In Classroom of the Elite, I Only Want to Go All-in on My Love Stock Market Chapter 46

Seeing Hashiba Hikaru stop, Ichinose Honami followed his gaze forward and likewise spotted the two people not far away.

"It's Kushida-san."

By the time Ichinose Honami noticed them, Kushida Kikyo had already approached with a smile, while the red-haired girl behind her seemed reluctant to come over and remained standing where she was.

"Good afternoon. I never expected to run into you two here."

"Yeah, I think it's quite a coincidence too." Ichinose Honami placed the vegetables she had just selected into her shopping cart and asked, "Are you here to buy something, Kushida-san?"

"No, I'm just here with Sakura-san to get her camera repaired."

Kushida Kikyo looked at Hashiba Hikaru, who was pushing the shopping cart, and Ichinose Honami, who had just placed an item into the basket. The two looked like newlyweds out shopping for groceries, and the sense of distance between them was quite subtle.

Witnessing this scene, a sudden, uncomfortable feeling welled up in the short-haired girl's heart, though she couldn't even explain the reason herself.

"Sakura-san?" Upon hearing this, Ichinose Honami looked up at the red-haired girl still standing there and asked in a low voice, "Is that the witness Horikita-san was speculating about?"

"Yes, but I still haven't heard a definitive answer from her."

Kushida looked at the seemingly interested Ichinose Honami, then glanced at Hashiba Hikaru standing nearby, and immediately asked, "Would you like to come with us to the electronics store, Ichinose-san?"

"Is that alright?"

Ichinose was indeed tempted; she was still very curious about whether this Sakura-san was truly the witness, so she looked toward Hashiba Hikaru and asked, "What is your opinion, Hashiba-kun?"

"Hmm... that's fine. I'll carry the bags later." Hashiba Hikaru felt it didn't really matter, so he nodded.

"Then let's go pay first."

After the two finished paying for the groceries and daily necessities they had bought that day, Hashiba Hikaru followed behind carrying a transparent plastic bag, while Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo walked together to return to the side of the red-haired girl.

"Sakura-san, this is Ichinose-san, she's here to help too." Kushida began introducing Sakura Airi, then pointed to the boy standing a short distance away, "That is Hashiba-kun; he will be joining us as well."

"Eh..."

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing the name Hashiba, Sakura Airi suddenly raised her head and looked toward the boy standing in the back.

In truth, Sakura Airi had a very unique impression of this boy named Hashiba Hikaru. On the day he came to sell the rules, she had been curious when she heard about the collection of Private Points, so she had looked up and happened to lock eyes with him.

But strangely, Sakura, who had always been resistant to making eye contact with others, had not felt any discomfort when she met Hashiba Hikaru's gaze that day.

On the contrary, the boy's eyes were clear; he hadn't been staring at her intentionally, and he had quickly looked away, as if he had just seen an ordinary passerby.

This point made the girl feel somewhat intrigued.

Because of her well-developed figure, ever since she entered puberty, Sakura Airi had been able to detect the strange gazes of others. Gradually, she even began to sense what people were thinking about her deep down.

As more and more of these perceptions converged, she became increasingly terrified of social interaction, which catalyzed constant changes in her mindset, leading the girl to gradually seal off her own space.

After entering this school, Sakura Airi had always maintained the attitude of an invisible person. Because she could still sense the strange thoughts of some boys in her class, she tried her best to avoid any interaction with them.

But this Hashiba-kun was the first person to make her feel this way. Sakura Airi could sense that the boy's heart was very calm, and he did not harbor the kinds of thoughts that made her feel repulsed like the other boys did.

That was why she remembered his name.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-san. I'm Ichinose Honami." Seeing the girl look up, Ichinose Honami immediately greeted her.

"H-hello."

"Hashiba-kun, hurry up and come over."

"Coming."

Once Hashiba Hikaru approached, Sakura Airi looked at his face with some nervousness, and then their eyes met.

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the red-haired girl. She was wearing a pair of pink glasses, and her hair was kept very long, seemingly covering her entire forehead. She didn't seem to have put much effort into her appearance, looking quite unremarkable.

The boy smiled simply and said in a gentle voice, "Hello, Sakura-san. I'm Hashiba Hikaru."

"Hello, I'm... Sakura Airi."

Sakura used almost all her strength to introduce herself, and during that brief moment of eye contact, she once again felt that gaze she found so special.

Just then, Hashiba Hikaru heard a brand-new system notification sound.

[Ding! Sakura Airi Stock has gone live!]

[Current share price: 30]

[Number of shares issued: 5000]

"?"

Another 5000 shares?

When the boy confirmed this information, he felt a bit surprised in his heart.

This was the third stock with 5000 shares to go live, and all three of these people happened to be present today. Did they have something in common?

Ichinose Honami, Kushida Kikyo, and Sakura Airi.

He rubbed his chin, and then, as if he had suddenly thought of something, his expression turned very strange on the spot.

Chapter 81: Time to Become a Master Trader

Looking at the three girls before him, Hashiba Hikaru decided to put aside the stray thoughts that had just emerged and urged them to set off.

"Weren't we going to get the camera repaired? Let's go."

"Yes, Sakura-san, let's head over." Kushida greeted Sakura Airi, who still seemed a bit shy. The three girls walked in front, with Hashiba Hikaru following behind.

Watching Sakura Airi ahead, Hashiba Hikaru pondered for a moment before spending 1,000 funds to purchase the [Stock Detector], which he immediately used on her.

[Sakura Airi Stock]

[Stock Information: A girl who wears glasses, keeps her hair long, and dislikes dressing up. She has a timid personality and dislikes showing herself in front of others. She hates doing things that draw attention and lacks initiative, but she possesses another, energetic side. She works as a blog idol and print model online and always carries a camera with her.]

[Stock Price Increase Suggestion: Become a friend she can talk to about anything, help her solve problems in her daily life, and take photos with her.]

[Stock Price Decrease Risk: Stalk her, force her to do things she doesn't want to do, or push her into the spotlight.]

"Good grief, is she another girl with a hidden side?"

After committing this information to memory, Hashiba Hikaru felt speechless. What is wrong with the people in this school? Are they all going to play the double-faced game with me?

"However..."

He mused for a while. Although this Sakura-san had a hidden side, the way to raise her stock price was much simpler than Kushida Kikyo's. It was just a matter of building a good relationship without any complicated entanglements with others.

"To go all-in, it would take 150,000 points."

Hashiba Hikaru was hesitant. The next stock target he had thought of yesterday was Shiina Hiyori from Class D. Her method of increasing her stock price also had nothing to do with class competition and could be approached purely through building a relationship.

But now, a new stock had suddenly appeared, and it was a massive quantity of 5,000 shares.

"What should I do? Should I be greedy for once?"

Furthermore, there was that [Combat Technique (Master)] skill worth 250,000 that he really wanted. If he went all-in on both stocks, his remaining funds would be almost completely depleted.

On the other hand, Hashiba Hikaru felt that he had been too conservative in accumulating funds, always being overly cautious. After clearing his stocks these past few times, he felt it was time to move toward his goal of becoming a master trader.

As the four of them entered the electronics store, the boy finally made up his mind.

Hashiba Hikaru decided to go big. He planned to acquire both stocks and then perform actions to close the distance at different times. Once they reached a point where he could cash out, he would pull out immediately; whether or not to lower the stock price afterward was a matter for later.

[Purchase Sakura Airi Stock?]

[Purchase Quantity: 5000]

[Sakura Airi Stock has been cleared, current funds: 356,000]

After buying the stock, a gentle expression appeared on Hashiba Hikaru's face as he took the initiative to speak to Sakura Airi: "Sakura-san, have you been to the shop you mentioned before?"

"Um... I've been there once, but I didn't buy anything." Sakura Airi's voice was soft, but she replied earnestly, "But I know they can do repairs there."

"I see. Then let's hurry over."

The group followed Sakura's directions to a counter. Behind it were shelves stocked with a rich variety of goods, along with various types of red banners that seemed to advertise discount promotions.

"Welcome."

A bearded male clerk looked at the group with a smirk.

"Hello, I'd like to ask if you can repair cameras here?" Sakura Airi gathered her courage to speak to him.

"We can. Did you bring the camera?"

"I did."

After Sakura handed over her camera, the male clerk finished inspecting it after a few minutes. He stared straight at Sakura and said, "The power supply is broken. Do you have the warranty card?"

"Oh, I brought it today."

Sakura Airi took the warranty card out of her pocket, walked forward, and placed it on the counter.

"Hmm... let me see."

After the male clerk picked up the small card, a strange smile appeared on his face, and his voice became increasingly obsequious: "It is indeed still under warranty. We can replace it with a new power supply for you."

"However, you need to fill out this form first. All the important information on it must be filled in completely."

Hashiba Hikaru had actually been observing this scene the whole time. For some reason, he felt the clerk's attitude was strange, as if he were particularly fixated on Sakura's every move.

"Including your name, address," the male clerk grinned, took a form from the counter, and picked up a pen, extending it toward Sakura Airi, "and your phone number too..."

"..."

Facing the clerk's unreserved, prying gaze, a sense of fear inexplicably welled up in Sakura Airi's heart, making her body unable to move; she couldn't bring herself to walk over and fill in her information.

Is she that scared?

Hashiba Hikaru keenly observed the girl's slightly trembling frame. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped in front of her and called out to the others behind him.

"Kushida-san, could you come over here for a second?"

Hearing this, Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo, who were waiting in the back, looked over in unison.

"What is it, Hashiba-kun?" Kushida Kikyo walked to the front of the two, cooperating fully, and asked, "Did something happen?"

"Could you help Sakura-san fill out this information?"

"Eh?"

The short-haired girl was a bit surprised, while Sakura Airi next to her instantly raised her head to look at Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"You're all classmates anyway, it doesn't matter if someone else writes it. Just consider it a favor."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled at Sakura Airi. After a brief moment of eye contact, he looked away and nudged Kushida to fill out the form.

"I don't mind, but is it okay with you, Sakura?"

"Um... it's okay."

Having just felt the boy's reassuring gaze, Sakura Airi felt much calmer, and she nodded.

"Why?" Seeing Hashiba Hikaru block his intentions, the male clerk's voice rose a notch. "This camera isn't even hers."

"Didn't you just check it yourself?"

Hashiba Hikaru didn't back down, saying to the clerk, "Since the warranty card is valid, it means the battery can be replaced. It shouldn't matter whose information is filled in."

"If it's about notifying someone to pick up the camera, they are classmates, so this shouldn't violate any rules."

"This..." The male clerk looked hesitant.

"What, are you unwilling to provide service? The warranty card is clearly still within the valid period." Hashiba Hikaru stared directly into the other man's eyes.

"Alright then, it can be repaired."

Hearing the other party agree, Hashiba Hikaru continued to ask the male clerk, "About how long will it take to fix?"

"Hmm, it will take about two to three days."

"Can't it be any faster?" Hashiba Hikaru surveyed the environment; it looked like a fairly professional electronics store, and he wondered if they offered an expedited service.

"Uh, as for that, an expedited service... might be a bit troublesome."

An expedited service was certainly something they could handle, but the male clerk didn't want to end this opportunity so quickly.

Seeing the look in the man's eyes, Hashiba Hikaru didn't waste any more words, instead turning to look at Sakura Airi and asking softly, "This camera must be very important to you, Sakura-san."

"Yes... I care about it a lot." The girl's voice was small, but her meaning was clear.

"Then let's just go ahead and process the expedited service. Is there a fee for that?"

Hearing this, Kushida Kikyo realized that while replacing the battery was free with a warranty card, using an expedited service might require an additional charge.