I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me (GL) - Chapter 1

 

It was the spring of my second year in high school, with cherry blossoms in full bloom.

I, Akari Hanano, was overwhelmed with joy.

“They’re divine… too divine!!”

The sight before me was so breathtaking that I couldn’t help but tremble with admiration.

The Tsukimori Sisters.

They were regarded as the most beautiful girls in school, a trio of identical triplets.

Any one of them alone would have been enough to be crowned the school’s idol, yet the fact that all three existed together was nothing short of a miracle.

With the new school year’s class shuffle, I found myself placed in the same class as the Tsukimori sisters.

It was already a miracle that all three of them ended up together, but for me to be included as well—what an unimaginable blessing.

“Thank you, oh merciful gods…!”

I instinctively rubbed my hands together in reverence, as if worshiping the three goddesses of beauty before me.

Savoring this happiness, I stood at the edge of the classroom, engraving their graceful figures into my memory and savoring the air we now shared.

“Hanano, are you seriously okay?”

“Huh…?”

It was supposed to be a blissful after-school moment.

Yet, a sharp, judgmental voice shattered my peace. It belonged to a girl who had been in my class last year—a popular, outgoing type, someone who always seemed to have everything going for her.

“Why do you keep staring at the Tsukimori sisters?”

“I-I wasn’t really…!”

Wait, I had been careful not to be too obvious! I had made sure to admire them discreetly.

But… did it not look that way to others?

Even if that were the case, why did she feel the need to call me out on it?

Couldn’t she just leave me alone?

“Your reaction is just not normal.”

She wasn’t wrong.

My feelings for the Tsukimori sisters were, without a doubt, far from ordinary.

“It’s like you’re in love with them or something.”

“…Well, yeah.”

Yes, I genuinely loved the Tsukimori sisters.

And I had no intention of denying it.

“But they’re just classmates, and you’re a girl too. Why are you so obsessed with them?”

“I don’t see why that’s anyone else’s business.”

She frowned, clearly displeased.

It seemed she didn’t like the fact that someone like me—a plain and quiet girl—was asserting myself.

“It’s just uncomfortable to watch.”

“…Why?”

“Your obsession with them is way too intense. And the way you completely ignore everyone else is kind of creepy.”

“…They say love is blind.”

Honestly, weren’t the ones who kept switching affections the real weirdos here?

“Uh, love? Between girls? That’s weird.”

“No, you don’t understand—there’s a deeper meaning behind this.”

The feelings I expressed through words like “love” or “admiration” weren’t some shallow, fleeting emotions.

My love wasn’t some romantic impulse.

I had never once thought of something as arrogant as wanting to date them.

No, I simply wanted to watch over those three dazzling beings from a distance.

This was an emotion akin to that of a motherly ocean, vast and all-encompassing.

If this wasn’t love, then what else could possibly deserve that name?

“I always thought you were weird, and now I’m sure of it. Oh, perfect timing! Look, the Tsukimori sisters are right there.”

“…Huh?”

Whether by chance or cruel fate, the Tsukimori sisters were still in the classroom.

Before I could react, the social girl called out to them and brought them over to where I stood.

What the hell was she thinking?

“Hey, Tsukimori? This girl, Hanano, says she’s in love with you guys. Could you listen to what she has to say?”

“—!?”

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

What the hell is wrong with her?!

“…Did you two hear that? Apparently, this person has special feelings for us.”

A cool, composed voice sliced through the air.

The one staring at me with piercing eyes was Chiya Tsukimori, the eldest sister.

Her long, jet-black hair fell in a sleek, straight cascade.

“Oh dear, this is quite the predicament.”

A gentle and soothing voice followed.

This came from Hiyori Tsukimori, the second sister.

Her soft chestnut-brown hair curled into gentle waves, perfectly matching her serene demeanor.

“Come on, Chiya-nee! There’s no way this is real—girls liking girls? That’s just weird!”

A bold and fiery voice cut in.

This belonged to Karin Tsukimori, the youngest sister.

Her golden-blonde twin-tails bounced as she spoke with her usual liveliness.

“W-wait, no, that’s not what I—!”

No, no, no, no.

This is not happening!

The Tsukimori Sisters, each possessing overwhelming beauty and a flawless figure in their own unique way, were now talking about me.

The mere thought was too much to handle… No, wait, that wasn’t the issue right now.

Did they think I was in love with them?

They definitely did, didn’t they?

No, no, no! That’s not it!

My feelings were pure—far more innocent than that!

But the more I tried to explain, the more my thoughts spiraled into chaos.

After all, just standing before the people I admired was enough to make me nervous, and now they had completely misunderstood me.

How was I supposed to stay calm in a situation like this?

“That’s how it is. I’m sorry, but I suggest you abandon any foolish hopes before they take root.”

Before I could even attempt to clear things up, Chiya Tsukimori, the eldest sister, shut me down without mercy.

As if she had already lost interest, she turned away and walked off.

“I’m sorry, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Hiyori Tsukimori, the second sister, gave me a polite nod before following Chiya.

“Tough luck.”

With a disinterested shrug, Karin Tsukimori, the youngest, casually tossed those words at me before trailing after her sisters.

“…Huh?”

W-wait.

How did things end up like this?!

“Wow, that was brutal.”

As soon as the Tsukimori sisters left the classroom, the popular girl smirked at me.

Seriously, was she enjoying my misery?

“Brutal? No, I wasn’t even—”

“Ugh, making excuses is just pathetic, you know?”

With an infuriatingly smug look, she gave my shoulder a condescending pat.

“You got rejected.”

Her voice dripped with mockery, her eyes filled with nothing but ridicule.

…Wait a second.

That’s not what this was about!!

My love wasn’t something so shallow—so cheap!!

But no matter how much I protested now, it would only sound like desperate excuses after being rejected.

This was the worst.

Absolutely the worst.

And so, just like that, my spring ended in a spectacular disaster.

◇◇◇

“Ugh, this is the worst.”

Flopping onto my bed the moment I got home, I let out a groan.

One moment, I was celebrating the miracle of being placed in the same class as the Tsukimori sisters. The next, I was publicly rejected and left in ruins.

This was beyond humiliating—this was mental devastation at its finest.

The only way to heal my shattered heart was to escape reality.

Sleep. That was the only answer.

“Akari? Do you have a moment?”

Just as I was about to drift off— Click.

The door opened.

It was my mother.

“Could you not just barge into my room?!”

Seriously, what was the point of asking if she wasn’t going to wait for my response?!

“Also, I don’t want to see anyone right now!”

“Sorry, sorry. But there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

She was absolutely not listening to me.

She probably thought a quick apology would be enough to brush it off.

“What is it?”

I rolled over in bed, barely bothering to turn my head toward her.

If she had something to say, I wanted her to get it over with quickly.

“I’ve decided to get remarried.”

…

Huh.

Remarried.

…REMARRIED?!

“That’s way too sudden!”

I shot up from the bed in shock.

The pace of my life had suddenly turned into a rollercoaster, and I was barely holding on.

“I know, right? I was just as surprised as you!”

She let out a refined, elegant laugh.

What was with that mood?

While I was wallowing in misery, my mother was riding the peak of happiness.

It was infuriating.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening!”

My mother had divorced before I was old enough to remember and had raised me on her own ever since.

And now, all of a sudden, she was talking about remarriage.

“Anyway, I want you to meet my fiancé. Can you come with me?”

…

What?

The surprises weren’t over yet?!

“I’m really not in the mood for this right now…”

“Well, he’s already waiting for us, so it would be rude to be late. Come on, Akari!”

“At least let me process this first!!”

She grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door.

Somebody, please stop this mother of mine from running wild.

And that’s how I found myself standing in front of an elegant house in a quiet residential neighborhood.

“This is the place.”

“So you’re really getting remarried, huh…”

Now that we were actually here, reality began to sink in.

Along with it came a wave of nervousness—after all, I was about to meet the people who would soon become my new family.

“It’s true. Now, let’s go inside.”

“Oh… okay.”

When my mother rang the doorbell, a man’s voice answered from inside.

She responded in her polite, formal tone before stepping into the house without hesitation.

Oh, wait.

Now that I think about it… I never even asked what his name was.

I should’ve checked the nameplate outside, but—oh well.

“This is Mr. Tsukimori and his daughters.”

The name was way too familiar.

N-no way…

“—Huh?!”

Then, I froze in shock.

Inside the living room sat a cheerful-looking man.

A-and next to him, sitting on the sofa, were three breathtakingly beautiful young women.

My breath caught in my throat—

Or rather, it stopped entirely.

“Gah!”

“Akari!? What’s with that weird noise?!”

How could I not react like this?!

The three sisters were just as stunned as I was.

“You’re… that girl from earlier.”

Chiya’s cool, commanding voice faltered.

“Oh my, what a surprise!”

Even Hiyori’s gentle tone betrayed a hint of shock.

“This is seriously insane.”

Karin’s sharp voice and piercing gaze stabbed right through me.

“T-Tsukimori… as in, the Tsukimori sisters…?”

I wasn’t the only one shaken to my core.

I had just been rejected by them earlier today, and now we were meeting again—like this?!

Not as classmates, but as family?!

“Since the Tsukimori girls were born earlier in the same year as you, they’ll technically be your older sisters.”

My mother casually dropped another bombshell without hesitation.

“S-so that means… I’m now the Tsukimori sisters’… stepsister?!”

T-this can’t be happening.

D-does this make us the Tsukimori Four Sisters now…?!

“That’s right.”

“Guhhh!!”

“Akari?! What’s with the weird noises again?!”

No way… this can’t be real…

I had been rejected by all three of them, and now I was their stepsister.

At this moment, I had unknowingly stepped into the depths of a flower-filled garden—one that I might never escape from.