COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

Although Hikaru had only received some general intel from Horikita Manabu and wasn't entirely sure how Nagumo Miyabi would act in the future, bringing it up now would at least give everyone a mental preparation in advance.

Moreover, it would make Ichinose and Ando—both of whom were about to enter the student council—more wary of this individual. Regardless of Nagumo's actual stance, just the implications alone were enough to make the two girls develop a sense of aversion toward him.

And where there's aversion, there's motivation to resist.

Hikaru's intention was simple: he wanted them to actively keep an eye on Nagumo's activities within the student council. This was also a form of intelligence gathering, allowing him to obtain more crucial information.

"Horikita-senpai told me that Nagumo-senpai has already consolidated his control over the entire second year," Hikaru said, observing the looks of shock on everyone's faces before continuing, "And his experiment is complete."

"The experiment... you mean the one about expelling students?"

Ichinose's lips trembled slightly, but she still met Hikaru's gaze with determination.

"Yes. Do you remember the data I found when we first had our group dinner?"

"As of now, a few second-year students have already been expelled. While we can't say for certain that Nagumo was the one behind it, he's definitely involved in some capacity." Hikaru scrolled through the school forum on his phone, where Nagumo's name frequently appeared in discussions about the second-year students.

"He actually managed to take control of an entire school year?"

Shibata was visibly shocked. Given how each grade had four classes constantly competing against each other, it was terrifying to imagine one person successfully uniting an entire year group under his control.

"Would people really just surrender so easily and accept that his class will be the final victor?" Kanzaki also seemed skeptical. Surely consolidating power at such a level came with significant costs.

"What a... terrifying senpai!" Some of the girls murmured, their faces turning pale.

"In any case, we still don't know exactly how he managed to accomplish this. What's more important is that we prepare in advance."

Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was sufficiently heavy, Hikaru decided it was time to wrap things up.

"First, regarding Ichinose and Ando's tasks," he said, shifting his gaze toward the two girls. "I'll take you both to submit your applications to the student council. Once you're in, you can begin your work."

"Apart from familiarizing yourselves with the council's daily operations, keep an eye on Nagumo's movements. Do you understand?"

"Don't worry, Hikaru-kun, we got it!"

Ando responded immediately. After hearing all this about Nagumo, she was well aware of the weight of the responsibility she now carried.

"I'll do my best too. I won't let your plans go to waste."

Ichinose's expression was firm—if this was her task, she would see it through to the end.

"Good. I trust that you both will handle this well."

Hikaru then turned to the others. "As for the rest of the class, we must remain united in our approach."

"This gathering today is crucial to whether or not we can secure our final victory. No matter what happens in the future, we must ensure that no one in our class gets expelled. That means everyone needs to do their part, whether it's gathering private points or preparing for upcoming exams."

"Do you all understand?"

"Don't worry, Hikaru-kun. We'll do everything we can to make sure no one in our class is expelled!"

Everyone in the room responded in unison, inspired by his speech.

"Yeah, as long as Hikaru gives the word, we'll cooperate fully."

"That's right! I'm really glad Hikaru-kun is in our class. We're going to graduate together—no one gets left behind!"

The atmosphere reached a peak of excitement, and as Hikaru turned his gaze to Ichinose, he noticed that she had gradually shaken off her earlier solemn mood and was actively engaging with the group.

But he also noticed something else—there was still a flicker of concern in her eyes. She was deep in thought.

Looks like it's time for another "therapy session," huh?

Hikaru smiled inwardly.

Aside from laying the groundwork for infiltrating the student council, he had a secondary goal for this gathering—to boost Ichinose Honami's stock price.

It had remained stagnant for quite some time, and that bothered him.

After nearly two hours of discussion, the group finally concluded their meal and prepared to part ways.

As they exited the yakiniku restaurant, Hikaru gave Ando and Ichinose some final instructions.

The two needed to prepare their applications for the student council. The format and requirements were available on the school forum, so once they were done, he would bring them to submit the forms tomorrow.

No matter what happened next, expanding his sources of information was always a wise move.

After wrapping up the conversation, everyone dispersed, and Hikaru walked back to the dorms with Ichinose.

After all, if he was going to "talk things out" with her, it was best to do so in private.

However, the moment he closed the door and turned around, he was met with a sudden, unexpected action.

"?"

Before he could react, the pink-haired girl lunged toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

The warmth and softness of her body pressed tightly against him, leaving Hikaru momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond.

What... just happened?

"Hikaru-kun… can I stay like this for a bit?"

Ichinose buried her head into his chest, and only then did Hikaru realize—she was trembling slightly.

".....Alright."

After a brief hesitation, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist, hoping to offer some comfort.

"Is this because of what I said earlier? It's just speculation for now. We don't know for sure what will happen, so there's no need to worry too much."

"It's not that."

Her voice was soft and muffled against his chest, but Hikaru could feel the shift in her emotions. The moment he embraced her, he sensed her filling with warmth and a quiet, overwhelming joy.

"I've already sorted through all my worries. No matter what happens in the future, I'm confident I can lead our classmates through it."

"Then why…?"

Hikaru tried to maintain his composure as he felt her arms tighten around his waist. This kind of closeness had undoubtedly crossed the line between casual friendship.

"Because in order for me to lead our class, there's one crucial condition."

"What condition?"

"That you—Hikaru-kun—stay by my side. That you remain my support. As long as you're here, I won't be afraid of anything."

Ichinose slowly lifted her head, her bright blue eyes locking onto his.

Her usually cheerful expression was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her flushed face radiated an undeniable sincerity and affection.

In those sparkling eyes, Hikaru could see his own reflection, as though she saw nothing else but him.

This was Ichinose's bold confession.

She had been thinking about this for a long time, waiting for the right moment to be honest about her feelings.

Her emotions had been steadily building, growing deeper with each passing day. She had finally reached the point where she didn't want to wait any longer.

During today's meeting, watching Hikaru meticulously plan for their class, devising strategies and taking everyone's concerns into account, only solidified her feelings.

Her love for him had reached its peak—so much so that it was impossible to suppress any longer.

She wanted an answer. She wanted to fight for her own happiness.

[Ichinose Honami's resolve to express her love has strengthened. Her stock price has increased by 20 points. Current stock price: 170.]

"..."

~~~

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