What a timely stroke of luck. This was a great opportunity. He planned to sound out Kushida first. If he could put her wariness to rest, all the better.
The Love Mind Games of Two Liars
After leaving the dorm in his school uniform, Hashiba Hikaru headed for the agreed-upon meeting place. After spending some time exploring the school, he had already familiarized himself with most of its landmarks.
"So, are you really going to do this?"
As he walked, the boy gave the matter one final consideration. His plan was actually very simple: tell Kushida Kikyo that he liked her. He didn't necessarily have to confess outright; he only needed to make her feel that he was interested in her.
They were all high school students in their teens, at an age when romantic feelings were just beginning to bloom. And Kushida Kikyo was an exceptionally beautiful girl, with a figure that drew plenty of admiring glances whenever she walked down the street.
So the idea made sense. But Hashiba Hikaru also thought of the information displayed by the Stock Analyzer. This charming beauty had another side that nobody knew about.
He had no idea what that other side was. Before they'd built up enough trust, he probably wouldn't get the chance to see it.
Her attitude, and how she usually treated people who expressed their affection for her, were both unknowns to him. He'd have to improvise.
It was troublesome, but Hashiba Hikaru couldn't back out. He'd already bought the stock, and its starting price was so low. It would be a waste to pass up the opportunity.
"Whatever. I'll give it a try."
He encouraged himself, pressed a hand to his face to relax his muscles, then set off toward their destination with a gentle smile.
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School stood on a vast Artificial Island. A metal fence surrounded the outer edge of the school grounds, both to keep the campus sealed off and to prevent students from falling into the water.
When he reached the edge of the island, Hashiba Hikaru immediately spotted the short-haired girl standing by the fence, enjoying the breeze. She gazed out at the sea beneath the night sky, her expression serene.
"Kushida, you got here fast. I rushed straight over as soon as I got your message."
Hashiba Hikaru greeted her, making sure to show how much he valued their meeting.
"Good evening, Hashiba."
The short-haired girl carefully studied the boy before her. Under the streetlights, Hashiba Hikaru's handsome face did seem to glisten faintly with sweat, as if he really had hurried over.
"I'm so sorry for asking you to come all the way out here this late. You didn't have to rush. I was being a little selfish."
"It's all right." Hashiba Hikaru smiled and shook his head. "You could've just messaged me, Kushida. I'd have seen it."
"If it's something important, it's better to talk face-to-face. Otherwise, wouldn't that be rude?"
A serious look appeared on Kushida Kikyo's charming face. She was already racing through possible ways to probe his true feelings and knew she needed to choose her words carefully.
"Mm, that's true. You really are conscientious, Kushida."
Hashiba Hikaru nodded, keeping his gaze fixed on the girl. His own mind was working just as quickly, ready for Kushida to make her move.
"Um... I actually called you here because there's something I want to ask you," Kushida said, making the first move.
"What is it?"
"It's... Hashiba, do you have someone you like?" A blush spread across the girl's face, and she seemed too shy to meet his eyes. Anyone else would probably have started imagining all sorts of things.
But the moment Hashiba Hikaru saw her expression, his heart skipped a beat. He immediately understood.
She came up with the same idea I did. She's testing me?
She's still wary of me, yet she's giving me that look. What an incredible woman.
But that made things easy. If she'd laid out a trap, he'd walk right into it.
His thoughts raced, and Hashiba Hikaru settled on a response.
He turned to the girl and said, "Is there a reason you're asking, Kushida?"
"Could you just satisfy my curiosity?" The short-haired girl blinked her pretty eyes and studied the boy's expression, intent on seeing how he really felt.
"Of course I do."
Hashiba Hikaru nodded, giving her a definite answer. Then, instead of continuing to look at Kushida, he turned toward the distant horizon.
"But it's complicated. If I told her how I felt, it would probably cause a lot of trouble." A hint of melancholy entered the boy's voice.
"Why? If you like her, why not just tell her?"
Kushida quickly pressed him for an answer. She watched Hashiba Hikaru's profile, as if she'd sensed something, and her voice grew a little urgent.
"Because this isn't an ordinary school." Hashiba Hikaru rested his hand on the railing, speaking slowly. "If we went to a regular high school, I'd have confessed to her ages ago. Maybe I'd even get to experience having a girlfriend."
"But I can't do that here. I already told you about this school's hidden rules. Don't you understand what that means?"
"Is the person you like in another class, Hashiba?"
Looking at the boy's expression, Kushida partly believed him, but she still wasn't completely sure.
"That's right. I like a girl from another class, but at this school, her class is bound to be an opponent of my Class B." Hashiba Hikaru suddenly turned to face Kushida Kikyo, his dark eyes shining with absolute sincerity.
"If we really got together, what would I do if she asked me about class strategies or important information?"
"I..." Kushida Kikyo was at a loss for words. She understood exactly why that would be troublesome. That was why she didn't want to date anyone. Instead, she cultivated the image of a little angel who got along with everyone, which let her gather information about her class and hear all sorts of secrets.
"But it's all right. Even if I can't be with her, staying in touch with her is enough."
Hashiba Hikaru gazed tenderly at Kushida Kikyo and began acting the part of a devoted admirer.
"But wouldn't that make you unhappy?" Kushida Kikyo asked, her expression concerned as she studied the boy's face. "You like her, but you can't say it. Why is that?"
"Hahaha, there's something you don't understand, Kushida."
Hashiba Hikaru studied the girl's expression. He couldn't tell whether she believed his nonsense, but he continued anyway.
"Liking someone doesn't mean you have to possess them. As long as I can stay on good terms with her and earn her trust, I can support her from behind the scenes. That's enough for me."
"Maybe one day I'll change my mind and tell her how I feel," the boy said with a grin. "Or maybe I'll never tell her!"
"Mm... I think I understand. You really are a kind person, Hashiba."
Kushida Kikyo nodded. As someone popular who'd received confessions from plenty of people, she'd seen this look from Hashiba Hikaru before.
But unlike the boys who stared at her with burning eyes, their gazes full of a desire to possess her, he didn't seem to be like that.
Kushida saw something else in his eyes.
Kindness? A desire to stand by her side? Or a wish to stay with her for a long time?
Could he really... like me?
That was the last time Kushida Kikyo asked herself that question. Then she asked Hashiba Hikaru one final thing.
"If that person ever tells you how she feels, would you accept her?"
"Of course."
Even though he was putting on an earnest, devoted act, Hashiba Hikaru was nervous the whole time. He'd never done anything like this before. But when he remembered that Kushida was a treasure trove of system funds just waiting to be mined, his resolve immediately firmed.
The look of affection he'd been acting out gradually turned into a more genuine yearning, though the difference wasn't visible from the outside.
"If she really did like me, I'd say yes." The boy gazed into Kushida Kikyo's eyes and spoke softly. "Was that everything you wanted to ask me?"
"It was. I asked because a girl in my class came to me."
Once Kushida had confirmed what she'd wanted to know, her worries eased. Even the smile on her lips grew much brighter.
"Came to you? Did something happen?"
"She seems to like you, Hashiba, but she's too shy to tell you herself. So she asked me to find out whether you like anyone."
It was, of course, a lie. But Kushida told it as if it were true.
"Really? Is that so?" Hashiba Hikaru immediately put on a shocked expression and said anxiously, "Then please tell her I already like someone."
"Mm-hmm, I will. Sorry for the trouble, Hashiba. Thanks for indulging my little whim." The girl's face lit up with a captivating smile.
"It's no trouble. If you have any questions in the future, Kushida, just ask me. I'll always be here."
"Mm-hmm. Then I'll see you later, Hashiba. I'm going back now."
"Good night."
After the short-haired girl's slender figure had completely disappeared, Hashiba Hikaru looked at the system notification that appeared before him and finally smiled with satisfaction.
[After Kushida Kikyo confirmed what she had suspected and became certain of your feelings, her doubts faded. At the same time, her desire to use you grew stronger. Kushida Kikyo Stock rose by 10 points. Current stock price: 30.]
"Success!"
Seeing the system notification, Hashiba Hikaru felt that all his effort today had been worthwhile. Acting like he was in love was harder than he'd expected. And Kushida was sharp as a tack; if he'd confessed outright, he might not have eased her suspicions at all.
Taking an indirect approach and spinning a tale had gotten him through in the end. What a hassle.
"Now I can get closer to her without any trouble. But it'll still be better to start with Horikita."
Having figured out how to deal with both of them, Hashiba Hikaru set off for the dorm. Now that he'd taken care of this major problem, things should be easier from here on out.
I really am something.
He'd even gotten a chance to practice his acting. He'd surely find a use for that someday. That was what you called killing two birds with one stone.
Ichinose Makes the First Move
After putting Kushida Kikyo's wariness to rest, Hashiba Hikaru slept exceptionally well that night. She was a stock with long-term potential, and he was sure he'd be able to get plenty of funds out of her in the future.
By the next morning, the boy was up and full of energy. He had a study session organized by Class B to attend that day. Ichinose had been enthusiastically arranging it for the class since yesterday, and she was the perfect person to handle it.
After finishing his usual workout and taking a shower, Hashiba Hikaru walked into the Class B classroom.
"Good morning, Hashiba. We're in the same group."
The athletic boy Shibata Sou greeted him right away.
"Oh, has Ichinose already sorted out the groups?" Hashiba Hikaru knew Ichinose Honami planned to pair students according to their strengths and weaknesses in different subjects, so they could help each other fill in the gaps.
"Yeah. After Ichinose suggested holding a study session, everyone in our class was on board. We've got eight groups of five," Shibata explained, clearly familiar with the arrangements. "You know everyone in our group, Hashiba."
"?"
"Besides you and me, there's Ichinose, Shiranami, and Himeno."
"..."
Was this some kind of inside job?
Hashiba Hikaru couldn't help feeling speechless. He turned to look at the pink-haired girl sitting at her desk. She seemed to notice his gaze and immediately gave him an incredibly cute smile.
"...Well, all right. We're studying together anyway, so it makes no difference."
The boy patted Shibata on the shoulder and returned to his seat.
"Hashiba, the groups for our class study sessions have been decided, and this is going to be a long-term plan." Ichinose clasped her hands together, clearly very pleased with how things had gone. "From now on, everyone should get along with their group members and study together so we can all improve our grades."
"That sounds good. Are there any subjects you struggle with, Ichinose?" Hashiba Hikaru asked curiously.
"Mm... I feel like I tend to mix up facts in history, and maybe Japanese, too. I'm confident about the rest."
"I see. Let's work hard together, then." The boy nodded. "There seem to be several study rooms at school, so we should be able to use them."
"Mm-hmm. Some of the students suggested holding study sessions in the dorms, too. I thought that was a great idea, so I took it into account when I set the groups at five people. Studying in the dorms would be nice."
"That works too. The dorms should be quieter, so we won't be distracted by other people."
The student apartments at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School had been built at great expense, so of course they were well soundproofed. Hashiba Hikaru had slept well every night since the start of the school year.
Apart from being tired during the day, the main reason was that he couldn't hear a thing from the neighboring rooms.
That was probably one of the students' biggest perks. A good night's sleep helped them face the next day's classes and class competition in better shape.
"Um..."
After saying that, Ichinose immediately revealed her real purpose.
"Could we hold our group's first study session in your room today, Hashiba?"
"?"
Hashiba Hikaru froze. He hadn't expected the conversation to suddenly turn in this direction. He quickly glanced at the girl beside him and asked, "Why? Wouldn't the study rooms be fine?"
"Shibata suggested it. He's been wanting to get along better with you, so he brought it up. The other two girls agreed after he persuaded them."
Ichinose knew she was lying, but kept her face composed as she explained, "I didn't mind, so I approved the idea."
"..."
"If you feel uncomfortable with it, Hashiba, I can tell them. I don't want to put you on the spot."
Before you continue