A Daily Life With My 3 Stepsisters

Tuesday night crept in like a slow burn, the air thick with a humidity that clung to everything after yesterday's showcase chaos. Mina's dramatic flailing, Aiko's relentless teasing, Reina's quiet pull—they'd left me raw, the cracks in my resolve splitting wider with every heartbeat. I'd spent the day at school dodging their orbits, trying to piece myself back together, but by the time I got home, I was fraying at the edges. Day twenty, and the tightrope I'd been walking was starting to unravel beneath me.

I was in my room, sprawled on my bed, the window cracked open to let in a faint breeze. The house was quiet for once—Dad and Hana out late again, the girls scattered to their own corners. I'd stripped down to a T-shirt and shorts, the heat too much for anything else, and was half-dozing, trying to shut out the noise in my head. Then a knock jolted me upright, soft but insistent.

"Kaito-kun?" Reina's voice slipped through the door, tentative and warm. "Can I… come in?"

"Yeah," I said, sitting up, my throat dry as I ran a hand through my hair. "Sure."

She stepped inside, closing the door with a soft click, and the sight of her stopped me cold. Her hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders, and she'd swapped her usual pajamas for a thin tank top and shorts—too thin, too short, clinging to her in a way that made my pulse kick hard. She carried a glass of iced tea, condensation dripping down the side, and smiled shyly as she crossed the room.

"It's hot tonight," she said, setting the glass on my nightstand. "I thought you might want this."

"Thanks," I said, taking it, my fingers brushing hers—cool from the glass, soft against my skin. The jolt was instant, sharper than it should've been, and I gripped the glass tighter to steady myself. "You didn't have to."

"It's no trouble," she said, sitting on the edge of my bed, closer than usual. Her knee grazed mine, bare and warm, and she didn't pull away. "I couldn't sleep. Too warm."

"Same," I said, sipping the tea—sweet, cold, a distraction from the heat building in my chest. "Guess we're stuck with it."

She nodded, her eyes flicking to mine, then away, a faint blush creeping up her neck. "Last night was… a lot, wasn't it? The play, everything."

"Yeah," I said, my voice rougher than I meant. "You were good, though. Backstage stuff's harder than it looks."

Her smile widened, soft and real. "Thanks, Kaito-kun. It means a lot… you being there."

"Anytime," I said, and the word hung there, heavier than I intended. Her gaze held mine, steady and deep, and the air shifted—thick, charged, the space between us shrinking without either of us moving.

Then the door flew open, and Mina stumbled in, shattering the quiet like a brick through glass. She was in her tiniest pajamas yet—shorts barely qualifying, a crop top slipping off one shoulder—her hair a wild mess, her eyes bright with mischief.

"Kaito! Reina!" she said, diving onto the bed between us, nearly knocking the tea from my hand. "Why're you hiding without me?"

"We're not hiding," I said, shoving her off as she sprawled across my lap, her legs tangling with mine, her skin hot against me. "You're just loud."

"Loud's fun!" she said, grinning as she snatched the glass from me, taking a big gulp. "Ooh, cold! Reina, you're a genius!"

"Mina, that's Kaito-kun's," Reina said, laughing softly, but she didn't stop her, just shifted closer to keep Mina from sliding off.

"Sharing is caring," Mina said, handing it back with a wink, then flopping against me again, her head on my chest now, her hair tickling my chin. "Kaito's mine tonight."

"Get off," I said, nudging her, but she clung tighter, her warmth seeping into me, chaotic and overwhelming.

"Nope," she mumbled, nuzzling closer, her hand slipping to my waist, fingers brushing the edge of my shirt. My breath hitched, her touch too much, too close, and I froze, caught between shoving her off and letting it happen.

Aiko sauntered in then, drawn by the noise, her presence a spark in the already charged room. She'd gone for a cropped tank top and shorts, her hair loose, her smirk sharp as she leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "What's this? Another midnight party?"

"Mina's hogging Kaito," Reina said, her voice light but her cheeks pink, her eyes flicking to me.

"Looks like it," Aiko said, stepping closer, her gaze locking on mine. She dropped onto the bed, stretching out so her legs draped over mine again, her bare skin pressing into me, deliberate and warm. "Guess I'll join the pile."

"There's no pile," I said, my voice tight, trapped under Mina's weight, Reina's closeness, Aiko's heat. "Just… chaos."

"Chaos is our thing," Aiko said, her hand landing on my thigh, fingers tapping lightly—too lightly, too intentional. "Right, Kaito?"

"Yeah," I said, rougher than I meant, my pulse pounding as her touch lingered, her smirk daring me to react.

Mina shifted, her crop top riding higher, her stomach brushing my side as she yawned. "Kaito's warm. Perfect for cuddling."

"Stop cuddling me," I said, but my shove was half-hearted, her warmth sinking deeper, stirring something I couldn't name.

"Let her," Reina said, her voice soft, her knee still against mine. "She's happy."

"Happy's one word for it," Aiko teased, her fingers sliding an inch higher on my thigh, her eyes glinting. "You're not complaining, though, Kaito."

"Shut up," I muttered, my face burning, but I didn't move—couldn't, pinned by their closeness, the heat of the room, the weight of them all.

The night stretched, the air thick with humidity and something heavier—unspoken, electric. Mina dozed off eventually, her head slipping to my lap, her breath even against my shorts, her hand still curled around my waist. Reina stayed close, her shoulder brushing mine, her tank top slipping lower, revealing a sliver of skin I tried not to notice. Aiko lounged, her legs tangled with mine, her hand resting higher now, warm and still, her smirk softer but no less dangerous.

"You're quiet," Reina said, her voice a whisper, breaking the haze. "Are you okay, Kaito-kun?"

"Yeah," I lied, my throat tight, her concern cutting through the mess in my head. "Just… hot."

"Me too," she said, her eyes meeting mine, wide and unguarded. "But… it's nice. Being here."

"Nice?" Aiko snorted, her fingers squeezing my thigh lightly. "That's one way to put it."

"Shut up," I said again, but my voice lacked bite, my head spinning—Aiko's heat, Mina's weight, Reina's softness all crashing into me at once.

"You say that a lot," Aiko murmured, leaning closer, her breath warm against my ear. "But you don't mean it."

I didn't answer, couldn't—her words too close to the truth, her touch too much. The room was a furnace, the heat outside nothing compared to the fire building here, between us. Mina mumbled in her sleep, shifting so her cheek pressed into my thigh, her lips brushing the fabric, and I tensed, every nerve on edge. Reina's hand rested on my arm now, light but steady, her eyes searching mine, and Aiko's smirk faded, her gaze sharp and real.

"This is normal now, huh?" I said, half to myself, my voice rough, the words slipping out.

"Normal's overrated," Aiko said, her voice low, her hand sliding up another inch, stopping just short of too far. "You're stuck with us, Kaito. Deal with it."

"Yeah," I said, quieter, the weight of it settling in—Reina's touch, Aiko's fire, Mina's chaos. Day twenty, and the cracks weren't just breaking—they were gone, leaving me exposed, raw, caught in something I couldn't fight anymore.

Reina smiled, small and warm, her fingers tightening on my arm. "I'm glad you're here, Kaito-kun."

"Me too," I said, the admission slipping free, heavy and true.

Aiko chuckled, soft and sharp, her hand finally pulling back, but her legs stayed, her presence a tether. "Told you," she said. "You're in deep."

I didn't argue—couldn't, with Mina asleep in my lap, Reina's warmth beside me, Aiko's edge anchoring me. The heat pressed in, the night stretching on, and I sat there, caught in the glow of them—three storms I'd stopped running from, three fires I was starting to chase.

Day twenty, and I wasn't just falling anymore. I'd landed—hard—and there was no climbing out.