Reincarnated Into a Delinquent Manga… Where the Genders Are Reversed and Everyone’s a Girl - Chapter 39: The Outcome of the Fight

Chapter 39: The Outcome of the Fight

Everyone held their breath, watching the clash between Chiaki and Tanigawa.

Both of them were battered and bruised, their bodies screaming at the limit.

At this point, it wouldn’t have been strange if either one collapsed at any second—and yet, sheer willpower was the only thing keeping them on their feet.

“Haa… haa…!”

“Ghh…!”

But limits always came.

Chiaki’s face twisted in pain as her knees gave out.

She tried to hold herself up, but her strength failed her.

With a loud thud, she hit the ground, sprawled flat on her back.

“No way…”

“Chiaki… lost?”

Minato and I were stunned.

The same Chiaki who had beaten Yayoi… defeated.

Maybe we’d unconsciously convinced ourselves she was unbeatable.

That no matter what, she’d always come out on top.

We’d projected that invincible image onto her.

But of course—Tanigawa, who had fought Chiaki head-on, wasn’t left unscathed either.

She collapsed right after, like her strings had been cut, dropping without even a chance to brace herself.

While her followers rushed to her side, Minato and I snapped out of our shock and hurried straight to Chiaki.

“Chiaki!!”

“…Oh, Minato. Why you lookin’ so panicked?”

“Of course I am! Are you okay?! You’re not seriously hurt, are you!?”

“My whole body’s wrecked… I can see some kinda mysterious river…”

“Don’t you dare cross it!!”

Minato’s words, laced with both worry and desperation, made Chiaki curl her lips into a crooked grin.

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Maybe she still had some energy left after all.

Of course, it could’ve been nothing but bravado, so I kept a close eye on her injuries.

But seeing no immediate danger, I let out a small sigh of relief.

Not that it meant she was completely fine. Ideally, she should see a doctor.

But delinquents don’t exactly run to the hospital over every fight—unless it’s a broken bone or something serious, pride wouldn’t allow it.

I pulled a band-aid from my pocket and gently pressed it onto Chiaki’s cheek.

She narrowed her eyes at the sting, but muttered a quiet thanks.

“Appreciate it.”

“…Was Tanigawa-san strong?”

“Yeah, real strong. Honestly, I don’t get why she never took the boss seat over Akagi-san. If those two fought, I couldn’t even begin to guess who’d win.”

Chiaki lay flat on her back, staring up at the sky.

She explained that the only reason she’d beaten Yayoi that night on the mountain was because her condition had been perfect—plus a little luck on her side.

In other words, Chiaki Haruna and Yayoi Akagi were evenly matched.

And Uta Tanigawa too, standing on that very same level.

As the three of us sat in a circle talking, Tanigawa came walking over with her followers supporting her shoulders.

Her knees trembled, her steps unsteady.

But her eyes still burned with unshaken resolve.

They weren’t the eyes of a loser—

They were the eyes of a warrior, shining with dignity.

“Yo.”

“…Guess I lost.”

“Hey now, don’t get so down. Besides, it’s not like I really won either.”

“Huh?”

Chiaki blinked in confusion.

With a sigh, Tanigawa began to explain.

“If you define a fight as whoever hits the ground first, then yeah—I guess I’d be the winner. But my definition’s different. The one who can’t keep fighting anymore—that’s the one who loses.”

“…And what are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying I couldn’t keep going either.”

Realizing her meaning, Chiaki gave her a look like she was staring at a complete idiot—the exact same look she usually reserved for Minato.

“So you’re saying that fight was a draw? If you’d just kept quiet, everyone would’ve called it your win.”

“That wouldn’t sit right with me. More than anything, I hate lying to myself.”

“…Hah. You’re such an idiot.”

“Ohhh? And what’s with that tone when you’re talking to your senpai!?”

“Yeah yeah, sorry, I’ll reflect on my actions, totally repenting over here.”

“Good. As long as you get it, I’ll forgive you.”

Tanigawa folded her arms and nodded in satisfaction.

Chiaki, on the other hand, just shrugged in exasperation.

Beside them, Minato and I exchanged a glance.

I already knew from Fist what kind of person Uta Tanigawa was…

But seeing it firsthand was something else.

Should I call it awe at how broad-minded she was?

Or pity for how much trouble that kind of straightforwardness was bound to cause her?

Either way, it all came back to one thing—Tanigawa’s character really was admirable.

All we could do was quietly respect that honesty.

And then, a few days later—

An agreement was made between the Tanigawa faction and the Myougi faction.

“A formal alliance, huh…”

“Minato didn’t get her dream of becoming the boss, but honestly, this isn’t a bad outcome.”

Chiaki leaned her elbows on the desk while I took a sip of soda and glanced her way.

“Sure, it’s probably more stable than having Minato run things solo… but still, I can’t say I’m totally satisfied.”

“You think it’s better if there’s just one top leader?”

“Yeah. Part of me still wants to know which one of them’s stronger—settle it once and for all.”

The Tanigawa faction and the Myougi faction officially formed an alliance.

Together, they would rule over Shibakata High.

Well—“together” sounded big, but in reality, the Myougi faction was small in numbers and didn’t hold much weight.

That was how it had played out in Fist too.

The fight between Chiaki Haruna and Uta Tanigawa ended in a draw, and the two of them ended up running Shibakata High side by side.

From there, the Shibakata High arc wrapped up, and the story shifted outward.

Chances were, this world would follow that same path.

For me, life went on as usual—I didn’t think much of it.

But the future has a way of twisting with the smallest nudge.

And in a world where gender roles were reversed—and where some guy was walking around armed with knowledge of the manga?

Those changes were bound to grow massive.

I realized just how massive about a month later.