In Classroom of the Elite, My Love Stock Market Only Wants a Full Position Chapter 48

It was Kushida Kikyo.

A smile hung on her small face, but beneath that mask of a smile, a chill seemed to be hidden.

"Oh, it's Kushida-san. Please, come in." After letting Kushida Kikyo inside, the boy reached out and pulled the door shut.

"It's so late, is there something you need from me, Kushida-san?"

Upon hearing the boy's question, Kushida Kikyo did not answer immediately, but instead began to look around the dormitory, as if searching for something.

"?"

"What are you looking for, Kushida-san?"

"Who was Hashiba-kun having dinner with just now?"

The short-haired girl's expression remained smiling, but she caught that familiar scent again, her eyes fixed intently on Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"Oh, so that's what you wanted to know, Kushida-san?" Hashiba Hikaru's attitude was calm, and he said gently, "It was Ichinose-san. She helped me pick out some groceries today, so I made her a meal as a thank you."

"Didn't you already see that just now, Kushida-san?"

"...Is that so?"

Hearing this answer, Kushida Kikyo's expression changed abruptly, instantly transforming from a gentle, sweet angel into the cold person she had been that night.

"It seems you really are very close with Ichinose."

"Well, we are classmates, so naturally, we get along well."

Kushida suddenly took several steps forward, pressing herself directly against Hashiba Hikaru's chest, and said word by word: "Don't forget what you promised me. If you dare to leak my secret to Ichinose..."

"Regarding that, Ichinose-san and I are merely comrades fighting side-by-side for the sake of our class. I won't tell her anything personal, so please rest assured, Kushida-san."

"You'd better!"

Kushida Kikyo reached out with her small hand to grab the collar of Hashiba Hikaru's shirt, and after a few seconds, she let go and smoothed out the wrinkles.

"I will be watching you at all times. Don't you dare betray me!"

"Is that all you came to see me about today, Kushida-san?" Hashiba Hikaru touched his collar, a look of confusion appearing on his face.

"Of course not. I have a very important discovery to tell you, Hashiba-kun."

In the blink of an eye, the short-haired girl's demeanor returned to her previous gentle expression, and she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Hiss, this girl's ability to change faces on the fly is truly practiced.

What a veteran actress.

"Hashiba-kun, take a look at this."

After taking her phone, Hashiba Hikaru saw a very beautiful model photo. The girl in the image had long red hair, was dressed very fashionably, and was smiling energetically at the camera.

"This is..."

"You can flip through the rest. I just found this on the internet. Don't you think this girl looks like someone, Hashiba-kun?"

"You mean Sakura?"

Hashiba Hikaru had always had a strong ability to distinguish faces. After flipping through several of these model-style photos, he quickly connected the person in the images to the shy, introverted girl who liked to keep her head bowed.

After all, the [Stock Analyzer] stated clearly that Sakura Airi worked as a gravure model and a blog idol. Were these the work photos she had posted?

"Yes. Aside from the fact that her appearance and figure are very similar, look at the last photo, Hashiba-kun. The background looks a lot like the dorms at this school."

"Hmm... it really does."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded feignedly.

But if Sakura is so active on the internet, why is she so timid in real life?

"I think this is probably the reason she didn't want to agree to help at first," Kushida analyzed her own thoughts. "After all, since she is hiding this side of herself, she naturally doesn't want to have contact with more people, otherwise she might be exposed."

"But it doesn't matter. Sakura-san just messaged me saying she is willing to help with the Sudo situation." Kushida smiled, showing a very relieved expression. "It seems the trip to get her camera repaired today wasn't in vain."

"That's great. I hope you two can overcome this hurdle."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded, but his mind was preoccupied with the online photos of Sakura Airi he had just seen. According to the information provided by the [Stock Analyzer], taking photos with Sakura Airi could increase her stock price.

If I take the initiative to use this topic as an opening, will it bring us closer?

I have to try it and see.

Chapter 84: Coach, I Want to Learn Photography

Since they had already booked an expedited repair service, Hashiba Hikaru prepared to execute his plan to get closer to Sakura Airi the next morning.

The strategy was to start with the photography she loved. If he could truly reach the point of taking photos with her, it would mean the girl had accepted his presence.

Therefore, Hashiba Hikaru took out his phone and began calling upon his most useful "wingman."

Hashiba Hikaru: Kushida-san, will you be going with Sakura-san to pick up the camera this afternoon?

Kushida Kikyo: Yes. Since we already went yesterday, we might as well finish the job.

Hashiba Hikaru: Can I tag along? I'm actually a bit interested in photography.

Kushida Kikyo: Is that so?

The short-haired girl sitting at her desk felt a flicker of doubt upon seeing this reply. It was strange; when they had gone to the electronics store before, he hadn't mentioned this at all. Why was he suddenly interested in photography?

Thinking of this, Kushida couldn't help but turn her head to glance at the red-haired girl sitting in the back of the classroom. The girl was always alone, sitting at her desk without saying a word, spending most of her time staring blankly at her books.

Although she was a bit puzzled by Hashiba Hikaru's sudden remark, Kushida's speed in replying was not slow.

Kushida Kikyo: Sure, that's fine. I'll go ask Sakura-san.

Hashiba Hikaru: Thanks. I hope it won't be a bother for her.

After leaving her seat, Kushida Kikyo walked over to Sakura Airi's desk and asked in a friendly tone, "Sakura-san, when we go to pick up the camera today, would it be alright if one more person joined us?"

"Eh?"

The girl looked up, and upon hearing this, her instinct was almost to refuse: "Um... is it necessary to have another person?"

"It's Hashiba-kun. He said he's become interested in photography, so he wanted to come along with us."

Kushida, who had been testing the waters, saw a sudden spark in Sakura Airi's eyes after saying this, and the girl replied, "It's Hashiba-kun? Then... then that's fine."

"Won't it be a bother for you, Sakura-san?"

"Um... no, it won't."

Sakura Airi shook her head gently. In truth, she had wanted to chat with Hashiba Hikaru, but she didn't have his contact information, and she certainly didn't dare go to Class A to find him, so she had been forced to keep that thought buried.

Now that she heard he was actually coming along and had even mentioned an interest in photography, a sense of anticipation took root in the girl's heart, making her quite eager for the afternoon meeting.

"Alright, then I'll go tell him directly."

After taking a deep look at the expression on Sakura's face, Kushida returned to her seat with a smile and began typing on her keyboard.

Kushida Kikyo: Sakura-san agreed. Let's go together later, Hashiba-kun.

Hashiba Hikaru: Great. Are you two going straight there after school? I'll go wait for you at the entrance of Keyaki Mall then.

Kushida Kikyo: That works. See you this afternoon.

After ending the chat, the short-haired girl gripped her phone tightly, her thoughts complex.

From her perspective, this Sakura-san had always maintained the image of a transparent person in class, never speaking to anyone. She couldn't communicate well with either boys or girls, and naturally, she didn't have a single friend.

But during yesterday's outing, Kushida Kikyo remembered that this Sakura-san had proactively looked at Hashiba Hikaru's face at least twice, and her attitude toward him was quite subtle.

She was usually the type who didn't want to interact with anyone, yet now, when faced with a boy from another class, she had actually tacitly agreed to go out with him?

And that scoundrel Hashiba Hikaru—could he have suddenly claimed an interest in photography just for Sakura's sake?

A silent Kushida Kikyo squeezed the eraser on her desk, her eyes flashing with a cold, hard light. But after thinking for a long time, she suddenly realized why she had been thinking about that guy so often lately, even caring about what he was thinking.

The scent that had appeared in Hashiba Hikaru's dorm room—the short-haired girl could now confirm it was left behind by Ichinose Honami. Even though both of them were single, were they really eating alone in the dorms that often?

"This guy really has a way with women..."

Kushida gritted her teeth. After the "fingerprint" incident that night, Hashiba Hikaru's immediate stance had been quite satisfying, and she could still feel that gentleness from him.

But the current situation made her feel somewhat annoyed. She couldn't even tell if she was afraid of him leaking her secrets or if she was afraid of him...

With that thought, Kushida Kikyo reached up to press her temples. After stopping her mind from wandering, she forced her attention back to previewing the upcoming lessons. After all, the social butterfly Kushida was also a reliable student when it came to academics.

On the other side, Hashiba Hikaru was naturally unaware of the girl's complicated thoughts. He was sitting at his desk, using his phone to search for basic photography knowledge.

After all, he needed to use this as a way to open up a conversation with Sakura Airi, so he only needed to grasp some basics in advance; the rest could be used as material for asking questions.

Meanwhile, Ichinose Honami, seeing that Hashiba Hikaru was actually searching for photography-related content, leaned over curiously and asked, "Are you interested in photography lately, Hashiba-kun?"

"A little bit."

Hashiba Hikaru gave a vague laugh. He couldn't tell the pink-haired girl the real reason, so he decided to brush it off as best he could.

"Then, can you take pictures of me in the future?" Ichinose blinked her beautiful blue eyes and stared at Hashiba Hikaru's face as she asked.

"Uh... I haven't even started yet. I'm probably a long way off from being at a level where I can take photos for others."

Hashiba Hikaru didn't want to refuse directly, so he steered the topic toward a more forgiving space: "Maybe I'll just give up before I even learn anything."

"How could you? I believe that no matter what you learn, Hashiba-kun, you'll pick it up quickly. I have confidence in you."

"Alright then, let me master a few techniques first."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded and continued to look down at his phone to search for photography knowledge; he wanted to do as much homework as he could.

After school ended in the afternoon, the boy told Ichinose Honami that he had something to do and left.

Since he had decided to become a master manipulator in the future, Hashiba Hikaru planned to start proactively reducing the time he spent with Ichinose Honami. Besides, using an interest as an excuse meant he didn't have to worry about the girl overthinking things.

When he arrived at the entrance of Keyaki Mall, Hashiba Hikaru waited for a few minutes before he saw two familiar figures—one walking ahead with poise, and the other following behind with her head bowed.

It seems Sakura still isn't used to going out with others. I wonder if her personality will ever change.

"Hashiba-kun, good afternoon!" Kushida greeted the boy with high spirits.

"Hashiba-kun... good... afternoon."

Sakura gathered her courage to look at Hashiba Hikaru's face, her voice low as she greeted him.

"Good afternoon. Let's hurry to the electronics store and get that camera back for you, Sakura-san."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled and gestured for the two to get moving. After walking for a few minutes, the group arrived once again at the electronics store from the day before.

Thinking of the scene yesterday when Sakura faced the shop assistant, the boy asked gently, "Sakura-san, just stand behind me later; let me handle the communication with him."

"Is that really okay?" Seeing the concern in his eyes, the red-haired girl felt a bit embarrassed.

"Of course it is. I can even take this opportunity to ask him about various cameras; maybe I'll pick up an entry-level model to try out in the future."

"Really? In that case, I can recommend one to Hashiba-kun, there's one I really like..."

After hearing the boy's words, Sakura's eyes lit up, and she appeared very interested in the topic.

"Sure, but let me try using my phone first to get a feel for photography before we talk about choosing a camera."

Seeing the girl look moved, Hashiba Hikaru nodded inwardly. It really is faster to follow the manual; this is going to be a good method.

Kushida, who had almost become a background character, saw this and forced a smile, signaling, "Let's head over quickly then, let's not keep Sakura-san's camera waiting."

When they arrived at the counter again, it was indeed the same bearded male shop assistant there to receive them.

However, the moment Sakura Airi saw his figure appear, she immediately followed Hashiba Hikaru's reminder and stood directly behind the boy, not wanting to make any eye contact with him at all.

The memories of the disgust and fear she experienced yesterday made the girl absolutely unwilling to go through it again.

"Welcome."

"Oh, it's you guys. Are you here to pick up the camera?"

Upon seeing the group, the man's eyes immediately tried to capture that red-haired figure.

Unfortunately, the next second he was met directly with the boy's calm face, which startled him.

"Since it's already repaired, could you please bring the camera over? We're actually in quite a hurry."

"This..."

Because Hashiba Hikaru was more than a head taller than Sakura Airi, the shop assistant couldn't see the girl's face at all after being blocked by the boy's broad frame.

"What's wrong? Didn't you say it was repaired?" Hashiba Hikaru smiled, his gaze sweeping across the shop assistant's face, "Could it be that the rush fee we paid went to waste?"