I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 71

“This is it.”

Saezuki Satsuki-san’s home turned out to be a high-rise apartment building.

And not just any floor—it was pretty high up. Looking out the window, I could easily see the rooftops of houses far below.

Whoa… it’s really high up, I thought, with the most generic reaction imaginable as I followed her into the apartment.

I bowed slightly as I stepped through the door.

“Th-thank you for having me…”

And then, a strange thought popped into my head.

If I met her parents right now… wouldn’t they be surprised to see me?

They’re probably used to seeing her with fellow extroverts—bright, bubbly types.
If their daughter suddenly brought home someone like me, wouldn’t they start worrying something was wrong?

The image flashed across my mind, and I started glancing nervously around.

“Ah, don’t worry. Um… My parents aren’t home right now.”

For some reason, Saezuki-san seemed unusually fidgety as she said this.

Her behavior made something click in my mind.

“…You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Wha—what are you saying all of a sudden!?”

“You deliberately chose a time when your parents wouldn’t be home, didn’t you?”

“N-no! I mean… it’s just a coincidence…”

“There’s no way it’s just a coincidence! Come clean, Saezuki-san!”

As I leaned in, she started mumbling, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Eventually, she dropped her head, defeated.

“…I planned it.”

As I thought—this was a premeditated setup.

“Saezuki-san, that’s kind of mean…”

“Wait, what?”

“Just because I’m an introvert and not someone you’d want to show off, doesn’t mean you have to avoid introducing me to your parents…”

Even if I’m bad with people, it still hurts to be dodged like that, you know?

…Not that I wanted to meet them or anything!!

God, I’m such a handful, even for myself.

“That’s not it at all!!”

She practically shouted back.

Why…?

“I mean, it’s not like you avoided introducing me because it would look like you got kicked out of your friend group for hanging out with someone like me, right?”

“What do you think you are, exactly…?”

“You haven’t offered a clear denial, you know?”

She might be denying it vaguely, but she hasn’t given an actual reason.

“I-It’s not like that, I just—”

“See? The way you’re trailing off proves I’m right. Just admit it already.”

I acted all triumphant, but this was… kind of a sad win, actually.

Saezuki-san groaned, then suddenly looked up with wide eyes, her voice rising.

“If it’s the first time I get to hang out with the person I like, I want it to just be the two of us, okay!?”

“—!!”

B-B-Bomb dropped!!

Her cheeks flushed bright red, her breath heavy and fast.

I had no idea what to do, so I just flailed my hands awkwardly in the air.

“D-Don’t make me say it again… It’s embarrassing…”

“S-Sorry…”

We both stared down at the floor, unable to make eye contact.

R-Right. That’s how she sees me.

I’m someone she likes.

“I know you tend to look down on yourself, Hanano—but I don’t see you that way. So don’t forget that.”

“Y-Yes ma’am…”

I-I don’t understand any of this.

I’ve never been in this kind of situation.
What am I supposed to do?

I’m melting…

◇◇◇

“Come on, get in already.”

“Ah—excuse me…”

Well, we couldn’t just keep standing at the entrance forever.

She led me into her room.

“…O-oh.”

“D-Don’t stare too much!”

Kind of hard not to, you know?

Her room was a bit of a surprise.

Muted off-whites, soft pink accents, and lots of cute touches.
A bunch of stuffed animals were scattered around, adding an almost fairy-tale vibe to it all.

“Contrary to your usual spiky attitude, you live in a world of pure cuteness inside your heart, don’t you?”

“You really know how to pick the most annoying way to say things!! Just say it’s cute like a normal person!!”

…She’s mad again.

That’s the Saezuki-san I know.

“Want something to drink? I’ve got a few things.”

“…Eh?”

She must have been trying to change the mood—offering hospitality in the form of drinks.

But… what’s the right way to respond in a situation like this?

I mean, I’m the guest here. Asking for a drink on top of that feels a little… rude?

“No need to fuss over me, I’ll be heading home soon anyway.”

“You’re leaving already!?”

…Oops. That was the wrong answer.

When I sheepishly admitted I liked fizzy drinks, she immediately shot back with, “That’s what you’re supposed to say!” and brought out some orange soda along with some sweet snacks.

Huh… maybe it’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes.
Perhaps that famous Japanese modesty isn’t always the right move…

—glug glug
The fizz danced down my throat, popping pleasantly.

Tasty.

As I lowered my glass, I realized Saezuki-san was looking right at me.

Well… of course she was. It’s just the two of us.

But somehow, it felt new. A little strange, a little fresh.

“What’s going through your head?”

Almost like she saw right through me, Saezuki-san asked.

“I was just thinking… I never imagined I’d get to spend this kind of personal time with you.”

The words slipped out, full of quiet wonder.

“…I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

She gave a soft snort through her nose, as if brushing it off—but there was a faint blush on her face.

“Really?”

“You probably never noticed because you’re dense, but I’ve been thinking about you for quite a while now.”

Hearing her say it so directly made me incredibly self-conscious.

“Since when…?”

“Well… since spring of our first year, I guess…”

Wait, that’s almost right after we met, isn’t it!?

“I-I see…”

“Yeah, well…”

“…Heh.”

“…Mmh.”

I have no idea what kind of face I’m supposed to make right now.

This awkward silence, the weird tension in the air—it’s not like being alone. It’s not exactly uncomfortable, either… Just… new.

I took another drink to fill the silence.

—“Gahk!!”

Oh right. It’s soda.

I tried to chug it all at once and ended up choking.

“What are you doing!?”

“S-Sorry…”

Without hesitation, Saezuki-san pulled out a handkerchief (super high feminine points) and began dabbing the soda I coughed out.

“You got it on your uniform—this kind of stain’s a pain to get out, you know.”

“I have no excuse.”

“You even got it here—jeez…”

As she wiped down my front, her hand naturally drifted higher… under the hem of my blazer.

“…Ah.”

“What do you mean ‘ah’—I’m trying to help here.”

“Ah, no, it’s just… that’s, uh… my chest…”

“…Wh-what!?”

Of course, her hand had ended up right at my chest.

It’s not like she groped me or anything, but still… that was… you know?

“S-SORRY!!”

She yanked her hand away and practically leapt back.

“N-No, it’s okay. We’re both girls, so it’s not a big deal…”

But… considering that Saezuki-san likes me…

When it’s like that, do the usual rules even apply?

I honestly have no idea. It’s completely outside my range of experience.

“Wait… so you’re saying it’s fine?”

She latched onto my response with suspicious enthusiasm.

“U-Um, well, when you put it that way…”

“So like, you wouldn’t mind if I touched you?”

Why is she getting so into this!?

“Uhh, no, when you ask it like that—it does feel weird…”

“Exactly! It’s fine! Because we’re both girls! We’re girls, so it doesn’t count!! Right!?”

Ahh… I see now.

Watching her, red-faced and practically hyperventilating, I realized—

For Saezuki-san, physical touch might mean something far more serious than it does to me.

This is… definitely not a good situation.

Support