COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

After learning from Manabu that Sakayanagi Arisu from Class 1-B had joined the Student Council, Hikaru's expression gradually turned serious.

Although he had only met Sakayanagi once, he was well aware that the girl who needed a cane to walk was far from ordinary. Her placement in Class 1-A at the start of the school year, despite her lack of athletic ability, was an astonishing feat from any perspective.

"Has Sakayanagi-san started her duties in the Student Council yet?" Hikaru inquired further, seeking more information.

"She arrived before you did, but she hasn't officially begun handling any tasks," Manabu responded indifferently, glancing at Hikaru's expression. "How you deal with this is up to you. If you want information about her, you'll have to gather it yourself."

"I understand."

Hikaru nodded, knowing full well that Manabu's intent was for him to challenge Nagumo after his tenure ended. Gathering intelligence on Nagumo was fair game, but when it came to class competition among first-years, Horikita Manabu, despite his exceptional ability, would not intervene. Victory would have to be earned through personal effort.

"Let's see how far you can go, Hikaru-kun."

With that, Manabu shifted his focus back to the stack of documents on his desk, signaling the end of their conversation.

"Goodbye, Horikita-senpai."

Hikaru bowed politely before turning to leave.

Since he wasn't here to join the Student Council, there was no reason to linger. With Ichinose and Ando remaining, he could exchange information with them at any time.

However, the moment Hikaru stepped out of the Student Council room and into the hallway, he noticed a tall girl with long purple hair standing ahead. She had distinctive multicolored hair clips pinned to her bangs, making her easy to recognize.

"You're Hikaru-kun, right?" The girl spoke first as she approached him.

"?"

Hikaru initially assumed she was just another passerby, but he didn't expect her to initiate a conversation. He was certain he didn't know her, which left him slightly puzzled.

"And you are?"

"I'm Kamuro Masumi from Class 1-B. I came here specifically to find you." The girl's tone carried a hint of reluctance, yet she continued, "Do you have time right now?"

"…Kamuro-san, was it?"

Hikaru instinctively maintained a degree of caution when dealing with unfamiliar people. Since she was from Class 1-B, it was entirely possible she had come to gather intelligence. He considered brushing her off.

"Can I ask why you're looking for me?"

"Someone wants to meet you and asked me to bring you to them."

Kamuro's tone turned even more impatient upon noticing Hikaru's wary gaze. She clearly disliked doing this sort of thing. If not for being coerced, she wouldn't have voluntarily approached a guy like him.

"Oh?"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. She wasn't here on her own initiative—she was delivering a message on behalf of someone else?

That was interesting.

"If they want to meet me, shouldn't they at least introduce themselves first?"

"It's Sakayanagi-san."

Kamuro's response was immediate. Since Sakayanagi had allowed her to mention the name, she had no reason to hesitate.

"Sakayanagi?"

Hikaru's expression shifted. He had just learned from Manabu that she had joined the Student Council, and now she was reaching out to him? His estimation of Sakayanagi Arisu's importance had just risen significantly.

Not only was she competing with Katsuragi for control over their class, but she had also successfully joined the Student Council, meaning she had already secured a significant advantage.

Since they were bound to clash in the future, gathering intelligence in advance was a prudent move.

"Alright, I'll go meet her. Please lead the way, Kamuro-san."

After weighing his options, Hikaru decided to follow. There was no harm in seeing what she wanted.

"Then come with me. Just as Sakayanagi expected," Kamuro muttered the last part under her breath before turning to lead the way.

"Hm? What do you mean by that? Did Sakayanagi-san say something about me?" Hikaru immediately caught on and asked.

"She said that if you refused to meet her, I should just tell you she was looking for you—then you'd probably change your mind."

Kamuro didn't even bother looking back as she spoke. She had been through this process many times before, and her tone was utterly indifferent.

"…I see."

A faint smile appeared on Hikaru's lips.

She predicted that I'd come?

Sakayanagi was certainly confident in herself.

Being seen through so easily was slightly irritating, but Hikaru quickly changed his mindset.

If she liked making predictions so much, he might as well play along.

After following Kamuro for about ten minutes, they arrived at a café. Inside, seated in a corner, was a slender figure with silver hair.

"Sakayanagi-san, I've brought Hikaru-kun," Kamuro reported upon reaching the table, signaling that her task was complete.

Sakayanagi nodded slightly before turning her gaze toward Hikaru, who stood beside her.

"Good afternoon, Hikaru-kun. This is our second meeting, isn't it?" The silver-haired girl greeted him with impeccable manners and a gentle tone.

"Good afternoon, Sakayanagi-san."

Hikaru pulled out a chair and sat down, exuding an air of ease. Since she had taken the initiative to invite him, it was best to act as natural as possible.

"Would you like something to drink? The coffee here is quite good," Sakayanagi said, gracefully handing him the menu with a faint smile.

"Well, I don't know much about coffee. Why don't you recommend something? Do you have a favorite blend?"

"Hm, in that case, I'll suggest this one. It's a new addition to the menu—quite a delightful taste."

Sakayanagi's demeanor was as if they were old friends, her tone and expression remarkably warm.

"Is that so? Then I'll go with your recommendation."

"Understood. Kamuro-san, could you place the order?" Sakayanagi turned to Kamuro, who, without hesitation, walked toward the counter.

Watching the scene unfold, Hikaru was slightly intrigued.

Kamuro's behavior toward Sakayanagi seemed… unusual. If she were merely part of Sakayanagi's faction, this level of obedience wouldn't make sense.

She acted more like a personal assistant—delivering messages, running errands, and following orders without question.

A loyal dog, perhaps?

"Are you surprised, Hikaru-kun?" Sakayanagi chuckled, a subtle amusement in her tone. "Because of my physical limitations, Kamuro-san often assists me in my daily life. I'm very grateful to her."

"Oh? That's quite admirable. Kamuro-san must be a very kind person."

Hikaru immediately played along, offering praise. But internally, he gained a deeper understanding of Sakayanagi's nature.

Kamuro had been visibly annoyed when leading him here, yet Sakayanagi framed it as "assistance."

For someone to perform tasks they clearly resented, there were only two possibilities: either Sakayanagi had some kind of leverage over Kamuro, or she had provided an incentive for Kamuro to comply.

Otherwise, this kind of dynamic wouldn't exist.

Once Kamuro returned from placing the order, she silently took a position behind Sakayanagi, her face devoid of any unnecessary expression.

"Well then, now that the coffee has been ordered, let's get to the main topic." Hikaru locked eyes with the refined yet calculating girl before him. "What is it that you wanted to discuss, Sakayanagi-san?"

"I heard that you're interested in the Student Council," Sakayanagi said with a knowing smile. "Today, you even brought your classmates to apply. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's true. But how did you know about that?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow, curious about her level of awareness.

"I simply happened to see you when I was passing by the fourth floor. There's no need for concern."

Sakayanagi's smile remained unfazed.

"As for why I invited you here today… well, it's quite simple."

"And that is?"

"My curiosity got the better of me. The Student Council's new members will be officially announced soon, but I'm rather eager to know the results. Would you mind telling me in advance?"

She blinked expectantly, a seemingly innocent look on her face.

Hikaru, however, immediately sensed something beneath her words.

The results of the applications weren't classified information—they would be posted on the Student Council's bulletin board soon enough. If Sakayanagi was directly asking, there had to be more to it.

But would she really ask a pointless question?

Uncertain of her true intentions, Hikaru decided to probe in return.

"Curiosity, huh? Well, I'm quite curious about you too, Sakayanagi-san." Hikaru smiled. "How about this? A question for a question. I'll tell you the results, and in return, you answer one of mine."

"Oh?"

The silver-haired girl tilted her head slightly before taking a sip of her coffee.

"That sounds fair. So then, Hikaru-kun, what would you like to ask me?"

"So, I'm quite curious, Sakayanagi-san—how does one earn the trust of their classmates more effectively? Would you mind sharing your approach with me?"

"Haha, the answer to that is actually quite simple." Sakayanagi responded with ease, her tone light and composed. "There's no real trick to it. I simply help my classmates. Once they receive my assistance, they naturally become more inclined to support me."

"I see. That means your classmates must be quite fond of lending a helping hand. Whether it's you, Sakayanagi-san, or Kamuro-san, both of you seem to share that trait."

Hikaru put on an expression of sudden realization. His eyes flicked briefly toward Kamuro, who stood behind Sakayanagi, before smiling and replying, "I understand now. I'll make sure to work even harder to help my own classmates."

"Well then, I've answered your question. Hikaru-kun, you can give me the answer to mine now, right?"

"Of course."

Hikaru paused momentarily before explaining, "We were quite lucky. Two of my classmates passed the Student Council's selection process."

"…Is that so?"

Sakayanagi gave a slight nod. Out of Hikaru's sight, she gently ran her fingers over the cane she always carried with her. In her violet eyes, a glimmer of curiosity flickered.

~~~

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