Sakayanagi Arisu's Ambition
"Hmm..."
Perhaps the pink-haired girl hadn't exerted any force at all, because the pain in her shoulder was very slight.
He knew that his girlfriend was giving herself an out; if she didn't do these things, there would be no way to continue the conversation.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Hashiba Hikaru's gaze was gentle as he softly patted his girlfriend's back. "If you're still upset, Honami can punch me a few times. It's all my fault."
"No way! If I used lighting, wouldn't that mean I've accepted your apology?"
After releasing her teeth, Ichinose Honami gently licked the boy's shoulder, as if disinfecting it.
"Hehe, so what are Honami's plans?"
Hashiba Hikaru smiled and handed over the decision-making power entirely to the other party.
"Besides Kushida and Sakura, there are also Classmate Sakayanagi and Horikita,"
The girl counted on her fingers, slowly reciting the names of these people, "Including me, are you planning to be juggling five relationships at the same time?"
Uh, there might be others too.
However, Hashiba Hikaru knew very well that she absolutely could not continue speaking at this point; she needed to know when to stop.
"... Because I'm a greedy guy."
Hashiba Hikaru thought for a moment and gave an answer that wasn't really an answer.
"But no matter what, the person you marry in the end will definitely be me, right?"
Ichinose Honami changed the subject, bringing up the matter that mattered most to her.
"Yes, no matter what happens in the future, this will not change."
Hashiba Hikaru spoke very seriously; this was a decision she had made long ago.
"My future wife will only be Ichinose Honami, or rather... Hashiba Honami?"
"Hmm, this name..."
Perhaps because she immediately thought of married life, the girl's body went weak.
She had many dreams in which she became Hashiba Hikaru's wife, falling asleep in his arms every night, their future enveloped in sweetness.
"Doesn't it sound good?"
Of course not.
Ichinose Honami shook her head, placed her hands on Hashiba Hikaru's chest, and stared into her boyfriend's eyes as she spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Light, are you really going to take this path?"
"Um."
Hashiba Hikaru looked at his girlfriend, and even though the road ahead was fraught with thorns, he would never regret it.
"Alright then... five it is. I won't force Guang to change her mind, but you need to remember one thing."
"You say."
"No matter what happens in the future, I will always be your only girlfriend, and I will be your wife in the future."
"You may do some intimate things in private when I'm not looking, but you can't bring them home."
The girl pointed to the dormitory room and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to bring other girls back to your room. Can you do that?"
"... Can."
Hashiba Hikaru nodded. This was a minor matter. Ichinose Honami had already made concessions, so of course he had to give a corresponding promise.
"Pinky promise."
The girl extended her slender little finger, a very childish gesture, but Ichinose Honami's expression was very serious.
"Good."
Their little fingers were hooked together, their skin touching; the agreement was made.
"Effective today, only one person of the opposite sex is allowed in this dormitory from now on, and that person is me."
"Hey, does that mean the other girls in our class can't come to the study session?"
"Don't interrupt, you know what I mean?"
Ichinose Honami reached out and patted her boyfriend playfully, asking reproachfully, "Do you understand now?"
"Understood. I will strictly abide by this rule and absolutely not allow any other girl besides you to come here."
That's more like it.
Ichinose Honami lay back down, resting her head on her boyfriend's chest.
She had actually made many choices in her heart. Although she was unwilling, it was truly impossible for her to give up Hashiba Hikaru.
Being able to do this is already the limit for a girl.
"We'll always be together from now on, so please don't leave me, okay?"
Ichinose Honami brought her face close to Hashiba Hikaru's neck, her voice tinged with emotion.
"I will."
Hashiba Hikaru's tone was firm.
"No matter what happens in the future, Honami and I will never be apart."
Chapter 670: Sakayanagi Arisu's ambition.
About an hour later, his girlfriend fell into a deep sleep in the boy's arms, and Hashiba Hikaru saw a new notification pop up in the System Bar.
[Because Ichinose Honami couldn't bear to part with you, she mustered the courage to make a new decision. Ichinose Honami Stock Price rose by 30, currently standing at 380.]
"Honestly, why now of all times to raise the stock price?"
Hashiba Hikaru's emotions were quite complicated. Generally speaking, once a stock price exceeds 300, it is difficult for it to rise further unless some key events occur.
"We've come this far, so let's move forward slowly, taking everyone's opinions into account."
The boy hugged his girlfriend tightly and slowly closed his eyes.
The next morning, because it was spring break, the entire student dormitory was deathly silent at seven o'clock.
Hashiba Hikaru opened his eyes precisely on time according to his biological clock. He quietly moved his body and got out of bed to wash up.
In addition to my usual morning run, I'll be meeting with Sakayanagi Arisu today.
After such a long period of exercise, Hashiba Hikaru's [Physical Enhancement Device] finally improved again, taking the boy's physical fitness to a new level.
[Exercise completed, 55 Exercise Points gained.]
[Physical Enhancement Serum in effect: Current level Lv.8, 3006/3000]
[Ding! Experience points maxed out]
[Lv.8→Lv.9]
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the third stage of the Physical Enhancement Device.]
[Stamina:7→8]
"Has my stamina finally increased again?"
Looking at the data on her panel, Hashiba Hikaru nodded in satisfaction.
His stamina has now increased to 8 points. Once he activates [Potential Burst], he can max out this stat and defeat his opponents more easily.
"After entering the Second Year, we may have to face people from the [White Room] among the new students, so improving our physical strength will definitely come in handy."
After mentally reviewing the plan he had discussed with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Sakayanagi Arisu last time, the boy picked up his sports backpack and returned to his dormitory to take a shower.
"Classmate Hashiba, are you in a good mood today?"
The boy sitting opposite her had obvious joy in his eyes, Sakayanagi Arisu could tell at a glance.
The two met today in the same club Activity Classroom that the girl had applied for. As a secluded meeting place, they didn't have to worry about being disturbed by others.
"I guess so. Two good things happened that made me more confident about the future."
Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly, not denying the girl's guess.
"Can you share it with me?"
A look of great interest immediately appeared on Sakayanagi Arisu's delicate and pretty face.
There's one thing I can share with you, but not another.
Hashiba Hikaru's gaze met Sakayanagi's in mid-air, her tone indifferent.
He will never tell anyone about the system in his lifetime.
"Really? Then what is it that you can tell me?"
Upon hearing this answer, Sakayanagi Arisu was not surprised at all.
"It's about my private life."
Hashiba Hikaru smiled gently. Since Kamuro Masumi wasn't there today, the boy decided to recount part of his conversation with Ichinose Honami yesterday, since Sakayanagi Arisu practically a party to it anyway.
A few minutes later, after listening to Hashiba Hikaru's story, the silver-haired girl smiled, as if she was genuinely happy for her.
"I never expected Ichinose to agree to something like this. It's truly unbelievable."
"Yes, I didn't expect that either."
As Sakayanagi Arisu carefully examined Arisu Sakayanagi's facial expression, Hashiba Hikaru tone remained calm.
"Actually, I can do that too. After all, this kind of thing is quite common in island nations. Outstanding men always have many lovers."
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke up, "Although Classmate Hashiba is not very old, he can definitely be considered one of the outstanding men."
"Thank you for the compliment, but I won't change what I said before. Classmate Sakayanagi, you should probably tone it down a bit and stop provoking Honami."
"Really, it seems Ichinose had considered this a long time ago, otherwise she wouldn't have made such a big concession."
Sakayanagi Arisu's tone turned slightly somber. "She's using a strategy of retreat to advance, by agreeing to your absurd behavior, to secure her own position."
"That's an interesting analysis."
Hashiba Hikaru understood as soon as she said it, but the boy would never think of his girlfriend in that way, because he was always the one who went too far.
"She knows you won't give up on other people, but she doesn't want to break up with you, so she took the initiative to compromise."
Sakayanagi Arisu analyzed logically, "Because you made concessions, you'll feel more pity for her, understand?"
"I understand, but I won't delve into the deeper meaning of this, since I'm the greedy one."
Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly, "I always keep my promises to Honami, do you understand, Classmate Sakayanagi?"
"So... does Classmate Hashiba mean you want me to be your lover?"
Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her coffee; now that she had fully recovered, she was drinking coffee much more frequently.
"..."
"That's true, but I won't force anyone to make a decision, if you can't accept that..."
Hashiba Hikaru carefully considered her words, worried that her expression might not be clear enough.
As mentioned at the beginning, everyone he interacts with is a real girl, not a game character whose CGs are automatically unlocked once the affection level is full. Each person's thoughts are unique, and he will not force others to accept his ideas.
"No, I can accept that."
Before Hashiba Hikaru could finish speaking, Sakayanagi interrupted her.
"Yeah?"
"I've already expressed my feelings for Classmate Hashiba. Since Ichinose can accept it, why should I give up?"
A determined glint flashed in Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes. "I just hope that Classmate Hashiba won't make such a hasty decision. There's still a long road ahead."
What do you mean?