While I Was Shutting in My Room for One Year, My Parent Remarried and Now I’m Living Together With Super Beautiful Stepsisters - Chapter 63-64

Chapter 63: Underwear Stolen by the Yanderes

Dad is coming home… really?

When I heard that from Yuzuna’s call, I couldn’t hide my shock.

It’s not that Dad coming home is rare in itself.

His job involves a lot of solo postings and business trips, but he always came back home regularly.

Even so, this time really surprised me.

It’s the first time Dad has come home since I started living with those four and going out more.

“Aoto-kun, what’s wrong?”

“…Dad’s apparently coming back once during this holiday.”

“Your dad!?”

Even Momiji looked shocked, and Haruka couldn’t hide her surprise either.

“Is this the first time Aoto’s dad has come home since Aoto started going out?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”

Hearing that, Haruka’s face turned stern and unhappy.

“So… that means we’ll finally see that quiet dad again after a long time.”

When she put it into words like that, a strange tension started building up in me.

I have unfinished business with Dad.

I need to confront him about not properly explaining the remarriage or telling me about living together.

“It sounds like he’ll be back tonight, and the day after tomorrow he’s already preparing to leave for another trip.”

“So he’s only here for tomorrow—one day? He’s as busy as ever.”

“He’s grumpy but can’t rest until he’s involved in all sorts of company projects… But I really want to talk to Dad properly.”

I opened up about my honest feelings in front of the two of them.

“I want enough time to have a real conversation. If we just meet tomorrow when I get back, it’ll probably end after a quick hello and eye contact.”

“Ah, Aoto-kun.”

“…So I’m heading back now to talk with Dad properly. Momiji, you’re the oldest—can I leave everyone else to you?”

This is the only way to make time for an open, honest talk with Dad.

If I leave now, before noon, I should get home by this evening.

“…Yeah, got it, Aoto-kun. Leave everyone to your big sister! So go have a good talk with your dad, just the two of you!”

Momiji said that and gave my back a light pat.

“I’ve got my wallet, so I’ll take the shinkansen right away.”

“Aoto! Leave the luggage at the hotel to me! Your underwear might go missing, but I’ll properly store everything else and send it home!”

“Hey! Why is only the underwear not guaranteed? That’s suspicious!”

“And your swimsuit—big sister will guard it properly, so don’t worry, Aoto-kun!”

“Why just the swimsuit? Leaving things to you two is way too worrying!”

In the end, I decided to head back first.

I braced myself for the possibility that my luggage might never make it home.

—

Chapter 64: Reunion with Dad, and the Way-Too-Mysterious Heart Apron

I heard Dad was coming home, so I jumped on the shinkansen and hurried back to my hometown right away.

If this had been the old me, I never would have imagined doing something like this.

After spending a whole year shut in my room, going out into the world again made me realize just how much trust I had lost from the people around me.

What I lost from staying holed up for a year wasn’t just that time.

I never even thanked Mitayama-san, the housekeeper who always cooked for me. When I met Yamada again, she looked at me like I was trash. And Haruka, the girl I liked, ended up messed up in all sorts of ways because of me.

And maybe Dad is the same.

Maybe because of me… because I stayed shut in the whole time, Dad kept avoiding coming home and just went from one business trip or solo assignment to the next.

That’s why… I want to apologize for this past year.

I want to tell him that I’ve finally been able to go outside again, and that things are going well with my stepsisters and Nanoka-san too.

With those feelings in my heart, I arrived at the local station, and the sky had already turned the color of sunset.

“It’s already evening, huh… Dad should be home by now.”

It was a bit of a walk from the station, so I could have taken a bus or taxi, but since I came empty-handed, I figured running would be faster than waiting, and I took off.

Cutting through the lukewarm evening breeze, I ran while sorting out my thoughts.

What should I say when I see Dad?

As I put my words together, I headed home.

The front door was unlocked, and Dad’s leather shoes were in the entryway.

…He’s in the living room.

Swallowing my nerves, I stepped inside the house.

“I-I’m home, Dad.”

The moment I walked into the living room, there was Dad at the table, wearing the pink apron with hearts that Momiji always uses… wait, what?

Why is he wearing that apron… hey, this isn’t the time for a gag!

“U-um, Dad…”

“…Sit there.”

“Okay.”

He told me to sit in the chair across from him, so I lowered myself into it.

Sitting face-to-face like this, Dad looked like he had aged a lot.

He was wearing the same glasses as always, but there was more gray in his hair, and his face seemed much older.

A-anyway, I have to apologize.

That’s why I came home.

“Um, listen. The reason I came back so suddenly from the hotel is… I wanted to apologize to you for everything up till now.”

“…That doesn’t matter.”

Dad said that bluntly, then stood up by himself and walked toward the kitchen.

He really is mad, isn’t he?

He’s going to lecture me… yeah, that makes sense.

“Dinner tonight is curry rice.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

C-curry rice?

What’s going on? Isn’t he going to scold me?

“Wait a second! I-I rushed back from the hotel because… because I wanted to apologize to you!”

“No. I was the one running away… from facing you.”

“D-Dad?”

Dad dished out the curry rice onto plates and set one in front of me.

“I’m going to tell you everything that led up to this. Including the reason I remarried—everything.”

With those words, Dad slowly began to speak.