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 37

“……”

“……”

“……”

“U-Um… excuse me…”

I had managed to avoid the agony of choosing between the three Tsukimori sisters by finding what I thought was the most peaceful solution possible.

But once I got home and sat down for dinner, I was met with an unnervingly quiet atmosphere.

“Oh. You’re here?”

“H-Have we gone back to calling me ‘you’ now!?”

Karin-san finally spoke up, but her voice was cold—distant, even.

“Huh? Is that a problem? Do you care that much about how I address you?”

“N-No, not really…”

W-Well…

People do have different ways of speaking, and if Karin-san prefers it that way, I have no right to stop her.

Still, it stings a little… it feels like we’ve gone backwards somehow. Like the closeness we had just vanished.

“No talking during meals.”

“J-Just for that!?”

That chilling voice belonged to Chiya-san.

She slowly raised her face and cast a sharp, narrow-eyed look directly at me.

“Yes. Unless… are you saying you’ve only just now learned that speaking during meals is poor manners?”

“N-No, I already knew that…”

But… just the other day—no, even this morning, we were all chatting cheerfully during breakfast, weren’t we…?

This is just like—

“I see. Then please stay quiet.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

Wait, are we… back to square one?

It seriously feels like I’ve time-traveled back to when I had just become their stepsister.

……

Y-Yeah.

That must be it.

How else could I explain their sudden coldness? It has to be a return to that earlier point in time.

R-Right. Maybe I should be thinking about how to get back to my original timeline…

“U-Um… Hiyori-san?”

“Yes, what is it?”

Hiyori-san gave me her usual gentle smile.

Y-Yes, of course!

She was always kind, even when I first arrived. So even if this is some kind of time loop, she’d still treat me the same, right…?

“Um, I… don’t seem to have a plate…”

Everyone else had their meals in front of them, but for some reason, there was nothing in front of me.

I-I mean, it’s totally fine if she just forgot or something! I don’t mind at all, really! I’ll just grab it myself!

It’s just… I guess I got used to Hiyori-san always setting it out for me, and maybe I’ve been taking that kindness for granted.

“Oh my, did you need dinner?”

“Ehh…?”

That’s… a very scary thing to ask with a smile.

Her expression was as sweet as ever, but the words coming out of her mouth didn’t match at all—and that contrast was terrifying.

“Well, since you ignored us at school, I assumed someone like me wouldn’t be welcome to cook for you.”

“N-No! I-I do want to eat!”

No no no no no!

Wake up, Hanano Akari!

This isn’t time travel—this is real, and it’s happening right now!

In fact, it’s even worse than before!

They were never this cold to me, not even at the beginning!

“I see. Then I’ll bring your meal right away.”

“A-Ah! No, I-I’ll get it myself!”

“No, no, please don’t worry. …Although, if you wanted to speak to me, I would have appreciated it if you’d done so back in class.”

“…Hieee.”

Even Hiyori-san’s voice had turned ice cold!!

It’s clear now—they do have something on their minds.

No, wait… it’s obviously about the partner selection, right!?

“Yeah, I mean… you’re free to choose whoever you want, sure. But of all people—you chose Saezuki Satsuki. Like, seriously? Wait… don’t tell me—was it actually a bother when I helped you in the bathroom?”

“N-No, no! Not at all! I was so grateful you helped me back then!”

It was Karin-san who stepped in when Saezuki-san cornered me. Of course she’d think it’s weird that I chose her as my three-legged race partner instead.

I mean, from the outside, it totally looks like a baffling move. But for me, it was… the best of a bad set of options.

“That girl’s just saying that, Karin. We gave her time, offered to compromise, and tried to be fair. But in the end, she chose someone else. So our kindness must’ve just been a nuisance to her.”

“N-No! T-That’s not it at all! I-I was really happy!”

T-They’re mad. They’re really mad!!

This atmosphere—it’s my fault, isn’t it!?

I finally understand!!

I thought I was prepared to be the bad guy if it meant nobody else would get hurt.

But I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. I never wanted to make them this upset…

“You say that, but your actions say otherwise. Choosing a third party contradicts everything you’re claiming. Your behavior is the real truth here.”

“You could’ve at least said something to us, you know?”

“Well, whatever. I guess it just means we didn’t matter that much.”

Ah…

What am I supposed to do now?

Maybe I did betray their expectations, even if I didn’t mean to trample on their feelings…

But I know it was selfish—self-centered even.

Still, the last thing I wanted was to make the Tsukimori sisters angry.

More than anything, I just wanted to be close to them… to be friends…

“…Ugh… Hic…”

“!?”

I know I’m the one at fault. But I think… I hadn’t realized how happy I was that we’d grown closer until I started to lose it.

The way everything’s reverted to how it used to be—why does it hurt so much?

The words won’t come. My throat tightens, my vision blurs, and heat pools behind my eyes.

“…I-I’m s-sorry… Hic… I-I didn’t mean to…”

“?!?!?!?!?!”

I don’t even have the right to cry, but my heart couldn’t keep up anymore.

“A-Akari!? W-Wait, Chiya-nee! You totally went too far!!”

“Me!? You were the first one to start complaining, Karin!!”

“No, no! You two were way too harsh!”

I could hear their voices arguing—undoubtedly about me.

“Nuh-uh! Hiyori-nee was the most savage of all! Not even preparing her dinner!? That’s seriously messed up!”

“Y-Yes… I suppose that was a bit much.”

“There, there, Akari-chan? I’ve brought your dinner, okay? I didn’t forget, truly. I just needed a little more time today because I made a special pudding—just for you.”

…What’s that… it smells amazing…

“Aaah! Hiyori-nee, that’s so sneaky!”

“Hiyori, you switched sides way too fast!”

“My, my. Chiya-chan, Karin-chan, weren’t you being far too harsh yourselves? There’s no need to say so much, is there? It’s all okay now, Akari-chan.”

Hiyori-san’s voice—gentle and kind again—felt like a warm embrace.

“Uuuh… I-I’m the one who’s wrong… sniff… I just couldn’t choose between the three of you…”

“Ahhhh! Akari!? Y-Yeah, of course! I wouldn’t want to choose either! It’s totally Chiya-nee’s fault for even trying to make you!”

“Wait, what!? Karin!?”

A soft sensation began to rub across my back. Was that… Karin-san trying to comfort me?

“T-That’s not it! I only wanted to help because I saw you struggling… I didn’t think it would become such a burden to you…”

“I-I’m sorry… I trampled on your kindness like that… it was my fault…”

“Agh… I-I’m sorry too! That’s not what I meant at all…”

Even Chiya-san—always so composed—now sounded flustered, something I’d never heard from her before.

The guilt pressed down even harder on me.

But more than that, I realized something.

These girls… are truly kind.

Even though I was in the wrong, none of them condemned me outright.

They listened—really listened—and somehow, without me even realizing it, they all found their way back to me.