I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 70

The next morning.

I left the house earlier than anyone else.

“This is… terrifying. None of them were smiling with their eyes…”

The atmosphere in the living room had been the complete opposite of a fresh, breezy morning.
There was this smoldering tension—like everyone was just waiting for the signal to strike.

Honestly, it felt like the Tsukimori sisters were all poised to make their next move.

…Which is probably my fault.

But that’s exactly why I couldn’t take it anymore—I had to escape.

“Never thought I’d be the kind of person who willingly goes to school early…”

Up until now, school had always felt like a foreign battlefield—completely out of my comfort zone.

And yet here I am, seeking refuge there.
Life is strange, isn’t it?

◇◇◇

“Seriously though, isn’t this kinda unfair?”

“Eh…?”

As soon as I sat down at my desk, a voice—sharp and tinged with irritation—called out from in front of me.

It was Saezuki Satsuki-san, and she did not sound happy.

Did I do something to upset her first thing in the morning…?

“I’m talking about those three sisters. You all live together, don’t you? That puts me at a major disadvantage!”

Saezuki-san spat the words like they left a bad taste in her mouth.

Uh, well… It’s not exactly as simple as it sounds.

“Living together comes with its own challenges, you know…”

Just being under the same roof as my crushes was already enough to make my heart race—and ever since yesterday, they’ve all been acting extra bold.

At this rate, I’m genuinely worried my heart might just burst.

“Oh, sure. You’re probably just sitting around thinking about those three Tsukimori idiots all day, aren’t you?!”

She bared her metaphorical fangs at me, clearly displeased with my answer.

Also… please don’t call them “idiots”…

“N-No, that’s not it at all!”

What even is the right answer here!?

I just want to keep the peace…

Is there anywhere I can go that feels safe!?

“…Then make time for me too.”

She suddenly turned away, voice dropping to a mutter.

The drastic mood swing nearly gave me whiplash.

“Time… for what exactly?”

“After school. You’re not doing anything, right?”

“Well, not really…”

“Then hang out with me.”

“…Eh?”

After school. Together. Just us?

“I get that you’re still unsure who to pick. But at the very least, you should spend time getting to know me, too. It’s not fair that they get all the chances.”

Saezuki-san let the words spill out in a rush, almost like she was trying to chase them out of her own chest.

“…Just the two of us?”

“Of course. It’d be awkward if anyone else came along.”

Just the two of us…
With the school’s most extroverted girl.

…Wait. Is this…

Am I having a high school debut moment!?

“…Ehehe.”

“What the heck are you laughing about all of a sudden?”

“S-Sorry. I just couldn’t help it when I imagined it.”

Looks like the day I graduate from being a total introvert… has finally arrived.

“…Wait. You’re smiling that much? Is it really that exciting…?”

Saezuki-san tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

“Yes. I think it is.”

With the Tsukimori sisters, there’s always been a familial bond—however complicated—between us.
But Saezuki-san is different. She’s the first person I’ve truly connected with from scratch, without any pre-existing ties.

The thought of spending time with someone like that—of forming something new from nothing—made me smile before I even realized it.

“T-Then… after school, wait for me in the classroom, okay?”

“Understood.”

Truly… you never know what life has in store, do you?

◇◇◇

After school.

Karin-san had to report to her club as punishment for skipping yesterday.

Hiyori-san had to go shopping for some seasonings they’d run out of at home.

And Chiya-san had student council duties with the cultural festival coming up.

One after another, they all left the classroom right away.

The other students were also scattering off to their various after-school activities, and yet…

“Heh…”

Today, I was different.

Up until now, I was the classic “go-home club” loner, slipping out of school before anyone noticed. But not today.

No more gloomy after-school solitude for me.

“Sorry, did you wait long?”

Saezuki-san appeared at the classroom door.

“No, not at all. What about your friends?”

She usually hung out with her sunny group of extroverts. Seeing her alone like this was rare.

“I told them I had plans, so they went ahead without me.”

“You didn’t want to go with them?”

If it was just about hanging out with me, she could’ve rescheduled.

“They were going to hit a café or karaoke anyway. Missing one day isn’t a big deal.”

She waved a hand as if to say “whatever,” her tone a little bored, a little tired.

“…I’ve never done anything like that, not even once a year.”

The way she brushed it off so casually only reminded me how different our worlds were.

I could feel my stomach start to ache.

“If you wanna go, I mean… we could go together sometime…”

“E-Eh?! That’s impossible!”

Saezuki-san suddenly turned a bit shy as she made the offer, but please—don’t say things like that so easily!

“What kind of emotional rollercoaster are you on!?”

And there it is—the bite comes right back.

“Places like cafés are drenched in extrovert energy. It’s overwhelming. And karaoke? I have no idea what I’d even sing.”

“…Then just pick a quiet place and sing something you like?”

“Then I’d be more worried about the staff hearing me. What if they realize I’m tone-deaf?”

“You’re exhausting!!”

Saezuki-san ruffled her hair in frustration.

Yes… this is the true nature of an introvert: socially incompatible.

“I was foolish to even think I could graduate from introvert status…”

The light only sharpens the shadows.
The more the sun shines, the darker and deeper the shade becomes.

“Alright, alright! I’ll just take you somewhere even you can handle, okay!?”

“Wait—there’s a place like that?”

“There is. Now come on, let’s go!”

“Eh—waah!”

She grabbed my wrist and started leading me forward.

It seemed… she was going to show me the way.

“…Is your hand always this warm, Saezuki-san?”

Is her body temperature just naturally high? Or… maybe she’s coming down with a fever?

“Can you not kill the mood with that kind of comment!?”

Scolded again, I followed along as we left the school behind.

◇◇◇

Since she said we were going out to have fun, I assumed we were headed downtown.

But instead, Saezuki-san led me into a quiet residential area.

A row of houses and apartments. Hardly any shops around.

Honestly, considering how overwhelming downtown can be, this was kind of a relief.
Then again… there’s not much to do here either.

Maybe a park? That’d be nice.
Peaceful. Feels like my kind of place.

“This is it.”

Saezuki-san stopped walking, so I did too.

I followed her gaze and tilted my head.

“…Um, Saezuki-san? This is…?”

A high-rise apartment building, all glass and concrete.

There wasn’t a playground in sight.

“…This is an apartment.”

“We’re gonna… play at the apartment?”

“It’s my place, obviously.”

“Your house!?”

“What, something wrong with that? It’s not like you’ll feel uncomfortable there, right?”

“U-Uhh… I-I guess…?”

First time hanging out, and it’s at her home?

Is this… is this normal?

…I don’t know.
I’ve had so little social experience, I honestly have no idea.

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