Chapter 1: First-Year Class B, Hikaru Hanashima
As everyone knows, opening ceremonies are one of the most boring events in student life.
Not only do you have to arrive on time, but you also have to stand in long lines with your classmates to endure the principal's tedious speech. Even if you're bored to the point of dozing off, you can't leave early.
But the opening ceremony Hikaru was attending now struck him as odd. Despite being a crucial moment for first-year students' enrollment, there wasn't a single teacher in the grand hall.
The ceremony was organized by student council members wearing armbands. They guided the freshmen to stand according to their assigned classes on the admission notices and skillfully maintained order in the venue.
What's more, the upperclassmen seemed completely accustomed to this. No one found it the least bit unusual.
Standing in the formation of Class 1-B, Hikaru finally turned his gaze to the podium at the front after surveying the hall.
"I am the student council president, Manabu Horikita."
A tall bespectacled boy placed both hands on the podium and spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone.
"On behalf of the current student body, I warmly welcome this year's freshmen to our school."
"Our school is renowned for its emphasis on both academics and physical education, as well as its high university admission and employment rates. As you all know, these achievements are the result of the continuous efforts of our graduates and current students—they are our pride."
"I hope you will carry on this tradition. This school operates under a meritocratic policy. I expect you to demonstrate the competence you possess and not waste this precious opportunity."
From this speech, one keyword stood out clearly.
Competence.
Leaving aside how broad the interpretation of this word could be, shouldn't a typical school prioritize students' academic performance above all else?
Moreover, there was an inexplicable undertone to the last statement. What exactly did "demonstrate the competence you possess" mean? Had the school already assessed every student's abilities before enrollment?
And what were the criteria for evaluation?
"In any case, this school seems even more troublesome than I imagined."
Hikaru rubbed his temples. As a transmigrator, after graduating from public middle school with the highest grades in his year, the principal had offered him a special opportunity for advancement.
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, located on an artificial island in the heart of the metropolis, covers an area of nearly 600,000 square meters and offers completely tuition-free education for all three years.
The school boasts a 100% university admission rate and a 100% employment rate in its public promotions. Despite such exaggerated claims, not a single scandal has emerged in over a decade since its founding that could tarnish this reputation.
Instead, it has only further proven the school's prestige.
And so, Hikaru came here. The free tuition was secondary—what mattered more to him was securing a smooth path to higher education.
The past was long gone. Since his rebirth into this world, he had studied diligently every day with the goal of entering a top-tier university and repaying his parents, who had raised him in this life.
"Never mind," Hikaru set aside the doubts in his mind for now. "After all, this is a government-funded school. Even if there are many unusual aspects, it shouldn't stray from the purpose of educating students."
After the student council president's speech concluded, he followed his classmates from Class 1-B as they filed out of the auditorium in order. Taking advantage of the crowd moving out, Hikaru noticed yet another unbelievable thing.
The girls in this school were uncommonly attractive.
In fact, he had already spotted a stunning pink-haired girl in his own class earlier, though he didn't know her name. Her delicate features far surpassed any female classmate he had met in over a decade.
While leaving the auditorium, he also caught sight of many other beautiful girls among the first-year classes, some even on par with that pink-haired goddess-level beauty.
"But why are they all concentrated in Class 1-D?"
After stealing several glances at the Class 1-D lineup, Hikaru finally averted his gaze. Though he was surprised by the unusual clustering of beauties, having more eye-catching classmates in the future wasn't a bad thing.
Upon returning to the Class 1-B classroom, Hikaru found his seat.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in the back row, nor by the window—just smack in the middle of the classroom.
But the next moment, the pink-haired beauty he had noticed earlier took the seat beside him. It seemed they were desk mates.
"Hello, I'm Ichinose Honami. Please take care of me from now on."
She turned her head toward him, and with the close distance, Hikaru finally got a proper look at her appearance.
There was no denying it—this girl named Ichinose Honami was extraordinarily beautiful. Her deep blue eyes were as clear as spring water, her face exquisitely delicate, and her gentle smile added a trustworthy charm to her already lovely features.
Like an angel, she naturally inspired a sense of closeness.
"Hello, I'm Hanashima Hikaru."
Just as their brief exchange ended, Hikaru suddenly heard an unfamiliar mechanical voice in his ear, followed by a pale blue screen materializing before his eyes.
[Beep!]
[Romance Stock Market System loading…]
[Host binding successful. Functional modules activated.]
[Character information unlocked.]
[Newbie funds have been deposited. Please check your account.]
[Important Notice: This system is a Love and Stock Trading System. During usage, the host will inevitably interact with various females. Please proceed with caution. The system assumes no responsibility for any personal safety risks involved. All risks are borne by the host. Wishing you a pleasant stock trading experience!!!]
"?"
Hikaru froze for a moment. He first glanced at Ichinose Honami beside him, and only after confirming she had turned away to greet other classmates did he cautiously open the System Panel.
The screen slowly unfolded, dividing into three main sections.
[Character Information]
[Stock Interface]
[Trading Shop]
Hikaru skimmed through the categories and immediately tapped on [Character Information].
[Name: Hikaru Hanashima]
[Age: 15]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Charm: 8]
[Stamina: 3]
[Held Stocks: None]
[Skills: None]
[Funds: 100,000]
The average stat was 6 points. Aside from his abysmal stamina, his other attributes far exceeded those of an ordinary person.
In short, he was good-looking and smart, but if he ever had to race someone, he'd be lapped at least twice.
Next, he opened the [Trading Shop].
[Stock Analyzer: 1,000]
[Bow and Arrow: 2,000]
[Exercise Enhancer (30 Days): 100,000]
[Piano Performance (Beginner): 150,000]
[Basketball (Proficient): 200,000]
[Intelligence: 500,000]
There were quite a few items available for purchase—not just tools, but also various skills and attribute points. As for the [Stock Interface], there was no need to check it yet; it was still empty for now.
"So, where are the system rules?"
Hikaru's gaze wandered across the screen until he finally spotted a small, book-like tab in the bottom corner labeled "Instructions."
Upon opening it, rows of clear text appeared. He had always been a fast reader, so it didn't take him long to grasp how the system worked.
This was essentially a stock trading system. Once a suitable target was identified, the corresponding character's stock would appear in the [Stock Interface]. The initial price and issuance volume would be generated based on the character's traits.
Stock prices weren't fixed—they could rise or fall.
Hikaru's task was to buy low and sell high, using the profits to exchange for items or skills in the [Trading Shop].
The way to increase stock prices was simple: raise the corresponding character's affection level. The faster the affection grew, the higher the stock's value would climb.
"In other words, I need to raise affection levels with different girls."
After pondering for a while, Hikaru suddenly recalled the system's warning. If he got too entangled with too many girls, he might end up in a "knife-wielding" crisis.
After all, the fate of a certain anime protagonist who got "divided" was still fresh in his mind. Being a playboy came with high risks.
"But..."
A completely new idea popped into Hikaru's head.
What if he just skimmed a bit of affection, cashed out once the stock price rose, and then waited for it to drop? Wouldn't that perfectly avoid the bloodbath of a harem war?
After reading the system's usage rules several times, he became increasingly convinced that this was a viable path.
Just then, an eye-catching red message suddenly appeared at the top of the system.
[Ding! Ichinose Honami stock is now listed!]
[Current stock price: 10]
[Total shares issued: 5000]
Looking at Honami, who was already surrounded by new students, Hikaru's gaze instantly sharpened.