COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

As Hikaru and Ichinose returned to the private room of the yakiniku restaurant, all eyes immediately turned toward them.

"Ichinose, you're back."

Chihiro greeted her warmly, her tone noticeably more enthusiastic than usual. Meanwhile, the two boys sitting beside Hikaru began scrutinizing his expression, trying to pick up on any clues. Noticing the faint smile on his face, they quickly lowered their voices.

"So? Did something good happen?"

"What good thing?"

Hikaru sat back down, confused by the sudden question.

"Ichinose didn't…"

Shibata was trying to probe whether what they had all speculated had actually happened. If these two had really gotten together, it would be a cause for celebration.

"What do you mean?"

Hikaru couldn't quite grasp what they were implying but still chose to clarify, "Ichinose and I were just discussing our next steps for the class."

"Friday is almost here. Now that we've dealt with the major problem that was Class C, we need to determine our next course of action as soon as possible."

"That's right," Ichinose added seamlessly, her gentle smile unwavering. "Hikaru-kun had some ideas but wasn't sure about them yet, so he wanted to discuss them with me first."

"Or… was everyone expecting us to talk about something else?"

"Oh, so that's what it was!"

Chihiro's face lit up in realization. Laughing, she said, "Hikaru-kun is really dedicated, thinking about how to help the class even while eating. That's amazing!"

"I mean, I am Ichinose's assistant. It's only natural that I constantly think about how to secure an advantage for Class B."

Hikaru shrugged, then turned his gaze toward Ichinose.

Before reentering the private room, Ichinose had stopped by the restroom to wash her face, making sure there was no trace of her earlier emotions. Now, her usual gentle expression was back, as if nothing had happened at all.

Upon hearing Hikaru's words, she immediately added, "Hikaru-kun and I will continue to do our best for Class B, so please trust us."

"Of course, we all believe in both of you!"

Hearing that nothing seemed out of the ordinary between them, Ando, who had been burning with curiosity, finally let go of her gossip-fueled speculation.

With that, she urged everyone to start eating—the grilled meat was already served and waiting for them.

Surrounded by the sizzling aroma of freshly grilled meat, the six of them quickly immersed themselves in their meal, chatting as they ate. Over the past few days, their bond had strengthened significantly, making casual jokes and teasing feel natural.

After nearly two hours, Hikaru noticed that everyone was finishing up. Just as he was about to get up to pay, Ichinose reached out and stopped him.

"Don't forget, Hikaru-kun, this meal is a celebration for all the work you've put in these past few days. You're not allowed to pay!"

"That's right! This is our way of thanking you, so just sit tight."

Ando smirked, linking arms with Ichinose before pulling Chihiro along. The three girls then left the private room to handle the bill.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing how determined they were, Hikaru dropped the idea of paying.

After all, out of everyone present, he had the most Private Points. Paying for a meal like this wouldn't even put a dent in his balance.

"Hahaha, we all transferred our shares to Ichinose beforehand," Shibata said, clapping Hikaru on the shoulder. "Split five ways, it's not that expensive, so don't think too much about it!"

"Yeah, and tomorrow's class meeting will be led by you, Hikaru-kun. We'll be counting on you again," Kanzaki added with a calm smile.

Among the boys, things were simple—Hikaru had proven himself, so they enjoyed spending time with him.

As the three of them chatted, the door to the private room opened again.

Hikaru turned his head, expecting the girls to return, but what surprised him was that they weren't alone.

A new figure had joined them—a short-haired girl with a strikingly beautiful face and a well-proportioned figure. She had taken Ando's place, now linking arms with Ichinose as they approached.

"Hikaru-kun, let me introduce you," Ichinose said with her usual gentle smile. "This is Kushida-san from Class D."

"Nice to meet you all!"

The girl named Kushida greeted them naturally, showing no signs of shyness despite meeting them for the first time. Her open and friendly demeanor made it clear that she was skilled in social interactions.

"I'm Kushida Kikyo, a first-year from Class D. My dream is to be friends with everyone. I look forward to getting to know all of you in Class B!"

"Nice to meet you, Kushida-san."

The boys responded immediately.

She was undoubtedly a beauty—standing beside Ichinose, they were nearly on par in terms of looks, both top-tier among the school's female students.

Just as Hikaru was about to greet her, his system suddenly displayed a notification.

[Ding! Kushida Kikyo Stock has been added!]

[Current Stock Price: 10]

[Shares Issued: ???]

"!"

Hikaru's mind jolted.

After waiting for days, he had finally discovered a new stock. And to his delight, it was an ideal one.

Another stock starting at 10 points—this was the perfect opportunity to go all in.

"Hikaru-kun, I heard that you're Ichinose's assistant. You must be really capable, right?"

Kushida's voice pulled him back to reality. Unaware of the system's notification, she continued speaking with ease, clearly skilled at making connections.

"Not at all. I'm just doing some small tasks for the class," Hikaru replied, shaking his head slightly as he observed her.

Her expressions and mannerisms were flawless, completely natural—exactly the kind of person who thrived in social settings.

"You're too modest! Honami-chan talks about you all the time, you know?"

It seemed that Kushida and Ichinose were close, given that she used a familiar nickname for her.

"I-I do not! Kushida-san, stop making things up!"

Ichinose's cheeks turned slightly red as she lightly smacked Kushida's arm before quickly turning to Hikaru.

"Hikaru-kun, we've paid the bill, so we can leave now."

"Alright."

With that, the group left the restaurant.

Since it was still early, they decided to wander around Keyaki Mall for a while. Hikaru had no objections and simply followed along.

With Kushida now in the group, their number had increased to seven. However, as someone introduced by Ichinose, she blended in effortlessly.

And thanks to her natural ability to read the room, it didn't take long for her to get along with the other Class B students.

"A social butterfly, huh?"

That was the first impression Hikaru formed in his mind.

However, she was a student of Class D—the lowest-ranked class, deemed the weakest by the school's standards.

Yet, everything about her presence suggested otherwise.

This girl isn't simple.

Hikaru continued observing the short-haired girl carefully.

A stock with an initial price of 10 points was tempting, but he needed to carefully plan his approach before making any moves.

~~~

30 chapters ahead

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