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 39

“Hey, are you even trying?”

“I’m totally trying!”

Our three-legged race practice had begun.

However, right from the start, Satsuki Saezuki and I couldn’t sync our movements.

“If you are, then you need to move your legs faster. Otherwise, we’re never going to improve our time.”

“I get that, but… Honestly, you’re way faster than me, Saezuki-san. If you could slow down just a bit, it’d really help…”

As frustrating as it is, I can’t match Saezuki-san’s top speed with how I am right now.

This gap isn’t something I can easily close, so I think we need to find some kind of middle ground…

“Yeah, not happening. You need to match me.”

“…Like I said…”

And this is how it’s going.

It’s not like I don’t want to match her speed. But being told to suddenly improve my sprinting in such a short time… that’s just not realistic.

One of us was bound to be slower in a pair. That’s just how it works. We need to adjust accordingly—

“Sigh… You forced me into this, and now you’re complaining the second it starts? Seriously, what’s your deal?”

“Ugh…”

Saezuki-san snaps like this too.

And the worst part? She’s not entirely wrong. Her words sting more than I want to admit.

“That’s why I’m saying we need to be more in sync or this won’t work.”

“Then all you need to do is catch up with me. Problem solved.”

A deadlock.

No matter how long we talk, we’re just going in circles.

That said, there’s something surprisingly unexpected in Saezuki-san’s attitude.

“You’re really that serious about doing well in the three-legged race, huh…?”

Saying “keep up with my top speed” is basically the same as saying “keep up with me at my best,” right?

To be honest, I always thought Saezuki-san was more the type to say:

“Going all out for a sports festival? That’s hilarious. All you get is sweaty and gross.”

That kind of vibe.

“So of course I’m serious! I’ve got Chiya Tsukimori breathing down my neck!”

“What?!”

With sudden intensity, Saezuki-san leans in, putting pressure on me now.

“I don’t know why, but she keeps saying stuff that makes it sound like she’s really expecting me to do well… I don’t want to half-ass this and end up getting glared at!”

“O-oh, I see…”

Well, in that case, her attitude kind of makes sense. But why would Chiya-san say something like that to her…?

“Is something the matter with me?”

“Uwaaah, Chiya Tsukimori!?”

Suddenly, Chiya-san appears out of nowhere, making Saezuki-san yelp in surprise.

“I heard someone say my name, so I came over. What’s going on?”

“N-no, nothing at all…”

Under Chiya-san’s gaze, Saezuki-san’s eyes dart around awkwardly.

“And it seems like things aren’t going smoothly. What were you two doing?”

That question makes Saezuki-san flinch.

“W-well, it’s just that this girl still can’t match my speed…”

She’s completely placing the blame on me.

Granted, I’m not saying it’s not my fault at all, but still…

“You can’t just force your own pace on someone. It’s a three-legged race—you need to work together and match each other’s rhythm.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

!?

“I know she struggles with sprinting. What matters is finding a way to run that makes the most of her potential.”

“Yeah, I was actually just thinking that too.”

!? …!?

Did I just hear Saezuki-san say something completely reasonable?

“Um, Saezuki-san… didn’t you just say something totally different a second ago?”

“I just changed my mind. Got a problem with that?”

No way…

She wouldn’t budge at all when it was just me, but the moment Chiya-san shows up, she suddenly changes her stance?

Sigh…

I’m hit with the painful realization of just how little influence I actually have.

“And besides, there’s something even more basic you two are missing before worrying about your running technique.”

“Huh? Like what?”

“What do you mean?”

Saezuki-san and I both tilt our heads in confusion at Chiya-san’s comment.

“Start by linking your shoulders before you run.”

“Oh… right.”

“…That makes sense, actually.”

It seems our unwillingness to get along had naturally led to this. Avoiding physical contact, we had been running without linking shoulders, just swinging our arms separately.

“Of course you weren’t in sync. It looked ridiculous from the sidelines.”

“…Now that you mention it…”

“You’re absolutely right.”

I don’t want to add any more reasons for us to fall behind. If removing even one negative factor can help, then I’m willing to try anything.

“Alright, Saezuki-san, would it be alright if we linked shoulders?”

“You don’t need to ask. Of course we will.”

Despite our mutual reservations, we swallow our pride for the sake of our goal and link shoulders.

Naturally, our bodies and legs press closely together.

“…Well, I guess this is easier to run this way.”

“…It really is.”

We’re close enough to feel each other’s body heat, but that closeness also brings a sense of stability.

This is a three-legged race, after all. Uniting both mind and body really does make a difference…

“You’re right. Let’s not link shoulders after all.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, what?”

Suddenly, Chiya-san grabs our arms and forcibly pulls us apart.

“Yeah, I think you two are better off not being that close.”

“That’s a complete 180! What gives!?”

Even Saezuki-san couldn’t let that one slide, immediately snapping back at Chiya-san.

“Even I make mistakes sometimes.”

“No way! That was totally the right call! I mean, even I know that linking shoulders in a three-legged race is the standard way!”

I agree with Saezuki-san on that, honestly…

“No, watching you two just made me uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable how!?”

Chiya-san suddenly seems to be making no sense…

And Saezuki-san is clearly spiraling into panic at the sudden reversal.

“…Well, I mean…”

Chiya-san keeps stealing glances in my direction as if trying to find the right words.

“…You don’t really want to be that close to Saezuki, do you?”

“What kind of question is that!? You’re the one who told us to do it in the first place!”

Saezuki-san fires back before I even have a chance to respond—what a reaction.

But now that I think about it… I get it!

At first, Chiya-san was focused on improving our performance for the class. That’s why she was so adamant about our form.

But she must’ve realized how awkward things are between Saezuki-san and me—and decided we shouldn’t be forced into uncomfortable closeness.

She changed her stance out of kindness, to preserve our relationship!

“No, it’s really okay for me and Saezuki-san to link shoulders.”

“Wait—what kind of answer is that!? Are you not hearing how weird this whole conversation is!?”

No, no. Chiya-san was just being considerate of the tension between us.

She’s not just someone who chases results—she’s thoughtful enough to care about the people involved.

“…I see. Well then, that’s fine.”

“? Uh, okay…?”

But despite accepting it, Chiya-san turns and walks away, her expression strangely clouded with disappointment.

Her usually sleek black hair sways behind her—though in that moment, it seemed to shimmer with a hint of melancholy.

“Hey… does Chiya Tsukimori want us to do well, or not? I seriously can’t tell anymore…”

Seeing Saezuki-san totally worn out by it all, I couldn’t give her a clear answer either.