How I, a Hated Person, Ended Up Staying With Three Beautiful Sisters
The practice exam went smoothly.
Maybe because I was so focused, my hand hardly hesitated as I turned the pages, and my pace filling in the answers wasn’t bad either.
I felt confident. But the lingering unease in my chest didn’t lift.
During the short breaks in between, I kept feeling Maho’s gaze on me. At lunchtime, Akane senpai and Miyu were peeking into the classroom from outside.
Each time, I pretended not to notice, slipped out of the classroom, and holed up in a stall in the boys’ bathroom to kill time.
Then came after school.
The moment the bell signaling the end of the day rang, I was the first to head for the shoe lockers.
While changing my shoes, I pulled out my phone and checked the unread message.
[Dad, what’s going on with my room search? It’s already the 31st…]
Sent two days ago, yesterday, and this morning. Three messages in a row, and not even a read receipt? What the hell.
“…Sigh. I’m not in the mood, but whatever.”
I let out a sigh and dialed Dad’s number.
On the second ring, a cheerful voice answered.
[Oh, Kojiro! I was waiting for your call!]
He was way too energetic. That’s why I hated it. Talking on the phone was exhausting, and I really wasn’t in the mood right now.
But well, I wouldn’t know unless I listened, so I’d put up with it.
“…What about the room?”
[Huh? Oh, didn’t I tell you? I found one, okay? A really great one. Well, the location’s a bit…you see.]
“What do you mean? You never replied, and now May’s almost over. You do have a place to go back to today, right? I’m not sleeping under an overpass.”
[Reply…ah! Sorry! Turns out the phone with LINE was broken! I’m calling from a new one now, so don’t worry! By the way, all my LINE data’s gone, so deal with it!]
“Got the explanation. Now, I’ll ask again. What happened to my room?”
[I told you to relax. I found a place, okay? Well, it’s nothing like the run-down apartment you’d like, but they say home is where you make it, right? Actually, I think you’ll be surprised!]
“……”
He’s being way too vague. I just want the apartment address and unit number, plain and simple. If I had that, I could go buy furniture and appliances right now, clear my head, and start fresh tomorrow.
Feeling just a little more positive, I tried to get more info from Dad.
“Dad…Dad? Huh? It cut out? Signal interference on his end? Guess that happens with international calls…”
He hung up before I could ask. What should I do?
For now, waiting and calling back was a given. But knowing Dad, he probably hadn’t given my anxiety a single thought.
Even if I talked to him, we’d likely just go around in circles and I’d get no useful info.
Without a word, I bolted out the entrance.
The wind carried a faint hint of summer.
“…Maybe I’ll go somewhere cool.”
I headed for a small grassy patch behind a quiet residential area, about a ten-minute walk from school.
Nothing special about it—just a bench, a vending machine, and a single swing.
If I had to compare it, maybe it was like a park that was just a little too small.
The quiet seeped into my heart.
I sat down on the bench in the center, set my bag beside me, and bowed my head deeply.
The faces of the three people from this morning raced through my mind.
Akane senpai’s gentle smile.
Maho’s shy profile.
Miyu’s quiet, warm gaze.
I could never return to that space again.
“…Damn it. This was for the best, right?”
Contrary to my thoughts, a sharp pain stabbed deep in my chest.
It wasn’t love or affection, just plain regret. I think so.
Even though I chose this myself, it was pathetic beyond belief.
For a while, I kept my head bowed, listening to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
That’s when it happened.
—Tap. Tap.
Small footsteps approached.
Not one pair, not two—three.
Only a few people would come to this strange, overgrown place.
The land’s caretaker, someone like me seeking solitude, or some weirdo who wanted something from me. Those were the only three possibilities.
Before, I wouldn’t have known the answer.
But now, I could tell just by the presence.
Someone was heading my way.
I cautiously lifted my face.
—And locked eyes with three figures reaching out toward me.
Seems the weirdo who wanted something from me had arrived.
Three of them, no less.
Maigetsu