While I Was Shutting in My Room for One Year, My Parent Remarried and Now I’m Living Together With Super Beautiful Stepsisters - Chapter 34-35

Chapter 34: The Swimsuit Proposal and the Sultry Childhood Friend

” ” “A spa resort?” ” ”

The three of them widened their eyes as they looked at the page I pointed to.

“Yeah. If it’s a resort hotel with a spa, there are places to stay active year-round like tennis courts or pools, so that answers Yuzuna’s request, and there’s also a hotel buffet, which answers Momiji’s request.”

“I see… but since it’s called a resort, it seems like it would be pretty expensive, right?”

“Anyway, Dad said anywhere is fine, so he’ll manage that somehow.”

I decided to make Dad pay for all the trouble he caused me by dumping things like his remarriage, the three sisters, and my return to school on me and shaking up my life.

“But it’s a pretty good idea. It seems to be in a tourist area, so if we get tired of the spa, we can just go outside. For now, I’ll send this page to Mom and suggest it, but what about you, Momiji and Anzu?”

The two of them nodded too, and finally, we had reached an agreement.

Well, honestly, a day trip nearby would have been better… but by making the hotel the main focus, I wouldn’t get scolded even if I lounged around inside it.

It was exactly… as planned…

“By the way, Big Brother.”

“W-What is it?”

No way, had my plan to hole up in the hotel and laze around been discovered…?

“You really suggested this place because you want to see us in our swimsuits, didn’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“I see how it is~ Already♡ Aoto-kun’s such a perv♡”

“N-No! I was just thinking about how to make sure you all don’t fight again.”

Why did these girls always try to tease me no matter what I said!

Was it because they looked down on me? But this was my chance to show some dignity as their big brother!

“I-I’m telling you, I’m your big brother. I have no interest in my little sisters’ swimsuits or anything—”

” “Huh?” ”

Yuzuna and Momiji shot me looks that clearly said I’d touched a nerve, directing murderous glares my way.

“Big Brother, you’re looking down on us, aren’t you?”

“That’s fine, Aoto-kun. I’ll make you take an interest whether you like it or not!”

“Uh, ehh…”

I’d only tried to show some big brother dignity and hadn’t meant to provoke them at all, but apparently, some inexplicable fire had ignited in the two of them.

These girls were really something else…

☆☆

After school ended, Momiji and Yuzuna said they were going to “seriously pick out swimsuits” and left right after the pre-dismissal homeroom.

Anzu had also said she was going to watch a movie with Yamada, so no one had asked me for any favors after school today.

“Sigh, finally, I can be alone…”

Lately, Momiji had asked me to help with shopping, Yuzuna had me fix her guitar, and I’d had one chaotic after-school session after another, but today, I could finally head home by myself.

It had been a while, so maybe I’d go to the station and read a book at a stylish cafe?

As I pondered what to do after school and stepped out of the school gate with a light stride, however…

“…Hehe, you finally came.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Aoto.”

“H-Haruka!”

I’d thought the verbal barrage from my stepsisters was finally over, but now it was my unusually sultry childhood friend.

It seemed that the words “rest” and “relaxation” didn’t exist in my life… even after I’d holed up for a whole year.

—

Chapter 35: The Childhood Friend and the Vow for Life (Flag)

As I stepped out of the school gate, there was my childhood friend Haruka Minase right next to it.

“You finally came, Aoto?”

“Uh, Haruka… it’s been since this morning.”

Haruka approached me with a composed expression, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but everything about it felt off.

For starters, the public high school Haruka attended was in the complete opposite direction from this private high school, and it was quite a distance away, so there was no way her route home would pass by here.

And since Haruka lived in my neighborhood, I could confidently say it was absolutely impossible.

Yet there she was, waiting for me with the kind of cute vibe that said “I just happened to stop by on my way home♡,” but no matter how I looked at it, it was a deliberate ambush, which was actually kind of scary.

Why had Haruka gone out of her way to come here? Was she still mad about what happened this morning…?

“Hey, why don’t we go home together? It’s not every day we get back to how things used to be, right?”

“O-Oh! Of course.”

Doubts kept flooding my mind, but it was honestly delightful that Haruka was reaching out to me, and I had no reason to turn her down.

Even though the romantic spark had once cooled, Haruka remained my longstanding ideal, and nothing had changed about her being the person I felt most at ease with.

That said, between this morning’s incident and now, it was surprisingly forward of Haruka to keep initiating conversations with me.

Could it be that Haruka… during the time we’d been apart, had fallen for me and started to li—

“You know, I’m just relieved to be back as your childhood friend, Aoto. I’d been worried that in your eyes, I’d become a total stranger.”

“Ch-Childhood friend…”

It seemed like I’d been overthinking it after all.

Yeah, that made sense—for Haruka, I’d always just be stuck as her childhood friend, no matter what.

And here I was, foolishly entertaining the idea that there might be a chance for more.

“Besides, those three are going to be your little sisters eventually, so I should get along with them.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Those three were going to be my little sisters? What was Haruka talking about?

They were already my stepsisters, so was she still hung up on the legal technicalities?

“Listen, Haruka. Even if those three are technically strangers on paper, I want to be a proper big brother to them.”

“Aoto… does that mean those three will always just be ‘little sisters’ to you, and you’re seriously thinking about our future together!?”

“Huh? I’m not sure I follow, but I’ve always been serious about my relationship with you, Haruka?”

“…!”

We’d finally made up and were back to being childhood friends, so I didn’t want things to get tense again.

Of course I was serious about it.

“I see… I had no idea you felt the same way, Aoto. That makes me so happy.”

Haruka showed a melting smile, and seeing it made my heart skip a beat.

Her smile really did have… destructive power.

“So, Aoto? About Golden Week next month—want to go on an overnight trip with me?”

“Ah, sorry, Haruka. Actually, we’re planning a family trip for Golden Week, so we’ll be away.”

“…Huh? You’re going on an overnight trip with those girls?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. We’re probably heading to a spa resort hotel.”

As I explained, Haruka’s face grew even sterner.

“Spa means you’ll be swimming in the pool with those three?”

“Looks like it. Even after school today, Yuzuna and Momiji were all fired up about picking out swimsuits.”

“…………”

“Hm? Haruka?”

“…Aoto? Could you tell me more details about this trip?♡”

Her voice was as usual, but anger was plainly written on Haruka’s face.

The melting smile from moments ago had somehow turned into the mask of an oni.