two days, and already someone's confessed. Do you really have a chance?"

"I'll try my best!" Yasuko responded with determination, her small fists clenched like a little girl. Ryuuji sighed helplessly.

"Do what you want, but don't make things awkward. He's still your neighbor, If the relationship becomes awkward, it will be very troublesome for me."

As Ryuuji went to handle the groceries, Yasuko was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected such a calm response. The expression on her face became cheerful and excited. She stood up and began to cheer herself up.

"Don't worry, Ryuuji! I'll give it my all to win his heart!"

"..."

_ _ _

Meanwhile, Haruto, on his way to the shopping district, couldn't help but sneeze. He had the feeling someone was talking about him. After thinking for a moment, he figured it must be his younger sister, who lived far away in Itomori.

"Oh right, I should send her some Tokyo souvenirs... It'd be bad if she starts cursing me from Itomori."

But what to send? That was a problem. Items like Japanese sweets and snacks, especially famous ones from places like Tokyo Station or Ginza, would be perfect, but they required quite a journey to get. It wasn't impossible to buy them today, but he still needed to shop for ingredients first.

"Maybe I'll just send her something simple... I'll text her to ask what she wants, and figure it out later."

Knowing his sister, she'd probably ask for cosmetics from the fashion magazines or the latest trendy clothes. He thought he could buy her some of those, if they fit.

Arriving at the small shopping street in Koshikawa, haruto began his shopping. In addition to regular food and seasonings, he stopped at a pharmacy and bought some emergency medicines, including cold medicine, fever, and disinfectant spray, as well as band-aids. Living alone meant dealing with such things on his own—there was no one else to take care of him when he got sick.

By the time he left the shopping district, his hands were sore from carrying heavy bags, and he was gritting his teeth to bear the pain.

He hadn't run into anyone who could help, and after about half an hour of walking, he finally made it back to his apartment.

Before opening the door, he set down his bags and looked at his hands, which had turned pale and swollen from the tight grip. He sighed in frustration before opening the door. As he entered, he briefly considered getting a bicycle, but quickly dismissed the idea.

"Forget it... it's not like this happens every day."

The thought of buying a bike lingered only briefly, but the idea of dealing with the hassle of theft claims in Tokyo quickly made him reconsider. With nearly 40,000 bicycle thefts every year, whenever you ride a bicycle on the street, the police will ask you to show proof of your bicycle. It was too troublesome, so he chose to give up.

He moved all the groceries inside, placed them in the fridge, and put the emergency medicines on his desk in a visible spot, stacking them neatly.

"I'll need to get some small storage boxes..."

As he unpacked the pharmacy items, he noticed some limited-edition cherry blossom-themed wet wipes and cosmetics. He thought his sister would be interested in them—after all, she was fascinated by Tokyo, and these were the kinds of things she'd probably be thrilled to receive. "Cosmetics" and "limited edition" were a perfect match for her tastes.

He placed them on his desk, planning to send them to Itomori the next day. There was also some stuff for his mother and his little sister, Yotsuba. Hopefully, they'd like them.

"Come to think of it, I should get something for father too. If I don't, even if he doesn't say anything, he might feel a little uncomfortable. A tie clip should do... He's not likely to care too much about the gift."