Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 48.

Episode 48: Outside the Hospital Room.

The door to the ward room remained firmly shut. Nothing of what was happening inside could be glimpsed from the corridor. Only the pale glow of fluorescent lights illuminated the hushed nighttime hospital.

At the nurse’s gentle urging to give the family space, Shiina and Moe settled onto the long bench just outside the room and waited for any sign of progress. Beyond that closed door were only the two people presumed to be Ryuuji’s family; neither girl had any way of knowing what was taking place within.

“…Ryuuji-kun… is he going to be okay…?”

Moe’s whisper was barely audible, her voice trembling faintly. She rocked the tips of her toes back and forth, face stiff with worry. Beside her, Shiina sat in silence, shoulders quivering ever so slightly.

From inside came only the low hum of medical equipment and the soft tread of nurses moving about. Once or twice there was the muffled exchange of voices behind the door. Each time, fresh tension and dread flickered across the girls’ faces.

Then footsteps approached from around the corner of the hallway. It was Isshiki Moe’s mother, finished speaking with the police.

“Moe! Are you all right?”

To Moe in this moment, that voice was the second-most comforting sound in the world after Ryuuji’s. She gave a small nod and leaned quietly into her mother’s side. Shiina offered a light bow in greeting. The three of them sat side by side on the bench, eyes fixed on the closed door.

“I want to see him soon…”

Moe’s voice was tiny, yet raw with longing. Shiina hunched her shoulders and pressed a hand to her mouth.

“Yeah… me too… I just want to talk to him like always, soon…”

Hardly any words passed between them after that. When Moe’s shoulders began to shake again, Shiina reached out without hesitation and took her hand. The shared warmth eased—just a fraction—the knot of fear coiled in their chests.

“…It’s going to be okay. I know it will…”

Shiina’s voice wavered, but she poured every ounce of her will into reassuring her friend. Moe nodded faintly and squeezed back with desperate strength. Moe’s mother laid her hand gently over theirs. The three of them sat in quiet solidarity, drawing comfort from one another.

“It’s my fault…”

The words slipped from Moe like a confession. Shiina silently drew her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders; her mother rested a supportive hand on Moe’s back. For a long while the three simply held hands, letting time crawl forward.

From the bench they could see only the door and the uncertain atmosphere behind it. All they could do now was believe Ryuuji was safe. The only sound was the slow, relentless tick-tock of the corridor clock, sharpening the quiet anxiety that hung over them.

***

After a stretch of heavy silence, the ward-room door slid open at last. The two who had been called in as Ryuuji’s family emerged. Exhaustion and relief were etched together on their faces. The elderly man took a step forward and addressed Shiina and Moe.

“You must be Ryuuji’s friends. Thank you both for staying so late.”

Shiina and Moe gave small, tense bows. Moe’s mother inclined her head deeply in turn. The elderly man continued.

“The situation has stabilized. From here it’s just rest and observation, they say. He’ll need to stay admitted for a little while, but he should be discharged soon.”

The woman beside him turned gentle eyes toward Moe and offered a soft, maternal smile.

“You two must have been terribly worried. Thank you for waiting so patiently. On Ryuuji’s behalf, allow me to express our gratitude.”

Shiina and Moe felt the iron grip of tension in their chests loosen—just a little. Ryuuji’s condition required hospitalization, yes, but only for a few days at most. The greatest relief of the entire day slowly spread through them.

“Thank you very much…”

Their voices overlapped in quiet unison.

Moe’s mother placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and spoke again, formal and sincere.

“My name is Isshiki Midori—I’m this child’s mother. We are deeply grateful to Ryuuji-kun for protecting our daughter. At the same time, we are terribly sorry that he suffered such serious injuries because of her.”

Midori bowed low, every line of her body conveying heartfelt thanks.

“I’m Isshiki Moe… Ryuuji-kun protected me. Because of me he was put in so much danger… I’m so sorry.”

Moe, too, bowed deeply. Seeing her, the elderly man smiled kindly.

“Please raise your heads. I am Ryuuji’s guardian, Sagara Ichirou. If anything, Ryuuji will consider it an honor as a man to have protected a girl. Fortunately his life is not in danger. I only ask that you continue to be good friends with him from now on.”

The name Sagara Ichirou was familiar to Shiina and the others. A local assemblyman, president of the merchants’ association, representative of the business owners’ union—he was a prominent figure in town, often invited to deliver speeches at school events.

Even so, Shiina didn’t hesitate to voice the question burning in her mind.

“Um… Sagara-san… are you Ryuuji-kun’s family?”

Ichirou and the woman beside him exchanged a glance, then shared a small, knowing smile. Ichirou answered.

“I’m not sure how Ryuuji himself feels about it, but—”

He prefaced gently.

“We consider him family. Though it seems he still holds back from us a little. We only adopted him recently, after all.”

The revelation caught Moe off guard; she blurted the question before she could stop herself. Midori’s expression also showed surprise.

“Adopted…? What do you mean?”

Ichirou looked momentarily unsure.

“Ah… so Ryuuji never told you.”

He paused, thinking, then continued carefully.

“For Ryuuji’s sake I won’t go into too much detail, but… he was taken in from the children’s home I operate and became my adopted son. Since then, he has been our beloved family.”

The words slipped out of Shiina before she could catch them.

“Then… why don’t you live together with Ryuuji-kun?”

Knowing a little of Ryuuji’s circumstances, Shiina couldn’t stay silent—even forgetting for a moment that Moe and Midori were listening.

“Ryuuji chose to live alone because he didn’t want to burden us. He found and decided on the apartment himself. As a stand-in father, I’m ashamed to admit it.”

“He’s had some difficult experiences in the past. I suppose he has complicated feelings toward the idea of ‘family.’”

Ichirou spoke with quiet sadness. Hearing it, Moe turned to Shiina instead.

“Shii-chan… Ryuuji-kun lives alone?”

Realizing she had let a secret slip in front of Moe, Shiina startled. After a moment’s hesitation she answered softly.

“Yeah… Ryuuji-kun lives by himself.”

Moe’s face darkened; she whispered, “No way…” under her breath. Midori lowered her head, expression complicated.

Observing the three girls, Ichirou spoke gently.

“Thank you for caring so much about Ryuuji. He really is fortunate to have friends like you.”

“We’re slowly trying to close the distance, so that one day we can truly become a real family to him.”

With that, the conversation reached a natural pause. Ichirou gave a small nod.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave.”

On that cue, Sagara Ichirou and the woman with him bowed once more to the three and departed down the corridor.

***

Moments later, Shiina’s mother spotted her and hurried over.

“Shiina!”

Shiina ran to meet her and threw herself into her arms.

“Mom… sniff…”

The tears she had managed to hold back welled up again, just a little. Shiina’s mother gave Midori a light bow in greeting, then turned her gaze to Moe.

“Moe-chan, are you all right?”

Moe managed a faint, awkward smile.

“I’m okay… Ryuuji-kun protected me, so…”

Her brows dipped slightly; a complex mix of emotions crossed her face.

In the end, the nurse informed them that visiting hours were over for the day—time restrictions.

“Visiting will be possible starting tomorrow afternoon.”

With that, Shiina and Moe decided to return the next day. For now there was nothing to do but go home; each girl left the hospital accompanied by her mother.

***

In the car on the way back, Moe sat in the passenger seat and pulled the small black cat keychain from the pouch she had tucked it into before boarding the ambulance. She stared at it intently.

Ryuuji had won it for her at the crane game. A little sand still clung to it from when it had fallen, and faint traces of his blood stained the surface. Her precious good-luck charm.

Moe pressed the keychain tightly against her chest.

“Mom… I have a request.”

“Is it about Ryuuji-kun? What is it?”

“…Well, you see…”