Under Ichinose's lead, the group of seven marched into the family restaurant.
As soon as they arrived, the girl who had arranged the reservation, Andō, went straight to the front desk to confirm their booking.
A young waiter wearing a headband glanced at the students, counted their numbers, and smiled.
"Right this way," the waiter said, leading them inside. "A total of seven, correct?"
Ichinose nodded. "Yes, thank you for your help."
Their group consisted of:
Ichinose Honami
Three other female classmates
Hashima Hikaru
Shibata Sō
Kanzaki Ryūji
A perfect seven-person gathering.
---
As they reached a long, spacious table, everyone hesitated on where to sit.
That was when Ichinose's natural leadership kicked in.
"Okay, girls on the inside," she instructed, pointing at the inner side of the booth.
"Hikaru, you sit next to me. Kanzaki and Shibata, you guys take the opposite side. How's that?"
Shibata, ever the easygoing athlete, immediately pushed Kanzaki toward the outer seat.
Meanwhile, the girls followed Ichinose's lead and sat along the inner row.
Hikaru hesitated for a moment, but when his eyes met Ichinose's expectant gaze, he sighed and took his designated seat.
"Hehehe, I have a ton of questions for you, Hikaru!"
Ichinose inched closer, her light floral scent subtly filling the space between them.
Hikaru felt slightly tense.
After all—he had spent the first fifteen years of his life focused entirely on studies, rarely interacting with girls up close.
To divert his attention, he spoke casually:
"You can ask whatever you want. We're seatmates, aren't we?"
Hikaru turned toward Ichinose, keeping his tone relaxed.
"I promise I won't hide anything. Besides, I actually have something I want to share with everyone tonight."
"Really?"
Across the table, Shibata immediately perked up.
"Is it another plan? Can I join in?"
"It's just an idea," Hikaru sighed.
He had already exhausted himself strategizing in the morning.
Tonight, he wanted to take it easy.
"Even so, if you're the one saying it, we'll definitely be interested!"
This time, the speaker was Andō, the girl who had booked the restaurant.
She was a cute, well-groomed girl, clearly the type who enjoyed socializing.
"Yeah, after our meeting ended, the whole class was talking about you, Hikaru!"
Another female classmate chimed in.
"Everyone's so glad to have someone like you in Class 1-B."
"And not to mention, you're also really handsome!"
She grinned playfully.
"I feel so lucky to be in 1-B!"
As the three girls chatted excitedly, Ichinose watched with amusement, clearly enjoying the situation.
Meanwhile, Hikaru rubbed his temples.
This was exactly why he disliked socializing.
It always led to pointless distractions.
"Even the guys have been talking about you, you know," Kanzaki added with a teasing smirk.
"It's impressive how much attention you've gained in just one morning."
"If you all focused on Ichinose instead, I'd be much happier," Hikaru countered smoothly.
"She's our real leader."
"No, no," Ichinose interjected playfully.
"Even though I'm the official representative, I trust you just as much, Hikaru."
"Alright, alright," Hikaru changed the subject, glancing at the waiter still standing beside them.
"Let's order first, shall we?"
He picked up the menu.
"Girls first."
"Okay! Does anyone have dietary restrictions?"
Ichinose took the menu, guiding the group through their selections.
Hikaru sighed in relief as the topic finally shifted away from him.
Once the orders were placed, the table naturally fell into conversation.
As teenagers, their discussions covered a variety of topics—from social media trends to celebrity scandals.
It was an easy and enjoyable atmosphere, making it effortless for everyone to bond.
When the food arrived, they dug in immediately.
The restaurant's chefs were well-regarded, and true to its reputation—
Everything was delicious.
---
After about twenty minutes, once most of the food was cleared, Ichinose wiped her lips with a napkin and turned to Hikaru.
"Alright, Hikaru," she said with a serious expression.
"Now that we've eaten—what's your idea?"
"Yeah, we're all waiting to hear it," Andō added, sipping on her orange juice while eyeing Hikaru curiously.
Hikaru sighed.
He had been planning to drop a bombshell tonight—
And boost Ichinose's stock price massively in the process.
Taking a deep breath, he raised two fingers and said in a low voice:
"I want to obtain 20 million Private Points."
"WHAT?!?!"
The entire table went silent.
Their faces froze in shock.
They had expected some kind of strategy—
But this?!
The school's private point system had been explained earlier by Hoshinomiya-sensei, but no one took it seriously.
Even though 20 million points could be used to change classes or avoid expulsion—
The number was absurdly high.
Most students didn't even think it was possible to amass that much.
"Come on, Hikaru, that's impossible," Shibata muttered.
Hikaru simply smiled.
"Don't be so shocked. Remember what I said this morning?"
"The class competition began the moment we entered this school."
The others stared at him, still struggling to process the sheer scale of what he was suggesting.
"But why?" Andō finally asked.
"If you're not planning to switch to Class 1-A, what's the point?"
Hikaru turned to Ichinose, his tone genuine.
"I have no intention of leaving Class 1-B. I like our class."
"However—"
He paused, his eyes scanning the table.
"I believe that, in the future, our class competition will reach a point where…"
"Someone will be forced to drop out."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Ichinose's expression darkened.
Her usual warm aura faded into something serious and grim.
Her soft blue eyes hardened.
The other classmates also noticed her sudden change in demeanor, and the table fell dead silent.
"Why?"
Ichinose's voice was cold.
Her fingers gripped the napkin tightly.
"Where did you get that idea?"
Hikaru remained calm.
"This," he said, pulling out his phone and showing her the screen.
"This is a forum post made by a second-year class."
"Look at the attendance list and tell me if you notice anything… strange."
Ichinose blinked in confusion.
She took the phone and studied the screen carefully.
Then—
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Wait… Second-Year Class B only has 36 students?!"
"WHAT?!"
Everyone immediately huddled around the phone.
The invitation post was for a Class 2-B gathering—
But the reservation was for only 36 people.
Hikaru leaned back, his voice calm but heavy.
"That's right."
"By the end of Year 1, four students from Class 2-B… were gone."
"And tell me—"
"Why do you think they left?"