Chapter 10: The New Student Liaison Meeting
When Hikaru and Honami returned to Class B, the classroom immediately buzzed with excitement.
"It's Hanashima-kun and Ichinose-san!"
"You're back!"
"How did it go? Was the deal successful?"
As the two entered, their classmates quickly gathered around, eager to hear about the outcome of their first transaction.
"Of course it was a huge success!" Honami pulled out her phone and displayed the numbers on her student ID with a satisfied smile. "We sold the rules to Class A and earned one million Private points."
"That's amazing! I knew we could trust Hanashima-kun and Ichinose-san!"
"Yeah, I'm so glad it worked out!"
"But why one million? Didn't we pay two million?"
Someone voiced their confusion, but they were quickly hushed by another student.
"It's not like we're only selling once—there's still Class C and D. I'm sure Hanashima-kun has his reasons."
Seeing their classmates' confusion about the pricing, Hikaru calmly explained, "Setting the price at one million was actually a way to make them believe in Class B's sincerity. I told them Class B spent three million to buy the rules."
"Then we'll sell it once to each class and recoup the three million. That way they'll believe we're just trying to break even rather than simply earning points."
"After all, Class A students are quite clever. If they ask me why I'm selling the rules, how should I explain it?" Hikaru shrugged, putting on a helpless expression.
"Hahaha, I see now."
"Hanashima-kun's mind is truly impressive!"
After hearing the explanation, the gathered Class B students all burst into laughter, creating a cheerful atmosphere in the classroom.
"Um, maybe I should distribute the points to everyone now," Honami said, looking at the Private Points in her phone. The amount was so large it made her feel uneasy. "After all, the two million used to buy the rules was pooled together by everyone, so it should be divided equally."
"There's no need to rush, Ichinose," Shibata Sō stopped her, advising, "From Hanashima-kun's plan, there are still two classes we haven't sold the rules to yet. Why don't we wait until everything is completed before distributing the points?"
"Shibata-kun is right. Let's leave the points with Ichinose for now. We still have fifty thousand each anyway."
"Yeah, without Hanashima-kun and Ichinose, we wouldn't have gotten this million back."
The Class B students were all easygoing. For them, uniting the class was the most important thing at the moment, so they quickly reached a consensus.
Seeing how much everyone trusted her, Honami was deeply moved. A look of determination appeared on the beautiful girl's face as she said firmly, "Thank you all for your trust! I promise I won't let you down and will do my best to lead Class B forward!"
Hikaru gazed at the resolute expression on Honami's face, thinking that recommending her as class leader had definitely been the right choice. Her trustworthy aura was really useful.
Whether it was uniting classmates or serving as the class's piggy bank, she could do it all perfectly.
With this thought, Hikaru turned his gaze back to his system panel, where a new notification had indeed appeared.
[Helped the class gain one million Private Points. Ichinose Honami's trust in you has increased. Honami Ichinose Stock has risen by 10 points. Current value: 70]
Great, looks like we'll break through the 100-point mark soon. Then I can cash out and buy items from the store.
First, exchange for stamina potions, then what should I buy next?
Just as Hikaru couldn't help but indulge in thoughts of the future, he suddenly noticed Honami beside him leaning closer and whispering, "Hanashima-kun, are you free tonight?"
"What's up?"
"Shiranami-san and Andou-san are organizing a get-together for the new students and asked me to invite you."
Hikaru tilted his head in confusion. "Is the whole class going?"
"No, this event was initiated by a few girls," Honami quickly added, noticing the boy's slight interest. "There'll only be about seven or eight people, both guys and girls."
"Oh, I see."
Hikaru had initially assumed it was some class-wide activity, but it turned out to be a small gathering. He was about to decline outright.
But after a moment's thought, he asked, "Will you be going too, Ichinose-san?"
"Yes, I've been invited as well."
A glimmer of anticipation shone in Honami's bright blue eyes. She hoped this opportunity would help her understand Hikaru better.
After everything that had happened today, Honami had already concluded that Hikaru was someone willing to contribute to the class. She wanted to bridge the distance between them—and if they could become friends, even better.
Moreover, the girl had many questions she wanted to ask him, so she hoped he would agree.
"Then I'll join. What time and where?"
"5:30 p.m., at the family restaurant in Keyaki Mall. Andou-san has already reserved a spot." Seeing the boy nod, Honami couldn't help but feel a flicker of joy in her heart.
Hikaru tilted his head curiously. "Isn't today the first day of school? How did she manage that?"
"By phone. The school's handbook has contact details for all the shops—probably to help everyone save time."
"I see. I'll be there on time."
"Great."
About half an hour later, Class B finally disbanded.
Most students headed to the supermarket near the school building to buy daily necessities before returning to their single dorm rooms with their assigned key cards. Starting today, life on this isolated artificial island would begin—a completely fresh start.
After leaving the school building, Hikaru followed the crowd into the campus supermarket. Though he only had 50,000 private points left, it was more than enough.
The boy was far more concerned about stock prices and changes in system funds than food, clothing, or other daily expenses.
As he wandered through the supermarket with a shopping basket, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a standalone shelf labeled "Free."
"Free"—meaning no cost.
Hikaru immediately approached and found ordinary packages of shampoo, body wash, tissues, and other consumables, seemingly available for anyone to take.
"They actually have free stuff here?"
After a moment's thought, he quickly grasped the school's intention. This was likely a safety net for students who had exhausted their private points—otherwise, life would become unbearable.
"However, this shows that future class competitions will be truly intense," Hikaru mused. "The winner takes all, while the losers can only use free things?"
Just then, a girl with long black hair passed by him, carrying a small shopping basket with an utterly indifferent expression.
[Ding! Suzune Horikita Stock is now listed!]
[Current price: 100]
[Total shares issued: 3000]
"?"
An initial price this high?
Whose subordinate is this?!
Hikaru sharply turned his gaze, locking onto the girl selecting shampoo ahead of him.