COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

After returning to his dorm, Hikaru took a quick shower before standing by his desk in a thin short-sleeved shirt, picking up his phone.

It was a little past 8 PM—still an appropriate time to message Suzune without it being considered a disturbance.

[Chat Interface]

Hashima Hikaru: Horikita-san, are you busy right now?

About three minutes later, a reply came in.

Horikita Suzune: Hikaru-kun, is there something you need?

Hashima Hikaru: I need you to agree to something.

Horikita Suzune: What is it?

Hashima Hikaru: Tomorrow, your classmate Kushida will likely invite you to a study session she's organizing. You should accept.

In her dorm, Suzune had just finished her shower as well, her long black hair cascading freely down her back. Holding her phone, she frowned slightly, unable to understand what this was about.

Horikita Suzune: Why?

Hashima Hikaru: It's a bit complicated to explain, but in short, going along with this will definitely benefit you.

Horikita Suzune: Can I refuse? I can study just fine on my own. I don't need anyone's help.

Hmph, that's not up to you. Time to call in Horikita Manabu.

A soft chuckle escaped Hikaru's lips as he switched to Manabu's contact and took a screenshot of the typing indicator.

Hashima Hikaru: [Image sent]

Seeing the image, Suzune's heart tightened. If she refused, this guy would probably message her brother, telling him that she was going against their agreement.

She couldn't allow herself to disappoint him.

"Damn it..."

Ever since that night's conversation, Suzune had an instinctive feeling—this supposedly mild-mannered Hashima Hikaru was absolutely not a good person.

While his presence was as commanding as her brother's, his methods were completely different. To openly resort to coercion like this... he was terrible.

Hashima Hikaru: So, have you reconsidered? Have you changed your mind?

Horikita Suzune: ...

Horikita Suzune: Fine, I'll agree. Anything else you want to say?

Hashima Hikaru: No rush. Since I promised Horikita-senpai that I'd help you, I have to follow through. This study group is just a starting point.

Horikita Suzune: What do you mean?

Hashima Hikaru: Once you join the study group, you'll have a chance to interact with more of your classmates and expand your influence.

Horikita Suzune: I'm not interested. If that's all, I'll go rest now.

"Tch, I wasn't done yet."

Hikaru shook his head. No wonder Manabu emphasized that Suzune couldn't reach Class A on her own. Being a lone wolf in this school would only make things harder.

Unless you had an overwhelming level of strength that allowed you to crush everyone in your way, walking this path alone was unrealistic. Even the two-million-point strategy would be difficult without allies.

Private Points were not easy to collect, and even if future Special Exams offered rewards in points, executing any large-scale plan without help was nearly impossible.

"Oh well, at least she agreed."

No need to overthink it. She'd come around when she hit a wall.

Now, onto the next target.

Hashima Hikaru: Kushida-san, are you busy?

This time, the reply came back in less than ten seconds. Either she was really free, or she had just been playing on her phone.

Kikyo Kushida: What's up, Hikaru-kun? I'm free right now!

At that moment, Kushida was already dressed in her pajamas, lying on her bed, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. Her screen was filled with various chat groups—some for girls, some for Class D discussions, and others just for fun.

Hashima Hikaru: Oh, I wanted to ask if you've thought about how you'll invite Horikita-san to your study group tomorrow?

Seeing the message, Kushida immediately sat up. His concern made her wary.

Kikyo Kushida: I'm actually struggling with that. What if she refuses?

Hashima Hikaru: No need to worry. I believe that with your skills, Kushida-san, you'll definitely make it work. After all, this is for the good of the class.

Hashima Hikaru: Have you decided on the other participants?

Kikyo Kushida: Mm, I've already picked them. They're mostly students who aren't doing too well academically. I also talked with Hirata-kun, and he fully supports the idea.

Hashima Hikaru: I see.

Kikyo Kushida: Mm-hm, I'll do my best!

After seeing her response, Hikaru set his phone down.

Meanwhile, Kushida stared at her screen, puzzled by his silence.

Why did he suddenly stop messaging?

If he really had an ulterior motive, wouldn't this be the perfect time to bring it up? Was he hesitating? Or was there something she wasn't seeing?

She recalled all of her interactions with Hikaru, from their initial meeting to today's meal. Aside from the moment she caught him lying to that upperclassman, he had mostly behaved with sincerity.

Was he really just helping her out of goodwill?

The thought briefly crossed her mind, but she immediately dismissed it.

She firmly believed in one thing—people didn't do things for others without expecting something in return, especially someone she had only recently met.

After learning about the school's hidden rules, Kushida became more aware of the importance of class competition. She invited Hikaru to dinner just to see if he could be useful, someone she could extract B-Class intel from.

Yet by the end of the meal, it felt like she was the one being led around instead.

Not only that, but his level of involvement in her affairs made her suspicious.

Was he trying to probe Class D for information?

That didn't seem right either—his questions had all been about her.

Lying back down, Kushida held up her phone. The screen's reflection showed her own face—delicate features, charming expressions, and a practiced smile capable of captivating men.

Could it be...

She thought back to their conversations, analyzing his tone and behavior. If that was the case, then it would explain everything.

After all, plenty of boys had confessed to her since school started. But was it really that simple?

She wasn't sure, and for now, she couldn't figure it out.

---

The next morning, a sleep-deprived Kushida sat up from her bed.

She had spent half the night overanalyzing Hikaru's actions, unable to reach a conclusion. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.

Following her usual morning routine, she washed up and changed into her uniform. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed faint dark circles under her eyes.

"Damn it, all because of him."

Regardless, today was the day she would invite Suzune to the study session. That was her top priority.

Arriving in Class D, she was immediately greeted with the usual chorus of friendly voices.

"Kushida-san, good morning!"

"Morning, Kushida-san!"

Flashing her signature bright smile, she responded to everyone before turning her gaze to her true target—the lone figure at the back of the class, Horikita Suzune.

No hesitation. Just go for it.

Taking a deep breath, Kushida approached.

"Horikita-san, good morning!"

Suzune closed her book and met her gaze, recalling last night's message from Hikaru. With a neutral expression, she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Kushida-san, is something the matter?"

"I have a request. I'd love for you to join a study group I'm organizing. You're really smart, so I think having you as a tutor would be a huge help for everyone!"

Kushida's tone was friendly, but internally, she was bracing herself for rejection.

But to her surprise, Suzune answered almost immediately.

"All right. Let me know when and where."

"...Seriously?"

Kushida's cheerful expression momentarily faltered before she quickly recovered, smiling brightly.

"Great! I'll let you know the details soon!"

Meanwhile, in Class B, Hikaru was pulling his textbooks from his desk when his system notification popped up.

[Horikita Suzune has joined Kushida Kikyo's study session. Kushida remains cautious of you but still seeks to use your abilities. Stock price: +10. Current price: 20.]

"She's still wary?"

Hikaru smirked.

Guess acting too helpful had made her suspicious.

"Well, whatever. This is just the beginning. If moving toward Suzune is working, I'll keep pushing."

Now, how to lower Kushida's guard? Time to probe.

~~~

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