I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 77
Mmm…
In the end, I just let myself be comforted by Karin for the rest of our time together.
I felt bad—she had gone out of her way to make time for me…
But she simply smiled and said:
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I like spending time with this kind of Akari too.”
She’s too kind…
So kind, in fact, that it makes me wonder if it’s really okay to keep relying on her one-sided kindness like this.
What should I even do…?
I still couldn’t find the answer.
After parting ways with Karin, I wandered down the hallway—
“There you are, Akari-chan. I’ve found you~”
Hiyori greeted me with a soft smile, as gentle as ever.
She floated over beside me like a warm breeze.
“Fufufu, it’s my turn now, isn’t it?”
“Ah—y-yes. Please take care of me.”
“Come, come~ Shall we be off?”
“Um… where are we going?”
She pointed out the window, toward the front of the school gates.
A row of tents had been set up, and crowds of people were bustling about.
“Let’s go visit the food stalls.”
It was pretty packed, but… I braced myself and followed Hiyori outside.
The sky was a flawless blue, and the sun was shining brilliantly.
It was, admittedly, the perfect day to be outside.
“Now then, Akari-chan. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“Eh? Me?”
Beneath the tents, different classes had set up all sorts of food booths.
Students were everywhere, as were guests attending the culture festival.
The whole scene was overwhelming…
“It’s still before lunch, so I’m not particularly hungry yet…”
“Oh, is that so? Then something light—maybe a snack or dessert would be better?”
She gently touched her chin and tilted her head, clearly pondering.
Even that small gesture was adorable.
“Let’s go with that one, then.”
Without much say in the matter, I followed where Hiyori led.
“…A crepe stand?”
“Yes, doesn’t that sound perfect?”
Well, compared to something heavy like grilled meat, it was a better option.
“Which one would you like, Akari-chan?”
The menu listed various crepes—whipped cream, chocolate chips, bananas, strawberries…
All the classics were there.
“Um… I guess I’ll go with strawberry.”
“Oh? You like strawberries?”
“Eh—well, yeah, I suppose I do…”
“How cute.”
W-What is…?
I had no idea what she meant, but before I could ask, Hiyori was already placing our order.
Once we received the food, she guided me to a quiet eating area, away from the crowds.
There were a few white chairs and tables set up—we took a seat.
“Um, Hiyori-san? You’re not getting anything?”
“Hmm? Ahaha, no, I’m good.”
So… I’m the only one eating?
“Here you go, Akari-chan.”
“…Ah, thank you.”
She lifted the crepe and held it up to my mouth.
Realizing I was supposed to eat it myself, I reached out to take it—
“Nope.”
Pat.
With her free hand, Hiyori lightly smacked mine away.
It didn’t hurt, but… huh?
“Hiyori-san…?”
“Eat it just like this, okay?”
“…Eh?”
“Just open up and say ‘ahh~’ for me.”
It was her signature move.
The infamous “Aahhn” feeding technique…
But this was the one boundary I’d always managed to avoid—until now.
“U-Um, that’s a little…”
“You don’t want to?”
“Eh—n-no, it’s just… that’s a bit much for me…”
“…I see.”
Her shoulders slumped, her smile dimming.
It hurt, but I just didn’t have the courage to accept that level of intimacy…
“Sigh… Since Akari-chan is being so cold, maybe this will help soothe the mood…”
She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through something.
“Um… Hiyori-san?”
“…Would you like to see?”
“Eh? Um…”
“Curious how I heal my wounded heart?”
…The fact that I’m the one who wounded it is eating away at me, but I am curious about what brings Hiyori-san comfort.
“Yes, I’d like to know.”
“Is that so? Then you get a special peek.”
She turned her phone toward me.
And what appeared on the screen was…
A gloomy-looking girl in a maid outfit, frozen in a pose that looked halfway between forming a heart and raising her fists in defeat.
“…That’s me, isn’t it!?”
“Mhm. Isn’t it a great photo?”
“You took it without asking! That’s basically spying!!”
“Ahh… so precious…”
Ignoring my protest, Hiyori gazed dreamily at the photo again.
I felt like she skipped over something really important there—but there were more pressing issues at hand.
“P-Please delete it!”
“Oh my… would you take away the very thing that soothes my broken heart, Akari-chan?”
“That doesn’t count as comfort!”
“So cruel… After all the pain you’ve caused me, now you want to take away my healing too… sniff sniff…”
Her usual tearless crying act was in full force.
“It doesn’t make sense! If I’m the one who hurt you, how am I also your comfort!?”
“Because there are nutrients I can only absorb from you, Akari-chan.”
She said it with a straight face.
A very weird straight face.
But her behavior only escalated from there.
“Haa… haa… Maybe it’s a sin to keep all this healing just to myself.”
She started breathing heavily while staring at her phone.
“If I don’t share it with the world, it might violate antitrust laws…”
She was just spewing nonsense now.
“W-What do you mean, share!? You’re not planning to post that online, are you!?”
“Spreading goodness is a virtue. That’s how I’ll truly find inner peace.”
I—I don’t even know where to start with that one!!
But…
“If I stop hurting you, then you’ll stop, right!? You won’t need healing anymore!?”
“Oh my… and what exactly do you mean?”
The reason this all started in the first place—
“I-I want to eat the crepe… with the aahhn… from Hiyori-san!”
“Ara ara… you finally understand, Akari-chan.”
I felt like I’d just been emotionally blackmailed.
But at this point… there was no other way out.
“Here you go~”
She held out the crepe.
I leaned in and took a bite directly from her hand—
The soft crepe, the smooth sweetness of the whipped cream, and the tart strawberries blended perfectly in my mouth.
“How is it?”
“…It’s delicious.”
Utterly humiliating—but the crepe really was delicious.
At least for now, the situation was under control.
“Oh my, Akari-chan? You’ve got a little cream on your cheek.”
“W-Wait, Hiyori-san!?”
She leaned in suddenly—way too close—
And then I felt a light, soft touch on my cheek… and a faint dampness.
She pulled back, licked her lips, and gave me a playful smile.
“Mmm~ Sweet♡”
“…HIIIIIEHH!?”
Wh-What did she just—!?
“Ahh… I’m full now. That crepe was more than enough for me.”
Hiyori-san looked very satisfied.
Was that her plan all along!? Is that why she only bought one crepe!?
No… no way. She wouldn’t…
…Would she?
After that, she handed me the rest, and I quietly nibbled away at it.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how she kept watching me the whole time…
◇◇◇
“…All done.”
“Perfect timing~ Shall we head back to class?”
We stood and began walking side by side toward the classroom.
“Fufufu… Who knows how much longer we can keep doing things like this?”
“Uh… what?”
Her sudden comment caught me off guard.
“If you ever choose someone, Akari-chan… we won’t be able to act like this anymore. We don’t know when the last time will be, so I wanted to make the most of now.”
“Ah… I…”
She was still smiling, but there was a quiet sadness behind it.
I couldn’t think of a proper reply.
“I’m sorry—I’m not trying to pressure you. I just wanted you to know… I do have a reason for being a little pushy.”
“Y-Yeah…”
She was right.
For Hiyori, this wasn’t a carefree situation. She had competition.
Because I couldn’t make up my mind, everyone else was forced to wait.
And despite those difficult feelings, she still smiled at me like this.
I should be more grateful than I am.
“It’s okay. Just follow your heart, Akari-chan. Even if the person you choose… isn’t me. I still want to stay close to you. That’s what matters most.”
“…I’ll… I’ll give you an answer. I promise.”
That was the best I could manage right now.
It wasn’t enough, I knew that—
But it was the most honest thing I could give her in this moment.
“Of course, if you do choose me, I’ll welcome you with open arms~ So don’t be shy, okay, Akari-chan?”
She smiled brightly as we walked together.
And the quiet certainty in her voice left a burning ache in my chest.
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