I Confessed to the Three Beautiful Sisters at School and Got Rejected, but After I Became their Stepsister, They Started Doting On Me - Chapter 78

“W-Welcome back… m-milady…”

The afternoon shift had begun, and I was once again thrust into the suffering known as maid café duty.

As I was guiding two guests to their seats—

“Uh… is it just me, or is this girl’s service kinda off?”

“Yeah, she seems less friendly than the others…”

—Zing.

Their whispered comments hit like a dagger, cold sweat creeping down my spine.

“Oh, maybe it’s like… part of the act? Like, salty service?”

“Ahh, I see. That makes sense. She’s probably doing it intentionally to stand out in a café full of high-level maids.”

“And when you look at it that way, she really does seem like she’s pretending to be all timid. Good performance.”

“I kinda like it, honestly.”

…No, I was trying to be friendly!

I was offering sweetness, but it somehow came out tasting like salt…

Trying not to stand out in a crowd of sparkling stars only made me stand out more—for all the wrong reasons.

And so I silently endured this endless dilemma…

◇◇◇

“You did well.”

“Ah—Chiya-san…”

I’d just been released from my shift when she approached me.

“That must’ve been exhausting, doing something you’re not used to.”

“…Yeah. It really was.”

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to customer service.
Maybe I should rethink my future career path…

“Would you mind accompanying me for a bit?”

“Of course. I’d be happy to.”

I was scheduled to spend the afternoon with Chiya-san.

She took the lead, and I followed.

“Though really, all I’m doing is making rounds to check on the festival. I’d like your help with that.”

“Understood. I’ll assist however I can.”

Being student council president must be exhausting.
Even her “free time” wasn’t free at all.

“It’s not exactly fun, so I’m sorry to make you spend your festival like this.”

“No, not at all! I’m honestly just happy to be with you, Chiya-san.”

Compared to spending the school festival alone like I used to…
This was a dream.

“…”

“Chiya-san?”

Her silence made me nervous.
Did I say something wrong?

“You ought to be a bit more careful with your words.”

Did… did I step on some kind of landmine!?

I quickly bowed in apology.

“I’m sorry!”

“No need to apologize. I didn’t mean it like that…”

Even so, the mood turned oddly stiff as we resumed walking.

We made our way from classroom to classroom as Chiya meticulously observed the festival events and helped keep things running smoothly.

I watched from a step behind as she went about her duties with practiced precision.

Chiya-san was always composed, but during student council business, that composure sharpened into something even more commanding.

She gave advice to students, responded to concerns, and issued instructions to fellow council members.

It took a full lap around the school, and she stopped many times to speak with people.

“Phew… That’s enough for now, I think.”

After circling the entire school, she finally called for a short break.

We sat down together on a bench in the courtyard.

“Thank you for your hard work. Um… here, if you’d like this.”

I held out a can of café au lait I’d bought from a vending machine.

“For me?”

“Yes. You looked tired, so… I thought you could use some sugar.”

She popped the tab open, took a few sips, then pulled it from her lips.

“…Did I end up just dragging you around and making you babysit me?”

“Not at all!”

“Watching me do nothing but student council work must’ve been boring, right?”

“Not at all! I got to see the cool, capable Chiya-san in full student council mode. I’m totally satisfied.”

After all, I rarely ever get to see her in action like that.

She makes the most difficult tasks look effortless. How could I not admire her?

“The way you said that… makes it sound like I’m not cool when I’m at home.”

Oh—uh oh.

Is Chiya-san having a slightly negative day today?

“No, no, that’s not what I meant! It’s just… maybe the ‘at-home’ version of you has become more real to me now. Seeing you at school like this feels kind of… fresh.”

If I was surprised by how unfamiliar her student council self-felt, maybe it meant that to me, she was no longer just a school figure.

She’d become someone personal. Someone who belonged more in my world outside of school.

That realization hit me quietly, but deeply.

“That’s natural. We live together, after all. Your school image has mostly faded for me too.”

That… was an interesting thing to hear.

“Um… Chiya-san, what kind of image do you have of me now?”

I was genuinely curious.

Sure, I was a loner at school. But what was I like to her at home?

“…That’s not an easy question.”

She frowned slightly, her lips pursed in thought.

“Aw, no fair…”

“You haven’t exactly described me clearly either, have you?”

…She had a point.

I paused to think—really think about how I saw her.

“You’re like… a smart, dependable, kind big sister.”

Yeah, that felt right.

Now I kind of understood how Karin felt about her.

“…I see.”

Chiya nodded slowly, once, then again.

“Well then, since you’ve put it into words… it’s only fair that I show you mine.”

“Huh—wait, what do you—”

Suddenly, everything shifted.

My vision swayed—

“Eh…?”

—and I was wrapped in warmth.

A soft scent drifted into my nose—floral, slightly sweet. Dark, silky hair tickled my cheek.

Before I could even process what had happened, I realized—

Chiya-san was hugging me.

Gently, with her slender arms wrapped around me.

“…This is what I mean.”

She eventually pulled back and whispered that, almost to herself.

“W-What do you mean!? What was that!?”

I didn’t understand at all.

“I told you—you need to be more careful with your words.”

Because I said she was a kind, dependable big sister…?

But she asked me, didn’t she!?

“You’re someone who stirs my emotions so deeply, I can’t help but want to hold you.”

“E-Eh…”

So that’s what she meant when she said she couldn’t put it into words…

She expressed it through action instead.

And it was… extremely clear.
Too clear.
I had no idea how to respond.

“I’m not like Karin or Hiyori. I’m not good at expressing myself in direct words. I just… need you to understand that.”

She turned her face away, a faint pink blooming across her cheeks.

And as I looked at her profile, I felt something stir deep within me too—

A quiet tremor in my chest, as if my heart had been gently, irrevocably shaken.

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