COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

As the school bell rang, the students of Class B shifted into serious study mode. Since last week, under Hikaru's initiative, everyone had gradually adapted to focusing completely during lessons, making the school day feel shorter than before.

Before long, the final class of Monday ended. Everyone in Class B knew that today was the day Hikaru and Ichinose would visit Class D to sell the rules. As soon as the teacher left, a group of students gathered around them.

"Hikaru-kun, are you heading out now?"

"Yeah, we're about to visit Class D. This is the second phase of our Point collection plan."

Hikaru smiled as he retrieved the contract documents they had printed at noon—forty copies in total, just like the ones for Class A. Every Class D student would need to sign one before they could proceed.

"Good luck, Hikaru-kun! We're counting on your good news!"

"I believe in you, Hikaru-kun. You've already proven how capable you are!"

"Ichinose-san, you too! I hope you both succeed in recovering the points smoothly."

"Mhm! Don't worry, everyone!"

Ichinose nodded at her classmates before checking her phone. She had already sent a message to Kushida—everything was set. They needed to move quickly.

"Let's go, Hikaru-kun."

"Right."

With their notebook of rule agreements and a stack of contracts, the two left the classroom, their Class B peers watching them off.

Since Class D's classroom was located further away—being the lowest-ranked class—it took some walking to get there. As they strode side by side through the corridors, their presence naturally attracted attention from passing students.

Upon reaching Class D's door, Ichinose seemed a little nervous, but Hikaru remained calm. He gave her a reassuring look, then stepped into the room together.

Because they had contacted Kushida in advance, Class D's students hadn't left yet. However, many of them looked impatient, shifting in their seats while glancing at the door. When the two stepped inside, all eyes immediately turned toward them.

"Good afternoon, Class D! I'm Hashima Hikaru from Class B."

Hikaru greeted them with a relaxed smile, his demeanor completely at ease. After all, they were all first-years—what was the worst that could happen?

"Hikaru-kun, you made it."

Seeing them enter, Kushida immediately beamed and approached them.

"Yeah, good afternoon, Kushida-san."

Ichinose nodded before taking her place beside Hikaru.

At that moment, a handsome-looking student stepped forward. His expression was friendly, and he spoke in a polite tone.

"Good afternoon, you two. I'm Hirata Yosuke. Kushida-san asked us to wait after school—so it was for you?"

"That's right, Hirata-kun."

Hikaru studied him briefly. Good looks, a calm demeanor, and an air of confidence—no wonder he was so popular with the girls.

"Would you mind sparing us a little of your time? We have something important to discuss, which is why we asked Kushida-san to keep everyone here."

"I see. Kushida-san mentioned you had something important to say. That's fine. I trust her judgment."

Hirata easily agreed before turning toward his classmates.

"Everyone, please pay attention. These two are friends of Kushida-san. They have something they want to share with us."

"Does it have to be now? I have club activities! Don't make me late!"

A red-haired boy remained seated, his tone impatient.

Following his complaint, two other male students joined in.

"Yeah, I need to head back to the dorms. This better not take long."

"Can you wrap it up in three minutes?"

"Oi, Yamauchi, aren't you just rushing back to play games? A short delay won't kill you." Someone teased from the side.

"You don't get it! Time is money! I need to farm materials ASAP to boost my combat power!"

As the boys chattered loudly, Ichinose's face tensed slightly.

She hadn't expected Class D's students to be this difficult to handle. Looking at Hikaru, she found him still smiling, unfazed by their attitude.

"Alright, everyone, settle down. It won't take long. Please trust me."

Hirata took control, his authority as class representative evident. With just a few words, the rowdy students quieted down—at least somewhat.

"Hirata-kun is impressive. He really does fit the role of a class representative."

Hikaru praised him casually before stepping onto the podium.

"Alright, good afternoon, everyone. Some of you may not have been paying attention earlier, so I'll introduce myself again."

"I'm Hashima Hikaru from Class B. It's nice to meet you all."

"Just get to the point! I don't care about your name! Don't waste my time!"

The red-haired student snapped impatiently. His tall build and sharp gaze made him seem difficult to deal with.

"No need to rush. I'll get to the point soon."

Hikaru remained composed despite the hostility. He wasn't here to make friends—he was here to gather points. If Class D was deemed the worst class, there was no need to waste energy building personal relationships.

"What I want to discuss concerns something unique about this school."

Casually, Hikaru picked up a piece of chalk left on the podium and wrote on the blackboard. After finishing, he turned to the students.

"It's been a week since we started school. Has anyone noticed anything unusual?"

Before coming here, Hikaru had strategized the best way to present his proposal.

Unlike Class A, which was made up of top-tier students, Class D wasn't going to believe a bunch of contracts outright. If he simply threw documents at them, some might ignore them or even walk out.

So instead, he planned to get their attention first, using obvious discrepancies in the school system to pique their curiosity.

"Unusual?"

Hirata and Kushida exchanged uncertain glances—clearly, they hadn't expected this topic.

"What are you even talking about? Nothing seems weird to me."

The red-haired boy scoffed, unimpressed.

"Yamauchi-kun, let's hear him out first."

Hirata calmly intervened, signaling for him to stay quiet.

"Tch."

Yamauchi grumbled but didn't argue further.

"Heh."

Hikaru chuckled before addressing the class again.

"You've all been here a week. Have you ever wondered why the convenience store sells free items? Or why the cafeteria offers a free vegetable set meal?"

He let his words sink in before continuing.

"Think about it. If the school gives every student Private Points each month, why go through the trouble of setting up free options? Isn't that redundant?"

Hirata's brows furrowed.

"Hikaru-kun, are you implying something?"

"Don't be in a rush, Hirata-kun. Let's give everyone a chance to think about it first. After all, what we're about to discuss requires your class's full cooperation."

Ichinose passed Hikaru the stack of contracts, and he held them casually in one hand, his expression calm and confident.

"Once everyone figures it out, I'll explain. That way, you'll understand why we're here today."

At that moment, Kushida's mind raced—was this why they had spent time with her over the weekend? Had they been fishing for intel all along?

Just then, a thin, elegant voice cut through the silence.

"You're saying some people will eventually run out of points, right?"

A girl stood up from her seat—Horikita Suzune.

From the moment Hikaru introduced himself, she had been analyzing the situation.

The name Hashima Hikaru, the surveillance she had noticed before, and the dots she had connected—they all came together at this moment.

"Oh? And you are?"

Hikaru's lips curled into a knowing smile.

Suzune had already figured it out.

Maybe she wasn't placed in Class D for ordinary reasons after all.

~~~

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