Reincarnated Into a Delinquent Manga… Where the Genders Are Reversed and Everyone’s a Girl - Chapter 22: The Encounter with Mikoto Shirane

Act 02: Shibakata High Unification Arc

Chapter 22: The Encounter with Mikoto Shirane

That day, Shibakata High shook to its core.

The reason was simple.

Yayoi Akagi—yes, that Yayoi Akagi—announced she was stepping down as boss.

The girl who’d been a legend since middle school, who’d stayed undefeated from the moment she set foot in Shibakata…

Her sudden declaration sent shockwaves through the entire school.

And the bombshells didn’t stop there.

Yayoi had disbanded her own faction—and pledged loyalty to a new one.

Its name? The Myougi Faction.

Normally, if someone as powerful as Yayoi Akagi joined a faction, you’d assume the leader was a monster in their own right.

But something felt… off.

Everyone who laid eyes on the so-called “leader,” Minato Myougi, came to the same conclusion:

She didn’t look strong.

In fact… she looked weak.

The guys who’d been crushed under Yayoi’s dominance weren’t about to let this golden chance slip through their fingers.

Weeks after the fall of the Akagi Faction,

Shibakata High had plunged headfirst into chaos.

An era of war.

An age of delinquents—!

◇

“This just ain’t sitting right with me.”

“What now?”

“I mean, shouldn’t I be getting more praise than this?”

Elbow propped against the window, Minato let out an over-the-top sigh.

I didn’t even glance up from my textbook as I replied:

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you know, I did beat Akagi-san in a fight.”

“You mean we beat her. You didn’t do jack.”

Chiaki, sitting beside me and lazily munching on a yokan, tossed out the jab.

“…Anyway! Since Akagi-san and her crew joined the Myougi Faction, that technically makes me the boss of Shibakata High, right?”

“And yet, you feel like nobody respects you?”

“Exactly! What’s up with that?”

I crossed my arms.

The reason was obvious.

Chiaki couldn’t hold it in any longer—she burst out laughing.

“It’s ‘cause you look weak as hell, Minato.”
“Haah!? I’m super strong, thank you very much!”
“Name one fight you’ve actually won.”
“…I have, you know.”
“Uh-huh. And the opponent’s name?”
“—Chiaki Haruna.”
“Oh, you little… That’s it, we’re having a rematch.”
“Eeeeeeeek!!”

Same old banter.

Almost comforting, in its own way.

I let out a small, wry smile and rested my hand on my chin.

—If this story kept following the manga, Shibakata High was about to get messy.

New challengers would start showing up soon—people unwilling to accept Minato Myougi as the new boss.

Former boss Yayoi Akagi wouldn’t interfere.

Her stance was simple: “Keeping things in line is the leader’s job.”

One problem solved, another waiting just around the corner.

And since I was now officially part of the Myougi Faction, the thought of what was coming should’ve felt heavy.

But honestly? It didn’t. If anything, I felt… lighter.

The day passed without incident, and before I knew it, school was over.

With my half-empty bag slung over my shoulder, I started heading home.

“…Hmm.”

Summer’s presence was creeping in lately, the heat lingering even into the evening.

I rolled up the sleeves of my white shirt as I walked.

That’s when I noticed a little girl crying by the side of the road.

I wasn’t heartless enough to just walk past, so I crouched down and spoke up.

“You okay?”

“…W-Who’re you?”

“Uh, I’m Takuma. Don’t worry, I’m not some shady guy.”

“My mom says shady guys always say that.”

“…She’s not wrong, but still…”

Her unexpectedly sharp comment caught me off guard.

But then, as if something had just clicked, the girl let out a small “Ah.”

“That uniform—you’ve got the same one as my big sis. Not the girl version, though.”

“Your big sis? She goes to Shibakata High?”

“Yep! She’s super cool!”

“Is that so? Sounds awesome.”

Small world.

Maybe that little coincidence helped her relax, because she started smiling and proudly talking about her sister.

After listening for a bit, I finally asked why she’d been crying.

“I… I couldn’t find my way home.”

“You don’t live around here? What brought you this far?”

“I saw my big sis on the way back from school, so I tried to follow her in secret… but then I lost her…”

As she explained, the fear must’ve crept back in.

Her eyes welled up again, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

I crouched to meet her gaze.

Maybe it’d make her feel safer.

Not that I was some expert or anything, but it was worth a try.

“If you want, I can help you find your way home.”

“You’d… really help me?”

“Of course.”

She thanked me with a bright, innocent smile.

We walked hand in hand down the road.

It must’ve been at least thirty minutes since we started looking.

With a kid this small, we couldn’t have wandered too far.

Sure enough, she tugged my arm.

“Oh! I know this street!”

“Think you can make it home now?”

“Yeah! I’m fine!”

“Still, just to be safe, I’ll walk you the rest of the way.”

Her steps had been tiny just moments ago, but the second she recognized the area, they turned into big, eager strides.

That proud little back of hers made me smile.

We were nearly at what she claimed was her house when, from around the corner ahead, a white-haired high school girl appeared—wearing a Shibakata High uniform.

“Onee-chan!”

“Yu? You okay?”

“Yep! This big brother helped me!”

“Big… brother?”

The girl gave me a quick, suspicious glance, but when she noticed I was wearing the same school uniform, her gaze eased—well, as much as it could.

Her eyes were the narrow type to begin with—the classic “slit eyes” look.

“…Name’s Mikoto Shirane. Looks like my little sister caused you some trouble. I appreciate the help.”

“No, she just dragged me along by the hand. I didn’t do much.”

I scratched my head awkwardly, and Shirane’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“I’d still like to thank you properly. If you don’t mind, why don’t you come by our place?”