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

Episode 61: Kayano Shiina – Day Three of the Training Camp.

Kayano Shiina’s POV.

Morning. My eyes open.

Light seeps through the gap in the curtains, but the room remains dim. My roommates are still fast asleep. My mind, sluggish from just waking up, drifts back to last night. Ryuuji’s confession. The moment I had waited for so desperately.

He told me his feelings clearly. We were officially together now. Starting today, I was Ryuuji’s girlfriend. The thought alone made my cheeks loosen. I must have been grinning like an idiot—enough that anyone seeing me might have backed away in secondhand embarrassment.

And the kiss…

Maybe I had been a little too forward. My first kiss—and I was the one who initiated it. The me from before the confession could never have imagined it. But looking back, every time I had stared at Ryuuji’s lips, that faint, restless itch had been there. In a way, it was inevitable.

I told myself I did it to comfort him when he looked so anxious. But honestly… his shadowed expression had been unbearably dear to me. My feelings had simply overflowed.

“…”

I stared silently up at the lodge ceiling, lost in thought.

“Nn… Shii-chan, morning…”

Moe, who had been sleeping beside me, stirred. She rubbed sleepy eyes and looked over.

“Hehe. Looks like it went well~”

Her whisper was so quiet only I could hear it. I hid my burning face behind a smile and nodded vigorously.

***

One by one the other girls woke and began their morning routines. A girl’s morning is always busy. Washing the face, brushing teeth, light makeup—even during camp, we couldn’t afford to slack. Especially not me today.

Because today I was Ryuuji’s girlfriend.

I wanted to look as cute as possible. The determination made my breathing quicken. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the others, putting extra effort into my makeup.

Moe watched me with a soft, knowing smile. It made me happy—and just a little embarrassed.

***

Breakfast time. I walked to the dining hall with the other girls, stealing glances around for Ryuuji. He hadn’t come out of the boys’ room yet.

We took our seats. Before I realized it, my eyes were glued to the entrance.

“Shiina, what’s wrong?”

A third-year senpai asked. I snapped upright in a panic.

“Eh!? N-No! It’s nothing!!”

My shout drew puzzled looks from everyone nearby. Mortified, I ducked my head. Moe smoothly changed the subject.

“The food today looks really good, doesn’t it~?”

Thanks to her, the senpais awkwardly followed her lead.

Thank you, Moe. I sent her a grateful glance. She returned a gentle smile. My childhood friend really was kind—and cute. The way her eyes sometimes sharpened lately was just part of her charm.

At that moment the dining-hall door opened. The boys filed in.

—No, not yet… not yet… not yet…

In my head I counted silently until—

There. Ryuuji stepped inside. Heat bloomed instantly in my chest. He spotted me and gave a slightly embarrassed wave. I waved back, small and shy. Was it really okay to feel this happy first thing in the morning?

Even while eating, even during the after-meal tea, my eyes kept drifting to him.

“Shii-chan?”

I jolted and yanked my gaze back. Wait—why was every single girl staring at me?

***

The boys left the dining hall. Break time before practice. Yet none of us girls made a move to stand.

“Shiina. Did something happen with Sagara?”

At Saeki-buchou’s direct question, my shoulders jumped.

“W-Why… would you ask that?”

“You’ve been staring at him the whole time. Grinning one second, face bright red the next. Something definitely happened, right?”

Saeki-buchou leaned in like a child who’d found a new toy. The others nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Uh, well, um…”

“Wait—did you two start dating!? You both disappeared during the fireworks last night! Wait, seriously!?”

One of the first-years’ words flipped the atmosphere in an instant.

“…Yes…”

I buried my face in my hands, cheeks blazing hotter than ever.

The next moment—“KYAAAAAAAAA!!”—a chorus of squeals filled the dining hall.

“Finallyyy!”

“You were so nervous about it~”

“Sagara-kun, huh? Nice choice~”

“Shiina you’re way too cute!!”

A torrent of congratulations rained down. I wanted to melt into the floor. This must be what people mean by wishing for a hole to crawl into.

But more than anything… I was genuinely happy to be celebrated by everyone.

“Congratulations, Shii-chan.”

Moe’s final words came with the most sincere, joyful smile of all.

***

Sweat beaded on the hand gripping my shinai. The air in the martial arts hall felt hotter than any morning practice should. Today was the final day of camp—the concluding shiai-geiko.

My opponent: second-year Ebara-senpai. After beating the captain yesterday, I could feel every gaze in the room. Even when I tried to ignore it, my skin prickled under the weight.

“Begin!”

The moment the command rang out, distance closed. The air snapped taut.

Ebara-senpai’s stance was high, center of gravity steady, eyes sharp.

—But I can read her.

I wasn’t the same as before. The timing was visible.

—I can do this.

Her shinai dipped ever so slightly. That instant, I stepped in.

“MEN!”

A crisp crack echoed. The shinai connected cleanly with her men. Kawaguchi-sensei raised his flag.

“Ippon.”

Fast. But I wasn’t stopping.

Ebara-senpai lunged in panic, aiming for kote. I shifted my body to evade and countered immediately.

“DOU!”

The shinai sliced through and struck true. The impact reverberated up my arms. Two points.

“Dou-ari! Shoubu-ari!”

At sensei’s call the hall fell silent. I exhaled behind the men. My heart pounded furiously—yet strangely, I felt calm.

—I saw everything.

Ebara-senpai removed her men and smiled at me.

“As expected, Shiina. Incredible, just like yesterday.”

“Thank you very much.”

After exchanging bows, sweat slid down my cheek and dripped onto the wooden floor.

I took off my men and looked for Ryuuji. He was watching with the gentlest smile. For me, it was the perfect way to close out practice.

***

After cleaning the hall and tidying the lodge, our summer camp—packed with irreplaceable memories—finally came to an end.

We boarded the bus back to school. Unlike the trip here, the girls dragged me into their group seating. Moe sat right beside me.

They bombarded me with questions about Ryuuji. Keeping our voices low so the boys wouldn’t overhear, we whispered back and forth.

Ryuuji was with the boys’ group, chatting and laughing happily.

An hour or so passed. Now the bus crawled through highway traffic. The gentle rocking and accumulated fatigue from camp had sent most of the members to sleep.

I stole a glance at Ryuuji’s seat. He was asleep too.

Hehe. Cute.

Even just his sleeping face made me think things like that. I must be hopeless. While I quietly scolded myself—

“Shii-chan. It worked out, huh?”

Moe’s whisper was soft enough for only me to hear.

“Yeah… I’m his girlfriend now, somehow…”

I gave her my smallest, most private smile.

“I see~ Then it’s my turn to do my best, isn’t it~”

Moe smiled back, just as quietly.

After hearing Ryuuji’s story yesterday, I had made up my mind.

He struggles with emotions—especially familial or romantic affection. The sudden loss of his mother in childhood must have twisted something inside him.

Aversion to the idea of “family.” The obsessive belief that he isn’t worthy of love. The terror of loss because someone precious vanished without warning. Those wounds still fester in his heart like a curse.

Honestly, there isn’t much I can do. Stay by his side. Keep loving him. Over a long time, maybe—maybe—his heart will thaw.

Yesterday he told me he liked me. I was overjoyed. I thought nothing could feel happier. But the “like” in his eyes… it was human fondness mixed with a little desire. Not yet love. Not yet romance.

So why me?

Probably because he felt some basic goodwill toward me as a person. Maybe a touch of sexual interest too. He liked me enough to make me his girlfriend. We kissed. We held hands.

…But it’s not enough.

Right now I’m only “the girl who became his girlfriend.” My desire is screaming—I want him right now.

I want to be held so tightly I might break. I want kisses that devour me.

Even that wouldn’t be enough. No matter how much I pile on, my feelings alone might never reach him. My love’s heat alone won’t melt his heart. Not by myself.

“Moe…”

“Hm?”

“You have to become Ryuuji’s girlfriend too. Absolutely.”

“Eh?”

Moe’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m happy you’d say that… but why, Shii-chan?”

Had I said something strange? Even though we had vaguely promised to both become his girlfriends someday, asking her to date my boyfriend the very next day… it probably sounded like some weird fetish.

“Ryuuji said whether he’d date you depends on how he feels at the time.”

“Eh—he told you?”

“Yeah. It was hypothetical, though.”

Hearing that, Moe gave a small, pleased smile.

“…Yesterday I heard about his past. The reason he ended up alone.”

“…”

Moe’s expression turned serious. She waited silently.

“I can’t go into detail because he trusted me enough to tell me, but…”

“Okay.”

“I was so happy he opened up. But at the same time… it hurt. It ached. I couldn’t stand it.”

“Shii-chan…”

She must have sensed the weight in my voice. Her eyes glistened.