COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

When Hikaru saw Ichinose standing right in front of him, a feeling of helplessness welled up in his chest.

Keyaki Mall is huge, yet we still ran into each other… Seriously?

It was as if fate itself was playing a prank on him.

But he quickly adjusted his expression, opting to play dumb as he greeted her with a casual smile.

"Good afternoon, Ichinose-san!"

"...What exactly are you two doing?"

Ichinose's voice was calm, but her gaze lingered between him and Kushida, as if trying to piece something together.

"It's nothing special—just the same thing as last time. You already know about it, don't you?"

Hikaru softened his tone, keeping his explanation steady.

"Kushida-san wanted to thank me for explaining the hidden rules to her class, so she invited me out for a meal today."

He flashed a nonchalant smile.

"I didn't expect to run into you right after finishing dinner. What a coincidence, huh?"

"Yeah, seems like I have quite the connection with Honami-chan!"

Kushida leaned into her natural charm, flashing a bright smile as she greeted Ichinose.

But her eyes darted across Ichinose's face, quickly picking up on the subtle shift in her expression.

She was in a bad mood.

"Oh? What a coincidence… Heh."

Ichinose responded with a soft chuckle, but the way she spoke carried an undeniable bitterness.

Even though her rational side told her this was just a normal social outing, her emotions weren't so easily convinced.

Her mood soured, and her once radiant expression dimmed considerably.

"...Ah, I just remembered—Inogashira is waiting for me, so I should get going."

Kushida was a master at reading the room.

She had originally wanted to stick around for the drama, but after sensing Ichinose's change in demeanor, she knew it was best to make her exit.

"Alright, see you later, Kushida-san."

Hikaru didn't stop her from leaving.

Now, he and Ichinose were left alone, walking together as they made their way back from Keyaki Mall.

The silence between them was noticeable, and her mood remained visibly tense.

Wanting to ease the atmosphere, Hikaru was the first to speak.

"So, Ichinose-san, how did your intel gathering go today?"

"Mmm… I more or less figured out Sakayanagi-san's stance. We even chatted about some girl stuff, so the atmosphere was quite pleasant."

Despite the lingering frustration in her heart, Ichinose still answered his question seriously.

"That's good to hear. Let's go over everything tomorrow."

Hikaru nodded as he looked ahead, his voice steady.

"I'll also share the information I gathered today."

"Information?"

Ichinose's dimmed eyes suddenly lit up, her curiosity piqued.

She instinctively pressed further.

"What kind of information?"

"Class D's situation, of course. What else would it be?"

Hikaru smiled subtly, keeping his tone casual yet confident.

This was his method of easing Ichinose's discomfort—shifting the focus to class competition.

He knew exactly how to redirect her thoughts.

In reality, the important takeaway from his meeting with Kushida was her desire to befriend Suzune.

But when he relayed this to Ichinose, he would reframe it—instead of it being Kushida's idea, he'd say it was his own plan to set up a study group.

At the same time, he'd emphasize how it benefited Class B.

It wasn't about truth or lies—it was about making Ichinose feel at ease.

He already had a guess as to why she was upset.

She probably wasn't happy about him dressing up in casual clothes just to have dinner with Kushida.

Objectively speaking, it was something she already knew about, and from a social standpoint, it wasn't unusual at all.

But if he didn't smooth things over, there was a high chance she'd start overthinking it.

And that… was something he needed to avoid.

He might not be able to push their relationship further just yet, but keeping her trust and calming her emotions was crucial.

After all, he was holding a large amount of her stock—he couldn't afford to let her favorability drop.

"Obviously, my meeting with Kushida-san wasn't just about having a casual meal."

He glanced at Ichinose's side profile, noticing that her expression softened almost immediately.

Just mentioning that he had "gathered intel" was enough to ease her concerns—it worked like a charm.

"As for the details, I'll sort everything out when I get back. Let's go over it together tomorrow, okay?"

"Mmm, I trust you, Hikaru-kun."

"You know, I said before that I wanted to let you take the lead in planning for the class…"

Hikaru continued, his voice teasing yet thoughtful.

"But somehow, I keep finding myself gathering information out of habit. Does that count as breaking our agreement?"

"Of course not!"

Ichinose's serious expression returned, her golden eyes fixed on him with unwavering sincerity.

"I know you're always acting in the best interest of the class. No matter what you do, I'll always trust you."

Then, as if realizing what she just said, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

She hesitated before adding, "...And besides, only the two of us know about that promise. If I say you didn't break it, then you didn't."

"Phew, that's a relief. For a second, I thought your expression earlier meant you were mad at me for secretly meeting with Kushida-san."

Hikaru placed a hand over his chest, pretending to breathe a sigh of relief.

His dramatic reaction landed exactly as intended—right into Ichinose's heart.

Her emotions wavered for a moment, then quickly settled into something far deeper.

I'm so lucky…

To be in the same class as Hikaru-kun—

To be able to stand beside him—

To be able to walk this path together—

It was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Geez, why would you even think that, Hikaru-kun?"

Ichinose's smile returned, bright and dazzling.

"You can do whatever you want. As long as you tell me afterward, that's enough. We're partners, right? I would never blame you."

"Really? I didn't realize I was that important to you. I'm honored."

Hikaru laughed softly.

"Mmm. You've always been important to me."

Even though she was shy, Ichinose answered without hesitation.

"Being assigned to Class B with you was the best luck I could've ever asked for."

"Hahaha, same here. It's been great having you in Class B, Ichinose-san."

Hikaru chuckled, though deep down, this wasn't a lie.

Having someone who genuinely cared for the class made planning strategies so much easier.

"Mmm. Next time, I want to treat you to a meal too—just the two of us."

Ichinose suddenly turned away, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.

"Hikaru-kun… what do you think?"

"Of course! But I feel like I'm always the one getting treated. At this rate, I might start feeling like a freeloader. Let me treat you next time instead—consider it a thank-you gift for last time."

"But—"

Before Ichinose could argue, Hikaru cut her off with a smirk.

"No buts. Otherwise, I won't go."

"F-Fine… You can choose the time. I'll be there, no matter what."

Ichinose gently brushed her fingers through her long, pink hair, a dreamy look in her eyes.

As they parted ways at the dorms, Hikaru finally exhaled in relief.

He checked his system panel.

Ichinose Honami's stock remained at 150—no change.

"I feel like I'm getting too good at lying… I really hope this doesn't blow up in my face someday."

Shaking his head, he unlocked his dorm room and stepped inside.

~~~

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