The walk back to the Femboy Adventuring Guild was a quiet, somber affair. The adrenaline from the disastrous Lily Fighting Club competition had faded, leaving behind the bitter, familiar taste of humiliation. Bombom stalked through the city streets, the massive crowd of his fans trailing at a respectful distance, their usual cheers and catcalls replaced by concerned whispers. He ignored them all, his mind a churning vortex of the judges' words. Monster. Brute. Aberration.
He pushed through the grand doors of the guild hall and, without a word to anyone, collapsed onto the nearest plush sofa in the main room, letting out a long, weary sigh. He just wanted to sit there, to be invisible, to let the world forget he existed for a few hours. But, of course, that was never an option.
"Oh, Bombom, I was looking for you," a cheerful, musical voice said from beside him. It was Ryo. "You want a mission, right?"
