COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

On a quiet night, Hikaru cautiously approached the source of the noise. After taking a dozen or so steps, the blurry figure in the distance finally became clear, and he saw her side profile.

A delicate face, neatly styled short hair, and a strikingly well-proportioned figure.

It was Kushida Kikyo, the so-called "angel" of Class C. She was standing by the outer railing of the artificial island.

But her demeanor was nothing like the gentle, polite, and composed facade she usually displayed in front of others. Instead, an icy hostility radiated from her entire being.

What was even more surprising was her actions—she was violently kicking the metal railing in front of her, over and over again. Every kick produced the loud clanging noises he had just heard.

"That damn Horikita! So annoying!"

"Just because she's a little pretty and gets good grades, she walks around acting all high and mighty! Does she really think everyone likes her?"

"This is pissing me off!"

Her words were sharp and fast, and with each complaint, she delivered another forceful kick against the railing. She was clearly venting pent-up frustration.

"..."

Hikaru remained silent as he witnessed the scene unfold before him, instantly connecting it to what he had seen in the [Stock Analyzer] feature.

Could this be Kushida's true hidden self?

Realizing this, Hikaru immediately crouched down behind the grass, deciding to observe the girl's true personality firsthand.

"A bunch of idiots… Just staying in this class makes me feel like I'm getting dumber! You losers think you're graduating from Class A? Keep dreaming!"

Wow.

The girl who always acted like a sweet angel was now spitting venomous words without hesitation.

Hikaru let out a quiet sigh. If only he could record this scene, it might turn into an extremely valuable trump card.

Taking out his phone from his pocket, he carefully pointed the camera toward Kushida.

But just as he was about to start recording, his phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming message.

"Ding."

—Shit.

Hikaru's expression darkened instantly. Of all the times for a notification to pop up—why now?!

In the dead silence of the night, the sound stood out like a beacon, causing Kushida to whip her head around instantly.

"Who's there?!"

"..."

Hikaru quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Since he had already been discovered, there was no point in hiding anymore. He calmly stepped out from the shadows.

The moment she saw him, Kushida's expression twisted into a scowl.

"Hashima Hikaru!"

The short-haired girl stormed toward him at an alarming speed. Though she was only walking, her strides were sharp and fast, and within moments, she was standing right in front of him.

"You… you saw everything just now, didn't you?"

Standing directly before him, she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. Under the moonlight, her face was eerily cold, devoid of warmth.

The sweetness and charm she usually exuded were completely gone—her beautiful face was now laced with hostility, her eyes brimming with undisguised malice.

"If I said I didn't see anything, I doubt you'd believe me anyway, right?" Hikaru smiled faintly, keeping his expression calm and unshaken.

"Oh? At least you're honest."

Kushida's voice was frigid, carrying a tone completely different from her usual cheerful lilt.

"Of course. Aren't we friends? It's only natural to be honest with friends."

His tone was gentle, as if nothing had happened.

Hikaru had a good guess about what was going to happen next.

After all, the [Stock Analyzer] had already revealed Kushida's greatest weakness—her hidden personality. If she didn't want anyone to know, she was bound to try and make him promise to keep quiet.

This was the key opportunity to drive up her stock price—Hikaru had to play his role carefully.

As Kushida continued scrutinizing his face, she quickly ran through all her options in her mind.

—This guy is always so kind to me.

—His attitude never changes, and I'm certain he actually likes me.

But… this secret was too big.

Love was cheap—people could betray each other over far less.

And she had already been burned by Suzune once before. The feeling of losing control over someone had long made her feel uneasy.

She had to do something to maintain dominance over him.

Kushida bit her lip, steeling herself, before finally speaking.

"Hikaru-kun, you know, I'm not someone who easily trusts others."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because everyone has their own self-interest. When faced with an important decision, they'll always choose what benefits them the most."

Her tone suddenly softened, but her gaze remained locked onto him.

"Something really bad just happened, and it's making me very anxious."

"Hmm? What exactly are you worried about?"

Hikaru pretended not to know, curious to see how she would ask him to keep her secret.

"If someone learns a secret about me, their actions might become unpredictable—so I need to ensure control."

Her voice slowed down as she reached the final sentence.

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

Though they were standing close, her last few words had been spoken so quietly that Hikaru couldn't hear them clearly. Just as he was about to ask her to repeat herself, he suddenly felt a pair of cold, slender hands grabbing his right wrist.

"…?"

In an instant, she pressed his hand against her chest.

—What?!

Hikaru's eyes widened in shock.

He could feel the undeniable softness against his palm. His brain short-circuited.

Since his rebirth, he had never been in this kind of close contact with a girl before.

Even with Ichinose, the most they had done was hold hands.

But this—this was an entirely different level.

"Listen closely, Hikaru-kun."

Kushida's face flushed slightly, but she firmly held his hand in place.

"This is the solution I just came up with," she continued, her voice dangerously low.

"With this, your fingerprints are now on my uniform. And in a… sensitive area."

Her words made Hikaru's heart skip a beat.

"If you even think about telling anyone what you saw tonight, I'll report it to the school."

She let go of his hand and took a step back.

"The school rules clearly state that if a male student is accused of sexual harassment, he won't just face expulsion—the police might get involved. Your future could be completely destroyed."

"..."

Hikaru's mind raced.

Ignoring the absurdity of her logic, could fingerprints even be preserved properly on fabric?

—What kind of insane countermeasure was this?!

She could've just asked him to keep quiet, but instead, she pulled this stunt?!

—Well, then again, it did make sense. Kushida didn't trust people.

As she watched him remain silent, Kushida smirked.

"Well? Are you going to risk everything just to test me?"

"…No."

Hikaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before meeting her gaze.

"I accept your request, Kushida. I'll keep your secret."

A flicker of relief passed through Kushida's eyes, but she still narrowed them, adding, "I'll be watching you."

Hikaru smirked. "Go ahead and watch all you want."

Just then, a notification from his system popped up.

[You have agreed to keep Kushida Kikyo's secret. Trust level increased. Stock price +30 (Current Price: 70)]

[Despite witnessing Kushida's true self, you still acted "affectionate" toward her. This stirred unexpected emotions in her. Stock price +30 (Current Price: 100)]

—Jackpot.

~~~

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