At the Elite School, My Love Stock Market Only Wants to Go All In Author: Ichinose Ren
As a reincarnator from China, the day Hashiba Hikaru entered Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, the system he'd waited fifteen years for finally arrived.
The Love Stock Market System had simple rules: earn different returns based on changes in your relationships with others.
[Event complete. Ichinose Honami's trust in you has increased. Ichinose Honami Stock Price has risen by 30. Current price: 110.] [Would you like to sell Ichinose Honami Stock?] [Quantity to sell: 2000] [Sale successful. Funds received: 220000] [Would you like to purchase [Exercise Booster (30 days)]?] [Purchase complete. Funds spent: 100000.]
To graduate smoothly as a Class A student and enjoy a comfortable life doing as little as possible, Hashiba Hikaru resolved to make good use of the Love Stock Market System.
But as the saying went, there was no way he'd ever get into stocks.
I'll always stay fully invested!!! Then go all in!!!
Chapter One: Class 1-B, Hashiba Hikaru
As everyone knew, the Opening Ceremony was one of the most boring events of student life.
You had to show up on time, line up with your classmates, and listen to the school leaders lecture you. Even if you were bored to the point of nodding off, you couldn't leave early.
But this Opening Ceremony felt strange to Hashiba Hikaru. It was an important occasion to welcome the new first-year students, yet there wasn't a single teacher in the Grand Auditorium.
The ceremony was being organized by Student Council members wearing armbands. They guided the new students to their assigned class positions according to their enrollment notices and skillfully kept order in the hall.
More importantly, the upperclassmen seemed completely used to this. Not one of them thought there was anything unusual about it.
Standing in the Class 1-B formation, Hashiba Hikaru finished surveying the auditorium and finally turned his gaze to the podium at the front.
"I am the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu."
The tall boy with glasses rested both hands on the podium and spoke in a measured yet powerful voice.
"On behalf of the current students, I warmly welcome this year's new students to our school."
"Our school is renowned for its all-around education, as well as its high rates of university admissions and employment. I'm sure you all know that these achievements are the result of our graduates and current students constantly striving to demonstrate their abilities. They are a source of pride for our school."
"I hope you will carry on this tradition. This school follows a merit-based policy, and I expect you to demonstrate the ability you ought to have and make the most of this valuable opportunity."
There was an obvious keyword in the Student Council President's speech.
Ability.
Setting aside the fact that the word could mean so many different things, shouldn't an ordinary school care more about students' grades?
And there was something oddly suggestive about that last sentence. What did he mean by "the ability you ought to have"? Had they already recorded every student's abilities before enrollment?
And what were the criteria?
"In any case, this school seems even more troublesome than I imagined."
Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his brow. As someone who'd crossed over from China, he'd graduated from public middle school with the highest grades in his year. After that, his principal had offered him a special opportunity to continue his education.
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was located on an Artificial Island in the heart of the metropolis. It covered nearly six hundred thousand square meters, and all three years of tuition were free.
The school advertised a one-hundred-percent rate of university admissions and a one-hundred-percent employment rate. Despite such extravagant claims, in the more than ten years since its founding, there hadn't been a single scandal serious enough to tarnish its reputation.
If anything, that only further confirmed the school's prestige.
That was why Hashiba Hikaru had come. Free tuition was secondary; what mattered more to him was getting into university without a hitch.
His past life was long gone. Ever since he'd been reborn, he'd studied hard every day so he could get into a top-tier university and repay the parents who'd raised him in this life.
"Forget it." Hashiba Hikaru set aside his questions for the time being. "This school was established with government funding. Even if there are plenty of unusual things about it, they probably still fall within the bounds of educating students."
After the Student Council President finished speaking, he followed his Class 1-B classmates out of the Grand Auditorium. As everyone filed out, Hashiba Hikaru noticed something else unbelievable.
The girls at this school were exceptionally beautiful.
He'd already noticed a beautiful girl with pink hair in his class's formation. He didn't know her name, but her looks surpassed those of every girl he'd known in the past decade or so.
As he left the auditorium, he also spotted many lovely girls in the other first-year groups. A few were every bit as striking as that pink-haired goddess.
"But why are they all concentrated in Class 1-D?"
Only after glancing several times at the Class 1-D line did Hashiba Hikaru finally look away. He was a little surprised to see so many beautiful girls gathered together, but having a bunch of eye-catching classmates in the future couldn't be a bad thing.
Back in the Class 1-B classroom, Hashiba Hikaru found his seat.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in the back row, nor was it by a window. It was somewhere in the middle of the classroom.
But the next moment, the pink-haired beauty he'd just noticed sat down beside him. It seemed they were desk partners.
"Hello, I'm Ichinose Honami. I look forward to getting along with you!"
She turned toward him. They were sitting so close that Hashiba Hikaru could finally get a good look at her.
There was no denying that the girl named Ichinose Honami was stunning. Her clear blue eyes were like a spring, her features delicate, and her pretty face wore a gentle smile that gave her an especially trustworthy air.
She was like an angel, the sort of person who made you want to get close to her.
"Hello, I'm Hashiba Hikaru."
After they exchanged greetings, Hashiba Hikaru suddenly heard an unfamiliar, mechanical voice in his ear. A pale blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Beep!] [Love Stock Market System loading] [Host successfully bound. Function modules activated] [Character Information unlocked] [Newbie funds received. Please check your balance.] [Important Notice: This is a love stock trading system. During use, the host will inevitably interact with various women. Please proceed with caution. The system assumes no responsibility for any danger involving personal safety. All risks are borne by the host! We wish you happy trading!!!]
"?"
Hashiba Hikaru froze. He glanced at Ichinose Honami beside him and saw that she'd already turned to greet other classmates. Only then did he open the System Panel.
The screen unfolded slowly, then divided into three main modules.
[Character Information] [Stock Interface] [Trading Shop]
Hashiba Hikaru glanced over the three categories and opened [Character Information] first.
[Name: Hashiba Hikaru] [Age: 15] [Intelligence: 7] [Charm: 8] [Stamina: 3] [Stocks held: None] [Skills mastered: None] [Funds: 100000]
The average was 6 points. Aside from his abysmal stamina, his other attributes were all far above those of ordinary people.
To sum it up, he was handsome and clever, but if he raced someone, he'd get lapped at least twice.
He opened the [Trading Shop] next.
[Stock Analyzer: 1000] [Archery: 2000] [Exercise Booster (30 days): 100000] [Piano Performance (Beginner): 150000] [Basketball (Mastery): 200000] [Intelligence: 500000]
There were quite a few items available for purchase. Besides tools, there were also various skills and attribute points. As for the final [Stock Interface], there was no need to look. It was still empty for now.
"So, where are the system rules?"
Hashiba Hikaru's gaze moved across the screen. At last, he spotted an icon resembling a pop-up book in the bottom corner, labeled "Notes."
When he opened it, clear lines of text appeared. He'd always been a fast reader, so he quickly figured out how the system worked.
It was a system similar to stock trading. When he found a suitable target, that person's stock would become available in the Stock Interface. The stock's initial price and the number of shares issued would be generated according to the person's characteristics.
Stock prices weren't fixed. They could rise or fall.
Hashiba Hikaru needed to buy when a stock was cheap, then sell when its price rose. He could use the profits from the difference to exchange for items or skills in the [Trading Shop].
The way to raise a stock's price was simple, too: increase the corresponding person's affection for him. The faster their affection grew, the more valuable their stock became.
"In other words, I just have to raise the affection of different girls."
Hashiba Hikaru thought it over for a while, then suddenly recalled the system's warning. If he got tangled up with too many girls, he might end up in a yandere knife-wielding situation.
After all, the ending where a certain anime protagonist got dismembered was still fresh in his mind. Being a playboy came with serious risks.
"Still..."
A new idea sprang into Hashiba Hikaru's mind.
What if he just skimmed a little affection, sold everything once the stock price went up, then waited for the price to fall? Wouldn't that be the perfect way to avoid a battlefield of jealous girls?
After reading through the system's rules several times, he became more and more convinced it was a viable approach.
Just then, a striking red message shot to the top of the system screen.
[Beep! Ichinose Honami Stock is now available!] [Current price: 10] [Shares issued: 5000]
Looking at Ichinose Honami, who was already surrounded by the new students, Classmate Hashiba's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Chapter Two: The Rules Revealed
In the Class 1-B classroom, Hashiba Hikaru once again studied his desk partner, Ichinose Honami.
The pink-haired beauty was surrounded by her classmates, a warm, gentle smile on her face as she chatted with everyone without the slightest hint of impatience.
Though they'd only just met that day, Ichinose Honami had already hit it off with the other students in the class. Her looks stood out among the boys and girls, but the trustworthy air she gave off also played a big part.
Someone who could talk to anyone might be easy to get along with, but raising her affection for him would take careful consideration. It might even prove more difficult than he expected.
Hashiba Hikaru's mind raced. His starting capital was only the 100,000 he'd received as a newbie reward. Ichinose Honami's stock cost 10 per share, with 5,000 shares issued. Buying them all would cost 50,000.
But they'd only just met that day, and he still didn't know what she was like beneath the surface. He'd better wait and see before deciding.
Just then, a slender figure stepped up to the podium.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya."
Hashiba Hikaru looked up. A young woman with long brown hair stood at the podium. She was dressed very stylishly, and the ends of her hair curled slightly. She smiled at the students with a gentle presence.
Once everyone in class was looking her way, Chie Hoshinomiya continued.
"First, congratulations on getting into the school! Our school doesn't reshuffle students between classes, so the classmates in this room will be your companions for the next three years. I hope you'll get along well."
"I'll remain your homeroom teacher, too, and stay with you until graduation."
"Ooooh!"
Before you continue