A Daily Life With My 3 Stepsisters

Tuesday morning felt like walking into a battlefield. The rumors had festered overnight, and by the time I reached school, the air was thick with tension. I'd barely slept, haunted by visions of jealous guys cornering me or worse—my stepsisters making it all ten times more embarrassing. I just wanted to get through the day unnoticed, but fate, or maybe Mina, had other plans.

It started at lunch. I'd grabbed my tray and found a quiet corner near the cafeteria windows, hoping to avoid the usual circus. Taro and Yuki joined me, still grinning like this was the best entertainment of their lives.

"So," Taro said, leaning in, "heard anything about that guy who's after you?"

"No," I said, poking at my rice. "And I don't care. It's probably nothing."

"Uh, I wouldn't bet on that," Yuki said, nodding toward the door. "Look."

I followed his gaze and froze. A tall, broad-shouldered guy with a buzz cut was storming toward me, flanked by two buddies who looked just as pissed. I recognized him vaguely—Hiro, a junior who played soccer and had a reputation for picking fights. Great.

"Kaito, right?" Hiro said, stopping a few feet away. His voice was loud enough to draw every eye in the room. "You're the guy with the harem?"

I set my chopsticks down, my stomach sinking. "I don't have a harem. They're my stepsisters."

"Stepsisters, huh?" He smirked, crossing his arms. "Funny how they're all over you. Saw you at the mall—pretty cozy for 'family.'"

"It's not like that," I said, standing up. I wasn't about to fight, but I wasn't going to sit there and take it either. "You've got the wrong idea."

"Sure I do," he said, stepping closer. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson anyway."

Before I could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "Oh, wow, a tough guy!" Mina appeared out of nowhere, bouncing over with her tray like this was a game. "You gonna fight Kaito? Can I watch?"

"Mina, stay out of this," I hissed, but she ignored me, grinning at Hiro.

"Who's this?" Hiro said, eyeing her. "One of your girls?"

"I'm his little sister," Mina said, sticking out her tongue. "And you're kinda dumb if you think he's dating us. Gross."

Hiro's buddies snickered, but he didn't back down. "Doesn't matter. He's still a punk."

"Punk?" Aiko sauntered over, her smirk in full force. She'd been across the room, but now she was here, leaning against a table with her arms crossed. "Takes one to know one, huh?"

"Stay out of it," Hiro snapped, but his confidence faltered as more heads turned.

"Nah," Aiko said, stepping closer to me. Her shoulder brushed mine, and she tilted her head, voice dropping. "You mess with Kaito, you mess with us. Got it?"

My jaw dropped. Was she seriously defending me—or just making this worse?

Hiro glared, but before he could say anything, Reina hurried over, her face flushed with worry. "Please, don't fight," she said, clutching her bag. "It's just a misunderstanding!"

"Aw, look, the whole squad's here," one of Hiro's friends said, laughing. "What's next, you all kiss and make up?"

"Shut up," I snapped, my patience gone. "This is stupid. I'm not fighting over rumors."

"Then maybe you shouldn't flaunt your little fan club," Hiro said, shoving a finger at my chest.

That did it. I pushed his hand away, stepping forward. "Back off. Now."

The cafeteria went silent, everyone waiting for the next move. Hiro tensed, his fists clenching—then Mina dumped her soda over his head.

"Oops!" she said, giggling as he sputtered, cola dripping down his face. "My hand slipped!"

"You little—" Hiro lunged, but Aiko grabbed my arm, yanking me back, while Reina stepped in front of Mina, hands up.

"Stop!" Reina pleaded, her voice shaking. "Please, just leave us alone!"

Hiro froze, drenched and fuming, but the laughter erupting around us seemed to hit him harder than any punch. His buddies pulled him back, muttering something about "not worth it," and they stormed off, leaving a sticky puddle on the floor.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, slumping back into my seat. "What the hell was that?"

"Teamwork!" Mina said, high-fiving Aiko, who smirked like she'd won a prize.

"You didn't have to do that," I said, rubbing my temples. "I could've handled it."

"Sure you could've," Aiko said, dropping into the chair next to me. Her hand landed on my shoulder, lingering there. "But where's the fun in that?"

"You're okay, right, Kaito-kun?" Reina asked, sitting across from me. Her eyes were wide, worried, and it made my chest tighten in a way I didn't expect.

"Yeah," I said, softening. "Thanks. All of you."

"Anytime," Mina said, plopping down and stealing another fry. "You're stuck with us now."

The rest of lunch was a blur—people staring, whispering, but the fight was off, at least for now. Taro and Yuki kept replaying Mina's soda stunt like it was the highlight of the year, and I just tried to eat without combusting from embarrassment.

After school, we walked home together, the air lighter but still buzzing with energy. Mina skipped ahead, reenacting the scene with exaggerated sound effects. Aiko stayed close, her arm brushing mine every few steps, her smirk softer than usual.

"You held your ground back there," she said, low enough that only I could hear. "Not bad, Kaito."

"Uh, thanks," I said, caught off guard by the compliment.

Reina fell into step on my other side, her voice quiet. "I was scared for you. I'm glad it didn't get worse."

"Me too," I said, glancing at her. Her hair caught the afternoon light, and for a second, I forgot the chaos—just her, looking at me like I mattered.

"Aw, you guys are so cute," Mina called back, ruining the moment. "Kaito, pick a winner already!"

"There's no winner," I grumbled, but Aiko laughed, nudging me again.

"We'll see," she said, her tone teasing but her eyes sharp.

We reached the house, and I collapsed onto the couch, my head still spinning. Day eight, and I'd faced down a wannabe tough guy, survived a soda attack, and somehow come out with my stepsisters closer than ever.

They were trouble—chaotic, unpredictable, way too much—but they'd had my back. And as I sat there, listening to Mina's laughter and Aiko's banter filtering in from the kitchen, I realized something: I didn't hate it. Not even a little.