Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 83.

On the Way Home That Day.

The afternoon of the day I had made that dramatic declaration from the teacher’s podium.

After finishing club activities and changing out of my uniform, I waited for Shiina and Moe beside the bushes where I could see the girls’ changing room.

I had probably been waiting about ten minutes when Moe—the manager who had joined practice midway because she had something to take care of—emerged from the changing room.

The moment she spotted me, a bright smile bloomed across her face like a flower in full bloom, and she came running over.

That was when it happened.

Something slipped out from under her skirt with a soft plop as she ran.

Moe didn’t seem to notice. Honestly, what a handful.

“Ryuuji-kun, good work today~”

“Yeah, you too.”

As I replied, I walked over to where she had dropped the object and quietly picked it up.

A box cutter?

And the blade was still extended. That was dangerous.

Click, click, click, click, click.

I retracted the blade, returned to Moe, and held it out to her.

“You dropped this. The blade was out.”

“Ah, thank you~”

…Hm? Why is she looking away?

“Did you have a class today that required using a box cutter?”

“No. I carry it for self-defense. I didn’t end up using it today, though.”

Today? …Hm?

I didn’t quite understand, but if she hadn’t needed to use it, that was for the best.

Still, carrying it for self-defense made sense. I couldn’t exactly blame her for that. What I couldn’t understand was why the blade had been left out… But after everything that had happened, it was understandable. The image of Moe breaking down in tears in front of her stalker just before summer break flashed through my mind.

“I see. Just be careful about leaving the blade out like that. It’s dangerous.”

I said, handing the box cutter back to her.

“Okay. Thank you~ I’ll be careful.”

She slipped it into the pocket of her skirt and turned to me once more with an adorable smile.

***

Once Shiina had finished changing and joined us, the three of us headed home together.

For the time being, it seemed safe to consider the rumor issue more or less settled. Depending on how things looked at school tomorrow, I might need to adjust my approach, but at the very least, Moe should be fine now.

As for Satou Minato—the root cause—I could leave him be for now.

He had lost two precious childhood friends to me. That alone was more than enough punishment.

I had no hobby of kicking a man while he was already down.

Besides, both Shiina and Matsuri-chan seemed convinced that Satou had spread the rumors specifically to break Shiina and me apart, and that he had deliberately tried to ruin Moe’s reputation. However, I still didn’t know what Satou’s true intentions had been.

It was possible he had genuinely been worried about the two childhood friends. Or maybe he simply hadn’t thought that far when it came to Moe. Either way, it was foolish, but since I hadn’t asked the man himself, the truth remained unknown.

Only God and Satou Minato knew the full story.

Still, I had no intention of sharing that possibility with Shiina or Matsuri-chan.

I had no obligation to go that far for Satou, and there was no need to show mercy to a love rival. When it came to cute girls, even I could be ruthless.

In the end, I kept circling back to the same conclusion. The truth was unknowable. Thinking about it was pointless.

The only bit of leniency I showed Satou was that I hadn’t told Moe about what he had done.

I had heard that Satou and Moe were the oldest of childhood friends. There might be emotions between them that I couldn’t even begin to measure. There was no need to give Moe information that might wound her heart.

That was how I concluded the matter.

***

“Moe, sorry for announcing our relationship to everyone in class without talking to you about it first…”

“No, it’s okay. When you called me your ‘girlfriend,’ I was really happy. Plus… you looked really cool.”

I had been bracing myself for a scolding, so I let out a sigh of relief.

The reason I hadn’t told Moe beforehand that I planned to speak in front of the entire class was because I had been unsure until the very last moment whether I could actually go through with it.

“Hey? Ryuuji?”

“Hm? What’s up?”

Shiina looked up at me with a slightly anxious expression.

“What are you going to do about this?”

“About this? You mean the rumor thing?”

“No, not that. I mean the two-timing thing. You told everyone in front of the whole class that you’re dating Moe too, right?”

She was right. At least publicly, I was now in a relationship with both of them.

I understood that, and I had already made up my mind.

I smiled at the two girls.

“I know. I’ve been thinking about it properly. …Moe?”

When I called her name, Moe’s shoulders jumped slightly. She looked at me with eyes full of expectation.

“Y-Yes~!”

Her reply was a little high-pitched.

“Are you free this weekend? Let’s go on a date. And… there’s something I want to tell you.”

Moe’s expression shifted instantly from tension to a radiant smile.

“Y-Yeah! I-I’m looking forward to it! Really looking forward to it!”

“Haha. Let’s take it easy. I want us to have a fun time.”

“O-Okay.”

This was fine.

Just as I had declared in class, I was okay with being a two-timing bastard. If standing in the spotlight helped protect Shiina and Moe, then that was exactly the role a mob character like me should play.

“Shiina, that’s how it is. Sorry, but I’ll be a bit busy this weekend. I’ll definitely make it up to you.”

Shiina grinned mischievously.

“That sounds like something a total player would say. Fufu. Can’t be helped, I guess~ I’ll be expecting our next date! Ahh, I really want to eat some delicious cake~”

“My wallet isn’t that loose, you know. Go easy on me.”

“Make sure you properly catch Moe, okay?”

“Yeah, of course. I know.”

“Moe… do your best.”

There was a slightly complicated look on her face. Even though this was something Shiina herself had wished for, it seemed she still couldn’t completely sort out her feelings.

“Okay! I’ll do my best!”

Moe clenched both fists in front of her ample chest and struck a gutsy pose, looking fully motivated.

I deliberately slowed my pace a little.

The two girls walking ahead of me had linked arms and were chatting and laughing cheerfully. At least for now, they didn’t look like they were trapped in the kind of twisted relationship the rumors had suggested.

In the end, it all came down to me. Depending on my own capacity, these two could become either happy or unhappy.

From here on, it would depend on my own resolve.

With renewed determination, I continued walking along the path home, where the sun was already beginning to set a little earlier.