After finishing his conversation with Suzune, Hikaru set his phone aside and began thinking about their meeting tomorrow.
Now that he had established a partnership with Kushida, it was easy to arrange a meeting with Suzune through Manabu.
Previously, his goal had been to lower Kushida's stock price, so most of his conversations with Suzune had been meaningless, mere performances to mislead the short-haired girl.
But now, he was actively gathering intel for Kushida. If he wanted the cold and distant black-haired girl to open up, he needed to build a foundation of trust. After all, they weren't even in the same class.
Even if they could share a private meal, their relationship hadn't actually progressed in any meaningful way.
That led Hikaru to a realization—something he had overlooked until now.
Horikita Suzune's stock.
Her initial stock price was 100 points, requiring 300,000 system funds for a full investment. Because of that, Hikaru had never bothered to use the Stock Analyzer on her.
But looking at it now, since he was already focusing on manipulating Kushida's stock, the potential gains from a fully leveraged investment were staggering.
That meant there was no reason to hesitate—he should use the Stock Analyzer on Suzune immediately.
In the future, when he had more capital, he could purchase her stock with full confidence in his strategy.
"Alright, let's get closer to Suzune—at least enough to establish basic trust. That way, I can extract information from her more easily."
"Even if she doesn't open up, it doesn't matter. What's important is to demonstrate sincerity—that way, I can justify my actions to Kushida, too. By working both angles at once, I can maximize my returns."
With his strategy set, Hikaru's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He didn't fully understand the depth of the conflicts between Suzune and Kushida yet.
But that didn't matter.
Not knowing was an advantage.
If he could play both sides, he could profit from both—that was what a true market manipulator should do.
---
The next day after school, since Ichinose and Ando had now joined the Student Council, they had to report to the Student Council room immediately after classes.
That gave Hikaru even more freedom.
When selecting his candidates for the Student Council, he had anticipated this scenario.
While he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Ichinose, keeping her busy meant fewer complicated explanations on his end.
Less risk of her overthinking things.
Before leaving the classroom, Hikaru declined an invitation from Shibata and Kanzaki to grab a meal together.
After all—who would choose to dine with two guys when they had the option of eating with a beautiful girl?
Upon arriving outside the reserved family restaurant, Hikaru stood at the entrance, waiting for Suzune.
True to her punctual nature, he only had to wait a few minutes before a slim black-haired figure appeared before him.
"Horikita-san, good afternoon," Hikaru greeted her with a smile.
"Good afternoon, Hikaru-kun." She gave a slight nod—nothing more, nothing less.
"Shall we go in? I've already reserved a table."
Leading Suzune into the restaurant, Hikaru quietly spent 1,000 system funds to purchase the Stock Analyzer and immediately used it on her.
---
[Horikita Suzune Stock]
[Character Information: A top-performing student with long, straight black hair. Constantly exudes an aura of "don't talk to me." Has zero interest in socializing, prefers solitude, and dislikes teamwork. Holds a firm belief in trusting no one.]
Stock Price Increase Strategy:
Establish a trust-based relationship, support her personal growth, and help her gain Horikita Manabu's recognition.
Stock Price Decrease Risk:
Criticize her philosophy, belittle her abilities, or act against Horikita Manabu's interests.
---
"Ugh…"
Hikaru carefully memorized the analysis.
From his previous interactions with Suzune, he already suspected she deeply cared about her brother's opinion—but he hadn't expected that harming Manabu's reputation would directly lower her stock price.
Though he hadn't invested in her stock yet, he immediately realized that her situation was different from Kushida's.
With Kushida, he could raise and lower her stock repeatedly, cashing out multiple times.
But for Suzune, damaging her relationship with her brother might drop her stock price—but it would also completely burn his bridges with her.
There wouldn't be a second chance to recover.
If he wanted to milk this investment for long-term gains, he could only use the trust-building approach.
"Provoking her with words, huh?"
Hikaru pondered.
That was worth considering.
---
After leading Suzune to their reserved table, Hikaru—following routine—handed her the menu first.
Having used the Stock Analyzer, he now fully understood what mattered most to this cold, logical girl.
Even though he now knew how to increase her stock price, he wasn't in a hurry.
After all—he hadn't purchased her stock yet.
For now, the priority was to establish trust.
"You can order whatever you like, Horikita-san. No need to hold back—we've done this before, after all."
"This isn't the first time I've had a meal with you, that's true," Suzune replied flatly. "But I'd appreciate it if your invitation methods were… normal next time. Stop using—"
Her cold gaze swept over Hikaru's face.
She was well aware of his habit of using her brother's name to pressure her into accepting his requests—and she was getting tired of it.
"Well, it was just a harmless thought," Hikaru shrugged lazily. "I didn't actually report anything to Horikita-senpai, you know."
He leaned back slightly.
"Besides, since Horikita-senpai asked me to help you grow, I have to honor that agreement, don't I? After all, I've already benefited from him—a fair exchange makes for a lasting partnership."
"…Then, may I ask why you invited me here today?" Suzune put the menu down, her calm gaze locking onto Hikaru. "I haven't encountered any issues recently. I don't need your guidance."
"Don't be so cold, Horikita-san. I met with Horikita-senpai yesterday—aren't you even a little curious about that?"
A subtle smile played on Hikaru's lips as he studied her reaction.
"…What did you discuss?"
"Well, let's wait until the food arrives," Hikaru said smoothly. "We can talk while we eat—no need to rush, right?"
~~~
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