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20.5 The destiny as Makoto Tokioka
A girl called Makoto Tokioka, had a fateful encounter when she was in the third year of middle school.
Fortunately, it was secretly rumored among other girls that she was able to be in the same group as a boy.
“We’ll be together for a year, so let’s get along well.”
Even if Makoto said so, Souya was silent. She was looked at as if she was an unfamiliar wild animal.
The other two girls in the group, Yuuko and Rie, Makoto got to know them well right away, but with Souya, it took a long time.
◇
“I’m sorry, I let you get the raw end of the deal.”
One day, Yuuko told Makoto that.
“No, no. The matter of Group Leader, I was the one who brought it first, you don’t have to care so much.”
Makoto answered so, but at the same time, she felt that her cheeks were a little tight.
The girls who were in the same class as Souya last year, were making a fierce approach to him again this year.
As the one who was only doing the job to guard Souya, for some reason, Makoto’s “notoriety” spread throughout the school.
She was called the “villainess who monopolizes men”.
And the word “monopoly”, for girls, was the worst disdain.
A villainess who never thought about her surroundings or other people would only care and think about herself, wanting to monopolize men.
The other girls also said, that she should be kicked out of the Special Ward, immediately.
That aside, there was a rumor said that last year’s Group Leader of Souya’s group, in exchange for allowing others to have contact with Souya, had her life easier.
Makoto didn’t know what kind of deal she made, but Souya was clearly sold by his last year’s group leader.
The Special Ward had people with money, or power, or even both.
The parent of last year’s Group Leader of Souya’s group, who despised Makoto, would surely be included in that group. That was why she dared to do whatever she wanted to Makoto.
She was furious that Makoto chose to guard strictly.
And unfortunately, there was no other way to counteract the bad publicity.
Hearing the story, Yuuko said after a sigh.
“Souya-kun, that’s

 of course, it makes you distrust women.”
When the group was first decided, Souya’s attitude was so stiff that it was hard to believe he was in the third year.
Normally, anyone should be a little more accustomed to middle school life.
Also, it wasn’t that Souya hated every girl, but that it was because he had developed some trauma caused by his last year’s group leader.
“Leave it to me! I’m going to give Souya-kun the best year ever.”
“But, if you do that
”
“Don’t say anything after that! I don’t care about it.”
Makoto said that and smiled, but deep inside she wondered if she was able to laugh well.
When Makoto realized that she wasn’t deterred by the notoriety, she took direct measures of harassment, big and small.
From small harassment to big ones. It approached repeatedly like waves crashing on the beach.
To be honest, at first, Makoto thought her heart would break.
But, she was wrong. It didn’t break.
“You can call me Taketo.”
Sou

Taketo said so.
It seemed that it was the first time he let a girl call him by his first name.
Makoto heard that when every time a girl tried to close the distance by calling him his name, that girl was always forced to correct it.
In short, the only girl allowed by Taketo to call him by name, was Makoto.
This impact wasn’t limited to the group, but also to the class.
Far from just a class, the story spread to the whole grade, so Makoto got a lot of attention.
As a result, the view of someone who didn’t respect his wish would be the one in the wrong became common, and the harassment against Makoto as a ‘Villainess’ disappeared.
After that, Yuuko and Rie were also allowed to call Taketo by name, and as Makoto had declared in April, she was able to provide the best year ever
 that should be the case.
If only, “that” didn’t happen.
◇
One day, it was time for deciding which high school the boys would go to.
“No way, he’s going to go to a co-ed high school
”
Yuuko was at a loss for words, but honestly, Makoto had a hunch that it would come like this.
“I think it’s because of our homeroom teacher, that Seba-sensei.”
Seba, the homeroom teacher of the class, who was said to reach the age of 40, was a highly motivated teacher.
Considering all that, Seba probably wanted to take the route of becoming a principal soon.
Surely, to be more popular with the board of education, Taketo was sold. Yes, Taketo was sold again.
Although not generally known, boys who were obedient and excellent in appearance were actually assigned to co-ed schools.
A friend of Makoto’s mother was a high school teacher, and she told Makoto about the backdoor deals between the middle school and the high school.
As a homeroom teacher, Seba said that the students were all cute.
Seba was attached to the students.
Therefore, it was said that Seba didn’t want to recommend any boy in the class to a co-ed high school. It should be.
But, as if it was just all nothing but sweet words, Seba recommended the most suitable boy.
In early winter, middle and high school teachers gathered to discuss and secretly decide on the boys.
“Since then, Taketo-kun is always in a daze
 I, I will take the Itsuki High School exam.”
“Isn’t it impossible? I heard it’s hundreds of times harder.”
“Maybe, I can manage to pass the test somehow. But, if there are any other criteria
”
Yuuko was a super honor student with an exceptional brain.
She wasn’t inferior to the other fierce people of the whole country.
But even so, the reality was, it would be hard to say that she would pass with just that.
In the hierarchy in the Special Ward, Yuuko came from an extremely ordinary family.
Itsuki High School would of course, also look for such a person, but there was no reason why it must be Yuko.
“If I fall, I’ll go to Ichinomiya High without complaint. But, let me try.”
Ichinomiya High School, was the high school that the three of us talked about going to together.
It was near a boys’ high school, so it would be also a bit of a challenge to get in there, but we vowed to get in there and watch over Taketo-kun. Since it was also not that far from Itsuki High School.
“So, you’re really going to try Itsuki High? Alright, I’ll support you.”
“Thank you, I’ll leave Taketo-kun to you.”
“Understood. Good luck with your exams!”
“You too, do your best!”
However, Yuuko’s wish didn’t come true.
She managed to get to the interview, but that was the end. The walls were too thick to be broken through.
In the end, no one could do anything, leaving Taketo to go to the co-ed high school alone.
All four went to the graduation ceremony with disappointment.
Then, it was spring break.
No matter how many messages Makoto, Rie, and Yuuko had sent, there was no reply from Taketo.
“I hope he’s not overwhelmed.”
“Stop it, Yuuko.”
“But I’m worried
 do you want to go his home?”
“That’s no good. I think it’s barely on the safe line for a former classmate to visit, but if Taketo-kun doesn’t like it, the people in his house might report it.”
“Ahhh, this is frustrating. What do you think I should do?”
“I, have a proposal. Want to hear?”
Saying that, Makoto proposed to wait for Taketo-kun on the school route, on the day of the entrance ceremony.