S-Sign with Your Thumbprint?!

The boy shook his head. The other students in the class chat were discussing what they knew, but no one had any leads.

"What about you?"

"We searched around the Special Building for ages, but we didn't find any clues either."

"What are we going to do? If we haven't found anything by the end of the first day, it'll probably get even harder as time goes on." Kushida's pretty face filled with worry.

"Maybe we can keep looking after dinner," Hirata said seriously. He couldn't accept the idea of a classmate being expelled.

"Yeah, I want to keep trying too." The short-haired girl immediately said she'd stick with them.

"Hahaha, if Kushida-chan says so, then we can't give up," Yamauchi Haruki chimed in at once. "I'm happy to keep looking with Kushida-chan."

"Me too! Me too!"

"Thank you, everyone." A grateful smile appeared on Kushida's face.

Nearby, Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Ichinose Honami. The pink-haired girl seemed to want to keep helping too, so he leaned over and asked quietly, "Ichinose, are you planning to keep going with everyone?"

"Yes. If I'm going to help, I want to see it through. I really want to know how this whole thing turns out." Ichinose Honami looked determined.

At that, Hashiba Hikaru fell silent for a moment. He wouldn't have minded helping if it were still early, but it was almost seven, and he had something more important to do.

After all, he'd bought the Exercise Booster, and he couldn't afford to skip his daily hour of swim training.

"I still have to go swimming. Ichinose, could you explain it to them for me?" Hashiba Hikaru looked at the girl beside him. She knew about his exercise routine, so she quickly nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Hashiba."

"Yeah. I hope you get good news."

The boy didn't hesitate. He turned and headed for the dorms.

He had to change out of his uniform before going swimming, and he still needed to get his key. He also had to warm up before getting in the water, so he didn't want to waste any more time.

After Hashiba Hikaru left, Ichinose Honami explained things to the others. Then they began their second round of searching, which didn't end until more than an hour later.

Meanwhile, after an invigorating swim, Hashiba Hikaru changed and left the Gymnasium.

As the night breeze brushed past him, Hashiba Hikaru touched his still-damp hair and took in the night scenery as he walked.

After a while, a dull thud suddenly reached his ears. It sounded as if something had struck a railing.

"Clang! Clang!"

What was that?

The boy scanned his surroundings and finally spotted a blurry figure up ahead.

"Who's there?"

Curious, he walked over to take a closer look.

Chapter 78: P-Press My Hand?!

On the quiet night, Hashiba Hikaru headed toward the source of the sound. After a dozen or so steps, the blurry figure came into focus, and he saw her in profile.

A delicate face, a neat short haircut, and a full, voluptuous figure.

It was Kushida Kikyo, Class C's little angel. She stood by the railing at the edge of the Artificial Island.

But her demeanor was nothing like the gentle, polite, and composed one she usually showed everyone. All of that had vanished, replaced by a cold, aggressive air.

Her actions were even more outrageous. She was kicking the railing in front of her again and again, each kick producing the same clang he'd heard earlier.

"That bitch Horikita! Damn it!"

"She's just a little cuter and gets better grades, and she walks around acting like she's better than everyone else. Does she think everyone likes her?"

"This is making me so mad!"

She spoke quickly, punctuating every sentence with a hard kick to the railing. She'd clearly been bottling things up.

"..."

After witnessing this with his own eyes, Hashiba Hikaru immediately thought of the result from the Stock Analyzer. Was this the other side of Kushida Kikyo she kept hidden?

Once he realized that, the boy crouched down by the nearby grass without hesitation. He wanted to see what she was really like.

"You bunch of idiots. Just being in the same class as you makes me feel like your stupidity is rubbing off on me. You think you can graduate from Class A? Keep dreaming!"

This was incredible. She usually acted like a little angel, but now she was letting her true thoughts spill out.

Hashiba Hikaru sighed. Then he realized that if he could record this, it might become a very important piece of evidence.

The boy pulled his phone out of his pocket. Just as he pointed the camera at the scene, his phone chimed with a notification.

"Ding."

Damn it!

Hashiba Hikaru's face changed. Of all the times for a message to come in, why now? What terrible luck.

In the quiet night, the sound was startlingly clear. Kushida Kikyo whipped around, and a cold gaze shot in his direction.

"Who's there?!"

"..."

The boy put his phone back in his pocket. Since she'd already found him, there was no point in hiding. He stepped out from beside the bushes.

The moment she saw him, she let out a sharp cry.

"Hashiba Hikaru!"

The short-haired girl strode toward him. She was walking, but moving incredibly fast; in just a few breaths, she was right in front of him.

"You... saw that, didn't you?"

Kushida Kikyo stopped in front of Hashiba Hikaru. Since she was shorter than him, she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. In the moonlight, her face looked cold and merciless.

Her lovely features were frosty, and her eyes were full of hostility.

"If I said I didn't, I don't think you'd believe me, Kushida."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly, his expression barely changing.

"Is that so? At least you're honest."

Kushida Kikyo's voice was icy. Its tone hadn't changed, but it gave Hashiba Hikaru a completely different impression.

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we? Friends should be honest with each other."

Hashiba Hikaru sounded gentle, as if what he'd just seen were no big deal.

He could more or less guess what would happen next. The Stock Analyzer had made it clear: since Kushida had another side she didn't want anyone to know about, she might ask him to keep it secret.

That was the key to raising her stock price, so Hashiba Hikaru had to play his part and show her where he stood.

Seeing that his expression was still gentle, the short-haired girl quickly considered what to do next.

He was always warm and considerate toward her, and his attitude never changed. That was why Kushida Kikyo had been sure before that he truly liked her.

But what had happened today was far too serious. Love was the most worthless feeling in the world; there was no way to know whether he'd betray her.

Besides, Horikita Suzune had already become a problem. The feeling that she couldn't control things had long been like a thorn in Kushida Kikyo's side, so she had to do something to keep the initiative firmly in her hands.

The short-haired girl gritted her teeth and steeled herself before speaking. "Hashiba, actually, I'm someone who doesn't really trust other people."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I think everyone has their own selfish interests. When something important happens, they might make the choice that matters most to them at the time."

Kushida Kikyo watched Hashiba Hikaru's expression, her tone growing gentler. "Something pretty serious just happened, and it's got me worried."

"Hmm. What are you worried about, Kushida?"

The boy asked even though he already knew. He wanted to see how she planned to ask him to keep her secret.

"If someone learns a secret, you can't predict how they'll act anymore. So I have to make sure to..."

Kushida Kikyo's voice suddenly slowed, and the last few words came out much more quietly.

"What?"

Even though they were standing close, Hashiba Hikaru hadn't heard what she'd said at the end. He was about to ask again when he felt a pair of cold little hands wrap around his right hand.

"?"

Almost in an instant, Kushida guided his hand and pressed it directly against her full breast.

Huh?

Hashiba Hikaru's eyes widened. A soft sensation filled his palm, and the boy's mind short-circuited.

Since being reborn, he'd never been this close to a girl. He was even closer to her than to Ichinose Honami, whom he'd gradually grown closer to. She'd only ever held his hand—this was a whole other level.

"Listen, Hashiba."

"This is an idea I just came up with." A faint blush appeared on Kushida's face, but she still pressed his hand firmly against her.

"Now your fingerprints are on my uniform, and on a very sensitive part of it, too."

"If you dare tell anyone what happened, I'll report you to the school. The rules are very clear: if you sexually harass a girl, you won't just be expelled—the police could get involved. You could ruin your whole future."

After saying all that, Kushida let go of his hand and stepped back.

"..."

Hashiba Hikaru's feelings were complicated. Putting aside whether they could even identify his fingerprints, would the material of a uniform really preserve them for long?

He'd been so nice to her. It wouldn't have been a problem for her to simply ask him to keep quiet. Why did she have to pull a stunt like this?

But then again, she'd always gone out of her way to hide her true self. It made sense that she didn't trust anyone else.

Seeing the boy fall silent, Kushida Kikyo couldn't help adding, "What, are you planning to throw away your bright future and take your chances?"

"No."

Hashiba Hikaru pressed a hand to his forehead, then looked Kushida in the eyes. "I'll do what you asked, Kushida. I'll keep your secret."

After hearing his firm answer, Kushida finally felt some of the tension leave her. Still, she stared at Hashiba Hikaru and said each word clearly. "I hope you'll keep your word. Otherwise, I'll never forgive you."

At that, the boy glanced at the System Panel. No new notification appeared, which meant she hadn't actually believed him.

So Hashiba Hikaru made his voice even gentler. "I absolutely won't tell anyone about what happened today, no matter what. I hope you can trust me, Kushida."

"Hmph. You know what'll happen if you tell anyone. I'll be watching you from now on!"

"That's fine. You're welcome to keep an eye on me, Kushida." Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly. He scanned their surroundings, then said slowly, "I didn't expect this place to have such a connection to us. Both times I've met you in private, it's been here."

"What's the point of saying that now? All I want is for you to keep my secret. Don't even think about anything else!"

Kushida had already decided to throw caution to the wind. She'd threatened him like that, so she didn't believe he'd keep liking her.

"You're really making this hard for me, Kushida. Even though I..."

Hashiba Hikaru kept up the act. Now that he'd found this opening, he had to make the most of it and raise her stock price today. He wasn't about to give up.

"Can't you tell how I feel about you?"

Feeling the boy's gaze fixed on her, Kushida fell silent again.

Could it be that even after seeing her at her most genuine, he still felt the same way? Had nothing changed at all?

He really...

"Even if you hadn't done all this, I would've kept your secret. You really were in a hurry just now."

"..."

A blush spread across the short-haired girl's cheeks despite herself. She glared at Hashiba Hikaru.

"I don't care! Things have already gone this far. If you tell anyone, I'll report you!"

"I understand."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hashiba Hikaru finally got the system notification he'd been hoping for.

[You agreed to keep Kushida Kikyo's secret and successfully earned her trust. Kushida Kikyo's stock price rose by 30 points. Current stock price: 70.]

[After witnessing Kushida Kikyo's true nature, you still showed your "love" for her. This inexplicably pleased her, and Kushida Kikyo's stock price rose by 30 points. Current stock price: 100.]

"!"

Hashiba Hikaru was startled. Had it really worked that well?