Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 36.

Episode 36: Mahiru-chan’s Sudden Arrival.

That afternoon. Classes had ended, and Shiina and I were walking side by side toward the club rooms when an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out to us—a girl’s voice I’d never heard before.

“Sagara-kun, do you have a moment? You too, Kayano-san.”

We turned reflexively toward the sound. I’d seen her around, but this was the first time I’d looked at her up close. The owner of the voice was Tachibana Mahiru. The very girl who, until just recently, had been the subject of rumors involving me—Mahiru-chan.

Tachibana Mahiru had straight, long golden hair with the faintest hint of pale pink running through it. Fair skin, perfectly proportioned features, large eyes, and a face that carried just a touch of sharpness—undeniably beautiful. She was slightly taller than Shiina, her uniform worn with impeccable neatness. No excessive accessories; at first glance she gave off a gal-like vibe, yet her speech was measured and firm. That very mismatch made her all the more striking. In terms of looks alone, she could easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the three heroines orbiting Satou Minato.

Caught off guard by the sudden stop, Shiina and I exchanged bewildered glances. Shiina gave me a small nod—permission to respond. I turned to face Tachibana.

“Nice to meet you, Tachibana-san. So… what do you need from Shiina and me?”

Perhaps because the rumors flashed through my mind, my tone came out stiffer than intended.

“It’s about those rumors.”

“The rumors? You mean the ones about me and you…? What about them?”

I kept my reply deliberately neutral. Tachibana’s brows lowered in visible discomfort.

“I wanted to apologize. I’m sorry. I don’t know where the rumors started either, but… even though it wasn’t my fault, you must have been troubled by them, right? And Kayano-san too—she must have felt awful hearing that her boyfriend and I were involved… I saw the two of you looking so happy eating lunch in the courtyard today, and it only made me feel worse…”

“B-boyfriend!?”

Shiina’s eyes widened in surprise, yet a faint, pleased expression flickered across her face.

“I’m not bothered by it,” I said. “What about you, Shiina?”

I didn’t bother denying the boyfriend part and simply looked at her.

“I… was a little bothered at first. But now I’m fine. I don’t mind anymore♪”

Shiina answered with a shy, embarrassed smile.

“There you have it. As for the apology… I’m not even sure you need to make one, Tachibana-san.”

At my words, she shook her head firmly and met our eyes straight on.

“No. It’s my responsibility. Ever since I started here, all sorts of rumors have followed me, and I never did anything to stop them. That’s on me.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Shiina asked, puzzled. Tachibana hesitated for only a heartbeat before steeling herself and speaking.

“…I have someone I like. This hair color—it’s because of his preferences, actually. I’ve liked him for a very long time. But that person is…”

She drew in a small breath and lowered her gaze.

“…my cousin. We’re related by blood, so I’ve never told anyone. Whenever boys approached me, I just gave vague answers… and as a result, the ones who got their hopes up started spreading rumors on their own. The one about you and me, Sagara-kun, was just one of them. So yes—it’s my fault.”

She bowed deeply. I couldn’t help but catch my breath.

—What is this girl? An angel would be shocked by how good she is. A serious-talking gal secretly in love with her cousin? She’s a walking gap-moe factory. The type who acts tough but slips and calls him “Onii-chan” in a vulnerable moment? Yes. Glorious. Thank you for the meal.

While internally offering my respects, I forced myself to stay calm on the surface.

“…I understand. Apology accepted. But please—don’t worry about it anymore.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Shiina giving me what felt like a faint glare. …Or was that my imagination?

“Thank you. And, well… as a small way of making up for it—my father works for a company sponsoring a movie that’s coming out soon. They gave us four invitation tickets. If you’d like, please take your friends and go.”

She held out the movie tickets with a gentle smile.

“No, really—the apology itself wasn’t necessary, and I can’t accept something like this.”

As I tried to refuse, Tachibana simply flashed a bright grin.

“They’re free. Don’t worry about it.”

With that breezy reply, she pressed the tickets into my hand, left behind a refreshing trace of her presence, and walked away.

I called after her a little louder—“Tachibana, thank you!” She didn’t turn around, just gave a casual wave of her right hand in acknowledgment.

—Damn it. She’s just… purely a good person. Too precious.

***

After Tachibana swept away like a sudden storm, Shiina and I were left staring down at the four tickets still in my palm. It was the hotly anticipated romance film adapted from a popular novel, starring a rising young actor. The kind of movie advertised so heavily you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing a trailer.

I held the tickets out to Shiina with a casual “Here.”

“Eh?”

Her eyes went wide as she looked back and forth between me and the tickets. I shrugged lightly.

“You haven’t had much time with your childhood friends lately, right? You, Isshiki, Matsuri-chan, and Satou—you four used to be really close. Go with them.”

From this morning’s conversation with Matsuri-chan, I’d sensed it clearly: my growing closeness with Shiina was quietly throwing off the old balance among her childhood friend group centered around Satou. Of course, who Shiina wanted to spend time with was entirely her choice—and if that choice was me, I’d be over the moon. Still… I also felt she needed occasional time with them. A little rebalancing wouldn’t hurt.

What worried me more was the accumulating stress in Satou and the others. This wasn’t a rule that applied only to me. Watching Shiina grow and seeing the subtle shifts in Satou Minato had made that clear. The hardworking, kind protagonist side of him had vanished from view; his everyday attitude had changed. To Shiina, Isshiki, and Matsuri-chan, their relationships still felt surface-level—polite pretense. Doing nothing would only make things worse.

Shiina accepted the tickets with a faintly disappointed expression. Maybe she’d wanted to go with me. That thought made me quietly happy.

“I wanted to go with you too, honestly. But after talking with Matsuri-chan this morning… I realized time with friends is important too, right?”

“Besides, I’m not planning to go anywhere. We’ll have plenty of chances. Summer break’s coming up soon—training camp, fireworks, the beach… we’ll be together the whole time. So these tickets—I’m giving them to your childhood friends.”

Shiina thought for a long moment before giving a small nod, her expression softening into something quietly pleased.

“Yeah… thank you.”

“I had so much fun talking with Moe and Matsuri today. It really hit me again how precious that time with them is. And… while I’m with you, Ryuuji-kun, there are probably things only the three of us can share. It’s a good chance—I’ll invite them.”

“Great. Make sure you have fun, okay?”

With that, we headed off to club activities.

***

That night, my phone buzzed with an incoming message.

Shiina: Ryuuji-kun. Let’s go see the movie together.

“…Huh?”

In the end, despite my cool gesture of handing the tickets over, I was going to the movies with Shiina after all.