I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 54

“Akari~? We’re heading to the gym next.”

“Oh—ah, right.”

It was break time, and the next class was P.E., so we needed to move to the gym.

Karin had kindly called out to remind me.

With a small grunt of effort, I lifted my reluctant body out of my seat.

“Mufufu~”

“…?”

Right beside me, Karin flashed a bright, toothy smile, standing there cheerfully.

She continued to stand at my side, watching me.

“Um… Karin-san? What’s going on?”

“Well, we have to change classrooms, right? I figured we could walk there together.”

“Oh.”

I see…

At home, we’re often together, but at school, we usually go our separate ways.
But now, thanks to the sports festival, she’s even showing kindness during class transitions.

“What’s with the look? Come on, let’s go!”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

I waved my hands and gestured for her to go on ahead.

“Huh? Do you have something else to do?”

“Not really. I just… I’ll go by myself.”

“What kind of play is this?”

She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

It seemed she had no idea what I was trying to say.

And yes… I realize I do sound strange.

“It’s not a ‘play’ or anything like that. It’s just… walking with me will make you stand out. People will stare.”

Understanding clicked quickly for Karin. She reached out and gently pressed her finger against my chest.

“You know, worrying about that stuff isn’t worth it. Choosing to be alone just because you’re worried what others will think—that’s kinda messed up, don’t you think?”

I get what she means. I really do…

But this isn’t so much about other people. It’s more about how I feel.

“It just makes me nervous… when people look at me.”

“…So, basically, you don’t want to walk with me.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to! I just thought… maybe it’s better to keep our distance at school.”

“Hmm.”

Karin let out a soft sigh, her lips pouting slightly.

“Well, I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, so… whatever.”

“R-Right…”

“Guess I’ll head out first.”

“Um… sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. See you in P.E.”

She left the classroom with her hands behind her head, sighing as she went.

I really did appreciate it… which is why I felt kind of bad.
There was a strange knot in my chest.

◇◇◇

“Akari, lunchtime~!”

“Whoa—y-yes!”

As I was opening my lunch alone at my desk, Hiyori called out to me.

She had her own bento in hand.

“Um…?”

“Shall we eat together?”

She held her lunch up near her cheek and tilted her head. Her sweet voice and the little “let’s eat” pose were adorable.

“Ah—wait, that’s…”

“Hm? Is something wrong?”

Hiyori looked at me, puzzled, tilting her head.

But I was just as confused.

During the sports festival, we had lunch together in the courtyard, away from prying eyes. That was fine—it was a special occasion, and the location was discreet.

But eating together in a classroom full of classmates?
That was… a different story.

“Um… shouldn’t you be eating with your usual group?”

Hiyori had her own circle of friends. She usually ate with them.

Suddenly switching up her routine might not go unnoticed.

“Once in a while should be fine, don’t you think?”

“N-No, it’s really not!”

“Oh my…”

She blinked a few times in surprise.

Her thick eyelashes fluttered like those of a doll. But still—she clearly didn’t understand what I was trying to say.

“Girls’ social dynamics are really delicate, you know? If you do something like this, it could upset your group. They might form a clique and push you out!”

“…And you’re the one giving me that advice, Akari?”

—Stab.

Hiyori said it with a soft, almost apologetic smile, but the impact was sharp.

It pierced right through my chest.

She was right, of course.
A loner like me lecturing the school idol on social relationships? Completely absurd.

It’s like… me trying to teach Karin how to play basketball.

Or teaching Hiyori how to cook.

Or giving Chiya study advice.

That’s the level of absurdity I just committed.

“A-Anyway! It’s not a good idea!”

“Well, if something does happen, I could always just start eating lunch with you instead, Akari.”

Ufufu, Hiyori let out her signature elegant giggle.

Graceful and composed as ever, with a flexibility that could only come from someone as poised as her.

She was not going to be swayed easily.

“Ggh…!”

“Akari? Are you okay?”

Seeing me suddenly clutch my stomach and groan, Hiyori looked at me in alarm.

“S-Stomach ache…”

“Oh dear, that’s not good. You should head to the nurse’s office—”

“No! This calls for a trip to the restroom first!”

“Ah, I… I see. That kind of stomach issue, then?”

The way she said it could’ve meant anything, but the urgency in my tone seemed to get the point across.

Of course, I wasn’t actually in pain—it was just an excuse. A performance.

“It might take a while, so please go ahead and eat with your usual friends!”

I bent forward, squinting my eyes in mock agony as I relayed my message.

“T-Thank you for being so thoughtful… but are you sure you’ll be okay on your own, in that state?”

Uh-oh.

I might have overacted. Now she was really worried.

That’s not good.

“No worries! Once I get there, I’ll feel totally better! So, I’ll excuse myself now!”

“R-Right…”

Before she could ask anything else, I bolted from the scene like a startled rabbit.

“She looked like she was in so much pain, but she ran off surprisingly fast…”

I heard her voice behind me as I fled, and her comment nearly gave me cold sweats.

Let’s keep that little acting slip between us, okay?

◇◇◇

“…Sigh.”

I’d managed to escape the situation—but now that I’d claimed I needed the restroom, I had to at least appear to follow through.

So I sat down on the toilet.

Don’t worry—I’m still fully dressed.

I didn’t plan to do anything, so I stayed in my uniform.
Let’s not go imagining anything weird, okay?

…I’m not sure who I’m saying this to.
There’s not a soul who’d be interested in what I’m doing in here.

“Anyway, setting that aside.”

The truth is, I felt completely fine.

I had nothing to do while I sat there, though.

How long should I stay in here to make it look believable?

…Maybe at least ten minutes?

I started thinking about that sort of pointless, unanswerable question.

“Hey, did you see that girl—Akari Hanano, I think? You know, the one from the sports festival?”

Suddenly, someone else entered the restroom, chatting with a friend—and they mentioned my name.

I froze behind the door, instinctively holding my breath.

“Oh yeah, the one who was with the Tsukimori sisters? That was kinda weird, right?”

And just like that, the rumors had begun.

Even though I felt guilty… I couldn’t help but listen in.

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