In Classroom of the Elite, I Only Want to Go All-in on My Romance Stock Market

"I see, Nagumo-senpai is truly impressive!"

A flash of surprise crossed Hashiba Hikaru's eyes. He had assumed this guy had always been in Class A; he hadn't expected there to be such a backstory.

"Through today's events, I've discovered that Hashiba-kun is a person with a strong sense of justice, willing to stand up for students from other classes and bravely report someone else's violent behavior."

Nagumo looked at the Hashiba before him, his tone spirited: "Such talent is exactly what our Student Council needs, so I would like to invite you to join. Would you be willing?"

"This..."

Watching the look of excitement and validation on Hashiba Hikaru's face, Nagumo couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

His assessment of the boy before him was nothing like what he had just said.

This first-year freshman had managed to contact students from other classes by the fourth day of school and orchestrated such a devious plan to frame someone intending to become a class leader—there was no way he was a pushover.

But thinking about it from another angle, since Hashiba Hikaru possessed such methods, it actually suited Nagumo's intentions perfectly.

He happened to need someone who stood out among the first years. Once he succeeded Horikita Manabu as Student Council President in the future, having his help would make controlling the school much easier.

If possible, Nagumo didn't mind helping Hashiba Hikaru consolidate the first years. After all, he would be the sole ruler of this school in the future; wouldn't it be better to have a capable subordinate?

"Well, Nagumo-senpai, I've just considered it, but I need to focus my time on my studies lately, so I might not be able to join the Student Council for now," Hashiba Hikaru said, appearing troubled and hesitant. "Could I give you my answer after the exams are over?"

"Of course, no problem. Studies are our most important task right now," Nagumo said with great magnanimity, laughing heartily. "Then let's wait until after the end-of-month exam to answer me. I look forward to seeing Hashiba-kun again."

"Okay, thank you, Nagumo-senpai. I will do my best."

Although Hashiba Hikaru wore an excited expression on his face, a trace of disdain surfaced in his heart.

This Nagumo-senpai wore his intentions all over his face; with a level like that, how on earth was he competing with Horikita Manabu?

Was there really no one else in the second year? Good grief.

Chapter 31: Celebration Party

After Hashiba Hikaru left the Student Council, he kept reviewing his findings from the day in his mind. It had to be said, aside from dealing with the trouble that was Ryuen, he had gained quite a lot today.

For instance, the divided state of the Student Council. Since Horikita Manabu had already ascended to the third year, his time as Student Council President wouldn't be long. By the end of the second semester, he would likely hand the reins over to Nagumo Miyabi, who served as the vice president.

Although these two were colleagues in the Student Council, one could tell at a glance that their relationship was poor, and they had even begun to clash both openly and covertly.

"If both of them want to invite me to join the Student Council, their motives shouldn't be that simple," Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his chin, a rough calculation forming in his mind. "Do they want me to act as a pawn against the other side?"

The expression on the boy's face was calm as he whispered softly: "I don't want to be a chess piece; it's much more interesting to be the chess player."

"If I can get a foothold in the Student Council, I should be able to obtain more information, and perhaps even use it in class competition."

"But for now, it's better to take things one step at a time. Until a suitable opportunity arises, it's better not to get too involved with them."

When Hashiba Hikaru walked to the dormitory building, he took out his phone and glanced at it. It seemed the students of Class B had been following his actions closely and were discussing them enthusiastically in the group chat.

So, he began to edit a message, intending to put everyone's mind at ease.

In the Class B family group chat.

Kanzaki Ryuji: I wonder if Hashiba-kun succeeded? It's truly unsettling.

Shibata Sou: Don't worry, with Hashiba-kun's ability, there's absolutely no problem. I expect he's already on his way back to the dorms.

Ando Sayo: I believe in Hashiba-kun too. If he succeeds, should we throw him a celebration party?

Ichinose Honami: A celebration party? I think that's a great idea. We could even invite Ibuki-san over.

Shiranami Chihiro: Is Ichinose-san on good terms with that girl from Class C?

Ichinose Honami: We just met, Shiranami-san, you're so silly.

Just then, Hashiba's message was sent successfully.

Hashiba Hikaru: We succeeded. Ryuen has been suspended and won't be able to attend class for a month.

After this message was sent, new messages began to pop up continuously at the bottom of the screen.

Shibata Sou: What? That's great! I knew Hashiba-kun would be fine.

Ando Sayo: Hashiba-kun is amazing! I'm planning to organize a celebration party, Hashiba-kun, you must come!

Ichinose Honami: @Hashiba Hikaru, Hashiba-kun, where are you now?

Kanzaki Ryuji: Has Ando-san decided on a location yet? I'm at Keyaki Mall right now; if not, I can go directly to the family restaurant to make a reservation.

Shiranami Chihiro: If we have a celebration party, do we really need to invite students from other classes?

Ichinose Honami: I've messaged Ibuki-san. We'll see if she's willing to come.

"Heh, how lively."

Seeing everyone suddenly start a passionate discussion in the group chat, a smile couldn't help but appear on Hashiba's face. If one could truly spend their school life happily, who wouldn't want that?

Unfortunately, this was not an ordinary high school.

He picked up his phone, edited one more sentence, and then closed the chat interface as he walked into the dormitory building.

Hashiba Hikaru: Let's have the celebration party tomorrow. I'm a bit tired today.

After returning to his room, Hashiba Hikaru lay on his soft bed and closed his eyes to rest. Now that Ryuen had been suspended, he wouldn't hear from him for at least a month.

Although he still claimed he wouldn't give up on being the class leader, before that happened, the interactions between Class B and Class C wouldn't clash with Ryuen, saving a lot of trouble.

On the other hand, since Class C had three students suspended all at once, they would definitely lose a significant amount of Class Evaluation Points. If I wait until the end of this week to sell the rules, I can maximize the gap between us and them.

As for Class D, I still need to wait until Friday's homeroom class. By then, Hashiba will have finished tallying their point consumption, which will help me decide when to sell the rules to them.

Once all four classes learn the rules, they will all be on the same starting line. However, given that the quality of the students in each class varies, it is truly hard to predict what kind of sparks will fly in the future.

A divided Class A, a Class C that has already had students suspended, and a Class D that currently shows no movement.

It's truly something to look forward to.

Thinking of this, Hashiba Hikaru opened his System Panel once again. In the [Stock Interface], there were still only three stocks listed.

Aside from [Chabashira Sae Stock], which he had no interest in, Hashiba still didn't know which class the girl represented by the remaining [Horikita Suzune Stock] belonged to.

But once he went to sell the rules later, he should be able to figure it out. Besides, the young man recalled the scene at the entrance ceremony; he remembered that Class D had many beautiful girls, so perhaps he might actually unlock more new stocks.

"Please give me a stock with a low initial share price and a high issuance volume."

Hashiba Hikaru stared at the [Trading Shop] in the system. He had been craving the items inside for a long time; as long as he continued to develop the next stock and earned funds, he would be able to buy them.

Time moved to the next morning. After finishing his exercise, Hashiba Hikaru walked into Class B. As soon as he entered the classroom, the students who had already arrived gathered around him, each of their faces beaming with joyful smiles.

"Hashiba-kun is here! I heard your plan succeeded again. That's amazing."

"As expected of Hashiba-kun, I knew that as long as you took action, there would be no problem!"

After responding to everyone's praise, Hashiba Hikaru walked to his seat. The students who had attended the Freshman Liaison Meeting were all gazing at the young man as he walked over, and everyone looked very happy.

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Hashiba-kun. You've solved another problem for our Class B."

"Ando-san has already booked a spot. Come join the celebration party after school today, Hashiba-kun. Let us thank you for your contributions to Class B."

"You don't have any excuses today, Hashiba-kun," Shibata said with a grin, draping his arm over Hashiba Hikaru's shoulder. "You aren't allowed to refuse."

"Understood, I'll be there."

Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, the young man didn't intend to be a killjoy. After he sat down, he noticed that Ichinose Honami beside him was looking down at her phone.

"Ichinose-san, you said you wanted to invite Ibuki-san yesterday. Did she agree?"

"No..." The pink-haired girl shook her head. There seemed to be something else in those beautiful blue eyes of hers, which made one feel a bit concerned.

"It's fine. After all, she is a student from Class C; it's normal that she wouldn't want to attend our celebration party."

After Hashiba Hikaru said this, he noticed a hint of lingering gloom between the girl's brows.

What... is wrong?

"Is Ichinose-san troubled by something?" Hashiba Hikaru said in a low voice. "If you are, you can tell me directly. I believe everyone will definitely be able to help you."

The young man observed the expression on Ichinose Honami's face, but she only shook her head slightly, still speaking in a gentle tone: "It's nothing. I was just thinking about Ibuki-san. I'm sure she's happy right now, too."

"Really?"

"Really."

Hearing her reply, Hashiba Hikaru closed his mouth and stopped asking, but his internal contemplation did not cease.

Something is off. It seems like ever since that conversation that night, Ichinose's mood hasn't been right. The young man carefully recalled the days he had spent acting alongside her; sometimes, she would show a preoccupied look on her face.

Did something happen that caused her to have other thoughts?

Whether out of friendship between classmates or his position as a leader of Class B, Hashiba Hikaru wanted to help Ichinose Honami. After all, she was still his biggest investment, wasn't she?

It seems I need to find an opportunity to have a talk with her.

Hashiba Hikaru looked at the pink-haired girl who still wore a smile, and he silently made his decision.

Chapter 32: Gossip at the Yakiniku Restaurant

After the students of Class B learned that Hashiba Hikaru had successfully resolved the issue with Class C, their mood for the entire day was quite good. During breaks, everyone liked to come over and chat with the young man, and everyone wore a relaxed smile on their face.

"Hashiba-kun, Ando-san said she has already reserved the place for the celebration party," Ichinose Honami said, holding her phone and showing a picture of a restaurant to Hashiba Hikaru. "The place she chose this time is a yakiniku restaurant. Shiranami-san and the others are all very satisfied."

"Don't tell me they're treating me?"

A look of suspicion appeared on the young man's face; yakiniku restaurants aren't cheap.

"That's right. Everyone plans to pool their money together to treat Hashiba-kun to a meal, to thank you for your contributions to our Class B these past few days."

Ichinose looked at the boy beside her and said earnestly, "I also plan to contribute some money. After all, Hashiba-kun has really been working hard lately."

"Why don't we just split the bill? Aside from me, the other students also put in a lot of effort," Hashiba said, looking into Ichinose Honami's eyes, indicating there was no need for that.

"I don't think I've done that much. As long as the students of Class B can remain united, I believe we won't lose."

"That's why," Ichinose Honami's voice was soft, but her words were powerful, "treating Hashiba-kun to this meal is a class activity to show our unity. You cannot refuse."

"..."

"I see. It seems Ichinose-san is also constantly growing," Hashiba Hikaru met Ichinose Honami's gaze and forced a smile.

"Mm-hmm, then let's head over together later."

After school, once the students had dispersed, the star players of Class B gathered once again.

In addition to Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose, Kanzaki Ryuji and Shibata Sou, who had participated in the plan to snipe Ryuen, were also there.

There were also the two girls who had previously attended the Freshman Liaison Meeting, Ando Sayo and Shiranami Chihiro. Himeno Yuki was supposed to be there too, but she seemed to have club activities today, so she didn't come.

"I booked a private room that fits exactly six people, so let's eat to our hearts' content this time!"

Ando beamed with a cheerful smile, her face filled with anticipation for the gathering. After all, this was a rare opportunity to dine at close quarters with Hashiba Hikaru. Almost every day for the past few days, someone had invited the boy out, but he had turned them all down.

That was why this was such a rare chance, and one of the reasons why Ando had been so enthusiastic about making the arrangements.

"Mm-hmm, let's get going."

Led by Ando and Ichinose, the group headed toward the yakiniku restaurant that had been reserved. It was a place with excellent food, but because the prices were significantly higher than the set meals in the cafeteria, not many students came here to eat.

"Hello, I'm Ando, I just made a reservation. There are six of us."

"Certainly, please follow me."

The young waitress wearing an apron looked at the six students in front of her, her smile quite eager; after all, the more people there were, the higher the commission bonus she would receive.

Once everyone entered the private room, they discovered that the interior decor was actually quite nice.

Art pieces in white frames were hung on the walls, and the pendant lights on the ceiling cast a warm glow that illuminated the entire room. In the center was a wide square table with a black electric grill placed on top, offering a very large usable surface area.

The seating in the yakiniku restaurant consisted of two rows of sofas facing each other. Since the members of the Class B gathering were exactly three boys and three girls, Hashiba Hikaru naturally sat on one side next to Kanzaki and Shibata, while Ichinose and the other two girls sat on the opposite side.

"Ladies first, you guys go ahead and order. I don't have any dietary restrictions, so feel free to order whatever you like."

"Let's start with a basic multi-person set meal, and if it's not enough, we can add more later," Ichinose said, glancing at the group's composition for the day. If the boys had big appetites, it wouldn't be a problem to order more later.

"That works for me."

"Let's go with Ichinose's suggestion. Besides, we can take our time eating today."

While waiting for the waitress to fetch the order, everyone passed the time with casual conversation. Hashiba Hikaru recalled the matter he had thought about that morning and realized that this gathering was the perfect opportunity to have a proper talk with Ichinose Honami.

With that, the boy looked up at the pink-haired girl across from him and proposed, "Ichinose-san, could you step outside with me for a moment? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."