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

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the waiter still standing beside them, intending to steer clear of the topic for now, and reached out to take the menu from the other person's hand.

"Ladies first."

"Certainly. Does anyone have any dietary restrictions?"

Ichinose Honami picked up the menu and began discussing what to order with the classmates at the table. Seeing that everyone had finally shifted their attention away, Hashiba Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the waiter had collected the menus and gone to inform the kitchen, the students of Class B at the table naturally started chatting.

They were all young people of fifteen or sixteen, so the atmosphere was very harmonious. They discussed a wide variety of topics, from internet celebrities to scandals involving television stars; once the conversation started, it didn't take long to bridge the distance between them.

It wasn't until the food began to arrive that everyone's attention was captured by the delicacies before them. After all, the chef here was quite famous, and as the saying goes, love and food are the two things one should never let down, so everyone picked up their chopsticks and dug in.

About twenty minutes later, seeing that the dishes were mostly finished, Ichinose wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin and began to address the main matter.

"Hashiba-kun, you can share your idea from earlier now. We're all waiting."

"That's right, everyone is looking forward to hearing what new plan Hashiba-kun has to help the class."

Ando-san took a sip of the orange juice in her hand, her eyes curving into crescents as she stared at Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"Alright, since this idea does require help from everyone in the class, I'll just tell you directly."

Hashiba Hikaru prepared to drop a bombshell, aiming to give Ichinose's stock price a massive boost.

The group watched as the boy took a deep breath, then held up two fingers and said in a low voice, "I want to obtain 20 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 regarding Private Points earlier, no one had really taken it to heart.

Even if these points could truly be used to transfer classes or prevent expulsion, the amount was simply too high; the students of Class B didn't believe for a second that anyone could scrape that much together.

"Don't be so surprised. Don't forget what I said this morning: the competition between classes starts today."

Seeing everyone looking at him with utter astonishment, Hashiba Hikaru just smiled faintly and continued, "This rule about 20 million points is very important. I suspect it must be one of the highest-priority items in the school's regulations."

"Then, what is Hashiba-kun planning to do with so many points? Don't tell me you want to transfer classes?"

"Of course not. I like Class B very much, so I wouldn't choose to use them that way," Hashiba Hikaru looked at Ichinose, who had asked the question, his tone appearing very sincere. "The reason I want to collect so many points is that I feel the future competition between classes might lead to a result that none of us can accept."

"And that is... someone being forced to drop out."

Upon hearing this, the others hadn't yet reacted, but Ichinose, usually so gentle, suddenly asked coldly, "Why?"

The pink-haired girl's expression had turned extremely stern, and a layer of gray shadow seemed to fall over her face.

The other students, seeing her like this, quickly shut their mouths, not daring to speak.

"This is the intelligence I've gathered," Hashiba Hikaru could see that Ichinose Honami's state of mind was not quite right, but he still calmly displayed his phone screen to her. "This is an event announcement posted on the school forum by the second-year seniors."

"Look closely at the headcount statistics above. Do you notice anything unusual?"

"?"

Ichinose Honami was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly took Hashiba Hikaru's phone. As she carefully observed the screen, she quickly discovered a crucial piece of information.

"The second-year Class B only has... 36 people?!"

"What?"

Hearing Ichinose's exclamation, the remaining students immediately crowded around to check the information on Hashiba's phone screen. It was a dinner invitation posted by the second-year Class B; the total number of reserved seats was 36, and there were 36 names listed in the RSVP section below.

This explained one thing.

"That's right. The seniors in the second-year Class B have lost a total of 4 people since the end of their first school year."

"Why do you think they left the school?"

Chapter 13: Excessive Stock Price Increase

"Why do you think they left the school?"

When this question was posed by Hashiba Hikaru, all the students at the table looked at each other in dismay. They hadn't expected that in just one year, the second-year Class B would have lost 4 people; this was more than enough to illustrate the severity of the situation.

"How could this happen... why?"

Upon discovering this answer, Ichinose Honami appeared the most shaken. The girl's delicate features were now filled with panic, and her blue eyes were flooded with a mix of emotions—fear, resistance, and disbelief—all constantly intertwining.

"Ichinose-san," seeing this, Hashiba Hikaru quickly reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes and saying gently, "Don't be too anxious. Isn't today just the start of the school year? We have plenty of time to prepare."

"Oh, right, today is only the first day..."

Ichinose Honami looked up at the boy right in front of her, the warmth from his hand on her shoulder still lingering. She looked back at Hashiba Hikaru's handsome face and asked softly, "Hashiba-kun, do you already have a plan?"

"Of course not. Do you take me for an omnipotent god?"

Hashiba Hikaru released her shoulder and reached up to tap Ichinose on the head. Once the girl's complexion had gradually recovered, he turned to the other students of Class B and said, "This is why I proposed accumulating 20 million Private Points. If, in the future class competitions, a situation truly arises where someone is forced to drop out, this will be the trump card that can save them."

"We were lucky enough to be assigned to the same class, so of course we should graduate together. Not a single person can be left behind!"

"That is why I hope everyone will listen to my preliminary idea. This is also the reason I came here today."

"Just say it, Hashiba-kun. We will support you with everything we've got."

After hearing his words, the group had shaken off their initial shock; faced with a living example, they now had a much deeper understanding of the cruelty of this school.

The precedent of expulsion was so close that it forced everyone to become tense.

"First, according to Hoshinomiya, the school will organize different types of special exams. These special exams are where class competition is most intense; the winning class will gain Class Evaluation Points, while the losing class will have points deducted."

"If we look at the normal way of obtaining Private Points, we only get the fixed amount on the first of every month, which is simply not enough. Since the school uses Class Evaluation Points as a reward in special exams, we cannot rule out the possibility of Private Point rewards as well."

"So, Hashiba, you mean we can earn Private Points during these special exams?"

Shibata scratched his hair, still looking confused as he asked, "But we don't even know what the rules for the special exams are. There's no way we can prepare in advance."

"No, I think we can at least predict some general information." Hashiba Hikaru reached out to tap the table and said with a smile, "Don't forget, even if the competition rules set by the school are outrageous, this is still a school at the end of the day."

"And a school can never escape two types of competitions."

"Academics and sports."

"Exactly. If it's an exam testing academic ability, I think we can definitely gain an advantage. Ichinose was the top scorer in the entrance exam, after all."

Ando, who hadn't spoken for a while, brought the topic to Ichinose Honami. The girl had been listening intently to Hashiba Hikaru's analysis, and being suddenly singled out caught her off guard.

She looked at Hashiba Hikaru sitting beside her as he turned his head, and couldn't help but recall the moment he had tapped her head earlier. A blush instantly rose to her pretty face, and her heart began to beat a little faster.

Facing everyone's gaze, Ichinose Honami had to suppress her shyness and explain, "Yes, I was the top scorer in the written portion of the entrance exam. The interviewer told me that."

"That's great. If we hold study sessions, I'm sure Ichinose can help everyone fill in their knowledge gaps."

Hashiba Hikaru didn't notice Ichinose's reaction and instead looked at Shibata Sou sitting across from him.

"Besides academics, I think Shibata should have a say regarding sports."

"I was in the track and field club in middle school. If it's a race, I'm confident I won't lose to anyone." Shibata Sou appeared very confident, and paired with his refreshing, athletic-boy look, he was exceptionally persuasive.

"My athletic performance is also decent. At the very least, I won't hold the class back."

Kanzaki Ryuji, sitting next to Shibata, chimed in at the right moment. He looked at the girls nearby and asked, "How are the girls' athletic performances?"

"I'm okay, at least I won't fail."

"I'm confident in volleyball, but I'm not sure about the rest."

"I'm a bit bad at sports... during the sports festival in middle school, I was just in charge of handing out water."

The last to speak was a girl with short brown hair, wearing a flower-shaped hairpin on her bangs; she looked very cute.

"It's okay, Shiranami. We'll help you."

Seeing the girl's shy demeanor, Ichinose quickly took over the conversation and gently patted her hand.

"Thank you, Ichinose. I'll do my best."

Shiranami seemed to admire Ichinose Honami greatly; her eyes never left the girl's face while she spoke.

"In short, these are the two areas Class B can prepare for in advance. Whether it's academics or sports, they will definitely come in handy."

After listening to everyone's discussion, Hashiba Hikaru continued.

"Also, my idea about collecting twenty million points is just a preliminary thought. I can't guarantee it will succeed, so I won't force anyone to join."

At this point, Hashiba Hikaru took out his phone and showed the group a group chat page.

"I've created a group chat for those willing to participate in this plan. The goal is to protect classmates who face the risk of expulsion. If anyone is willing, I will invite you to join."

"I'm willing!"

As soon as Hashiba Hikaru finished speaking, Ichinose Honami shouted out on the spot.

She stared at Hashiba Hikaru sitting beside her, not expecting him to be so thoughtful. The intense emotion she had been harboring instantly gushed out.

"I'm willing to join your plan, Hashiba. This is exactly what I wanted to do as well!"

Ichinose Honami suddenly pressed her body tightly against Hashiba Hikaru's shoulder, her blue eyes staring straight into the boy's, her expression incredibly earnest.

"Alright, welcome to the plan, Ichinose."

[Ichinose Honami acknowledges the expulsion crisis intelligence you provided; her trust in you has increased. Ichinose Honami Stock Price +10, current price 80]

[Ichinose Honami is deeply moved by your twenty-million-point plan and has developed new feelings for you. Ichinose Honami Stock Price +30, current price 110]

"?"

Goal achieved just like that?

That was fast!

Chapter 14: Time to Hit the Gym

Inside the family restaurant, the members of Class B looked at Hashiba Hikaru as he held his phone, feeling more and more that the boy before them was a true man of action. To have so many thoughts and plans on the very first day of school—he was bound to shine brightly in this school in the future.

When Ichinose Honami announced that she would be the first to join the plan to collect twenty million points, the remaining few quickly made their decisions as well.

"Let us join too, Hashiba."

The two boys sitting across the table, Shibata Sou and Kanzaki Ryuji, expressed their stance on the spot. They already held Hashiba in high regard, and since the boy had put forward such an important plan, how could they possibly choose to refuse?

"Thank you for your support. Let me invite you all. What are your student IDs?"

A smile appeared on Hashiba Hikaru's handsome face. After Ichinose Honami's stock price rose to 110, his mood couldn't have been better. He hadn't expected that following the Stock Analyzer's method would yield such great results.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn his head to glance at the pink-haired girl sitting beside him. After joining the group chat, Ichinose Honami seemed to realize that her earlier move of leaning against Hashiba Hikaru had been a bit bold, and a lingering blush still remained on her delicate face.

She pretended to be drinking water, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on the boy the entire time.

When their eyes met, Ichinose quickly turned her head to the other side, feigning a conversation with the girls next to her. Even though her ears were already bright red, she still performed such a self-deceiving act.

This behavior added a touch of heart-fluttering, naive charm to the girl, contrasting with the reliable image of a class representative she had projected earlier.

How cute.

After a soft chuckle in his heart, Hashiba Hikaru shifted his gaze past Ichinose toward the three girls beside her and asked, "What about you girls? What are your thoughts?"

Without any hesitation, they all quickly expressed their willingness to join the plan.

On Hashiba Hikaru's phone, the newly created group chat for the "Earn 20 Million" plan now had seven members.

They were himself, Ichinose Honami, Shibata Sou, Kanzaki Ryuji, and the three girls named Ando Sayo, Shiranami Chihiro, and Himeno Yuki.

"Thank you all for your trust in me. Let's raise our glasses together and work hard for Class B!"

Hashiba Hikaru lifted his glass of orange juice, his face full of enthusiasm as he called out to everyone.

"Cheers!!!"

"Cheers!!!"

Everyone was infected by the boy's fervent spirit. They all stood up with their glasses raised, each filled with fighting spirit. Even if there were many difficulties ahead, having companions by one's side gave people more courage in their hearts.

The crisp sound of glass clinking together echoed in Ichinose Honami's ears. She gazed at the boy surrounded by everyone; even though today was their very first meeting, he had already earned a unique sense of trust from her.

He shared the same aspirations as her, the same determination and will to give for the sake of others. Most importantly, he was so intelligent and so resolute that it felt as if, by staying by his side, she would never lack the courage to move forward.

If I have Hashiba-kun by my side for the next three years, I suppose I will never feel lonely.

A faint, subtle smile appeared on the pink-haired girl's lips before she immersed herself in the joyful atmosphere of the group.