The faint, cloying scent of expensive perfume and shattered ego hung in the air of the boutique. Hikaru Aoi was gone, but the tension he'd left behind was a palpable thing. Bombom stood there, the red handprint on his cheek slowly fading, his mind still reeling from the bizarre confrontation.
"What a strange Lily," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
Gluteus Maximus let out a small, metallic sigh, the sound like the shifting of tectonic plates. "Bombom," he began, his deep voice rumbling with a gentle, paternal wisdom. "All the Lilies you will encounter are not... strong... as you are. They dedicate their lives to the pursuit of beauty and charisma. To them, strength is a crude thing, a tool for brutes and barbarians. So, when they see you, a Lily of unparalleled aesthetic, wielding the power they associate with the lowest classes, they may get defensive."
