Chapter 14: Time to Work Out
Inside the family restaurant, the Class B students watched as Hikaru took out his phone, increasingly feeling that the boy before them was truly a man of action through and through. To have so many ideas and plans on just the first day of school—he was sure to shine brilliantly in the future.
After Honami announced she would be the first to join this twenty million point collection plan, the remaining few quickly made their decisions too.
"Let us join as well, Hanashima-kun."
The two boys sitting across the table, Shibata Sō and Kanzaki Ryūji, immediately voiced their stance. They already held Hikaru in high regard, so how could they possibly refuse when he proposed such an important plan?
"Thank you for your support. Let me invite you—what are your student IDs?"
A faint smile appeared on Hikaru's handsome face. After Honami's stock price rose to 110 earlier, his mood couldn't be better. Who would have thought following the Stock Analyzer's method would yield such great results?
Thinking this, he couldn't help but glance again at the pink-haired girl sitting beside him. After joining the group chat, Honami seemed to realize how bold her earlier action of pressing against Hikaru had been, her delicate face still tinged with lingering blushes.
She pretended to be drinking water, but her peripheral vision kept secretly watching the boy.
When their eyes met, Honami quickly turned her head away, pretending to talk to the girl beside her. Despite her ears already burning red, she still made such a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment.
This behavior, compared to the reliable class representative image she had previously displayed, added a touch of endearing charm that made one's heart flutter.
How adorable.
Suppressing a quiet chuckle in his heart, Hikaru looked past Honami to the three girls nearby and asked, "What about you all? What are your thoughts?"
None of them hesitated, quickly expressing their willingness to join the plan.
In Hikaru's phone, the newly created group chat for the "20 Million Points Plan" now had seven members: himself, Ichinose Honami, Shibata Sō, Kanzaki Ryūji, and the three girls—Sayo Andou, Chihiro Shiranami, and Yuki Himeno.
"Thank you all for your trust. Let's raise our glasses together and strive for Class B's success!"
Hikaru lifted his cup filled with orange juice, his face brimming with enthusiasm as he cheered.
"Cheers!!!"
"Cheers!!!"
Everyone was swept up in the young man's fervor, standing up with their cups raised high. Each of them was filled with determination. Though the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, having companions by their side gave them the courage to press forward.
The crisp clinking of glasses echoed in Honami's ears as she gazed at the boy surrounded by the group. Though they had only met for the first time today, she felt an inexplicable trust in him.
He shared the same aspirations as her—the same resolve and willingness to sacrifice for others. Most importantly, he was so intelligent and steadfast. Just being near him made her feel as though she would never lack the courage to move forward.
If Hanashima-kun is by my side for the next three years, I'll probably never feel lonely.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile graced the pink-haired girl's lips before she immersed herself back into the lively atmosphere.
The first freshman orientation meeting for Class B came to a perfect close at this moment.
After the afternoon session concluded smoothly, the group of seven lingered at the Keyaki Mall for quite some time. It wasn't until the sunset faded and the sky grew dark that they finally decided to part ways.
By the time Hikaru returned to his dorm, it was already half past nine. After closing the door behind him, he immediately opened his system panel.
[Stock Interface]
[Ichinose Honami Stock]
[Current Price: 110]
[Shares Held: 5000]
"The current price is 110. I'll stick to the original plan and sell 2,000 shares for now."
Hikaru pondered how to proceed with his first stock sale. After a full day of activity, he had confirmed two things.
First, helping Class B was the best way to boost Honami's stock price.
Whether it was formulating plans or executing them, the degree of involvement directly affected the stock's rise. Therefore, he didn't intend to cash out all at once. After all, he still had three years ahead with this girl. As long as he performed well in future class competitions, the stock's value would only climb higher.
What was the point of having a system if he wasn't going to be ambitious?
Second, the system's character stocks were entirely random.
Not only female classmates but even female teachers could appear as stocks, and their initial prices varied. A stock like Honami's, starting at just 10 points, was practically a beginner's blessing—perfect for going all-in.
In contrast, stocks like Chabashira Sae's and Horikita Suzune's had much higher initial prices—50 and 100, respectively. Going all-in on those would be far more challenging without sufficient funds, so Hikaru wouldn't even consider them for now.
Additionally, there was no telling when new stocks would appear. Based on his morning plan to accumulate points, he would inevitably interact frequently with students from other classes. Who knew when he might stumble upon another hidden gem—a stock with a low initial price and high growth potential?
That was the most efficient way to use the system.
"I'll sell a portion first. Boosting my stamina is my top priority right now."
After reviewing his strategy, Hikaru tapped the sell button for Honami's stock.
[Sell Ichinose Honami Stock?]
[Quantity: 2000]
[Sale successful. Funds acquired: 220,000]
"I'll buy the Physical Enhancement Potion first. Ideally, I can start tomorrow."
Without hesitation, Hanashima purchased the [Physical Enhancement Potion (30 Days)] from the [Transaction Shop] for 100,000 points.
[Physical Enhancement Potion (30 Days)]
[Increases the user's stamina cap through sustained exercise. The initial effect raises the user's stamina by 1 point. Requires 30 days of continuous exercise—running for one hour daily.]
As soon as the purchase was complete, a bottle of water materialized in Hikaru's hand. At a glance, it looked no different from an ordinary sports drink.
"Guess I just drink it straight."
Well, the points were already spent. No point hesitating now.
After finishing the entire bottle of the drink, the boy noticed an additional status line had appeared in his system panel under [Character Information].
[Character Information]
[Name: Hikaru Hanashima]
[Age: 15]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Charm: 8]
[Stamina: 3]
[Stocks Held: Ichinose Honami Shares ×3000]
[Skills Acquired: None]
[Funds: 169,000]
[Sports Enhancer in Effect, Exercise Goal Completed: 0/30.]
"This should be enough to get started."
Hikaru recalled the class schedule from the student handbook. The first period began at 8:30 a.m., giving him plenty of time for a morning run before heading to class.
"Alright, let's begin. Phase one of stamina recovery—morning jog, start!"