Reincarnated Into a Delinquent Manga… Where the Genders Are Reversed and Everyone’s a Girl - Chapter 37: Dumbfish

Chapter 37: Dumbfish

“Dumbfish.”

“Dumbfish!?”

“There’s no better way to describe it.”

The next day.

When Minato told Chiaki about being summoned by Tanigawa, her face twisted in open disgust.

And when the word dumbfish slipped out of her mouth, it carried every ounce of that unwilling frustration.

Honestly, for someone like Chiaki—a battle junkie—you’d think a love letter from Uta Tanigawa would be a dream come true.

At least, that’s what Minato and I had assumed.

But apparently, not so much.

“But Chiaki, don’t you love fighting strong opponents…?”

“Sure. But this and that are two different things.”

“What do you mean…?”

“A fight I start myself, against someone strong—that’s fine. That’s the best. I can enjoy it without holding back.”

She must’ve been picturing it—maybe her brawl with Yayoi?

Her lips curled into a grin just from imagining it.

But just as quickly, her expression fell flat.

“But a fight set up by someone else? That’s no good. That’s meddling. If you really want to enjoy it from the bottom of your heart, you gotta prepare it yourself—from start to finish.”

“…You sound like some kind of gourmet.”

Minato seemed to have wandered into a world completely beyond her comprehension.

With the vast cosmos practically swirling behind her, she gave a solemn nod—like some all-knowing sage who, in reality, didn’t understand a single thing.

Chiaki watched her little performance, then let out a long sigh.

“Well, you already told Uta Tanigawa that ‘Chiaki Haruna’s showing up tomorrow,’ didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I’m terrified about what’s gonna happen.”

“Then I’ll go.”

“Eh?”

“The leader of the Myougi Faction got taken down. I’m not the kind of delinquent who just sits back and watches—that’d be throwing away my pride.”

Her expression was bold, unshaken.

Even with a fight against Tanigawa looming over her, that sharp glint in her eyes never faded.

With Chiaki, it might even count as a straight-up buff.

Faced with that kind of gallant move right in front of her, Minato couldn’t hold back anymore.

Her eyes welled up, and she threw herself into Chiaki’s arms.

“Chiaaakiiiiiiiiii!!!”

“Gross, get off me.”

“This is supposed to be an emotional moment! Hug me back!”

“Do you even know what your face looks like right now? You’re a mess of tears and snot.”

“It’s sparkling cutely, thank you very much.”

“…Yeah, the aftereffects from your fight with Uta Tanigawa are still all over you. Forget fighting today—go to the hospital first.”

As always, their banter slipped straight into a comedy routine.

The serious mood from earlier completely scattered, replaced by their usual lighthearted nonsense.

Sitting next to them, I quietly patted my chest in relief—thank god their conversation landed without blowing up.

◇

When we visited the same classroom as yesterday, Tanigawa greeted us with a sharp grin.

“If we’re going at it for real, this place is too cramped. Let’s take it outside.”

—She’d fought me in that classroom just fine, so why was it different for Chiaki?

While Minato tilted her head in puzzlement, the rest of us followed after Tanigawa’s imposing figure.

“What do you think, Takuma-kun?”

Chiaki whispered so only I could hear, her eyes shining with barely contained excitement.

She was probably asking about the chance of an ambush or some kind of trap.

“I think it’s just gonna be a straight one-on-one.”

“Yeah, she really is the straightforward type.”

She spoke with a certain twist to her words—putting extra weight on straightforward, for example—while the corners of her mouth curled into a grin.

At the same time, she gave a little shrug, like something straight out of an American movie.

At Shibakata High, fights were as routine as lunch breaks.

So I figured they’d kick things off right there in the school building.

But to my surprise, Tanigawa walked right past the school gates and started heading down toward the riverside.

Of course, all this was happening while classes were still in session.

Lately, I’d been running into way too many situations that made me question what “normal” even meant.

The strangest part was how no one reacted.

Not a single teacher. Not a single student. Nothing.

I had to steady the nervous thumping in my chest and force myself to look composed, even though deep down I was waiting for someone to yell at us any second.

After a short walk, Tanigawa descended the stairs.

Her destination seemed to be the space beneath the bridge.

Chiaki and I exchanged a glance before following after her.

Beside me, Minato was trembling nervously.

From the way she muttered, it sounded like she was less afraid of the fight itself and more worried that some ghost might pop out.

But the truth was—everyone here was a first-class delinquent, tough as nails.

(Not that I was saying Minato didn’t count.)

So naturally, they all ignored her jitters.

And so, I followed their lead, schooling my expression into a calm mask as I stepped down the stairs.

“(Say, Takuma-kun.)”

Of course, if someone talks to you directly, ignoring them would just be plain rude.

So I copied Minato’s nervous whispering and answered back just as quietly.

“(Yeah?)”

“(Don’t you think under a bridge like this… ghosts would totally show up? I mean, it’s right by the river. If it were some artificial canal, maybe not—but this is one of those old bridges. No doubt at least a few people are buried here.)”

“(Then just deal with them using your fists.)”

“(Ghosts are totally immune to physical attacks…)”

Even if fists did work on ghosts, Minato wasn’t exactly built for combat anyway.

She clung to me from behind like I was her human shield.

Pathetic. Like a mosquito in autumn.