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

That was what he had said, but looking at the undisguised anticipation in the girl's eyes, Hashiba Hikaru didn't know how to refuse.

Hiss, why is this girl suddenly so proactive?

"Forget it, let's do that then. Just remember to tell them to bring their textbooks," Hashiba Hikaru said with a helpless shrug. "I don't have any snacks or tea to host guests, so please be prepared for that."

"It's fine, we can just buy some and bring them over beforehand."

Ichinose waved her hand generously, indicating that she would take care of everything.

"Alright then."

After confirming Hashiba Hikaru's stance, the pink-haired girl looked exceptionally happy. She swayed slightly, seemingly muttering to herself about the things she needed to buy later.

Good grief.

Hashiba Hikaru took his textbooks out of the drawer and prepared for class.

The day's lessons ended quickly. Before school let out, Ichinose relayed the boy's answer to the others in the study group. Everyone was very happy; after all, there wasn't a single student in Class B who didn't want to get on good terms with Hashiba Hikaru.

They said they would go shopping first, and after confirming Hashiba Hikaru's room number, the four of them left together, leaving the boy to head home alone with his schoolbag.

"Well, if they want to hold a study session, so be it. It's not a big deal."

It was all about uniting the class anyway, so anything went.

About ten minutes after Hashiba Hikaru returned to his room, a knock sounded at the door.

When he opened it, the first voice he heard was naturally that of Ichinose Honami.

"Good afternoon, Hashiba-kun. Sorry to bother you."

The pink-haired girl beamed as she slipped through the door, carrying a transparent plastic bag that seemed to be filled with quite a few items.

Behind her were Shibata Sou and two other girls, Shiranami Chihiro and Himeno Yuki.

"Sorry to bother you."

After exchanging greetings, the group walked into Hashiba Hikaru's dormitory. It hadn't changed much since the start of the school year; since Hashiba Hikaru didn't care for decorating or shopping, the place looked very simple.

"Hey, Hashiba, your room is way too plain. There's nothing in here."

Shibata rushed into the bedroom first, only to find the furnishings incredibly basic, lacking even a hint of flair.

"Isn't simple good? This is my style."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly and gestured for the three remaining girls to sit around the table in the middle of the bedroom. They all had their schoolbags with them and immediately took out their books.

"Shibata, where are your textbooks?" Seeing that Shibata Sou seemed somewhat dissatisfied, the boy called out his name.

"Don't rush me. I plan on looking around your place a bit more; I'll probably be coming over often from now on."

"...Whatever makes you happy."

Shifting his gaze away from the unreliable guy, Hashiba Hikaru looked at the girl who was still standing in the entryway. She seemed to be carefully placing the items from the plastic bag into the refrigerator.

Not only that, but the boy also noticed that Ichinose Honami seemed to be constantly adjusting the arrangement of items inside the fridge, looking as if she were enjoying herself.

"..."

What... does this mean?

Chapter 68: The Quiet Passage of Time

After Ichinose Honami finished organizing the refrigerator in the boy's dorm, she took the opportunity to wash her face at the sink before walking over with light steps.

"Shall we start studying now?"

"Yeah."

Although he had seen the girl's actions just moments ago, Hashiba Hikaru didn't know what to say.

Ichinose Honami's stock price had remained unchanged over the past few days, holding steady at 150, but her behavior had changed significantly compared to before. For instance, she had become much more proactive in getting close to Hashiba Hikaru, and he assumed that holding this study session at his dorm was her idea.

He certainly didn't dislike Ichinose; having a beautiful girl around was at least easy on the eyes, right?

But for now, Hashiba Hikaru's most important target was Kushida Kikyo, whose stock he had just acquired. Having finally dispelled her suspicions, he naturally needed to close the distance and earn funds, so he couldn't afford to respond to Ichinose's enthusiasm.

Oh well, let's leave it at that for now.

The boy made a silent decision in his heart and sat down at the table with Ichinose Honami. Once all five of them had their books ready, the pink-haired girl took the lead in assigning the study plan.

"Shiranami-san is weaker in math, so I'll tutor her first," Ichinose had naturally gathered intelligence before setting up the group, so she gave orders smoothly. "Shibata-kun is weaker in the sciences, so Himeno-san will tutor him. And since Hashiba-kun is good at history, you can tutor me and Shiranami-san later."

"No problem."

"Let's go with that."

No one had any objections. Compared to Class A, Class B students were definitely on the weaker side academically, but overall they weren't bad; at the very least, their average scores were consistently above the passing line.

Coupled with the fact that the students were all easy to get along with, the study process, while a bit dry, didn't feel like a chore. Instead, it felt like time was passing very quickly.

After all, when you are fully immersed in something, you often forget the passage of time without realizing it.

About two hours later, it was 6:30 PM—time for dinner.

Once everyone put down their pens, it was again up to Ichinose Honami to decide where to eat. Hashiba Hikaru was now free of burdens, and since he had left the decision-making to the girl, he could take it easy.

He could even chat with Kushida Kikyo on his phone in the meantime; after all, he had to maintain constant contact.

After the mental battle of love concluded last night, the frequency of messages between the short-haired girl and him didn't change much. They were still primarily about the study sessions for Class D, as Kushida remained focused on Horikita Suzune.

Kushida Kikyo: I held another study session today, but the students I invited were different from last time.

Hashiba Hikaru: Did it go well?

Kushida Kikyo: Yes, it went much smoother this time. The other students were easier to get along with, so Horikita-san's attitude was better, and we finished the tutoring successfully.

Hashiba Hikaru: That's good to hear. You're so dedicated to serving the class, Kushida-san. You've worked hard.

Kushida Kikyo: Not at all. Seeing everyone make progress together makes me happy too.

Hashiba Hikaru: Mm-hmm.

Just as he sent that message, a voice filled with a hint of suspicion reached the boy's ears from Ichinose Honami.

"Hashiba-kun, are you chatting with someone?"

"Uh, just checking the news," Hashiba Hikaru replied, nonchalantly swiping his screen away before looking up. "Have you guys decided on a place to eat?"

"We have! A family restaurant, as usual."

Although she had caught the boy playing on his phone, Ichinose didn't press the issue. What she cared about wasn't that, but whether he could stay by her side.

"Let's go, let's go, time to eat!" Shibata stretched his shoulders, causing them to crack audibly. "After studying for so long, I've got to satisfy my stomach."

"Didn't you study during class today?"

Hashiba Hikaru put on a look of confusion and surprise, retorting, "Don't tell me you were slacking off during lessons?"

"Of course not! I just meant I was being extra diligent during our study session. Don't get the wrong idea, everyone; I really love to study."

"But Shibata-kun kept talking about wanting to go play soccer in the classroom earlier, and now you're saying you love to study?" Himeno Yuki, with her delicate features, ruthlessly exposed his true colors. "Do you really think we'd believe that?"

"Hey, Himeno, that's slander!"

As they bickered, Shibata's face turned red. He hurriedly started spouting things about how soccer was important, that loving sports was a good habit, and that the school's goal was to foster well-rounded development in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor. Hashiba Hikaru's dorm room was suddenly filled with a lively atmosphere.

Once the mood settled, everyone prepared to leave.

"Alright, is everything packed up?"

Hashiba Hikaru held a trash bag and surveyed his classmates. During the study session, he had taken the opportunity to take out the snacks Ichinose had brought to treat everyone, so there was some trash on the floor that had now been cleaned up.

"Yup, let's go. Dinner is on me tonight."

The boy smiled slightly. He wasn't short on points, and since everyone had taken the initiative to visit and even brought gifts, it was only natural for him to show some appreciation.

After the group headed downstairs, the setting sun neared the horizon, and the stifling heat in the air was blown away by a cool breeze.

Hashiba Hikaru suddenly felt that such mundane times weren't bad at all. Aside from the high-intensity maneuvering during the first few days, most things were currently settled. He should be able to enjoy some peace and quiet until the next special exam.

He and Ichinose Honami had previously discussed maintaining the class system, and now with the regular study sessions added to the mix, the situation in Class B could be summarized in four words.

Thriving!

"I'm going to bleed you dry tonight, Hashiba. Are you prepared for that?" Shibata said viciously from beside him.

"Yes, yes. If you manage to eat me into poverty, we'll just have to stay at the restaurant and wash dishes together."

"Hahaha, I'm down for that," the girls replied with giggles.

"If that happens, Hashiba-kun can be the waiter and serve us."

Ichinose Honami smiled, her eyes seemingly filled with genuine anticipation.

"That works for me," the boy nodded, his expression calm.

On the streets bathed in the evening glow, the group from Class B walked side by side, slowly moving toward their destination. No matter what the future held, this friendship would not fade.

In the days that followed, Hashiba Hikaru's life remained quite uneventful. The current study session plans for Class B and the management of basic class conduct were all handled by Ichinose Honami. He, meanwhile, attended his own group's study sessions while keeping in touch with Kushida Kikyo via his phone.

Beyond that, he would occasionally communicate briefly with Horikita Suzune, taking the opportunity to learn about Kushida Kikyo's movements from her. This was the only way to maintain the upper hand in the subsequent developments.

The only variable in these peaceful days was that the time Ichinose Honami spent in Hashiba Hikaru's dorm room grew longer and longer. It started under the guise of study sessions, but later turned into testing new recipes.

It had happened by chance when Hashiba Hikaru mentioned his experience with cooking. After all, whether in his past life or the present, he had always cooked for himself when his parents were too busy with work, so he had some culinary insights.

As a result, the moment Ichinose Honami heard this, she immediately expressed her interest in cooking and wanted to discuss culinary arts with him.

The boy thought she was just making small talk, but that very day after school, Ichinose knocked on his door carrying various seasonings and ingredients she had purchased.

"Hehehe, Hashiba-kun, I'm here to discuss cooking with you."

Looking at the serious expression on the girl's face and the determined glint in her eyes, Hashiba Hikaru had no choice but to agree to her proposal.

From then on, his dorm room effectively became a laboratory for new dishes.

More importantly, in the process, Hashiba Hikaru discovered that Ichinose's cooking was actually quite good. Despite calling it a discussion on culinary arts, she did most of the work while the boy simply enjoyed the food.

Is something wrong here? Why does it feel like I've become a freeloader...

Hashiba Hikaru held his bowl, reflecting on the recent changes in his life.

He couldn't help but look up at the pink-haired girl standing in front of the dorm's stove. She was wearing a blue checkered apron, head bowed as she prepared tempura in the pot.

Forget it, this food is actually pretty good. Might as well eat.

Chapter 69: May Arrives

Time slipped away unnoticed, and soon it was the night of the last day of April. Aside from the tense point-recovery plan at the beginning, Hashiba Hikaru had spent the first month since school started quite pleasantly.

Sitting at his desk, the young man watched the messages popping up incessantly in the Class B group chat on his phone.

Tomorrow was May 1st, and the new class rankings would be announced in the morning. Having worked hard together for an entire month, everyone in Class B was naturally looking forward to the unveiling of the results.

Inside the Class B family group chat at this moment.

Ando Sayo: What kind of results do you think Hoshinomiya-sensei will announce tomorrow? Do you think we can promote to Class A?

Kanzaki Ryuji: Regarding that, I think we have a very good chance. Didn't Hashiba-kun add 100 Class Evaluation Points to our class? That is our advantage.

Himeno Yuki: But I heard that the students in Class A are all very excellent. Their classroom conduct has been perfect since the start of school.

Shibata Sou: Haven't we been working hard during this time too? Under the leadership of Hashiba-kun and Ichinose-san, we have completely banned all the things the school forbids.

Ichinose Honami: That's right, everyone has worked very hard, and I think there is a lot of hope.

While the other students were having a heated discussion about whether they would promote to a higher class tomorrow, Hashiba Hikaru did not send any messages. After all, the power to calculate the Class Evaluation Points lay with the school authorities; they had no idea if points had been deducted, or how many.

On the other hand, neither Katsuragi nor Sakayanagi were simple characters. Although they were currently fighting fiercely for control of the class, as members of Class A, they would naturally demand that the students in their respective factions maintain excellent habits even more strictly.

Coupled with the fact that the students in Class A already possessed high overall quality and knew what they shouldn't do without needing much emphasis, they were naturally disciplined.

Therefore, the young man truly had no idea whether they would be able to promote.

Although the students of Class B were united, it did not mean that none of them would make mistakes; at the very least, that probability was higher than in Class A.

"In any case, everything will be clear tomorrow."

Hashiba Hikaru flopped onto his bed, when suddenly, his phone let out a pinging notification sound.

Kushida Kikyo: Hashiba-kun, is the new class ranking being announced tomorrow?