In Classroom of the Elite, My Love Stock Market Only Wants a Full Position

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Regardless of whether she encounters setbacks, this is something Ichinose Honami must experience. The true competition between classes hasn't even begun yet; only by letting her familiarize herself with these matters as soon as possible can she achieve better growth.

The first meeting with Sakayanagi last time left quite an impression on Hashiba Hikaru. That silver-haired girl is definitely not a simple character, and it is destined that no advantage will be gained from interacting with her.

This is a very good opportunity for training, and it is perfectly suited to be handed over to Ichinose Honami.

"Oh my, everyone has already arrived at the venue for the celebration party, and they are urging us in the group chat."

The girl opposite him held her phone, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Is that so?"

"Let's head over quickly; our classmates are waiting."

Ichinose Honami's face was brimming with a cheerful aura. Although she had just accepted an important intelligence-gathering mission, she immediately shifted her focus to the gathering upon hearing the news.

"Alright."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded slightly. Now that school was over, it was nice for everyone to celebrate. The students of Class B had gone through quite a lot with him during this period, and they truly needed a moment to relax.

After the two arrived at the address posted in the class group, they discovered it was a rather spacious restaurant that had been chartered by the students of Class B, filled with familiar faces.

As the two stepped into the venue of the celebration, the students inside applauded and welcomed them, making the atmosphere in the room even more lively.

"Hashiba-san, Ichinose-san, thank you!"

"You two are the absolute stars of today's celebration, please take your seats."

Shibata sat in his spot and shouted at them. He had already unbuttoned his school uniform, looking very relaxed.

The seats for Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami were at the table in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by the more active students in the class, including Shibata Sou, Kanzaki Ryuji, and several girls led by Ando.

Once they were seated, the Class B celebration officially began.

With delicious food before them and friends gathered around, the atmosphere in the restaurant became increasingly lively under the influence of the Class B students.

Just then, a new message popped up on Hashiba Hikaru's phone.

Kushida Kikyo: Hashiba-san, are you free recently? I've been waiting to treat you to a meal. Please reply if you receive this.

The boy thought for a moment and immediately sent a reply.

Hashiba Hikaru: Tomorrow is fine, is the afternoon okay?

Who would have thought that after this message was sent, a reply arrived the very next second? Could this person have been playing on her phone the whole time?

Kushida Kikyo: That's great! Let's meet at the family restaurant in Keyaki Mall. See you there.

Hashiba Hikaru: Sure.

After putting his phone down, the boy felt that the timing was quite good.

In any case, the task of probing Sakayanagi's attitude had already been handed to Ichinose Honami, and the point recovery plan was complete.

He should now start working on raising the stock prices of his portfolio. There was also the [Shiina Hiyori Stock] that had just gone online today, with an initial price of 30 and an issuance volume of 3000—also a good target.

"Let me look forward to tomorrow's meeting, Kushida-san."

Chapter 58: Ichinose Honami's Action

After the lively celebration ended, Hashiba Hikaru opened his dormitory door while clutching his uncomfortable stomach.

He had just been besieged by his Class B classmates at the dinner. Aside from the familiar faces like Shibata and the others, even classmates he hadn't spoken much to before all crowded around to strike up a conversation.

Not only that, but there was also the classic "clinking glasses" segment of any group dinner.

Seeing his classmates more excited than the last, Hashiba Hikaru naturally couldn't refuse to give them face, so he had to respond to their enthusiasm one by one. The result was that his stomach suffered greatly.

Although they were all minors and couldn't drink alcohol, drinking too many soft drinks was still uncomfortable. Shibata and Kanzaki Ryuji nearby seemed to have anticipated this long ago; not only did they not help, but they kept refilling his glass and even fanned the flames by encouraging the girls to come over and clink glasses with him as well.

If it hadn't been for Ichinose stopping them at the end, Hashiba Hikaru might have collapsed in that restaurant today.

"Those bastards, they must have planned to get me drunk from the start!"

Hashiba Hikaru grumbled as he walked over to his chair and sat down. Although his body felt unwell, the lively emotion infected by the atmosphere just now had not yet subsided.

It had been a long time since he had been this indulgent. In the first fifteen years of his life, he had spent his time studying hard to fulfill his dream of advancing to higher education. Although he had some friends he could talk to at school, there weren't many, and he had long since lost contact with them.

Now, living in this fully enclosed campus, as he became more familiar with his classmates, an inexplicable sense of belonging grew within Hashiba Hikaru's heart.

Humans are social animals; that really isn't wrong.

"Forget it, don't think about these useless things. Let's focus on the real business."

Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his stomach and checked his System Panel.

The stocks he currently held were only [Ichinose Honami Stock] and [Kushida Kikyo Stock], and he still had 118,000 in funds.

The boy recalled the stock analysis for [Kushida Kikyo Stock]. This was a very important sample. Aside from the low initial price, more importantly, the ways she lowered her stock price were almost all related to Horikita Suzune.

Currently, Hashiba Hikaru had agreed to Horikita Manabu's request to help Horikita Suzune grow, so he would inevitably interact with her many times.

But exactly what level of contact would cause Kushida's stock price to drop could not yet be confirmed. Only by completing this experiment could he accumulate experience to obtain more funds in the future.

However, before that, he had to raise her stock price first, otherwise, everything else would be empty talk.

In the Class B classroom the next day, the aftermath of the students' celebration yesterday had not yet dissipated. Although everyone's bodies were tired, their faces still carried smiles.

"Good morning, Hashiba-kun!"

"Good morning."

After exchanging greetings, Hashiba Hikaru returned to his seat, only to find that his desk-mate, Ichinose, hadn't arrived yet. He couldn't help but wonder if she had stayed up too late last night.

A few minutes later, just as the young man was flipping through a book, a familiar, fragrant breeze drew near, and the girl's gentle voice reached his ears.

"Good morning, Hashiba-kun."

"Morning, Ichinose-san. You seem a bit late today."

"Hehehe, I actually started putting my plan into action yesterday," Ichinose said, looking at Hashiba Hikaru with a beaming smile, her tone tinged with a hint of pride.

"Is that so? Then I'm all ears. How did your task go, Ichinose-san?"

"I contacted that girl from Class A who knows Ando-san, and through her, I learned that Sakayanagi-san often moves around with a girl named Kamuro Masumi."

"I got Kamuro-san's contact information and sent her a message, asking her to relay my thoughts to Sakayanagi-san," Ichinose said, pulling out her phone to show Hashiba Hikaru. "Sakayanagi-san didn't refuse; she agreed to a private meeting."

"That really wasn't easy, going through so many hoops."

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the chat history on the screen, which showed the exchange between Kamuro and Ichinose.

Suddenly, his expression shifted as he caught a piece of crucial information.

The time Ichinose and Sakayanagi had agreed upon was today?

Hashiba Hikaru hurriedly asked, "Ichinose-san, where are you two planning to meet today?"

"At the cafe in Keyaki Mall. Sakayanagi-san chose the location."

"...I see. I understand." The young man nodded, feeling a wave of relief in his heart.

If it wasn't the same place, there shouldn't be any problems.

Although Ichinose Honami knew that Kushida was going to treat him to a meal, judging by her behavior the other day, it was hard to say what might happen if she saw him meeting with Kushida.

Hashiba Hikaru still cared deeply about Ichinose's feelings, so the best-case scenario was to avoid running into them entirely.

"I also learned a lot of intel about Class A from that student," Ichinose continued, not noticing the change in the young man's expression. "The division in Class A is really severe. Katsuragi-san's faction and Sakayanagi-san's faction are in the same class, yet they never act together; they even eat separately."

Ichinose Honami seemed puzzled by this situation, murmuring softly, "Everyone belongs to the same collective, so why must they do this..."

"Heh, that's probably just the nature of Class A."

Hashiba Hikaru, on the other hand, found it quite normal and explained to Ichinose Honami, "The students in Class A already had different personal inclinations, and that became even more pronounced after they learned the hidden rules."

"They all understand that they are viewed by the school as the most outstanding students of this year, so naturally, they have their own pride. Katsuragi-san and Sakayanagi-san have each gained the recognition of a portion of the class through their own strength, establishing their respective factions."

"Without a clear reason, defecting would look like they had misjudged the situation from the start, which would lower their own standing. That's why they are all looking to swallow up the other's faction to prove that their own choice was the perfect one."

"Until the special exams begin, I'm afraid they will remain in this state."

"Why can't everyone just unite..." Ichinose nodded slightly, but she still seemed troubled by it.

"Alright, let's not talk about such useless things. What time did you and Sakayanagi-san agree to meet, Ichinose-san?" Hashiba Hikaru steered the conversation away, asking for the specific meeting time.

"Four-thirty, at the cafe in Keyaki Mall," the girl read from the information on her phone.

"Got it. Then I'll look forward to you successfully obtaining that intel, Ichinose-san."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled. Knowing the time made things much easier, and since the cafe and the family restaurant were on two different streets, there was no way they would run into each other.

This time, the advantage was his!

Chapter 59: Two-Front Progress

The day passed quickly. When the final bell rang, Hashiba Hikaru began packing his things. The time he had agreed upon with Kushida Kikyo was four o'clock—earlier than the meeting between Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi—which was a safer choice.

"Hashiba-kun, do you have any plans later? Want to go sing karaoke?" Shibata approached him. Ever since he had bought Hashiba a drink last time, he had taken a liking to hanging out with him.

Partly because Hashiba had a good temper and rarely looked annoyed, and partly because everyone trusted his abilities and hoped to build a good relationship with him.

"No thanks, I have something to take care of. Maybe next time."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled and left the classroom without explaining further to Shibata, leaving the athletic boy standing there in a daze.

In his eyes, Hashiba Hikaru usually moved around with Ichinose Honami, but looking back, that pink-haired figure was also missing. It seemed both of them had plans today.

"Geez."

Shibata muttered to himself, having no choice but to grab his bag and go find Kanzaki Ryuji, who, like him, was an active student in Class B and currently a good friend of his.

After leaving the classroom, Hashiba Hikaru returned to his dorm first. He changed into a set of casual clothes he had bought earlier; after all, it was his first time meeting Kushida Kikyo privately, so it was best to tidy up and leave a good impression.

His goal was to raise her favorability, so he couldn't neglect his appearance.

It was a light-colored casual autumn outfit, a shirt paired with straight-cut trousers. Compared to the wine-red school uniform, it gave off a softer aura, looking less like a student and more mature.

"That's about right."

Hashiba Hikaru stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his image. With his already striking features, the casual attire made him look even more handsome.

He picked up his phone, sent a message to Kushida saying he was leaving, and then pushed open the dorm door to head out.

Hashiba Hikaru had been to the family restaurant in Keyaki Mall many times. As a popular spot for countless students, it never lacked customers and was crowded every day, so reservations were a must.

Since Kushida Kikyo was the one treating him to the meal this time, she had naturally booked a table well in advance.

The short-haired girl also placed great importance on this meeting; she dawdled in her dorm for a long time before leaving, not only changing into a cute casual outfit but also applying a touch of light makeup to make her lovely face look even more captivating.

"This should be fine."

Kushida sat at her desk fixing her hair, her face devoid of any expression—this was her state when she was alone.

After all, it was exhausting to maintain the image of a bubbly little angel all the time, so there was no need to keep it up when she was by herself.

"Good afternoon, Hashiba-kun!"

The girl looked at herself in the mirror and let a brilliant smile bloom on her lips; practicing her greeting before heading out gave her a greater sense of security.

Once she stepped out of her dorm room, her face returned to its gentle expression as she headed toward her destination.

Along the way, she ran into some classmates she knew, who couldn't help but ask who she was going to see, given that she was dressed up so beautifully today.

"It's a secret."

The girl was already well-versed in such linguistic techniques; not only would it not lower her standing in their eyes, but it would actually add a touch of playfulness.

Today, Kushida Kikyo remained the bubbly little angel loved by countless people.

Just as she was about to reach the family restaurant, she caught sight of a figure standing at the entrance.

The boy had a tall, upright build and was wearing a light-colored autumn casual outfit; his handsome face was expressionless, yet he radiated an unusual charm to those around him.

Many girls deliberately slowed their pace just to get a few more looks at him, and some of the bolder ones would even approach him to ask for his name and class.

Kushida took small steps as she approached Hashiba Hikaru; she had to admit that his appearance was truly to her taste, and if she weren't completely uninterested in dating right now, she might have considered choosing him.

Just as she was about to get close, however, Kushida heard the boy's reply to an upperclassman who had come to strike up a conversation.

"Eh, you want to be friends with me, senpai? I'm Shibata Sou from Class 1-B, and I'm currently single."