A Daily Life With My 3 Stepsisters

Wednesday morning dawned heavy, the heat from last night lingering in the air and in my head. I'd barely slept—Mina's weight in my lap, Reina's soft touch, Aiko's burning presence had seared themselves into me, leaving me restless, tangled in sheets and thoughts I couldn't untangle. Day twenty-one, and I'd landed in something I couldn't climb out of, a mess of feelings that clung like the humidity outside. I'd stopped fighting it, but that didn't mean I knew what to do with it.

School was a blur at first—classes dragging, my mind drifting back to the heat of my room, the way Reina's eyes had held mine, Aiko's hand on my thigh, Mina's chaotic warmth. I'd dodged them at breakfast, slipping out early with a mumbled excuse about homework, needing space to breathe. But space was a fantasy in this life, and by lunch, the cracks I'd let break open last night were starting to show.

I was at my locker, shoving books in, when Taro and Yuki ambushed me, their grins too wide, their energy too sharp.

"Kaito, man," Taro said, leaning against the locker next to mine, "what's the deal? You're trending again."

"Trending?" I frowned, slamming the door shut. "What are you talking about?"

"The showcase," Yuki said, adjusting his glasses with a smirk. "Mina's play's all over the school chat. And you—people saw you with your stepsisters after. Hugging Mina, posing with Reina, Aiko all over you. It's a thing now."

My stomach dropped, last night's heat replaced by a cold dread. "It's not a thing. They're just… them."

"Sure," Taro said, waggling his eyebrows. "Them being all over you. Again. You're living the dream, dude."

"It's not a dream," I said, rubbing my temples. "It's a headache."

"Headache with benefits," Yuki said, pulling out his phone. "Check this—someone posted pics. You're front and center."

He shoved the screen in my face—blurry shots from the auditorium: Mina clinging to me, Reina smiling close, Aiko's arm brushing mine. The comments were a mess—"Kaito's got a harem confirmed," "Those girls are too much," "Lucky bastard"—and my face burned, the noise of the hall amplifying the chaos in my head.

"Delete that," I said, snatching for the phone, but Yuki yanked it back, laughing.

"Can't delete the internet, man," he said. "You're famous. Deal with it."

I groaned, turning to escape, but the hall was already buzzing—students glancing my way, whispering, smirking. The rumors from last week had died down, but this? This was fresh fuel, and I could feel the spotlight tightening around me.

Lunch was worse. I grabbed my tray and aimed for a quiet corner near the windows, hoping to dodge the storm, but Mina found me first, barreling over with her usual chaos.

"Kaito!" she yelled, dropping her tray and throwing herself onto the bench beside me, her arm looping through mine. Her uniform was a mess—tie half-undone, skirt hiked up—and she pressed into me, oblivious to the stares turning our way. "Did you see the pics? I'm a star!"

"Yeah," I said, prying her off enough to eat. "A loud one."

"Loud's the best!" she said, stealing a fry and leaning closer, her shoulder warm against mine. "You looked good too! Everyone's talking about us!"

"Great," I muttered, shoving the fry back at her. "Just what I needed."

Aiko slid in across from me, her smirk sharp, her camera resting on the table. "Heard you're a celebrity again, Kaito. My shots are getting traction."

"Your shots?" I raised an eyebrow, my pulse kicking up as her knee brushed mine under the table—deliberate, like always. "You're the one posting this crap?"

"Nah," she said, leaning forward, her top unbuttoned just enough to make me look away fast. "I keep the good ones for myself. These are amateur—probably Mina's fan club."

"Not my fault!" Mina said, sticking out her tongue. "They love me! And you, Kaito!"

"Fantastic," I said, sarcasm dripping as I sank lower in my seat.

Reina joined us last, her tray trembling slightly, her smile shy but steady. "Kaito-kun, are you okay? I saw the posts… they're saying a lot."

"I'm fine," I lied, softening at her concern. "Just… tired of the noise."

"It'll pass," she said, sitting next to Aiko, her knee grazing mine as she settled in. "It always does."

"Does it?" Aiko teased, her foot nudging me again, slow and warm. "He's too fun to gossip about. Look at him—blushing already."

"Shut up," I muttered, my face heating up as Mina giggled, pressing into me harder.

"You're so easy, Kaito," she said, her head on my shoulder now, her hair tickling my neck. "It's cute!"

"Not cute," I said, shoving at her, but she clung tighter, her warmth seeping into me, chaotic and familiar.

The cafeteria buzzed around us, eyes lingering, whispers growing louder. I caught snippets—"Kaito's got them wrapped around him," "Those girls are shameless," "He's living some anime plot"—and my stomach twisted, the weight of it pressing in. Last night had been private, raw, mine—but this? This was public, exposed, and I didn't know how to handle it.

After lunch, I tried to slip away, ducking into a quiet hall to clear my head, but Aiko caught me, her shadow falling over me as she leaned against the wall, blocking my path.

"Running again?" she said, her smirk sharp, her eyes glinting. "You're bad at it."

"Not running," I said, crossing my arms. "Just… thinking."

"About what?" she asked, stepping closer, her voice low, teasing. "Last night? Us?"

My breath caught, her closeness stirring the memory—her hand on my thigh, her breath in my ear. "Maybe," I said, rougher than I meant, holding her gaze.

Her smirk softened, just for a second. "You're cracking, Kaito. I can see it."

"Cracking?" I snorted, but my pulse was racing, her words too close to the truth. "I'm fine."

"Liar," she said, her hand brushing my arm, light but electric. "You're not fine. You're falling apart, and it's fun to watch."

"Shut up," I said, stepping back, but she followed, her smirk widening.

"Make me," she said, her voice a dare, her body close—too close—her heat cutting through the cool hall.

Before I could respond, Mina's voice echoed down the corridor. "Kaito! Aiko! Stop flirting and come help!" She bounded over, dragging Reina behind her, both of them flushed from whatever drama club nonsense they'd been roped into.

"We're not flirting," I said, too fast, my face burning as Aiko laughed, stepping back but not far.

"Sure you're not," Mina said, grinning as she grabbed my arm, pulling me toward them. "Reina needs you! Props emergency!"

"Emergency?" I glanced at Reina, who blushed, brushing hair from her face.

"It's not a big deal," she said, her voice soft. "A table broke. We need an extra hand."

"Fine," I sighed, letting Mina drag me, Aiko trailing with her smirk, Reina falling into step beside me.

The drama room was a mess—props scattered, students shouting, Mina darting around like a tornado. I helped Reina lift a splintered table, her hands brushing mine as we set it aside, her touch lingering longer than it needed to.

"Thanks, Kaito-kun," she said, her eyes meeting mine, warm and steady. "You're always helping."

"Guess I am," I said, my voice low, the air between us thick despite the chaos.

She smiled, small and real, and for a second, it was just us—until Mina crashed into me, nearly toppling us both. "Kaito! Fix this too!" she said, shoving a wobbly chair at me.

"Slow down," I said, steadying her, her warmth pressing into me again, chaotic and relentless.

Aiko leaned against a wall, snapping shots of the madness, her smirk sharp. "You're in your element, Kaito. Chaos suits you."

"Does it?" I muttered, but I didn't argue, caught between Mina's energy, Reina's softness, Aiko's edge.

The day dragged on, the whispers following me—hallways, classrooms, every glance a reminder of the spotlight I couldn't shake. By the time we walked home, I was drained, the noise of the school replaced by Mina's chatter, Aiko's teasing, Reina's quiet steps beside me.

At the house, Mina bolted inside, Aiko tossed me a "Later," and Reina lingered, her voice soft. "Kaito-kun… today was a lot, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," I said, meeting her eyes. "Too much."

"I'm sorry," she said, her hand brushing my arm, light but grounding. "If it's too hard, we can—"

"It's not," I cut in, rougher than I meant. "It's not you. It's… everything."

Her eyes widened, then softened. "Okay. But… I'm here. We all are."

"I know," I said, the weight of it settling in—her warmth, Aiko's fire, Mina's storm. Day twenty-one, and the whispers weren't just in the halls anymore. They were in me, loud and clear, and I couldn't silence them. I'd fallen, landed, and now? Now I had to face it—whatever it was.