At midnight, Hashima stared intently at the photo in his hand, his emotions complicated despite having eagerly exchanged for this new item.
Logically, the young man's view on relationships was quite simple. Whether in his past life or this one, he believed that if he truly met someone who understood him, spending a lifetime together would be enough.
However, with the arrival of the system and his active connections with these girls, he wasn't very confident about his future romantic choices, especially after seeing this photo.
"Will I marry Ichinose in the future?"
Hashima lay down on his soft bed. Currently, the person he was closest to, even allowing for frequent physical contact, was this pink-haired girl.
But was the future truly set in stone?
Why was there still a connection with the "short brown-haired" beautiful aunt? And why would he leave his wife and daughter to meet her? Was he perhaps juggling two relationships?
Hashima rubbed his temples, at a loss for words.
After about ten minutes, he sat up again. The photo was from the future, and judging by the little girl's back, she looked about five or six years old, so this stage was still far off.
Let things take their natural course, without going against his heart.
He placed the photo back into the Life Album and turned his attention to the Trading Shop, specifically the stamina attribute that had just refreshed, priced at 500,000 funds.
Using the 70% Discount Coupon, the purchase price would drop to 350,000, saving 150,000 system funds, maximizing its value.
Currently, the Trading Shop refreshed three types of character attributes: Intelligence, Charm, and Stamina.
Hashima's Intelligence was 7, Charm was 8, and the only lacking attribute was Stamina.
Although Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School differed greatly from other schools, the general schedule was similar. This meant that the sports festival would likely take place in the second semester. Given the school's competitive class system, there would probably be intense physical competitions.
Since the Trading Shop items refreshed randomly, and Stamina had already appeared this month, he decided to buy it directly.
Who knew how attributes would refresh later? If Stamina was needed but hadn't appeared, it would be quite awkward.
After organizing his thoughts, Hashima began stock transactions.
Analyzing the current situation, the most suitable stock to cash out was Sakura Airi Stock.
Although Ichinose Honami Stock was also highly priced, she was a classmate, and there would be plenty of time to interact. Helping the class gain a competitive edge was his primary strategy, so waiting for the stock price to rise further would yield more profit.
The other two stocks hadn't broken 100, so they weren't considered.
Do you want to sell Sakura Airi Stock?
Quantity to sell: 2000
Current price: 160
Sale successful, funds received: 320,000
Do you want to use the 70% Discount Coupon?
Use successful, Stamina price reduced to 350,000.
Stamina purchase successful.
Stamina: 5 → 6
Remaining funds: 39,600.
After successfully purchasing Stamina, Hashima did some light exercises in his dorm.
He decided to resume morning runs starting tomorrow. Although he didn't have the Stamina Enhancer, with his Stamina now at 6, he felt he couldn't neglect this training. He needed to get his body accustomed to the rhythm of exercise, and whether it would continue to rise depended on persistence.
No matter the future situation, increasing Stamina was never a loss.
-----
The next day, at dawn, it was July 1st, and the new class evaluation scores would be announced. Hashima got up early.
After completing his usual morning run on the track, the changes brought by the increased Stamina excited him.
Running, as the most basic form of exercise, consumes a lot of Stamina. This is when individual physical differences become apparent. Those with superior physical condition might run several laps effortlessly, while those with poorer condition might struggle after half a lap.
Having experienced the entire process of Stamina growth, Hashima felt a new level of feedback from his body during his morning run. The enduring Stamina and steady breathing made the exercise incredibly refreshing, and his efficiency was much higher than before.
After finishing his workout and showering, Hashima entered Class A with a smile. As the start of the month, on the 1st, students always arrived particularly early. Despite being more than ten minutes before class, almost everyone was already there.
Upon returning to his seat, the pink-haired girl was naturally already present. She smiled warmly at him, greeting, "Good morning, Hashima."
"Good morning, Ichinose."
Hashima placed his backpack and calmly remarked, "Another month has passed. Time really flies."
"Yes, it feels like the midterm exams just ended, but now the final exams are approaching at the end of the month," Ichinose Honami said with a hint of reflection. "But summer break starts after this month, which is really exciting."
"Indeed."
Hashima nodded, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
Honestly, he had been so busy manipulating the stock market that he almost forgot about summer break.
As a fully enclosed school, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School wouldn't allow students to leave during summer break; they would still stay on the artificial island.
More importantly, the first semester was almost over, but the special exam mentioned at the beginning of the school year hadn't been held even once. It was hard not to wonder when this rule would be implemented.
"I heard from upperclassmen that the school gym will be open to everyone during summer break," Ichinose Honami said with a smile. "Would you like to buy swimsuits with me, Hashima?"
"Er..."
Noticing the eager look in her eyes, Hashima smiled slightly and replied, "Of course, but will student council duties continue during summer break? They can't keep everyone busy all the time."
"There will still be some work, but much less compared to during classes. We should have a lot of time to spend together. I've missed eating with you lately, Hashima. It's been quite lonely," Ichinose Honami said with a hint of melancholy, her beautiful eyes scanning his face.
"Yes, you've been working hard, Ichinose. We should have more time together during summer break."
Lacking a good excuse, Hashima could only smile and agree. After Ichinose Honami's face lit up with a smile, Hoshinomiya Chie entered the classroom.
"Everyone has been working hard this month. I'll now announce the new class evaluation scores."
The first semester was nearing its end, and Hoshinomiya Chie had gained a deeper understanding of Class A's overall level. Over these months, she had observed everyone closely.
First were the absolute core members, Hashima and Ichinose Honami. These two were the key to the class's cohesion, trusted and relied upon by all students.
They held significant influence in the class, especially Hashima, who was almost undisputed. No one opposed his ideas.
Although Hoshinomiya Chie knew Ichinose Honami was the class leader, given her gentle nature, for executing harsh plans, it was better for Hashima to take the lead. This division of labor would benefit the class greatly.
As for other active students like Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata Satsu, and Ando Sayo, their overall abilities were good, and they were quite popular in class. They were key forces below Hashima and Ichinose. To maintain their lead, their presence was indispensable.
"Our score shouldn't have dropped, right? There weren't any exams this month."
"Yeah, if Class B catches up, it'll be troublesome. I don't want to change class badges..."
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, please announce the scores quickly!"
The young teacher listened to the students' discussions and wrote this month's class evaluation scores on the blackboard.
Class A: 1102
Class B: 1078
Class C: 345
Class D: 267
Upon seeing the rankings, the Class A students, who had been staring intently at the blackboard, breathed a sigh of relief. Although Class B's score was close, they hadn't overtaken them, allowing Class A to maintain its lead.
"Keep up this momentum, everyone. Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed. I believe our class is the best."
Hoshinomiya Chie smiled. "The final exams of the first semester will be held at the end of this month, so gear up and prepare thoroughly. After the exams, the school has a special reward for you."
"What reward? New class evaluation scores?"
"Yeah, if we keep performing well, will we get bonus points?"
After months of maintaining first place, Class A students had become increasingly concerned about the class evaluation scores.
"It's a wonderful summer vacation trip."
Hoshinomiya Chie didn't directly answer their questions but explained with a smile, "After the final exams, if everyone passes smoothly, the school will organize a luxurious cruise trip to a southern island, so you can fully enjoy your summer break."
"What?"
"A luxurious cruise? Is that even possible?!"
"I've never been on a cruise before. This school is truly amazing."
As the classmates began discussing excitedly, Hashima heard the soft voice of the girl beside him.
"Hashima, a luxurious cruise trip! Looks like we need to prepare for buying swimsuits in advance," Ichinose Honami smiled, gesturing. "What do you think?"
"Indeed, I didn't expect the school to be so generous. With a luxurious cruise trip, everyone will surely have an unforgettable summer break."
The young man smiled, playing along with Ichinose Honami's topic. However, a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
The entire first semester hadn't included any special exams. Could they really be delayed until next semester?
If that were the case, wouldn't lower-ranked classes have fewer chances to catch up?
If the school truly wanted students to compete more fiercely, there should be at least one special exam per semester, otherwise, the special rules would lose their meaning.
Since the cruise trip was arranged by the school, could there be another reason behind it?
Hashima rubbed his chin, his mind filled with speculation.