A Daily Life With My 3 Stepsisters

Friday night rolled around, and I should've known better than to expect peace. After a week of school chaos—rumors, fights, club nonsense—I figured I'd earned a quiet weekend. Maybe catch up on sleep, avoid my stepsisters, and pretend my life hadn't turned into a sitcom. But when I walked downstairs after a nap, the living room was a war zone of snacks, pillows, and Mina holding a controller like it was a weapon.

"Game night!" she announced, spotting me. She was in her usual pajamas—shorts and a tank top—sprawled across the couch with a bag of chips balanced on her stomach. "Kaito, you're playing!"

"No, I'm not," I said, turning to retreat.

"Yes, you are!" She lunged, grabbing my wrist and yanking me onto the couch. Chips flew everywhere, and I landed with a thud, her grinning face inches from mine. "It's mandatory family bonding!"

"Since when?" I grumbled, shoving her off.

"Since Mom and Dad said they're staying out late again," Aiko said, strolling in with a soda in hand. She'd gone for a loose hoodie and leggings, her hair tied up in a messy bun, and somehow still looked like she'd stepped out of a photoshoot. "They told us to 'get along.' So, here we are."

"Great," I muttered, sinking deeper into the cushions.

Reina appeared last, carrying a tray of cookies—freshly baked, judging by the smell. She'd changed into a soft sweater and shorts, her hair loose, and smiled at me as she set the tray down. "I thought snacks might make it more fun, Kaito-kun. Do you play games?"

"Not really," I said, but the cookies were tempting. I grabbed one, still warm, and took a bite. "Thanks, though."

"See? He's in!" Mina said, snatching a controller from the coffee table and shoving it into my hands. "We're doing multiplayer. Pick a team!"

"Team?" I stared at the screen—a racing game with cartoonish cars flashing across it. "I don't even know how to play this."

"You'll learn," Aiko said, dropping onto the couch next to me. Her leg pressed against mine as she grabbed her own controller, smirking. "Team up with me. I'll carry you."

"No way," Mina said, scooting closer on my other side. "He's with me! I'm the best at this!"

"You crashed into every wall last time," Reina said, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of us. She picked up a controller too, her voice teasing. "Maybe Kaito-kun should team with me."

"Reina's throwing shade!" Mina gasped, clutching her chest like she'd been betrayed. "Fine, Kaito, you pick!"

I looked between them—Mina's pout, Aiko's smirk, Reina's shy smile—and sighed. "I'll just… play solo. No teams."

"Boo!" Mina said, but she didn't argue, hitting start instead.

The game was chaos from the jump. Mina screamed every time she crashed—which was often—Aiko cursed under her breath as she took sharp turns, and Reina giggled whenever she passed someone. I fumbled with the controls, my car spinning out more than it moved forward, but the girls didn't let up.

"You're terrible!" Aiko said, laughing as I hit a wall for the third time. Her hand landed on my thigh, guiding my controller for a second. "Here, like this."

"Uh, thanks," I said, my face heating up as her fingers lingered before pulling away.

"Cheater!" Mina yelled, shoving me so hard I nearly dropped the controller. "No helping him!"

"It's not cheating," Aiko shot back, nudging me again—deliberately, I was sure. "He's just hopeless."

"I'm not hopeless," I said, managing to steer my car back onto the track. "Just… rusty."

"You're doing fine, Kaito-kun," Reina said, glancing back at me. Her car zoomed past mine, and she smiled, soft and encouraging. "Keep going!"

The first round ended with Aiko in first, Reina second, Mina dead last, and me somewhere in the middle. Mina threw her controller down, flopping dramatically across my lap.

"This game's rigged!" she whined, her head resting on my thigh. Her tank top rode up, showing a strip of skin, and I froze, torn between shoving her off and not making it weird.

"Get up," I said, poking her side.

"Nope," she mumbled, nuzzling closer. "You're my pillow now."

"Mina!" Reina laughed, pulling her back by the arm. "Let him breathe!"

"Fine," Mina said, sitting up with a pout. "But only 'cause Reina's nice."

Aiko smirked, leaning closer to me. "You're handling this better than I thought. Not freaking out yet?"

"I'm used to it," I said, though my heart was still racing from Mina's stunt—and Aiko's proximity wasn't helping.

We played a few more rounds, the room filling with laughter, trash talk, and the occasional cookie break. I got better—barely—managing to beat Mina once, which she claimed was "pure luck." Aiko kept winning, her competitive streak showing, while Reina stayed steady, cheering me on every time I didn't crash.

By the tenth race, Mina was half-asleep, sprawled across Reina's lap, and Aiko was leaning against me, her shoulder warm against mine. The game paused, the screen glowing in the dim room, and for a moment, it was quiet—just the sound of Mina's soft snores and the faint hum of the TV.

"This isn't so bad, huh?" Aiko said, her voice low, teasing but softer than usual.

"Yeah," I admitted, glancing at her. Her eyes caught the light, sharp and playful, and I looked away fast. "It's… fine."

"Fine?" She nudged me, her elbow grazing my ribs. "You're having fun. Admit it."

"Maybe," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.

Reina looked back at us, cradling Mina's head. "I'm glad you stayed, Kaito-kun. It's nice… like this."

"Yeah," I said again, softer this time. Her smile hit me harder than it should've, and I focused on the controller in my hands, suddenly too aware of how close they all were.

Aiko stretched, her hoodie slipping up to show a sliver of skin, and stood. "I'm calling it. Night, losers."

"Night," I said, watching her saunter off.

Reina gently shook Mina awake, guiding her to her feet. "I'll take her to bed. Sleep well, Kaito-kun."

"You too," I said, standing to help her with the tray. Our hands brushed as I took it, and she smiled again before leading Mina upstairs.

I cleaned up the living room—chips, controllers, a stray cookie crumb—then flopped back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. Day eleven, and I'd survived my first full week with them. A week of madness, sure, but also… this. Laughter, warmth, moments I couldn't shake.

They were a hurricane, tearing through my old life, but as I sat there, the echo of their voices still in my head, I realized I didn't mind the storm. Not anymore.