Inside Room 301, Hikaru was waiting for a response from the short-haired girl.

  After about ten seds, Kushida's delicate face finally showed an expression of approval. She looked at him and said, "I think this pn is great. If I vince Horikita to cooperate with me, we'll definitely get aloer."

  "Thank you, Hikaru-kun."

  "o thank me. If this pn works out and you and Horikita-san truly bee friends, that would be the best oute."

  "Mm, I'll do my best." Kushida nodded early.

  "Then I'll be looking forward to yood news." Hikaru gazed at her smiling face, his tole. "I believe you achieve yoal."

  "Mm, I really appreciate your help today, Hikaru-kun, for ing up with this pn for me."

  "It's nothing, really."

  "It's getting te, so I should head baow. If there's any progress, I'll update you through messages."

  After anizihoughts, Kushida g the time and stood up to leave.

  "Alright, I'll walk you to the elevator."

  If he was going to put on an act, he had to see it through. Though Hikaru didn't have any particur feelings for Kushida, it was important to hahese small details properly so she wouldn't sense anything amiss.

  "Goodbye, Hikaru-kun."

  After seeing Kushida off, Hikaru returo his room. He g his system interface. Despite ing up with a sed pn to help her get closer to Suzuhe Kushida Kikyo Stock remained unged. Even though her warioward him had dissipated, she clearly wasn't oo be easily swayed by empty promises.

  "I'll wait a bit longer and see if I make a breakthrough."

  He stared at the stoformation. Dealing with Kushida was mentally exhausting. Despite starting with the same initial stock price as Iose, she roving to be far more troublesome.

  "When I finally push the stock priy target, I'm going to cash out hard and take Suzu for dinner right in front of you. Let's see if your stock price crashes."

  After tidying up his room, Hikaru moved on to his step—initiating his dual-strategy py. He opened Suzune's chat window.

  Hashima Hikaru: Horikita-san, are you busy right now?

  Suzune, sitting in her dorm room, saw the message and immediately felt a wave of irritation. Ever since she had agreed to his request, she had been forced to attend study group sessiurly, enduring Kushida's occasional small talk. It was mentally exhausting.

  Her first instinct was to ignore him.

  But a mier, a familiar sshot arrived.

  To avoid disappointing her brother, she could only suppress her irritation and type out a reply.

  Horikita Suzune: What do you want this time?

  Hashima Hikaru: Have you gained anything from the study sessions tely?

  Horikita Suzune: Just get to the point. I'm not ied in idle chatter.

  Hashima Hikaru: Heh, alright. Tomorrow, Kushida will ask you to help her gather information on your cssmates' academic strengths and weaknesses. I need you to agree.

  Horikita Suzune: Why?

  Hashima Hikaru: Because I'm fulfilling my promise to Horikita-senpai. Since I agreed to help you, I'm not going to sit bad do nothing. This is a great opportunity.

  Hashima Hikaru: Yoal is to reach Css A, right? If you gather this information, you'll have a better grasp of your css's overall academic standing. That way, you'll be able to lead them more effectively iure.

  Horikita Suzune: And how does this be you? We're supposed to be petitors, aren't we?

  Since Hikaru had already asded to Css A, Suzune now viewed him as someone she o surpass.

  Hashima Hikaru: That's true, but if you don't work on fixing your weaknesses, you won't even be able to stand on the same stage as me, let alone pete. I'm not saying this to insult you—it's just a fact.

  Suzune's expression darkened as she read that line. Her grip on the phoightened unsciously. This guy had the audacity to look down on her?

  Hashima Hikaru: Only the weak rely uing. If you really want to prove your abilities to Horikita-senpai, then move forward and show him results.

  Seething, Suzune's chest rose and fell with anger. After several more seds, she finally responded.

  Horikita Suzune: Fine. I'll collect the information. But don't expect me to share anything with you.

  Hashima Hikaru: Rex. I have no i in your css's information. If you pull this off, all the bes are yours.

  The m, as soon as Kushida ehe , she hurried straight to Suzune's desk.

  "Horikita-san, I o talk to you."

  Suzune, already aware of what this was about, calmly nodded.

  "Go ahead."

  "The midterm exams are ing up month. I want to gather information on everyone's academic strengths and weaknesses so we audy group sessions accly. This way, we improve our css's overall performance. Would you be willing to help me with this?"

  Suzune g the expet short-haired girl. She was still unclear on the exaature of Kushida's retionship with Hikaru, but she was certain that he had been the one behind every single one of these iions.

  "...Fine, I'll do it. Just let me know when we're starting."

  Since she had itted to this pn, she inteo carry it out perfectly.

  Hearing her agreement, Kushida's fastantly brightened with joy.

  Just as Hikaru said—once she agreed once, ving her a sed time would be much easier. Everything rogressing smoothly.

  Meanwhile, over in Css 1-A, Hikaru sat at his desk, pretending to read his textbook while keeping an eye on his system panel.

  A few mier, a familiar notification popped up.

  [Horikita Suzune has agreed to Kushida Kikyo's request. Kushida now sees you as a highly useful asset. Kushida Kikyo Stock +10 points. Current Stock Price: 40.]

  "Still this tedious bad-forth just to raise the stock price? What a hassle… but at least it's w."

  Hikaru looked at the now 40-point Kushida Kikyo Stock with a satisfied expression. He had gone all in on this stock, holding 5,000 shares. If he could push it higher, he'd be able to cash out big.

  ~~~

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