«Oh, I almost forgot. I got married. Again.»
It's dinnertime when Hakuto Seiko hears those words come out of his father's mouth — Shin Seiko.
They're spoken without any warning, with such casual ease that Hakuto almost falls off his chair.
«W-W-WHAT?!»
«Why are you so surprised? Aren't you happy that your old man has found love again? Or are you just shocked that, at my age, I can still pick up women?»
«T-That's not it, it's just… WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ANYTHING?!»
«What are you talking about? I just did!»
Shin's voice stays calm. A cigarette hanging from his smug little grin.
In sixteen years of life, Hakuto can't remember ever seeing his father without a lit cigarette between his lips.
Even the walls of the small apartment they live in, once white, are now completely yellowed by smoke.
Hakuto lets out a resigned sigh.
«And yet, you've always said that after what Mom did to us, you'd never remarry for any reason in the world, so… what's so special about this woman?»
«I'm glad you asked, Hakuto!»
Shin lifts his chin proudly, his eyes sparkling.
«That woman is the CEO of a giant pharmaceutical company — Seiryu Biotech. This time, your old man really hit the jackpot! Tomorrow we're moving into her huge, luxurious villa!»
This time, Hakuto really does fall off his chair. A marriage and a move, both dropped on him within a single minute, are too much to process.
Sure, leaving that smoke-filled shoebox to live in a villa doesn't sound all that bad… but he needs a moment to let it sink in.
«And I haven't even told you the best part yet!» Shin continues. His grin widens even more — almost diabolical.
«My lovely and wealthy wife — Vivian Kurotsuki — also has two daughters who are very, very cute! And if I remember correctly, they're about your age!»
«And…?»
«And you know what every teenager dreams of, right?»
«No, and I really don't want to know.»
But Shin keeps going, undeterred.
«Every teenager's dream is doing dirty things with his stepsisters!» Shin exclaims, far too enthusiastically. «Don't tell me the idea of being woken up by your two sexy stepsisters doesn't excite you even a little? Aaaah… it must be absolute paradise!»
«Dad… you really sound like a pervert...»
♡♡♡
The next morning...
«How the hell did you pull this off?!» Hakuto asks Shin.
They walk along a cobblestone driveway from the main gate to a gigantic villa in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture.
What they're crossing doesn't even look like a garden — it's more like a private park, dotted with fountains and statues.
Hakuto's doubts make perfect sense.
After losing his last job, Shin had barely managed to scrape by working manual jobs for a tiny local company.
So how the hell did his father not only meet, but actually marry a woman this insanely rich?
Hakuto can't wrap his head around it.
«What can I tell you… apparently your old man still performs in bed like he did when he was twenty.»
«I really doubt that's enough to impress a woman who could buy the entire company you worked for — employees included — and make you all mow her lawn...»
It takes them five minutes to reach the massive front door of the villa, both dragging heavy suitcases.
«Need a hand ringing the bell, or can you handle it on your own?» Shin teases him.
«I know how to press a doorbell, thanks…»
Of course, ignorance isn't what's stopping him — embarrassment is.
Between their cheap, wrinkled clothes and the suitcases they're dragging like two broke tourists, Hakuto feels like a homeless guy asking for a place for the night.
In the end, he forces himself to reach for the intercom, but just as his finger is about to press the button, the huge front door swings open from the inside.
A girl with short straw-colored hair and sky-blue eyes leans casually against the doorframe.
Hakuto's eyes go wide, but it's not just her beauty that leaves him speechless.
They say black is slimming… but that's definitely not the case here.
Two enormous breasts push up under a black crop top that barely reaches her navel, totally out of proportion with the rest of her small, slender body.
Shin notices right away the outline of her nipples through the fabric — a clear sign she isn't wearing a bra.
And as if that weren't enough to make Hakuto panic… down below, she's wearing nothing but a pair of red lace panties!
Staying in your underwear at home isn't that weird… but it is when you're opening the door to strangers!!!
Hakuto thinks, stunned.
«You must be Hakuto and Shin Seiko, right? I'm Iris Narkhalis — I'm fifteen. Nice to meet you!»
She smiles brightly, with the most radiant, cheerful expression Hakuto has ever seen.
«N-Nice to meet you…» Hakuto stammers, torn between his curiosity about meeting his new family and the discomfort caused by his future stepsister's outfit.
«The pleasure is all mine, Iris. We finally get to meet. Your mother told me a lot about you and your sister, but you're even more beautiful than she described,» Shin says, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray next to the door.
«Aww, you flatterer… you're going to make me blush,» Iris chirps. «Come on, what are you waiting for? Come on in! This is your home now! We're going to be one big, happy family! I can't wait — I'm so excited!»
They don't need a second invitation. The two men step inside, and Iris leads the way, welcoming them into an enormous living room packed with works of art.
But another kind of masterpiece grabs their attention — Iris's small but round butt, swaying right in front of them.
Shin gives Hakuto a firm pat on the shoulder.
«Oh, son, if only I were your age again…»
«Dad…!»
«I'm going to pop into the bedroom for a second and put something on. You two can wait in the kitchen — big sis Claire should be there.»
With those words, Iris disappears deeper into the huge living room.
The kitchen is on the other side of the house — so far from the entrance that it's nearly a hundred meters away.
At the sink, there's a girl with her back to them, washing the breakfast dishes.
She has long, straight black hair, and she's wearing a white robe so sheer they can clearly see the red lingerie underneath.
Hakuto and Shin have no doubts — it has to be Claire.
She's only a little taller than Iris, and beneath the transparent robe her butt looks much fuller than her sister's. Her hips look wider too — more developed.
«Like mother, like daughters,» Shin comments, setting the suitcases down.
Hakuto does the same, but not before elbowing his father as if to say, Stop it!
The girl spins around — through the robe, they can clearly make out her breasts too, much smaller than Iris's.
Her eyes are emerald green… and her expression is anything but welcoming.
«I-I'm Hakuto Seiko, and this is my father — Shin Seiko. You must be Claire Narkhalis, right? Nice to meet you,» Hakuto says, forcing the friendliest smile he can manage.
She sizes them up from head to toe.
«Why are you asking if you already know?»
Hakuto blushes so hard he looks like a tomato.
«Your mother warned me you've got a bit of an attitude… but I didn't think you'd be this sour. She said it's because you never get laid… who knows, maybe my son will manage to put that smile back on your face,» Shin remarks, giving Hakuto a pat on the shoulder.
The bright red on Hakuto's face is nothing compared to Claire's.
«H-HOW DARE YOU?! ASSHOLE!»
«Anyway…» Shin continues, as if nothing happened. «Where's my lovely wife?»
«My mother is working… unlike you!»
Okay, my dad definitely isn't big on manners… but this girl is seriously unbearable!
«I honestly don't get what insane reason pushed Mom to bring two freeloaders into this house… We were doing just fine without you!»
Yeah… I'm wondering that too…
«Don't be so mean, big sis! They seem really nice and super cute, and you know my sixth sense is never wrong!» Iris chirps from the kitchen doorway.
She said she was going to get dressed… but in reality, she just slipped into a pair of shorts so tiny they cover even less than the thong she had on before.
«Now we're one big family — whether you like it or not. So let's try to get along, okay?» Iris adds with a smile.
«I know, but…» Claire's face darkens. «Why did Mom do something like this without even asking what we thought? Damn it, we're her daughters! How could she get married in secret without telling us anything?!»
«You know how Mom is, right? Always busy with work and that other thing… maybe she just forgot — or maybe she thought she'd already told us. It wouldn't be the first time she forgot to mention something, right?»
«Y-Yeah… maybe you're right,» Claire murmurs.
Then she turns to Hakuto and Shin and lowers her head slightly in apology.
«Introducing myself now feels kind of pointless, but… I'm Claire Narkhalis — I'm sixteen. Nice to meet you…»