Reincarnated Into a Delinquent Manga… Where the Genders Are Reversed and Everyone’s a Girl - Chapter 26: Thus Spoke Uta Tanigawa

Chapter 26: Thus Spoke Uta Tanigawa

“I refuse.”

“…Why?”

Tanigawa tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame her.

Given the situation—me surrounded by a circle of glaring delinquents radiating pure hostility—she probably expected me to fold immediately.

But I knew I could say no here.

Because I understood exactly what kind of character Uta Tanigawa was in Fist.

“I’m part of the Myougi Faction, after all.”

“I see… I don’t dislike people who stick to their loyalties.”

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, falling silent for a moment as if mulling something over.

“…But I have my own reasons for wanting you on my side.”

With that, she waved her hand, dismissing the other delinquents from the room.

They clearly didn’t like it, but none of them dared argue with their leader.

And just like that, it was only me and Tanigawa in the empty classroom.

A tension hung in the air that was hard to put into words.

She didn’t speak. Didn’t move.

The ticking of the clock above the blackboard felt deafening in the silence.

“…You know Akagi-san and I went to the same middle school, right?”

“I do.”

“Good. That saves me some explaining. We both came out of Daichi Middle. After she left, I became the boss. I was confident in my fighting, and yeah—I made sure everyone knew it.”

From her pocket, Tanigawa pulled out a pack of cigarettes and, with practiced ease, slipped one between her lips.

She shot me a quick look—a silent, “Mind if I smoke?”

I wasn’t a fan, but after a few months at Shibakata High, I’d gotten used to scenes like this.

So, I gave a small nod.

She lit up without another word.

“Fuuuh… Thing is, there was a problem.”

“A problem, you say?”

“They said Uta Tanigawa only made it to the top because of ‘connections.’ Not even family connections—rumors that I was just riding Akagi-san’s coattails. That I only became Daichi Middle’s boss ‘cause I clung to her like some little pet. Can you believe that crap?”

She exhaled toward the ceiling.

The thin stream of smoke curled upward, drifting lazily before vanishing into nothing.

“Wouldn’t you wanna prove them wrong?”

“…I guess so.”

“I heard you’re pretty close to Akagi-san. Not public knowledge, but I’ve got my sources. If I bring someone like you over to my side… heh, at least in one area—when it comes to boys—I’ll have beaten her.”

“…Hah.”

Would that really count as a “victory”?

I couldn’t help but wonder… but Tanigawa looked so pleased with herself that I figured it wasn’t worth pointing out. Probably fine.

In Fist, her character had been the “dumb but honest” type.

Not a bad person—actually pretty likable. Just… not exactly blessed in the brains department.

People even used to say, “If he had the smarts to match his strength, he’d be unbeatable.”

Same thing here—when I’d turned down her offer earlier, she hadn’t gotten angry at all.

As long as you treated her straight, she wasn’t the type to hold grudges.

But the one thing she couldn’t stand?

The rumor that she’d only gotten her boss status thanks to Yayoi’s shadow.

She took a long, irritated drag on her cigarette.

“So, you sure you won’t change your mind?”

“If I did, you’d probably just end up hating me for it.”

“—Damn right!”

She burst out laughing and slapped me hard on the back.

Repeatedly.

Each smack sent a shock through my chest like she was trying to knock the air right out of my lungs.

I forced a strained smile and carefully said, “Please… stop.”

◇

I climbed the stairs of the club building.

Whether it was from age or just years of abuse by delinquents—probably both—the place felt ready to collapse any second.

With every step, the floorboards creaked ominously, making my heart jump.

Accompanied by that dreadful wooden symphony, I finally reached the classroom I’d been aiming for.

“Alright.”

I took a deep breath to steady myself.

Relaxed my shoulders, straightened my posture, and glared at the door like I was about to face down a final boss—

“Oh, hey. Takuma.”

“…Yayoi. What a coincidence.”

“‘Coincidence’? I’m the one who called you here.”

“…Fair point.”

She must’ve been about to head out—bag slung over her shoulder, Yayoi stood there blinking at me in surprise.

Then, like a big dog reunited with its owner, she grabbed my arm and tugged me straight into the classroom.

Obviously, I didn’t say that out loud.

But yeah… that’s exactly what she reminded me of.

She plopped down on the sofa and pulled me down beside her.

Her twin black ponytails swished with so much force they brushed right across my nose.

It tickled so bad I almost sneezed.

“So? Why were you late? You get dragged into something again?”

“Ran into someone named Uta Tanigawa.”

“Ah—Uta, huh.”

Yayoi crossed her arms, nostrils flaring just a bit.

I’d braced myself for her to get annoyed, but… nothing.

If anything, she almost looked proud.

“Uta’s a good girl. Bit of an airhead, sure, but she’ll never say anything that goes against what she believes in. At least, never against her own code.”

“Yeah… that’s exactly the impression I got talking to her.”

“Right? You picked up on it too? She’s a great girl. She was actually my junior—took over as boss at our middle school after me.”

Something about the way Yayoi was talking felt oddly familiar.

I thought about it for a moment… then it hit me.

She sounded exactly like a grandparent bragging about their grandkid.

I could practically see it: her sitting on a porch in the warm sun, sipping tea, proudly telling some poor guest the same story for the hundredth time while they smiled politely, thinking, Yes, yes, we’ve heard this all before.