COTE: Starting With Love Stock Market System

As the dismissal bell rang, Hikaru and Ichinose exchanged a brief glance before stepping out of the classroom together.

During the break earlier, they had already gone over the details of their plan.

If they wanted to buy past exam papers from upperclassmen, their best bet was to target someone in desperate need of Private Points. Only by finding such a person could they ensure a swift transaction.

To prevent unnecessary bargaining, they also had to set a firm negotiation range. Giving too much leeway could result in wasting more Private Points than necessary.

With these factors in mind, both Hikaru and Ichinose reached the same conclusion: the best candidates were upperclassmen from Class C or Class D. With May nearing its end, these lower-ranked classes were more likely to struggle financially.

Once they left the school building, their first stop was the cafeteria, a strategic location for their search.

The key? The section that provided free vegetable set meals.

"How about it, Ichinose? See anyone lining up at that counter?"

Hikaru asked while heading to buy two drinks, leaving Ichinose to observe the area.

"There are a few, but none from the upper grades. Since school just ended, let's wait a little longer."

She took the peach-flavored soda he handed her with a natural ease. Ever since she noticed Hikaru's preference for this drink, she had started buying it herself and gradually developed a taste for it.

"Got it."

Hikaru sipped his chilled drink as he stood beside her in the corner of the cafeteria, scanning the passing crowd.

They weren't planning to eat here. Before leaving the classroom, Ichinose had already made plans to cook dinner at Hikaru's dorm. She even had the menu figured out.

"He's here."

About five or six minutes later, Hikaru's eyes lit up as he spotted an upperclassman stepping up to the vegetable set meal counter.

After receiving his tray, the student walked toward the seating area.

"Let's go, Ichinose."

"Mm."

With a serious expression, Ichinose quickly followed Hikaru toward the target.

"Excuse me, senpai, you must be an upperclassman, right? I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-A, and this is my classmate, Hashima Hikaru."

Ichinose introduced herself with her usual bright and approachable demeanor. "We'd like to talk to you for a moment. Would you mind sparing us a few minutes?"

The older student glanced at the two of them, slightly puzzled.

"What do you need from me?"

"Actually, we're here to help you," Ichinose said with a friendly smile as she took the seat across from him. "Are you interested in earning some Private Points?"

"Private Points?"

At those words, the upperclassman's fingers tensed slightly around his spoon.

His gaze shifted between the two of them before he cautiously asked, "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"It's quite simple. We'd like to purchase a copy of the midterm exam you took during your first year. We're willing to pay in Private Points."

"..."

"How much are you offering?"

Understanding their intent, the older student's expression remained neutral, but he quickly cut to the chase.

"If the price is too low, I'm not interested."

Standing beside them, Hikaru silently observed the exchange.

The lack of surprise in the upperclassman's reaction confirmed something—this wasn't an unusual request.

If exam papers had been traded before, then the school likely turned a blind eye to it.

"I can offer 10,000 Private Points."

Ichinose, a natural at managing finances, was also skilled at bargaining. She had demonstrated this skill before—when shopping for groceries with Hikaru, she had expertly negotiated for the best prices.

Hikaru admired this quality in her. He even jokingly remarked once that she would make an excellent homemaker in the future.

"No way, 10,000 is too low." The upperclassman immediately shook his head and held up three fingers. "At least 30,000."

"That's too expensive. We can't afford that."

Ichinose's expression hardened slightly. "The end of the month is approaching, and I don't have many points left. If you insist on that price, we'll have to find someone else to trade with."

"..."

The upperclassman's eyes flickered with hesitation. He glared at the bland vegetable meal on his tray. If he weren't so low on points, he wouldn't have been eating this in the first place.

"…How about 25,000? That's my lowest offer."

"No, the highest we can go is 10,000." Ichinose shook her head again, firm in her stance.

"You—"

The upperclassman hesitated. Since they had approached him, he wanted to push for a higher price. But before he could continue bargaining, the quiet classmate beside Ichinose suddenly moved closer and took a seat next to him.

"Ichinose-san, that's no way to talk to a senpai! Apologize properly!"

Catching Hikaru's subtle signal, Ichinose immediately switched gears, flashing a warm smile.

"My apologies, senpai. I was a bit impatient earlier—please don't take it the wrong way."

After playfully "scolding" Ichinose, Hikaru turned back to the upperclassman with a cheerful grin.

"How about this? Let's meet in the middle. We'll pay 15,000 Private Points, and in addition to the midterm exam and answers, you'll also include a copy of the monthly quiz. How does that sound?"

"This way, it's a win-win for everyone," Hikaru added with an unmistakable hint of persuasion. "Ichinose and I are careful with our spending, which is why we still have points left near the end of the month."

"If you reject this offer, you might struggle to find another buyer in time."

"..."

The upperclassman's gaze shifted between the two of them before he finally nodded.

"A wise choice. Let's finalize the deal."

Seeing him relent, Hikaru smiled.

"We'll wait here while you finish your meal. Then we can go retrieve the papers."

"We'll transfer the points as soon as we confirm the contents. Sound good?"

"Fine. I'll be back soon."

Setting down his spoon, the upperclassman stood up and left in a hurry. Before leaving, he turned back and warned, "Don't go back on your word."

"Relax, senpai. This deal benefits both of us—we're not going anywhere."

As the upperclassman disappeared from sight, Hikaru and Ichinose exchanged a glance and then broke into laughter.

This was a strategy Hikaru had thought up during lunch.

When it came to bargaining, the key was managing the other party's expectations.

Their ideal price range was below 20,000. To avoid wasting time haggling, they employed a "good cop, bad cop" routine. First, Ichinose made a lowball offer to frustrate their target. Then, at the right moment, Hikaru presented a reasonable compromise.

In the end, no one wanted to turn down easy money.

15,000 was a fair amount, and the test papers were worthless to the upperclassman anyway. Unless he found another buyer—and fast—his chance of earning anything was slim.

"Let's wait here, then."

Hikaru cracked open his soda and leaned back, looking toward the cafeteria entrance with a relaxed expression.

Everything had gone smoothly—no unexpected complications.

That made things easier.

"Mm-hmm."

~~~

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