Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 49.

Episode 49: Awakening.

Consciousness slowly returned. My head throbbed. Every inch of my body pulsed with dull, insistent pain.

My eyelids felt impossibly heavy; it took a long while before I could force them open even a crack. When I did, a blurry white ceiling swam into view. The sharp scent of disinfectant stung my nose, and the steady electronic beeps of machines filled my ears.

Waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling… it really does feel like something out of a story, doesn’t it? The idle thought drifted through my foggy mind.

“…Ryuuji-san?”

A faint voice came from the side. I turned my head and saw her—my legal mother. My foster mother, sitting in the chair beside the bed, watching me intently.

Her name was Sagara Wakako. One of the three wives of my legal father and guardian, Sagara Ichirou. She was not only his spouse but also a brilliant woman who served as his secretary.

“Wakako-san…?”

My throat burned with dryness; my voice came out hoarse and cracked. Wakako-san shot to her feet in a rush and pressed the nurse call button.

“Doctor! Ryuuji-san is awake!”

Her voice trembled with urgency, tears of relief glistening in her eyes. A nurse hurried in almost immediately and leaned over to peer at my face.

“Can you understand me? Can you tell me your name?”

“…Sagara… Ryuuji…”

I answered, wondering why such an odd question.

“Good, that’s very clear. Do you know what month and day it is today?”

“…Um…”

I tried to rummage through my memories, but everything felt hazy and distant.

“It’s all right—take it slow. Your throat must be terribly dry, yes?”

I nodded. The nurse brought a cup with a straw to my lips. The cool water sliding down my throat finally grounded me back in reality.

“…This is… a hospital, right…?”

“Yes. You were brought here by ambulance last night after collapsing.”

Wakako-san answered in a quivering voice.

I stared up at the ceiling in silence for a while. Bit by bit, the memories of the previous night trickled back. So that’s what happened—I’d lost consciousness. I glanced at my stabbed arm; it was heavily bandaged. What about Isshiki…?

“That girl…”

“Is Isshiki Moe all right!?”

The words burst out of me before I could stop them, sharp with sudden intensity.

“The young ladies are both perfectly safe. They stayed very late last night, worrying about you the entire time.”

“…I see…”

Relief washed over me, and I immediately felt embarrassed at how forcefully I’d spoken.

“I… I’m sorry for worrying everyone.”

My voice was still rough. Wakako-san bit her lip and shook her head.

“It’s all right… I’m just so glad you opened your eyes.”

Even though she was only my legal mother, guilt at causing trouble to someone essentially a stranger kept me quiet.

“Ichirou-san was here with me yesterday, but he had an important dinner meeting today and couldn’t come. He was terribly worried—he even felt bad about not being able to visit today.”

“The sensei…?”

“Yes. He was extremely concerned.”

Hearing that only deepened my sense of shame. Ichirou-sensei was the person I owed the most to in this world. He’d looked after me since I was a child. My gratitude ran so deep that I never wanted to impose on him or cause him any inconvenience.

After that, I answered a few more questions from the nurse who had waited patiently through our conversation. Once she finished, the attending physician came in, white coat fluttering, chart in hand. He stood beside the bed.

“Ryuuji-kun, you’re awake. Good to have you back with us. Any headaches or nausea?”

“…A little. My body feels heavy overall… and my joints ache.”

“That’s to be expected. You took a blow to the head last night. Fortunately there was no brain damage, so please don’t worry about that. The wounds on your right arm are shallow but bled quite a bit. Luckily, no damage to bone or tendons. Still, the bandages stay on for at least four weeks. You’ve also got three cracked ribs and significant bruising, so strict bed rest is necessary for a while.”

“…I’ll have to stay admitted?”

“Yes. At minimum, we’ll observe you for four days. We’ll do a head CT just to be safe, since you lost consciousness.”

Wakako-san let out a small, relieved breath at the doctor’s words. When I started to ask about discharge, the physician raised a hand lightly to stop me.

“No need to rush. We need to monitor you for at least a few days. Symptoms can appear suddenly after a head injury.”

I gave a small, resigned nod. The doctor closed the chart, said “Call if anything changes,” and left the room.

Silence returned. Only the monitor’s beeps and distant footsteps in the hallway broke it. Wakako-san returned to the bedside and gently took my hand.

“…I really thought you might die.”

Her voice shook; I could tell she was fighting back tears.

Even though she was my foster mother, I still couldn’t fully see her as family. I stared at her in silence for a moment, then weakly returned the pressure of her grip.

“…I’m sorry. For always making you worry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. As long as you’re alive, that’s enough.”

A single tear slipped from Wakako-san’s eye. Having never really known parental affection growing up, I could only feel bewildered by the warmth being directed at me.

Once things had settled, Wakako-san stepped out into the corridor and made a phone call to the school on her mobile.

“Yes, this is Sagara Ryuuji’s mother… Yes, he collapsed and was admitted yesterday. No, his life is not in danger. We’d like to request some time off for him…”

Her voice drifted faintly from the hallway. “This is Sagara Ryuuji’s mother.” Hearing those words made something warm bloom quietly in my chest.

***

Some time after Wakako-san left, a doctor came to inform me that the CT scan was ready.

I was transferred to a stretcher and wheeled down the quiet corridor. One fluorescent light after another passed overhead, slowly anchoring me back to the present. In the CT room, only the low hum of the machine filled the air.

“Stay still, okay? It’ll be over quick.”

I nodded at the technician’s voice and closed my eyes.

***

When I was brought back to the room after the scan, Isshiki and—presumably—her mother were waiting, clearly here to visit. The moment Isshiki saw my face, tears welled up and spilled over.

“Uuu… Ryuuji-kun… I’m so glad… sniff… Ryuuji-kun…”

She reached out hesitantly and took my hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mother looked at me and bowed deeply.

“I’m Isshiki Midori. Moe’s mother.”

“Thank you so much for protecting my daughter. Because of you, Moe came to no harm. I can never thank you enough.”

The depth of her bow made me feel a little awkward.

“No… I’m the one who should apologize for causing you worry. I’m just glad Isshiki-san is safe.”

Midori-san looked momentarily surprised, then smiled warmly.

“Thank you. If you’re ever in trouble, please come to me—I’ll help however I can.”

Protecting Isshiki had been something I wanted to do. Still, hearing her say that meant a great deal.

“Thank you.”

I offered simple thanks.

***

Isshiki Moe gazed at me with a serious expression. “Mom,” she said softly, prompting Midori-san to step out. Midori-san gave a small smile and left the room. Isshiki straightened her back, faced me, and bowed her head.

“Ryuuji-kun… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

At my words, fresh tears brimmed in her eyes.

“Thank you…”

“But that’s not it. I wanted to apologize to you…”

I looked at her, puzzled, not understanding what she meant.

“About our promise… the one where I asked you not to use violence…”

“You protected me yesterday… and I was really, really happy.”

“But only because you were safe… If something had happened to you… I was so scared the whole time yesterday… Why did I ever make you promise something like that…”

“If I hadn’t said I didn’t want violence… none of this would have happened… I’m so sorry… sniff… I’m sorry.”

“You kept enduring it… even against someone like that, in that situation… you never fought back… sniff… All because of the promise I forced on you… I’m sorry.”

Isshiki covered her face with both hands and sobbed.

To be honest, I’d always thought her absolute rejection of violence carried a kind of unhealthy rigidity. There are situations where violence can only be answered with violence.

Even knowing that, I’d chosen to act the way I did last night. Even though we were on a side street a little removed from the residential area, her screams had carried far enough that nearby residents were bound to notice. I figured if I could buy time, help would come. And realistically, even if I’d fought back properly, an amateur like me would have ended up in roughly the same state.

But that line of thinking had been my own ego. Seeing me simply endure had hurt Isshiki this deeply. If anyone should apologize, it was me.

“I understand. I accept your apology. And… I’m sorry too. For making you worry so much.”

“Huh…?”

Isshiki looked up through her tears.

“From now on, if something like that happens again, I won’t fight that way.”

I answered as brightly as I could manage.

“Of course, there are times when self-defense is necessary, depending on the situation.”

With that preface,

“I don’t think it’s wrong at all that you hate violence.”

“It came from a kind place, right?”

The promise we’d made had been born from her feelings for Shiina. I knew that.

“So don’t worry about it.”

I tried to sound as cheerful as possible. Isshiki answered through her tears, “Thank you.”

***

“Ryuuji-kun… you live alone, don’t you?”

Once her tears had calmed, Isshiki asked quietly. I didn’t remember ever telling her that.

“Yeah. Did Shiina tell you?”

“Mm. Yesterday, when we were talking with Sagara Ichirou-san, it came up by chance. And so…”

“I see. Yeah, that’s right. I live by myself.”

I wasn’t hiding it, exactly. I didn’t go around announcing it either, but I didn’t mind if people knew.

“Shii-chan already knew, huh…”

“Yeah. She’s come over a few times.”

“I see…”

Isshiki’s mood visibly deflated. Midori-san, catching the shift, asked,

“Ryuuji-kun, are you dating Shiina-chan?”

The question came straight and sharp—surprisingly direct for someone with Midori-san’s gentle demeanor.

“No, not yet. But I’m seriously thinking about it.”

At my clumsy admission, Midori-san let out a soft, mature chuckle.

“I see. Then Moe will have to try harder, won’t she?”

The moment she said it—clang!—Isshiki toppled out of her chair.

There it is. Classic.

“M-Mom!”

Her face flushed scarlet as she scolded her mother. The sight of her—so different from yesterday’s despair or the heartbroken expression earlier—was honestly adorable.

***

Not long after, the attending physician returned, checked the monitor, and said,

“Yes, no major damage. Just a mild concussion and bruising. Rest quietly for a while and you should be fine.”

Isshiki pressed a hand to her chest and let out a long, relieved breath.

“I’m so glad… really…”

At that moment, footsteps approached from the hallway. The door slid open with a clatter—

“Ryuuji-kun!”

It was Shiina, still in casual clothes. She rushed to the bedside, hair slightly disheveled, breathing hard. When she saw my face, tears filled her eyes and relief washed over her features. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around me.

“Ow—ow, Shiina—”

“Ah!… Sorry!”

She pulled back in a panic, but her hands lingered reluctantly in the air.

“…Shiina. Sorry for worrying you.”

When I spoke, she gave a teary, laughing nod.

“I’m so glad… you really woke up…”

The doctor gave Shiina a mild, apologetic scolding before briefly explaining my condition. Shiina bowed repeatedly in thanks.

“Doctor, thank you so much.”

She thanked him with complete sincerity. Watching her, Isshiki looked a little envious. Midori-san, quietly peeling a peach nearby, murmured under her breath,

“Ryuuji-kun really is a sinful boy.”

“Here you go, Ryuuji-kun. I cut the peach—eat up.”

“Thank you.”

I casually accepted the neatly sliced peach Midori-san offered and began to eat.