Chapter 331: Rest Assured

"Look, the cheer squad is coming out!"

"Eh... Kazeno senpai is so cute~"

"Koyasu senpai is amazing too~"

"Wait, that girl is insanely pretty!!"

The cheer squad stepped onto the field under the gaze of the whole school. Kazeno and Tsubame, both extremely popular students, immediately drew attention.

But when Rinji appeared in the girl's uniform, everyone was stunned.

No one could believe how stunning he looked. People started wondering why they'd never seen this beautiful girl before.

She exuded a captivating beauty with a hint of pride—that was the aura Rinji projected now.

And he stood at the very front, as if leading the cheer squad.

This was actually Kazeno's decision. When he saw Rinji's breathtaking entrance, a bold idea struck him: let Rinji lead the performance.

It was a big risk to change the formation at the last minute, but Kazeno believed this might push the atmosphere to an all-time high.

And just as he expected, the moment the crowd saw Rinji, the whole field went quiet.

Then came an explosive cheer.

"Ohhhhh!! NICE!!!"

George was clicking away furiously with a long-lens DSLR.

Rinji's mother, meanwhile, watched with a thoughtful expression.

"Has he finally overcome it?"

"I don't think so," Hayasaka replied. "Rinji still seems to have issues with this kind of thing."

"Then why didn't he refuse?"

"Probably... because this is a group event. Over time, he's really become a part of this school," Hayasaka smiled. "He knows what it means to endure."

"I see."

Rinji's mother smiled as she looked at him standing proudly on the field.

"Then I'm relieved."

…

On the field, Rinji stood with his eyes closed. Behind him stood Tsubame and Kazeno, each leading half the squad.

The moment the music started, Rinji's eyes shot open and his arms extended gracefully to both sides.

The squad moved with him.

Rinji's dance grew increasingly fluid with the music. Dressed in the black Shuchiin girls' uniform, his elegant movements made him look like a black swan in flight.

At the end of the music, Rinji raised both arms high, while the cheer squad members knelt in a semicircle behind him, heads bowed low.

It was a scene fit for a queen's coronation.

WHOOOOOOSH—

Thunderous applause erupted.

And Rinji held his head high, basking in the worship of the crowd.

---

— Five minutes later

"Rinji, hang in there!"

"Ugh..."

In the stands, Rinji curled up into a ball, hugging his knees. Karura sat beside him, patting his shoulder to comfort him.

He was on the verge of mental breakdown.

Normally, after performing in a dress in front of a crowd like that, Rinji would go into a rage, beating up half the field before sneaking off to smoke in some quiet corner.

But this time, his mother was here.

Which meant not only could he not beat people up, he couldn't even smoke.

With no outlet for his frustration, he went straight into shutdown mode—like this, huddled in a corner.

"Exactly, Rinji."

From the front row, George turned and smiled.

"You heard the cheers—everyone loved your performance."

The original intent of this gender-swap event was to bring a bit of fun to the sports festival. A boy in a skirt is inherently funny.

But Rinji didn't provide laughs—he stole hearts and gained an entire fanbase.

Which only made it more frustrating.

Rinji's mother turned and gently stroked his head.

"You gave a wonderful performance."

Hearing his mother say that, Rinji finally lifted his head slightly.

"Really?"

"Really. I'm so proud of you."

"...Okay."

Her comfort worked. In just a few words, Rinji began to come back to life.

"Uncle saw your performance too."

Shirogane's father looked over and said cheerfully.

"Honestly, it was amazing."

"Please stop..."

"Yo, Rinji."

Just as Rinji tried to escape, Shirogane walked over, a red sash on his forehead, holding another out to Rinji.

"Time for the relay. Let's go."

"Okay."

Rinji grabbed the sash and followed.

"Let's crush those damn White Team bastards."

"No... it's just a race. Don't inject that kind of hatred into it."

With no way to vent his fury by hitting people, thanks to his mother's presence, Rinji decided to take it out in the race.

Still better than violence.

Rinji's mother turned her gaze to the track again. Seeing Shirogane help Rinji tie the sash, she asked curiously, "Who's that boy?"

Shirogane's dad: "That's my son."

"I see. What a fine young man," she smiled. "Looks like Rinji really has made friends here."

"Your son is amazing too," Shirogane's dad said. "Polite, helpful, and outstanding. You should be proud."

"Is that so? You really think highly of him."

Hearing another parent praise her son filled Rinji's mother with pride.

As for the race, the result was obvious. With Rinji running the final leg, he dashed ahead to secure first place.

The Red Team won.

The athletes hugged, and on Rinji's face was a sincere, radiant smile.

His mother could now say with certainty—her son had truly become part of this school.

With a contented smile, she stood up.

Now, she could truly rest easy.