As everyone knows, the opening ceremony is one of the most boring moments of the school year. You stand there, waiting, listening to endless speeches, all while wishing you could just leave the room. And yet, you stay until the end, as if leaving early were unthinkable. But the ceremony Hikaru Hashima was attending that day felt different. Of course, it was an important moment for the new students, but something was off this time. The large hall was completely empty of teachers, and it was the student council, wearing armbands, who organized everything. They led the students to their assigned seats and maintained order with impressive control. What struck Hikaru even more was that the senior students seemed perfectly accustomed to this setup. No one seemed to find it unusual.
Hikaru was among the group of students from Class 1-B, and after glancing around, his eyes landed on the podium. A senior student, wearing glasses, stepped forward and spoke in a calm but firm voice: "I am the president of the student council, Gaku Horikita." He introduced himself briefly before continuing: "Welcome to the new students. Our school is known for its exceptional academic and physical training, as well as its high success rates. I'm sure you've heard of it. This is the result of the constant efforts of our alumni and current students. It's the pride of our school." "I hope you will continue in this tradition. This school follows a merit-based policy, and I expect you to demonstrate your abilities and not waste this precious opportunity."
Through his speech, one word stood out clearly: Competence. Aside from the fact that this term could cover a wide range of meanings, shouldn't we be focusing more on students' academic achievements? And that last sentence—there seemed to be something implied. What exactly does "your abilities" mean?
"This school is even more complicated than I thought…" he thought, running a hand over his forehead. Having been reincarnated from China, he had graduated from middle school with the highest grades in his class. It was the principal who had offered him the opportunity to study here. The Tokyo Metropolitan High School is located on an artificial island in the heart of the city. It spans nearly 60,000 square meters and offers free tuition for all three years of study. The institution boasts a 100% success rate for higher education and a 100% employment rate. Yet, despite such promises, they've never had any scandals that could tarnish their reputation. This only added to the legitimacy of the school. Everything seemed perfect, almost too perfect. But he expected nothing less. After all, he had accepted mainly for the chance to continue his studies without hurdles. He remembered his past, his hard work to honor his parents in this life.
"Well…," Hikaru pushed his questions aside, "It's a government-funded school. Even if there are some unusual aspects, it should stay within the framework of education."
When the speech ended, Hikaru stood up with the other students of Class 1-B and made his way to the exit of the hall. He was struck by the beauty of the girls at the school, especially those in Class 1-D. He had already noticed a girl with pink hair in his class, but as he observed the other students, he realized some were even more stunning. He wondered why so many beautiful girls were concentrated in this class. After glancing at the line of students, he quickly looked away.
Entering Class 1-B, Hikaru searched for his seat. He found that it was in the center of the room—not at the back, nor near the window. Just then, the pink-haired girl he had noticed earlier sat right next to him. They ended up sharing a desk.
"Hello, I'm Ichinose Honami. Nice to meet you."
She turned toward him. Being so close, Hikaru couldn't help but look at her more closely. He had to admit that this Ichinose Honami was breathtakingly beautiful. Her light blue eyes resembled clear springs, her delicate face, and her soft smile added to her charm, giving her an aura of confidence that made her even more endearing.
"Hello, I'm Hikaru Hashima."
After the greetings, Hikaru suddenly heard an electronic sound followed by a blue light that appeared in front of him. A panel displayed in his field of vision.
[Beep!]
[Loading Love Investment System]
[Host successfully linked, modules activated]
[Character information unlocked]
[Starting funds received, please check your balance.]
[Important warning: This Love Investment System involves interactions with multiple women. Please handle with care. In case of danger, this system will not be held responsible. All risks are on the host's account. Good luck with your investments!]
Hikaru froze for a moment, bewildered. He turned toward Ichinose, but she seemed to be calmly chatting with her classmates. Seizing the opportunity, he opened the system panel. Three modules appeared before him:
[Character Information]
[Stock Interface]
[Transaction Shop]
He clicked on the first module and discovered his own information:
[Name: Hikaru Hashima]
[Age: 15 years]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Charisma: 8]
[Endurance: 3]
[Actions Owned: None]
[Skills: None]
[Funds: 100,000]
He noted that his statistics were generally above average, except for endurance, which was lacking. Hikaru then clicked on [Transaction Shop]:
[Stock Analyzer: 1000]
[Bow: 2000]
[Physical Stimulant (30 days): 100,000]
[Piano (beginner level): 150,000]
[Basketball (expert level): 200,000]
[Intelligence: 500,000]
There were plenty of items to buy, along with skills and attribute points. As for the [Stock Interface], it was apparently empty.
"Uh... so how does this stock system work?!" Hikaru wondered, until his eyes landed on a small corner at the bottom-right of the screen, where he saw a symbol resembling a book. It said: "Warnings." Opening this menu, lines of text detailing the rules appeared clearly. Hikaru skimmed through them quickly, and soon understood how to use the system. He learned that he could buy stocks related to people around him, like Ichinose, and watch them fluctuate based on their popularity. The goal for Hikaru was to buy stocks when they were undervalued and sell them when their value increased, profiting from the difference to buy items or skills in the transaction shop. To increase the value of the stocks, he simply needed to increase the popularity of the person in question. The more popular someone became, the more valuable their stocks became.
A warning popped up telling him that he could find himself in a tricky situation if he interacted with too many girls at once. Hikaru frowned, but an idea began to form in his mind. Why not just gather some popularity without getting too involved, and sell the stocks once their value rose, to avoid any risks?
He reviewed the system's rules several times, gradually convincing himself that this method would be the best to avoid relationship troubles while maximizing his gains. At that moment, a red alert appeared in the system interface, immediately catching Hikaru's attention.
[Beep! Ichinose Honami's stock is now available!]
[Current price: 10]
[Available stocks: 5000]
Hikaru stared at the screen of his system, his eyes fixed on Ichinose Honami's stock. The price was low, but he knew the opportunity was perfect. He stole a quick glance at the girl, still surrounded by her classmates. The tension in his mind rose slightly. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this school world might not be as simple as he had imagined.
"I wonder… what kind of impact will this have on the rest of the year?" he thought, a slight thrill running down his neck.