Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - Living Together Starts Today

Inside the living room, the atmosphere was quite depressing.

Kuro sat in a state of shock on the sofa, while Akari and Aoi sat across from him.

The three of them did not blink.

They did not speak.

Meanwhile, Kuro’s parents couldn’t have looked happier.

Eventually, his father cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Okay...so now it’s time I introduce everyone properly."

He pointed to the very elegant woman sitting next to him.

"This is Shizuka Tachibana, and starting today she will be a member of this family!"

As soon as she heard this, Shizuka smiled at Kuro with a warm smile.

Kuro thought his parents looked very young, and Shizuka looked almost like a child because of her long hair and warm bright eyes that made her look friendly and approachable.

"I’m very happy to finally be able to meet you properly, Kuro-kun."

Kuro nodded but did not move.

"Y-yeah. Nice to meet you, too."

His father, Daichi, puffed out his chest proudly.

"Furthermore, I am still YOUR FATHER, the greatest father in the world!"

"Who asked?"

"Cold! You’re mean, Kuro-kun."

Suddenly Akari stood up with a noticeable amount of demeanor.

"WAIT!! WAIT!! I just realized!!"

She pointed directly to Kuro.

"Are you saying we’re going to have a brother named Kuro-kun?!"

Daichi smiled and nodded yes.

"Yes, you are!"

"Okay, I get it now–but I’m confused."

Aoi was watching him the whole time.

"Now I understand why Mom has been smiling so much for the last few days."

Shizuka laughed awkwardly, "Well, this will be a pleasant surprise!"

Kuro held his fingers against his forehead in disbelief.

He couldn’t believe the universe was doing this to him as some sort of punishment!

Friends from childhood have become stepsisters?

This seems like a weird romantic comedy manga that Haruto made him read.

But now he’s a part of it.

And it’s not a good thing!

Three hours later, the chaos began.

Cardboard boxes filled the hallway.

Akari was being very dramatic carrying her box.

"Kuro-kun! Help! I’m too delicate!" she said as she carried the box with one hand.

"You’re carrying the box with one hand," he replied.

"Details," she grinned.

While Akari was carrying her box, Aoi passed Kuro another box that was twice the size of Akari’s box and very heavy.

"Carry this," she said.

"You want me to die?" he asked.

"Yep," she said apathetically.

"I’d rather you be honest than pretend to be nice," Akari said proudly.

"I used to have a nice house. Now it is a total wreck," Kuro sighed.

His nice and quiet place to live has been reduced to rubble.

The worst part is the way the rooms were arranged.

The bedrooms upstairs had only three bedrooms, so now Kuro has a bedroom between his two stepsisters.

This makes it easier for Satan to accomplish whatever he wants.

Dinner wasn’t any better than before.

There is enough room for all of them at the table; however, both girls just had to sit next to him.

Akari took the chair on the opposite side of Kuro (to his right).

Aoi took the chair next to Kuro (to his left), but instead of sitting, she pulled the chair closer to him.

After they both completed their respective moves, they stared at each other.

"...Move," Aoi said quietly.

"You move," Akari said defiantly.

"Kuro-kun likes me better than you," Aoi said smugly.

"Not a chance," Akari shouted.

"Emotionless robot," Aoi said.

"Loud monkey," Akari said.

Daichi laughed.

"HAHAHA! Look how much closer they’ve gotten!"

Kuro almost choked on his rice.

Is this really close? It looks like the start of the new war.

Shizuka smiled back at them with a kind smile.

"You guys get along so well."

"We don’t at all!" Kuro shot back almost immediately.

Akari dumped fried chicken onto Kuro’s plate.

"Here you go, Kuro-kun~."

Aoi placed more food on top of what was already there.

"You must have a balanced meal."

Akari narrowed her eyes at Aoi.

"...Just a copycat."

"You started it."

Kuro looked down at the 3 plates of food in front of him.

"...There’s no way I can eat all of this."

"Eating is important."

They both said it at once.

That was a little scary.

Daichi wiped his eyes and had tears of happiness.

"What a beautiful family vibe."

I’m moving out.

—

Later that night, Kuro was standing in front of the bathroom with his clothes.

The upstairs bathroom had only one bathroom.

And it required you to have to schedule your time.

How horrible.

Earlier, Akari had yelled from her room.

> "I am bathing first!"

So Kuro stood there waiting...

And after a few minutes of no noise, he thought maybe she was done.

He was wrong.

Kuro opened the bathroom door without even thinking.

It was filled with steam.

And his brain shut off for a second.

Akari was standing there half undressed with her shirt lifted up just enough to see her breast where she had black lace underneath her shirt.

A brief second passed without sound; two pairs of eyes met; silence; suddenly:

"Kyahhhhhhhh!" Kuro used both hands to slam the door completely shut.

"It was an accident!"

"You’re an idiot, a pervert, and stalker!"

"I thought you were finished!"

"You still opened the door!"

"I’m supposed to live here!"

Kuro’s heart leaped in his chest and was going to pop from the shock he experienced.

How could this have happened now?!?

A voice overcame Kuro’s shock from behind.

"Ara."

Kuro froze in terror as he turned to see Aoi.

Aoi stood in the hallway in large pajamas.

Aoi was calm, which made it all the scarier!

Aoi tilted her head to the side.

"Akari switched with me earlier."

"...Huh?"

"I was supposed to go first."

Kuro started to turn pale.

"So then, that’s why nobody told me, because..."

"Akari forgot."

Kuro grabbed his head.

This whole living arrangement is going to kill me.

Aoi walked toward Kuro, then:

She carefully closed the bathroom door behind Kuro.

Click.

The hallway suddenly seemed so small.

Kuro took a step backwards out of nervousness.

Aoi asked Kuro directly, "Why did you close the door?"

Her face was stuck in a calm posture, too calm in Kuro’s perspective, and then she very quietly stated, "Now you have to be held accountable."

At that moment Kuro felt like his soul left his body. "What does that mean?"

The bathroom door flew open and Akari came flying through the doorway completely and utterly embarrassed; she exclaimed, "You can’t just say things like that, you’re an idiot!"

Aoi was being innocently confused and replied, "It is true." Akari screamed back, "No way it is!"

Kuro was in total despair as he was shifting his gaze back and forth between the twins. One screaming at him and one was definitely emotionally unstable.

Both were now going to be his sisters. This was more than just a normal life; it was going to be a life of complete survival horror.