I Won't Be a Loser

After a long time without hearing from Setsuna, Mai couldn't help but begin to worry about her daughter. Thoughts of unease crept into her mind, and she even started to wonder if her daughter had already... with Haruto...

The unease in her heart made her want to visit Haruto's house to check if her daughter was there. However, the thought of potentially walking in on something she didn't want to see made her hesitate.

Her emotions and thoughts became chaotic, and after a deep breath to calm herself, Mai sat down quietly on the sofa in the living room. After a while, she picked up her phone. She remembered exchanging contact information with Haruto when she visited him last time.

She found him in her contacts, and thankfully, she hadn't given him a nickname like "dear" or "cutie," which could have raised suspicions if Setsuna saw it.

Mai dialed Haruto's number and slowly sat down on the couch, waiting for the call to connect.

"Can I put it in now?"

"Yes, you can put it in now."

Before Mai could speak, she heard the familiar voices of her daughter and Haruto, and the conversation seemed... off.

Her mind went blank. Sitting there in the living room, Mai stared at the phone in her hand, unable to snap out of it.

"Should I put it in now?"

"Yeah, go ahead, Setsuna."

Wait... that shouldn't have been Haruto...

Suddenly, it dawned on Mai where the misunderstanding had come from, and her thoughts became clearer. She heard the bubbling of water in the background on the other end of the call and guessed what was going on, though she wasn't entirely sure.

"Uh, Haruto... are you cooking with Setsuna?"

"Ah, yes, Mai-San, Setsuna is still with me. Sorry for not contacting you earlier. She's making dinner here, and if you don't mind, you're welcome to join us."

"I see... I understand now... Well, I'll come over shortly."

"Alright, I'll... wait, don't put that in directly, you need to check inside slowly..."

The call ended, and Mai sat there, reflecting on their conversation. Her face turned a little red, realizing how impure her thoughts had been. Although the two were officially in a relationship, they had only known each other for a few days, and this was just their second day officially together. It was too soon for her to worry about things progressing so quickly.

"I have to trust Setsuna more!"

With a small sigh, Mai stood up and walked toward the bathroom. She needed to freshen up and get ready.

"Haruto likes my natural look when I'm at home, so I'll keep it simple."

For a long time, Haruto had lived alone, and because of the limited budget, he often had to cook his own meals. He had even bought several cookbooks and spent time learning how to cook. During holidays, he would help out at a nearby cooking school for housewives.

Though Setsuna was skilled, Haruto was actually the better cook.

"Haruto is really good at cooking."

Under Haruto's guidance, Setsuna carefully placed vegetables into the pot, covered it with a lid, and then looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled with admiration, and for a moment, Haruto was at a loss for words.

"Back in Itomori, my mother and I used to cook together, so I'm somewhat good at it."

"Do you think I could learn to cook with you every day, Haruto?"

Looking at Setsuna beside him, Haruto smiled gently, meeting her pure gaze.

"Of course, we can do this every day."

"Haruto..."

Just as Setsuna was about to close her eyes, preparing to ask for a kiss in the warm atmosphere, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Ding-dong—

Setsuna blinked, her excited expression fading into a colder, more indifferent one as she turned her gaze to the door.

"Mom?"

"It's probably Mai-San. I'll get the door."

Noticing Setsuna's reaction, Haruto relaxed. It seemed that continuing down this path might lead him to be conquered by this little girl, but now he was relieved.

He walked over and opened the door.

"Good evening. Sorry for the trouble, Miyamizu-kun."

Standing at the door in her casual clothes, Mai had a warm, mature presence. Her soft smile made Haruto feel a sense of familiarity, and his heart, which had been stirred by Setsuna, calmed down.

"Good evening, Mai-San."

Haruto smiled as he greeted her and invited her in. Mai nodded and stepped inside. She glanced at her daughter, Setsuna, who was standing at the stove, wearing an apron and busy preparing dinner.

Seeing that Setsuna was fine and still busy with the meal, Mai breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that her fears were unfounded—nothing had happened yet.

"I'll go prepare some tea."

After Mai entered the apartment, Haruto, as the host, went to prepare the tea. Mai's gaze lingered on Haruto for a moment before shifting to her daughter, who was still struggling to reach the stove due to her height.

"Do you need help, Setsuna?"

As Setsuna turned to face her mother, she stared at her with a blank expression. Mai felt a slight chill in her heart as she met her daughter's eyes.

"Wasn't it Haruto you were calling in the morning, and now it's Miyamizu-kun?"

"..."