Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 57.

Episode 57: Manager’s Duties.

Morning. My eyes open.

I still haven’t gotten used to the ceiling of Moe’s family home. The clock reads five. No matter what time I go to bed, waking at this hour has become pure habit.

A month has passed since the summer solstice, yet outside it’s already bright.

I rise from the futon, change into training pants, and strip off my shirt. It’s just my room—being shirtless shouldn’t be an issue. My right arm still aches; the doctor hasn’t cleared me for full activity. Intense exercise is out of the question, but my lower body should be fine. With that in mind, I begin stretching.

The bruises and rib pain linger. As I extend my muscles, I mentally list what I can still do.

Squats… possible. Lunges and calf raises should be okay too. I brace my left hand against the wall and test myself on tiptoes.

Plank… a sharp twinge in the ribs. No way. Leg raises are still impossible. Core work is off-limits for now.

Finally, hip and thigh stretches. In the end, lower-body training and stretching were all I could manage.

Even so, something is better than nothing. I open the memo app on my phone and build a menu. It’s almost obsessive, but I genuinely enjoy training my abilities.

As I move around with purposeful noise, a soft knock comes at the door.

“Come in.”

The door clicks open.

“Good morning〜”

Shiina peeks through the gap. The moment she sees me, her face flushes crimson and she jerks her gaze away.

“Ryuuji, put a shirt on!”

Right—I was still shirtless. I hurriedly pull one on.

“Sorry. It’s fine now.”

She glances back cautiously, then steps inside with visible relief.

“Your room was making all kinds of banging noises and it woke me up.”

Shiina, dressed in casual loungewear, drops the complaint while sitting on the floor. Neighborly troubles, huh.

“Sorry. I’ll keep it down.”

She gives me a mildly exasperated look.

“Don’t push yourself yet. You’ll reopen the wound.”

Her worried eyes fix on my right arm.

“My bad. I just felt sluggish. It was only light stuff. Yeah—I’ll be careful.”

“You’re the same as always. If there’s anything I can do, just say so, okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll count on you. Thanks.”

At my words, Shiina smiles bashfully. Outside the window, the sky has grown even brighter. Past six now. Not much time before club activities.

“Shiina, sorry—I’m gonna shower.”

“Okay.”

She nods and heads back toward Moe’s room.

“Huh? Moe?”

I thought I heard Shiina’s voice from the next room… but maybe I imagined it. I wrap my right arm in plastic, grab fresh clothes, and head to the washroom.

***

I’m not an idiot. I know full well that Midori-san uses the bath around this time. I’m not stepping on the same rake twice.

Knock, knock.

I rap on the washroom door and wait. After a few seconds, I knock again. No answer. Good—no one’s inside. I turn the handle.

The washroom should be empty.

Instead, Isshiki Moe stands there in nothing but her underwear.

Is this real? I definitely knocked. Twice. My brain gives up trying to process. No—I want to give up. This is wishful thinking.

Moe looks at me and smiles brightly.

“S-sorry. Wait—no, I knocked, didn’t I?”

I hurriedly avert my eyes, turning my back while scolding her.

“I know〜. I was waiting on purpose.”

“…What does that mean?”

Her frankness throws me completely.

“Your right hand can’t move properly, right, Ryuuji-kun? So I have to help you.”

She reaches toward the hem of my shirt as she speaks.

“Stop, Moe. This isn’t funny.”

“No, it’s not. I have to take responsibility.”

There’s something almost pathological in her tone. Probably meant in good faith, but this is crossing a line. I can’t let the daughter of the house I’m indebted to do something like this.

“First—calm down.”

I catch her hand and speak firmly.

“Look.”

I rotate my right arm slightly and clench-unclench my fist. A decent stab of pain shoots through, but that’s irrelevant right now.

“I can manage alone. I can wash myself. No problem.”

“Besides, showering together in underwear is way too much. We’re supposed to be friends, right?”

At the word “friends,” the light in Moe’s eyes flickers out for a moment.

“Yesterday morning. Mom. Bath…”

“…”

She lists the keywords like a quiz prompt—polite, almost cruel.

The air grows colder. A chill crawls up my neck, worse than the night I blacked out. This feels… dangerous.

“…That was my fault. But it wasn’t on purpose.”

Cold sweat traces my cheek. How does Moe even know about that? I don’t have the composure to ask.

“I know that already〜”

Her voice softens, regaining a hint of its usual gentleness. I exhale in relief. Then I speak again.

“Moe. I appreciate the sentiment. But no—it’s still no.”

“I’m still the idiot who hasn’t given Shiina a proper answer. I don’t want to make her any more anxious. So no.”

Mentioning Shiina forces Moe to back down. She lowers her gaze slightly, lips trembling.

“…I’m sorry.”

Her voice is tiny.

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I really do appreciate it.”

“I’m grateful to you, Moe.”

At that, she blushes faintly, straightens her clothes, and quietly leaves the washroom.

It must have come from a sense of responsibility. Knowing the usual Moe, though, makes it all the more bewildering.

“Phew.”

I take a breath, lock the door properly, and begin my shower in silence.

***

After an awkward breakfast, Shiina, Moe, and I head to club in our tracksuits. Even during summer break, with Inter-High approaching, Shiina has practice. If she’s practicing, I’m naturally there as manager.

It’s Moe’s first day too, so she’s bustling with nervous energy. Probably because of the washroom incident—her expression is stiffer than usual. As we walk an unfamiliar route to school, I speak to her.

“Today’s my first day as manager too. Let’s do our best together.”

“Yeah.”

She relaxes a little and nods.

To begin with, our school’s kendo club has never really had a manager. Maybe in the past, but currently it’s not exactly a powerhouse. Shiina is entered in the Inter-High main tournament, but that’s it—the team was eliminated in qualifiers for team events. Apparently Moe is the first new manager in years.

There are no set duties; we either wait for the advisor’s instructions or figure things out ourselves. Everything is trial and error.

Upon arriving, Shiina heads to the girls’ changing room. Since Moe and I don’t need to change, we part ways and go to the staff room to pick up the martial-arts-hall key.

Kawaguchi Ippei-sensei, our laid-back advisor, is there. He only did kendo casually in high school—no national-level coaching ability—but his easygoing personality makes him popular with the club members. I like him too.

“Oh! Sagara and… Isshiki, right? Morning.”

““Good morning.””

Moe and I bow in greeting.

“Isshiki starts today, huh. Looking forward to working with you.”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

Moe stands straight, visibly tense.

“Then Sagara, you too. Isshiki—if you don’t know something, just ask Sagara.”

Classic full delegation. That’s how he always is.

We bow again and leave the staff room.

Back at the martial-arts hall, several members are already waiting outside. When they spot me, they freeze for a second. Understandable—my arm is bandaged, and my face still carries painful-looking bruises. Seniors and classmates ask if I’m okay. I feel a little guilty.

“Sorry for worrying everyone. It looks bad, but I’m fine.”

My classmate Tadokoro-kun asks what happened.

“Sorry. It’s not just about me, so I can’t go into detail.”

No one told me to keep quiet, but Moe—the biggest victim—is standing right beside me. It’s not something I can casually explain. Moe glances up at me and whispers, “Thank you.”

***

I unlock the hall. A wave of stuffy heat pours out. One by one, I open the doors for ventilation. First things first—Moe needs a proper introduction.

I call out to Saeki-senpai, the club captain, and introduce Moe as the new manager. He gathers everyone and sets up the moment.

“I’m Isshiki Moe, first-year. I’ll be serving as manager. Pleased to meet you all.”

Moe bows deeply. The response from the members is mostly positive—everyone seems excited about having a manager for the first time.

After the introduction, practice begins. It likely starts with meditation and running. I switch on the fans for what little cooling they provide. Now then… what next? Right.

“Moe, let’s start with mopping for now.”

I grab a mop from the cleaning closet and begin working from the edges. Normally I’d be holding a shinai, but today it’s a mop. A touch of melancholy creeps in—but it’s only a few weeks until I heal. I have to endure.

While mopping, Shiina arrives late and calls out.

“Oh, you’re already at it. Moe, how’s it going? You okay?”

“Yeah. But it’s really humid〜”

Exactly. The martial-arts hall in this season is brutally muggy. She’ll just have to get used to it.

“Moe, don’t forget to hydrate. If it gets too tough, rest by the fan. Don’t overdo it.”

She nods vigorously, sweat already dripping. I hope she doesn’t push too hard—but if she’s going to be a kendo manager, this is the path.

“Moe, come with me for a sec.”

I pick up the water jug and sports-drink powder with my left hand and lead her to the staff room. We need to make replenishment water using ice from the teachers’ freezer. After getting permission, I dump ice into the jug and prepare extra for the next batch.

We mix powder and tap water back in the hall. I explain as we go, but… once the jug is full, it’s probably too heavy for Moe.

“Ryuuji-kun, let me carry it.”

She speaks with unexpected determination.

“You sure?”

“When you come back, this’ll be my job anyway. Please.”

She takes the jug from me, holds it with both hands, and walks forward slowly. I follow behind with a wry smile, ready to catch her if she loses balance.

***

By the time we return, basic drills have already started. Since the advisor is here, I tell Moe to get instructions from him for now. I move to the edge of the hall and begin footwork drills alone—just a token effort. Even as a manager, I plan to return someday. I want to keep my body moving at least a little. The club members watch me with warm, slightly exasperated smiles.

After basics finish, I return to Moe’s side. Seeing me drenched in sweat, she pours sports drink from the jug and brings it over. It feels backward—me, the manager, being served by Moe the new manager—but I accept gratefully. Cool liquid soothes my parched throat.

Geiko—practice matches—begins in the hall. We managers need to time bouts. I hand Moe the stopwatch and have her measure. This will likely become her regular duty. While she works, I stand idly by, observing. Next up is Shiina.

Even within the club, Shiina draws attention. Her skill is real, and next month is the Inter-High main event. The whole club’s expectations rest on her. Mine included.

***

The wooden floor creaks. Every strike sparks with the crack of shinai against shinai.

“Men!”

Shiina’s voice rings through the hall. She closes the distance in one explosive step and strikes without hesitation. Her fumikomi presses the floor. The instant her opponent’s shinai rises, she’s already flowing into the next motion—kote, dou, kaeshi-men. Everything connects like water.

Sweat flies. Her breath escapes in short bursts through the men. She slips her opponent’s strike and lands a clean dou. A brief silence. Shiina steps forward again. The sheer intensity freezes the surrounding air. The final “Men!” lands perfectly.

She lifts her men and glances my way for a split second. Nishishi—she grins at me. I grin back. Shiina’s in top form. She could aim for nationals. The potential radiates from her.

***

Afterward, with a tournament approaching, they shift to full shiai-style practice. Club ends at eleven. The members head to the clubroom for a meeting. Moe and I inspect the shinai, discarding any with splinters, then finish cleanup.

By the time we reach the clubroom, the meeting has ended. Shiina, already changed, waits outside.

“Good work!”

She calls to us.

“Good work.”

“Good work〜”

We reply. Shiina looks at Moe.

“How was it? Think you can handle it?”

She must have been worried all day.

“Yeah. It was super hot, but… fun〜”

Moe answers with satisfaction. Seems her first day went well.

***

On the walk home, the sun is brutal before noon. The three of us stop at a convenience store midway and buy ice cream. I get an orange sherbet. Shiina picks a chocolate monaka ice. Moe chooses vanilla soft serve.

“So hot〜”

Shiina fans herself with one hand while eating, somehow managing both. Even in the shade under the store’s eaves, the heat is relentless.

“Eating ice cream doesn’t help at all. Why do we buy snacks on the way home instead of just rushing back?”

I laugh wryly.

“Yeah〜. But there’s something nice about post-club snacks, isn’t there?”

For Moe, this must be a first. She beams at the quintessential youth moment.

“Right. Remember when we all came here for ice cream after swimming?”

Shiina recalls nostalgically. A childhood memory I wasn’t part of.

“Yeah〜. That time Matsuri-chan spilled hers everywhere and it was chaos.”

“Minato-kun bought wet wipes and helped clean her clothes…”

“Matsuri-chan got all teary-eyed thanking him, right?”

Moe smiles, but the cheerful mood carries a faint trace of melancholy. A happy memory shared only among the four childhood friends I never knew.

The mention of Satou catches my attention. I haven’t seen him at all since the shortcut incident.

“Hey… is Satou okay after that?”

I ask simply, out of genuine concern. Their expressions dip slightly.

“Yeah. Minato-kun’s fine〜. He’s been coming to school, and we’ve been in touch.”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

I relax. I didn’t particularly like the guy, but he’s the protagonist. A classmate too. I didn’t want to see him suffer.

Shiina watches my face, her expression a complicated mix—relief tinged with something else. Then she murmurs,

“We’ve come a long way, huh.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Ufufu. Secret〜”

She gives a mischievous nishishi grin. Moe looks like she understands. To this day, I never learned exactly what Shiina meant.

In a few days, the summer training camp begins. By then, I had already decided how I felt about Shiina.