Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the server still standing beside them. Planning to skirt the topic for now, he reached out and took the menu from him.
"Ladies first."
"Of course. Does anyone have any dietary restrictions?"
Ichinose Honami took the menu and started discussing what to order with the classmates around the table. Seeing that everyone's attention had finally shifted elsewhere, Hashiba Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief.
Once the server had taken the menu away to place the order with the kitchen, the Class B students naturally began chatting among themselves.
They were all young people of fifteen or sixteen, so the atmosphere was relaxed. They talked about all sorts of things, from internet celebrities to scandals involving television stars. Once they got started, it was easy to grow closer.
When the food began arriving, everyone's attention turned to the delicious dishes before them. The chef here was quite famous, after all. As the saying went, neither love nor good food should be let down, so they all picked up their chopsticks and dug in.
A little over twenty minutes later, when they had nearly finished all the dishes, Ichinose wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin and got down to business.
"Classmate Hashiba, you can tell us your idea now, right? We're all waiting."
"Yeah, we're really looking forward to hearing what new plan Classmate Hashiba has to help the class."
Ando took a sip of her orange juice and watched Hashiba Hikaru with a cheerful smile.
"Fine. This idea really does need everyone in the class to help, so I'll just tell you."
Hashiba Hikaru planned to make a big move and give Ichinose's stock price a huge boost.
Everyone watched as the boy took a deep breath, then held up two fingers and said solemnly, "I want to get twenty million Private Points."
"What?!"
Everyone's expression changed on the spot. They hadn't expected Hashiba Hikaru's idea to be this.
After Hoshinomiya-sensei had explained the special rules for Private Points that morning, nobody had taken them particularly seriously.
Even if those points could really be used to change classes or avoid expulsion, the amount was simply too high. The students of Class B couldn't believe anyone would be able to gather that much.
"Don't be so surprised. Don't forget what I said this morning: the class competition starts today."
Seeing their stunned faces, Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly and continued, "The twenty-million-point rule is very important. I suspect it's among the highest-priority rules at this school."
"Then what does Classmate Hashiba want to collect all those points for? Don't tell me you want to change classes?"
"Of course not. I like Class B, so I'd never use them that way." Hashiba Hikaru looked at Ichinose, who had asked the question, his tone sincere. "I want to collect so many points because I think the class competition could eventually lead to an outcome none of us can accept."
"Someone might be forced to leave school."
At his words, the others hadn't yet had time to react when Ichinose, usually so gentle, suddenly asked coldly, "Why?"
The pink-haired girl's expression had turned grim, as though a gray shadow had fallen across her face.
Seeing her like this, the other students fell silent, afraid to say anything.
"This is information I gathered." Hashiba Hikaru could tell that Ichinose Honami wasn't in a good state, but he calmly showed her his phone screen. "This is an event announcement posted on the School Forum by some Second Year students."
"Look closely at the headcount. Do you notice anything unusual?"
"?"
Ichinose Honami froze for a moment, then hurriedly took Hashiba Hikaru's phone. As she examined the screen, she quickly spotted an important detail.
"Class B of the Second Year only has... thirty-six people?!"
"What?"
At Ichinose's exclamation, the other students immediately crowded around to look at the information on Hashiba's phone. It was an invitation to a gathering posted by Class B of the Second Year. The reservation was for thirty-six seats, and the list of people who had replied to confirm attendance also contained thirty-six names.
It could only mean one thing.
"That's right. Class B of the Second Year had four fewer students after their first year ended."
"Why do you think they left the school?"
Chapter Thirteen: A Major Stock Price Surge
"Why do you think they left the school?"
When Hashiba Hikaru asked this, everyone around the table exchanged uneasy looks. They hadn't realized that Class B of the Second Year had lost four people after only a year. That alone showed how serious the situation was.
"How could this happen... Why?"
Ichinose Honami seemed the most shaken by what she had discovered. Her delicate features were full of alarm, and her blue eyes brimmed with a jumble of emotions: fear, resistance, and disbelief.
"Classmate Ichinose." Seeing her like this, Hashiba Hikaru quickly reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. Looking into her eyes, he spoke gently. "Don't panic. It's only the first day of school, isn't it? We have plenty of time to prepare."
"Oh, right. It's only the first day..."
Ichinose Honami looked up at the boy standing close before her. The man's hand on her shoulder kept radiating warmth. Gazing back at Hashiba Hikaru's handsome face, she asked softly, "Classmate Hashiba, do you already have a plan?"
"Of course not. Do you think I'm an all-powerful god?"
Hashiba Hikaru removed his hand from her shoulder and tapped Ichinose lightly on the head. Once the color had gradually returned to her face, he turned to the other students in Class B.
"This is why I suggested saving up twenty million Private Points. If someone really does have to leave school because of a future class competition, these points will be our trump card to save them."
"We were assigned to the same class after all that effort. We're going to graduate together, and not a single person will be left behind!"
"So I hope you'll hear out my preliminary idea. That's why I came here today."
"Just tell us, Classmate Hashiba. We'll do everything we can to help."
After hearing him out, the others had moved past their initial shock. Faced with a real example, they understood the cruelty of the school far more deeply.
The example of students being forced to leave was so close at hand that they couldn't help but feel anxious.
"First, according to Hoshinomiya-sensei, the school will hold different kinds of Special Exams. They'll be the fiercest part of the class competition. The winning class will gain Class Evaluation Points, while the losing class will lose points."
"If we look at the usual way of earning Private Points, we only get the regular monthly allotment on the first of each month. That's nowhere near enough. Since the school will use Class Evaluation Points as rewards in Special Exams, we can't rule out the possibility of Private Points being offered too."
"So you think we can earn Private Points in the Special Exams?"
Shibata ran a hand through his hair, still looking completely confused. "But we don't even know what the Special Exam rules are. How can we prepare in advance?"
"No. I think we can at least predict some general details." Hashiba Hikaru pointed down at the table and smiled. "Don't forget—even if the school's competition rules are outrageous, this is still a school."
"And schools can never escape two kinds of competitions."
"Exams and sports."
"That's right. If we have an academic Written Exam, I think we can gain an advantage. Classmate Ichinose came first in the entrance exam, after all."
Ando, who hadn't spoken in a while, brought Ichinose Honami into the conversation. The girl had been listening carefully to Hashiba Hikaru's analysis, and being singled out so suddenly made her jump.
When she noticed Hashiba Hikaru looking over from beside her, she remembered him tapping her on the head a moment earlier. A blush instantly rose to her cheeks, and her heart began beating a little faster.
Under everyone's gaze, Ichinose Honami could only swallow her embarrassment and explain, "That's right. I got the highest score on the Written Exam in the entrance exams. The interviewer told me so."
"That's great. If we hold study sessions, I'm sure Classmate Ichinose can help everyone fill in their gaps."
Hashiba Hikaru hadn't noticed that anything was different about Ichinose. Instead, he looked at Shibata Sou, seated across from him.
"Besides studying, I think Classmate Shibata should have a say when it comes to sports."
"I was in the track club in middle school. If it's a running competition, I'm confident I can beat anyone." Shibata Sou sounded sure of himself. With his fresh, athletic look, he was especially convincing.
"My athletic ability is pretty good too. At least, I won't hold the class back."
Kanzaki Ryuji, seated beside Shibata, chimed in at the right moment. He turned to the girls nearby and asked, "How are the girls at sports?"
"I'm okay. At least I won't fail."
"I'm confident when it comes to Volleyball, but I don't know about anything else."
"I'm not very good at sports... When my middle school held the Sports Festival, I was always in charge of handing out water."
The last speaker was a girl with short brown hair and a flower-shaped clip at the ends. She looked very cute.
"That's okay, Shiranami. We'll help you."
Seeing how shy she looked, Ichinose quickly picked up the conversation and gently patted her hand.
"Thank you, Classmate Ichinose. I'll do my best."
Shiranami seemed to admire Ichinose Honami a great deal. As she spoke, she never took her eyes off the girl's face.
"In short, our Class B can prepare in advance in these two areas. Whether it's academics or sports, they'll come in handy."
After listening to everyone's discussion, Hashiba Hikaru continued.
"Also, gathering twenty million points is just a preliminary idea of mine. I can't guarantee it'll work, so I won't force anyone to join."
As he spoke, Hashiba Hikaru took out his phone and showed everyone a group chat.
"I've created a group chat for anyone willing to take part in this plan. The goal is to protect any classmate who faces the threat of expulsion. If anyone wants in, I'll invite you."
"I'm in!"
The moment Hashiba Hikaru finished speaking, Ichinose Honami called out.
Looking at Hashiba Hikaru beside her, she hadn't expected him to have thought everything through so carefully. The intense feelings that had been building inside her suddenly burst forth.
"I want to join your plan, Classmate Hashiba. It's something I want to do too!"
Ichinose Honami pressed herself close against Hashiba Hikaru's shoulder. Her blue eyes stared straight into his, her expression utterly earnest.
"Of course. Welcome to my plan, Classmate Ichinose."
[Ichinose Honami agrees with the information you presented about the threat of expulsion. Her trust in you has increased. Ichinose Honami's stock price rises by 10. Current stock price: 80] [Ichinose Honami is deeply moved by your twenty-million-point plan and develops a new feeling for you. Ichinose Honami's stock price rises by 30. Current stock price: 110]
"?"
Had I already achieved my goal?
That was fast!
Chapter Fourteen: Time to Hit the Gym
Inside the Family Restaurant, the students of Class B watched Hashiba Hikaru take out his phone. They were increasingly convinced that the boy before them was a complete man of action. It was only the first day of school, and he already had so many ideas and plans. He was sure to make a name for himself at the school in the future.
After Ichinose Honami announced that she'd be the first to join the plan to gather twenty million points, the others quickly made up their minds too.
"Let us join as well, Classmate Hashiba."
The two boys across the table, Shibata Sou and Kanzaki Ryuji, both voiced their support on the spot. They already thought highly of Hashiba. Now that he'd proposed such an important plan, how could they possibly refuse?
"Thanks for supporting me. I'll invite you. What are your student IDs?"
A faint smile appeared on Hashiba Hikaru's handsome face. After Ichinose Honami's stock price had risen to 110, his mood was already better than ever. He hadn't expected the Stock Analyzer approach to pay off so well.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help glancing at the pink-haired girl beside him. After joining the group chat, Ichinose Honami seemed to have realized that she'd been a little bold when she pressed herself against Hashiba Hikaru. Her delicate face still carried a lingering blush.
She pretended to be drinking water, but kept sneaking glances at the boy from the corner of her eye.
The moment their eyes met, Ichinose quickly turned her head away and pretended to talk to the girl beside her. Her ears were already bright red, yet she still put on such an obviously unconvincing act.
Compared with the reliable class representative she'd seemed before, the girl now had a bashful, endearing air that made people's hearts flutter.
So cute.
After chuckling to himself, Hashiba Hikaru looked past Ichinose at the three girls beside her and asked, "What about you girls? What do you think?"
They didn't hesitate, quickly declaring that they wanted to join the plan too.
The group chat Hashiba Hikaru had just created for the twenty-million-point plan now had seven members.
There was Hashiba himself, followed by Ichinose Honami, Shibata Sou, Kanzaki Ryuji, and the three girls: Ando Sayo, Shiranami Chihiro, and Himeno Yuki.
"Thanks for believing in me. Let's raise our glasses and work hard together for Class B!"
Hashiba Hikaru raised his glass of orange juice, full of enthusiasm as he called out to everyone.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone was swept up in the boy's enthusiasm. They all stood and raised their glasses, each of them full of fighting spirit. The road ahead would be difficult, but having companions made it easier to find the courage to keep going.
The crisp clink of glass echoed in Ichinose Honami's ears. She gazed at the boy surrounded by everyone. Although they'd only met for the first time that day, she already felt a special trust in him.
They shared the same aspirations and the same determination to give of themselves for others. Most importantly, he was so clever and so resolute. It was as if, as long as she stayed by his side, she would never lack the courage to move forward.
If Classmate Hashiba stayed by my side for the next three years, I'm sure I'd never feel lonely.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of the pink-haired girl's mouth, so subtle that few would notice. Then she joined the cheerful crowd.
Before you continue