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 8

After school, I made my way to the gymnasium.

For the record, I’m not in any sports clubs, so I usually have no reason to be here.

I was here purely for Karin.

“Haha… Well, being fast doesn’t really mean much in basketball.”

That remark had carried an odd undertone.

“With my skills being this half-baked, there’s no way I can ever surpass my sisters.”

And to make things more intriguing, her worries seemed to be tied to her relationship with her sisters.

There was no way I could ignore this.

I discreetly took a spot on the second-floor balcony, where I had a clear view of the court below.

The rhythmic sound of basketballs bouncing echoed through the air, accompanied by the squeaking of sneakers against the polished floor and the lively chatter of the girls’ basketball team.

“…There she is.”

A game was in progress, and at that moment, Karin had possession of the ball.

Thud.

She dribbled forcefully and surged forward, attempting to break past the defense.

Even to my untrained eye, her speed was incredible.

But—

“Alright! I stopped her!”

“…Tch.”

The defender had anticipated her move and blocked her path.

Karin’s expression darkened, her jaw clenching in frustration.

As the practice session neared its end, I started preparing to leave.

“So? What exactly were you doing?”

“Whoa!?”

I spun around in shock—Karin was standing right behind me.

This was bad. My mind scrambled for an excuse.

“…I was, uh, thinking of joining the basketball team.”

“Then come to practice tomorrow.”

“Sorry, that was a lie.”

I shouldn’t have tried such a flimsy excuse.

“You were watching the whole time, weren’t you?”

And she saw right through me.

“…I was merely observing.”

“For what reason?”

“To engrain the image of your magnificent performance in my mind.”

That wasn’t even a lie.

I was genuinely satisfied just seeing a side of Karin I normally wouldn’t get to witness.

“My performance wasn’t all that impressive, though.”

“That’s…”

Karin shrugged and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

It was unlike her.

“It’s just the truth. Things haven’t been going well for me lately.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Karin was undoubtedly the fastest on the court.

But time and time again, the defense stopped her in her tracks.

“If you take basketball away from me, there’s nothing left.”

“Well, at the very least, your stunning face would remain.”

“…Huh?”

“I-I apologize.”

I meant it seriously, but she must have thought I was joking.

“If things keep going like this, Chiya and Hiyori will just keep looking down on me.”

She had said something similar earlier during P.E.

…But was that really true?

“Um… I know this might be incredibly presumptuous of me, but…”

“What, you still have something to say?”

I did.

Normally, I don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.

But this was about Tsukimori Karin.

And that made it impossible for me to stay silent.

“I think that kind of mindset is exactly why things aren’t going well—with both your sisters and basketball.”

“…!”

Karin’s face flushed red.

Her pupils dilated, her brow furrowed, and she looked utterly furious.

“You sure talk big for someone who’s still so distant and couldn’t even handle a short sprint.”

Her words were sharp.

She wasn’t wrong—I was no good at sports or social interactions.

Even so—

“I’ll say it anyway. Because the truth is, you’re the one who’s not seeing things clearly.”

“…How arrogant.”

The tension in the air grew thick.

“Can’t you trust me on this?”

“You seriously think I’d believe someone who can’t beat me in anything?”

“…Alright.”

Karin was an athlete and had a results-oriented mindset.

That meant the best way to get her to understand my point was to show her results.

“I can beat you.”

“…What?”

“I may be a total beginner at basketball, but even I can stop your dribble.”

“…There are jokes that just aren’t funny, you know.”

“I’m not joking.”

“Then… can you actually prove it?”

“I can.”

“…Are you serious?”

There was no turning back now.

Which meant—

“Yes. So if I manage to stop you, you have to listen to what I have to say, alright?”

And just like that, a battle of pride between me and Karin began.

“After talking such a big game, you’re not gonna back out now, are you?”

We were in the gym, with the basketball hoop behind me.

Standing in front of me was Karin, dressed in her basketball uniform—shorts and a T-shirt.

“Of course not. I won’t run away.”

I, on the other hand, was wearing my usual P.E. tracksuit.

“I’ll give you credit for your guts, at least. Here.”

Without warning, Karin tossed the basketball at me.

“Guh—!”

“Huh!?”

It hit me square in the chest.

I gasped, collapsing on the spot, writhing in pain.

“Wait, are you okay!?”

Karin hurried over, looking genuinely flustered.

“Guh… Haa… Haa… K-Karin, this is basketball, not dodgeball…!”

I was here to play basketball, not get knocked out.

“T-That wasn’t my intention! It was just a normal pass!”

“There’s no way a pass should feel like getting stabbed in the chest at high speed!”

“A chest pass is a basic move in basketball! And I threw it way softer than usual!”

“Wait… Does that mean I’m just that unathletic?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what it means!”

…Ah.

I knew I was bad at sports, but this was worse than I thought.

“…Let’s just stop. This is getting sad.”

“Eh…? Are you… worried about me?”

My heart just skipped a beat.

“Of course I am! I can’t play with someone who collapses from a simple pass!”

“You’re so kind…”

“That’s just a normal reaction!”

But if we stopped now, I wouldn’t accomplish my goal.

I grabbed the basketball rolling on the court and stood up.

“No. Karin, we have to do this properly.”

“Ugh, fine. But why are you so obsessed with this?”

The answer was obvious.

“Because it’s about you, Karin.”

“…You’re so weird.”

Reluctantly, Karin stepped outside the semicircle on the court.

“Alright, fine. Not like this’ll even be a competition, but I’ll humor you.”

“Yes!”

“Now, pass me the ball.”

I attempted to imitate Karin’s movements and threw a pass.

“Here!”

Boing… Boing…

The ball bounced awkwardly and shot off in a completely different direction.

“…”

“…”

…This was embarrassing.

“…Basketball is harder than it looks.”

“…I’m not even gonna comment anymore.”

Karin sighed and went to retrieve the ball.

She really was kind.

“Alright. This time, we’ll actually do this properly.”

The atmosphere shifted.

“Alright.”

Thump, thump.

Karin began dribbling.

Her expression carried the same intensity as when she played in practice.

Her gaze was sharp—almost piercing.

“This is the end!”

With a sharp squeak from her sneakers, she accelerated forward.

Seeing it up close, she really was fast.

But—

“Take this!”

“…What!?”

I took a step forward before she could make her move, blocking her path.

Karin was visibly startled, freezing in place.

“Now’s my chance!”

“Wait—what!?”

Seeing her come to a stop, I lunged for the ball.

…However—

“Ouch!”

“Why are you diving into me!?”

Instead of stealing the ball, I ended up crashing straight into Karin’s chest.

Both of us lost our balance and tumbled onto the court.

“I mean… I didn’t expect to be stopped, so I froze up, but…”

Karin let out a sigh, her voice somewhat subdued.

“Does this mean I win?”

“Yeah… If I can’t even beat a total beginner, maybe I should just retire from basketball.”

Karin’s expression grew even more dejected.

But that wasn’t what I wanted to convey.

“You’re wrong, Karin.”

“…Huh?”

“Think about it. There’s no way someone as hopeless at sports as me could actually stop you.”

Which meant—there was something about her playstyle that made it too easy for me to do so.

“Then why…?”

“It’s your gaze.”

“My gaze?”

“Yes. You focus too much on the path ahead when trying to break past a defender.”

If someone knows exactly where you’re going, it’s not hard to react accordingly.

No matter how fast you are, if your movements are predictable, even someone as unathletic as me can manage to intercept you.

And for actual basketball players, it’s even easier.

“It’s really just that simple.”

“…That simple?”

“Yes. You just need to relax and take in the bigger picture.”

That alone would likely change her results significantly.

And honestly, this didn’t just apply to basketball.

“The same goes for your sisters.”

“This has nothing to do with basketball.”

“It’s the same concept. You assume from the start that your sisters ‘don’t recognize you as their equal,’ and that’s narrowing your perspective.”

“…”

“So instead of deciding that’s the case, why not try broadening your view? Just that alone might change everything.”

Karin had incredible focus.

But that focus lacked flexibility.

If she could be more adaptable, not only would she improve at basketball, but her relationship with her sisters might improve as well.

“…Don’t act like you understand. You were just a stranger until recently.”

A beginner had no right to lecture her about basketball.

An outsider had no right to comment on her family.

That was the natural way of thinking.

But I—

“I do understand.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Unfortunately for her—

This was the one thing I could say with complete confidence.

“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Karin.”

“…!”

I didn’t know much about basketball.

I didn’t know much about human relationships either.

But I did know about Karin.

Because I had always been cheering for her.

“I-I’m not that simple, okay!?”

“Ah, um, right… Of course…”

That said, from her perspective, I was still just some random person who showed up out of nowhere.

There was no reason for her to take my words seriously—

“More importantly, why are you still on top of me!?”

“A-Ah! S-Sorry!”

I had been so caught up in convincing her that I hadn’t even realized the position we were in.

Flustered, I scrambled to get off of her as she pushed herself up from the court.

“…But maybe… I should try changing—at least a little.”

Her voice was so quiet that I almost doubted my ears.

Did she… actually take my words to heart?

“…The fact that I lost to you, Akari, is undeniable. So yeah, I’ll admit it.”

“K-Karin…”

“I mean, it’s not like I think everything you said was right—”

“You… just called me by my name for the first time…”

She had always referred to me as “you” until now…

“Wait, that’s what you’re focusing on!?”

“I’m deeply moved.”

Huh? Why did my cheeks feel damp…?

“Are you seriously crying!?”

“Sniff… The power of sports is truly remarkable.”

“I won’t argue with that, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how it’s supposed to work!”

Just by playing a bit of basketball, I got Karin to call me by my name for the first time.

Sports really are amazing.