Reincarnated Into a Delinquent Manga… Where the Genders Are Reversed and Everyone’s a Girl - Chapter 47 & 48: Trigger | Crossroads

Chapter 47: Trigger

“Thanks so much, Takuma-san!”

“Because of you, we got my bike back!”

“Total respect!!”

“Hahaha…”

The Mihotoke Mountain Gang crowded around me, eyes sparkling, practically buzzing with excitement as they showered me with gratitude.

Beside them stood the bike—safe and sound, mission accomplished.

I scratched my cheek with a wry smile.

“Glad it worked out.”

“Actually… there’s one thing I’ve been wondering.”

“Hm?”

Yuuta tilted his head.

“Takuma-san, you don’t… run with a men’s gang or anything?”

“…Men’s?”

“Y’know, like a biker gang.”

“Ahh…”

So basically, in this world, what we’d call a ladies’ gang back home was called men’s.

I waved my hand with another awkward laugh.

“Nah, I don’t.”

“Ehhh!? What a waste!”

“If you started a gang, Takuma-san, we’d totally join!!”

“Yeah, count us in too!!”

“…Uh, what about your Mihotoke Mountain Gang?”

Their energy was overwhelming.

Even if they were just middle schoolers, having three of them crowd around me like that carried real pressure.

I ended up taking a few steps back just to wriggle free from their little circle.

After that, we chatted a bit more before parting ways.

All I’d really done was throw on a bunny suit and mess around with that weirdo cop…

And yet, for some reason, they treated me with way too much respect.

Even as they left, they kept waving like crazy.

I waved back a few times myself, but every time I glanced over my shoulder, they were still at it—like they had no intention of stopping.

“…A gang, huh.”

Could I really make something like that?
Me—someone who didn’t even belong to this world in the first place…

Lately my body had felt heavy all the time, but strangely enough, today it felt light.

From the moment I got out of bed, I felt better than usual.

I even had an appetite right after waking up, and since I got up smoothly without worrying about being late, I actually had time to eat breakfast properly.

Stepping outside in my uniform, the sky was a perfect clear blue, not a cloud in sight.

My mood lifted, and my legs carried me forward with surprising ease.

Maybe it was because I’d helped someone. Or maybe because I’d prayed to the Buddha?

If that really was the case, then fine—I’d do good deeds every day and offer prayers to every god and Buddha out there.

But the moment I arrived at school, that cheerful mood vanished.

Since Minato was in the same class, I always had to face her when I walked in.

And yet… we still hadn’t talked.

Plenty of times it felt like she was about to approach me, and plenty of times I thought of walking up to her—but every single time, something inconvenient got in the way, and the chance slipped through.

I hung my bag on the desk, and it felt ten times heavier than it really was.

Like gravity had suddenly multiplied.

Dragged down, I slumped into my chair.

Chiaki, sitting beside me, glanced over and said, “You look exhausted,” before sliding me a paper carton. Strawberry milk.

“…Thanks.”

“Still stressing over Minato?”

“Of course I am.”

I fiddled with the straw but couldn’t get it out.

Getting fed up, I just drank straight from the carton.

Strawberry milk dribbled from the corner of my mouth, and as I wiped it away, I let my thoughts spill out.

“I’m a traitor.”

“Takuma-kun, y’know… I think you’re just overthinking everything.”

“Overthinking…?”

“Hell yeah.”

Chiaki leaned back in her chair, eyes drifting up toward the ceiling stained with old blotches.

The pose was so natural that if she lit a cigarette right then, it would’ve looked picture-perfect.

Her black hair, cut just to her shoulders, slid down against her pale collarbone.

“Minato’s not holding a grudge. She knows you better than that. She knows you’re not the type to just wag your tail at the Shirane faction for no reason. She gets it—she just can’t say it straight ‘cause she’s jealous.”

“But still…”

“No buts, man. You moping around like this just makes it look like you think Minato’s too small-minded to handle it. A real woman’s strength is being able to laugh it off, even if her guy chases after another girl once in a while.”

She slammed the empty strawberry milk carton down on the desk with a sharp smack.

“I’m not heartless. If I see Takuma-kun stuck in his head this long, of course I’m gonna wanna help.”

“…Thanks.”

“And y’know what? I just came up with the perfect solution.”

Chiaki’s lips curled into a sharp, wicked grin.

“Myougi faction, Shirane faction… and yeah, the Tanigawa faction’s in the mix too. The whole mess is just about who gets to be boss, right? Then the answer’s simple—make a brand-new boss. Problem solved.”

“That’s easier said than done. That’s exactly why the two of them are clashing—”

“Nope. That’s where you’re wrong. To solve a problem, you gotta look at it from a whole different angle.”

She jabbed a finger at me.

Her surprisingly well-kept nail stopped right in front of my eyes.

“If those two are fighting for the spot, then the solution is simple—someone else entirely takes the boss seat. Like… Takuma-kun. You, for example.”

My mind went completely blank.

I’d never even considered that idea.

But still…

“I’m not a delinquent. There’s no way I could take over Shibakata High.”

“Is that so? I’ve been watching you up close, Takuma-kun, and honestly… you’ve got the chops for it.”

“…You’ve gotta be joking.”

Chiaki was always playful, always tossing out jokes—

Even in Fist, Chiaki Haruna loved to run her mouth like that.

So I figured this was just more of the same.

But when I glanced her way—Chiaki was grinning with a terrifying intensity.

“Boss—basically the top of all delinquents. What do you think’s the most important thing to become one?”

“…Strength?”

“Wrong. If that were true, then what about Minato?”

“…Yeah, fair point.”

I nodded reluctantly.

“The real answer is charm. Or if you wanna dress it up—charisma. Someone who makes their followers think, ‘I wanna follow this guy,’ or ‘I want her at the top.’ That’s the kind of person who becomes boss. And in that sense, Takuma-kun, I’ve got high hopes for you. Ever wonder why even someone like Yayoi Akagi warmed up to you so fast?”

Chiaki’s smile sharpened, her shoulders lifting in an exaggerated, almost Western-style shrug.

Chapter 48: Crossroads

Why had Yayoi Akagi shown me any interest in the first place?

I had no answer for Chiaki’s grin.

The noise of the classroom felt distant, like it was fading away.

“Takuma-kun’s got charm. The kind of charm that makes people unconsciously follow you with their eyes, makes them want to follow you without even realizing it.”

“…Even if what you’re saying is true, that doesn’t mean I’ve got what it takes to be boss.”

“Of course, I’m not saying you have to. I’m just throwing out my own solution—since watching you stuck like this is painful, y’know?”

Chiaki pulled a pencil case from her bag.

Somewhere along the way, class had already started.

I scrambled to get my things in order, but when I looked up, she was just resting her chin on her hand, staring straight at me.

“Anyway—whatever you decide, just live in a way where you can respect yourself.”

“…Respect myself?”

After that, Chiaki said nothing more.

Time just ticked by, second after second.

Of course, there was no way I could pay attention to the lesson.

Her words kept replaying in my head on loop.

And for someone torn between Minato and Mikoto, those words sounded dangerously appealing.

If I couldn’t choose between them… then maybe the answer was to throw both options away.

It was reckless, even absurd—

But for someone as lost as I was, even that kind of wild idea felt like something worth clinging to.

Even after school ended and I was walking home alone, the thought wouldn’t leave me.

“………………Haaah.”

I slumped on the bench with a heavy sigh.

It felt like my head was stuffed full of something, my eardrums throbbing from the pressure.

Leaning back against the rest, I stretched out my spine.

The cramped muscles finally loosened, blood starting to flow again in slow waves.

“Me… as boss, huh.”

I’d never once considered it.

This was the world of Fist, after all.

I was just an intruder, an outsider.

A reversed world of delinquents—where did a normal guy like me even fit in?

But Chiaki’s words had flipped my thinking.

Maybe… maybe there really was something I could do.

Like a ray of light slipping in, my brain started spinning with the possibility.

“…But still…”

My tongue twitched.

A reflex of hesitation.

“Is it really okay… for someone like me to push aside those two and aim for the boss?”

That was it.

That doubt was the chain holding me back.

Me, who had barely even fought anyone before, versus them—girls who had already proven themselves as delinquents.

(Well, one of them acted pretty pathetic outside of fights, but still.)

When it came to who was more fit to be boss, the answer was obvious. It wasn’t me.

My thoughts grew murky.

Like sinking into a bottomless swamp.

Like wandering into a maze with no way out.

“…”

I squeezed my eyes shut, still caught in the spiral—

And then suddenly felt the presence of someone standing right in front of me.

They didn’t leave.

Even after a whole minute passed, they stayed right there.

“…”

“……”

At this point, it was a battle of endurance.

I’d dug in so far that I didn’t even want to open my eyes anymore.

For a while, I just kept locking horns in some weird mental standoff with whoever it was—but they never moved.

Not even a twitch.

Cold sweat slid down my cheek.

Why weren’t they moving?

Wait… could they actually be here for me?

Uneasy, I finally forced my eyes open.

Who was it standing there?

Our gazes met—and I realized who it was.

“Yayoi!?”

“Yo. You didn’t notice me at all, so I decided to stick around. Ended up being kinda fun.”

Yayoi Akagi gave me a casual wave.

“Mind if I sit?”

“Sure, I guess… Did you need something from me?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be standing here staring you down if I didn’t, right?”

“…Fair point.”

Her twin-tails brushed against my skin as she flopped down beside me.

She leaned back on the bench, arms slung across the backrest—legs spread wide, despite the skirt.

“Got something on your mind? I’ll hear you out.”

“This feels familiar. Happened before, didn’t it?”

“You mean that little spy-movie stunt? Guess it flopped, huh.”

“Nah… technically it worked.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, urging me to go on.

“But it just left me even more confused. And now I’ve got even more to worry about on top of it.”

“Oh yeah? And that new problem is?”

“…That maybe I should just become boss myself.”

The words slipped out, my tongue hesitant.

Saying something like that in front of the former boss was about as embarrassing as it gets.

“Takuma? As boss?”

“Yeah.”

“Heh… now that’s interesting.”

Yayoi tilted her head back, eyes on the sky.

Like it was nothing at all.

Meanwhile, I just stared at her in shock.

“Why not go for it? Doesn’t sound bad to me.”

“…But I’m a guy.”

“So what? Anyone who complains about that is just lame.”

Whether you’re a guy or not—if you’ve got the strength, it doesn’t matter.

That’s how she brushed it off.

“I think it actually suits you, Takuma.”

“…Why’s that?”

“You’ve got the guts to stand up to me. And that weird knack for pulling people in, stirring things up—call it charisma, call it luck. Either way, you’ve got it.”

Yayoi pulled a lollipop from her pocket, tearing off the wrapper with casual ease.

“See, I was pretty famous myself. Around here, everybody knew who I was. And with that kind of reputation, all I got in return was fear.”

She shrugged, like it was nothing—though the motion carried the weight of a sigh.

“It got boring, y’know? Everyone just bowing and scraping all the time. That’s why I liked hanging out with old friends like Shinobu, or juniors like Akira who treated me like a normal person.”

“…Yeah.”

“And then you showed up, Takuma.”

Bish!

She jabbed a finger right at me.

Her nails were neat and tidy—

And for a moment, it hit me again: ah right, she really is a girl.

“Sure, maybe at first it was just ‘cause you didn’t know who I really was. But even after you found out I was Shibakata High’s top dog, you didn’t change much.”

Takuma probably doesn’t even realize it—but that’s a pretty damn big deal.

Yayoi flashed a grin, deliberately looking cool.

“So go for it. I’ll be cheering you on.”

“…I’ll… think about it.”

When the words left my mouth, the weight on my chest felt just a little lighter—like the air around me had shifted.