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 42

…Now then, what should I do?

I never imagined I’d end up getting invited by all three of the Tsukimori sisters.

They all told me they’d sort it out amongst themselves, which was probably out of consideration for me—because of what happened during the three-legged race, when I couldn’t make a choice.

It was incredibly kind of them, and I was happy, of course. But… at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

“What a luxury of a problem to have…”

Just earlier, I was lamenting how lonely I was, and now I’m stuck because I’m getting too much attention.

Anyone listening would probably get mad at me for being so wishy-washy.

“Speaking of getting mad…”

Now that I think about it, there’s probably one person who wouldn’t be too thrilled about me being invited by the Tsukimori sisters…

“…So, why exactly are you telling me this?”

Satsuki Saezuki stared at me with a clearly annoyed expression.

She happened to be sitting alone—something rare—so I thought it was the perfect moment to approach her.

Clearly, I misjudged that.

“Well, um… I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been invited by the Tsukimori sisters for the sports festival, but there’s nothing behind it, so please don’t be upset…”

“That’s not what I’m asking!! Why are you reporting this to me in the first place!?”

Bang bang! She slammed her hands on the desk.

How rude…

“Um, well…”

I lowered my voice so no one else would overhear.

“…I just figured you would’ve wanted to be invited by one of the Tsukimoris more than I would…”

Let’s not pretend—Satsuki has feelings for one of the Tsukimori siblings.

And now, just imagine: a background character like me, the epitome of an introvert, laughing and enjoying the festival with them?

She’d 100% resent me for it, based on our history so far.

So I thought I’d head off any trouble by explaining myself upfront.

Just putting it out there: I have zero romantic intentions, so she can rest easy.

“I said that’s not it!!”

“But… the moment I mentioned I was invited by them, you did start getting mad.”

Exactly as expected.

Jealous girls in love are known for their fire, after all.

I was now face-to-face with that intense emotion.

“That’s not what I’m mad about!”

“Then… what are you mad about?”

“I-I mean, think about it for yourself…”

“…?”

The moment I ask her to be clear, she suddenly gets evasive.

Looks to me like someone’s trying to deflect after I hit a nerve.

“…Whatever. Just forget it. But honestly, you’re unbelievably dense when it comes to yourself.”

“You think so?”

If anything, I pride myself on being especially aware of myself.

The fact that I’ve accepted my role as a background introvert shows how objectively I view my own situation.

“Maybe you should start thinking more about the Tsukimoris instead.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

If we’re talking about people who think about the Tsukimori siblings the most, I’d argue no one in class does it more than me.

“I mean like—why do you think they go out of their way to interact with you so much? If you don’t look at it from that angle, maybe you’re the one who doesn’t understand yourself.”

Sigh.

So that’s what she meant.

The answer to that is simple: I’m their stepsister. We’re family.

The Tsukimori sisters are kind and caring, so they’ve welcomed me as part of the family.

That’s all there is to it—nothing more, nothing less.

It’s not Satsuki’s fault for misunderstanding. She just doesn’t know the full story.

“A girl in love tends to see everything through rose-colored lenses, doesn’t she?”

“You’re totally trying to start a fight now, aren’t you!?”

No matter how much I try to explain, Satsuki just gets mad anyway.

◇◇◇

“Hey, Akari?”

It was after school, as classmates began leaving the classroom for their various club activities, when Karin called out to me.

“Yes? What is it?”

“You were talking to Saezuki earlier during the break, weren’t you?”

“Ah, yes. I was.”

I had explained to her that there was no hidden meaning behind me spending time with the Tsukimori sisters during the sports festival.

“What were you two talking about?”

Karin leaned in, giving me a suspicious, squinty-eyed look—clearly curious.

But I couldn’t exactly go around exposing Saezuki’s feelings without her consent…

“Umm… it was about the sports festival. You know, since we’re doing the three-legged race together and all…”

That explanation had a nice vague touch to it. It wasn’t a lie, at least.

“Hmm, I see… so that’s it, huh.”

“Uh, Karin…?”

Why was she still giving me that sticky, skeptical stare like she wasn’t convinced?

“Lately, you and Saezuki seem kinda close, don’t you? You used to be at each other’s throats.”

“W-Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly…”

Ah. I see.

Karin once helped mediate when Saezuki and I had a bit of a falling-out.

She must be worried about me as a little sister… but then—

“Maybe you should start thinking more about the Tsukimoris. Like, why do you think they care about you so much? If you don’t think about it from that angle, maybe you don’t really understand yourself.”

…Huh?

Why was Saezuki’s voice echoing in my head now, of all times?

…W-Well.

Maybe I do have a habit of interpreting people’s words solely through my own perspective.

Maybe what she said actually got through to me, despite everything.

“Umm… Karin, why do you worry about me so much?”

“Eh—wha?!”

H-Huh?

Why does she look so shocked?

“I mean, um… it’s because you’re important to me, Akari. Like, I feel like I have to protect you or something…”

“Eh—uh, th-thank you…”

Wahh…

That was way more straightforward than I expected…

“Ah! N-Not in a weird way or anything! I meant in a, like, bigger picture kind of way…”

“Y-Yeah, I get it! I totally get it!”

That in itself was proof that Karin saw me as her younger sister—her family.

Still, hearing it said out loud like that… it was kind of embarrassing.

“If there’s ever anything I can do for you, Karin, I’ll do it! Anything at all!”

I couldn’t just keep relying on her forever.

If there was anything I could do in return, I wanted to do it.

“Nah, I’ve already gotten so much from you, Akari. I’m fine.”

“Huh…?”

“So, if there ever comes a time when you can do something for me… it’ll be after I’ve returned the favor.”

Something about those words felt… strange.

“Well, I’m off to club! See you later, Akari!”

Karin waved with a bright smile, her arms swinging wide as she turned and left.

“Ah—yes… be careful…”

But—when exactly did I give her anything that meant that much to her…?