My Stepmom is Too Pretty, and It’s Troubling Me – Chapter 138

“Grace, when did you say you’d come?”

“At 4…?”

Right, 4 o’clock.

The time was indeed 4 o’clock, and Grace and I were waiting by the fountain.

After helping Karen dress in something other than her school uniform, we agreed to roam around today in casual clothes… but she was nowhere to be seen at our meeting spot.

“Hmm… I hope nothing’s happened? Maybe she tripped and fell down the stairs out of nervousness…?”

“……..”

“…I mean, if it were Karen, I could totally see that happening, and it’s making me a bit worried.”

I genuinely felt that if anyone could do something like that, it would be Karen.

Of course, she probably hadn’t really fallen down the stairs out of fear, but for some reason, her absence at the promised time and place was quite concerning.

“Hmm…”

“…Should we head to her dorm?”

“Do you think that’s the best idea…?”

We met like this to help socialize Karen, but given she wasn’t showing up at the agreed time, it seemed wise to check in.

If something had really happened, not going would likely make it worse…

“Let’s go take a look.”

“Right.”

Though the situation was a little unexpected, Grace and I turned to head toward the dorm from the fountain.

And as we turned, we ran into someone.

“Uh…”

“Sister…?”

“Y, y, hello… I’m so late, aren’t I…?”

Karen was coming towards us, her face as red as a tomato, walking while trembling a bit.

She was clinging so tightly to the side of the street that I almost didn’t recognize she was coming at all.

She was walking with her face and waist slightly bent and shoulders hunched over, making it almost hard to spot her for a moment.

It wasn’t just me; even Grace next to me seemed to struggle to recognize her.

“I wanted to get here faster, but… um… when I walked in the middle of the road, people kept staring at me…”

“……..”

“Plus, there are so many people today…”

Karen looked like she was having a tough time in various ways.

I honestly hadn’t expected her to be quite this embarrassed… it seemed like it was harder for her than I thought.

But still, I didn’t remember her being this shy while wandering around the Rosaki territory before.

Why was she becoming more and more introverted?

“Um… should we move? It’s uncomfortable standing here on the roadside.”

“…Yeah, let’s do that. Let’s find a café and take a break.”

“I think that sounds good…!”

The moment we suggested going indoors, Karen’s expression brightened.

Her reaction made it clear that she really wanted to go inside and away from the crowd.

So, we made a quick decision to enter a nearby café, and we headed in with Karen, whose expression had improved a bit compared to before.

While pondering which café to enter, I was surprised that Karen was so actively participating in the decision compared to before.

“…But, sis, aren’t you being a little too shy?”

“Uh, really…?”

“Yeah…”

Even Grace, who adored Karen, seemed to not quite understand her behavior this time.

It was definitely a bit overwhelming.

I knew she was shy and lacked confidence, but come on, it was just casual clothes, not her school uniform!

Her outfit’s exposure level wasn’t that extreme; it felt like way too much embarrassment.

“Still… wearing something that shows your shoulders… I’ve never really done that before…”

“These days, even younger kids wear dresses that show some shoulder…”

“……..”

Today, the sweater that Karen wore was slightly different from what she usually wore.

I’d tried to help her get used to clothing that wasn’t just her uniform or casual wear, hence why I encouraged her to wear something other than her usual sweater.

“It’s just an off-shoulder sweater…”

“Is that so…?”

Anyway… I kept glancing at Karen while we waited for our drinks and cake.

“Hmm…”

There really wasn’t anything too different about her.

She wasn’t heavily made up, and she wasn’t wearing anything too revealing.

She was just wearing an off-shoulder sweater paired with a long skirt that was so long it could almost be considered restrictive.

She was showing off just a bit of shoulder and some cleavage.

Of course, given Karen’s naturally large chest, it could cause her to feel more embarrassed, but still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was overreacting.

From where I stood, she looked perfectly fine and pretty.

“Hmm…….”

Her bangs were still messy and long enough to cover her eyes unless she tied them back or pushed them aside.

Her long, bright red hair flowed down past her waist.

If you faced her directly, even with just one side visible, you would still notice her pretty eyes immediately.

Not just her eyes, though; Karen’s overall appearance was quite beautiful.

Her figure was stunning, but honestly, her face itself was exceptionally pretty.

If Karen had taken just a bit more interest in her hairstyle… she would have surely been talked about not just at the academy but in social circles too.

It wasn’t just about her style, but she’d also need to be a bit more outgoing for that to happen.

“Kamelia…? Why are you staring like that…?”

“Ah.”

Had I been staring too intently without realizing it?

Karen looked at me with slightly trembling eyes.

Uh… I was just looking without thinking, but Karen, being her shy self, probably thought I had other thoughts going on.

“I was just staring because you look beautiful.”

“N, really…?”

“Yeah… I think your outfit today looks amazing on you, and I think you should wear more like this.”

So I offered that compliment.

I thought this way would help Karen more than avoiding conversation or making excuses.

People often say compliments can make even whales dance.

Imagining Karen dancing seemed a bit of a stretch, but she would definitely prefer compliments to bad comments.

“You would look pretty if you styled your hair like when we first met. Personally, you look beautiful now, but Grace here might prefer it that way.”

“…That’s not untrue.”

“Hehe, right?”

“Um…”

“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how amazing your outfit looks today. I think you can wear things like this for our next trip to the academy.”

“Really…?”

“Of course! I have no reason to lie to you!”

“That’s true, but… on the way here, people kept staring at me…”

“Ah…”

Um…

I thought it was completely expected, and I believed that would be the case.

Even if she was looking down and her face was hard to see, anyone would have to notice her figure while she walked down the street.

From the first time I met Karen as a kid, her figure had always been impressive.

“Well… hmm…”

Though she was in the third year now, Karen had started her first year a year later than most of the current third-years.

Ah, could that be why she doesn’t have many friends…?

Though usually, students enter at 13, not everyone starts at 13.

There were actually quite a few new students this year who were 14 and 15.

But…

“…Sister, can I ask what you typically eat?”

“N, sure?”

“I’m just curious.”

Karen, being a year older than the average 16-year-old junior, was 17, yet her growth was impressive enough to stand out.

I had seen some growth in myself recently too, but I still didn’t feel that I was particularly large yet.

“Well… I think I’ve been eating a lot of cheese lately…! And I found a place that makes fondue bourguignon really well, so I think I have been going there often…?”

“I see…”

Cheese… noted.

“In any case, I was just staring at you a while ago because you looked really beautiful today.”

“Kamelia, you’re beautiful too…”

“Hehe, hearing that from you really makes me happy.”

It was more of a thankfulness for the compliment I gave than anything else, but it wasn’t bad either.

At least when Karen received compliments about her looks, she didn’t just feel rejected but seemed embarrassed instead.

I could genuinely sense her self-confidence was gradually building regarding her appearance.

“…Hey.”

“Yes, Grace?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“What’s up? Is something wrong? It doesn’t seem like our orders have come yet.”

“I told you, it’s nothing…”

“…?”

It was strange that Grace, who had initiated conversation with me, suddenly went quiet.

What was going on?

Did I inadvertently say something that troubled her?

Maybe she was a little disappointed that I praised Karen for what she wanted to compliment instead?

“Uh… Can I step out to the restroom for a moment…? I’ll be back quickly before the drinks arrive…”

“Of course, take your time.”

While we chatted, Karen made her way away, leaving a gap.

Once she was gone, I turned to Grace, who was sitting next to me, and said, “Grace, aren’t you glad?”

“…Yeah, I guess.”

Even without stating the subject, Grace still responded.

Before we reached the meeting place and even after meeting, I had many worries, but it felt like it was more relieving in the end.

“Still, when we’re together, she seems a lot less shy.”

“She really was trembling a lot when we met in front of the fountain.”

“…How should we solve that problem?”

“If I knew, I would have helped her a long time ago.”

“Ah, right.”

That made sense, didn’t it?