After sending Kushida off, Hikaru sat on the chair in his dorm, staring at his system interface.
There was no denying it—following the [Stock Analyzer] guidelines to dictate his actions was proving to be the optimal strategy. While he had previously crashed Kushida's stock value to its lowest point, it had now climbed back to 40.
If he continued using this approach and leveraged their ongoing "transactions", it wouldn't be difficult to push Kushida's stock price even higher.
Hikaru examined the Stock Market Interface.
Currently, he held four active stocks, with three of them being the main focus of his market strategy:
[Kushida Kikyo Stock]
[Sakura Airi Stock]
[Shiina Hiyori Stock]
However, his highest-valued stock remained Ichinose Honami, which now sat at 170 points.
Since he understood that stock price increases were directly correlated to affection levels, Hikaru had to be extremely cautious in his operations.
Ichinose's confession had been a wake-up call, making him realize the challenges of stock manipulation.
Until he determined his long-term plan, he needed to handle things delicately.
The most fundamental rule was that relationships couldn't undergo irreversible changes too soon.
To ensure his long-term strategy wasn't disrupted, he needed to control stock price growth and prevent unexpected developments that could throw his plans into disarray.
If he recklessly pushed stocks upward without restraint, he might trigger unpredictable actions from the girls, which would require far more effort to manage. That was a net loss in his book.
On the flip side, decreasing stock prices was a tool he could use strategically.
After testing the Kushida method, Hikaru was ready to choose his next target for a deliberate stock drop.
But this decision had to be carefully considered.
For example, lowering Ichinose Honami stock involved three methods:
---
[Ichinose Honami Stock: Conditions for Stock Price Decrease]
✔ Lying to her
✔ Acting against Class 1-B's interests
✔ Betraying classmates
---
The last two options were immediately discarded.
His goal was to lead his class to graduation as Class A—sabotaging them wasn't an option.
The risk outweighed the potential benefits.
That left the only viable method—lying to her.
Hikaru had lied to Ichinose before, more than once.
But since she had never caught on, her stock had never dropped because of it.
If he intentionally exposed some of his past lies, he might be able to strategically decrease her stock price.
Still, there was a problem.
Hikaru's feelings for Ichinose weren't the same as with the others.
He wasn't some emotionless machine running calculations purely for system funds.
After spending so much time with her, it was impossible to feel nothing.
However, the gap between them was still significant—he wasn't ready to become her boyfriend just yet.
That was why he had delayed her confession, choosing to stall for time instead.
"For now, I'll focus on the other three stocks."
Hikaru stroked his chin.
Since Ichinose's stock was at its peak, he would leave it alone for now to avoid interfering with his overall strategy.
Besides, the pink-haired girl was currently busy with her Student Council duties.
---
Stock Manipulation: Progress Report
For the next several days, Hikaru continued executing his stock market strategy.
[Ichinose Honami Stock]
Since Ichinose had joined the Student Council through Hikaru's recommendation, their private time together had significantly decreased.
Being naturally diligent, she was now fully dedicated to her responsibilities.
After Hikaru tasked her and Ando Sayo with gathering intelligence on Nagumo, she had been working hard within the Student Council.
Even upperclassmen praised her efforts, and her capabilities were becoming increasingly recognized.
---
[Sakura Airi Stock]
Sakura was still avoiding social interactions in Class 1-D, preferring to keep to herself.
Whenever she had free time, she would message Hikaru.
Naturally, he made sure to respond enthusiastically.
While her stock value was already high, she wasn't in his class, which meant their interactions remained limited.
This allowed Hikaru to control the pacing of their meetings precisely.
Currently, he had two set interactions per week:
✔ Helping her pick outfits for her blog photos
✔ Exploring hidden spots on campus for photo sessions
During their private time, Sakura had become more talkative, even if she hadn't expressed her feelings outright.
For now, just being able to spend time with him like this was enough to make her happy.
---
[Shiina Hiyori Stock]
This quiet girl from Class 1-D could always be found in the library.
Hikaru didn't even need to message her—he just had to go there, and she'd be in her usual seat.
Since he was a fan of mystery novels, their conversations always began with book discussions.
With her stock still at a low price, Hikaru actively engaged with her, discussing deduction theories and literary analysis.
What started as a simple book-sharing relationship was slowly evolving.
Hiyori found herself more drawn to Hikaru—not just because of their shared interests, but also because his perspective on the world resonated with her.
Their conversations, initially limited to books, gradually expanded to personal topics.
As a result, her stock price had reached 80 points, bringing in a potential profit of over 200,000 system funds if fully liquidated.
---
[Kushida Kikyo Stock]
Kushida's stock management was more complicated than Hiyori's or Sakura's.
Since Suzune hadn't done anything suspicious, she hadn't asked Hikaru to investigate further.
However, that didn't mean she wasn't visiting his room regularly.
With Ichinose occupied with Student Council work, the most frequent visitor to Room 303 had become Kushida.
Unlike Ichinose, who would come unannounced, Kushida always messaged him first before arriving.
If Hikaru confirmed he was in, she would appear at his door within five minutes.
Hikaru didn't mind her frequent visits—not only was she a beautiful girl, but she also represented a high-value stock.
Building trust was an excellent way to raise her stock price.
---
One evening, while they were having dinner in Room 303, Hikaru casually brought up a certain incident.
"The Handprint trick was pointless, wasn't it?" he remarked with a chuckle.
"Our school uniforms are made of high-quality fabric—fingerprints or Handprints don't last long, and they barely leave any traces."
Taking a sip of water, he continued, "You must've been pretty desperate that night to try something like that, huh?"
Kushida narrowed her eyes.
"…Are you calling me an idiot?"
Holding her bowl of rice, she glared coldly at him.
Although she dropped her act whenever she was alone with Hikaru, she still retained her natural sharpness.
Since playing the class sweetheart was exhausting, she preferred to drop the facade when they were alone.
But that didn't mean she lacked her usual bite.
"Not at all," Hikaru replied smoothly.
"If someone discovered my secret, I might have panicked and made rash decisions too."
"So, let's just call it… a unique accident."
Kushida stared at him.
Unknowingly, she had become used to eating in his room—partly because his cooking was good, and partly because it saved Private Points.
But as she watched his nostalgic expression, her heart skipped a beat.
That night, she had acted impulsively, believing it would force him into silence.
Yet, somehow, that moment had led to everything that followed.
"…I'll keep our secret safe," Hikaru reassured her.
"Hmph. Just don't forget our deal."
Though she tried to sound stern, a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
[Kushida Kikyo's trust in you has deepened. Stock price increased by 20. Current Stock Price: 60.]
Hikaru glanced at the system interface.
His smile deepened.
"Everything is going according to plan."
~~~
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