Chapter 35 - Epilogue

 "How did it come to this..."

I stood frozen in a familiar apartment room.

Cardboard boxes lined the floor, some already opened.

Beside them, the three sisters bustled about in a flurry.

"The bookshelf's done! Kojiro-kun, where should we put it?"

Akane-senpai was as cheerful as ever, assembling the bookshelf with glee. It was brand new, not a scratch on it.

"I want the bookshelf next to the bed, but since the bed isn't assembled yet, just move it to the side for now! Oh, I'll hold that part! You can't do it alone, you'll hurt yourself!"

Maho was somehow taking the lead. Her tone was rough, but her eyes held a hint of amusement.

"What about the clothes? Should we put them in the drawers with the underwear?"

　Miyu remained nearly expressionless as usual, but she efficiently continued unpacking.

Hearing her categorize underwear in that emotionless tone only doubled my embarrassment. No, stop it. Please.

Or rather, what the hell is happening right now?

"...My head's getting all messed up."

"Headache? Fever?"

Miyu stood up, stretched, and placed her hand on my forehead.

"It's not a fever. It's just... I can't wrap my head around the situation. I was sitting alone in that empty plaza just a moment ago, right? Why am I back in this apartment?"

"Oh, Kojiro-kun, did you lose your memory? I explained it to you, didn't I? Your new place is this room."

"No, I heard that part. But why this apartment building? And why the exact same room?　They've even gone and set up all the stuff from my old, run-down apartment... and new furniture is ready too. What's going on?"

The most baffling part was that every single personal item I'd left behind in that run-down apartment slated for demolition had been delivered to this apartment.

The light novels, reference books, clothes, and other odds and ends I'd given up on taking from the run-down place had come back to me like this. The bed, bookshelf, closet, desk—all delivered brand new. Why?

"You're so nitpicky. The landlord from your old place felt bad about kicking you out, so they kept your stuff. Then your dad heard about it, contacted Ohtani-san, and had it sent here. The new stuff mixed in? That's the landlord's goodwill, remember? How many times do I have to say it? It's all your stuff, so stop spacing out and help me!"

Maho looked up at me with glazed eyes.

Got it. Time to stop running from reality.

So, the "absolutely perfect room" Dad said he'd "already found" was this apartment — the room where the three sisters live.

　Unit 2401 was on the top floor, and it was the only unit on that floor. In short, it meant my continued freeloading was official.

Even when told to help, I could only stand frozen, unable to process it.

Right after that, my phone buzzed.

It was Dad.

"Can you explain this?"

I answered and immediately asked.

"Hey, Kojiro! Like the room? I was worried about you living with three high school girls like this forever, but I hear you're getting along great!"

Dad's voice was as overly cheerful as ever, almost painful to my ears.

"It's not about getting along or not. What did their dad say? Did he agree to me living with them?"

"Of course he agreed! Actually, he practically begged me to let you live with them. That guy's pretty easygoing, you know? Doesn't seem to care about that sort of thing! Well, neither do I, for that matter! Ha ha ha ha!"

"......"

"Oh, and this is a message from the sister's dad: 'Do whatever you want, touch them or whatever! But you'll be held responsible!' That's what he said. Anyway, you young folks, work it out yourselves!"

Click.

　The call ended abruptly.

No explanation. The conversation was over.

As for the three sisters who'd been eavesdropping on that call—

"Make a move or whatever... What the hell is their dad talking about...!"

Maho's face was bright red as she tried to hide it with my shirt she was holding.

I felt just as embarrassed. And I shared the same resentment toward Dad.

"Hmm, as an older sister, I'm happy for you... but still, I kinda think both our dads are a little too hands-off, don't you think~?"

Akane-senpai was smiling cheerfully as usual.

She seemed to have her own thoughts, but she was either easygoing or... well, she'd already resigned herself to it.

"......"

Miyu, for her part, seemed to be interpreting things in some strange way. She squeezed my hand and nodded vigorously. Please, just calm down.

Seriously, I guess you could say like father, like daughter.

Though that applies to all three of them.

"Alright, I get it. Anyway, even though we had that awkward goodbye this morning, it's settled that I'll be staying here again starting today... So, um, let’s get along again."

Finally, processing and accepting the situation, I calmed down and looked at the three of them.

"Yeah. Actually, we only heard about this after school too, so we're a bit surprised, but since it's come to this, there's no helping it. What you said this morning hurt a little, so from now on, please be nice to us, Kojiro-kun!"

　"Take good care of us." I couldn't help but feel that phrase carried multiple meanings.

"Living together is something our dads decided on their own, so we have no choice! Got it? No choice! I'll let you off the hook for the original conditions, but if you pull any weird stunts, I'll slap new conditions on you right away, so be warned!"

The declaration of condition withdrawal hit close to home, but why was her expression softening even as she complained?

"I'm coming to play in onii-chan's room. I wanna play all kinds of games together."

Miyu was still Miyu, but she seemed a bit closer than usual.

Still, all three of them are adapting surprisingly fast.

Well, that makes things easier to handle, so it's fine.

"Alright! We're done talking, so let's get back to work!　You're the only guy here, so you assemble the bed! If I feel like it, I might help you out!"

"Yeah, yeah. Actually, I thought Maho would be the one to refuse the hardest, but you’re accepting it more than I expected. Thanks."

"Bah... you! It's not that I'm accepting it! I'm just keeping an eye on you because you have so many dangerous rumors about you!"

"Hmph, I see."

"What are you laughing at?!"

"Nothing. Just thought it was cute if that wasn't your real opinion and you're actually a tsundere."

Well, that's impossible. Even if she doesn't hate me, I don't think she likes me.

"...Cute...?"

Maho froze, crouching down.

　Since she was incapacitated, I shifted my gaze to Akane-senpai beside her.

"Thank you too, Akane-senpai. My dad caused quite a ruckus, didn't he?"

"Nah, it's fine. Sure, it was sudden and startling, but honestly, I'd be way more lonely if we got separated from Kojiro-kun like that—"

Akane-senpai was smiling brightly, but suddenly she leaned close to my ear and whispered softly.

"—You know, this onee-san really likes Kojiro-kun, you know?"

It felt like an electric shock ran from my ear straight to the top of my head.

"Hmph... Still love to tease people, don't you?"

　By the time I managed to retort, slightly flustered, Senpai was already standing by the window, her back to me as she drew the curtains. But her face reflected in the glass seemed somehow flushed. Maybe it was just my imagination.

"Sigh... I'm constantly being toyed with."

"Isn't onii-chan just so easy to tease?"

"Miyu, you too..."

"I'm not teasing you, onii-chan. I just want us to get closer, okay?"

Miyu closed the distance until her shoulders brushed mine, then tilted her lavender-colored medium hair for some reason.

"What is it? Offering up your head? Want me to give you a scalp massage?"

"Muu... You did it for Maho, but you won't do it for me?"

"How did you even hear about that?"

"No comment."

"You interrogated Maho, didn't you?"

"Tehe. Akane and I grilled her, and she just spilled everything on her own."

Miyu stuck out her little tongue and said it flatly, but her gaze held strength. It conveyed a determination: she wouldn't leave until she got that head rub.

Maho must have broken under that look too.

"...Poor thing."

"So, you won't do it? Petting is a romcom staple, you know? You gotta go all out or it's not a real romcom."

"Fine, I'll pet you if you insist... but I think you're watching too much [Imokano]."

Even as I said that, I gave in to Miyu's sharp gaze. I ran my fingers through her silky hair and gave her head a light pat.

"...How was that?"

After about five seconds, I asked. Miyu grinned and said, "Good."

Then, seemingly satisfied, she trotted off.

These three sisters are free-spirited.

But... oddly enough, it doesn't feel bad.

Why does it feel so good, even though I've lived alone all this time?

"...A fresh start, huh."

I muttered to myself and joined the sisters' work.

Exchanging snide remarks, yet with a different atmosphere than yesterday, we continued unpacking.

And so, my life with the three sisters would continue for a while longer, albeit in a different form.

Inevitable, complicated, but surely not bad days were about to begin again, starting today.

 
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T/N: I noticed that only the epilogue was missing for this WN, so I gave it a try. It's mostly MTL'd, though I know some japanese, so I do a  few interventions here and there.