I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 68

“…”

Despite all the commotion, dinner somehow managed to wrap up peacefully.

(For the record, the heart-shaped hamburg steak ended up being swapped with the round ones from Karin-san and Chiya-san. Apparently, it wasn’t okay for either of them to actually eat it. As for Hiyori-san, she just tilted her head slightly with a “…?”—less reactive than usual.)

Even though this was supposed to be just another ordinary evening, I couldn’t shake the weird feeling hanging in the air.

—Staaaaare

Maybe I was just being self-conscious… but I could feel their gazes piercing right through me.

They carried a kind of heat—like I could almost feel the temperature rising around me.

I mean, it’s not surprising, right? I am the girl that everyone here… supposedly likes…?

…Ugh.

Just thinking about it made my head feel like it was boiling over.

It made me all twitchy and fidgety, like I couldn’t handle the atmosphere in the room.
It’s hard to describe—it was just… a lot.

Normally, I’d spend a little more time chatting with everyone after dinner, but tonight, that felt impossible.

At this point, I had no choice but to escape.

“Um—I-I’m gonna go take a bath now, okay~?”

It was such a normal thing to say, and yet my voice cracked embarrassingly.

Maybe I was just too aware of everything right now.

With hurried steps, I fled the living room.

◇◇◇

“Phew…”

In the bathroom, I sat on the stool and let the warm water from the shower run over my head.

I could’ve holed up in my room, sure. But the three sisters’ bedrooms are all upstairs too, and just knowing they were nearby—possibly able to hear anything—would have made me overthink everything.

Right now, I needed the sound of running water and a little solitude.
The bath might be the only place I could truly be alone with my thoughts.

—Shhhhhhh

As the warm water soaked my body, the tension finally began to melt away—just a little.

—Rattle, rattle

“…Rattle?”

I thought I heard an odd sound. Still dripping wet, I cautiously cracked open one eye.

“Shall I wash your back for you~?”

“—Wha!?”

All the tension that had started to fade away snapped right back—and even more tightly than before.

Because the scene in front of me was just too… insane.

“H-H-Hiyori-san!?”

There she was—Hiyori-san, standing there with nothing but a bath towel wrapped around her.

Nothing vital was exposed, technically… but that towel left nothing to the imagination.
Her curves were on full display, her full chest and round hips all connected by that impossibly slender waist.

Her skin was smooth and pale like porcelain, looking like it would repel even water, and yet still had just enough softness to seem real…

No—no no no! What am I even staring at!?

“Yes, it’s Hiyori-chan~”

…Did she just refer to herself in third person with chan?

No—focus! That’s not the issue right now!

Get it together, Akari!

…

Okay, no. There’s no way I can stay calm in this situation!

“What are you even doing in here!?”

“Well, I came to wash your back, of course.”

“This is a bathroom!”

“Yes, which is why I’m here to wash your back?”

No, no, no! That’s not the point at all!

“Please just get out!!”

“Oh my… have I been rejected?”

No, that’s not it! That’s not what I meant!

“I’m the only one completely exposed right now!!”

Sure, I was curled up while sitting, arms wrapped around myself, so nothing important was showing…

But Hiyori-san still had a towel. I, on the other hand, was completely naked!

Honestly… this is just way too embarrassing.

“I see… so that’s what this was about,”
Hiyori-san nodded, as if everything suddenly made sense.

Um, no. I really just want you to leave.

“So Akari-chan wanted some good old-fashioned naked bonding, is that it~?”

What does that even mean!?
As she spoke, Hiyori-san placed her hand on the knot of her towel.

“What are you doing!?”

“Well, if I bare everything too, you won’t feel embarrassed anymore, right?”

WHAT IS THIS WOMAN EVEN SAYINGGGG!?

“Come now, when bodies are bare, hearts open up too. It’s the best way to say the things we normally can’t.”

It’s the opposite, actually!!

Right now, both physically and emotionally, I’m trying to fortify my defenses as much as humanly possible!!

—rustle…

Ahhhh, I can hear the fabric slipping!!

“And what exactly do you think you’re doing, Hiyori?”

A voice so cold it felt sub-zero echoed from behind.

In a room that was supposed to be warm, the air seemed to freeze over.

“…Oh, Chiya-chan.”

Even Hiyori-san, usually unshakable, stiffened at the sound of her voice.

“I don’t recall any rule about sisters bathing together.”

Chiya-san stepped in and tightly re-secured the towel that had started to slip off Hiyori-san.

“There’s no rule against it either, is there?”

“…Hiyori?”

“And Akari-chan seemed tired, so I thought I’d help her relax~”

“Hiyori. I will get angry.”

“…Just kidding.”

Sensing Chiya-san’s pressure and the shift in the mood, Hiyori-san quickly backed off with her usual smile and turned to leave the bathroom.

But just as she passed by…

“Also… I couldn’t help but notice you’ve put on a little weight around your waist lately.”

“…Ufufu, how mean, Chiya-chan. But unless I’ve taken off this towel, you couldn’t possibly confirm that, could you?”

“The fact that it’s visible through the towel just means it’s that excessive.”

“…”

Wait, is this… are they fighting?

The atmosphere is terrifyingly tense right now.

“Oh, I see. Compared to someone like you, Chiya-chan—who has no meat on her waist, chest, or hips—there’s really nothing I can say, is there~?”

…Did she just throw shade by saying she’s got a more feminine figure?

“…Karin has even less than me.”

THAT WAS A CONFIRMATION!?

You’re agreeing with that, Chiya-san!?

“Anyway, get out, Hiyori.”

“Yes, yes… I understand~”

Pat pat pat
Hiyori-san’s footsteps faded into the distance.

T-Thank goodness…

I’ve narrowly avoided being dragged into some weird “naked bonding” situation…

“Um, Chiya-san?”

W-Why isn’t she closing the door?

In fact—why is she staring so intensely this way!?

I-I want the door shut, but I can’t stand up or everything will be exposed, so I literally can’t move from here…

“…I won’t wash your back, but I wouldn’t mind washing your hair.”

WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT!?

“Chiya-chan~? I’m going to get very upset, you know?”

A voice drifted in from behind Chiya-san—it was Hiyori-san, who had supposedly left.

Had she been watching the whole time…?

These sisters really do read each other’s minds.

“…Just kidding.”

“Oh, of course! You wouldn’t dare try something behind my back, would you?”

Their back-and-forth started up again like it always did…

“U-Um…”

“Yes, Akari?”
“What is it, Akari-chan~?”

They both tilted their heads, clueless.

“Can you please just CLOSE THE DOOR!?”

How long is this going to stay wide open!?

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