I'm trying to track down a short manga I read recently.

In it MC girl is very physically strong and a good fighter. She has a childhood friend who she has a crush on / is obsessed with protecting. She feels this way because he comes across as very cute, timid, and weak.

In all reality through, the MC guy is faking being cute, timid, and weak in order to keep the MC girl close to him. He's actually quite strong, possessive, and ill-tempered.

There's also a band of delinquents that start admiring MC girl and a Cross-Dressing (BoytoGirl) that's in love with MC Girl.

It has a really similar vibe to "17-sai, Kiss to Dilemma" and "The Prince's Black Poison"

What was the art style like?

“𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑜𝓈𝑒'𝓈 𝓇𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃𝓈.” ― 𝑀𝒶𝓌𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝒥𝒶𝓁𝒶𝓁-𝒶𝓁-𝒟𝒾𝓃 𝑅𝓊𝓂𝒾.
あたしは腐女子です。少女漫画、たくさん読んでください。

That sounds like a smut I'm reading in Renta called That Unexpected Side to my Childhood Friend -Watch Out for the Animal in Him! or Hyouhen Osananajimi Kedamono ni Hajimete Ubawarechau.

I'm in idol hell T.T

Aaaah thats it! Thank you!