COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

As the moonlight spilled across the dormitory balcony, Horikita Suzune sat at her desk, diligently solving practice problems. Whether exams were approaching or not, she maintained her unwavering self-discipline when it came to studying.

Just after she completed a particularly complex math problem, her phone suddenly buzzed.

"?"

It was nearly 10 p.m. Who would be messaging her at this hour? She had no close friends in class, nor did she need any.

That said, there was one person she could exchange messages with.

Suzune set her pen down, took a deep breath, and picked up her phone.

Hashima Hikaru: Good evening, Horikita-san. Do you have a moment?

Of course it's him.

That guy had a habit of messaging her late at night. And thanks to that agreement with her brother, he constantly pushed her into doing things she didn't like.

Horikita Suzune: Is there something you need, Hikaru-kun?

Hashima Hikaru: I was thinking of inviting you to lunch tomorrow.

"..."

Suzune blinked at the message. Even now, she didn't consider herself friends with Hikaru, so her immediate instinct was to decline.

But then—

Hashima Hikaru: There's also something I want to tell you about Horikita-senpai.

"..."

Her small, delicate face froze. That familiar sense of being led by the nose returned. Despite her irritation, she couldn't resist typing back.

Horikita Suzune: What is it?

Hashima Hikaru: I'll explain over lunch tomorrow. It's hard to convey properly in a text message.

Meanwhile, sitting comfortably in his dorm room, Hikaru smirked with satisfaction.

Using Horikita Manabu as bait never fails.

His real motive had nothing to do with lunch. His target was Kushida Kikyo.

Since dropping her stock price to 60 points, Hikaru hadn't had much interaction with the dual-faced, short-haired girl. But if he wanted more system funds, he needed to keep pushing. Ideally, he'd get her stock price down to 10 points, the baseline value, making it the perfect opportunity to buy in again.

The key to reducing Kushida's stock price? Horikita Suzune.

Past experiments had proven that Kushida reacted strongly to interactions between him and Suzune. Exploiting that dynamic was the perfect multi-layered strategy.

Kushida Kikyo → Horikita Suzune → Horikita Manabu.

A straightforward chain reaction.

He glanced at Suzune's reply again. He knew she'd never ignore a chance to hear about her brother.

Horikita Suzune: What time tomorrow?

Hashima Hikaru: After school. I'll come to Class C to get you, and we can head to the restaurant together.

"..."

Come to Class C?

Suzune found that odd. Usually, you just set a meeting point and arrive separately.

Still, she didn't care about appearances. As long as she achieved her goal, that was enough.

Horikita Suzune: Fine.

Hashima Hikaru: See you tomorrow, then.

After setting her phone aside, Suzune returned to her study materials. Meanwhile, Hikaru reclined in his chair, strategizing the next day's moves.

If Kushida saw him coming to Class C just to find Suzune, she'd definitely react. But he needed to get the timing and interactions just right.

The more Kushida believes I have a closer relationship with Suzune, the more her stock price will drop.

His funds were running low; he needed that stock to plummet.

Hikaru opened the Stock Interface in his system.

He currently held shares in three stocks with varying prices and quantities.

[Ichinose Honami Stock] (No data displayed.)

[Sakura Airi Stock] (No data displayed.)

[Shiina Hiyori Stock] (Current Price: 40; Shares Owned: 3,000)

"Ichinose's stock hasn't moved much, but Sakura and Shiina's prices should rise steadily if I maintain proximity and interaction," Hikaru muttered, tapping his fingers on the desk. "No need to complicate things further."

"But Kushida's 5,000 shares are too tempting to ignore. If I can get her price down to 10 points and go all-in, there's no way I'll lose."

His mind flashed back to the night he'd made Kushida leave her fingerprint as confirmation of their "agreement." He remembered the cold, aggressive expression she'd worn—a mask sharpened by her fear of being exposed.

So much darkness in her past… isn't she afraid someone might use it against her?

Hikaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

I could try to dig deeper through Suzune. Then again, it might be better to leave that stone unturned for now. If I push too hard and trigger a stock increase, it'll be troublesome.

Focus on the immediate goal. First, drop her price to rock-bottom.

Having finalized his plan, Hikaru set down his phone and headed for the shower.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

---

The next day, as planned, Hikaru skipped his usual study group and left the classroom immediately after school. After casually greeting Ichinose and Shibata, he slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way toward Class C.

Despite recent class rank shifts, classroom locations hadn't changed, so he only needed to pass one room to reach Class C.

The hallway was still bustling with students when Hikaru arrived. There was always a chance he'd encounter familiar faces—like Hirata Yosuke.

The handsome, affable Class C leader happened to exit his classroom just as Hikaru approached.

"Hikaru-kun?" Hirata blinked in surprise. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Good afternoon, Hirata-kun," Hikaru greeted him with a pleasant smile. He'd gotten a decent read on Hirata's personality during past interactions. A well-meaning, people-pleasing "nice guy" who wanted the best for his class but lacked the assertiveness to lead effectively.

Exactly the kind of person who can be manipulated.

"Are you heading downstairs?" Hirata asked, tilting his head curiously.

"No. I'm here to find someone. If you have a moment, could you call her for me?"

"Find someone?" Hirata's interest piqued. "Who are you looking for?"

"Horikita Suzune."

"…Horikita?"

Hirata's expression shifted to confusion.

He'd shared a class with Suzune for over a month but could count their conversations on one hand. The girl kept everyone at arm's length. She was cold, distant, and notoriously uninterested in socializing.

Yet here was Hikaru—a prominent figure from Class A—coming to find her in person?

The students nearby immediately noticed.

"Wait… did he just say Horikita?"

"Horikita Suzune? That Horikita?"

"Why would someone from Class A come here just to find her?"

The classroom buzzed with whispers.

From his position, Hirata spotted Suzune standing by her desk. She'd already noticed Hikaru and was now watching the scene unfold with her usual detached expression.

"Horikita-san! Someone's here to see you!" Hirata called out.

The murmurs intensified.

Suzune nodded slightly, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the door.

"Who's that at the back door?"

"Wait... is that...?"

When Hikaru stepped into the room, the whispering turned into outright commotion.

"That's Hashima Hikaru!"

"Why is he here?"

"Wait... does that mean he and Horikita are…?"

The female students, in particular, reacted with wide eyes and excited speculation.

One was a rising star in Class A; the other, the infamous ice queen of Class C. And both were undeniably good-looking. Seeing them together was enough to ignite a flurry of gossip.

But amid the excited chatter stood a short-haired girl, encircled by classmates.

Kushida Kikyo.

Her eyes fixed on Hikaru's figure as he approached Suzune and casually greeted her. Together, the two of them walked out of the classroom, side by side.

"..."

Kushida's fingers dug into the strap of her bag, her expression darkening as unfamiliar emotions surged within her.

At that moment, Hikaru's system delivered a notification.

[Kushida Kikyo witnessed you visiting Class C to meet Horikita Suzune. Her suspicions regarding your relationship have grown. Kushida Kikyo's stock price has dropped by 20 points. Current Price: 40.]

Seeing the update, Hikaru's lips curved into a satisfied grin.

She took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker.

Admit it, Kushida. You're hopelessly fixated on Suzune.

~~~

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